Search engine optimization (SEO) just got more difficult, but where there’s change, there’s opportunity. Comms strategist Aidan Muller talks us through how AI may throw a spanner into the works for brands.
Generative AI is fast being integrated into search (Google, Bing), and in some cases will replace search altogether. And since around two-thirds of online experiences reportedly start with a search, according to a 2019 report, there will be great rewards for those companies and organizations whose ideas, products and services are featured in those AI results.
Just as we did for search with SEO, we are starting to see a new professional industry emerge for the optimization of assets in order to shape AI results. However, unlike search, generative AI is expected to provide a synthesis and, as such, will be significantly more competitive than search. As the stakes inevitably get higher, I expect this will become a significant battleground for brands.
The new industry
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