Google CEO says search will “change profoundly” in 2025: What does he mean?

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Jan 3, 2025 / by
Google CEO says search will “change profoundly” in 2025: What does he mean?

In a recent statement, Google CEO Sundar Pichai shared a bold vision for the company’s flagship product, predicting that the search engine, and by extension the very future of search itself, will undergo a “profound” transformation in 2025.

Just what will these changes look like, and how will they affect the way we find, consume, and interact with information online? Today, we’ll break down what Pichai’s vision might mean for businesses, marketers, and everyday users – and what you can do to stay ahead of the curve.

A “Profound” Shift: Context from Sundar Pichai

According to Pichai’s remarks one of the core areas of evolution will be how Google understands and responds to queries. He highlighted Google’s investment in artificial intelligence (AI), stating that the improvements in natural language processing, large language models, and generative AI capabilities will enable new kinds of search experiences. Pichai suggested that users will no longer simply receive a list of links; instead, they’ll engage with richer, more interactive results.

Key Technologies Driving Change

Generative AI in Search Results: Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), still in its experimental stages, offers a preview of what might become a default setting in 2025. According to Pichai, these AI-driven tools have the capacity to understand complex queries better, produce more nuanced answers, and even generate content rather than just curating it. Instead of sorting through multiple sources, users might get a synthesised, context-rich answer right at the top of the page.

Multimodal Search: As AI models grow more sophisticated, the search box as we know it may give way to more intuitive interfaces. Think voice prompts, image-based queries, and even the blending of text, audio, and video inputs. Pichai foresees a world where “searching” doesn’t necessarily mean typing a query into a box. Instead, you could snap a picture of a product and ask Google where to buy it or dictate a complex research question and receive a comprehensive, structured response.

Context-Aware Personalisation: With AI’s improved understanding of user intent, search will likely become more personalised and context-aware. Pichai has hinted that upcoming changes will help Google anticipate what users need next. For instance, if you’re planning a trip to Paris and consistently researching flights, hotels, and attractions, Google might tailor results so that subsequent searches highlight curated travel guides, local events, and insider tips without you having to ask specifically.

What This Means for Businesses & Marketers

For those in digital marketing, SEO, and content strategy, these impending changes present both challenges and opportunities:

Content Quality & Relevance Matter More: As Google leans into generating content-like responses, the search engine will rely heavily on authoritative, accurate sources. This puts a premium on producing well-researched, high-quality content. If your material is deemed reliable, you stand a better chance of being surfaced, potentially even integrated directly into synthesised answers.

Focus on Structured Data & Semantic Markup: With a more AI-driven approach, Google will want to understand the relationships between entities, topics, and concepts. Employing structured data, schema markup, and semantic SEO techniques will help search engines better interpret and feature your content.

User Experience & Conversion Paths: As search results become richer and more interactive, users may find answers before ever visiting a website’s landing page. This raises questions about how to maintain engagement and drive conversions. Marketers will need to think creatively about lead generation strategies, perhaps by providing tools, calculators, or interactive guides that give users a reason to click through and explore more.

Diversification of Content Formats: Given the potential for multimodal search, brands should consider expanding their content repertoire. This might involve creating more video content, optimising images for visual search, or exploring audio formats (e.g., podcasts) that can rank in voice-driven search queries.

Preparing for the Future of Search

While we may not know every detail about what Google has in store, we do know that the changes will be significant. Businesses and marketers can start preparing now by:

Investing in High-Quality Content: ensure your content is authoritative, trustworthy, and valuable. Remember: generative AI will rely on existing data to provide answers, and your site could become a key source if you lead with expertise.

Embracing New Formats: explore video, podcasts, and visual storytelling. The search engine of tomorrow will cater to multiple modalities, and you’ll want to be discoverable in all of them.

Adopting Semantic SEO Practices: strengthen your site’s structured data, add schema markup, and work on internal linking. Help Google understand your content’s context so it can surface it more effectively in AI-driven results.

Building Trust & Authority: as generative AI and synthesised answers become more common, trust signals (like high-quality backlinks, positive user reviews, and recognised expertise) will only grow in importance.

A New Era of Search

Sundar Pichai’s vision hints at a dramatic reimagining of how we search, discover, and interact with information online. For consumers, this could mean faster, more intuitive, and more helpful experiences. For businesses and marketers, it marks a shift in strategy, requiring a renewed focus on authenticity, quality, and adaptability.

As 2025 approaches, it’s time to embrace the coming changes, tune into emerging trends, and ready your digital presence for a world where search, quite literally, thinks differently. By doing so, you’ll not only keep pace with Google’s profound transformation, but also position your brand as a reliable, future-focused resource for your audience.

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