When we think about search results, the image of endless lists of links and the snippet from a website comes to mind. However, search habits are evolving. According to Salesforce, 34% of people now turn to AI for learning new things. The appeal lies in receiving a comprehensive answer that directly addresses the question, a feature that traditional search results, like Google, still need to fully embrace. In May 2023, Google entered the race by testing its Google AI Overview feature, which occupies a significant portion of the first page. This presents new opportunities for marketers to showcase their content, but it also means the competition to stay on the first page has become tougher than ever.
What is Generative AI
Generative AI is an algorithm that can create new content, whether it’s text, images, or videos. Imagine asking ChatGPT to draft an outline for your next sustainable fashion campaign. Instead of spending hours researching, you receive a personalised, concise answer. As people increasingly prefer quick and personalised answers over clicking through numerous pages, tech giants like Google have felt this shift. As a result, Google is advancing by using AI to provide clear, direct answers in search results, moving from just giving a snippet of a high authority web page to answering your question.
AI’s Role in Shaping Your Search Results
SEO has moved from keyword-focused. Google’s commitment to improving search quality has led to a shift towards higher-quality content and a more advanced crawling system. Google has ramped up its content evaluation process to decide what appears on the coveted first page. Searchers often face frustration when links fail to deliver comprehensive answers, leading to poor user experiences. The integration of AI into Google Search has raised the standard, more than mobile optimisation and keywords. Now, content must offer valuable insights and contribute positively to the broader conversation to secure a top spot.
How to Stand Out
With AI Overview taking up more space on the first page, there’s less room for other pages. As a result, the competition to appear on the first page intensifies. A study by Backlinko revealed that 27.6% of all clicks go to links on the first page, while less than 1% of searchers click on something from the second page. Here are two things you should keep in mind:
- Be Original and Deep: Using Generative AI tools to brainstorm ideas and enhance your work is one thing, as long as it’s guided by a clear and defined objective. However, relying entirely on AI, like ChatGPT, for your creative tasks is another story. AI-generated content that’s spammy or duplicative won’t take you far and might even harm your site’s authority. Google’s AI Overview prioritises more in-depth, high-quality information for its answers.
- Share Authentic Stories: Understanding the target audience has always been in marketers’ playbook but this is the key to survival. Gaining a deep understanding of your niche helps you spot relevant industry trends that you engage actively. While traditional news outlets may dominate the information landscape, independent creators like you bring unique perspectives and valuable insights through blogs. Regularly sharing updates and key takeaways that showcase your business’s growth and evolution helps in building a loyal following.
Conclusion
While AI is changing the way search engines work, it doesn’t mean we should let AI do all creative work. Sure, AI can simplify research and learning, but it can’t replace authentic content that truly connects with people. There’s still a significant amount of scepticism regarding AI’s accuracy and potential biases, which makes human oversight essential. Moreover, for your content to be referenced by AI Generative tools like Google AI Overview, it’s important to create thoughtful and original content rather than merely copying and pasting. As a digital agency, Click Creative‘s focus is on optimising your site’s performance through SEO and CRO. It’s not just about throwing around keywords but refining your website and making sure your researched keywords work as they should.