Reviews

• “Crystal Clear CI from two Masters – Sean and Scott say their book is about gathering intelligence beyond Google. It’s that, true, and it’s really good at that, and it’s also more than that. It is also a source of practical, concise, scary-clever, crystal-clear advice about competitive intelligence from two masters.”Go Beyond Google” has a wealth of examples that make Sean and Scott’s lessons come alive. They never get lost in jargon or technobabble and they never lose sight of the creative, strategic value in data. With this book you have found a treasure. Search no further. Listen to Sean and Scott. You want these guys on your side.”

• Useful right out the Gate from the CI Experts Toolkit – “Go Beyond Google” is a welcome addition from two experts in Competitive Intelligence, Sean and Scott. Their work is an easy, practical read, useful right from the start. They show you the key tools they use themselves. They share examples that illustrate how internet tools can be used to answer specific questions. The guide is built as a living document, their ebook can be added and updated as new tools and features come out. As I read through it, they posed questions that reveal insights about companies that I hadn’t considered. For example, locating former employees that used to work for a company. Those employees might be more inclined to share what they valued while being at that company and what prompted them to move to a new company. They take each tool and tell you what value it has to them as a CI practioneer. You can easily scan the book to see if a particular tool is of interest to you. It is rich in pictures and graphics that hits the mark in terms of readability and comprehension. It isn’t just for CI practioners, but for those that want to understand trends, thought leaders, companies, and opportunity. The price for their ebook is great value and risk/reward is quite good. Even getting just one tool and question it answers is well worth it.

• Excellent Resource – Go Beyond Google is an excellent read. It’s well-written and easy to understand. I would highly recommend it for anyone from sales to executive management. It’s filled with tools that can not only help you find a great new employee online, but also get a sneak peek at what some of your competitors are doing. The internet is full of so much information, it can be completely overwhelming. However, with the assistance of Scott & Sean’s book, you have an easy reference source with excellent examples to walk you through the world of gathering information online.

• A fantastic toolbox and way more – Potential information super heroes, take note. This is a great little book that reveals a wealth of tools most of us have never heard of, and it also gives some pointers about how to uncover insights that dwell below the surface. But its real value is even more profound–there’s a narrative here about how to look more deeply at people and organizations to get an edge, whether you’re making a company more competitive, doing academic research, or trying to land a job.

• Insight on turning over stones – One idea can change make a big improvement in how you accomplish something, and Go Beyond Google is full of ideas. I found resources and comments here that I’d never heard of, and I literally spend all day, every day, in front of a web connection. Perhaps just as useful, though, are new insights for uncovering intelligence in many places you’re already familiar with.