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The other day, I saw a quick LinkedIn comment that caught my attention: “Chatgpt is better than Google for product searches.”

At first, I chuckled. Sure mate. What’s next, Bing for music?

But the timing was oddly perfect. I needed a webcam. The one I had—some sad, plastic thing I must have panic-bought during lockdown—was giving me potato-quality video, so I figured, why not?

Let’s see what this chatbot can do.

The Test: Chatgpt vs Google

I opened up Chatgpt and asked:

• “I need a good webcam in Australia. Affordable, works well for Zoom and Loom. Here’s what I’ve got now (photo) — anything better than this?”The reply was instant and tidy:
  • A handful of options I could buy in Australia
  • Prices in AUD
  • What each one was good for (low light, streaming, basic meetings, etc.)
  • A neat comparison table
  • Language that sounded like someone trying to help me

  Language that sounded like someone trying to help me

  

   

  

Then I asked: “Can you show me videos of people testing them?”

Boom. Done.

There’s no fuss, no 10-tab rabbit hole. Just a few embedded video options with short summaries. They’re not forced, not flashy, just there if I want them.

And that’s what stood out. Chatgpt didn’t throw the kitchen sink at me. It first gave me the right thing, then offered more only if I asked. Clarity first. Chaos optional.

Then I tried Google.

Typed the same thing: “Affordable webcam Australia.”

Cue the full sensory overload:

• Ads
• Carousels
• Blog spam
• Forums
• YouTube links

I felt like I was walking into Bunnings, with  every aisle yelling, “Trust me, this one’s a ripper!”

I just wanted a camera.

The Insight: It’s Not Search vs Search — It’s Experience vs Experience

Google didn’t give me bad information—it gave me everything. But everything all at once isn’t helpful.

Chatgpt, however, gave me a response I could actually use—quickly, without extra clicks, filters, or fluff.

This wasn’t about data. It was about load.

Chatgpt lightens it. Google piles it on.

The Anatomy of a Google Search Today

Here’s what that same query looks like on Google, broken down:

1. Shopping Ads
   • Temu, Amazon, Kogan… you name it.
   • Paid placements, often of low quality
   • Zero context
2. SEO Pages
   • “Best webcams 2025” style lists
   • Loaded with affiliate links and vague recommendations
3. Videos
   • YouTube stuff with thumbnails like “YOU NEED THIS NOW!”
   • 12-minute videos when I want 20 seconds of info
4. Forums
   • Reddit, Whirlpool — sometimes gold, but buried deep
5. Suggested Searches
   • Basically: “Not what you wanted? Try again.”

It’s not that Google isn’t helpful. It just demands a lot more effort. It’s brilliant at finding things, but terrible at getting to the point.

Chatgpt: The Surprisingly Chill Assistant

What stood out wasn’t the specs or the brands.

It was the simplicity.

Chatgpt didn’t try to impress me. It just answered the question, offering a couple of useful options, a bit of context, and no attempts to pull me into a content trap.

No popups, no ads, no “Top 10 lists” with five paragraphs of filler before getting to the point.

It wasn’t perfect. But it was clean. Focused. Easy.

For once, I wasn’t jumping between tabs, fact-checking blogs, or dodging autoplay videos.

I made a call. Quickly. No drama.

Done.

The Bigger Realisation

Chatgpt didn’t win because it had secret info. It won because it respected my time.

This made me think about how Google beat Yahoo.

Yahoo gave you a homepage full of everything. Google gave you a blank box.

Now? Google’s starting to feel like Yahoo 2.0.

Chatgpt doesn’t flood you with noise. It just gets the job done — clean, direct, and weirdly satisfying.

SEO Meets GEO

As someone who’s worked in SEO for years, this shift isn’t just interesting — it’s existential.

We’re moving from SEO to GEO — Generative Engine Optimisation.

Here’s the new game:

• Answers are generated, not fetched
• Your content gets quoted, not clicked
• Structure, clarity and trustworthiness win

You’re not just fighting for clicks anymore. You’re fighting to exist in the generated response.

And that’s a hard pivot.

Let’s Be Real: Clicks Are Drying Up

Here’s the awkward bit.

I don’t think people will keep clicking through — not when Chatgpt gives them what they need.

Rand Fishkin has been harping on about this for years. He calls it Zero-Click Marketing: visibility without engagement.

And yeah, he’s right.

Of course, when the end goal is buying something like a webcam, Chatgpt still links you to retailers.

But if someone just wants to know what a good webcam is for low light or what 1080p means, they’re not clicking anything. They already have their answer.

So GEO? It’s real. But we’re optimising for presence now, not traffic.

Would clients pay for that? Haha. Great question. Ask me again in six months.

The Trade-Off

A cleaner AI-powered experience has its cost:

• Fewer voices
• Less discovery
• Less randomness (which, let’s face it, is sometimes where the magic happens)

Google, for all its mess, still lets you stumble onto things.

Chatgpt solves. Quickly. Efficiently.

And that might be all it takes in a world obsessed with speed and clarity.

Wrapping It Up

Chatgpt isn’t killing Google.

But it is making it look old.

And that should make all of us — users, marketers, SEOS — pay attention.

Because if Google doesn’t rediscover the joy of simplicity, someone else will.

And next time, it won’t be a search engine.

Ever searched for a product in Chatgpt? Did it surprise you too? Hit me up.