A Google search is not market research. However, this is not to say that search engines such as Google, Yahoo, BING, and Ask are not valuable. They can be a source of quick and easy secondary research. Google Trends can also be a valuable tool to see who and how many are searching about specific topics over a given time frame.
Just because it is on the Internet does not mean it is true, factual, real, or of decision-making substance. “Trust, but verify,” as the Russian proverb says. Use search engines to start and not finish the research process. Use search engines to help educate you on some of the terms and concepts needed to go deeper as you dive into both secondary and primary research.
Search engines cannot give you the critical tool for decision making: primary data. You can only find this from direct, new, fresh, and feet-on-the-street effort. For example, the best source for market comes from data bases such as Lexus Nexus and Business Source Premiere. Many universities pay millions of dollars each year in order to provide primary and secondary source market research data in the form of journal articles and other market research publications.
Visit your library and also use Google. Let them work together.
By Stuart Atkins
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