Looking beyond Google at search
Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2025 8:11 am
SEO should be “ Google first , ” but not “ Google only . ” As of December 2023, 46% of UK users actively used Google on a daily basis, closely followed by 33.8 % of YouTube users and 13.1 % of Amazon users . The largest proportion of daily online users are under 25 years old . Pinterest and Reddit are currently only used by a single-digit percentage of users in the UK . However , this could change for Reddit soon, as Reddit’s visibility in searches is currently increasing massively . This could lead to Reddit’s increased popularity in Europe as well .
Google sometimes doesn't follow its own guidelines and allows other search engines or publishers like LinkedIn to take precedence in search results over the actual source . This pushes out smaller , independent websites . Furthermore, competitors steal some of the organic traffic. Therefore, it should be a concern for us SEOs to provide users with content on other platforms .
Search has also become more complex. The customer journey is no longer just online and namibia phone number data offline, but also spread across different platforms . Users ' intent and search behavior differ significantly depending on the platform .
Example: Evaluate – Buy – Learn
Google is used for evaluation ( “ best rum for mojito ” ) .
The purchase takes place on Amazon ( “ Havana Rum ” ) .
You T ube answers questions about how to use the purchased products ( “ How to make Mojito ” ) .
In addition to Google Trends, Google Suggest, or YouTube Suggest, it's strategically worthwhile to use other free tools like TikTok Trends. All of these tools provide us with valuable insights into what information users expect on which channel.
User behavior is particularly different on social platforms like TikTok or Pinterest. On TikTok, shorter videos are generally favored , and users are primarily influenced in their purchasing behavior by influencers. Content on Pinterest offers ideas and inspiration .
If we as SEOs or marketers really want to reach our potential customers , we need to address them on the channels they use and adapt the content to their current point in the customer journey.
Key Takeaways:
SEO is not dead, and neither is Google.
Today, searches no longer take place only via Google , but across more channels .
We can draw inspiration from trends on other platforms when creating content.
The desired target group should determine which platforms should be strategically focused on.
As SEOs, we can no longer own channels, but only try to influence them.
Google sometimes doesn't follow its own guidelines and allows other search engines or publishers like LinkedIn to take precedence in search results over the actual source . This pushes out smaller , independent websites . Furthermore, competitors steal some of the organic traffic. Therefore, it should be a concern for us SEOs to provide users with content on other platforms .
Search has also become more complex. The customer journey is no longer just online and namibia phone number data offline, but also spread across different platforms . Users ' intent and search behavior differ significantly depending on the platform .
Example: Evaluate – Buy – Learn
Google is used for evaluation ( “ best rum for mojito ” ) .
The purchase takes place on Amazon ( “ Havana Rum ” ) .
You T ube answers questions about how to use the purchased products ( “ How to make Mojito ” ) .
In addition to Google Trends, Google Suggest, or YouTube Suggest, it's strategically worthwhile to use other free tools like TikTok Trends. All of these tools provide us with valuable insights into what information users expect on which channel.
User behavior is particularly different on social platforms like TikTok or Pinterest. On TikTok, shorter videos are generally favored , and users are primarily influenced in their purchasing behavior by influencers. Content on Pinterest offers ideas and inspiration .
If we as SEOs or marketers really want to reach our potential customers , we need to address them on the channels they use and adapt the content to their current point in the customer journey.
Key Takeaways:
SEO is not dead, and neither is Google.
Today, searches no longer take place only via Google , but across more channels .
We can draw inspiration from trends on other platforms when creating content.
The desired target group should determine which platforms should be strategically focused on.
As SEOs, we can no longer own channels, but only try to influence them.