Google Search Isn't dying, And Here's Why
The narrative of Google Search is dying has been gaining traction, but how much truth does it hold? This blog post delves into the realities of Google Search’s current state and future prospects. Through a detailed analysis of trends and technological advancements, we unravel the story behind Google Search’s ongoing relevance and its capability to adapt to an ever-changing digital world.
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“Google Search Is Dying”. There has recently been the question of whether the channel is dying, especially due to the increase in the use of social media as a search engine. But how often do people use Google Search? And is it reality true – Google will die and make way for people using social media to search for products and brands?
Google As A Search Engine: The Stats
If you’re looking for the argument that Google search use isn’t going anywhere any time soon, then this is it. Google is widely used as a search engine, even with an increasing number of people using social media for the same reason. And here are some recent statistics to back up this very argument.
Source: StatCounter
Source: Moz
Is There Truth In Google Search Dying?
Based on the above statistics you would assume not, but it’s clear there has been a shift in how people consume news with more people turning to social media for news content and using it as a search engine as we’ve covered previously.
Factors such as mobile app experiences have arguably driven away traditional Google Searches onto their apps. For example, the rise of mobile apps has led to a situation where users can go directly to an app for specific needs (like weather, news, shopping, etc.), bypassing traditional search engines. This is also true for platforms like social media and specialised forums (i.e. Reddit) are becoming primary sources of information for many users, potentially reducing reliance on traditional search engines.
Arguably Google is also a victim of their own potential downfall with an increasing number of ads being shown on SERPS. A recent 2022 survey revealed growing negative attitudes towards paid search advertising. Only 43% of respondents found the paid ads on their Google results page to be helpful in their search. 45% of respondents said they’re annoyed by paid ads but understand they’re a necessary cost of using a free search service.
And what’s even more damming is that Google themselves pointed out the downsides of ads in 1998 stating, “Currently, the predominant business model for commercial search engines is advertising. The goals of the advertising business model do not always correspond to providing quality search to users…we expect that advertising-funded search engines will be inherently biased towards the advertisers and away from the needs of the consumers…Furthermore, advertising income often provides an incentive to provide poor quality search results.”
Can Google Search Still Help My Business?
The short answer is yes. But how do you get the most out of its usage to support your business?
If you work in SEO or you have an understanding of the topic, you will know that Google loves to introduce new algorithm updates which have SEO experts trying to dissect which are ranking factors and which aren’t (the recent update to follower counts showing on SERPS is proof of this). However, research has shown that Google’s algorithm updates do help businesses climb higher on SERPS. According to SEOs, 65% say Google’s 2023 algorithm updates have positively impacted web traffic and SERP rankings.
To keep up to date with the latest Google Algorithm changes, you can check out Google’s status page which documents each update and when rollouts finish. We also cover key updates so make sure to stay tuned to our blog for more tips on how to take advantage of the algorithm.
Final Thoughts
Before we all panic, it’s evident that Google search is not dying or going away any time soon. However, it is clear that changing attitudes (such as with Google ads) and using social media as a search engine are driving people away from Google Search and onto other channels. But it’s clear that Google still dominates the search space, and while people may be changing up where they consume their news and may be less reliant on Google Search, it is still a key channel worldwide and its large usage is proof that it isn’t going anywhere any time soon.
