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November 18, 2014

Google’s Dark Horse Competitors: Pinterest

11.18 whit

Photo credit: Mashable.com

“Google it” was the standard thought when answering a question you didn’t know or starting the search for a product, recipe or answer to one of life’s mysteries, but not anymore. Through Google’s algorithm, the results to my search queries are usually pretty good, but not always perfect.

Pop quiz: What is Google’s most threatening competitor? Not Bing, not Yahoo, but Amazon. This is because in terms of transactional search queries, an ever-increasing segment goes straight to Amazon, overlooking Google’s Marketplace altogether. According to the Forrester Group, in 2013 almost a third of people intending make a purchase started out on Amazon, more than double the number that go straight to Google. This is a great example of how specialized search could be slowly chinking away at Google’s armor. In my case, I see this in my use of Pinterest as a search engine.

I’ve curated almost 12,000 pins relevant to my interests and tastes. These categories range from home decor and clothing to food and cocktail recipes, places I want to go or have traveled, DIYs, people I’m interested in in, health and fitness information, weddings and parties ideas, even marketing and design inspiration.

I’ve hand-selected every result that could appear, so when I  search and then get the results on Pinterest, they’re all perfect for me. Look at the options of things I like and want. But that’s just my pins: If, by the slim chance, I haven’t already pinned it, I’m on platform of other people like me, so before I go hunting on Google, where all things for all people live, I’m starting on Pinterest. Holiday shopping? My sister will love that Madewell sweater I pinned last month. My mom’s upcoming birthday? She’s been repinning Le Creuset cookware left and right (got the hint loud and clear, Mom).

Needless to say, nothing seems to be knocking Google off its throne anytime soon. As users become more internet-savvy and interested in niche curating, Google be outstripped, especially in the world of eCommerce.