🔍 The onus to educate doesn't just fall on Google

And, how to use Google Business Messages to talk to your customers [View in browser]( | [Share]() [Search Engine Land]() Mar 03, 2022 Mar 03, 2022 Good morning, Search Marketer, I’m sure you’ve heard this one before. “Oh, so you know how to rank #1 on Google!” My barber said to me once after I explained what I do for a living. I’ve heard it many times by now, and each time, I feel like its an indictment of how poorly search engines and search marketers have communicated how search actually works. The general public knows so little about how they get the information they’re looking for, which isn’t acceptable since it’s their source of truth. The New York Times published an [article]() last week discussing DuckDuckGo’s rise in popularity among right-wing communities — I wonder if those communities would continue to support DuckDuckGo if they realized that its results are powered by Microsoft Bing. Microsoft is, of course, co-founded by Bill Gates, who has also been at the center of conspiracy theories. It doesn’t help that bad actors are out there guaranteeing rankings and preying upon uninformed clients, either. And, as the NYT article notes, [data voids]() can be exploited to further spread misinformation. While the search engines have published volumes of content on how their systems work and even added transparency features, like Google’s “[About this result]()” section, the vast majority of users still don’t understand. While we can’t make users care about search ranking factors and algorithms, ignorance can have dire consequences for societies like ours, which are virtually powered by search. So, as a practitioner, inform those around you — it’ll help users better contextualize search results and enable them to understand what our jobs actually are. George Nguyen,Editor [How to use Google Business Messages to talk to your customers]() Google's Business Messages is one of the best ways to connect with your customers and future customers. [Read More]() [Google may require double verification for some business profiles]() Google updated its help documents to say that it may require you to verify your business with an additional method. [Read More]() [Activate the ‘Dark Funnel’ and unlock fresh leads in this new channel]() Did you know 75% of buyers are already halfway through their buying journey before they even speak to a salesperson? At that point, they’ve already completed their pre-purchase process – checked reviews, browsed comparison sites, and perused articles on third-party sites – before even reaching your site. In other words, all of these activities have occurred anonymously in what marketers have coined the “Dark Funnel.” [Read more]() [How to be a competitive paid search marketer in 2022]() The paid search landscape is more competitive than ever. In a recent webinar, Ashley Fletcher showed how marketers can stay ahead of the curve. [Read More]() [Webinar Today: A/B Testing is Dead, Long Live A/B Testing!]() Optimizing interactions, communications and offers to your customers is key – but how are you doing that today? Odds are, you’re A/B testing. But this method is now a thing of the past … and why is that? Join Scott Brinker, editor, chiefmartec.com and OfferFit CEO, George Khachatryan, for a discussion on how new AI methods are displacing traditional A/B testing, and what this means for the test & learn programs you use to maximize customer engagement. 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