RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA TV) – For some time, Craig Mount, a digital marketer and search engine optimization strategist, hoped to become a part of the world’s most well-known technology company, Google.
“I had been trying for about three years. I was just in utter disbelief. I mean what would you do if you got an email from Google?” asked Craig Mount, the CEO of Classy Brain, an Internet marketing service in Rapid City.
After demonstrating a passion for Google products by providing others with high quality answers in forums, Mount warranted a spot in Google’s small superuser community.
Now, this Google Expert is responsible for being active in the community by answering questions and solving problems such as spam issues.
Mount will provide a line of communication with Google to provide recommendation on any products they might have, spread awareness. and educate the community
“If you’re looking for a local dentist, chiropractor, auto-repair shop, you’ll typically go online to solve that problem and so our role as Google Product Experts is to really just help businesses get online, help them get aware for their particular industry,” Mount said.
When it comes to business, Mount says the Black Hills are the perfect playing field to share this knowledge.
“Doing things that we already do which is just providing education, right? I think it’s so cool that Rapid City has a direct line of communication with Google. You know, businesses here, their voices can be heard, right? So if there’s any unique problems that we’re experiencing, for example, tourism … we can provide our voice to the search engine and influence their products potentially,” Mount continued.
As an expert, Mount receives special badges, access to Google employees to provide product feedback, and a chance to test Google products before they’re released.