Google’s AddictionRecently it occurred to me that I not only use Google search to find information. Google is able to instantly answer many more of my daily questions and fulfill some of my daily tasks. I feel that Google search is making me addicted to it and at the same time lazy.

I admit that due to my profession my search habits are different from other non-SEM surfers. But love it or hate it Google is doing a tremendously great job at finding what you are actually looking for. And below I listed only few examples of how it can help me beside actually searching:

1. I no more mind my spelling:

Google - an alternative spelling

2. I find it more natural to go to a site through Google SERPs than through browser navigation bar (and I am in no way alone: Google’s third fastest rising search trend across the universe was facebook – and I bet most people searching for it just wanted to get to the site):

Google - domain search

3. I search any site (even the one owned by myself) with Google because I am more familiar with Google search options and settings and can search more effectively there:

Google - site search

4. I use Google instead of a dictionary (note: I blog in a foreign language, so I often need an outside help to put things together). How do I do that? That’s easy: I try searching Google for both phrases and compare the number of results (the more people use the phrase, the more correct it appears to be):

Google instead of a dictionary

5. Very often I even don’t have to leave Google’s results page to find the answer:

Define query

6. Most often I don’t have to rack my brain to brainstorm for a word related topics:

Google related searches

Image source: threeminds.organic.com

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I am the owner of this blog as well as Brand and Community Manager at Internet Marketing Ninjas and Founder of MyBlogGuest, MyBlogU and ViralContentBee.com

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12 Comments

  1. (the more people use the phrase, the more correct it appears to be):

    Better not count on that too much. An awful lot of people use poor English – me for example.

  2. I think we are all addicted to that powerful system called Google, and it deserves it. It might have been turning us lazy, but, it turned us to use our mind in some other way to make our pages friendly to it!

  3. Using Google to check for idiom use is an interesting approach. I like it.

    While it is sometimes clear that English is not your first language – it is not always clear that it is not. So you must be doing something right.

    Great post Ann!

  4. A great argument for mobile search, no?

  5. I occasionally need to translate something into Spanish, and if I’m not convinced that my grammar is correct, I’ll do the same trick of trying a couple of variations in google.es to see which is more popular.

    David (above) makes a good point about not relying on web users for good grammar; I tend to look for examples on more credible, authoritative sites, rather than blog posts.

    And for my own blog, I actively search for examples of bad grammar!

  6. Alphane Moon says:

    Hi Ann,

    I love the define: operator very much, great feature!

    But I wouldn’t trust the spelling correction to the end of the world. Occasionally, the suggestions are weird. Some time ago the search results page for “Riesenkamel” (Giant Camel) on the german google.de asked if you mean something totally different instead: some part of the male anatomy that might also be gigantic. Well, it was the “google of the day” in the blogosphere and really nice entertainment 🙂

  7. Hi Ann

    I agree with you , Google search is great,
    it has helped me many, many times.
    There are many tips to search with google,
    we have to try.

    http://www.homeswaiting.com

  8. Lindsay Hogan says:

    Yes Ann you are right google is becoming an intoxication for all of us. We can live without google. The most important thing is that SEOs are filling their stomach by using google only. Are you are agree or not ?

    Thanks Ann I am stumbling it here http://lindsayhogan.stumbleupon.com/ so that all my stumbleupon group can share your post.

  9. Mister Dinklebert says:

    Hi. My name is Mister Dinklebert,am a 26 year old female and I have a google addiction.
    I didn’t know I had a problem, until my family staged an intervention.
    They expressed to me that my addiction is having a negative affect on their livlihoods and apparently mine.
    Every morning I start out my day by going to google.com and asking a life changing question like ” Why do me and my workbuddies have succinct menstral cycles?”Apparently,by the way, it is because we experience the same daily stressors which as caused this “synchonization.” Then, I proceed my daily question with checking my google mail, and uploading my daily question to my daiy questions label in my library..Over the past 6 years , my library of daily questions has grown to a total of 2,190 questions. My library is archived on my desk top because I can’t just keep these items in my inbox forever. It has proven useful and I have considered going on Jeopardy because of the wealth of knowledge I have obtained just by asking a daily question for 6 years. My family doesn’t understand that the fact they named me Mister for my first name, and being a female, may have socialized me into this addiction. I have never been certain of myself being called Mr. all of my life and being a female, and i am certain with Google.Anyway,after checking my Gmail, I then go to my daily calendar where I have the time documented daily, for checking my daily questions. I keep a reminder set 4 hours and twenty minutes prior to checking( because I have an obession with the numbers 4 and twenty. I am not sure why I am obsessed with these numbers but I always have been. My family is hurt by my addiction because it is taking away qaulity family time. Last Christmas I missed our family get together, because I spent the day googling all the ways to celebrate Christmas. Needless to say, they did not save me a plate of my favorite brandied cranberries, and warm delectable turkey. I found this site by googling it, and hence is only enabling my habits further. When I watched the ball drop, online, I was reeling. I called my friend Herbert via my google voice number and we did a cyber toast using our web cams. I don’t know if anyone else suffers as madly as I do. But, I pray to Google that I have some some answers soon.

    Mister Dinklebert

  10. Wow, I am not the only one. Although my day is not as regimened as Mister’s. I find myslef falling into the google trap. It is the ultimate search for searching. I have recently gotten in trouble for this. I will not go into details but it is not pretty. I normally start with a search of say my own name. Form there I go to famous names that sound like mine. to maybe classic movies. to the history of black and white movies.. ETC…. It goes on and on and on. I find that hours have gone by. I do not eat or drink I just keep searching. Heck that is how I found this site…

  11. I love Google search so much 🙂 I need a spelling correction copy/paste book it fixes it. (lol) I need to research something I always get great results. Yahoo not much blea! And with a few Firefox addons that block the stupid text adds 9hea hea0 Google is golden. But ya i’m addicted I can spend hours in it reading, researching, looking at pictures, new games. meep. Every thing except getting actual work done.

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