Is the word 'Google' losing its shine as search pivots?

The word "Google" was first added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2006. Since then, it has become a verb and nowadays, it is pretty common to ask someone to "just Google it". However, with search trends shifting to social and generative AI platforms disrupting discovery, younger generations are now reportedly 'searching' and not 'Googling' anymore.

According to Bernstein analyst Mark Shmulik who was quoted in a Fortune article, younger audiences are increasingly heading to social media platforms such as TikTok for restaurant recommendations, directly to scaled aggregators such as Amazon for retail, and Generative AI search such as ChatGPT to get their homework done. 

Bernstein was using an April 2024 survey by Forbes Advisor and Talker Research of 2,000 Americans. The study said that the way people gather information online is changing, with a significant portion now using social media platforms for their queries.

Don't miss: Are Gen Zs ditching Google Search for TikTok?

This trend intensifies among younger users. For Generation Z, 46% primarily turn to social media for their informational needs, putting their preference for the platforms where they already spend much of their time. Millennials follow this pattern, with 35% favoring social media over traditional search engines, according to Forbes.

According to industry experts MARKETING-INTERACTIVE spoke to, while Google continues to be a dominant brand and widely recognised term, its relevance is certainly facing challenges.

"The emergence of AI-driven tools, such as ChatGPT, provides users with alternative ways to find information. Although 'Googling' remains a common phrase, younger generations are increasingly turning to different platforms, signaling a cultural and behavioral change," said Gary Cheung, managing director at NP Digital Hong Kong and Taiwan. 

He added that social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram are becoming popular sources for information, especially among younger users. As a result, with so many information sources available, users are likely to diversify their search habits beyond Google.

True enough, social media is dominating search with social platforms claiming a greater share of the world’s search activity. More 16- to 34-year-olds are now more likely to visit a social network when looking for information about brands as compared to search engines (48% vs 45%), according to a 2023 report by global firm in social and media intelligence, Meltwater, and socially led creative agency, We Are Social.

"With challenges and a potential decline in relevance, it may force Google to adapt strategically, encouraging innovation and possibly reshaping the digital landscape," explained Cheung. "Increased competition, leading to a drop in search traffic, will mean a reduction in advertising revenue, a key component of its income, hence Google may need to rethink its ad offerings."

What is Google doing to evolve search?

While Google did decline to respond when MARKETING-INTERACTIVE reached out, the tech company has been working to pivot its search offerings over the years.  According to Google, it said that it is seeing more users using its new AI Overviews 

"With generative AI, Search can do more than you ever imagined. So, you can ask whatever’s on your mind or whatever you need to get done — from researching to planning to brainstorming — and Google will take care of the legwork," said Liz Reid, VP, head of Google Search in May this year. 

"Sometimes you want a quick answer, but you don’t have time to piece together all the information you need. Search will do the work for you with AI Overviews," she added.  Reid explained that with AI Overviews, people are visiting a greater diversity of websites for help with more complex questions.

"And we see that the links included in AI Overviews get more clicks than if the page had appeared as a traditional web listing for that query," said Reid. 

Google has since said that it sees an even higher engagement from younger users, aged 18-24, when they use Search with AI Overviews.

Beyond text search, Google has been creating entirely new ways to search that aren’t what someone might call "Googling it", but are still very much searches within Google. Some examples include using circle to search things on a phone, humming to get Google to identify a song, the ability to search with both images and text at the same time and the introduction of visual searches through Lens. 

These changes are imperative as Google also contends with Gen AI platforms such as SearchGPT, a recent and temporary prototype of new AI search features by OpenAI that gives you fast and timely answers with clear and relevant sources.

SearchGPT is designed to combine the strength of OpenAI's AI models with information from the web to give you fast and timely answers with clear and relevant sources, according to OpenAI. OpenAI believes that by enhancing the conversational capabilities of its models with real-time information from the web, finding what you’re looking for can be faster and easier.

As a result, SearchGPT is designed to quickly and directly respond to consumer's questions with up-to-date information from the web while giving them clear links to relevant sources. Currently, SearchGPT is in its nascent stage, and it is only being released to a small group of users and publishers to get feedback. 

