SearchGPT vs Google: The Future of Search

Search has been changing a lot over the past couple of years, namely with the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) features such as large language models (LLMs) and retrieval augmented generation (RAG). It all started with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which was then utilised within Bing Search to provide a new upgrade to traditional search engines. Google responded with its own take on generative AI, with the introduction of search generative experience (SGE), which later morphed into AI overviews (AIO). In July 2024, OpenAI announced SearchGPT, which threw another curveball at the Search industry, offering “fast and timely answers with clear and relevant sources”. The million-dollar question is: will SearchGPT be better than Google? Let’s find out.  

SearchGPT vs Google: Key differences

Both SearchGPT and Google want to provide users with the answers they’re looking for, but there are some key differences between them.  

1. User experience

Google, as a traditional search engine, has always provided a list of results to a query, which are broken into keywords. This provides users with multiple sources to choose from. SearchGPT provides direct answers to questions, whilst also being able to handle complex, multi-layered queries via prior context. Winner: SearchGPT.  

2. Accuracy

Google’s accuracy is generally high, given the vast amount of data it has gathered over decades. SearchGPT has potentially high accuracy, but this is something that requires further investigation and comparison. Winner: Google.  

3. Distractions

Google is driven by ad revenue, which affects the visibility of organic results on the search engine results page (SERP). This isn’t likely to go away anytime soon, and may even contribute to the lessened overall quality of search results. SearchGPT offers ad-free, user-focused responses. However, it’s not clear if SearchGPT will be free to use or only available with a premium ChatGPT subscription, so there are still some question marks. Winner: SearchGPT.  

4. Adoption

Google is estimated to still hold over 90% of the search engine market share (as of September 2024 via Statcounter). SearchGPT is novel but is gaining traction, so it’s hard to estimate at this current time just how popular it will become. Winner: Google.  

5. Wider integration

Google has a lot of leverage when it comes to how its search engine (and other products) are integrated within various technologies and devices. SearchGPT’s wider integration depends largely on how Microsoft – which holds billions of dollars worth of OpenAI equity – can incorporate it to a competing level as seen by Google. Bing integration would be a smart move, but as of publishing this article, this has not been the case. Winner: Google.  

Is SearchGPT better than Google?

Based on example searches within SearchGPT, some results are arguably better than what Google displays. The reasoning for this is primarily because of how intrusive and prominent sponsored results are within the Google SERPs. Google does have significantly more data and experience within the search engine market, as shown by its dominance over the past 15+ years.  

Is SearchGPT free?

There is a (closed) waitlist currently which you can apply to join for free, but there is no definitive answer in terms of what OpenAI wants to do with its cost in the future.  

How to optimise for SearchGPT?

Assuming the OpenAI crawler/user agent for SearchGPT (OAI-SearchBot) is following a similar process to that of Google (with Googlebot), there might not need to be anything “special” you need to do on your website if you want to “optimise” for SearchGPT. You should think of your website as a platform that is optimised for your users and search engines alike, without needing to make specific changes for one or the other. If you’re struggling with your website rankings on search engines in general, or want to ask more questions about the developments of SearchGPT, speak to an SEO consultant.  

What does the future of Search look like?

The future of Search will likely feature a hybrid model where AI plays an increasing role, offering users more control, personalisation, and a less ad-driven experience. Part of this hybrid model will have search engines powered by real-time, multimodal AI (processes multiple data types at once for more precise results). Hopefully, this leads to more tailored, relevant, and accurate results for users, which is the crux of what search engines were designed to help facilitate.