Is Google Losing Its Grip in Malaysia?

By The Malketeer

There was a time when Google was the internet.

Need directions? Google it.

Looking for the best chappati in Petaling Jaya? Google knows.

Want to settle a pub debate about when Sheila Majid won her first AIM award? Google settles it.

But today, something feels different.

The internet isn’t what it used to be, and neither is Google.

We’re entering what some call the Generative Era.

A time when intelligent machines don’t just find information—they create it.

And in this brave new world, Google isn’t looking like the unbeatable titan it once was.

Caught Sleeping at the Wheel

When OpenAI launched ChatGPT, the world shifted.

Google scrambled.

We saw rushed launches of Bard, then Gemini, then something called Search Generative Experience (SGE).

Even digital marketers in Malaysia were confused.

Was this the future of search? Or just another Google+ in the making?

Closer to home, marketers who’ve built entire strategies around Google’s search ecosystem—especially paid search—are getting nervous.

With AI delivering instant, no-click answers, are we heading for a decline in web traffic?

AI is Already in Your Pocket

Open your Android phone and chances are, Gemini is already there.

You may have tapped it a few times—asking about weather, directions, or quick facts.

It’s fast. It’s convenient.

But for deeper tasks? Many Malaysians are quietly shifting to ChatGPT or Perplexity.

In ad agencies and SMEs across KL, JB, and Penang, marketing managers are already using these AI platforms to write proposals, ideate campaigns, and summarise complex data.

It’s not that Gemini doesn’t work.

It’s that it feels… unclear.

What exactly is Google’s product now?

Is it Search? Gemini? Google Assistant? Docs with AI sprinkled in?

Right now, it seems like Google itself doesn’t know.

The Trust Gap is Growing

Malaysians are pragmatic users. We use what works. And over the years, Google search has worked well enough.

But that might not be enough anymore.

Rory Sutherland, in Alchemy, explains how most of us are satisfied with “good enough” information.

Google has ridden that wave for years. But now, tools like ChatGPT are moving us from “good enough” to personalised brilliance.

Ask it to write a Raya greeting in Manglish, and it’ll nail the tone.

Ask it to create a marketing calendar for your F&B outlet in Bangsar—done in seconds.

And unlike Google, you don’t have to scroll through SEO-optimised fluff just to get your answer.

The Value Equation Has Shifted

Once upon a time, Google was about organising the world’s information.

Today, it feels more like monetising every click.

Ad listings dominate the top of most results.

Organic traffic is harder to come by.

And with the rollout of AI-generated summaries in search, the irony is painful—Google is eating the very websites it indexes.

For local bloggers, travel influencers, and affiliate marketers in Malaysia, this has been devastating.

The Helpful Content Update reduced traffic for many niche sites, even though they served valuable community info from hiking trails in Gasing Hill to the best spot for durian in Raub.

Now, with generative AI on top of that, Google is squeezing both creators and advertisers in a bid to stay relevant.

Why This Feels Like Blockbuster All Over Again

Remember when Blockbuster laughed off Netflix?

It wasn’t just Netflix’s tech that won.

It was the shift in value and effort.

Streaming meant no queues, no late fees, and no trips to the mall. It was better, faster, easier.

That’s exactly what ChatGPT and its cousins are doing now.

They reduce effort. They provide generative value—doing things for you instead of just pointing you to where to find them. 

What This Means for Malaysian Marketers

If you’re still heavily reliant on Google search ads, now’s the time to diversify.

Think conversational UX. Think branded AI experiences. Think owned content that’s tailored for AI scraping, not just SEO.

Yes, Google still dominates in traffic.

But consumer behaviour is shifting faster than ever.

The next generation won’t be asking Google—it’ll be asking GPT.

So where does Google go from here?

They have a choice. They can go all-in on Gemini and rebuild their identity as an AI-first company.

Or they can double down on Search and try to preserve the ecosystem they built.

But straddling both—and doing neither well—is a recipe for decline.

Google isn’t going away tomorrow.

But in Malaysia’s fast-changing digital landscape, being the default no longer guarantees survival.

If brands like Nokia, Kodak, and Blockbuster have taught us anything, it’s this: size doesn’t save you—relevance does.

Google must decide: is it the past or the future of search?

And we, as marketers, must decide: are we watching this shift—or preparing for it?