ABC News Daily How Google search lost its way
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Sep 21, 2025 
In this engaging discussion, Emmanuel Maiberg, co-founder of 404 Media and tech journalist, delves into the decline of Google Search. He explores the concept of 'in-shittification,' highlighting how heavy advertising and SEO manipulation are degrading user experience. Maiberg also examines AI's impact on search results and the rising interest in alternative platforms like Kagi and TikTok. With a critical lens, he reflects on how these changes could reshape the future of one of the internet's essential tools.
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How Google Became Dominant
- Google won by superior crawling, indexing and PageRank that ranked sites by authoritative links.
- It also gained dominance by integrating search into devices and services, which reinforced its market position.
In-Shittification Explains Decline
- "In-shittification" describes platforms that monetize after achieving dominance and degrade the user experience.
- Google now shows ads, carousels and paid placements instead of the simple "10 blue links" it once championed.
SEO Emerged From Monetising Rankings
- Search engine optimization (SEO) arose because top search placement became financially valuable.
- That created a spectrum from legitimate newsroom SEO to shady actors gaming results for ad impressions.