Is AI Replacing Google? What You Need to Know Now
Not long ago, the idea of asking a robot for help online sounded like something out of a sci-fi film. Now it’s pretty normal. I’ve even caught myself going straight to ChatGPT instead of Google to get an answer—especially when I just want a straight explanation and not 10 ads and a recipe.
And it turns out I’m not the only one.
A Quiet Shift in How We Search
Over the last couple of years, more and more people have started using AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity to search the web. They’re fast, easy to use, and they talk back like a human (mostly).
While Google still runs the show with something like 14 billion searches a day, ChatGPT alone is handling about 1 billion prompts daily now. That’s not a small number.
And here’s the bit I found interesting: a lot of those Google searches don’t lead anywhere. People type in a question, read the quick summary that appears at the top, and then close the tab. That’s what they call a “zero-click search.” It used to happen about half the time. Now, it’s closer to 70%.
In other words: people still search—but they’re not clicking. And in many cases, they’re not even using Google to begin with.
So Why Does Any of This Matter?
Well, if you’re just browsing for fun or asking questions out of curiosity, it probably doesn’t. But if you run a business, publish content, or rely on web traffic in any way, this shift could seriously affect how people find you.
AI is changing how content is discovered. It doesn’t just link to your site—it summarises your info, sometimes without credit. And while that’s great for users (quick answers, no fluff), it’s a bit awkward for creators trying to get noticed.
That’s something we’ve been thinking about here at Syndicate Solutions—and it’s why I’m kicking off this blog series.
What Comes Next
Over the next few posts, I’ll dig into how this AI shift is playing out across the web. We’ll look at:
- What makes content more “AI-friendly”
- Whether traditional SEO is still worth the effort
- How small businesses can keep up with big tech changes
- And some useful tools that help you stay visible when the robots take over (joking… mostly)
My goal here isn’t to hype AI or scare anyone into thinking the sky is falling. It’s just to help make sense of what’s going on—and give you some useful, plain-English advice along the way.
If there’s a particular angle you’d like me to cover next—drop me a message. Always happy to chat.
