Issue #5: Apple declares Safari search slump

The fastest way for digital marketing pros to look smart in the weekly stand-up

May 14, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

☕ Hello there adtech advocate

It’s hot! Grab yourself a cool beverage and sit back with our mid-week update.

🗞️ Top Stories

  1. Brand marketers embracing walled gardens for one-click media buys

    Amazon, Meta and other closed platforms are increasingly winning budget because frictionless activation and measurement save time. AdExchanger 

  2. OpenSincera launched offering supply-chain transparency

    The Trade Desk debuts a much needed free dashboard and API for programmatic buyers to vet inventory quality across the open web. Business Wire

  3. Wolt Ads launches self-service platform across 30+ markets

    Coca-Cola and Heineken are early testers of Wolt’s new tool letting brands plan, activate and optimise retail media campaigns across Europe and Asia. Retail Technology Innovation Hub

  4. Google searches fall in Safari for the first time ever

    Google search queries on Safari dipped for the first time in 22 years likely due to the rise of AI chat tools but Google insists search continues to grow. The Verge

💭 60-Second Take - why Safari’s Google search slump matters

Apple told a US court that the number of Google queries originating from Safari has fallen for the first time in 22 years. Apple pointed towards AI as the culprit, hinting that a meaningful slice of consumer search behaviour is bleeding from browsers into AI assistants. Why care?

  • AI is increasingly the destination for informational queries which can ultimately lead to fewer paid clicks and less keyword data for Google’s ad auctions and modelling

  • Ad budgets tend to follow consumer behaviour, meaning that we may begin to see the rise of ad products in AI interfaces in order to capture demand

  • Google’s ad revenue still dwarfs the competition but uncertainty and low growth or decline can lead to further cost inflation in Google’s core ad products

If Google’s search dominance does enter a slow erosion phase then marketers that start to diversify may be better positioned to win in the long term.

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