Google Searches in Safari Fall After 22 Years of Growth

For the first time since the iPhone was just a twinkle in Steve Jobs' eye, Google searches on Safari are declining. Let that sink in. After 22 consecutive years of growth, Safari users are searching less on Google. Not slowing their growth – actually shrinking.

"That has never happened in 22 years," testified Apple's senior vice president of services Eddy Cue during the DOJ's antitrust trial against Google. The culprit? AI search alternatives that are beginning to nibble at Google's long-untouchable dominance.

This isn't just another tech headline – it's potentially the canary in the coal mine for the entire search ecosystem that marketers have built their digital strategies around for two decades.

The Numbers Don't Lie (But Google Tries To Spin Them)

While specific percentage declines weren't shared in Cue's testimony, the mere acknowledgment of negative growth sent shockwaves through the industry. Google, watching Alphabet's stock price take a hit, quickly issued a statement emphasizing "overall query growth in Search" and "an increase in total queries coming from Apple's devices and platforms."

Notice the careful wording. Google talks about queries from "Apple's devices and platforms" broadly – not specifically Safari searches, which was the focus of Cue's testimony. It's a classic misdirection play.

This decline aligns with other concerning signals for traditional search. According to data from Similarweb, visits to traditional search engines declined by 2.8% year-over-year in Q1 2024, while AI search platforms like Perplexity grew by over 300% in the same period.

The evidence is mounting that we're witnessing the beginning of a fundamental shift in how people find information online. This is especially significant considering that Safari accounts for approximately 19% of the global browser market, representing billions of monthly searches.

AI Search's Rise: The New Kid Is Coming For The Throne

"People are using AI," Cue explained simply. But what's driving this shift away from the familiar Google search box?

AI search tools like Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Claude are attacking the problem fundamentally differently. Rather than returning a list of links that might contain your answer, they synthesize information to provide direct, conversational responses with (ideally) proper citations.

This more closely mimics how humans naturally seek information. And that's precisely why Cue believes traditional search engines may eventually be replaced by AI alternatives, saying they have "much greater potential" because "they're attacking the problem in a different way."

The shift mirrors what we've been covering in our analysis of generative engine optimization (GEO) and its impact on traditional SEO. As users adapt to more conversational search interfaces, the entire search ecosystem is being forced to evolve.

Google: Down But Far From Out

Before we write Google's obituary, let's acknowledge some important realities. Google remains the default search engine for Safari, secured through a deal worth an estimated $19 billion annually – a partnership Cue admitted he's "lost sleep over the risk of losing."

Google is also aggressively pursuing its own AI search innovations. Its AI Overviews feature now reaches 1.5 billion users monthly across the 5 trillion annual Google searches. By comparison, all dedicated AI search engines combined represent a tiny fraction of total search volume.

According to recent estimates from Statista, Google still controls approximately 91% of the global search market. Even with Safari's decline, Google's multi-platform approach gives it tremendous resilience.

Google's integration of Gemini AI across its ecosystem also suggests the company isn't going to surrender its search crown without a fight. As reported by CNBC, Google's latest Gemini Live feature aims to create more natural, conversational AI interactions – precisely the strength of dedicated AI search tools.

Apple's Strategic Chess Moves

Apple isn't sitting idle in this shifting landscape. The company has been methodically building its AI strategy:

1. Apple now offers ChatGPT integration via Siri
2. The company is reportedly exploring Gemini integration later this year
3. Apple is conducting a "bake-off" between various AI search providers

Cue's testimony revealed fascinating behind-the-scenes negotiations, including a competition between Google and OpenAI that Google lost due to "unacceptable terms." This suggests Apple is actively preparing for a post-Google search world.

The most telling statement from Cue might be his comparison of AI to the iPhone revolution: "You may not need an iPhone 10 years from now, as crazy as it sounds." When Apple executives start talking about the potential obsolescence of their flagship product, you know they're taking AI very seriously.

These developments align with our previous coverage of Apple's AI strategy and its implications for search marketers. The tech giant clearly sees AI as transformational, not incremental.

What This Means For Your SEO Strategy

The Safari search decline signals several shifts that smart marketers should be preparing for:

1. Diversification is essential: Relying exclusively on Google organic traffic is increasingly risky. Businesses need visibility across traditional search, AI search, and platform-specific discovery.
2. Content quality matters more than ever: AI search tools prioritize authoritative, factual content that answers questions clearly. Thin content designed just for keyword rankings won't cut it in this new landscape.
3. Structured data becomes critical: Helping search engines and AI tools understand your content through proper markup and organization will improve your chances of being cited by AI systems.
4. Voice and conversational queries require adaptation: As search becomes more conversational through AI interfaces, optimizing for natural language patterns becomes increasingly important.

The landscape shift has already begun affecting content strategy best practices. According to research from Conductor, 68% of SEO professionals are already adapting their strategies specifically for AI search tools, with 42% reporting significant changes to their content creation approach.

This matches what we've observed in our analysis of SEO threats in 2024, where the rise of AI search consistently ranks among the top concerns for digital marketers.

Preparing For The Post-Google Search World

The decline in Safari Google searches marks a watershed moment in internet history. After 22 years of uninterrupted growth, the cracks in Google's search dominance are beginning to show.

While Google will remain a dominant force for years to come, smart businesses are already preparing for a more fragmented, AI-driven search landscape. The companies that thrive will be those that adapt their content and SEO strategies to work effectively across both traditional and AI search platforms.

At Hire a Writer, we're helping clients navigate this transition with SEO strategies built for both today's reality and tomorrow's emerging search ecosystem. Our specialized team stays on top of these shifts to ensure your content performs across the entire search spectrum – from Google's traditional results to the newest AI search tools.

Ready to future-proof your search strategy? Contact our SEO specialists today and make sure your business stays visible no matter how people search.