{"id":8827,"date":"2023-03-29T13:45:57","date_gmt":"2023-03-29T13:45:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/29\/unlike-the-never-ending-year-of-mobile-ai-powered-search-really-is-the-next-big-thing\/"},"modified":"2023-03-29T13:45:57","modified_gmt":"2023-03-29T13:45:57","slug":"unlike-the-never-ending-year-of-mobile-ai-powered-search-really-is-the-next-big-thing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/29\/unlike-the-never-ending-year-of-mobile-ai-powered-search-really-is-the-next-big-thing\/","title":{"rendered":"Unlike the never-ending \u2018year of mobile,\u2019 AI-powered search really is the next big thing"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/technology\/archive\/2013\/04\/the-first-mobile-phone-call-was-made-40-years-ago-today\/274611\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">first mobile phone call<\/a> was made nearly 50 years ago, on April 3, 1973.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s less clear when exactly in the early 2000s prognosticators first declared it was the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/the-mobile-yearagain-39820\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">year of mobile<\/a>,\u201d which has since become an SEO punchline.<\/p>\n<p>Such is sometimes the case with big bets in technology, like <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/7-ways-glass-will-change-search-183157\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google Glass<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/amazon-fire-phone-bing-search-nokia-maps-194546\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amazon\u2019s Fire phone<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>So it\u2019s only natural to wonder whether all the recent hubbub about AI-powered search and generative AI (think: ChatGPT, Bard) is much ado about nothing \u2013 or if it really is the next big thing.<\/p>\n<p>Spoiler: It\u2019s probably the latter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf it was a human, it would be learning to roll onto its back while we clapped. Instead, we\u2019re here watching the largest companies on earth treat it like a nuclear bomb,\u201d said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/aleccole\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Alec Cole<\/a>, an SEO strategist at performance marketing agency Amsive Digital. \u201cSo, yes, I think this is the next big thing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>SEO consultant <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/author\/sara-taher\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sara Taher<\/a> agreed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAI helps automate plenty of the redundant work we used to do manually, and it will help speed up our work and give us back time. It\u2019s here to stay,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are all still learning how to use AI and when to consider it reliable and when not, but I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any debate of how useful it is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a closer look at why AI in search is the real deal.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/29\/unlike-the-never-ending-year-of-mobile-ai-powered-search-really-is-the-next-big-thing\/#%E2%80%98An_existential_threat\" >\u2018An existential threat\u2019<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/29\/unlike-the-never-ending-year-of-mobile-ai-powered-search-really-is-the-next-big-thing\/#%E2%80%98Right_now_content\" >\u2018Right now\u2019 content<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/29\/unlike-the-never-ending-year-of-mobile-ai-powered-search-really-is-the-next-big-thing\/#Convenience_%E2%80%93_and_cost\" >Convenience \u2013 and cost<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/29\/unlike-the-never-ending-year-of-mobile-ai-powered-search-really-is-the-next-big-thing\/#Conversational_search_%E2%80%93_and_sourcing\" >Conversational search \u2013 and sourcing<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%98An_existential_threat\"><\/span>\u2018An existential threat\u2019<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>For starters, look at how Google \u2013 which controls <a href=\"https:\/\/www.similarweb.com\/engines\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">91%<\/a> of the search market per web analytics firm Similarweb \u2013 has responded to what Cole described as \u201can existential threat.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEven if you\u2019re extremely cynical about the outputs of <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/what-is-chatgpt-and-why-seos-should-care-392165\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ChatGPT<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/google-launches-bard-its-answer-to-chatgpt-to-trusted-testers-here-is-what-it-looks-like-392729\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bard<\/a> and don\u2019t intend to use them in your own work, it has to be acknowledged that the largest players in search don\u2019t agree with you,\u201d Cole said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cGoogle\u2019s choice to move as quickly as they have, and with the\u00a0signs of panic that they\u2019ve shown,\u00a0or\u00a0Microsoft\u2019s choice to commit $10 billion to OpenAI, should plainly tell you that we\u2019re looking at a shift that\u2019s going to define this industry in dollars-and-cents terms for the foreseeable future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/barryrolapp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Barry Rolapp<\/a>, a senior SEO strategist at Amsive Digital, agreed, noting it\u2019s rare to see tech giants \u201cso quick to throw themselves at fads this hard.\u201d And that includes <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/how-seos-can-master-voice-search-now-321461\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">voice search<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%98Right_now_content\"><\/span>\u2018Right now\u2019 content<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>For his part, <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/author\/michael-bonfils\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Michael Bonfils<\/a>, global managing director of digital marketing agency SEM International, noted he\u2019s seen a lot of fads come and go in his nearly 25-year career \u2013 and the only one that wasn\u2019t a fad was social.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn my personal opinion, I do not feel AI is a fad at all.\u00a0I think it\u2019s as disruptive as social was when first introduced, maybe [more so],\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s in part because it helps train consumers to replace the \u201csearch, seek and find\u201d-methodology they have long used with what Bonfils called \u201cright now content.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Short-form video platform TikTok is a perfect example.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s another: let\u2019s say a consumer wants to change a filter in their car. Until now, they\u2019ve been able to conduct a search and browse articles and forums to find something useful. <\/p>\n<p>They could also watch videos on YouTube to try to find specifics about the filter in question, but this is all potentially time-consuming.