Generative AI is Changing The Way People Use The Web, and It Is Having a Serious Impact on SEO
This isn’t a news flash to everyone, but web users are getting more information from AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews than ever before. And they are getting their information from these systems instead of the traditional method of search, click to a web page, read the content, and then possibly convert.
In fact, the use of these tools is beginning to cut into traffic from search engines, particularly Google, and it is turning the digital marketing world upside down.
We have been here before. Back in 1997 when I was tasked to help a client “rank higher in Yahoo”, there was no official service like that. When I was asked to do it, I had no idea where toe even begin. And there was no official descriptions of the practice.
It took a few more years and the steady growth of both the web and Google to officially create this new industry. Eventually the term Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, was conceived. (Sidenote: this is a misnomer, since we do not optimize search engines at all – we optimize a site for search engine ranking.)
But here we are again, with a new paradigm shift. A large number of web users are shifting their online habits in a significant way. I don’t like hype, but my gut tells me this is real. My own habits are changing, which is what makes me think this is not overblown. This is at least as important as the adoption of social media or mobile devices. And it might be as important as the rise of Search itself.
Clients are already asking us what we can do to help them rank higher in Google’s AI Overviews, or show up in ChatGPT search as a top Citation. We have some answers for this already, and it involves a comprehensive and cohesive content strategy involving your brand, across multiple sources on the web. It also involves some technical housekeeping items on your website to help these Chat bots access your content and index it – just like Search Engines do.
What do we call this optimization service? Unfortunately, this is all so new that the digital marketing community has not made anything official. Some of the terms I have come across include:
- Ask Engine Optimization (AEO) – this one has some promise, but I have not seen a huge move of the general population toward the term “Ask Engine.”
- Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) – this is accurate, but it’s so technical I don’t see the general public referring to these tools as “Generative Engines.” The general public does not know the different between “Generative AI” and other forms of AI. They just call it “AI”.
- AI Optimization or AI SEO – this is a great term. Unfortunately, right now it is normally searched by members of the digital marketing profession looking for methods to use AI for traditional SEO. It isn’t about optimizing a brand’s web content for AI results. But this might change.
- AI Overviews Optimization – this is a nice easy description, and likely will ring with people for a time because Google’s brand is powerful. But, it’s just a Google brand and Google does not seem to have a grip on the market for AI Search.
- ChatGPT Optimization – similar to the above. Since ChatGPT was the first AI search tool to gain serious traction, we might see it turn up in the vernacular – kind of like Kleenex and Q-Tips. However, the high-tech world changes so rapidly that we will likely see a shift away from a brand like ChatGPT being the de facto name and into more of a broad reference.
What will we call this service? Will this, in fact, grow into a brand-new practice area, with “AI Optimization” companies popping up everywhere? Will major advertising agencies begin offering “ChatGPT Optimization” services? Time will tell.
For now, our agency is digging in, looking for ways to help your company or organization start showing up prominently in these new places. Because we always have to go where the customer goes.
