Returning to categories: sounds better than search?

One explanation that has been advanced for Google's rise over its competitor Yahoo, is that the latter's use of categories and directories in the 1990s was too limited. As the web expanded over the years, how could Yahoo accurately and comprehensively categorize everything - past, present and future - under discrete, unchanging boxes? The subsequent success of Google's search algorithms over Yahoo's categories has been clear.

However, TechCrunch recently reported that Google is in talks to purchase Songza for $15 million. Hot on the heels of other music purchases, such as Apple's acquisition of Beats - this seems innocuous: another M&A in the world of competitive tech giants. But upon closer examination, these talks represent a return to Yahoo-ian categories.

Songza is a music streaming service - one that curates the experience by presenting evolving lists of music categories that are highly vivid, emotional and eerily accurate in mood. Categories such as "Brand New Music," "Bedtime," and "A Sweaty Dance Party," or more granular lists like, "At a 90's School Dance," "A Stiff Drink in a Dim Place," and "Witchy Thug Grrrl Pop" are only a sample. The point is that with millions of tracks, albums, artists and genres in iTunes and Google Play's online stores, how does one know where to begin? The success of Songza - and others, such as Pandora - indicate that people are tired of searching when it comes to their music.

Similar to Songza, the original purpose of Yahoo's categories was to help guide the user to the information they were seeking. However, with the exponential proliferation of webpages, search algorithms turned out to be more useful. But the similar explosion of available online music has paradoxically led to the opposite: a return to categories and a backlash against search.

Even if you know what you're looking for, you will ultimately need to learn about new music eventually. That song you loved that seemed to define last summer will eventually be deemed "overplayed." This is where digital advertisers will make even more of their money. From traditional ads on smartphones to literally suggesting what your audience might listen to -- the possibilities are only limited by the audience's tolerance and cognizance of one's digital marketing plan. Google would be smart to ensure that this money-maker is a part of their new and ironically anti-search strategy.