Unlocked: The State of Search Engine 2025 - Search Engine Recap
Podcast: Search Engine
Published: 2025-12-12
Duration: 52 min
Summary
Search Engine's annual board meeting for 2025 reveals the podcast's strategic focus on maintaining long-form audio content despite industry trends favoring video. The team discusses challenges, insights, and plans for the future, emphasizing listener support and the quest for meaningful internet content.
What Happened
Search Engine hosts an annual board meeting for 2025, sharing insights about the podcast's journey and future. They recount their origins as an independent show that began without ads, relying on listener support, and their evolution into a small business with annual corporate-style check-ins with listeners.
The hosts discuss the challenges of podcasting in an internet landscape dominated by video content, noting that podcast networks offered significantly less funding than before. Despite pressure to pivot to video, they decided to remain an audio show for another year, signing a favorable advertising deal with a network they trust.
The episode highlights the podcast's dedication to long-form content, exploring nuanced topics and fostering thoughtful conversations. They reflect on their audience's appetite for depth, as evidenced by the success of a simple interview episode about reducing phone usage without meditation or self-discipline.
The team expresses gratitude to their listeners, emphasizing that a third of their budget comes from listener subscriptions. They acknowledge the importance of these supporters in allowing them to continue producing the show they love.
Key metrics are shared, showing modest growth in downloads per episode, which the team finds encouraging given the challenges faced in 2025. They also note the return of advertisers like Viori, Mubi, and Mint Mobile, indicating a positive relationship with their audience.
The podcast is optimistic about the future, planning to experiment with video on the side while keeping Search Engine as an audio show. The team remains committed to creating content that moves beyond the vast wasteland of the current internet, driven by curiosity and a desire for genuine engagement.
Key Insights
- In 2025, Search Engine podcast remains committed to audio content despite industry pressure to pivot to video, securing a favorable advertising deal with a trusted network to support this decision.
- Listener subscriptions account for one-third of the Search Engine podcast's budget, highlighting the significant role of direct audience support in sustaining independent media.
- The podcast experienced modest growth in episode downloads in 2025, a positive sign amid challenges in an internet landscape increasingly dominated by video content.
- Advertisers like Viori, Mubi, and Mint Mobile have returned to the Search Engine podcast, indicating strong audience engagement and effective ad partnerships.