University of Advancing Technology's Official Technology Blog

Think With The Google: 2018's Year in Search

Even if you're not interested in marketing and advertising, the one newsletter (aka: boring email in your inbox you don't remember signing up for) worth checking out once a year is the Think With Google: Year-End Search Trends issue.

As a digital marketer and self-proclaimed Geek, I think the most important takeaway from this is how search continues to evolve from several specific keywords to conversational and personal queries. The other takeaway is the fact that Google is now 20 years old. Wow, what did we do 21 years ago? How did we survive?

But let's focus on the first takeaway about the evolving search trends and how they're changing. For example, back when Google’s voice started cracking and it became more and more awkward at family gatherings because it would wear Tool t-shirts and Doc Martens, users would enter searches with specific keywords such as: Ice Cube movie 1990s. However, today Google is evolving and becoming our assistant, not just some weird website that we used to “Get Lucky” on. Users are searching for information in their cars while driving, multi-tasking and using voice commands for immediate answers. Now those simple words turn into more elaborate and specific questions such as: Hey Google, at what point did Ice Cube stop being gangster and start making Disney movies?”

Forget typing, just talk to Google, and when it continues rebelling against the man by dropping out of college and “traveling abroad,” remind Google that it will be cut off as soon as its visa runs out and its getting deported back to Silicon Valley -- or in this case factory reset. 

I digress, however, this is more detailed and conversational evolution is important when you or your company might advertise on Google. Long-tail exact match keywords and broad match modifiers will continue to be great ways to convert high-intent searchers who use detailed questions when searching – because, you know, people (like me) have lots and lots of words to say.

Short story longer: How do you "search" throughout the day? Do you use Google Assistant? Still typing away? And for our society, the coming artificial intelligence and those pesky marketers, how will this continue to evolve?