In this episode of Search Off the Record, Martin and Gary from the Google Search Relations team tackle a deceptively simple question: do you still need a website in 2026? Starting from the recurring industry claim that “the web is dead,” they explore how the web has evolved through the rise of apps, AI chatbots, and social platforms, and why the answer almost always ends up being “it depends.” Tune in for an engaging discussion on how websites remain relevant and what it means for content creation and discovery.
Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr103-transcript
Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt
Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral
Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team.
#SOTRpodcast #SEO #GoogleSearch
Speakers: Martin Splitt, Gary Illyes
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Websites will still need to be a source of information but they might turn into more of a data warehouse and not so much a place where users convert or even visit in the future. Websites could essentially be pages of markdown and nothing else.
"The ground is still intact". 😂
মোঃমোস্তফাকামালMOSTAFAKAMAL
Very easy today to create your own website. Maybe a new website explosion is coming. Why be limited to the constraints of a social network when you can publish what you want on your own website and have AI connect you to the perfect matching audience.