AI Search Engines AreTransforming SEO and therefore Marketing

I love the way that AI search engines are changing the SEO game. 

Now while I'm sure that companies like Google have their alternative revenue streams well in hand, I don't believe anyone with a website – that's like all of us- understands how profound the shift will be.

So the benefit of working in marketing since before online was a real thing (I KNOW!) is that I have some perspective. Back in the day, I remember when the idea of having a digital presence was considered optional at best—more like a checkbox in a corporate statement. In fact, my marketing exam thesis was about how Philips could use its brand online. Oh, the embarrassment as I think back to that!

All of a sudden, gone were the "you are the 3000th person to visit this website" counter (it was a thing-look it up!"), and the marketing world rapidly shifted online. It felt like overnight.

Everyone realised that a website was no longer an info page but the front door of the business and you had to have a website. As web strategy took hold, SEO and PPC became the go-to strategies for driving traffic.

I remember that, at one stage, we added keywords hundreds of times in a tiny font that was too small to read as a way to rank. Honestly!

Fast forward, and now marketing people spend countless hours analysing rankings, optimising keywords, building backlinks, and tailoring content to climb the search rankings.

I think we are on the cusp of a change that is as great as when websites came in.

As AI matures, or rather, as consumers mature to embrace AI. New search platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity will change the game for marketing and business development. My hope is that if we embrace it, they will help company messages be more relevant and sticky and make the path to business development more seamless. 

Some of the ways new platforms break the mould and go far beyond what traditional search engines can deliver. 

We can converse with them.

The platforms interpret complex queries and provide direct, conversational answers. So, instead of sifting through a list of links, users receive a concise response immediately. This means websites that rely heavily on SEO will see a dip in organic traffic—people won't click through to multiple sites when they get an immediate answer. 

If you haven't yet tried Chat-GPTs conversation function, give it a go.

Context-Aware Responses

Traditional search engines rely on keyword/search matching. AI-based engines use machine learning to analyse context and intent. They adapt to follow-up questions, offering a more fluid, dialogue-like experience.

Personalised Insights

They learn from our past interactions to provide increasingly relevant responses. This personalisation will likely bypass mass SEO tactics that treat all visitors the same.

It seems to me that we have to rethink strategies to connect with consumers in these highly tailored, AI-driven spaces.

The new challenge is to create content and strategies that work with AI-based engines rather than search engines. This means tailoring messaging for direct, contextual conversations rather than chasing rankings. So how?

Create Conversational Content

Develop content that reads naturally and provides genuine value rather than jamming in keywords. Think long tail. 

Focus on User Problems

Really understand problems users want to solve and offer context-rich answers. This seems to me a boon for smaller, more niche players. You need to get nuanced and, again, think long tail.

Keep It More Up Date

AI systems learn from real-time data. Review and refresh your content faster than before and ensure it's credible with sound links to research and sources. 

All this is like heaven for people in sales and business development.

The more personalised, context-rich user interactions show users that the company understands their needs before they ever speak to a person. They self-qualify and arrive with specific questions or pain points. This is great for business development professionals – provided they also understand the nuance of customers' needs. 

For the same reason, I can imagine that AI insights will shorten sales cycles, too.

It may be too soon to suggest that SEO will completely disappear (and I agree that all of us marketing and sales folk see the world through our early adopter lenses), but its role is definitely changing. Search will be less about the data and more about the problem, and the transformation will be as monumental as when websites went from quirky novelties to absolute essentials. What a great time to be involved in this world.

(Article researched with the help of AI)