It’s the end of search as we know it (…and I feel fine)

In late 1987, REM launched a rock anthem that would become a staple of cassette tape collections around the world. “It’s the end of the world as we know it” discussed how significant and often disruptive change is constantly happening and despite the feeling of impending doom, we’ll all be fine. And that is exactly how I feel about the future of AI and, for the purposes of this article, the use of search engines as we’ve known them, which are undoubtedly headed for large-scale change. I’m not one for hyperbole so I say this with confidence: search as we know it is absolutely changing.

The way humans have created, consumed and shared information has been on a constant cycle of evolution since inception – cave wall drawings gave way to scrolls, books, then libraries of books, encyclopedias that summarized those books, then the internet, user generated content, and now machine generated content based on human knowledge. This latest leap is already impacting search behavior; for the first time, we can ask questions of all human knowledge and receive answers that are delivered back with a human-like analysis… in seconds… and for free.

If you’re running a B2B brand you need to take this seriously. This is not a trend. This is not a fad. This is a sea change. And for the purposes of this piece, search marketing and online reputation management strategies will evolve quickly.

Below are a few trends and predictions along with actionable steps to start considering… and no, I did not write this with AI 😊:

1. Bye Bye Search Bar. Hello Prompt Bar:

The search box will become irrelevant as more users move towards prompt-based experiences. Google’s AI Overview already provides a summary result at the top of the fold, before the search results themselves; this movement towards AI driven outputs will only accelerate. People are rapidly moving from expecting a list of websites to wanting answers. This change in expectations and behaviors is already lowering organic click volumes and thus organic search traffic to websites. In the short-term, this makes your paid search program even more important. In the long-term, this means rethinking your content and advertising strategy to better align with user behavior and changing technology.

What to do? In lock-step with your existing SEO program, you should begin to explore content creation programs that answer the types of questions your brand is meant to solve for. You may need to rethink some of your headlines and copy-style to be more solution oriented and perhaps even begin to create versions of content for different audiences and use cases. The more relevant you are to someone’s needs, the better chance you have of showing up in the right ways. You should also scrutinize your websites on whether they’re easy to scan and get information from since this will feed the models that ultimately produce prompt responses.

2. Relevancy Rises Further:

As AI platforms become more sophisticated (already happening in some closed systems like Google, Microsoft, etc.); personalized search results means that information highly relevant for you will be different than what is highly relevant for me – e.g. a search for “best ETF for retirement” might serve a different result for a high earning 45 year old in a high tax state versus a retiree with a modest income in a low tax state.

You can easily imagine personalized AI search environments that couple all of the information on the web with all of the information about you. You can already give AI the information it needs to personalize results in your written prompt, but soon, your AI of choice will already know everything you want it to, including your age, income, tax statements, property ownership, health records, etc. The responses you get will be given with your specific information in mind.

What to do? Your brand needs to take traditional SEO and bring it to the next level, finding ways to create content and versions of content that are related to evolving prompt behaviors more than ever!  If your brand isn’t showing up in the types of prompts you want to be in, it’s time to look at your content strategy. Whether it’s video, social, website or PR, they will all matter more than ever! And if you’re not actively checking prompts and responses for your brand, then you’re already behind!

3. Google’s dominance will be challenged: Yes, ChatGPT is challenging Google Search / Gemini as a supplement, but it will soon compete with Google Search directly – with a search product planned to come to market shortly. And the sea change is giving old dogs a chance at new tricks – we’re already seeing clients report large upticks in traffic from Bing and Microsoft sources more broadly. This is because Microsoft’s Copilot is embedded in the entire Microsoft suite and thus gives Bing a second chance at stealing real market share from Google. This is happening particularly as Microsoft Copilot becomes further integrated into work environments across Excel, Word, Windows, Outlook and Teams – not to mention its integration as the backbone of search for ChatGPT. The need to go to Google will be replaced with in-software AI assistance. It’s also highly likely that new entrants and startups arise … let’s not forget that Google Search rapidly replaced powerhouses like Lycos, AltaVista and Yahoo at a time when that didn’t seem feasible. Remember how Internet Explorer replaced Netscape… and then got replaced by Chrome? And most people under 25 won’t even know what a Palm Pilot or Blackberry is… things change. Newcomers like Perplexity, Claude and others are changing the face of how we search, and Google has competition for the first time in nearly two decades.

What to do? The implications of the next new norm are still to be determined, but staying nimble and expanding your search marketing programs beyond Google must be top of mind for the next 12-24 months. Begin to move some search budget to other channels as they evolve and test and learn so that you’re ready for sea changes as they happen. Be cautious not to trend chase since there are too many tools but do keep a close eye on organic sources of traffic to your website and investigate as new sources become part of your brand’s traffic mix.

4. Reputation management gets harder: Companies and prominent individuals will have an even more difficult time controlling and managing their online reputations as the online market for information gets further and further fragmented. Whereas most current online reputations are focused on search results, future state will also include how your story is being presented and told across the seemingly endless array of AI interfaces. Even today, a basic question like “Tell me more about company X” can pull back profiles on executives, Glassdoor results, LinkedIn information, comments made on Reddit and use all of the above to produce summaries and opinions on your organization. For this reason, high quality media coverage and carefully curated social media and owned content such as websites will become more important for telling your story.

What to do? Begin to plan for brand management programs that expand the scope of how your reputation is being managed to include all major AI platforms. For example, you can prompt ChatGPT to “Run a simulated brand audit on BRAND NAME” – this will begin to show you how your brand will be interpreted in ChatGPT prompt responses. If you find issues, many of the same tactics for online reputation management still apply. Work on getting better press coverage, work to have misinformation removed and have a large proactive profile that tells your story.

5. Marketing channels will become fragmented: As AI-related platforms begin to include advertising in their offerings, the need to manage multiple search-like platforms will rise and become complex. Given each AI platform is a walled garden, each platform will need to be managed separately, will need to have its own strategy and will require ads that help drive results based on how each platform works. This means marketing will become more complex (not simpler) so while AI related efficiency gains might surface in areas like research and planning, I predict digital related work in complex and regulated industries will become increasingly difficult.

What to do? Seek partners and employees who are highly specialized and knowledgeable about your business. While technology will continue to make things easier and better (like it always has), it will also make things more difficult to do (like it always has!).