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf I can ask AI to tell me how to specifically change my filter and I get an exact response in less than a second, there is no chance I will ever use search\/seek\/find again,\u201d Bonfils said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow it\u2019s just ask and get an answer without being disrupted by search ads or seeking and finding something in results.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He noted there\u2019s nevertheless a danger the AI-generated responses will be inaccurate.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think the majority of information seekers will not care,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe majority of people do not care about privacy constraints as much. They won\u2019t care if AI responses are slightly wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- START INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<div class=\"nl-inline-form border py-2 px-1 my-2\">\n<div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-3 col-xl-4 pe-md-0 pb-2 pb-lg-0\">\n<p class=\"inline-form-text text-center mb-0\">Get the daily newsletter search marketers rely on.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-7 col-xl-6  pe-lg-0\">\n<div class=\"form-nl-inline\">\n<div class=\"row g-0\">\n<div class=\"form-group col-12 col-lg-8 mb-0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-4 col-xl-4 mb-0\">\n<div class=\"d-none\">\n<p>Processing\u2026Please wait.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"btn btn-dark inlineButton w-100 rounded-0 font-weight-bold\">SUBSCRIBE<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-2 col-xl-2 ps-1\">\n<p class=\"text-center mb-0\"><a class=\"nl-terms\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/termsofuse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">See terms.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Convenience_%E2%80%93_and_cost\"><\/span>Convenience \u2013 and cost<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/danita-smith-781a9638\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Danita Smith<\/a>, SEO program lead in North America and senior web specialist at Schneider Electric, agreed AI-powered search is not a fad \u2013 particularly since AI isn&#8217;t anything new.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I feel like AI is here to stay,&#8221; she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s in part because consumers generally like to do what&#8217;s easy.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;If something can make life a little easier \u2013 and especially deliver similar results \u2013 then, typically, that&#8217;s what we&#8217;re going to use, which is why we&#8217;re all walking around with mobile phones in our hands,&#8221; Smith added.<\/p>\n<p>There&#8217;s another advantage: cost.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Bottom lines are real,&#8221; Smith said. &#8220;I think we&#8217;re going to continue to see [businesses] adapting and utilizing [AI] more just even from a pure cost perspective.&#8221;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That said, brands must understand how their consumers will react \u2013 and, Smith noted, they&#8217;re likely comfortable with automation in some contexts but not all.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I do think it&#8217;s going to be a useful tool that companies and individuals will be able to use,&#8221; she added. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I think it&#8217;s going to be more important that organizations get really focused on serving their actual audiences and really providing help that automation can&#8217;t necessarily always do.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conversational_search_%E2%80%93_and_sourcing\"><\/span>Conversational search \u2013 and sourcing<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In addition, AI-powered search can easily be conducted off the browser with assistants like Alexa, Siri and Google Voice.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Conversational AI is disgustingly powerful and anyone who doesn&#8217;t think that it&#8217;s going to substantially alter the landscape of search just hasn&#8217;t been paying attention,&#8221; Cole added.<\/p>\n<p>However, <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/author\/jon-clark\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jon Clark<\/a>, managing partner of digital agency Moving Traffic Media, pointed to a potential problem with sourcing, which he called &#8220;the big open question.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In other words, if they are showing where they&#8217;re getting the information from via link or something like that, then I think there is a real potential for traffic loss to websites,&#8221; he added. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I think all of this comes down to \u2026 how that content is being sourced in the results that come back.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>If AI-powered search doesn&#8217;t properly source material, Clark described it as &#8220;a real fundamental change to our industry in terms of how organic search drives traffic&#8221; \u2013 and a huge risk for publishers.<\/p>\n<p>For his part, Rolapp said his concern is the speed with which the industry is moving.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I am glad to see Google and Bing both say they are focusing on limited releases to learn what the unintended consequences could be, but there are smaller organizations we see rushing to be first with little hesitancy,&#8221; he said. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I worry about the impact it will have on the spread of misinformation and the very real impact that these tools will have on human life.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>That includes everything from how human testers and QA teams who train the models avoid some of the worst content on the Internet to companies laying off human workers to enhance profitability.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This is a turning point in human culture, and if we move too carelessly, it can have devastating consequences for us all,&#8221; Rolapp added.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/ai-powered-search-next-big-thing-394902\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Unlike the never-ending \u2018year of mobile,\u2019 AI-powered search really is the next big thing<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Search Engine Land<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The first mobile phone call was made nearly 50 years ago, on April 3, 1973. It\u2019s less clear when exactly in the early 2000s prognosticators first declared it was the \u201cyear of mobile,\u201d which has since become an SEO punchline. Such is sometimes the case with big bets in technology, like Google Glass or Amazon\u2019s Fire phone. So it\u2019s only natural to wonder whether all the recent hubbub about AI-powered search and generative AI (think: ChatGPT, Bard) is much ado about nothing \u2013 or if it [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-seo-blogs"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8827"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8827\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}