Since the public launch of ChatGPT, AI has quickly become a hot topic. Businesses have adopted AI at varying paces, and it’s already transforming how many companies operate; As reported by ExplodingTopics, recent data shows over 82% of companies either using or exploring its use in the workplace.
Aside from the lofty promises around the future of AI, there’s one area of business and marketing that is certain to be shaken up in the next year or two; Search Engines.
For over 20 years, SEO (and predominantly optimising for the Google search engine) has been a key marketing channel for businesses both large and small. It’s no wonder, then, that the advent of AI search has become a key topic that business owners, marketing managers, and most importantly SEO agencies should be discussing and ultimately building strategies for.
At Brick Digital, we’ve been diving in and testing AI Search Engines to uncover how they work and how they’re going to change the world of SEO for business marketing. If this is something you’re concerned about, read on to learn what we think businesses need to know.
What is SearchGPT?
Although there are many AI Search Engines emerging at the moment, SearchGPT – developed by Open AI, the same company behind ChatGPT – shows the most potential to become a strong competitor of Google.
SearchGPT shows promise in changing the way we search thanks to its contextual understanding of natural language and the ability to interrogate complex information as though we were having a normal conversation.
(At the time of writing SearchGPT is not available to the public and is in testing, but is expected to launch to the public by the end of 2024, either within ChatGPT or in other search experience such as Bing)
You might be thinking that this shift to AI Search is a long way off, but in reality, it might be closer than we think. In early 2024, Apple announced that they would be integrating ChatGPT with Siri in the new iPhone 16 (Source), bringing the capability of AI into the hands of the general population who, until now, may not have encountered any AI tools.
How does SearchGPT differ from Google search?
Naturally, there will be many visible differences, but there will undoubtedly be even more behind the scenes. For the sake of this article, we’ve highlighted the 3 main differences we think businesses should know about:
Conversational Search
One of the most significant differences is the shift toward conversational search. With SearchGPT, users interact in a more conversational tone, asking questions and receiving more contextual answers. Unlike traditional search engines where you ask a question, sift through a list of results, and refine your query manually, SearchGPT allows for a more dynamic interaction. Users can continue the conversation with follow-up questions that dig deeper into the topic.
Search Results Presentation
Another key difference is how search results are shown. While Google has begun testing AI-generated answers, SearchGPT goes a step further by offering more comprehensive, context-rich responses directly within the search. Unlike the traditional list of links, SearchGPT will generate answers and cite its sources with links to original content. This means users will get the answer upfront but can still click through to see the full content.
Where and How You Rank
The third key difference will be a shift in how content and results are prioritised and presented. While the traditional ranking system of “number one, two, and three” is a staple of Google search, SearchGPT and similar AI tools don’t necessarily follow this model. Instead, AI prioritises content that closely matches the user’s intent, the query’s context, and the content’s quality. Rankings won’t disappear, but there will be a stronger focus on authority, clarity, and depth. Businesses might need to think beyond just getting to “number one” and instead consider how to present their content in a way that AI finds authoritative and useful for answering specific questions.
Adapting Search Marketing Strategies for AI Search
This ‘different’ approach to search that SearchGPT is presenting will mean that search marketing strategies must also change in the future.
Regular ChatGPT users know that AI understands web content on a deep level. This allows it to consider many factors when choosing what content or websites to display to users.
Although it’s not been confirmed yet, it’s speculated publicly and by ChatGPT itself that SearchGPT will use things such as testimonials, reviews, mentions of the brand and other information from across the internet to decide which websites and content to display in its results. However, thanks to its deep understanding of natural language, it has been emphasised that the context and relevance of the content to the search query will be one of the key factors in deciding which content and websites to display.
The Potential Impact of AI Search on Businesses
In short, search marketing of the future is going to be about more than keyword optimisations, great content, authority, and backlinks.
AI’s ability to process large amounts of data and understand context means businesses must rethink their content and online marketing strategies. This could include gathering more real customer reviews, establishing the business as an expert in the industry through commentary, and really focusing on user-centric content that provides the information users want to know.
Aside from just optimising for AI search engines to gain exposure in SearchGPT, businesses may also need to consider what impact it might have on their lead generation funnel if they see less traffic due to not receiving the website clicks that come from traditional search results.
As an agency, our team at Brick Digital have already turned our focus to the potential of SearchGPT and how we can prepare new and existing clients for what might come next.
What we’re doing about the future of AI search
As a specialist search marketing agency, we strive to stay ahead of any changes in the world of search whether that be Google Algorithm updates or potential transitions to a new AI search world.
From the moment ChatGPT began showing links to websites in responses, we’ve been discussing the potential opportunities and challenges that AI Search Engines like SearchGPT present for businesses.
At the time of writing, very little is known about how SearchGPT will behave with Local and commercial intent searches, as there’s been a lot of emphasis on content-related searches. Rest assured, though, that we’re keeping a close eye on all updates as they emerge.
Aside from keeping up-to-date with SearchGPT news as it comes out, we’re now reviewing our clients on-site content to ensure it provides the information and context required to be displayed when users search in SearchGPT. We’ve also begun developing potential new strategies to ensure our clients stay ahead in the event of a shift in the way their customers search.
Key takeaways:
- SearchGPT will possibly be integrated into iPhone Siri in the future.
- Searches will become more conversational, shifting focus from keyword-based to context-based optimization.
- Little is known about exactly how SearchGPT will select content and/or websites to list in response to queries
AI Search will have an impact on how businesses and agencies do SEO, whether that be due to SearchGPT or changes in the Google algorithm, or another competitor.
Conclusion
Depending on where you get your AI news from, it might seem like SearchGPT is either another mythical ‘Google Killer’, or is here to take over the search engine throne. Either way, you may be worried about the future of your search marketing strategy and how much work and investment this new AI world will require.
Based on our experience and research, we’re confident that AI will reshape how people search and how search engines rank websites. However, optimising for SearchGPT won’t require overhauling your strategy — just adjusting which activities you prioritise.
This will no doubt be the first of many articles we publish about AI search engines so stay tuned for more information as we learn more about it!
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