Can Google Keep Up with OpenAI's SearchGPT?

The battle between OpenAI's SearchGPT and Google Search is shaping up to be the kind of tech rivalry we haven’t seen since Facebook knocked Orkut out of the game. 

The stakes? Search dominance in a world where users are growing tired of traditional keyword-based search results, often littered with ads and SEO-driven manipulation. 

A recent report by Statista shows that Google currently holds around 92 percent of the global search engine market share, making it a tough contender for any competitor to challenge.

SearchGPT, powered by OpenAI's GPT-4 model, has certainly thrown a curveball into Google's longstanding reign. 

The AI-driven tool doesn’t just rely on the old method of providing links—it offers direct answers to user queries, summarising information from multiple sources, and providing a conversational interface that feels more human-like than Google's current AI-generated responses. 

"AI isn't just reshaping how we find information; it's redefining the entire user experience," says Siddharth Kashiramka, a startup mentor for Fortune 500 companies and Product Head in one of the world's leading technology firms. "The ability to understand user intent and provide personalised, real-time answers is what sets AI-driven tools like SearchGPT apart from traditional search engines."

According to a 2023 study by McKinsey, AI-driven technologies like GPT have the potential to disrupt traditional search by increasing efficiency in answering complex user queries-. This shift toward interaction and real-time answers has many believing SearchGPT could do what Google did to Yahoo all those years ago. 

Sivadeep Katangoori, an AI investor and advisor to AI startups, adds, "The shift towards conversational AI is a natural evolution in the tech space. As AI learns to interact more fluidly with users, it can become a go-to solution for those seeking more precise and tailored information without the clutter."

But not so fast. Early reviews are mixed, and Google is far from becoming the next Yahoo. For starters, SearchGPT’s search results are still less varied and deep compared to Google, especially in transactional, navigational, and local searches. 

A report from the Search Engine Journal (SEJ) highlights that 46 percent of users prefer traditional search methods for navigating between services, especially for local and transactional queries. Google’s infrastructure and its vast array of services (think Gmail, Google Maps, etc) make it hard for users to switch completely.

To further illustrate the gap, available studies do not yet provide concrete data on market share for SearchGPT, as it is not fully live. 

However, Google continues to dominate in transactional, navigational, and local searches, areas that remain challenging for new entrants. In a 2024 survey conducted by HubSpot, 75 percent of businesses still rely on Google Search for customer acquisition, emphasising its stronghold on commercial searches. 

These numbers highlight that, while SearchGPT's potential is promising, it still has a long way to go in terms of variety and depth.

One thing is clear—Google has a problem. Like Orkut before Facebook, it risks becoming irrelevant if it doesn’t adapt quickly to the changing landscape, where users want more than just a list of blue links. 

The rise of SearchGPT could push Google to evolve or risk the same fate as its early competitors. Interestingly, a Gartner report from 2023 indicated that 60 percent of users are more inclined to try AI-driven searches due to the promise of more personalised and relevant results.

SearchGPT v Google: The Dawn of a New Search Era?

Google has held the monopoly on search for decades, thanks to its efficiency, speed, and accuracy. However, SearchGPT brings something fresh to the table—a conversational, AI-driven search interface that moves beyond traditional keyword searches. Instead of pages of blue links and ads, SearchGPT provides curated, summarised answers directly from multiple sources. 

OpenAI reported that its ChatGPT product, which forms the base for SearchGPT, crossed 100 million users in its first two months, highlighting the growing demand for AI-driven solutions.

This AI-driven approach has users excited, but it’s also put Google on the defensive. 

Early users of SearchGPT report mixed feedback: it excels at summarisation and providing concise, digestible responses but struggles in areas where Google still dominates, such as transactional and navigational queries. 

These hurdles are reminiscent of early criticisms of Google itself—before it crushed Yahoo.

What makes SearchGPT stand out is its potential to minimise information overload. Google Search often presents users with pages of links. 

While Google has introduced its AI-enhanced Bard, it has yet to integrate a fully conversational search experience on par with SearchGPT. This difference alone could be enough to shift user habits over time, leading to the kind of slow burn that eventually led to Yahoo’s downfall.

Google’s Arsenal is Far From Empty

Google is no easy target. Even if SearchGPT shows promise, Google has more than just its search engine in its corner.

With an entire ecosystem built around Google Search—Google Maps, YouTube, Gmail, Google Workspace, and Google Assistant—it’s nearly impossible to imagine a world without Google’s grip on search.

Google’s infrastructure goes beyond its search algorithm. 

Its AI capabilities, powered by deep-learning models like MUM (Multitask Unified Model), allow for understanding complex queries across multiple languages and formats. 

Additionally, Google’s integration with tools like Google Lens and its real-time data updates through Google Maps make it indispensable for users globally. 

These innovations make it clear that Google’s ecosystem isn’t just about search—it’s an interconnected platform that adds immense utility to daily life.

Google also has deep relationships with advertisers, SEO professionals, and web developers, all of whom rely on Google’s algorithms to drive traffic. Shifting to SearchGPT means adopting an entirely different search methodology, which businesses might not do immediately.

