In a recent article by Kevin Lee, “When Did Google Become The Bad Guy” has inspired me to point out a few items which make me wonder if Google’s motto is still “Do no evil.” Sure just like any huge coporate organization, critics will abide and conspiracy theories will flow. However, there are some issues which make me really wonder how much good the biggest search engine in the United States can be.
Google’s Customer Service? Where in the hell is it?
I have had may oppportunites to work with various types of Google personal on the pay per click side of the house and on the affiliate side of the house. I can certainly attest that the Google Affiliate Team [at least the ones I have worked with] really go the extra mile to build relationships and help where they can. For that they get a big A +.
On the pay per click services…not so much. I have been in a few situations [especially when I started out in searchology] where any help from the Google teams would have done me and my clients a great service. It was made rather clear to me that; smaller budgets do not get any type of help from a live individual and budgets need to be upward of $5,000 in order to get noticed. Somewhere in my mind I had imagined Google was the grand waiter of the search service industry and I could lean on them if I had a fly in my soup or if I needed more help cracking the crab legs.
Google’s lack of service does not only lack on the paid search aspect but on the Google Analytics side as well. I have experienced many issuses with Google analytics tracking and conversion measurements. In addidion, the new one-click to conversion vs. many-click to conversion has not helped matters. I have attempted to reach out to the owners of this product with the black hole of voice mail and when I did reach someone my call was quickly dumped.
My short article here is not about Google bashing. I’m sure they get enough of that from much larger fish than Searchology . My point is simple…as American continues to rely on it’s skills as a service based economy, the importance of SERVICE [and excellence in execution] should be in the forefront of all business matters. Since when have large companies become exempt from building relationships with their users\clients as it pertains to service?
Do you need good pay per click service? You got it. Did I mention it comes with killer people and outstanding service AND it’s cheaper than Google?
Sure, Google has really cool tools and is one of the most innovative U.S. companies ever created but no service. I just don’t under stand that. I do know if you are paying tens of thousands or millions on paid search, affiliate marketing or banner advertising you can get top notch service from Google. Newsflash: Small business does not have thousands or millions to beg for attention or spend for online marketing. No, most small business are trying to take over the world one client\customer at a time.
I have driven many of my clients away from Google not because of the lack of cool tools or service [if you have the money] but because I can get better service and more for my clients money on another search engine. Yahoo. Yes, Yahoo. Many Internet marketing industry types bash the hell out of Yahoo and so does the press.
Truth be told, Yahoo (and you know who you are) have gone above and beyond for me and my clients on a consistant basis providing me with insight and more than one HAIL MARY pass to save the day. I am sure there will come a day that more and more small business owners will come to find out that Yahoo is typically 16% cheaper on a cost per click basis but moreover, they can help you when you need it.
In fact, they have been so good at service I am very concerned about the potential Microsoft\Yahoo deal. It has a way to go be I can only hope Yahoo will remain 1# [in my mind] for client service in the search marketing space. Google should take heed or it will find there really is a sleeping giant about to wake up.
