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Google is dead. Where do we go now?

circusscientist.com

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Re: Google is dead. Where do we go now?

#181

Post by spoaceman7777 »

nostrademons wrote: post #160
SunshineTheCat wrote: post #61

I recently took someone to go and watch a hockey game. Been a little while but I personally played as a goalie myself. The person kept making the comment that she couldn't see/find the puck and it made it frustrating to watch. As a goalie, not being able to see the puck is pretty normal (especially with big bodies trying to screen you). What I told her was that what matters a lot more than where the puck is, is where…

In my anecdotal experience, it's moved to private, trust-based channels: iMessage, WhatsApp, email, face-to-face interactions. Our 30-year bender of putting our lives online and blurring the public and the private has finally ended: people don't want to be online, don't trust social media, don't really trust any media, and are living simple local lives with a small circle of friends that they get together with regula…

None of the numbers I've seen on web usage, platform usage, etc. indicate people are significantly pulling away from online lives. Though, there has been a slight dip in daily social media browsing time in the last couple of years (of course, it also follows the end of the pandemic, and it hasn't ceded back to where it was prior).

That does sound like a rather charmed life though. Could also be a sign that people are reverting to using the social internet apart from their irl acquaintances as well.

Linking up with all of our irl acquaintances through the public web was a terrible mistake imo. Seeking privacy can mean many different things.

Re: Google is dead. Where do we go now?

#182

Post by hermitcrab »

senthil_rajasek wrote: post #43

I think the author intended the title to be, "Google Ads is dead, Where do I promote my business now?" When I hear "Google" I assume search, oof (sigh of relief). They mention running ads on tiktok or instagram but no mention of youtube ads... Also, In my own experience for my business ( also entertainment) I have found reddit ads to be useful. So my next steps would be, Reddit Ads Youtube Ads Instagram Ads Increase…

Based on personal experience, I would be wary on spending much on Reddit ads without carefully measuring the results. Some real world data:

https://successfulsoftware.net/2025/08/11/what-i-learned-spe...

Re: Google is dead. Where do we go now?

#183

Post by kccqzy »

amelius wrote: post #159

If google is dead, I sure hope they won't sell my gmail and google drive data to the highest bidder.

Google never sells your data to anyone. Why would they sell the primary data that they themselves use to determine how to show you ads? Doing so means a deep-pocketed new advertising platform can just buy data from Google and get started with competing against Google on their primary revenue source. It’s like having a goose that lays golden eggs and selling the goose. It’s corporate suicide. I’m surprised anyone on HN even believes Google will sell your data. It takes five seconds of thinking to dispel that notion.

Re: Google is dead. Where do we go now?

#184

Post by xtracto »

manoDev wrote: post #29

The web is dead, we replaced with portable cable TV where you scroll up to change channel.

Glad to see I'm not the one that sees the similarity in "zapping" or channel surfing to what people do nowadays with those shorts...

I remember my brother loving to do channel surfing in the 80s when we were young. I've always hated it! maybe that's why I cannot stand the current Tiktok media format (so sad that Youtube is pushing more and more the same format).

Also, remember when telephones started and people who took vertical video where seen as sinners? How times change!

Re: Google is dead. Where do we go now?

#185

Post by nrhrjrjrjtntbt »

crazygringo wrote: post #175
JKCalhoun wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> and based on the anecdotal evidence of one advertiser The author admits as much.

The question is, why has this post been massively upvoted? It contains zero useful information. Just somebody struggling with AdWords and they don't know why. Not helpful. I have to assume the vast majority of upvotes are based on the title alone, assuming it's about Search? A large proportion of top level comments are about Search too. Depressing.

The "Google is dead" title in the AI age, probably.

Re: Google is dead. Where do we go now?

#186

Post by jonas21 »

senthil_rajasek wrote: post #43

I think the author intended the title to be, "Google Ads is dead, Where do I promote my business now?" When I hear "Google" I assume search, oof (sigh of relief). They mention running ads on tiktok or instagram but no mention of youtube ads... Also, In my own experience for my business ( also entertainment) I have found reddit ads to be useful. So my next steps would be, Reddit Ads Youtube Ads Instagram Ads Increase…

I’d suggest that the title should be, “Competition for Google AdWords is so strong that unsophisticated advertisers can no longer get a good return. Where do I promote my business now?”

Re: Google is dead. Where do we go now?

#187

Post by drnick1 »

echelon wrote: post #87
AznHisoka wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

AI SEO is where the attention is going, with ChatGPT/Claude/Gemini/Google AI Overviews replacing the need for people to visit websites

It's unnatural to search an LLM for a product. It's why Alexa never became a shopping portal. Best way to get the word out about a product now is through an influencer in the space. -- Edit: Show of hands for anyone using ChatGPT to shop. Be honest. People don't even use Google to shop. They try to find something either (1) by brand name, eg. "iphone" or (2) generically by category, eg. "best cold weather tent". In t…

> It's unnatural to search an LLM for a product. It's why Alexa never became a shopping portal.

There is plenty of evidence that people are increasingly turning to AI chatbots for that too. And it's entirely possible that ChatGPT and others are already being trained to mention some products first or to present them in a more positive light.

Re: Google is dead. Where do we go now?

#188

Post by hermitcrab »

fairity wrote: post #125

Surprised to see this upvoted because the takeaway is completely incorrect, and based on the anecdotal evidence of one advertiser. As someone who spends seven figures every month on Google ads, what’s much more likely to be happening here is that the individual advertiser is either getting outcompeted or they’re executing ads poorly. Google ads revenue in the US continues to grow every quarter. And, since advertisers…

I run a small software business and I know various other people who run small software businesses. We are all pretty much agreed that that Google Ads have been less and less profitable, year or year. Most of us have now given up on PPC ads.

Re: Google is dead. Where do we go now?

#189

Post by riazrizvi »

Googles Search Ad revenue is dead, but the business is diversified and positioned for change. As of 2024:

Search Ads and Partner Revenue = 230bn Youtube = 36bn Cloud = 40bn

Say they drop 100bn on search revenue. How well are they positioned to convert their user platform and search crawling infrastructure onto Gemini, and introduce an advertising platform into LLMs to replace what they had? I imagine they are as well positioned as OpenAI.

I would lose a lot of sleep if I paid out for puts on them.

Re: Google is dead. Where do we go now?

#190

Post by GuB-42 »

SunshineTheCat wrote: post #61

I recently took someone to go and watch a hockey game. Been a little while but I personally played as a goalie myself. The person kept making the comment that she couldn't see/find the puck and it made it frustrating to watch. As a goalie, not being able to see the puck is pretty normal (especially with big bodies trying to screen you). What I told her was that what matters a lot more than where the puck is, is where…

> ...vertical, shortform video. Not sure how that plays out in terms of advertising...

I have seen a comment about them being terrible for advertising, it looks like a "good" idea but it is not.

The problem is that the attention of people watching these videos drop to almost zero, too much is happening in a too short amount of time, and as a result nothing is remembered, including the ads. It is a very good deal for whoever is monetizing this content, they show a lot of ads, plenty of revenue, but not for those who are paying for the ads. It is like subliminal messages, "good" idea, but not very effective. For ads to work, people need to pay attention.

I don't know how ads in chatbots will turn out and what form it will take, but I think it is inevitable.

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