The convenience of Google Search cannot be understated either. While SearchGPT may offer superior summaries and more streamlined answers, Google’s expansive database, honed over decades, provides users with incredibly fast, relevant results. The real question is whether users care enough to give up the familiarity and speed of Google for the improved conversation-style queries that SearchGPT offers.

Does SearchGPT Pose a Real Threat?

It’s important to remember that SearchGPT is still in its infancy. Much like the early days of search engines, it has significant room for growth. Right now, it’s the new kid on the block, and like any rookie, it needs time to evolve and mature.

One of SearchGPT’s standout features is its ad-free experience, something that has become increasingly rare in Google searches, where sponsored content often clutters the results.

While SearchGPT’s ad-free interface is refreshing, building user trust remains an uphill battle. A study by Privacy Matters in 2023 revealed that 65 percent of internet users are concerned about how AI-driven tools, including SearchGPT, handle their data. 

OpenAI has faced criticism for unclear data-usage policies, making trust a key barrier to adoption. Google, despite its ads, has maintained user confidence due to years of reliable, consistent performance. If SearchGPT hopes to convert loyal Google users, tackling these privacy concerns must be a top priority.

Moreover, SearchGPT will have to navigate the treacherous waters of privacy concerns. Data privacy has become a significant issue in recent years, and OpenAI has faced its share of backlash for how its models use web content. If SearchGPT cannot iron out these issues, it will lose credibility quickly.

What Could Happen If SearchGPT Overtakes Google?

It’s not just about search engines; it’s about who controls the future of information. Google’s revenue model has been built on ads, and with more than 70 percent of its revenue coming from ad placements, losing search dominance could be catastrophic for the tech giant. And it’s not just Google. Entire industries—SEO, digital marketing, and online advertising—are built around the algorithm that powers Google Search.

A deeper concern surrounding SearchGPT is its handling of SEO-driven traffic. Unlike Google, which has a transparent ranking system, SearchGPT is still refining how it curates answers from across the web.

This opacity in ranking and attribution has worried SEO professionals, who depend on Google’s visibility algorithms to drive organic traffic. Additionally, in a world where data privacy is paramount, SearchGPT will need to establish clearer policies regarding content attribution and user data protection, areas where Google already has stringent regulations.

If SearchGPT begins to take significant market share from Google, it could upend the entire digital marketing industry. SEO professionals, who have spent years optimising for Google’s algorithm, will have to start from scratch. Marketers may need to rethink strategies, and publishers might lose their ad revenue streams. SearchGPT could potentially kill organic search traffic altogether, leaving businesses scrambling to adjust.

Could Google Go the Way of Orkut?

History is filled with examples of tech giants who failed to adapt and fell behind. Google famously overtook Yahoo because it was better, faster, and more relevant. Orkut, once the most popular social networking site in several countries, is now extinct because it couldn’t keep up with Facebook’s social innovations.

Could Google suffer the same fate?

It’s possible, but unlikely in the short term. Google’s infrastructure and financial muscle are formidable, and it has proven its ability to pivot when necessary. Google is already working on its own AI-enhanced search capabilities with Bard, and there’s little doubt it will make efforts to compete directly with SearchGPT.

However, if Google doesn’t adapt quickly enough, users might start to look elsewhere, just as they did with Yahoo years ago. The public’s appetite for a more intuitive, conversational search engine is growing, and SearchGPT is positioning itself as the prime candidate to fill that void.

What Next?

The launch of SearchGPT is just the beginning. There are already theories about how SearchGPT could integrate with other OpenAI products like ChatGPT. Imagine a search engine that not only gives you answers but helps you brainstorm ideas, write documents, or solve complex problems in real time. The possibilities are endless, and Google must be taking notice.

As for users, we’re likely to see a gradual shift rather than a sudden migration from Google to SearchGPT. Google still has the edge in terms of speed, accuracy, and sheer volume of information. But if OpenAI can improve SearchGPT’s accuracy, refine its user experience, and build trust, Google could be in trouble.

In the end, the war between SearchGPT and Google will be one of endurance and adaptation. The winner will be the one who not only builds the better search engine but also understands the evolving needs of users in a rapidly changing landscape.

For now, Google remains the king, but SearchGPT is the challenger to watch—its potential to redefine how we search could be the first real threat Google has faced in years.

The battle between SearchGPT and Google Search is exciting because of the possibilities it holds. Like the tech giants who fell before it, Google could find itself on shaky ground if SearchGPT continues to gain traction. But don’t count Google out. With its resources, reach, and dominance, Google has shown it can adapt.

So, will SearchGPT kill Google Search? Only time will tell. But one thing’s for sure—this battle is just getting started. For now, users benefit from having two search titans.

(Bhavik Sarkhedi is a writer at Forbes India, a seasoned independent writer whose stories are published in The New York Times, Forbes US, YourStory, HuffPost, Elite Daily, Times of India, Entrepreneur US and more.)