Today, search is changing. Gone are the days when a simple Google search would deliver all the needed information. But what is stepping in to replace it in our rapidly evolving online world?

Growing Import of Social Media for Discovery

One of the more surprising turns of events regarding search in 2024 is that more and more people choose to do it within social media apps. The reasons for this, when interrogated, are pretty obvious. The modern internet has reached a mature phase of SEO optimization, with the vast majority of sites that appear in popular search results nowadays being designed to climb page rankings and, accordingly, offering little by way of valuable information.

For this reason, the most common way to uncover answers when searching on Google today is to append the name of the popular social network Reddit to the end of your query to be taken directly to tangible and relevant information on your search terms.

Elsewhere, a new generation of internet users is opting to research, discover, and shop on their favorite social networks, like TikTok. While this has plenty of drawbacks, it's neatly integrated into their existing browsing habits, and a growing number of accounts and platforms on these social networks are pivoting to provide users with the search results they seek in-app.

A Move Away From Algorithms

Not all the changes impacting the world of search today are down to novel technological breakthroughs. Some are actually the product of a reaction against methods and approaches that promise to reduce friction and streamline our lives. This is precisely what has happened with respect to algorithms. Now, to be clear – algorithms are not going anywhere. With so much data to sift through in the world today, we would be helplessly lost without these ingenious filtering protocols. But they have their limits, and people are growing increasingly conscious of what these are.

Moving away from algorithmsunsplash

We've all experienced on Instagram, where content relating to a passing interest has taken over our feed. This is a familiar issue when it comes to news broadcasting, where so-called information silos have meant that we are increasingly shielded from any views that oppose our own.

In light of this, different sectors are looking for ways to break out of the algorithmic echo chamber. For example, GroundsNews is a news platform that explicitly furnishes its users with news sources they wouldn't otherwise be exposed to.

Another area where this reaction against algorithmic recommendations takes hold is in commerce sectors, where real human input is highly valued. For example, in the online casino sector, over 20,000 unique platforms are operating out there today. Determining which ones are worth your time – and money – can be an uphill battle, particularly if you're relying on algorithmic recommendations to sort through them. This is why a growing number of dedicated review sites like VegasSlotsOnline are growing in prominence. Chaired by industry experts, these sites provide comprehensive breakdowns of the various online casinos out there today, so users know they can rely on the recommendations provided by them. What's more, platforms such as this are the best way to avail oneself of the various promotions and welcome offers like no deposit bonuses provided by the leading casinos. This not only ensures that patrons can rely on the quality of recommendations provided, but can save money in the process.

Impact of LLMs on Search Engines

Short for Large Language Model, this refers to the popular AI chat tools like ChatGPT which have taken the world by storm in the past 2 years. Their utility for search is already abundantly clear, as there's there's no need for 'google-fu' when phrasing search requests, as these models are trained to understand the context and meaning of your queries.

At present, Microsoft's Bing is leading the charge for AI search with its Copilot service, powered by the aforementioned ChatGPT model developed by OpenAI. However, Google is already underway in its quest to match and exceed the utility of its greatest search engine rival. At present, Google Gemini is being tested for widespread integration into Google Search, and you can rest assured that we should see the full power of this model brought to bear by the end of the year.