According to the New York Times, Google has 160 engineers working on Project Magi. Project Magi is a stepping stone into a new search engine they are planning on releasing, which will replace Google as we know it.
Although there aren’t many details on their new search engine, there are some details about Project Magi. Here’s what we know: Google wants to make search more like a conversation.
Think of asking a person questions and getting answers, similar to ChatGPT. Or imagine interacting with a smarter version of Alexa, one that can learn not just from your past conversations but also on the fly as you ask questions. It’s the next logical step in search because we all want relevant answers adapted to us.
Instead of seeing 10 results per page, the old-school method when you’re searching for an answer, they’re trying to provide a more conversational experience. However, this approach won’t work for all search queries, but it’s a stepping stone to previous changes like Google’s knowledge graph.
The big change, however, isn’t that; it’s actually how Google will help facilitate transactions.
Transactions will soon be possible on Google’s platform.
Google will soon allow transactions to happen directly on its platform. Whether it’s purchasing a pair of shoes or booking a flight, Google is planning to handle transactions itself.
The idea is that there’s no need to visit another website to make a purchase. Instead, Google can show you the pair of shoes you want based on what it knows about you and allow you to buy them with just one click.
Google will use its knowledge of your preferences, such as your shoe size, color preferences, and whether you need wide or narrow shoes. Additionally, it will take into account that different brands have different sizing.
Moreover, Google Pay will integrate seamlessly with this feature, making transactions even more convenient.
So, what do these changes mean for marketers?
Well, ads will still exist. Google is a business and publicly traded, which means they need to make money in a profitable way. However, the way ads work in the long run will change.
Currently, marketers pay for ads based on cost per click. They then calculate the cost per acquisition and model it out from a profit and loss perspective. If it’s profitable, they spend more to get more clicks. If it’s not profitable, they reduce the amount they’re willing to spend per click.
Eventually, Google will shift to a cost-per-acquisition model, which is my thesis. This will make it easier for marketers and create a better user experience. Plus, if a website isn’t great, marketers can still make money because it’s all happening on Google’s end.
From an SEO perspective, there will always be keywords that drive traffic to a website. Google used to direct users to other sites for things like weather, but now they show it directly. Despite changes that may take clicks away from a website, Google has still been driving more traffic overall.
According to Danny Sullivan, “Google Search sends billions of clicks to websites every day, and we’ve sent more traffic to the open web every year since Google was first created.” These new features are expected to increase traffic on Google, which will help counteract some of the clicks taken away from a website.
Moreover, there will be a new form of SEO. Marketers will need to optimize their sites so that Google’s Project Magi shows their products and services. It won’t matter as much if someone clicks over to the site; what matters most is who gets the sale. If a marketer gets the sale, it’s still a win.