How do your consumers use search in their everyday lives? How do you search? Perhaps you Google something you don’t immediately know the answer to in conversation. Or, you may want to research vacation ideas to put together an itinerary.
From recipes to queries about topics that fascinate you, generative artificial intelligence (AI) mixed with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is making searching our vast digital landscape easier.
AI and the hunt for effortless answers
According to Google, generative AI is revealing new viewpoints and insights with each search click. AI does this by getting to the core of what you’re searching for faster and allowing for more complex search ideas all in one fell swoop. For example, now you can search three interrelated topics at once versus breaking up your questions into multiple searches.
Additionally, related links are provided to access more information briefly. You can also hover over certain words in search results for definitions or to reach or see more about the subject.
The anatomy of a generative AI complex search
For example, you may want to search for which destinations are better for a family of 5 that needs wheelchair access and has a dog accompanying them on vacation. Rather than having to search for those terms separately, generative AI can conduct a deeper search of broader data and provide the answer with efficiency.
Navigating AI-search waters
Browsing and navigating the web has also become faster. AI is designed to review longer-form free content. On some pages, you can tap to see a list of key points AI generates for faster consumption. Main points are also highlighted for stronger comprehension.
Images and videos are also appearing more often thanks to AI. When you land on a result, you can instantly see more detail about the subject. For example, if you search for big cats, or cleaning a stain off a countertop, you’ll be able to see which links offer information that more accurately match your search.
Online shopping has received an upgrade in search, too, making decisions easier for consumers. Factors to consider, product descriptions, review, ratings, prices and product images are all pulled in for products you search. The experience is built on Google’s shopping graph, which the company claims has more than 35 billion product listings. What’s more, every hour, 1.8 billion listings are refreshed for reliable results.
The risks for brands
If you’re a business owner, you may wonder how new, sweeping tools may affect your online content and ads. What is the risk to your brand? And, how can you channel the positives of AI to further promote your organization to consumers?
Without guardrails, the risks of AI include:
The loss of attribution to original source content, which includes legal copyright risks.
Reducing organic search traffic to your site or content by as much as 80%.
Consumers being led to less credible sources or source material that is inaccurate.
Putting AI to work for your business
If your organization is beginning to weave generative AI into SEO content, there a couple of small steps you can implement right now.
Predictive analytics are one powerful tool to help you stay ahead of emerging opportunities and identifying where your business can optimize and improve operations.
Incorporating AI tools into your SEO content strategy is another tip to streamline your digital practices. These tools can also suggest keywords to set you apart from your competition.
According to Harvard Business Review, organizations should also evaluate certain risks in 5 categories prior to adoption:
Accuracy: Cite sources used by AI to create content, explain why AI gave specific responses, highlight any uncertainty and create guardrails preventing some tasks from being fully automated.
Honesty: Respect data provenance and ensure there you have consent. Be transparent through watermarks or in-app messaging that AI has created the content.
Safety: Protect the privacy of any personally identifying information present in data. Conduct security assessments to identify vulnerabilities that may be exploited by malware attacks.
Empowerment: Involve humans to manage and make all decisions — with the help of data-driven insights that an AI model may provide — to build trust and maintain transparency. Ensure the model’s outputs are accessible to all.
Sustainability: Some large language models have hundreds of billions of parameters and use a lot of energy and water to train them. Minimize the size of models while maximizing accuracy by training on models on large amounts of high-quality CRM data. This will help reduce the carbon footprint and carbon emissions.
Practices for responsible use
Keeping in mind AI is not yet government-regulated, it’s up to individuals and organizations to channel these tools appropriately and responsibly.
Businesses should:
Use zero or first-party data only
Keep information up-to-date and well-labeled
Involve humans in all review processes
Test output for accuracy and bias
Consider receiving training and certification
New tools of the trade
Innovative platforms and marketing tools beyond search are popping up constantly. Here are a few to explore implementing:
Social media
AI Social Content Generator app
Smartly.io
Celtra
Advertising
AdCreative.ai
Abyssale
Hunch
Copywriting
Craftly
Grammarly
ContentShake
Content generation
ChatGPT
Jasper AI
Business owners, marketers, data analysts and other professionals will need to understand how to use AI effectively as it evolves and interfaces with current search methods. As a leader for your business, you can ensure your organizational brand succeeds and consumers have the best digital experience possible.
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