The Future of Search: Google’s Vision Shared at the Zurich Summit

At the Future of Search Summit hosted by Google in Zurich, strategic partners gathered to discuss the future of search and the role of AI in reshaping the digital landscape—and we're excited to be one of them, now sharing key takeaways from this insightful event.

Trends That Are Shaping the Future of Search

At the summit, product managers from Google highlighted several areas where search is evolving and innovating—highlighting where we need to adapt and stay ahead:

Visual Search and Image Optimization

With the rise of visual search, images and videos are gaining more attention in the search results. Google is emphasizing the importance of properly marked-up images and videos, as they will not be crawled if placed at the bottom of a page or incorrectly tagged.

For businesses, this means placing visuals at the top of pages and ensuring proper metadata to make it easier for Google to index them. Fresh, high-quality visuals—especially videos—are becoming essential for SEO success.

User Intent and Engagement

Google is cracking down on pages that are optimized purely for search engines but don’t offer real value to users; so better analyze your performance critically:

• Good clicks are those where users land on a page and spend time exploring it.

• Bad clicks, on the other hand, occur when users quickly leave a page, signaling that it didn’t meet their expectations.

The goal is to provide users with valuable content that answers their questions and fulfills their needs, instead of over-optimized pages designed solely for ranking purposes.

Fresh Content and Evergreen Value

Google is now prioritizing freshness in search results to ensure users always have access to the latest and most accurate information.

While evergreen content is still valuable, even the most timeless pieces need to be regularly updated and rewritten from a fresh perspective to stay relevant. This is especially important for industries like travel and local businesses, where timely content is key to attracting users who want current recommendations.

The Shift Toward Discovery in Search

Another key discussion focused on the evolving role of Discover within the Google App. Similar to Instagram’s feed, it offers a curated selection of content based on a user’s browsing history designed to keep users browsing longer by connecting them with websites and topics they’ve shown interest in before.

Consequently, Google doesn’t want this content to be "SEOed" in the traditional sense. Instead, they want content that is naturally interesting and well-structured.

The Rise of Gemini and AI-Powered Search

Whether you’re using Google Search, Google Assistant, or Gmail, Google’s next-generation AI tool Gemini will be at the center of these interactions; and unlike other AI tools, it is grounded in actual search data, meaning the information it provides is accurate and reliable.

While Gemini may enhance the user experience with more personalized search results, it’s still built on the foundation of Google Search, meaning SEO will continue to play a crucial role. Businesses should ensure that their content is up-to-date, accurate, and valuable, as Gemini will prioritize quality over quantity.

How Businesses Can Prepare for the Future of Search

From our insights at the Future of Search Summit, it’s clear that businesses need to evolve their strategies to keep up with Google’s shifting priorities. Here are some key takeaways:

1. Focus on Freshness: Regularly update your content, even if it’s evergreen, to ensure it remains relevant. Freshness matters more than ever, especially with the growing emphasis on discovery and user engagement.

2. Create High-Quality Visual Content: Images and videos are playing an increasingly important role in search. Ensure your visual content is optimized for search engines with proper markup, and consider investing in high-quality videos.

3. Prioritize User Experience: Good SEO isn’t just about ranking well—it’s about providing value to users. So ensure your content answers questions, solves problems, and keeps users engaged.

4. Leverage AI: With tools like Gemini on the horizon, businesses must continue to create great content that’s grounded in real-world data. AI will enhance search, but SEO will remain critical to ensuring your content is discoverable.

Businesses that stay ahead of the curve will see the most success in driving visibility and engagement. At Uberall, we’re excited about the direction Google is taking with AI-powered search and its focus on user experience – and we look forward to continuing to support our customers in optimizing their local digital presence.