What is Google Wave?

Oct 1st 2009 // by Steve // SEO Blog

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Watch the video above to learn about Google Wave. In a nutshell, Google Wave creates a platform that the following technologies sit on top of:

• Gmail
• Google Talk
• Google Docs
• Google Maps
• Twitter (or anything with API access)
• Surveys & Polls
• Blogging & Blog Commenting

Take all of the above, mush them together, then drag and drop your contacts into anything you’re working on. Not only will your contacts be able to edit “the thing formerly known as email” before you’re even done writing it, but you’ll also be able to play the entire activity back (like a video or screencast). Wha’?

Okay, let me back up.

Today, if I’m consulting with a client, here are some typical activities:

1. Do some research and create a Google Doc with my findings
2. Upload supporting documentation to Google Docs
3. Click Share to invite multiple users (the client & my team)
4. Schedule a meeting with Outlook or Google Calendar
5. Setup a conference number with FreeConferenceCall.com
6. Review/explain the data found and create minutes in a separate document
7. Upload more supporting documents and action items to Google Docs
8. Share the new documents and minutes with the clients
9. Sort and organize everything into folders
10. Open up Twitter or reach for my Blackberry and Tweet “Great Meeting!”

Tomorrow, when I finally get access to Google Wave (#googlewave), here’s what the same scenario might look like:

1. Open Google Wave and start a wave page to post my research (add a title w/date)
2. Drag and drop my supportive documents, clients & teammates into the wave
3. Add the “robot” Ribbit to start the conference call live on Google Wave
4. Clients and teammates add comments, questions, diagrams, videos, and ideas
5. After the call, I add the robot “Polly” to the wave and slap in a survey & Tweety to post “Great Meeting!” to Twitter

Because Google Wave is a Google product, finding the wave we created in Wave is just a real-time search away. The next meeting, I simply start a new wave with the same title, different date and I can easily find both without the need for folders or complicated taxonomy. Additionally, I can add tags to the wave for even more search simplicity.

Watch the video above for a very clear understanding of what Google Wave is and how it might replace all the different tools you’re currently using to communicate, store documents, share video, collaborate on projects and plan events (it’s pretty limitless). Hopefully we’ll all get access soon so we can uninstall our Gtalk, remove our Gmail bookmarks, and cancel our Dropbox accounts. Well, maybe.

Please share your feedback and comments below and definitely RT on Twitter if you enjoyed the post!