About this episode
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
Get every episode summarized
Each time Search Off the Record publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.
Email me new episodesFree for 3 shows. No card needed.
Hosts & guests
No transcript yet
This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.
More episodes
More from Search Off the Record
Are websites getting "fat"? Page weight, HTML size & Googlebot limits explained...
Search Off the Record
Are websites getting "fat"? Page weight, HTML size & Googlebot limits explained
Search Off the Record
Google crawlers behind the scenes - transcript
Search Off the Record
Google crawlers behind the scenes
Search Off the Record