Google held its big I/O event a couple of weeks back and the head of Search, Liz Reid, called the new search bar the biggest upgrade to Search in more than 25 years. That’s probably older than some of my newsletter subscribers!
And that’s not marketing big-talk either. The way people find a surf lesson, a retreat or a new sled on Google is genuinely changing. And most surf businesses haven’t clocked it yet.
So let me save you the doomscrolling.
Here’s what’s actually shifting and what I reckon you should do about it.
The search bar is now a conversation
For 25-odd years, Google’s been a box you stuff three keywords into. “Surf retreat Bali” or “Beginner lessons Gold Coast”.
But hold onto your saddles because my dear reader… that era is over.
The new box dynamically expands to give you space to describe exactly what you need and you can throw text, images, files, videos or even open browser tabs at it. So instead of clipped keywords, people are now typing full, messy, human questions.
Think less “surf retreat Bali” and more “is a surf retreat in Bali any good for a nervous intermediate who’s never surfed reef?”
What that means for you: your content has to actually answer real questions now. The kind people mutter to themselves at 11 pm before they book. Generic pages stuffed with keywords? They’re old news.
You need to write for humans, like a human. Which is somewhat ironic because it’s all AI behind the scenes.
It’s not really “Search” anymore. It’s an assistant that does stuff for you
This is the bit that genuinely surprised me.
Google’s rolling out background “information agents” that go off and gather info on your behalf. You set your criteria once and Google keeps hunting while you get on with your life.
And it’s not just looking things up. Reid gave an example of asking Search to find a private karaoke room for six on a Friday night that serves food late. Google pulls together pricing, availability and a direct link to book. Wild, ey?
Swap karaoke for “intermediate surf retreat in June with room for two” and you can see where this is headed for the travel and lessons crowd. The customer barely lifts a finger and Google’s doing the matchmaking based on whatever info it can find about your business.
Which is exactly why the next point matters so much.
Your info is now doing the selling, so it’d better be RIGHT!
Here’s the uncomfortable truth in all this.
When Google’s agents are out there comparing options and surfacing matches, your website is the salesperson. Not you. Not your charming reply to a DM. Your pricing, your availability, your locations, your descriptions, sitting there on your site, doing the pitch on your behalf.
If that info is wrong, vague or three seasons out of date? You don’t get a second chance to explain.
You just don’t get a bite of the apple.
Go and check your site today. Seriously. Prices, dates, what’s actually on offer. The boring admin stuff just became your shopfront. Your digital window. Make sure it’s clean, shiny and doing its job if you want to leverage AI properly for your surf biz.
There’s no “page one” to rank on anymore
Google’s also building what it calls generative UI.
Basically, in response to a query, Search can generate custom visual tools and simulations tailored to the question and even build little dashboards people can come back to.
So the old list of 10 blue links is breaking apart. Every person gets a different page, assembled on the fly, built around their exact question.
There’s no single “rank number one” to chase anymore. If you want to ensure your website isn’t invisible, ask yourself: does my content earn a spot in the answer this particular person received?
The good news: the fundamentals didn’t change
Right, deep breath. Chill. Because this is where I talk you off the ledge.
Despite all the hype about needing some brand new dark-art “AI strategy”, the stuff that’s always worked still works. Google’s been clear that AI Mode runs on the same core ranking and quality systems. So in this sense, it’s not a different rulebook. It’s the same rulebook. But it’s been dialled up.
So here’s where I’d actually put your energy.
- Keep investing in SEO: It’s still the foundation. AI results are built on the same ranking systems as regular search, so strong SEO is literally what makes you visible inside the AI answers. It ain’t dead. It just got really, really specific and advanced
- Keep your business info accurate and current: I’ll say it again because it’s the big one. Services, pricing, availability, locations. When Google’s answering questions and booking things directly, out-of-date details mean missed enquiries you’ll never even see
- Write content with a genuine point of view: I’ve been spruiking this for a while. Have a voice. Have a POV. Have a say… even if it’s slightly decisive. Google rewards unique, expert content over recycled commodity waffle. The blog post that sounds like every other surf website on the planet won’t get cited. The one that sounds like you, with real opinions and stuff you’ve actually lived, will
- Keep the technical bones healthy: Fast, crawlable, well-built pages are what let Google’s agents read and trust your site
So what’s the takeaway?
You don’t need to start from scratch.
It means the basics you’ve hopefully been doing all along, useful content, accurate info, a real human voice, just got promoted to mission-critical.
Search is becoming a conversation. So the only question worth asking is this: when someone asks Google about a surf trip, a lesson or a board, is your website saying something worth repeating?
If you’re not sure, that’s exactly the kind of thing I help surf businesses sort out.