Is Google really trying to send traffic to your site or keep it for itself?

What does this statement about Google's mission really mean?

Martin Splitt here rephrases Google's historical vision: to be a bridge between content demand and supply. The engine doesn't produce content itself — it indexes, ranks, and presents that of others. This philosophy theoretically underpins every algorithmic decision: to display the best result for a query and then direct the user to the source.

For an SEO practitioner, this statement provides a reassuring framework: your optimization work makes sense because Google needs quality sites to reference. Without publishers, there's no search engine. The mutual interest should be obvious. Except that the reality of the modern SERP seriously muddles this image.

Why does this statement seem to contradict the evolution of SERPs?

For several years, Google has been monopolizing a growing portion of its own results pages. Featured snippets, People Also Ask, Knowledge Panel, Google Shopping, Local Pack, integrated flights and hotels — all elements that directly answer the intent without requiring a click to a third-party site.

Ground data shows a gradual decline in organic CTR, particularly on mobile. Positions 1-3 capture fewer clicks than before, because information is already visible in the SERP. This trend directly contradicts the idea that Google primarily seeks to connect users and publishers. It aims above all to satisfy the user — and if that means keeping the audience on Google.com, then tough luck for the publishers.

How can we interpret this contradiction between discourse and practice?

Two possible interpretations. First hypothesis: Splitt is describing the original intention, not the current business reality. Google was indeed designed to redirect users to sites. But the company has evolved — the advertising model, user experience, competition with ChatGPT and other interfaces push towards more retention.

Second hypothesis: Google believes that displaying a snippet or a direct answer is still a form of connection. The source site is technically cited, even if the user never clicks. It’s a symbolic connection, sure, but the term 'connection' does not guarantee effective traffic. And for a publisher monetizing via audience, a citation without a click is worthless.

• Google maintains an institutional discourse that values the publisher ecosystem, crucial for the engine’s credibility.
• Product decisions tend towards more information displayed directly in the SERP, mechanically reducing the traffic sent back.
• Publishers must navigate this tension: optimizing for the SERP (visibility) while knowing that visibility does not automatically mean traffic anymore.
• The modern SEO strategy must incorporate this reality: aiming for positions that still generate clicks, diversifying channels, and building a direct audience less dependent on Google.
• Featured snippets and PAA have become ambiguous targets: they bring recognition but often cannibalize traditional organic traffic.

Is this statement consistent with observed practices on the ground?

Let's be honest: no, not really. If we measure 'connection' by the traffic actually transferred to publishers, the numbers show a constant erosion. Studies of organic CTR (Sistrix, Advanced Web Ranking, SparkToro) converge: position zero and SERP enhancements capture an increasing share of attention without generating outbound clicks.

Paradoxically, Google continues to invest heavily in indexing and crawling third-party content. The engine needs this content to fuel its own answers. However, the business model has shifted: rather than redirecting users, Google aggregates, summarizes, and presents information through its own interface. It’s a form of connection, sure — but asymmetric.

What nuances should we add to this statement?

We must distinguish declared intention from operational reality. Google probably does not explicitly aim to kill publishers — that would be counterproductive in the long run. But the company optimizes for immediate user satisfaction, which increasingly comes from instantaneous responses without click friction. [To be verified]: there is no public data proving that Google actively calibrates its features to maximize traffic to publishers. Decisions are driven by user engagement, not by the health of the editorial ecosystem.

Another nuance: not all sectors are treated equally. Simple informational queries ("capital of Spain") have never generated much click-through — a Knowledge Graph suffices. In contrast, for complex, transactional, or YMYL queries, Google still heavily redirects to third-party sites, because it cannot or does not want to take responsibility for the answer.

In which cases does this 'connection' logic still work?

Specifically, Google sends traffic when it lacks a credible internal alternative. Long and in-depth content, expert analyses, detailed comparisons, rich visual content (videos, complex infographics), interactive tools, proprietary data — anything that cannot be summarized in three lines in a snippet remains a source of traffic.

Brand or navigational queries also work well: the user is explicitly searching for a site, and Google has no interest in retaining them. The same goes for high-value commercial transactional queries: displaying Google Ads + organic results remains more profitable than providing a direct answer. Organic traffic still exists, but it has shifted to niches of queries where Google cannot or does not want to capture all attention.

What should you do concretely to maximize traffic despite this trend?

First priority: target queries that still generate clicks. Featured snippets work well in certain topics (recipes, tutorials) where the user wants more details after seeing the snippet. Analyze your GSC performance: identify queries with a good impression rate but a low CTR — these are likely queries where Google displays a direct answer. Adjust your editorial strategy to target less saturated long-tail queries in SERP features.

Second focus: optimize for brand visibility, not just immediate traffic. Being cited in a Knowledge Panel, appearing in People Also Ask, ranking in position zero — all build recognition. If a user sees your name three times before clicking on the fourth, that’s deferred but real traffic. Invest in on-SERP branding: schema markup, recognized entities, consistent presence across multiple types of results.

What mistakes should you avoid in light of this SERP evolution?

Don't bet everything on a single type of content. Purely informational articles of 500 words risk being cannibalized by snippets. Diversify: long and expert content, interactive formats, videos, exclusive data. Google cannot summarize what requires a complete user experience.

Avoid neglecting channels outside Google. Newsletters, social networks, communities, YouTube SEO, third-party platforms — building a proprietary audience is becoming strategic. If Google gradually reduces organic traffic, you need to compensate elsewhere. Total dependence on Google SEO is an increasing business risk.

How can you verify that your strategy remains effective in this context?

Implement a regular monitoring of your organic CTR by query type. Segment in Google Search Console: brand vs non-brand queries, informational vs transactional, short-tail vs long-tail. Identify where you lose CTR despite a good position — that's where Google is capturing attention.

Also test the real impact of the featured snippets you achieve. Compare traffic before and after winning the snippet. In some cases, you will gain visibility and clicks. In others, you will see a net decline — a sign that Google has absorbed most of the intent. Adjust your content strategy accordingly, prioritizing formats that better withstand SERP cannibalization.

• Analyze your organic CTR in GSC and identify queries with a high impression rate but low clicks (likely saturated with SERP features)
• Diversify your content formats: prioritize long, expert, visual, interactive content that Google cannot summarize in a snippet
• Optimize for brand visibility (schema markup, entities, cross-SERP consistency) and not just immediate traffic
• Build direct audience channels (newsletter, networks, communities) to reduce dependence on Google traffic
• Monitor the real impact of your featured snippets and position zeros: measure traffic before and after to validate their profitability
• Target complex, YMYL, or transactional queries where Google still heavily redirects to third-party sites