No One Lies to Their Search Bar

Why your marketing strategy should start with Google even if you’re not doing SEO

If there’s one hill I’ll die on, it’s this:

No one lies to their search bar.

That sentence? It’s reshaped how I think about strategy. It’s also helped clients from mental health clinics to Fortune 500s stop wasting money trying to outshout the internet and start placing smart, strategic bets on how people actually think.

We’ve been trained to see Google as a channel. I don’t.

I see it as a mirror.

Not of who we pretend to be.

But of who we are when we need answers.

Search = Intent. The Results = Opportunity.

Here’s how we approach it at VibeLogic:

• Search terms? That’s demand.

• Page one results? That’s supply.

• Your brand? Needs to understand both.

Most SEO playbooks still treat ranking like real estate. “Can we plant a flag on that keyword?” But they never stop to ask: Who’s already there—and why? And better yet: Can we work with it instead of against it?

That shift? It changes everything.

Case in Point: EV Pickup Trucks

Let’s say someone searches “best EV pickup trucks.”

Most SEO folks would scramble to rank a blog.

Here’s what we did instead:

• Car and Driver ranks #1. Their page has a display ad… for Hyundai. Problem? Hyundai doesn’t make a pickup - EV for the US market.

• Nissan Leaf shows up too. Again, not a pickup. Volvo too. Nope still no pickup.

• Meanwhile, Rivian gets named the winner but doesn’t advertise there. Missed moment.

Now imagine being Rivian’s head of performance marketing and seeing this breakdown:

• We tell you where people search.

• We show you which pages influence decisions.

• We identify who’s already earned trust—and where you can borrow that trust by placing ads, partnerships, or content.

  
  

You’re not guessing anymore. You’re aligning with what already works.

It’s Not Just About Rankings

This isn’t about beating WebMD. It’s about knowing they’re there—and deciding what to do with that.

That Reddit thread ranking for “best under desk treadmills”?

It owns 15% of clicks on page one. Most brands ignore it.

We’d tell you: don’t ignore it... join it. Sponsor the post. Share your guide. Be where decisions happen.

Same with display ads.

Same with nano influencers.

Same with the freelance writer who authored that listicle that gets 12,000 visits a month maybe they should write for you next.

This is market research, creative strategy, PR, content, and performance media all rolled into one lens. And that lens?

Is search.

Why This Matters Now

Google knows what your audience wants before they tell you.

So instead of treating SEO like a “channel,” treat it like a strategy diagnostic. What are they typing? What answers are they getting? What aren’t they getting?

Now build from there.

This approach gets smarter when you add display, social, and influencer into the mix. You’re no longer siloing spend. You’re stitching together moments that make a brand feel present.

That’s how you hit the 7-11-4 rule:

7 hours of content

11 different touchpoints

4 platforms

before someone trusts your brand

We just start that trust where it begins search.

Stop Trying to Rank. Start Trying to Understand.

You don’t have to “win” page one to win the customer.

You just have to show up in the moments that matter, with messaging that matches.

Because at the end of the day, search is where people go when they’re trying to solve something. And if your brand isn’t part of that journey? It’s not part of the answer.

And if you think this is just about SEO?

Search your gut again.