Back in May, Google began incorporating AI-generated listings at the top of many search results. In a blog post detailing the change, the tech giant said its “customized Gemini model can take the legwork out of searching.”
AI Overviews includes a brief overview, with the sources displayed gallery-style in a drop-down menu below. In fine print at the bottom is the phrase “Generative AI is experimental.” That’s an important disclaimer, as the search engine’s AI results have recommended combining Italian spices and gasoline to cook pasta and claimed that driving with scissors has health benefits.
“You see this disconnect between human expectations and what AI can actually do,” says Adam Smartschan, chief strategy officer at Altitude Marketing, a B2B agency based in Pennsylvania. “Will it occasionally tell you to put glue on pizza or eat rocks? The answer is yes. It doesn’t know any better because it doesn’t know what satire is. It’s just a probability engine.”
“What worked for SEO a year or two ago is not the same as what works today.” Ally Delgado, Merchology (asi/169169)
Questionable answers aside, Google’s updates usher in an era of what some have called GEO — or generative engine optimization — noting that the addition of AI summaries will “fundamentally change how we approach search engine optimization.”
The latest changes – coming on the heels of years of updates to do things like emphasize useful content and clean up AI spam in results – are part of recent volatility in SEO and digital marketing.
“What worked for SEO a year or two ago is not the same as what works today,” says Ally Delgado, CEO and co-founder of Merchology (asi/169169). “The landscape is constantly changing, requiring us to remain agile and adapt quickly. New research is released daily, which we monitor and incorporate into our digital strategy. There is never a dull moment in digital marketing.”
Creating content for a GEO world
The incorporation of generative AI and other search-related changes have created challenges for content marketers. “What you can’t do right now is chase the algorithm or try to find the ’15 weird tricks Google hates,'” says Smartschan. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked how many words should be in a blog post for SEO. Right now the answer is as many as it takes.”
In order to be part of the AI-generated search results listings that Google pushes out, it’s important to prove that you’re a trusted authority. This means clear writing that answers the questions or topics in the headline, citing sources and using statistics to back up points, says Smartschan.
“You have to show that the information you provide is credible, that it’s contextualized, and that it’s very easy for Google to grab it and use it however they want,” he adds.
The missing piece for content marketers and other online publishers right now is figuring out how to lure searchers away from Google and onto your site for more information, when the summarized AI results might be all they needed. “How exactly is it supposed to shake out?” asks Smartschan. “I really don’t know.”
One thing to consider, though, is that more niche content—topics that Google isn’t easily able to digest and synthesize—is less likely to have an AI-generated summary, so traditional SEO tactics, such as creating long-tail keywords , getting backlinks from reputable sites and optimizing your site for easy search engine crawling will likely still be effective.
A return to basics
In today’s online landscape, creating new content is key, says Bret Bonnet, president and co-founder of Counselor Top 40 distributor Quality Logo Products (asi/302967). “It cracks me up because we’re basically back to the 1990s, with the need for original journalism and content that almost doesn’t exist anymore on the Internet,” he adds.
The irony is that Google is “trying to do every single function on the planet using AI,” but it doesn’t value content made using generative AI, Bonnet says.
“Everything must be unique, original and adds value. So many people write their content by looking for themes and popular search terms and then structure their content around that. It will no longer fly.” Bret Motor Helmet Quality Logo Products (asi/302967)
That has caused a shift in the way quality logo products are searching for content creators, he adds. Two years ago, Bonnet says, he probably would have hired someone with experience writing product descriptions or blog posts online; now, however, he wants to find “the guy who used to work at the Chicago Tribune and took three months to write a great piece of investigative journalism.”
Using generative artificial intelligence to come up with topics and write first drafts of articles is a bad idea because “if you do that, it means the content already exists,” says Bonnet.
“Everything has to be unique, original and add value,” he adds. “So many people write their content by looking for themes and popular search terms and then structure their content around that. That’s not going to fly anymore.”
Social search is gaining ground
For years, Google has been the default search tool for internet users – after all, there’s a reason its name became synonymous with the verb to search – but there are signs that the stranglehold is loosening, especially among younger people. A recent survey by SOCi, a marketing technology provider, found that Google was the third most popular choice among 18- to 24-year-olds.
Two social media apps – Instagram with 67% and TikTok with 62% – topped the youth search lists. Google was third with 61%. (Numbers exceeded 100%, as most use multiple platforms for search.)
“We’ve definitely noticed a shift in user behavior, especially among younger demographics,” says Delgado. “Platforms like TikTok are becoming important for discovery and brand engagement as well as research and entertainment.”
While Google still has value for providing “real-time insights,” social search advocates say TikTok is often better at providing quick “how-tos” and recommendations for things like recipes and products.
Having a diversified digital marketing strategy and a presence on social media platforms where your target audience is active should be a priority for distributors online, says Delgado.
Good news for promotion?
In its earliest days, Quality Logo Products relied on search engine marketing and paid online advertising to get its name out there. “We were like the scrappy young company that was able to outmaneuver the big, slow, clumsy dogs,” says Bonnet. But, he adds, that era appears to be coming to an end, and Quality Logo Products is beginning to pivot toward more traditional forms of advertising, such as TV commercials and local networks.
Many of the unique advantages of online advertising — targeting, tracking, affordability and data — are being stripped away, according to Bonnet.
It’s bad news for businesses that rely on digital marketing, but he adds: “I think it’s good news for the advertising industry because it means a return to traditional branding and offline advertising.”