How AI Has Changed the Future of Marketing Forever...

Entering the Multi-Search Universe

We are in the midst of the biggest transformation since Google built its first transformer model in 2017, the architecture that underpins virtually every modern LLM (Large Language Models). Today Generative AI is fueling investments and innovation in search marketing as new types of search engines emerge, and we enter a new AI-led multi-search universe.

It has been just over 20 years since I entered the world of search marketing. Although, my interest in the internet started when I began programming back more years ago than I want to admit...

How time flies!

Fast forward to today, and we are witnessing first-hand how AI is driving unprecedented interest in the $200 billion search market.

So, what does this all mean?

When I take a step back to observe how the entire industry is evolving around search, there are two crucial perspectives to consider:

1. What does it mean for search itself? How is search changing and evolving from the end-user's perspective.
2. ?Consequently, what implications and opportunities does this bring for businesses and marketers seeking to acquire customers and grow their enterprises??

1.?? What Does this Mean for Search?

The Evolution of Search in a post-Generative AI World?

Today, we see a?massive influx of new investment and innovations?from traditional and non-traditional search players, signaling?that we are entering the next generation of search and AI.?

One of the most significant changes we are witnessing is the integration of AI into search engines. Generative AI models, like?ChatGPT?and others, make the average searcher much more proficient at finding relevant information. These models can take a single keyword and expand it into multiple related searches, providing a comprehensive and well-summarized answer.?

This is a momentous change for the end user, as it enhances their ability to find what they are looking for.

The Search for Answers

Search engines can utilize AI to take a single search query and turn that into many formats of answers. They do this by assembling the entire related areas of conversation, running those searches, summarizing that with the AI, and giving you a well-researched and summarized point of view. I have experimented with many AI models, and I have noticed a clear set of use cases emerging where LLMs (Large Language Models) truly excel.?

As I mentioned in an interview with Forbes recently, it makes the average person a 100 times better at searching.

How Google’s AI Search Will Change Marketing Strategy?– Forbes

New Opportunities in a Multi-Search World?

The rise of AI-powered search engines has created a massive opportunity for disruption in the industry. Companies like 谷歌 and its Search Generative Experiences (SGE), OpenAI , and 微软 are investing heavily in developing their own AI-driven search experiences.

Here is how it works: let’s say you are searching for "golf shoes." The LLM can take that single keyword and expand it into five related queries, such as "What should I wear for golf?", "What's the proper golf attire?", "What features should I look for in golf shoes?", "What are the different types of golf shoe models?", and "What are the most popular golf shoe brands?" It then combines all of this into a single search, retrieves the relevant results, and presents a beautifully summarized experience.

This, I believe, is a game-changer for the end consumer.

As Google SGE is now out and being tested in regular search and with Perplexity , You.com , and recently Brave entering the market, I take a deep dive into how I see the future of AI and Search developing in this video below.

Different Search Engines Will Specialize in Different Use Cases

In the future different search engines will specialize for different use cases. As AI advances, I think we will see search engines become increasingly specialized in different use cases by leveraging their unique assets.

• Take Google, for example. With its extensive real-time index and rich location data, Google is unparalleled when it comes to providing up-to-date information for local searches. With approximately 35% of searches having location intent, such as finding a nearby restaurant, retail store, or entertainment venue, Google's strength lies in its ability to offer accurate location details, business hours, inventory data, and user reviews.
• On the other hand, Perplexity is laser-focused on the research use case. Their platform is essentially an "answers engine" designed for in-depth research, with a strong emphasis on citations. Perplexity's model provides a high degree of transparency, allowing users to see the sources of information, much like a well-written college research paper with properly referenced sources.
• ChatGPT, interestingly, shines in content creation rather than research. Its ability to generate high-quality content surpasses its research capabilities, as the latter requires a more real-time index to provide the most current information on topics like interest rates or local restaurant recommendations.

As people today use different search engines for specific purposes (e.g., 谷歌 for general queries, 亚马逊 for products, YouTube for videos), I anticipate that the AI-driven search landscape will further fragment, with users turning to different AI engines for diverse types of search intent.

Perplexity’s growth upends SEO fears, reveals crack in Google’s dominance - VentureBeat.?

The Fight for Prime Real Estate and the Challenges of Content Moderation

I also see another fascinating battleground emerging: the fight for what I call the "prime real estate" of information.

Take Reddit, for example. When they went public, they secured a $200 million three-year deal to license their data for training LLMs. The key question is, who is licensing this data? It is likely to be companies like Google.

This leads me to believe that access to curated, high-quality, real-time training data will be another critical aspect of the search and AI competitive landscape.

The integration of AI into search also presents new challenges, particularly in the realm of content moderation.

As AI engines start to assert their own informed opinions and present pros and cons for various queries, there is a risk of bias and misinformation.

One of the significant challenges I think with LLMs is navigating the lines between opinion and bias. In the past, Google's algorithm incorporated concepts like "Query Deserves Freshness" and "Query Deserves Diversity."

