Google's search results makes no sense anymore - Is AI winning the search war?

Is Google losing their high horse position?

By Markus Backman

December 10th, 2024

Why have Google's search results become worse?

Not long ago, SEO seemed relatively straightforward. You created useful, well-written content addressing specific questions, followed basic optimization steps, and earned your traffic. As long as your work was authentic and truly helpful, it had a good chance of reaching an audience.

But in recent years, and especially in late 2024, this recipe feels outdated. SEO is now caught in the crossfire of rising AI competition, leaving users and marketers confused.

Gartner, a renowned research and advisory organization, has predicted that by 2026, the use of search engines like Google will decrease by 25%, largely due to the prominence of artificial intelligence, particularly AI chatbots such as ChatGPT.

Below I'll discuss all sorts of reasons I think makes Google lacking in the competition right now, making SEO so messy.

1. Competition from others platforms

AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Bing CoPilot, and others are now serious alternatives for finding information. This has created a competitive environment where Google must adapt, but some of its recent changes appear to be driven by pressure to keep up.

Social media such as Reddit and TikTok are continuously stepping up too. For instance, TikTok has become a search engine for Gen Z, offering bite-sized visual guides and tutorials faster than Google's traditional format, while it seems that Reddit has become another social media people love for information search.

OpenAI's ChatGPT, for example, provides useful information quickly without interruptions or irrelevant answers. It's evident that people are starting to replace traditional internet search with AI-chatbots, which negatively impacts Google's standing.

2. AI-Generated Content

The rise of AI-generated material and articles has led to a flood of generic or repetitive material that clutters search results. Try Googling a topic you want an answer for—there are thousands of similar articles out there, many purely created by AI. I'm not necessarily referring to those AI generated answers that show up when you search with this like Gemini, but websites that rank at the top of the search results, much of that stuff created with AI. I don't think that's what people expect with AI.

This certainly messes up SEO and keyword optimization, as uncontrollable amounts of content are published about various topics, all using the same keywords and strategies.

3. A bombardment of ads

If you feel bombarded by ads and sponsored content in Google's search results, you're not alone. Google has significantly increased the prominence of ads, often placing multiple sponsored links above organic results.

For certain queries—like shopping for a "2018 Toyota Corolla in my area"—ads can be helpful (when you ACTUALLY are looking to buy something). But when you're searching for answers or conducting research, excessive ads disrupt the search experience. Google's ad placements have become irrelevant in many cases, making search less useful.

4. Changes in Google's algorithm

One of Google's promises recently has been the "Helpful Content Update" which promises to advocate for genuine, organic content that is produced by people, to people. In my opinion, this promise seems a little unconvincing right now with more and more, sales oriented stuff and junk appearing in the search results after all.

The search results are not limited to excessive ads and sponsored content. Many claim that you just won't find the accurate information you are looking for anymore, with Google showing random and irrelevant search results. We're not sure what is going on at the backstage of Google's algorithm, it could be that Google is testing out different algorithms, trying to invent ideas for keeping the high horse position.

A return to other marketing strategies

Will traditional search engine optimization strategies fade away? In my opinion, absolutely. With everything going on with Google right now, those who use traditional SEO strategies to reach their customers should look into to other inbound and organic marketing strategies as well for bonding with their audience. The search revolution is all stirred up and I therefore believe more emphasis needs to be placed on traditional, inbound marketing strategies as well.

This means focusing on "from people, to people", genuine interactions that build trust and relationships with audiences. Sharing meaningful updates, creating valuable content, engaging directly with followers, and fostering conversations on social platforms, without relying on paid ads will probably play a more essential role for connecting authentically and standing out.

Is AI is winning the search war, and can Google adapt?

I believe that AI based search is here to stay. It's simple: People want good answers fast, which AI chatbots offers, while on the other hand, Google may have a hard time keeping up with that trend.

Most certainly, Google will not disappear anytime soon, it's just that people's search behavior is changing, and right now, Google is not the best at adapting to the AI search trend. Ai becomes a crucial component of the search engine market, as the norm becomes that more and more expect more comprehensive results and direct answers. Google will still remain big but my prediction is that Google search will shift towards search of smaller and bite-sized information. Google's Gemini is currently an experimental AI-chatbot, providing Ai-based answers. It remains to be seen if it can keep up with the other competitors.

AI tools excel in ways Google struggles to keep up with, and this is why AI chatbots are so convenient for search:

• It's faster than Googling

• Results can be more on spot

• It's more efficient

• It's focuses on the user

I don't think AI will win the search war just like that, it's more about people's search behavior changing, and now in addition to traditional methods of search just like with Google, many do their search with chatbots like ChatGPT for that.

Verdict - What's up for 2025?

The way we search the web is undergoing a transformation, and Google's dominance is being challenged. The current messiness of Google's search results pages being filled with AI-generated results, more ads and promoted results have resulted in irrelevant search results. Simultaneously, users are resorting their search towards especially AI chatbots, while social media platforms and niche search engines are popular ways too. Platforms like ChatGPT, Reddit, and TikTok are winning users over by offering faster, more personalized, and distraction-free experiences.

Don't get me wrong, the future isn’t about Google becoming abandoned at all, but for 2025 there will be a great AI shift for sure, which changes search behavior, as mentioned above.

For businesses and marketers relying on SEO for marketing, this is my takeaway: It seems that everybody is so busy with AI things now, it has made basic SEO a complete mess at the moment. Therefore, it can be good to take one step back from relying solely on traditional SEO strategies only, if you are trying to reach your audience. Also, AI-driven search reduces direct traffic to websites, impacting visibility and revenue for smaller publishers. It's problematic for such content creators.

As a conclusion, I personally believe that resorting to organic strategies by prioritizing organic, authentic interactions and community building will be the way forward in 2025. Those such as on social media and more.

Google won't probably go anywhere, but in the coming years, the way we do search is changing, that's for sure, and they need to adapt to the competition.