A few days ago the Social Media Marketing World took place. The event is perhaps the most prestigious in the world of social networks. There, Michael A. Stelzner, its CEO, at one point asked the audience: How many of you use ChatGPT instead of Google to search for answers? More than half raised their hand… which leaves the question open: Will AI replace Google search?
What does this change in habit mean for the future? It is difficult to say with certainty but one thing is certain: a huge change is coming in terms of content marketing, that is, in the strategies that brands follow when creating content hoping to appear on Google and be found by users.
Will AI replace Google search?
ChatGPT is the best-known version of an AI-powered language model, and therefore the most widely used. However, it is just one of many. Google has already incorporated its “Search Generative Experience” or Generative Search Experience with AI, experimentally (you can try it in Chrome by setting this switch to ON ), and it will surely not take long to do so in a massive and open way.
While for Edge users, Microsoft’s browser, Copilot, which also operates with GPT, is already integrated into the search engine.
Why will the change be brutal with these models? Because users will ask questions and searches directly to these language models and they will provide answers directly, without the user needing to visit pages that answer their questions.
An example of how AI will impact content strategy
Look at this example with Google Generative Search: “What is feminism?” The AI responds, citing various sources that you can expand on (red arrows), additional questions (below), and even a new box in case the user wants to add another question.
This means that the user will not need to visit the sites in many cases and therefore, traffic will drop dramatically. Experts suggest a drop of between 30 and 40%.
Is it worth continuing to create content in the age of AI?
To answer this, it should be noted that even when the AI delivers results without having to visit pages, the information is obtained from existing pages and also cites them. This opens the opportunity for if the user wants to know more, to click on the source.
Look at the following example. The user performs a search, the AI responds but cites the page from which it obtains the information. So the user can only take the specific data that the artificial intelligence is giving them or they can go to the source if they want to know more.
However, the AI will only obtain information and cite the most complete pages that best respond to the user’s search intention.
What does this mean?
If our business only creates medium-quality content, with little consistency, or that can be found on thousands of other pages, it will be very difficult for AI to select our information. Which will basically mean that our brand begins to disappear from the search results.
This means, as Charles Darwin said, it is not the biggest or the strongest that will survive, but rather those that adapt best.
How good is the content your brand creates? How consistent? How focused on the questions your audience is asking? If you cannot answer these questions assertively, it is very likely that your site will soon disappear from Google results.
What to do now?
As you can see, this is not a minor issue. Today more than ever, a solid content strategy is required to help us maintain a presence in the results.
It is essential to know the buyer or audience persona of our company or organization, perfectly identify the questions they ask and create the best version of constant and consistent content that answers them.
Any effort less than this will only be a waste of time and money. Is your brand ready?
