Do people really ask their friends for recommendations for things like insurance? For lawyers, and other local services, I can see perhaps. Product comparison and review sites, or even Amazon seem to me like bigger threats to Google than Facebook. I can also see them trying to do something about that (reviews appearing for some search results), although I don't think they're doing a particularly good job of it.
Then again, how do I find those auto insurance comparison sites? Google, of course.
> Do people really ask their friends for recommendations for things like insurance?
You'd be amazed at how many do. For anything, from insurance to computers. The provider of one's car insurance is a regular discussion topic among those of my colleagues who have a driver's license, and I've seen at least two or three people lamenting about how bad the services they got were and switching to another insurance company on a whim, based on nothing other than the success stories of a handful of people.
Product comparison and review sites, or even Amazon, tend to be perceived as very broad and impersonal, while your bros know exactly what's best for you. I mean that's why they're yo' bros.
I have little doubt that this is economically, and to some extent socially self-destructive, but so is a lot of what we see today :-).
Then again, how do I find those auto insurance comparison sites? Google, of course.