What Does The Future Hold For Search?

The practice of conducting an internet search has become so universally adopted, that if you tell anyone with internet access to “Google it,” they’ll understand what you mean. While Google has rolled out countless feature updates to its search product since its launch in 1998, the concept has remained largely unchanged. Someone types out what they’re looking for in a search bar, and Google (or another search engine) will return a list of relevant results from across the internet. This simple user experience has allowed Google to dominate the world of search for more than 20 years, but for the first time in over two decades it appears that this dynamic might be shifting.

There are multiple factors influencing the search landscape at the same time, but one of the largest is the explosive popularity of generative artificial intelligence. Microsoft’s investment in OpenAI and its Chat GPT tool appears to have been a successful move. Since integrating Chat GPT into Bing search, Microsoft has added more than one million new preview users, and topped 100 million daily active users according to Investopedia. The rapid growth here spurred a modern day tech race as Google quickly followed suit and announced its own plans for an AI integrated search experience with its Bard tool. While increased competition between two industry leaders in search is great for innovation and the consumer experience, it leaves brands with more questions than answers.

With generative AI tools like Chat GPT being so conversational, what will search results look like when these tools are fully integrated?

Will users even see links to my site?

Will my current paid search and/or SEO strategies be outdated in a few months?

I’ve seen estimates that anywhere between 50-60% of current Google searches end without a click. Introducing a more conversational medium to relay information could potentially increase this percentage even further. I’ll dive into potential solutions here later in this post, but I believe it’s important to begin dissecting why search is changing so much before committing to a path forward. I hypothesize that one of the many reasons that Chat GPT became so popular so quickly, is that the experience felt responsive and dynamic. When asking a series of questions to the tool, it feels like there’s a person responding to you. I know this is pointing out the obvious to a certain extent, Chat GPT was designed to feel that way, but it suggests that searching has become more of a social experience than purely informational. The conversational aspect of Chat GPT invokes more of an emotional response than the traditional search input and SERP output.

People buy products/services to solve a problem that they’re currently facing. However, the reason why they buy a specific product or service isn’t always logical. Humans are emotional creatures and despite our best efforts, our emotions often have a greater weight in our decision making process than we realize. Consumers often lean on different social elements throughout their purchase journey such as:

• Social Proof - What do other people think of this product/service? Are other customers like me, and looking for similar solutions? How much can I trust the claims that this brand is making?

• Community - What types of people are fans of this product/service? Do I relate to their personality and their lifestyle? Can I see myself becoming more involved with this group?

• Status - Do the other customers of this product/service appear to be successful? Does completing this purchase move me closer to my more aspirational goals?

Each of the above, and more, can be part of a customer’s evaluation process when conducting research for a potential purchase. In order to find this information, consumers have to actively explore various sources of information across the internet. A Google search won’t serve as a one-stop shop providing insights into the more emotional aspects of the customer journey. As a result, people bounce from platform to platform searching for answers. That might be one of the reasons why Instagram and TikTok continue to experiment with advertising inventory in their respective search results.

The very nature of social media platforms allows them to resonate more with the emotional side of consumers. The rise in popularity of UGC is a testament to the fact that people want genuine reviews and opinions that can be corroborated by other members of their network. Some Google executives are estimating that roughly 40% of people are no longer using search when looking for a lunch spot, they’re turning to TikTok or Instagram instead (according to TechCrunch). This type of search can inspire a greater emotional response with images, sound, and video instead of only text.

All of these changes in media platforms and user behavior are leaving marketers in a precarious position. It’s becoming more difficult to find searchers where they spend the most time, and present them with a relevant message to incentivize a purchase. Targeting some “high intent keywords” with relevant ad copy and landing page content may no longer serve as an effective tactic to generate leads or sales.

As I mentioned previously, now I’ll provide my two cents regarding a path forward here. A potential solution to finding customers in a dispersed search landscape is to lean further into content distribution. I predict that brands won’t be able to rely heavily on only one or two channels to generate growth moving forward. Developing and maintaining a presence across search platforms like Google, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, YouTube, and others might be necessary to educate and capture an audience.

A customer might begin their journey searching for a product tutorial on YouTube, move to find additional reviews and social proof on TikTok, then look to make a purchase on the brand’s website through a Google search. Without having a presence across these channels, brands could be leaving their competitors with strong opportunities to capture additional market share.

While content distribution has historically been labor and time intensive, the new wave of artificial intelligence tools will help to streamline this process. One video can be quickly edited in several shorts, images, and text posts with only a few affordable tools. Integrate this with another social management platform, and a few hours worth of work can create week’s worth of content. Finding ways to work more efficiently will help marketers to evolve with this rapidly changing search landscape.

Have questions, considerations, or critiques? I’d love to hear them! If you’re reading this via email, just hit respond. Otherwise, you can find me on LinkedIn and X (Twitter).