Google South Africa – How do they know my name?

google south africa

6 Months ago some Googlers from the South African office popped in to do a presentation about the amazing products and services they offer to agencies like Quirk.

This was my first opportunity to meet with South African Google’s and as those of you who read this blog know, Your Web AddiCT is a Google Fan. A Google Fan I am. Could i have an eco-friendly car and a Gphone in my hand?

After hearing Graeme Lipschitz (Chief Strategist, Google SA) and Peter Brooke-Summer (Account Manager Google ZA), do their bits in the QuirkStation presentation I immediately went up to introduce myself.

“Hi, I’m Rafiq,” smiling/honoured/fanboy reached out to shake their hands. What happened next blew me away. The 2 word answer received from some of the South African Googlers caught me by surprise.

What was that 2word answer? – “We know!” You’re probably thinking that the South African Googlers know me cos we were on Carte Blanche, wrong.

Shortly after Tyler Reed‘s name also got mentioned as one of the young ones. Hmmm… Tyler Reed wasn’t on Carte Blanche was he?

In true Web AddiCT style I turned to, you guessed it, google.co.za and Googled for the term ‘Google South Africa’ (pages from South Africa) and whos names appear in the first 5 results?

Vinny Lingham (who you’ve met on Web AddiCT(s); before) with his post about Google opening a South African office.
Tyler Reed‘s thoughtleader post entitled Google SA: set to rule.
and last but not least: me, myself and I: Rafiq Phillips asking where Google South Africa offices are going to be.

White African let us know that Google have just launched the Official Google Africa blog. Let’s see if and how they respond to us talking about them.

Now, if SERPs were like the premier league fixtures, those SERPs would be it. Top Talent with a proven track record. Not just some ‘smart kid’ hopping onto trends, blatantly copying everyone else and giving it away as their own. Yes, I have proof 🙂 Wanna see it?

With that I’d like to welcome Google Africa to the South African blogosphere 🙂

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16 Responses to "Google South Africa – How do they know my name?"

JBagley says:

15 July 2008 at 17:00

Wheres that wooden spoon?

Reply
1. Rafiq Phillips says:
  
  15 July 2008 at 17:14
  
  wooden spoon is always in arms length
  
  Reply
Charl Norman says:

15 July 2008 at 17:03

Show us proof !!

Reply
1. Rafiq Phillips says:
  
  15 July 2008 at 17:18
  
  anyone could find the proof Charl. You just have to know where to look 😉
  
  I there is interest in the the proof ill write a post about it.
  
  Reply
charl says:

15 July 2008 at 18:41

Well you’ve shown me the proof and its quite ironic – but if its even worth blogging about thats another story

Reply
1. Rafiq Phillips says:
  
  16 July 2008 at 10:01
  
  not really. Teaching others how to track if someone is imitating your strat, that is worth a blog post
  
  Reply
Jon Gos says:

15 July 2008 at 20:20

That’s quite flattering, indeed, but you shouldn’t be too surprised that a company dedicated to organizing all the worlds information stumbled upon someone as connected as yourself!

Reply
1. Rafiq Phillips says:
  
  16 July 2008 at 10:04
  
  connectedness is only a byproduct Jon Gos. just a Web AddiCT, nothing more.
  
  Reply
ThisIsYourMotherSpeaking says:

16 July 2008 at 09:10

Charl is right….

Some things & people are simply not important enough to bother with. In 10 years time, you’ll barely even remember who this person was & how they irked you…and they’ll be *long gone* off your radar. (Probably living in Melbourne with a bald spot, 3 kids & a mortgage that’s killing them…)

Focus on the stuff which you will remember in 10 years time..

You have bigger fish to fry – go fry them…
leave smallfry to their own devices 😉

P.S. you have home w-w-work to do.
Do it…else I turn into a screaming hag-bag
& you’ll be grounded for a week.

lol 🙂

Reply
1. Rafiq Phillips says:
  
  16 July 2008 at 10:09
  
  Yes ThisIsYourMotherSpeaking. I don’t wana be grounded, not again.
  
  TYFYC btw 🙂
  
  Reply
James says:

17 July 2008 at 18:31

Hmmm… Did you try searching for just plain old “google” first? 😉

And, I hope you have your Google TShirt… No true fanboy goes without one (though I must admit, by the time it was shipped to the time I tried mine on, I’d “grown” a bit so I can’t wear it, LUCKY it was free)

Reply
1. Rafiq Phillips says:
  
  17 July 2008 at 23:27
  
  tshirt check 🙂
  
  the results dont differ that much do they?
  
  Reply
  1. James says:
    
    18 July 2008 at 00:50
    
    They differ just enough to make me feel proud 😛
    
    Reply
Carl says:

17 July 2008 at 22:43

Rafiqi, you are such a f#$king brown-nosing moron… what a pathetic post – seriously.

Reply
1. Rafiq Phillips says:
  
  18 July 2008 at 09:06
  
  Thank you for your comment Carl. You made my day.
  
  I’m currently doing some intense SEO and SMO training with quite a few of the QuirkStars. This post is a real-time demonstration around some SEO theory and a bit of baiting, naming and flaming and guess what Carl? Got you hook line and sinker guy 🙂
  
  Onto the next lesson. Please, if you could have done it better, I’d love for you to teach my how. Once again thank you for your comment.
  
  Reply
munashe says:

23 July 2008 at 20:03

this is so cool. let us see what it does to the web scene in africa.

In the long run they have changed the system

Reply