As AI technologies continue to evolve, they are impacting all aspects of digital marketing, and the potential for impact on SEO and paid search could be nothing short of revolutionary.
At Beacon Digital, we are no strangers to the AI tools that are optimizing the workflow of our team and clients. While we’ve already begun to utilize platforms like ChatGPT and DALL-E to create content, there is still a lot to learn about the latest AI tools that are revolutionizing SEO and Paid Search.
Here, we’re breaking down these AI tools and offering tips on how to visualize and adjust to an exciting future with AI.
Natural Language Processing & Semantic Search
AI is aiding search engines to shift from being keyword-based to focusing on user intent through Natural Language Processing (NLP) and semantic search. According to Comscore, 50% of all searches will be voice searches by 2025, and nearly 30% of those will be done without a screen. This rise in voice search is necessitating a shift toward understanding and processing natural language, and it starts with interpreting user intent and context.
Meet John Walker, Beacon Digital’s CMO-in-Residence
Our very own tech and marketing expert, John Walker, spearheads client marketing strategies and evaluates campaign performance at Beacon. He has seen the dawn of the internet, the emergence of social media, and now he’s staring down the latest newcomer on the block, artificial intelligence.
John’s thoughts:
"AI is designed to deduce answers to spoken queries, not just link to websites like traditional search engine result pages. Voice search is more natural for humans, since we are always talking to each other. These voice queries are now the shortest distance between the question and the right answer.”
Generative AI for Search
Generative Search has many SEO pros and content marketers pondering what effect this groundbreaking AI development will have on their search rankings, web traffic, and overall marketing strategy.
A compelling example is Google's generative search experience (GSE), which not only responds to user inputs but can generate contextually relevant search queries. It continuously learns and adapts, making search experiences more intuitive, relevant, and efficient. Effectively, it will revolutionize the way we interact with search engines.
Currently, Google still features publisher content as supporting evidence for the generated answers. But with GSE taking over the featured snippet and potentially other content types, marketers will need to keep a close eye on how search is changing, where people want to search, what type of content will line up with new measures for success.
Personalization and Automation
AI is revolutionizing personalization and automation in paid search. It analyzes user data to provide more organic and personalized strategies.
Most recently, Google has been beta testing a way to personalize their Google Ad experience on a more conversational interface, with hopes to increase paid campaign efficiency. This tool uses AI to analyze and summarize a website link given by marketers, generating keyword suggestions and ad elements, including headlines, descriptions, and images. Google's AI toolkit is even crowned with a pioneering ad strength meter, designed to track and forecast ad performance.
John’s thoughts:
"Marketers can essentially turn over their marketing campaigns to AI and allow the system to target and manage the campaign. In a sense, the traditional Google search engine, which operates on mathematical processing and parameters, will become obsolete. AI can pull lots of information, process it automatically, and provide the best answer.”
According to a 2021 SEMrush study, three-quarters of marketers are utilizing AI-based tools to automate SEO and paid search processes such as keyword research and meta-tagging. Tools like ChatGPT could even challenge long-standing search engines.
Our Tips to Stay Ahead in the AI-Driven Era
With the AI market projected to reach $10.4 billion by 2025, according to MarketsandMarkets, those who fail to adapt may risk being left behind. Here are our three big tips to stay abreast of AI buzz:
Understand the Impact of AI
Monitor the effects of AI on your marketing activity, particularly with paid search campaigns. Keep track of AI's influence on consumer behavior and their adoption of AI tools, such as ChatGPT. Exploring and gaining insight into these shifts is key for effective positioning.
Stay Updated, But Tread Carefully
There is a very high hype cycle around AI with promises of revolutionary change. While some technologies stick around and do indeed change everything, a lot don't. Take the initial hype with a grain of salt. Success in the marketplace often comes to those who are fast followers of the trends, not necessarily the first adopters.
Adopt a “Core and Explore” Mindset
Don't overhaul your marketing strategy for AI just yet! Instead, learn and explore emerging trends while sticking with proven strategies, like email marketing. Maintain your core methods as you delve into the potential of technologies like AI.
Hungry for more tips and trends in digital marketing? Follow us on LinkedIn and visit our blog for updates and insights from the Beacon Digital team.
Posted In: SEO, Paid Social, Paid Search, AI
Kat Merry
Kat Merry is a freelance writer with an eclectic background in business development, recruitment, job coaching, and education- experience working & creating content across virtually all industries. She's based in the Hudson Valley in New York state.