Google's future plans

What are the "too big to fail" companies planning? Let's take a closer look at Google. What are their plans for the future? What's on their agenda, and can we already guess what they'll do? Currently, everyone is talking about Google's frequent algorithm updates and the changes to search result pages, but Google is more than just its search engine.

The first quarter of 2020 is finally over! I know it felt like a whole year, but it was only the first 3 months, packed with news from all over the world!

Coronavirus, wildfires in Australia, earthquakes in Turkey, floods in Italy, the Iran conflict, and… it just keeps going. I'm sure many of us never imagined we'd ever experience a situation like this with quarantine and coronavirus.

It's like an old sci-fi movie 🙂 With so many events in the first quarter of 2020, many of our New Year's resolutions and plans for 2020 have probably faded into the background. Workouts and classes have been replaced by Netflix and gaming, diets and fitness activities by home delivery and a nice bottle of wine with the family. Although Corona has affected us enormously, as in every situation, there are also advantages and disadvantages.

In these times of crisis, we're spending much more time with family, looking out for our loved ones, getting involved in the community, and investing more time in friendships and hobbies. Some have certainly managed to stay focused and flawlessly execute their 2020 plans – RESPECT 🙂 What's difficult for us as individuals is much easier for some companies. Large corporations are working day in and day out to implement their plans.

What are the "too big to fail" companies planning? Let's take a closer look at Google. What are their plans for the future? What's on their agenda, and can we already guess what they'll do? Currently, everyone is talking about Google's frequent algorithm updates and the changes to search result pages, but Google is more than just its search engine.

The Google empire now comprises a whole armada of companies and services connected to its search engine. Google has plenty of plans for the future, and some of them will definitely affect us, both personally and professionally, and will clearly influence tomorrow's marketing strategies.

Now the question arises: what are these non-algorithm changes? Before I delve into this question, I should mention in advance that many will not like some of these points, but instead of getting upset, I would advise investing your energy in something else: how to successfully face and adapt to these changes. Here are Google's top 6 future plans, let's get started…

No. 1: Google executives are focusing on "Ambient Computing"

What is ambient computing? An ambient computing system is a software and hardware network that coordinates a variety of computer and network-enabled devices to facilitate their use in home and business environments.

A multitude of devices (computers, networks, Internet of Things, and much more) can then be controlled via a single operating system. This means that everything around us is interconnected and acts in sync, without us having to actively intervene.

Google's vision for ambient computing:

“Our vision for ambient computing is to create a unified experience at home, at work, or on the go,” says Rick Osterloh, head of hardware at Google.

In short, Google wants to accompany its users everywhere. This means they can access all services from anywhere – at work, at home, and on the go – using consistent methods and commands. Google services should blend seamlessly into the background, becoming as reliable and indispensable as running water.

In other words, Google wants us to use it around the clock, no matter where we are or what we're doing. This is achieved by integrating their products everywhere—on Android devices, Chromebooks, smartwatches, or Google Home—anywhere, anytime. Because their mission is to spread the use of all Google-related products.

This opens up new opportunities to increase traffic and generate more revenue. A good example is the development of mobile apps that run on Android smartphones, such as Uber, Netflix, or Candy Crush. The majority of people in Switzerland use more than 10 apps a day, yet most companies still don't have their own app. The world of mobile devices is growing enormously.

Currently, there are approximately 2 million mobile apps and over 13 billion mobile devices. Of course, many of these devices are old or have long since ended up in landfills. Nevertheless, there are still far fewer apps than mobile devices, especially when you consider that there are over 1.518.207.414 websites. In other words, there are 759 times more websites than apps, so having your own app might not be such a bad idea after all.

No. 2: Future generations will be primarily tied to Google devices.

Do you own a Chromebook? Probably not, right? But the world's next generation is growing up with these Chromebooks. Not only are Chromebooks affordable, but they're also conquering the world, at least when it comes to the new generations: Millennials and Generation Z. Below is a list of the percentage of schools that use Chromebooks.

In some countries, like the US, 60% of schools use Chromebooks. As you can see, that's an astonishingly high percentage. Apple, by the way, also tried to penetrate classrooms, but they didn't have the same success as Google. This means that children are growing up with Google devices, are familiar with the "Google ecosystem," and use its services.

No. 3: Google will buy someone who plays a major role in e-commerce.

