Google has officially stated that Google Site Search, the site search tool designed for any internal website search, is going to cease being supported in 2017.
Any businesses using the Google Site Search will need to find a new internal search engine service for its website.
Google’s official statement reads as follows:
“On April 1, 2017, Google will discontinue sales of the Google Site Search. All new purchases and renewals must take place before this date. The product will be completely shut down by April 1, 2018.”
Google Site Search is a paid-for product that allows you to use Google’s search technology for your own website, charged based on the query volume.
However, now Google is to fully stop supporting the Google Site Search product by Q4 in 2017, any websites using it will have to find a solution elsewhere. Google had already announced last year it was phasing out Google Search Appliance, so this isn’t the first search product Google is ending support for.
In an email to customers currently using Google Site Search, they stated as follows:
“We are winding down the Google Site Search product over the next year, but will provide customer and technical support through the duration of license agreements.
“For GSS users whose contract expires between April 1st and June 30th, 2017, we are providing a free 3-month extension with additional query volume to allow more time for them to implement the necessary changes to their site. GSS customers may also take advantage of our Custom Search Engine solution, an ads-supported model that offers similar functionality.
“We continue to build out new functionality and invest in new technology that make enterprise search a great experience for our customers. Just recently, we introduced the general availability of Google Cloud Search for G Suite customers.”
What now for Google Site Search users?
Google is now pushing users towards other options, including the ad-powered Google custom search engine.
However, this solution forces users to feature display ads on the website, which is a big no-no for most enterprises.
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