How brands can adapt to the shift

Chris Ngan, general manager of Hong Kong and Taiwan, The Trade Desk (TTD), explained that this reflects a broader ongoing trend that consumers are increasingly embracing a diverse range of channels in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.

According to the latest Sellers and Publishers Reportfrom TTD, consumers now spend 61% of their online time on the open internet, engaging with platforms such as games, news websites, music streaming apps, CTV/OTT, and podcasts, as compared to just 39% within the walled gardens of big tech, including Google. This represents a reversal since 2014, when the majority of online consumer time was spent within walled gardens, it said. 

"For brands, this shift highlights the need to adapt their strategies to engage audiences across various touchpoints. We see this as a powerful opportunity for brands to forge deeper, more meaningful connections with audiences, leveraging the diverse digital landscape in ways that were previously underutilised," said Ngan. 

He added that from an advertisers’ perspective, this shift is even more critical, as the open internet allows advertisers to leverage data across various channels, enabling precise targeting, higher engagement rates, and improved ROI. He said:

It is imperative for advertisers to reassess their budget strategies, embrace the growing trend of consumers shifting toward the open internet, and take actionable steps to capitalise on it.

This will allow them to effectively reach valuable customers and build a robust brand presence, he explained. 

Should advertisers really be shifting focus?

Saying that, some industry players, such as Don Anderson, CEO of Kaddadle Consultancy, believe that while some reports suggest Google is being used less as a verb among Gen Z and Alpha cohorts, the Google brand, including search, is still as relevant and advertisers would be amiss to discount its influence and reach.

"Whether Gen Z or Alpha is fusing ‘Googling’ into their daily language shouldn’t deter advertisers and marketers from shifting focus – but it is worth maintaining a lens on that cohort’s engagement of other visual mediums for search, such as TikTok and YouTube," he said.

Anderson added that given the accelerating growth of both platforms and short form video consumption – and increased focus on relationship marketing through influencers – brand marketers should challenge standardised practices for campaign planning, and not just assume traditional search is the most practical place to start, or even worthwhile including in the marketing mix depending on the program.

Brands should press agencies and platforms for clear justification for every dollar invested and present a clear path to engagement and conversion.

Anderson also agreed with Cheung saying that growing ‘threats’, if you want to call them that, from TikTok and Generative AI will require Google to continue to augment its long-standing search business to ensure they maintain leadership and relevance.

"It’s fairly certain that its own Gen AI solutions such as Gemini will buoy this, and the same goes for YouTube, but when it comes to brand status among Gen Zs and Alphas, there’s no question they have more work to do to avoid garnering the oft-fatal ‘your dad’s brand’ label," said Anderson.

He added that Google will need to find ways to connect with that cohort that doesn’t date the brand, while inserting themselves into the current Gen Z and Alpha lexicon.

Adding to his point, Nishant Kaushal, founder and CEO of ADNA Research, explained that history has shown us that even iconic brands whose names became verbs—such as Xerox and Kodak—can lose their cultural dominance.

"Xerox, once synonymous with photocopying, saw its dominance wane as digital alternatives emerged. Kodak, known for 'Kodak moments,' failed to adapt to digital photography and smartphone cameras, losing its leading position despite its brand’s strength," he said. 

He went on to say that when consumer preferences shift, companies must act swiftly to protect their brand’s precious brand asset that they managed to build as their key strength.

"Today, Google is facing a similar challenge as younger users such as Gen Z increasingly turn to platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Voice search, AI chat bots for information, rather than traditional search engines," he said, adding that research done by ADNA early this year among 16- to 25-year-olds showed that the young are increasingly using AI platforms to search for information as they like the clear, customised, to-the-point answers, verses going through a list of 25 websites’ hyperlinks on a results page.

"The instant gratification and conversational interface were cited as the key drivers of choice in the study. The decline in the usage of the word ‘Googling’ or 'Google it' is significant loss for the brand Google as the term was one of its top brand-assets," said Kaushal, adding: 

This reduces Google’s cultural grip, its brand saliency, its daily relevance and risks it becoming less top-of-mind in the daily lives of the populace.

Kaushal explained that Google could see reduced brand engagement and ad revenue over time as Gen Z shifts to alternative platforms.

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