How important is Google to Groundwater Monitoring?

March 23, 2012

Groundwater is water located beneath the surface of the earth in soil and pores. It is recharged from, and eventually flows to, the surface naturally, naturally occurring in springs and seeps, oases or wetlands. Groundwater is also often withdrawn for use in agriculture, building and industry and the study of the distribution and movement of groundwater is hydrogeology or groundwater hydrology.

What you may ask has Google to do with Groundwater Monitoring? Let’s face it 30% of the world’s freshwater comes from groundwater and this significant water source is carefully managed throughout much of the world.  In the US the EPA manages this resource and the Environment Agency is responsible for groundwater monitoring in the UK.  The level, quality, content and temperature of groundwater is examined closely and consistently and over the years a host of equipment and techniques have appeared each promising to be more accurate and better than the previous incarnation – that’s applicable in most environmental sectors not just groundwater monitoring.

But anyone interested in the science of groundwater, anyone involved in the measurement of levels or anyone monitoring quality is likely to go to Google for their initial search whether they want groundwater monitoring equipment, groundwater training, groundwater methodologies or techniques or simply if they need training or development on this vital topic.

Van Walt has been offering groundwater monitoring equipment for more than 30 years, indeed we are well known in the environmental sector for our groundwater sampling pumps, water quality and water level meters, passive samplers, low flow sampling equipment, bailers, filters and tubing. But what is intriguing is the impact of Google when you search groundwater, groundwater monitoring, groundwater monitoring equipment, groundwater data, groundwater data loggers – the list is endless and we’re just looking at the equipment side!  If you instigate a search on groundwater regulations or groundwater rules the gravitas of the list increases with government departments and national associations dominating the search results.

So if you want to take ‘ownership’ of groundwater on Google you have your work cut-out.  The competition is strong, single-minded and constantly working to maximise their groundwater presence, even through the use of ads.  Anyone involved in marketing groundwater equipment needs to be clear exactly what it is they are selling: groundwater monitoring equipment, water level loggers, groundwater level loggers because it is virtually impossible to be on page one for all the different connotations of ‘groundwater’.

It seems a much better way is to take ownership of a name, particularly a name associated with the process of monitoring groundwater levels.  In marketing speak: develop a brand that is synonymous with the process of monitoring groundwater, like Hoover is to vacuum cleaners or Coca Cola is to highly sweetened, brown fizzy drinks.  So ‘goodbye’ groundwater level loggers, level loggers and water level loggers and ‘hello’ Diver  – small, smart and easy to use, with tens of thousands of in place, worldwide – Diver is the jewel of level loggers – Google please take note!