Before the OpenAI Monday event announcement ChatGPT-4o, the company was rumored to be preparing to launch an AI-powered search product to rival Google Search. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI put an end to these rumours (for now), but the question remains: Will generative AI change the nature of internet search forever as more people choose to access information through tools like ChatGPT? Could internet search (as we know it today) die out altogether? And what does generative AI mean for search engine optimization, an industry worth approx 68 billion dollars per year.
Generative AI takes the frustration out of searching for information
Let’s face it: the average internet search experience is clunky at best. Say you’re searching for something like “What are the top attractions in Savannah, Georgia?” You will likely be presented with thousands of search results. Then you have to sift through the top ones and dodge all those cookie notifications that pop up on every website. And then you may have to scroll past paragraphs of SEO content to get the simple answer you were looking for.
Compare that to asking a tool like ChatGPT “What are the top attractions in Savannah, Georgia?” Just type or say your question and get an immediate answer. AI crawls the internet, so you don’t have to! Overall, it’s a much easier and less frustrating experience for users. (Of course, whether the information you get from a generative AI tool is 100% accurate is another matter. But the same can be said for internet search.)
Clearly, this could fundamentally change, and even threaten, Internet search as we know it. So it makes sense for Internet search companies to quickly integrate generative AI into their search offerings. Microsoft Bing was the first to integrate ChatGPT. Google has also launched a new search experience called the Search Generative Experience, which is designed to help users navigate online information more easily. For example, SGE users can view definitions by hovering over certain words or accessing a list of key points from long web pages.
In other words, internet search companies are trying to improve what they do with generative AI so they can provide a cleaner and less frustrating search experience. But will these efforts be enough, or will tools like ChatGPT gain the competitive edge? It’s too early to say for sure, but one thing is certain: generative AI will absolutely change the way we search for information.
Is the SEO industry under threat?
very possibly Traditional SEO tactics could be rendered obsolete by generative AI. SEO strategies provide ways for organizations to convince search engines to favor their website and present it as high as possible in search results. Banner views and paid ad placements are other strategies to ensure a website achieves a prominent position in search results. But if users are increasingly bypassing search engines and getting their information from a tool like ChatGPT, all those time-consuming SEO efforts and paid placements are pointless.
Companies like Microsoft and Google know this, which is why they’ve been so eager to add generative AI tools to their search functionality to retain users, even though they know it could affect the future revenue of their locations. payment and banner views. Consider it 58% of Google’s revenue in 2022 came from Google Ads, and you have a pretty clear idea of how much a company like Google can lose. This means we’ll likely see search providers like Google and Microsoft monetize generative AI answers in the future, just as they once monetized standard search results.
Big players will be fine, in other words. New revenue streams will emerge for these tech giants as they find ways to innovate and monetize generative AI. But for smaller companies offering SEO services, generative AI could pose a fundamental threat to their business model.
Takeaway food for all businesses
SEO is just one example of how businesses can be affected (positively and negatively) by generative AI. Generative AI is poised to impact almost every business in various ways. Business leaders should take a proactive approach to understanding and leveraging this transformative technology.
Start by conducting a SWOT analysis to identify how AI can strengthen your business. Assess how AI can be integrated into your core processes to improve efficiency and customer experience. Stay informed about industry trends and competitors’ AI strategies. Start pilot projects to test AI applications in your organization and invest in training your employees to work with AI tools effectively. By doing so, you can update your business strategy to harness the full potential of generative AI and stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving landscape.
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