Finding a recipe online quickly can be a daunting task. Most cooking blogs are filled with lengthy paragraphs before you even get to the actual recipe. These paragraphs often contain information about the dish’s history or anecdotes about the author’s children. However, food bloggers are not inherently long-winded. They are simply responding to Google’s preferences. Google’s search algorithm seems to prioritize original text over commonly found recipes, prompting food bloggers to add more content in order to increase traffic. Over the past two decades, Google’s search algorithm has not only influenced search results but has also shaped the type of content people create.
But the upcoming changes could have a greater impact. Google Search, like the rest of the internet, is shifting towards generative AI. The first step in this transition is Search Generative Experience, a public beta tool that offers more search results within Google, similar to the functionality of ChatGPT. It extracts information from multiple websites, rephrases it, and presents it on top of the search results, reducing the prominence of clickable links. This shift could lead to a decline in traffic to external websites and diminish the incentive for online posting. With the integration of AI, Google Search might unintentionally disrupt the web as we know it.
Google’s move towards generative AI is partly driven by the rise of ChatGPT, which poses a significant threat to the company. Instead of scrolling through endless search results, users can simply ask ChatGPT to generate a recipe for them (although the quality may vary). Search Generative Experience is currently in a trial phase and will conclude in December. The timeline for its widespread implementation remains unclear. A Google spokesperson mentioned that future Search experiences will likely look different from the current setup. Other search engines, such as Bing and DuckDuckGo, already have accessible searchbots.
Google’s searchbot differentiates from snippets, which provide brief answers from websites with accompanying links for further information. The searchbot retrieves information from multiple sources and compiles paragraphs or lists. For instance, a search for “best laptops” displays an entire search page filled with text rather than links. The top section includes factors to consider when purchasing a laptop, followed by a list of recommended laptops for different scenarios. While convenient, the sources of this information may be unclear at first glance. However, Google offers a list of websites used in creating the search results, although many users may not click on these links. This shift in presentation and accessibility could have negative consequences for the rest of the internet.
Google’s dominance in the global search market means it directs a significant amount of traffic to websites daily. Articles and product reviews that contribute to the searchbot’s recommendations are created with the expectation of receiving traffic from Google searches. Much of this content exists because people turn to Google for answers. For example, Tech-Geek, a website that provides technology tutorials, reached over 30 million monthly readers during Chris Hoffman’s tenure as editor. The majority of these readers found the site through Google searches. As someone who writes online tutorials, I am also affected by Google’s search results. After a month of using the searchbot, I am starting to question the sustainability of my job.
If generative AI is widely adopted, it could drastically reduce the amount of content reliant on Google traffic for survival. Websites depend on traffic to sustain their operations, and without sufficient clicks, they will publish less information. While Google claims to understand the importance of supporting a healthy, open web, the introduction of a searchbot inherently reduces traffic to external websites. Google’s AI-driven search may lead us to a smaller internet with fewer sites and posts, ultimately resulting in a poorer experience for all users.
Ironically, by consuming the web’s content, Google search results may become less valuable. The generative AI requires existing content for effective explanations. For example, video game walkthroughs encompass every detail of a game for devoted fans. AI search depends on these pre-existing walkthroughs to reliably answer video game-related queries. Similarly, questions about various hobbies, such as carpentry or wine-making, cannot be fully answered by bots. These activities require human experiences to provide valuable insights.
As the reliance on Google traffic diminishes, more websites may resort to implementing paywalls. Traditionally, paywalled sites still appeared in search results because they voluntarily opted for inclusion. However, this may change if Google utilizes their work in their AI algorithms. This shift could incentivize more content marketers who are paid by companies to publish promotional material. For instance, a search for “best Slack alternatives” may display posts written by competing companies. According to the job site Zippia, the number of content marketing managers already exceeds that of journalists in the U.S. This complexity is heightened by the fact that content marketers themselves are increasingly adopting AI-generated text. Consequently, search results could potentially summarize articles created by other AI bots. Amazon’s best-seller lists have already been flooded with AI-generated gibberish.
Google’s turn towards generative AI in search poses both opportunities and challenges to the future of the web. While its convenience is undeniable, it could inadvertently shrink the internet and devalue content. The impact on websites, individuals, and the overall user experience is yet unknown. The exact transformations that these searchbots will bring remain uncertain. However, there is a possibility that search results will become dominated by content marketers and leave fewer spaces for ordinary people and diverse publications. As the internet landscape evolves, we may be faced with a smaller, less informative web.
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