In a case that all the tech world has watched intently since it was filed in 2020, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) has made its judgement that Google does not have to spin off its Chrome search engine.
It was the rise of AI technology that experts suggest swayed Judge Mehta towards a decision, which many argue is in Google’s favour.
The judge determined that while Google did have a monopoly in traditional search engines, AI companies have the financial and technological clout to fight Google’s dominance now as search becomes increasingly AI-powered.
However, the judgement leaves ecommerce businesses unsure of where they stand, as Google Zero – the company’s AI-powered search summary functionality – cannibalises their content and cuts their traffic.
What did the judge rule?
A revised judgement is due today, but the core result is that Google does not have to “divest” Chrome or the Android operating system, which is what the Department of Justice (DOJ) had been pushing for.
The judge determined: “Plaintiffs overreached in seeking forced divestiture of these key assets, which Google did not use to effect any illegal restraints.”
However, Judge Mehta rules that Google must not have exclusive contracts that condition payments or licensing. The DOJ had pushed for the company to be forced to stop what it called “compelled syndication” – or making its browsers the default choice for money.
Mehta ruled: “Google will not be barred from making payments or offering other consideration to distribution partners for preloading or placement of Google Search, Chrome, or its GenAI products.” However, these deals must not be exclusive.
Google has also been told to loosen its grip on its search data and the tech giant is already complaining.
What does this mean for Google Zero?
With Google compelled to share data – and with its exclusivity deals now not allowed – more players could potentially enter the AI-powered search field.
However, the truth is we don’t know how this is going to play out for ecommerce businesses yet as Google is dominant in this arena and will continue to be so.
This judgement might not be tough enough to stop what many businesses are already reporting – a significant drop in their website traffic as Google’s AI Mode summarises their content and keeps users on its pages.
Research from AccuRanker has revealed a significant decline in mobile click-through rates (CTR) for ecommerce. Any new players fighting for search dominance may do exactly the same, so it looks like zero-click searches are here to stay.
How can businesses protect themselves?
Businesses are facing an ‘adapt or die’ moment. Gone are the days in which businesses can rely on SEO optimisation (and over-optimised FAQs or keyword stuffing) and now, says Google, they must deliver content for “higher quality clicks”.
To keep website traffic from tanking, eCommerce businesses are being encouraged to:
- Optimise for Google’s AI Overviews
- Ensure product pages, reviews and resources deliver genuine value to shoppers
- Analyse how Google Zero is impacting the traffic to their website by tracking key visibility metrics, such as impressions and the appearance of AI features
- Look at other marketing opportunities beyond their website using diverse channels
While Google has definitely had a dressing down, the tech behemoth will still dominate, even as pretenders to its throne hustle in the AI space.
In the meantime, businesses must adapt to Google Zero – and any competitors that launch – as the technology is not going to disappear but will keep evolving.
