The Evolution of SEO with SearchGPT: A New Search Scenario
With the introduction of SearchGPT in late July 2024¹, significant changes are poised to reshape the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) landscape. This advancement in search engine technology, driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and natural language processing, will revolutionize how content is indexed, evaluated, and presented to users. Below, we explore the key changes and implications for the future of SEO, including an overview of actions by others, primarily Google, and how search and its results operate.
Focus on Quality Content
According to the OpenAI website, SearchGPT is described as “a prototype of new search features designed to combine the power of our AI models with information from the web to provide you with quick, timely answers with clear and relevant sources.”
OpenAI states that SearchGPT will reward high-quality, well-written, and informative content (which applies to all search engines that will use Artificial Intelligence (AI)).
“Content is King” ², as always. However, the way this content needs to be constructed will change.
Texts must comprehensively respond to user queries, providing detailed and relevant information. This means that businesses and content creators will need to invest more in producing articles, videos, and other materials that are not only relevant but also authoritative and accurate.
But wasn’t it always this way? Artificial Intelligence (AI) is much better at verifying and amalgamating different information to authenticate responses, which means that “artificial” texts aimed at being relevant to the algorithm will be counterproductive. Authoritativeness will increasingly carry more weight. Agreements with publishers (in Italy, the agreement of RCS MediaGroup with OpenAI at the end of July follows that of OpenAI with Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Le Monde in France, and the German group Axel Springer publisher of Bild, Politico, and Business Insider) are also formalizing a de facto state, recognizing the history of those who produce content professionally.
Optimization for Conversational Search
User queries will increasingly be formulated in a conversational manner. Therefore, optimizing content to respond to specific questions and using natural language will become crucial. Keyword research will need to consider full phrases and questions rather than individual keywords. Google had already moved in this direction in 2020, but the focus now shifts toward the extensive use of conversational search. Think of assistants, which will be integrated into our wearables, that need to provide comprehensible vocal results and then direct us to where this information can be found.
Semantic Search
Google, Bing, and SearchGPT will improve, thanks to Generative AI, the understanding of context and the meaning of words, favoring content that is relevant and semantically connected. However, this will require greater attention to content structure and the use of synonyms and related terms. We, the content writers, must guide what needs to be relevant and searchable, making our job more challenging. On the other hand, it will prevent us from making certain “horrors” that might slip into our writings 🙂
User Experience (UX)
User experience will become even more crucial. Web pages must be fast, easy to navigate, and optimized for mobile devices. An intuitive design and reduced loading times will be essential to keep users’ attention and improve search engine rankings, considering the advent of new devices already present (for example, see https://www.sightful.com/ where virtual screens are projected by glasses.
Enhanced Snippets and Results
Search engines like SearchGPT or Google and Bing with Artificial Intelligence (AI) will likely show more direct answers and snippets (as of now, we are not sure how they will differentiate from each other). Optimizing content to appear in these enriched results will become a key strategy. Using clear headings, bulleted lists, and other techniques to improve content readability may increase the chances of appearing in these prominent positions.
Use of Structured Data
Structured data will continue to play a significant role, helping search engines better understand the content on pages and provide precise answers. Implementing schema markup and other structured data formats will be crucial for enhancing visibility in search results. They are already important now, but they may become even more so in the future… but this is the job of development (assuming that in the future, developers on the frontend web part will still exist).
Multimedia Content
The use of multimedia content such as videos, images, and infographics will become increasingly relevant due to the growing presence of wearables, projectors, and VR. With the enhanced capabilities of understanding natural language and images by engines like SearchGPT, well-optimized multimedia content can achieve prominent positions in search results.
Evolution of Backlinks
Although backlinks will continue to be important, the quality of links and the context in which they are placed will be scrutinized more closely thanks to the AI’s ability to gather more information and extrapolate insights. The relevance and authority of linking sources will be crucial for ranking (not that they aren’t now, but there will be a marked improvement on this aspect which has been discussed for years).
Personalization of Results
Search engines like SearchGPT will be able to personalize search results based on user preferences and behavior. This will make SEO more focused on specific audience segments, requiring more precise targeting strategies. And it will open further discussions on privacy and personal data…how much are we willing to let an artificial intelligence know about us to get better data?
Monitoring and Adaptation
With technological evolution, it will be essential to constantly monitor SEO performance and adapt strategies based on new changes and features introduced. Data analysis and agility in making changes will be key to maintaining a good ranking. This article was conceived according to the new paradigm, but it will (probably) be subject to changes over time to adapt it to what we will know about how SEO technologies will evolve in the new world regulated by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Competitors and the Future of Search
With the introduction of SearchGPT to the general public, new competitors will emerge in the search landscape alongside existing giants like Google and Bing.
Changing the paradigms we are accustomed to opens niches that can allow us to acquire and expand significant market shares, provided we have ideas and funds.
It seems that TikTok is paying millions for the use of the Azure platform for a project with OpenAi models. Could it be thinking about something in this area?
Returning to the discussion of vision and existing players, potential new entrants could include:
- AI-Based Search Engines: New platforms that use artificial intelligence to offer more personalized and accurate search results.
- Virtual Assistants: Tools like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, which will incorporate advanced search functions, becoming reference points for user queries.
- Social Media and Content Platforms: Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube could enhance their internal search capabilities, offering direct competition to traditional search engines.
In the future, search will become more interactive and integrated into users’ daily lives. AI-powered engines will enable more intuitive and contextual search experiences, improving the ability to deliver accurate and relevant answers in real time.
What Awaits in the Future of SEO
The introduction of SearchGPT represents an acceleration in the world of search engines and a significant turning point for SEO. Companies and content creators will need to adapt to a more advanced search environment, focusing on quality, relevance, and user experience. Monitoring changes and adopting flexible strategies will be crucial to maintaining and improving one’s positioning in search results in a future dominated by artificial intelligence (AI). And perhaps not using Artificial Intelligence to produce original content sensitive to the new search engines.
Notes
¹ It is becoming important to include dates because, given the speed of release of functions and services, the temporal placement of each piece of information becomes important for understanding the text. These articles will therefore be subject to updates with a date of update, being of common interest both for users and for those who must write the contents.
² Content Is King is the title of an article that appeared on the Microsoft website in 1996 and was signed by Bill Gates. But it is said that the first to say it was Sumner Murray Redstone, an American billionaire businessman and media magnate. He was the founder and chairman of Viacom, chairman of the CBS Corporation, as well as the majority owner and chairman of the National Amusements theater chain. The concept was revived and made famous thanks to Steve Jobs who reiterated it shortly after in one of his public speeches.
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