Nobody says “Google it” anymore—here’s what replaced it

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For the last 20 years, we’ve heard the term “Google it” end a conversation, answer a question, or back up a bold claim. At one point, it was so popular, so second nature, that it was officially added as a verb to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary in 2006. But those days are over.

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Back in the day, we had to check the physical yellow pages for a phone number or an address. It wasn’t just readily available online. Google shaped the internet in various ways, but after over two decades of prominence, things are changing.

Think about the last time you had a question, needed an answer, instructions, or were looking for a recipe. How did you find that information? Did you Google it? For many people, the answer will be no. Maybe you asked ChatGPT, or as the cool kids are saying, you “asked Chat.” Maybe you still use Google, but you add “Reddit” to the end of the search query. For millions, Google isn’t the automatic go-to anymore. More and more people are asking chatbots, searching Reddit, or going to TikTok and YouTube instead.

It’s no secret that Google Search has been getting worse, but at the same time, our expectations are changing. People don’t want to search and scroll through endless results—they want the answer in an instant. We don’t want information, we want convenience.

While AI is a huge part of this shift, it’s not the only aspect. The first blow was social media, and now people are less reliant on search than ever. This is especially true with Gen Z, and Google has even admitted that young people are more likely to use social media like TikTok or Instagram to get information. Why search for a recipe on Google when I can watch a 30-second Instagram reel instead? It’s fast, easy, and again, convenient.

ChatGPT, Gemini, and AI are taking over

Personally, I’ve noticed a big shift among friends and family over the last year or so; people aren’t mentioning Google by name. When someone wants an answer or to back up a bold claim, they “ask Chat” instead. I hear this constantly from my friends, my wife, my family, and even random people I pass in public.

ChatGPT is replacing Google in all those conversations and situations. Even if you tell someone to “Google it,” they might fire up ChatGPT instead, and subconsciously, that counts as “Googling”. And while Google is clearly losing some brand recognition because of “ask Chat,” it might not even matter.

For starters, Google is still a massive part of internet culture and baked into every aspect of our lives. It’s the default search engine in every browser on all our phones, computers, TVs, smart speakers, and more. And when it’s not, most people remove whatever default is in place and replace it with Google or Chrome.

More importantly, even when I hear someone say “ask Chat,” they’re often still using Google Search; it just looks and feels different. That’s because Google Search often defaults to its AI mode, which is basically its answer to ChatGPT.

AI Mode looks a lot like something you’d see in an AI search tool or chatbot. Funny enough, over the weekend, my brother and I had some questions about a travel destination. He told me to “ask Chat,” but then sent a screenshot of a Google AI mode search result. He’s so used to hearing the term “ask Chat” instead of “Google it” that he says it subconsciously, then uses Google Search anyway.

The branding and name recognition might not even matter. I’ll often tell someone I googled something, but in reality, I looked it up on Reddit. The process and the tool were different, but the message was received. I did some research, and I found the answer. I Googled it.

Nobody is telling a friend to Google it anymore, and that’s fine. Just like every tissue is considered a Kleenex, or every tablet is an iPad, anytime you’re doing some research, looking for an answer, or even asking Chat, it’ll always be “Googling” in my mind.

In closing, “Google it” defined how an entire generation navigated the web, but everything evolves alongside technology. The verb is clearly shifting, but our pursuit of quick, direct answers isn’t going anywhere.

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