When it comes to search and the internet, things are changing. Other search engines and platforms are springing up, with people searching in different ways, and on different platforms. Yet how radically are things evolving? Will big tech drive these changes, or will people? We spoke to our network to get their thoughts and insight.
Dusko Karamanolev — Head of SEO at Visibility SEO
We do already have other search engines available, of course, but despite this, Google remains dominant, and I actually don’t foresee its monopoly ending in the near future. If it were to happen then It would open up new opportunities for marketers. If you have more platforms offering diverse algorithms, it means that marketers will have greater flexibility in crafting SEO strategies tailored to those different search engines. It will also present more opportunities for running ads, potentially diversifying ad spending and reducing the reliance on Google Ads. Also, marketers will benefit from shifts in data and analytics. New platforms are likely to introduce fresh KPIs and metrics, requiring a deeper understanding of different user behaviours. We will see more personalised results, driven by AI or niche-focused engines, and it’s these that will allow for more targeted marketing approaches for users. Enhanced privacy regulations are also a consideration on alternative search engines, as they could lead to a resurgence of contextual advertising and more ethical data practices which can only be a good thing.
David Craft — CSO at Fearless Union
I don’t know what we’ll see at the end of Google’s search monopoly, but I’d like to see two things. First, it’d be great if increased competition led to a better consumer product, as well as better measurement for brands and advertisers. Search results and metrics should favour the user and the brands, not the platform. Secondly, and more importantly, it’d be great to see a rebalance between performance and brand marketing. In our world of rapidly decreasing attention spans, even marketers get swayed by instantaneous results (as seen in the Profit Ability 2 report) and search plays a big role in that. Brand building is a long-term endeavour, and digitally led performance platforms can be a distraction to our detriment if we’re not careful. Hopefully, the end of Google’s monopoly will help accelerate the trend to rebalance brand building and performance marketing.
Mattia Fosci — CEO at Anonymised
The impact of United States v Google LLC (2020) on the industry will remain unclear until the judge rules on remedies, but we can see two very distinct scenarios. A breakup of Google’s Search business would have a seismic impact on marketers, but it’s highly improbable. The most likely remedies will involve a hefty fine on Google, and an order to stop paying browsers to be the default search engine. This will cause an immediate financial hole for browsers, but might have a very small impact on the search engine market share in the short term, as the vast majority of consumers will still choose Google. The journey ahead towards a competitive search engine market is still a very long one.
Alina Pruteanu — Digital Development Director at The Grove Media
Opening up competition is clearly a good thing for both consumers and advertisers, but in the short to medium term, we won’t see any major changes. Devices have default search engine settings, and most people won’t bother to change these. And Google will still be in a very advantageous position: they have market share, data, the power to hire the best talent, and will continue to develop leading products driven by AI. However, we will see more specialist search engines, such as privacy-first DuckDuckGo, eco-conscious Ecosia emerging or solely AI-powered search engines like Brave or Perplexity. This will inevitably lead to greater fragmentation in the marketplace. And this is already happening as people use image, voice, video and social apps for search. Ultimately, change will be driven by the consumer behaviour and their willingness to adopt a new platform, but with this decision hopefully we will see more innovation and choice from tech companies.
Simon Spyer — CEO, Data-Driven and Performance Marketing at Iris
The end of Google’s search monopoly will fundamentally disrupt the customer journey. Marketers will have to navigate an ever more complex digital landscape where search is no longer the pre-eminent channel for driving visits. This shift demands an uncompromising focus on quality content and a sharp understanding of audience intent to ensure you appear in the right channels. No more relying on Google alone — success will hinge on mastering multi-channel orchestration that aligns your content with varied discovery pathways. As search behaviour diversifies, peer-to-peer recommendations and referrals will become even more crucial, serving as key trust signals. Marketers must adapt quickly, balancing the craft of content creation with the precise targeting of where and how audiences search.
James Shepherd — Co-Founder and Managing Director at Atomic Altitude
Search behaviour has been moving away from Google for a while. Over half of shoppers begin their journey to find a product on Amazon, and TikTok is becoming the go-to search engine for Gen Z. AI is providing a more human way to curate what we’re looking for; and lastly, perhaps the biggest challenge for Google, is Apple’s federated search, which brings together information from various sources like apps, emails, websites, and messages to provide a more personalised experience. Advertisers and their agencies must have a well-defined strategy which adapts to different platforms, including SEO techniques for various search engines.
Each platform attracts a specific audience and behaviour, so brands and agencies must understand these shifts to effectively allocate their budgets and connect with their target markets. Additionally, we must keep up with the evolving field of data analytics, as each platform provides unique insights and demands different expertise. Monopolies are bad — they often lead to inefficiencies, a lack of innovation, and higher prices. Hopefully, we’ll see a more dynamic and competitive landscape, requiring marketers to be flexible, creative, and strategic.
Bérangère Fond — Global Business Development Director at Greenpark
The end of Google’s search monopoly and explosion of omni-channel search is really mixing things up for marketers. Instead of focusing solely on Google, we need to optimise for a range of search engines, each with its own quirks. Social search, for example, driven by user interactions on platforms like TikTok or Instagram is becoming more prominent, requiring strategies that focus on engagement and community building, whilst also optimising for search. Understanding that search is now omni-channel is a big opportunity for marketers to reach highly valuable and active consumers in new, engaging ways. In addition, with less reliance on Google Ads, marketers could explore other ad spaces and platforms, or even change up their strategy entirely by leveraging more long-term approaches like building stronger owned and earned media presences. Overall, staying adaptable and paying close attention to search team’s latest findings will be key for connecting with consumers as the landscape continues to shift.
Emily Shaw — Digital Account Director at The Kite Factory
There will naturally be a shift in marketing budget allocations which, on the surface, means diversifying spend across emerging or currently less popular search engines, or even social media, programmatic or video channels. Heavy investment in Google has been non-negotiable for so long, but the ruling against them opens the door for competition and exciting innovation from alternative companies. We’re already seeing a shift towards younger users utilising TikTok as a search tool, which is a very interesting development for brands who want to play around in that space. I think it’s an exciting time for marketers to come in future, and this will only help to keep driving forward innovation in the industry.
Featured image: Andrea Riondino / Unsplash
