They Ask, You Answer, 2nd Edition

52 Self-Selection The Next Phase of Search, Sales, and the Way We Buy

In the marketing section of this book, we discussed the way we’ve evolved as buyers and how we’ve learned to search online to find the answers we’re looking for.

Since the first edition of this book came out, a very interesting buyer trend has continued to revolutionize not just this “search” process, but also the very sale itself.

Allow me to explain.

A recent Google study on trends is eye-opening.

Phrases searched (in Google) that include the words “for me” exploded by more than 120 percent in the last two years. In other words, when we first started using the internet, and we wanted to buy an in-ground swimming pool, we likely searched the phrase “in-ground swimming pool.”

Then we evolved. We learned that specificity was the key.

Which is why we started searching phrases like “best in-ground swimming pool.” But that is not where the evolution of search, or They Ask, You Answer, stops.

Hence the “for me” phenomenon.

Today, more and more, you’re seeing that same swimming pool shopper search the phrase: “best in-ground swimming pool for me.”

What does adding “for me” do exactly? Why are we adding it?

Once again, our expectations as consumers on digital and artificial intelligence are so high that we expect the internet (and businesses) to “know us” — and therefore identify exactly what we need for our specific situation.

Examples of extremely common “for me” searches are:

• “What is the best car for me?” ...