The article cited industry analysts who claimed that Raghavan’s background in advertising, rather than search technology, had led to decisions prioritizing revenue over search quality.
Critics alleged that under Raghavan’s tenure, Google had rolled back key quality improvements to boost engagement metrics and ad revenue.
Internal emails from 2019 were referenced. They described a “Code Yellow” emergency response to lagging search revenues when Raghavan was head of Ads. This reportedly resulted in boosting sites previously downranked for using spam tactics.
Google has disputed many of these claims, maintaining that its advertising systems do not influence organic search results.
More Restructuring
As part of Google’s restructuring:
The Gemini app team, led by Sissie Hsiao, will join Google DeepMind under CEO Demis Hassabis.
Google Assistant teams focused on devices and home experiences will move to the Platforms & Devices division.
Looking Ahead
Fox’s takeover from Raghavan could shake things up at Google.
We may see faster AI rollouts in search and ads, plus more frequent updates. Fox might revisit core search quality, addressing recent criticisms.
Fox might push for quicker adoption of new tech to fend off competitors, especially in AI. He’s also likely to be more savvy about regulatory issues.
It’s important to note that these potential changes are speculative based on the limited information available.
The actual changes in leadership style and priorities will become clearer as Fox settles into his new role.
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