The Google I/O 2024 conference is expected to bring updates on generative AI and search. Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE), introduced in the previous year, is a generative AI search tool that's been in testing. Generative AI is set to transform SEO, emphasizing natural language and accuracy over keywords, and necessitating credible content.
Craig Emimeliah of Stagwell’s Code & Theory agency suggests that chatbots will need to fact-check and provide transparent citations to build user trust. Different platforms may focus on different types of credible content. For example, Google SGE might focus on authoritative fact-based content, Microsoft's Copilot on B2B queries, and Meta's Meta AI on discoverability for social and audience engagement.
Graphite, an SEO agency, has released a new SEO platform focusing on topics instead of keywords. It uses AI tools like natural language processing (NLP) and deep learning to analyze keywords and create a topic graph to help reverse-engineer user intent. The platform aligns with Google’s focus on topical authority rather than PageRank.
Generative AI has raised questions about competition between AI-generated and human-created content. According to Graphite, only 8% of URLs directed to content were either entirely or largely created by AI, and human content tended to show up higher in search results.
SOCi Inc. has been researching how search results vary in generative AI platforms. It found that Gemini scored best in terms of accuracy, relevance, reliability, and helpfulness, followed by Google SGE, Perplexity, Bing, and Meta.
Generative AI's impact on search has been noted in recent filings by publicly traded marketing and tech companies like Semrush, Reddit, Nextdoor, Pinterest, Yext, Similarweb, and Eventbrite. Companies like Airbnb have expressed concerns that changes by major search platforms might affect their businesses.
