and the rise of AI-Powered Search
Have you noticed traffic to your website slowly falling? You may have noticed the trend in your stats, and it may be causing you some concern. It could be the rise of cookie blocking; it could just be that user habits are changing with the continued rise of app-based user experiences. But we’re also seeing significant changes with the recent (fast and hard) growth of AI-based search experiences.
Traditional search engines like Google and Bing (but especially Google) have long dominated how people find stuff online. But, emerging AI-powered models – such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Bard, and Microsoft’s Bing Chat – are changing the search game.
These AI systems prioritise conversational engagement with users, offering contextually relevant responses. It’s not perfect yet, but do a Google search, and you’ll see their AI engine barging in before the older, traditional Google results – that place where we all crave to see our name in lights somewhere near the top.
So, now more than ever, it’s worth getting a lead to adapt your search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy to straddle the divide… Maybe even gaining an edge against your competition?
Adjusting things may seem daunting for small businesses where serious SEO and marketing budgets are not in play. But, it represents a unique opportunity to increase visibility as things change. Besides, there is a hell of a lot of crossover.
“In 2023, around 13 million adults in the United States claimed to have used generative artificial intelligence (AI) as their primary tool for online search. By 2027, this number is projected to reach over 90 million online users. Around 68 percent of adults in the country claimed to use generative AI for answering questions. As a result, the online search market is likely to be one of the most affected industries by the AI-powered search market trend.”
AI search models emphasise context, conversational engagement, and specific responses rather than a list of search results. Bing’s integration of OpenAI’s technology marked the beginning of conversational search interactions, and Google’s Bard offers similar capabilities, prioritising user-specific intent and real-time information from a much broader set of sources.
The rise in voice-based search and mobile interactions has significantly influenced AI-powered search usage. Yes, that’s you, talking into your search engine or device. According to Yaguara, 50% of adults now use voice search daily. AI-driven platforms will often respond with optimised responses based on the longer search query, adding in a much more comprehensive range of factors.
SEO strategies and tactics that work for traditional search engines may be less effective with AI-driven models, which is especially frustrating if you have invested heavily in non-transferable strategies. While keywords remain important for context, you must consider how AI search engines interpret the overall context and conversational tone of your web experience for users.
While Google and Bing rely heavily on link-building, keywords, and meta-optimisation to ascertain where to rank websites, AI models prioritise a natural language understanding (NLU) and semantic relevance. Google’s BERT technology and Bing’s integration of OpenAI reflect this shift towards context and intent.
For example, someone might ask, “What are the best restaurants near me?” AI models prioritise actual conversational responses, while traditional engines may simply list reviews or maps.
To maximise your reach across both search types:
Effective content for traditional and AI-based search platforms needs to be adaptable, authoritative, and user-centric. People only care about your content if it is relevant to them.
Content should be structured with clear headings, bullet points, and summaries to facilitate quick scanning and semantic understanding. The ‘shape’ of your content helps users quickly find pertinent points. With proper tagging and formatting, AI models will be able to determine relevant answers to queries. Well-organised content – sections, pages, features – will help your website on both types of platform.
One of the challenges with AI models is authority and ensuring attribution. This means that they may create responses without consistently linking to a source. Businesses need to focus on building authoritative content with direct citations and external links to signal expertise. You can also increase your chances of citation by structuring sources and attributions clearly. This very much harks back to the original Google Page Rank concept.
Consider creating content that adds maximum context semantically so that a search or AI engine can pick up the core content succinctly:
For small businesses looking for fast, impactful changes online, implementing a few simple standards can make a significant difference. Many of these should already be in place on your website, but experiences tell us that many are still very much overlooked:
Use AI-powered SEO tools like Surfer SEO or Jasper to optimise your content efficiently. These tools, and tools like them, offer keyword suggestions, content structuring, and even content generation based on search trends, providing you with a quick-start advantage.
As AI-based search experiences reshape SEO, especially for small businesses, many will get left behind. You must adapt to remain competitive and now is the time.
By focusing on user-centric content, embracing the Google E-A-T principles, and leveraging social media, your business can position itself to succeed in both traditional and AI-driven search environments for your niche(s). Taking advantage of SEO improvements – that are simpler than you think – and regularly evaluating AI search trends will ensure continued you stay relevant and gives you a better chance of profile growth.
And, if you get in quick, you could gain a competitive advantage.
If you fancy an informal chat about what you have and what you want when it comes to marketing and your online presence, get in touch.
The Role of Social Media in SEO and AI Search Rankings
Social media signals influence both traditional SEO and AI-based search algorithms. So, joining your thinking based on your audience is important if you are in the game. Platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook can drive traffic, build backlinks, and create brand recognition – as long as you stay on point.
Social Media’s Influence on SEO
Engagement on social media platforms indirectly impacts SEO through **increased backlinks and higher traffic**, leading search engines to associate social engagement with a level of authority. For instance, research suggests that content with high social shares is linked back to at a 45% higher rate [Forbes, 2024].
Social Signals for AI-Based Searches
AI platforms may incorporate social metrics when determining content relevance. Positive engagement, shares, and brand mentions on social channels are all indicators of user interest and relevance, which AI algorithms can prioritise. No one knows this as a fact, of course, but it’s worth implementing best practices now.
Strategies for Social Media Integration