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- Jan 17, 2023
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Hi All,
It's already been a few months since I initiated the discussion regarding AI & SEO, especially in the case of Google.
I was self-employed as a Technical SEO Consultant before my Fastlane Journey and today I would like to share with you my opinion on the topic, specifically regarding the new SGE (Search Generative Experience), based on the Google IO.
Warning: Many of my views may sound a bit extreme for some people. This thread merely reflects my view of things.
Specifically, I will address the following topics:
Regarding the first point "How do I stand by my initial opinion from 5 months ago":
Relatively the same. My basic thought was that a possible redesigned position 0 - as we will now also get in the form of the SGE - will lead to less clicks on a website. Freely according to the motto: Why still click, if I have already received the answer to my question in the SERP? So I am firmly convinced - now even more than before - that especially websites with predominantly informative content (informational keyword-based) will be affected the most. But more about that later.
Regarding "influence on the user":
A dream. Really, the user experience improves so much that it will bind me even more to Google from a consumer's point of view. Now whether you think that's good or bad, that's up to everyone... Here just the main point, as already mentioned in the first point, that theoretically (if you are satisfied with the AI-generated answer) you don't have to click through one or more SERP results anymore. And even if we have follow-up questions, we don't have to click on a SERP result because of that and then dig in and hope that they will be answered there then. No, because we can now - as we know ChatGPT does - simply ask follow-up questions. At this point, please don't forget that we are AFTER all in the SERP.
Previously, the classic "Search Journey" always looked something like this:
Visit Google > Ask a question > Usually click on the first SERP result (at this point Google is also abandoned) > Search for answer on website XY > Get answer (if not, click on next SERP result)
Now the "Search Journey" for information keywords will/can often look like this:
Visit Google > Ask a question > Get an answer > (optional): Ask follow-up questions if necessary
You can see here that the user no longer "jumps off", but can stay with Google. Of course, the Journey changes if one would like to read through the sources himself, but this is theoretically no longer necessary. Because I could also have a summary created in the SGE via the prompt "Summarize me the first article you used as a citation". Again, I STAY WITH GOOGLE. So where we used to just use Google as an entry point, in the future it can be both an entry point and an end point.
Possible impact on SEOs (freelancers, agencies):
I myself will only touch on this briefly, as I think it adds little value to this forum. In short, I am more glad than ever that I have turned away from this industry. The reason:
Nearly all of my former clients were 90% dependent on Google or SEO traffic in general. The general strategy was always the same: become #1 in your knowledge domain by writing high quality, unique content that helps a potential customer, thereby increasing lead potential. If a company is now 90% dependent on SEO traffic and now the "Search Journey" will change significantly as described in the second point, a traffic drop beyond 50% will have to be expected. If it will not even be a total loss of organic traffic. Of course, this completely depends on how good the AI-generated responses will be in the future. (Here I have to mention again that this consequence falls purely on informational keywords. For transactional keywords it looks a bit different, but more on that later). Consequence of all this:
Why should I as a company still pay an SEO freelancer or an SEO agency, if nobody comes to my site anyway? Or to put it another way: Why pay someone to make sure that I get better SERP rankings in Google if there is nothing left to rank for?
The relevance of organic SEO traffic below the SGE will be significantly lower because of the new SERP "features". That's my take.
On the last point, "Possible impact on businesses":
Probably the most interesting point for users of this forum. To help me organize my thought processes a bit better, I'm now breaking down the entrepreneur types into the following categories:
Affiliates and Content Publishers:
I think that although the model of affiliate marketing is probably less relevant, especially in this forum, and you can't necessarily call yourself an entrepreneur here, but one or the other still pursues this option. Hence my thoughts on this form of "entrepreneur" as well:
Affiliates who live almost exclusively from organic SEO traffic on the part of Google are - sorry for the expression - F*cked. I can't say it any other way (unfortunately). Reason:
(Src: 3 new ways generative AI can help you search)
Again, Google can relatively easily remove the additional intermediate step that takes you to an affiliate page. Why? Because the linking of the items in the screenshot will then link directly to the vendor's sales page or Amazon, for example. There is then no more click to the affiliate page.
