Copyright 2005 Jim Edwards One of the great joys of the holiday season involves receiving the stack of catalogs that invariably clog the mailbox at the end of my driveway. Not

home

contacts

Google's Next Step: Are Print Mail Order Catalogs Dead?

Copyright 2005 Jim Edwards
One of the great joys of the holiday season involves receiving
the stack of catalogs that invariably clog the mailbox at the end
of my driveway.

Not withstanding the hernia I get from carrying them to the
house, or the three acres of rainforest timber it took to print
them, holiday catalogs provide a never-ending opportunity to look
at stuff I don't want to buy.
Unfortunately, when I do finally decide what I want to buy for
those on my holiday shopping list, I find the one catalog I need
mysteriously absent from the 6-foot stack.
Fortunately, a new service at Google makes hunting through
catalogs to find the perfect gift for yourself or others an
absolute breeze.
Log on to .

google.com/ and test out
Google's latest offering in an attempt to organize all information
on the planet.
At the time of this writing, Google's database of catalogs
boasts over 6,000 catalogs covering everything from golf to music
to footwear.
The index allows you to browse catalog content either by
entering keywords in a search box, or choosing categories in their
directory-style listings.

If you want the latest L.L. Bean or Harry and David catalog (or
any other), you can perform a search for a specific catalog by
name.
If Google doesn't carry a specific catalog, you can click the
"Help Google Add More Catalogs" link on the main page of the
catalogs directory to suggest they take a look at it.

I personally think Google is very serious about developing this
service because they do something here I've never seen them do
before: they provide a physical mailing address and invite you to
actually "snail mail" them a catalog you want added.
I decided to put the service to the ultimate test by searching
for what, at least for me, represents the ultimate catalog purchase
from 2003: the singing trout (a.k.a.

the "Boogie Bass")!
If they could find that honey of a holiday gift, the service
gets my seal of approval.
Of course, in a nanosecond, Google found it in multiple catalogs
along with such holiday gems as the "singing fish" and the "TV
Caddy."
On a serious note, a search for "Ford F250 accessories" yielded
some very helpful information on catalogs where I can get parts and
goodies for my truck.
So, this service goes way beyond searching catalogs with only
the "As Seen On TV" gadgets, and gets into some serious niche
product information.

Back before the Internet, search engines, and online research,
catalogs actually represented an inexpensive way for vendors to
publish product information targeting a niche audience.
It makes perfect sense that the Web's largest search engine
should start cataloging catalogs and combine print publications
with online search.
The only drawback to Google's new catalog browser is that you
can't circle the items you really want (writing on your monitor
tends to damage it) and then strategically leave the catalog where
Santa (or your wife) can conveniently find it and catch a clue as
to your greatest wish.
But, you can always send Santa a web link to the items on your
list!

------
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and co-author of
an amazing program that teaches you how to use free articles to
quickly drive thousands of targeted visitors to your website,
affiliate links, or blogs.

.. without spending a dime on
advertising! Click Here>
.turnwordsintotraffic.

com

[ Comment, Edit or Article Submission ]

.