"Query Deserves Freshness" ensures that the content is up-to-date and relevant to the current moment, while "Query Deserves Diversity" aims to surface a range of perspectives and information types, empowering the searcher to make informed decisions.

In the LLM world, it will be fascinating to see how they handle this balance as AI is now deciding what is good and what is bad.

For me, this shift was eye-opening. For example, when searching for "BMW X3" using an LLM, the results might say something like, "The performance is great, but it's expensive to maintain, parts are hard to find, and it's not very comfortable." Imagine being BMW, investing $300 million a year in US advertising, only to have car shoppers searching for your product and encounter this informed opinion, potentially reshaping their entire consideration set for buying that car.

It raises an interesting question: what constitutes a pro or a con? How will they decide what is positive versus negative? Balancing "Query Deserves Freshness" and "Query Deserves Diversity" becomes even more complex when AI is forming opinions rather than simply presenting information.

2. What Does this Mean for Marketers, Businesses, and Brands?

The Importance of Citations

Citations are the new rankings. For brands to win, they need to be the cited source. It’s that simple.?

Case in point, BrightEdge Generative Parser? has found that over half of the citations in Perplexity's results come from the first page of Google.

What is also interesting is that while overlaps exist, there are many signals that show how search engines can differ and hold niches in certain areas and verticals also.?

• Reddit is a top domain across most of Perplexity’s citations by industry for seven of the top nine industries, with Healthcare and Finance as exceptions.
• For Healthcare, Restaurants, Travel, and Education, Perplexity and Google have a similar focus on high authority websites such as the Mayo Clinic, a top-ranked hospital; Yelp and TripAdvisor, trusted restaurant, and travel sites; and online course provider Coursera.
• In E-Commerce, both engines heavily source Wikipedia and Amazon, but the overlap stops there. Google uses Quora and Consumer Reporters for third-party product information, while Perplexity references Reddit. Overall, Perplexity is most likely to reference product sites, whereas Google SGE will also include informational resources such as lifestyle and news sites.
• In Finance, Perplexity’s citations skew heavily toward Yahoo, MarketWatch, and CNN.

For marketers, this means that on every type of search engine being recognized as the cited by AI in your domain of expertise become crucial.

This is the new frontier of winning in the post GenAI era.

The good news if you are already ranking well, you have a great foundation and head start. I recently spoke to the Newstack of the importance citations and publishers as part of a conversation on chatbots and search engines that you can learn about below:

SEO Implications of Search Engines Morphing into AI Chatbots – The NewStack

The Importance of Being an Authority

The concept of being an authority is more relevant and important than ever. The good news is that if you are already performing well and establishing yourself as an authoritative source then new AI models will continue to recognize, cite, and pull information from you as a trusted source.?

As marketers or as a brand you need to ask yourselves: what is our company's superpower? Where do we have the right to win? What content can we create that aligns with our natural strengths and positions us as the go-to source?

The rise of AI in search underscores the importance of being an authoritative source in your area of expertise.

And there is more. As AI models become more adept at surfacing and citing the most relevant and trustworthy information, it is crucial to establish your brand as a go-to resource in your area of expertise. This means doubling down on your core competencies and creating high-quality, informative content that highlights your unique value proposition.

Whether it is Google's AI engine or Perplexity's, if you are consistently producing valuable content in your niche, you will be well-positioned to be cited as an authoritative source.

Final Thoughts: How to Prepare for the Future?

Clearly the future of search is being rapidly reshaped by AI, and the implications are profound. My advice for businesses and marketers is that you must adapt to this new reality by focusing on your core strengths, creating authoritative content, and staying ahead of the landscape.

The rise of AI-powered search brings both opportunities and challenges. It empowers searchers, fragments the search landscape, and fundamentally transforms how users search engine and marketers interact.

To thrive I believe businesses must establish themselves as the go-to authorities in their respective domains, ensuring their content is cited and rewarded by AI engines.

And if you are a business leader or owner, you must also ensure your teams are aligned to adapt to optimize for multiple types of search engines and the formats they serve in their results.

As Gates law states:

“Most people overestimate what they can achieve in a year and underestimate what they can achieve in ten years.”

In this era of AI, this applies more than ever, and maybe even faster. My prediction: the big change happens in five instead of ten!

Shift happens.

Further Related Reading and Research

How influencer agencies are adapting to TikTok’s SEO incentives

Digiday, 60% of Perplexity citations overlap with the top 10 Google organic results

SearchEngineLand, Perplexity Referrals to Brand Sites Growing, Data Shows

MediaPost, How To Adapt Your SEO and Content Strategies for SGE and AI Experiences

The Content Marketing Institute (CMI), Preparing for the “Searchquake” that Will Impact Every Industry and Marketer

BrightEdge Blog, The Ultimate Guide to SGE

BrightEdge, The Ultimate Guide to Perplexity

BrightEdge, BrightEdge Generative Parser? Identifies and Detects Patterns in New AI Search Experiences

?

?

?