As Google Search Evolves with AI, Remember Facebook’s Big Update

Just one update and many digital hopefuls faded in Facebook. Yes, Facebook was a platform for creating rains of growth, and an operating system to super-charge virality, until one day, when it updated its algorithm, and crippled enterprise-fueled virality accounts! Companies like Buzzfeed, and viral-clickbaiting websites are yet to recover. It was so bad that we abandoned our Tekedia account because posting an article there was simply a waste of time!

Where am I going? Google’s plan to re-cook its search engine with AI systems opens a new pandora box: “Google is ramping up its core search business with a heavy dose of artificial intelligence. The tech stalwart is adding generative AI features that will give users “more information and context” during web searches, it said Wednesday at its I/O conference.” Depending on how you acquire new customers to your platforms, that change has the potential to affect many things in the world of SEO (search engine optimization).

Today, if your site ranks very well on Google, you get a click, and hopefully you convert a few on the services you offer. But if Google search is re-wired to provide more details that disintermediates anyone clicking to visit you, you have a real problem. 

The threat of ChatGPT has already forced Google to provide summaries for some searches, and when you read those summaries, you may not even have to click to visit any website. If this trajectory continues, the implication is that visiting websites may not be the core objective for Google on the behaviour of search users. Simply, it may just expect users to read on its website with some paid links at the top to explore more.

Good People, if you depend on SEO for growth, you need to pay attention as Google updates the search because the implications are huge. Irrespective of your strategy, remember that one important thing is to build up your brand so that users will remember it and visit your platform directly. That way, you do not rely on links from other places, including Google Search.

Google is ramping up its core search business with a heavy dose of artificial intelligence. The tech stalwart is adding generative AI features that will give users “more information and context” during web searches, it said Wednesday at its I/O conference. The features, called Search Generative Experience, will initially be available for testing by Google Labs users and are separate from Bard, Google’s chatbot. Bard will also get new features and become available for everyone — no waitlist required — as it transitions to Google’s new large language model, PaLM 2.

Here is the deal: Disintermediation is possibly on the way. You need to elevate your brand so that customers can just visit directly without over-relying on SEO!

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ChatGPT on the other hand, gives you a direct answer immediately

Many creators have admitted that they actually prompt chatGPT more often than they Google.

The only way for Google to compete and win would be to use AI to present these answers in an interactive manner just…

— Michael Meon (@michaelmeon_) May 10, 2023

Comment 1: Prof you are absolutely correct on this. Google sees ChatGPT and other generative/interactive AI platform as competition. Most people go to Google just to ask a simple question. But Google responds with a list of websites to get answers from. ChatGPT on the other hand, gives you a direct answer immediately Many creators have admitted that they actually prompt chatGPT more often than they Google. The only way for Google to compete and win would be to use AI to present these answers in an interactive manner just like ChatGPT. Their Competitive advantage would be that after their AI presents the answers, they can then list a few websites below for users to look further. And that is something ChatGPT doesn’t have. This will cut the need for users to proceed to sites by about..

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