The State of Google..

When Google first emerged, it heralded a paradigm shift akin to the ground-breaking launch of ChatGPT. It delivered accurate results at lightning speed, marking the dawn of a new era amidst the chaos of the Dot Com Bubble in the UK. Despite surviving the burst bubble and the Y2K scare (a piece of history Gen Z might need to look up), Google seemed invincible.

However, in my years as an SEO consultant, the past twelve months have been profoundly disheartening. Google seems to have veered off course, signalling what appears to be the beginning of its downfall. The rollout of SGE on an international scale has sparked discussions about Google's waning dominance, particularly due to the perceived decline in search result quality. (Have you seen how poor Google is nowadays??)

Much of the blame is directed at former Yahoo executive, Prabhakar Raghavan. His controversial coup at Google, aimed at removing Ben Gomes as head of search, has been meticulously analysed in a compelling article (https://www.wheresyoured.at/the-men-who-killed-google/). The shift in power from scientists and engineers to corporate executives has become glaringly apparent.

Just days after the article's publication, Google announced layoffs affecting at least 200 employees from its 'Core' organisation, which encompasses vital teams and engineering talent. This move further underscores Google's transition towards AI-driven search, seemingly prioritising profit over innovation.

In the words of article author Edward Zitron, "When Raghavan joined Yahoo (it) held a 30.4 per cent market share — not far from Google’s 36.9%, and miles ahead of the 15.7% of MSN Search. By May 2012, Yahoo was down to just 13.4 per cent and had shrunk for the previous nine consecutive months and was being beaten even by the newly-released Bing. That same year, Yahoo had the largest layoffs in its corporate history, shedding nearly 2,000 employees — or 14% of its overall workforce.'

The individual who ousted Ben Gomes, a pivotal figure in Google's search evolution, presided over Yahoo's catastrophic decline in search technology. Ultimately, Yahoo relinquished its search engine and opted to license Bing’s engine in a ten-year deal, symbolizing a stark contrast to Google's once-unassailable position."

Is this the beginning of the end? It certainly seems so. Google's recent trajectory is leading it towards obsolescence. With OpenAI poised to launch its search engine in the coming months, there's anticipation that it could emerge as a significant challenger if not a complete game-changer.

While Google may never fade away entirely like Yahoo, the search landscape appears to be on the brink of a major transformation—one that may no longer be dominated by a single entity.