You heard it here first: The ongoing AI headache in the SEO world
We’ve already been vocal in recent blogs on how the world of search has evolved immensely. Now, after new research into Google AI Overviews, the future of search has been turned on its head yet again!
According to new research analysis, not only are Google AI Overviews more volatile than organic rankings, but within two to three months, 70% of AI Overview rankings changed. It begs the question – can they be trusted?
The research explains the differences in AI Overviews and organic ranking:
“Ranking in the top 10 of organic search is not a guarantee your content will rank in AI Overviews. AI Overview and organic ranking systems are different and work independently of each other most of the time.”
- 60% of the time, pages ranking in the top 10 of organic search appear in AI Overviews
- 40% of the time, AI Overviews rank a webpage that doesn’t appear in the top 10 of Google organic search
Does it matter? Yes is the answer.
Further research reveals that webpages are significantly harmed when excluded from Google’s AI Overviews, but benefit when included because webpages included in AI Overviews experience increased traffic, regardless of their original organic ranking.
In today’s AI-dominated search landscape, traditional search engine optimization (SEO) tactics won’t cut the mustard against generative engines as the way content is ranked is different than doing traditional SEO. It’s now more important than ever to track AI Overviews for keywords to see what does and doesn’t work and then figure out why.
Check out our tips here for how marketers can navigate the new search landscape with the emergence of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) strategies:
The world of search has evolved from simple keyword queries to a complex, data-driven ecosystem that is constantly changing to reflect how people find and consume information.
Gartner is predicting a significant drop in traditional search volume by 25% by 2026. In particular, organic search traffic is expected to decrease by over 50%. Consumers are already embracing AI-powered search, and exploring new options such as Google AI Overviews – a feature within Google Search that provides AI-generated summaries and insights at the top of search results.
This shift means traditional SEO is no longer wholly performance-based and tied to dollar-in-dollar-back expectations.
Who is managing who?
For thirty years, the search industry has been a human intermediary between digital media and AI. But in a recent blog, SEO consultant, Rob Garner, suggests it’s time to bury the old idea of optimization and embrace a redefinition of SEO that better reflects how AI has changed the search game. Garner argues that “we haven’t been optimizing assets for search engines; rather, we have been training search engines to understand and generate immediate connections to our digital assets… in the most relevant way” – and the team at IBA would be inclined to agree!
The word ‘optimization’ no longer reflects modern SEO strategies. Instead, part of our job as PR and Marketing pros is to train a search engine to better perform with digital content – but this isn’t as easy as it sounds!
SEO isn’t what it used to be – shifting from ‘optimization’ to ‘training’
How can PR and Marketing pros train a search engine?
- Keywords: Train a search engine to know what content is about linguistically
- Content: Depth, length, reading level, topics, subtopics, and mixed media all help train a search engine for a level of trust that is high enough to appear at the top of list-generated results in the appropriate context
- Internal links: Train the search engine on internal relationships to content within a website or domain and add additional relationship context
- External links: Train a search engine about external relationships from other trusted websites, which in turn imparts a level of trust to the website for results generation
Google is watching
If non-relevant techniques are used, whether in linking or content, then the search engine is still being trained knowingly or unknowingly by the website or asset owner. But SEO practitioners beware! Search engines such as Google are starting to catch on to these undesirable practices which trigger their spam guidelines and users could find themselves with a penalty. The consequences? Sites demoted in ranking or removed entirely from search results – neither of which will help enhance content visibility!
Introducing GEO – the new SEO kid on the block
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) represents a groundbreaking shift in search engine optimization, pivoting from traditional methods to strategies aligned with AI-driven search engines. GEO focuses on enhancing website visibility by using techniques such as adding relevant statistics, credible quotes, and authoritative citations.
If you’ve had to Google what GEO is then you’ve just witnessed this search strategy in action! GEO relies on AI to pull together information from multiple sources and compile unique, coherent responses to user queries. With generative search, users receive AI summaries with direct answers at the top of the search results page instead of a traditional list of links.
As more consumers expect to use AI-enhanced search within the next year, and 70% already trust generative AI search results, achieving better visibility in AI-generated responses is key to brand visibility. But it’s not just about being seen; it’s about engaging potential customers, clients, and audiences in meaningful ways, regardless of where they begin their search journey.
Unlike traditional SEO strategies, which primarily focus on keyword density and backlinks, GEO emphasizes the quality and relevance of content in the context of AI algorithms. This approach values the authenticity, accuracy, and contextual relevance of information presented on websites – and still meet E-E-A-T standards (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness).
Rank above the rest with GEO
Ultimately, the goal of GEO is to increase website visibility, attracting more targeted traffic and turning visitors into loyal brand customers.
So, what strategies can PR and Marketers introduce to enhance content relevance and credibility?
- Incorporating relevant statistics: Adding up-to-date, relevant statistical data to support content assertions. This approach lends authenticity and a data-backed foundation to the information presented
- Utilizing credible quotes: Integrating quotes from authoritative and reliable sources (including subject matter experts). This not only boosts the content’s credibility but also provides diverse perspectives within the text
- Citing authoritative sources: Referencing well-regarded and trusted sources to underline the content’s accuracy and reliability. This helps in building trust with both the AI algorithms and the readers
These strategies significantly deviate from traditional keyword-centric SEO tactics, emphasizing the importance of content quality and depth. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: without quality content, search engines and generative AI can’t be effective!
Traditional SEO alone just won’t cut it anymore
Brands must adapt to changing search behavior by utilizing new SEO strategies such as GEO to capture and retain user attention on AI-driven search platforms – aka meeting users where they actually are, not where you think they might be, and providing the high-quality and relevant content they still expect. Yes, AI will bring new challenges for PR and Marketing pros to navigate but they can be exploited with a creative approach!
If you need a refresher on how AI can be harnessed beyond simply generative AI, why not check out our recent Talking Propeller Heads webcast for a sanity check on the capabilities of AI. While you’re there, why not register for our future Talking Propeller Heads discussions to keep tabs on emerging tech developments.
Hannah Watson is PR Lead – Analytics at IBA International.
