Google's Project Magi: The Changes a Brand-New Search Engine Is About to Bring

According to a recent report by the New York Times, Google is currently devoting more than 160 engineers to a brand-new project called “Magi,” which the outside world believes will become the foundation of a brand-new Google search engine.

This new search engine is expected to replace the Google we are familiar with today. Although the details of this new search engine are not yet very clear, we can already understand some general points about the “Magi” project from the clues released.

So, let’s take a look at the key points.

First, Google wants to make search more like a conversation. Imagine that if you ask a person a question, they give you an answer — much like the currently popular AI ChatGPT and New Bing. Or, imagine how you interact with Alexa and Siri, but smarter, more capable of learning, and able to learn based on the way you ask questions.

This also seems to fit the logical architecture of the next-generation search engine. We all want to get an answer, rather than being held hostage by junk websites using various SEO tricks. Although this approach may not apply to all search queries, viewing it as an enhanced version of Google’s knowledge base may be the key to the next generation of search — please take more care of us low-level writers, rather than using “AI-generated” as an excuse to whitewash plagiarism of our hard work.

In addition, the biggest change in this project seems to be more than that. Rather, Google will go a step further to help facilitate transactions, and this kind of intervention in physical services is also currently a weak spot for Microsoft.

Whether it’s a pair of shoes or booking a flight, Google will begin handling transactions on its platform. In other words, why would you go to another website to buy a pair of shoes? Why can’t Google display the shoes you want based on what it knows about you, and then let you buy them with one click?

Google knows your shoe size, your favorite colors, and even whether you need wide or narrow shoes, and whether sizes differ between brands. In addition, they also have Google Pay, and the entire process required for the shopping service is expected to be fully integrated into the Magi project.

Users only need to search for a product or service on Google and can directly make a purchase or reservation, without needing to jump to other websites. Google will use users’ purchasing habits, preferences, and needs to recommend related products and services, making transactions easier and providing users with a better shopping experience.

Imagine how big the online shopping platform market is, and how many business opportunities would exist if Google replaced it.

Of course, besides being a challenge to regulations in different regions, this change will also have a certain impact on all sellers who make a living by selling online. It can almost be described as a kind of predatory behavior, and it is not impossible that middlemen will be eliminated.

At the same time, Google’s current profit foundation, the “advertising” business, may also change. In the future, Google may shift to a model based on cost-per-acquisition, which will be more convenient for marketers and can also create a better user experience.

Based on the intelligence known so far, by then Magi will use an AI conversational interface and intervene in shopping services. Therefore, it will inevitably affect SEO strategies and techniques, which will need to change. When Google searches for products or services in Project Magi, how to optimize websites so that they display your products and services becomes very important.