the behemoth that is Google

Extra:
Okay sorry lah my exams are not done yet (haven't even started) but I'm here again. Let me manke an exception because I found an interesting article in the online version of our trusted newspaper in the Philippines! OR MAYBE IT IS ONLY INTERESTING FOR ME! Really, it's so hard to find other people who are also interested in this stuff.

Last Thursday, I attended a recruitment workshop about understanding and promoting Google Adwords. The company claims that they are one of the only two authorized resellers of Google Adwords in Singapore. I am already familiar with Adwords, but I don't know what they mean by being an authorized reseller. I mean, people just create an account for free and can use Adwords already right? Then what on earth are they talking about? Out of curiosity, and because I was excited about the company's association with Google, I registered for the workshop and went.

This is a screenshot of their website:



Turns out that their company is providing a service to SME's (small and medium enterprises) in creating online advertisements. Like what I've been doing for other people who have products to sell online. But the difference is that they are trying to educate and provide a service to entrepreneurs who do not necessarily sell stuff online to advertise in an unconventional medium, in this case the internet. Erm, example, getting a cake shop owner to advertise his shop using Google Adwords. Based on the market research Google made, people spend as much time nowadays surfing the internet and watching tv. And, as we citizens of this world who do not live under a rock know, television has the biggest portion in the most used advertising medium pie. The internet is apparently underutilized. So, the search engine behemoth that is Google saw this as an opportunity to actively promote the internet as an advertising medium even for offline businesses. Really, nowadays, if your company cannot be found online, you are deemed not professional enough. Ok that is just my opinion, but it still is worth at least two cents what.Also, advertising using Adwords is a way cheaper alternative than advertising in newspapers or on tv, and it's more targeted because your ads will only appear when it is relevant to what the people type in the search box in Google search page. And some more, the internet has a global reach, so you can expose your handicraft business (for example) to people in the opposite side of the world who might find your products exotic, at a fraction of the cost using traditional advertising.

Okay, so anyway, as an authorized reseller, it means that Hardware Zone can officially do Google Adwords advertisements for entrepreneurs who do not have time to learn doing PROPER Adwords ads on their own. Because it takes time, and if you just anyhow do, it's going burn a big hole in your pocket. So, they are like providing a consulting service.

One of the trainers there, Mr Andy Lau, actually works for Google!!! WOW!!! (This one is is for a different post altogether, complete with pictures of Google headquarters a.k.a Googleplex in Mountain View, California).

And here is the interesting article in Inquirer I'm talking about:

Google looking for advertising partners in RP
By Erwin Oliva
INQ7.net
Last updated 10:53pm (Mla time) 10/29/2006

IN a crowded bar at The Fort in Global City, Taguig, Filipino executives, bloggers and search engine marketing experts gathered to finally hear Google's plans for the Philippines.

"I'm the eyes and the ears of Google in the Philippines," said Aileen Apolo, Google Philippines country consultant, as she revealed some of the local plans of the number one Internet search engine in the world.

A former executive at Directory Philippines Corporation, Apolo said Google is finally recruiting more Filipino website owners, bloggers, and marketers to join its advertising programs.

Since advertising expenditure is increasingly moving to the web, Apolo said the search engine company is recruiting Filipinos to become Google Advertising Professionals or GAP. To become a GAP, Google will require people to apply and take an exam.

Apolo also said Google was looking for resellers of its advertisements.

The young Filipino Google executive declined to reveal the other plans of the Internet firm when asked by INQ7.net.

"We have a lot of plans for the Philippines," she said, vaguely.

She is scheduled to fly to Cagayan de Oro and Davao to meet more search engine marketing experts in the area.

Apolo said she is currently the lone executive representing Google in the Philippines.

She was the guest speaker during the launch of the second SEO Philippines contest.

I am not crazy after all. It is becoming a global trend, about the internet becoming an avenue for all sorts of things. (Because sometimes it feels weird, doing online things I mean. Like, I do not know a soul I personally know of who does Google Adwords too). This dependency on the internet will just continue to grow, somemore with the whole of Singapore becoming WIRELESS!!! YES! FREE INTERNET ANYTIME, virtually ANYWHERE in this tiny red dot!

Ok I shall get back to mugging mode. I have ten million school projects to do.

Oh yeah. I shall be a Google Adwords Professional in the near future. I need to take an exam for certification. Haha yep planning to join Hardware Zone maybe as a part-timer while still in university, especially after that nice chat with the Google man. Haha. There were only 5 of us who attended the workshop in the office, all guys except me of course. And I was the only one who chose to stay back for a little chat after their presentation was over.

My chances of working with Google has increased from being totally impossible to severely remote. Maybe if I take up a PhD in sanitation I can be a janitress there.