AI-enabled search will create a new chasm between websites of legitimate experts and copy cats. Legit experts will find it much easier to stand out online and achieve higher rank in search engines. Copy cats, will find it much harder. But to achieve this it relies on specific efforts you must take.
You must be willing to implement a consistent and repeatable process to extract expert insights and present them in writing. Ideally, accompanied by media like photos, a podcast or video.
What’s the problem?
If you’ve ever searched the web for a simple and straightforward answer you know how hard it can be to find precise information. You’re often forced to read past 5 paragraphs of useless fluff before you see the answer to your question. Briefly, this is because ranking in a search engine and creator helpful conent for readers aren’t aligned. At least, not historically.
Search engines like Google reward lengthy content, headings, keywords, and intense level of detail. To oversimplify, Google equates more words with more value. (They deny this.) They also reward various backlinks as a form of internet currency. This system is gamed often and that leads to a bad experience.
To “game” the search engines, “SEO experts” essentially look at each other’s high ranking content, and try to add value and make an even more detailed piece. They also reach out to various websites who have linked to the source they want to outrank, and ask for that website to link to them instead.
If it sounds like a lot of busy work without adding any real expertise, you’re exactly right.
How does AI solve this?
AI search from Bing Chat, and possibly Google Bard scans multiple sources with similar content at the same time, presenting only the most relevant information across those sources—to oversimplify they find the unique aspects, and present that to you. It will then provide sources you can expand if needed.
If you’re searching for “how to jump start a car” for example, Bing Chat knows to skip the 5 paragraph history of cars and give you only the proper steps you requested.
The bottom line here is this: AI-search tools like Bing Chat combine and summarize content that looks the same. So, to win the new AI-search race, how do you win? Create content that is truly new.
How to get AI search like Bing Chat to source your webpage
AI search still needs fresh inputs to source. It has no way of sourcing new information happening in the real world. It can’t source new research, new processes, or new inventions unless those insights are posted on the web somewhere. This means, those who provide fresh inputs, win the search battle.
Your company can be the one posting new inputs.
In the case of a manufacturing client of mine, a world leader in a particular niche of manufacturing, this new era of AI search is to their advantage. Their material science teams and engineers are always experimenting with plastics, optics, and manufacturing. They’re always learning new ways to manufacturer precision technology.
They have first-hand knowledge and experience no one else in the world has.
The challenge for you then, is extracting expert insight, research, or a unique point of view into a form AI-search tools can consume and index. If you consistently provide fresh input into the web, AI-search tools will continue to source you.
Even if you’re an online magazine or website that doesn’t have expertise in a particular area, you can still be the one to do the work, uncover new inputs and provide them. Think of your company website as a bank account. The more deposits you make, and the more often you make them, the more it grows.
Podcasts are one really effective way to provide inputs BTW.
Image created with Bing Chat
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