The topic just described also applies to classic content publishers such as guidebooks. These usually also live from affiliate marketing and/or banner placements. Above all, they usually live from organic Google traffic. Here we have basically the same problem as I described in the first and second point: If you already get the information you are looking for in the course of the SERP, why click on a SERP result anymore? Again, this will also result in huge traffic losses and as a result, greatly reduced revenue due to fewer affiliate commissions and clicks.
To the e-commerce entrepreneurs:
I think you still have to wait a bit to see what else Google comes up with, but for e-commerce businesses the new SGE or rather the new SERP offers incredibly great potential.
One of the main reasons is the positioning of products within AI responses (see screenshot above). What is suboptimal for affiliates is a dream for e-commerce vendors. Not only do they have to pay out commissions to affiliates less often, but they get free traffic, qualitatively comparable to Google Shopping Ads. I'm talking about the AI space here, not the paid space. That's why it's also free.
I think that especially an always top managed product data feed will become more important than ever. In my opinion, it would also never hurt to connect this - even if you don't want to run ads - with the Merchant Center.
Another reason why I see a lot of potential for e-commerce companies is that you can be played on many more search queries than before. Google, in my opinion, has always been really bad at one thing: delivering good answers / SERP results for very specific questions. Say, the long-tail, especially if it was phrased very specifically. As we've already seen with ChatGPT and the like, the answers here are often very appropriate even for the most granular questions. If you now imagine GPT-like answers being used on Google as well, it now allows e-commerce businesses to show up on many more queries than ever before. Example:
So, I think I have said the most important thing for me. I am of course aware that certain statements on my part may sound very extreme, but as already noted at the beginning, it is my view on things and I would also very much look forward to your input.
It's already been a few months since I initiated the discussion regarding AI & SEO, especially in the case of Google.
I was self-employed as a Technical SEO Consultant before my Fastlane Journey and today I would like to share with you my opinion on the topic, specifically regarding the new SGE (Search Generative Experience), based on the Google IO.
Warning: Many of my views may sound a bit extreme for some people. This thread merely reflects my view of things.
Specifically, I will address the following topics:
- How do I stand to my initial opinion from 5 months ago.
- Possible influence on the user
- Possible influence on SEOs (freelancers)
- Possible influence on companies that are strongly SEO-centered (where SEO is the main traffic driver).
Regarding the first point "How do I stand by my initial opinion from 5 months ago":
Relatively the same. My basic thought was that a possible redesigned position 0 - as we will now also get in the form of the SGE - will lead to less clicks on a website. Freely according to the motto: Why still click, if I have already received the answer to my question in the SERP? So I am firmly convinced - now even more than before - that especially websites with predominantly informative content (informational keyword-based) will be affected the most. But more about that later.
Regarding "influence on the user":
A dream. Really, the user experience improves so much that it will bind me even more to Google from a consumer's point of view. Now whether you think that's good or bad, that's up to everyone... Here just the main point, as already mentioned in the first point, that theoretically (if you are satisfied with the AI-generated answer) you don't have to click through one or more SERP results anymore. And even if we have follow-up questions, we don't have to click on a SERP result because of that and then dig in and hope that they will be answered there then. No, because we can now - as we know ChatGPT does - simply ask follow-up questions. At this point, please don't forget that we are AFTER all in the SERP.
Previously, the classic "Search Journey" always looked something like this:
Visit Google > Ask a question > Usually click on the first SERP result (at this point Google is also abandoned) > Search for answer on website XY > Get answer (if not, click on next SERP result)
Now the "Search Journey" for information keywords will/can often look like this:
Visit Google > Ask a question > Get an answer > (optional): Ask follow-up questions if necessary
You can see here that the user no longer "jumps off", but can stay with Google. Of course, the Journey changes if one would like to read through the sources himself, but this is theoretically no longer necessary. Because I could also have a summary created in the SGE via the prompt "Summarize me the first article you used as a citation". Again, I STAY WITH GOOGLE. So where we used to just use Google as an entry point, in the future it can be both an entry point and an end point.
