Google has not been stagnant for 10 years, that's ridiculous.
You're completely forgetting Chrome, Android, Google Play store for Apps, Google Play store for Video, Google Maps, StreetView, Google Docs, Google Spreadsheet, Google Slides, Picasa / Photos on Google+, Google+, Fiber, Blogger, Google Now, YouTube, and freaking GMail.
And yes, every single one of those things really effects how, when, and what I can search, and what the results look like.
Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.
To fixate specifically on one part of your post, "we're still looking at blue links on a white background with pagination."
That's just utter crap. If I Google, "When is my next Flight," I'm presented with a beautiful tile that shows me my flight info.
If I Google my street address I'm given a map, and Street View.
I think you have selective amnesia of what life was like in 2004. I mean, Google Maps was announced on Feb 8, 2005.