When you think of e-commerce, what name comes to mind? I bet you're thinking of Amazon or Digitec. We all use Amazon or Digitec, and of course, every major tech company wants a piece of the e-commerce market. Generally, I click directly on the Amazon or Digitec listings when I'm searching for something to buy online because my personal account saves me a lot of time and effort.

Google has been trying to capture market share for years. From shopping promotions to Google Shopping, none of it has been truly effective. This is partly because we, as consumers, have become accustomed to buying from established brands! So far, Google hasn't taken any further steps into this market or acquired any players and integrated them into the Alphabet group. But rest assured – that can change very, very quickly.

Google is considering dozens of options on the market, such as acquiring an established player, like a food delivery service like Instacart, a business model extremely popular with all large corporations – handling the daily needs of millions of people. However, in my opinion, Google is already thinking one step ahead and will remain in the software sector.

I think they'll indirectly enter the big e-commerce race and compete with all the major players (they already have all the data, after all :)). By helping companies, they'll create their own e-commerce shops. Whether it's Shopify, BigCommerce, or Wix, they definitely want to participate in the race, and on a massive scale. If you want to sell products online, you absolutely have to be on Google for the long term. 🙂

No. 4: Google will dominate the hardware industry

This doesn't mean they'll create something better than an iPad or an iPhone. Apple is, at its core, a hardware company and is clearly the best when it comes to producing unique devices. However, there is a major problem with Apple and even Samsung devices. What could this problem be?

Quite simply, they're extremely expensive. If you want to buy a brand-new iPhone, you have to expect a starting price of CHF 530 for the "iPhone 8" and CHF 1299 for the "iPhone 11 Pro". On the other hand, Google also has high-end devices, but they are also trying to gain a foothold in the market with more affordable devices.

But most importantly, they don't limit their platform to their own hardware, but allow other manufacturers to use their operating system for their smartphones. Their goal isn't to make a lot of money per device, but to get everyone around the world to use their platform and operating systems. And why do they do that?

They do this so they can collect more data and generate the majority of their revenue from advertising, because the devices people use all lead to their ad-filled search engines. Well, a very clever move by Google. I highly recommend you take a closer look... They're not just using this strategy with their smartphones, but with all new IoT (Internet of Things) devices.

Only in this way can most people around the world connect these products. If you live in Brazil or India, buying an Apple or Samsung device is unthinkable, and therefore many people opt for a Google device or devices from other regional manufacturers, which in most cases also use the Google operating system or platforms.

Since only 5% of the world's population lives in the US, the global market is enormous and constantly growing. So, if you're wondering which platform to build on, consider Google, as Android's market share is around 87% thanks to its affordable hardware and partnerships.

No. 5: Google Ads are also displayed offline.

Expenditure for Online Marketing In 2017, they clearly overtook traditional advertising in Switzerland (Statistics for the year 2017).

It's clear that a lot is being invested in online advertising, but Google will soon be venturing not only into online but also into offline advertising. Google's vast portfolio of companies includes a large number of relevant services that are becoming increasingly integrated into the landscape every day. For example, Google owns Waymo, a competitor to Uber, which is gaining popularity.

With Waymo, smartphones, smartwatches, Android, Google Chrome, and other platforms, Google clearly knows where the market is headed and can therefore tailor ads to individual needs. This allows you to advertise better and more efficiently, thus achieving a balance between offline and online advertising. Switzerland The first companies are already establishing themselves in this market and connecting the online and offline worlds for their users and partners.

One of the most important and successful companies is Nau.ch Life Systems AG, which has more than 6,200 screens at 2,800 locations in Switzerland and reaches more than 2,200,000 viewers daily, can now reach people more effectively and efficiently. This will also increase the value and cost of both offline and online advertising in the future.

No. 6: Search results will not look the same in the future as they do today.

You'll probably hate this change the most, but the good thing is that it makes the search engine more user-friendly. They're currently testing many different ad types. As a business, for example, you can collect leads through Google.

And finally, you can book a hotel room directly in the search engine, without having to go through the Website to access the hotel's website.

The same applies to mortgages, car insurance, and many other industries.

But that doesn't mean that SEO It no longer has any value, or no one from the search engine will directly access your website anymore, but simply means that you have to adapt to these changes.

Conclusion

The future will look different. Companies like Tesla, Netflix, or Amazon are not the only ones that are innovative; most of them are.

This is the only way to move forward successfully and reach the finish line as a winner: adapting to users and constantly evolving. If you adapt quickly while your competition sleeps, you'll be among the winners!