Possible impact on SEOs (freelancers, agencies):
I myself will only touch on this briefly, as I think it adds little value to this forum. In short, I am more glad than ever that I have turned away from this industry. The reason:
Nearly all of my former clients were 90% dependent on Google or SEO traffic in general. The general strategy was always the same: become #1 in your knowledge domain by writing high quality, unique content that helps a potential customer, thereby increasing lead potential. If a company is now 90% dependent on SEO traffic and now the "Search Journey" will change significantly as described in the second point, a traffic drop beyond 50% will have to be expected. If it will not even be a total loss of organic traffic. Of course, this completely depends on how good the AI-generated responses will be in the future. (Here I have to mention again that this consequence falls purely on informational keywords. For transactional keywords it looks a bit different, but more on that later). Consequence of all this:
Why should I as a company still pay an SEO freelancer or an SEO agency, if nobody comes to my site anyway? Or to put it another way: Why pay someone to make sure that I get better SERP rankings in Google if there is nothing left to rank for?
The relevance of organic SEO traffic below the SGE will be significantly lower because of the new SERP "features". That's my take.
On the last point, "Possible impact on businesses":
Probably the most interesting point for users of this forum. To help me organize my thought processes a bit better, I'm now breaking down the entrepreneur types into the following categories:
- Affiliates and text content marketers/publishers
- E-Commerce entrepreneurs
Affiliates and Content Publishers:
I think that although the model of affiliate marketing is probably less relevant, especially in this forum, and you can't necessarily call yourself an entrepreneur here, but one or the other still pursues this option. Hence my thoughts on this form of "entrepreneur" as well:
Affiliates who live almost exclusively from organic SEO traffic on the part of Google are - sorry for the expression - F*cked. I can't say it any other way (unfortunately). Reason:
(Src: 3 new ways generative AI can help you search)
Again, Google can relatively easily remove the additional intermediate step that takes you to an affiliate page. Why? Because the linking of the items in the screenshot will then link directly to the vendor's sales page or Amazon, for example. There is then no more click to the affiliate page.
The topic just described also applies to classic content publishers such as guidebooks. These usually also live from affiliate marketing and/or banner placements. Above all, they usually live from organic Google traffic. Here we have basically the same problem as I described in the first and second point: If you already get the information you are looking for in the course of the SERP, why click on a SERP result anymore? Again, this will also result in huge traffic losses and as a result, greatly reduced revenue due to fewer affiliate commissions and clicks.
To the e-commerce entrepreneurs:
I think you still have to wait a bit to see what else Google comes up with, but for e-commerce businesses the new SGE or rather the new SERP offers incredibly great potential.
One of the main reasons is the positioning of products within AI responses (see screenshot above). What is suboptimal for affiliates is a dream for e-commerce vendors. Not only do they have to pay out commissions to affiliates less often, but they get free traffic, qualitatively comparable to Google Shopping Ads. I'm talking about the AI space here, not the paid space. That's why it's also free.
I think that especially an always top managed product data feed will become more important than ever. In my opinion, it would also never hurt to connect this - even if you don't want to run ads - with the Merchant Center.
Another reason why I see a lot of potential for e-commerce companies is that you can be played on many more search queries than before. Google, in my opinion, has always been really bad at one thing: delivering good answers / SERP results for very specific questions. Say, the long-tail, especially if it was phrased very specifically. As we've already seen with ChatGPT and the like, the answers here are often very appropriate even for the most granular questions. If you now imagine GPT-like answers being used on Google as well, it now allows e-commerce businesses to show up on many more queries than ever before. Example:
- "buy e-bike senior" (before).
- "As a retiree, which e-bike is best for me if I've had problems with my spinal disc in the past?" (after)
So, I think I have said the most important thing for me. I am of course aware that certain statements on my part may sound very extreme, but as already noted at the beginning, it is my view on things and I would also very much look forward to your input.
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