Introduction to Google’s Evolving Search
Google says it values the open web, and a current Googler confirmed in a private conversation at the recent Search Central Live in New York that the company, including CEO Sundar Pichai, cares about the web ecosystem. However, this message is contradicted by an ex-Googler, who stated that Google internally regards sending traffic to publishers as “a necessary evil.”
Constant Evolution of Google Search
Elizabeth Reid, VP of Search, is responsible for major changes at Google search beginning in 2021, particularly AI Overviews. She was previously involved in Google Maps and is the one who revealed the existence of core topicality systems at Google. Her statements about search show how it’s changing and give an idea of how publishers and SEOs should realign their perspectives. The main takeaway is that technology enables users to interact with information in different ways, and search has to evolve with that to keep up with them.
According to Bloomberg, Reid refers to her approach as a “constant evolution” rather than a complete overhaul. Her team is still struggling to define the purpose of Google Search in this new era, according to interviews with 21 current and former search executives and employees. Her approach to search was informed by her experience at Google Maps, where Sergey Brin pushed the team to release Maps before they felt comfortable releasing it, teaching her that this enabled them to understand what users really wanted faster than had they waited longer.
AI and Traditional Google Search
Google Search lost 20% of their search engineers who went over to focus on rolling out generative AI, so perhaps it’s not surprising that Reid believes the search bar will lose prominence. According to the report, Reid predicts that the traditional Google search bar will become less prominent over time. Voice queries will continue to rise, she says, and Google is planning for expanded use of visual search, too. But she also said that the search bar isn’t going away. The search bar will still be there, but Google is moving toward a future in which Google is always hovering in the background.
Sending Traffic to Publishers: A Necessary Evil?
The article offers seemingly contradictory statements about how Google sees its relationship with the web ecosystem. An unnamed former Googler is quoted as saying that “giving” traffic to publishers is a necessary evil. The main thing they’re trying to do is get people to consume Google services, so there’s a natural tendency to want to have people stay on Google pages, but it does diminish the sort of deal between the publishers and Google itself.
What Current Googlers Say
At the Google Search Central Live event at New York City, a private conversation with a Googler revealed that they’ve heard Sundar Pichai express a profound recognition of their relationship with publishers and said that it’s something he reflects on seriously. That statement by the Googler was echoed in the article by something that Liz Reid and Sundar Pichai said. Reid says that Google cares deeply about publishers and that AI Overviews is a jumping-off point for users to conduct further research on the open web. Pichai stresses the need to send ‘high-quality’ traffic to websites, instead of making users click around on sites that may not be relevant to them.
Takeaways
Here are the key points to consider:
- Google is reshaping Search based on user behavior, not top-down mandates. However, the fact that OpenAI’s ChatGPT pushed Google into rolling out their answer shows that other forces aside from user behaviors are in play as well.
- Traditional search bar is becoming less central, replaced by voice and visual search. Google is multimodal, which means that it operates within multiple senses, like audio and visual.
- AI Overviews and possibly the Gemini Personal AI Assistant could signal a shift toward Google acting as an ambient presence, not a destination.
- Google’s relationship with publishers has never been more strained. The disconnect between the public-facing statements and those by anonymous ex-Googlers sends a signal that Google needs to be more out front with their relationship with publishers.
- Google leadership emphasizes commitment to sending “high-quality traffic” to websites. But SEOs and publishers are freaking out that traffic is lower, and the sentiment may be that Google should consider a little more give and a lot less take.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Google’s search is constantly evolving to keep up with user behavior and technological advancements. While Google says it values the open web, its actions and statements from ex-Googlers suggest a more complex relationship with publishers. As Google continues to shape the future of search, it’s essential for publishers and SEOs to stay informed and adapt to the changing landscape. By understanding Google’s goals and priorities, they can better navigate the evolving search ecosystem and find ways to thrive in a world where Google is always hovering in the background.