Get Prepared for Generative Search

ChatGPT was the 2022 game-changer for generative AI & since then Gen AI has boomed! New models are being released several times a month & McKinsey & Co. predicted it will add a staggering $4.4 trillion to the global economy every year.

The rise of gen AI popularity is creating a ripple effect throughout different sectors, industries & departments. One aspect of gen AI that is causing a significant change is the way we search for information.

Search has become such an integral part of our lives. Anything you want to know – Google it! Gather information, find products, plan trips, seek advice, make important decisions the list goes on & it’s now rare to start your web surfing session without a trip to Google first.

But, it’s becoming problematic, the amount of content available is overwhelming, creating a time sink as you comb through search results, ads & dodge clickbait articles to find the most relevant information. We’ve not all realised it yet but:

So, first of all, what is Generative Search? Well, it’s like a supercharged search engine. Instead of just listing links it give you answers, generates text & allows you to get things done easily & at lightning speed. It’s like having a knowledgeable assistant at your fingertips.
Gen AI also has a memory so it can deliver highly relevant search results, personalised to help you make decisions quicker.

“We found that generative AI can connect the dots for people as they explore a topic or project, helping them weigh multiple factors and personal preferences before making a purchase or booking a trip.”

Google CEO – Sundar Pichai 

There are major challenges that AI applications need to overcome for them to fully overtake the traditional search engines. In particular, there are problems with plagiarism & the quality of the responses. 

Firstly, not all AI applications provide the sources for their answers which means the credit & compensation for the content is not given to the person who has put in the work to create it. 

Secondly, there have been reports of AI applications completely inventing answers. For example, Google’s Bard (now Gemini) delivered incorrect information about the James Webb telescope during a public demo.

For businesses, there are dangers ahead of how it can impact your current SEO & digital marketing strategies. 

The new AI-powered approach is shaking up Google results. It is replacing the text snippet at the top of the page, aka position 0. This prime real estate above the fold is likely to be occupied by a Gen AI response, causing ad & organic results to be pushed further down the page.

So the challenge for marketers is: if you don’t adapt your digital marketing strategies, generative search will cause a decrease in organic traffic, reduce the visibility of your paid search, push down organic results & dilute brand messaging.

“Victory comes from finding opportunities in problems”

Sun Tzu

This greater level of understanding of exactly what customers truly want becomes a valuable business opportunity.

Where in the past you may have customers searching for “best tyres”. The meaning of this could vary greatly – best tyres for bicycles? For Formula 1 racing…? Generative Search will understand the specifics of what the user is looking for – best tyres for a particular make & model of car, best tyres for weather conditions; or the best tyres for a specific terrain. 

This means creative content that addresses your specific target market’s needs will be a powerful tool for this new era of search. There’s an increased chance your content will be served to more precise audience that has a higher likelihood of conversion.

We’re all still learning about generative search & it’s full impact of how we search online. However, we can start preparing by actioning SEO best practices. This will put you in the best position to climb Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) as it currently stands & adapt to generative search changes take effect.

This is currently a healthy SEO practice to adopt for current SERP algorithms. Search engines, like Google, emphasize credible & up to date content sources. By continuing to update your site content it can lead to AI systems to use your content when delivering results.
Think: Experience, Expertise, Authority & Trust (EEAT).

Ensuring the content is clearly labelled with relevant keywords also helps AI systems to understand the purpose of your content which means there will be an increased chance of the content appearing to the right audience at the right time.

This will provide customers with a positive experience when using your site on any device, which can lead to a decreased bounce rate & increase in conversion.

From a generative search perspective, a technically sound site will create efficiencies for crawling and indexing. If crawlers can easily access & understand your content then it increases the chances of the content being used.

Creative content can be a powerful tool for businesses which builds brand awareness, trust & loyalty with customers.

By creating engaging, interactive & unique content for your customers you can:

• Build brand awareness & recognition
• Drive organic traffic
• Create stronger customer relationships
• Increase average customer lifetime value
• Encourage brand champions that recommend you to others

Paid ads are a huge income driver for Google so it’s unlikely it will ever disappear however, the workings of PPC will likely start to change. Whilst it will remain a useful tool to attract new customers, make sure you are using a holistic approach to your digital marketing strategy– organic search, technically sound, great quality content marketing & developing relationships in addition to PPC to stay on top of generative search changes.

Generative Search is new & constantly evolving. By staying flexible with your marketing strategies you can take advantage of the opportunities as they emerge which will provide you with a competitive advantage. 

The current lack of transparency around the workings of generative search also means it would be worth adopting an experimental approach:  test, learn & refine to understand what works best in this new era of search. Allowing your marketing team to experiment with strategies, keyphrases & content formats can provide your business with a knowledge advantage; knowing what works best & continue to refine your approach for optimal results.

Working with Balanced Impact as a trusted partner to support & guide you through generative search changes can be valuable to your business. We are experienced across all digital marketing disciplines with expertise in PPC, SEO, Technical SEO, & Content Marketing. We can provide a holistic approach to ensure you have the best strategies in place, while in parallel training your marketing team so they can navigate the rocky digital terrain ahead.