Now, if you’re like most people, you’ll see a mix of “best pizza places near me” and “how to know if my cat hates me”. Buried deep down, you’ll find the real gems; the kinds of searches you’d never admit at a dinner party. Google doesn’t judge, but hey, your friends might. Things like, “How to get out of a dinner party gracefully without being rude” or “Can I survive on ramen noodles forever?”

That’s exactly the beauty of Seth Stephens-Davidowitz’s Everybody Lies; it shows how people’s behaviour on the internet (hello, embarrassing search history) reveals far more than what they’re willing to admit in public. And guess what?

As a business strategist, this is gold.

1. Data Doesn’t Lie, But We Sure Do

We’ve all been there. You’re in a meeting, and someone says, “Our target audience loves this!” But do they really? Or is it just the loudest person in the room pretending to be a psychic? Well, according to Everybody Lies, that target audience is out there Googling “How to avoid paying taxes” while scrolling through memes about procrastination.

Data, my friends, doesn’t lie. People do.

People won’t tell you their deepest, darkest truths face-to-face, but they’ll happily spill the beans online. This is where raw behavioural data steps in, saving us from the world of guesswork and assumptions.

Did you know that people spend more time searching for “how to get rid of a headache” than they do on searching for “how to increase my sales?”

That’s right! Headaches win. Go figure.

2. Stop Trusting Your Gut (Sorry, Intuition, But You’re Fired)

Let’s set the record straight: your gut instinct is a great dinner companion, but it makes a terrible business partner. Sure, gut feelings are fun! They are when you’re ordering a newly launched cheeseburger pizza for dinner, but business decisions? Not so much.

Stephens-Davidowitz dives deep into the concept of “hidden truths.” Things people really care about but would never admit in public. This is the goldmine for businesses. Want to know why people don’t buy your product even though you swear it’s the best thing since sliced bread?

It’s probably because the internet is telling them that people who buy your product also frequently search for “how to find a good therapist for impulse shopping habits” (just an example, please don’t come after me for putting that in your head).

By using raw, unfiltered data from search queries and social behaviour, you can bypass the guesswork and focus on what actually matters to your audience. Instead of guessing what your customers might want, take a look at what they’ve been Googling. It’s the most honest relationship you’ll ever have.

3. Behavioural Data: The Secret Sauce (Not the Gross, Overhyped One)

Listen, you’ve been served up enough “top-secret business strategies” that are really just old ideas wrapped in new buzzwords. Behavioural data is not a trend. It’s a tool that’s going to make you look like a business genius. If you’re still relying on old-school methods like surveys and focus groups to understand your customers, I hate to break it to you, but you’re out of the loop.

People lie on surveys. They tell you they’re all about eco-friendly products while Googling “buy cheap plastic,” or they’ll tell you they want your $5,000 coaching program but are Googling “free life coaching advice” from random strangers. Raw behavioural data doesn’t lie.

What people actually do is far more telling than what they say they’ll do.

Stephens-Davidowitz goes into how the internet is a mirror reflecting what’s actually happening behind closed doors. It’s not about opinions or preferences; it’s about actions.

This is where the magic happens: analyzing what people do, not what they say. Want to know how to apply that to your business? Simple. If people are showing interest in something you hadn’t anticipated, that’s your chance to pivot, innovate, and meet their needs before they even know they have them.

4. Stop Relying on “Common Wisdom” (Because It’s Almost Always Wrong)

There’s a common myth in business that you need to “follow your instincts.” Well, I’m here to tell you that common wisdom is probably leading you straight to a dead end. Sure, it feels good to say things like, “I know my customers like the back of my hand.” If you’re not backing that statement up with real data, you’re not a business guru; you’re just hoping for the best.

Stephens-Davidowitz’s data-driven approach takes a wrecking ball to conventional wisdom. Think about this: when was the last time a so-called expert gave you advice that was 100% on point?

The beauty of data is that it’s a constant reality check. It’s the anti-assumption tool. If you’re still betting on outdated tactics or making decisions based on things that “seem right,” you’re about to get schooled. By digging into actual search trends, you uncover patterns that no one saw coming and that’s your cue to be ahead of the game.

Take for example, a recent trend I noticed in my own business strategy. I was guessing which topics would resonate with my LinkedIn audience. Data, however, told me exactly which pain points were keeping my audience up at night and I was able to create content that directly addressed those problems.

Moral of the story: gut-feeling content is for amateurs. Data-driven content is for the winners.

5. Why Data Is Your New BFF in Business Decision-Making

Here’s the million-dollar question to you: why should you care about all of this? Data is your new best friend. When you stop guessing and start listening to what the data is telling you, your decisions are backed by cold, hard facts. And in a world where businesses are fighting tooth and nail for attention, having an edge like that could make or break you.

When I embraced data in my strategy, I stopped wasting time trying to guess what might work. Instead, I focused on what was already working, based on real-world behaviour. Data is like a compass! It tells you where to go and what to avoid. And the best part? It’s free. All you need to do is look at the right signals.

Don’t Guess. Analyze.

At the end of the day, here’s what Seth Stephens-Davidowitz’s Everybody Lies boils down to: don’t trust your gut. Don’t trust your intuition. Instead, trust what people are actually doing and that’s what data can tell you.

Think about how you can apply this to your business. Instead of making decisions based on “gut feelings” or outdated surveys, lean into the raw data. Look at search trends, analyze behaviour, and use what you find to pivot your strategies.

The results will be worth it.

How Has Data Changed Your Business Thinking?

Now it’s your turn. How has data reshaped the way you make decisions in your business?

Are you still playing the guessing game, or have you started tapping into the power of raw data?

Drop a comment and let’s chat about it. If you want more insights like this, make sure you subscribe to The Strategy Shelf for book reviews, deep dives, and actionable strategies that’ll have your business running like a well-oiled machine.

#DataDriven #BusinessStrategy #BehavioralData #MarketingInnovation #CustomerInsights #BusinessGrowth #SmartBusiness #Entrepreneurship #StrategyShelf #SethStephensDavidowitz #BusinessDecisions #MarketingTips Oneness Consultancy & Academy Vincent Wong Ph.D.