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When Microsoft announced it was bringing OpenAI's technology to Bing, businesses started complaining about the potential loss of web traffic. What about all the effort put into Search Engine Optimization (SEO)? Google's entry into this space with Search Generative Experience (SGE) has brought even more criticism. But new research from AI-first search engine Perplexity suggests these concerns may be overblown.
“It's a very exciting time with what's happening around AI and search,” Jim Yu, CEO of enterprise SEO platform BrightEdge, told VentureBeat. “Over the past few decades, search models have evolved incrementally. Now, a major shift is occurring. New AI models are fundamentally disrupting search.”
Yu's company has spent time parsing its database of queries run through Perplexity and analyzing the results to understand the future of search and what it means for consumers and businesses. Ta. According to their research, Perplexity's referral traffic from search engines to branded websites has increased by 40% month-over-month since January. Additionally, 60% of his citations match Google's top 10 organic search results. This means users using Perplexity will see similar and relevant answers to their queries, just as they would using traditional search.
“The beginning of the dawn” for Google’s rise to glory
Whether AI is involved or not, companies still need to invest in SEO, Yu explains. But in the age of AI, credibility is key to getting your site cited frequently in answers. “If we rank high today, we can get a head start,” he says. However, instead of focusing on optimizing individual pages, think more broadly. “Sharpen your concentration. On what subject do you have the right to win?” he asks.
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Google has been the undisputed search leader for decades, but AI, especially generative AI, is threatening its market dominance. Perplexity's increased referral traffic is proof of that. “This is the first time I've seen someone change market share with any velocity in terms of actual referral traffic. [brand sites]'' Yu said, though he acknowledged that Google was in no way holding back. “That's just part of the [of market share], but the momentum is there. ”
To understand how perplexity impacts search, Yu looked at the nine industries BrightEdge looked at for the study: healthcare, education, B2B technology, restaurants, travel, entertainment, insurance, finance, and retail e-commerce. I listed. The team uncovers the differences between Google's His SGE (still in beta at the time of this writing) and His Perplexity domains, revealing which content his sources receive the most on which search engines Did.
- Reddit is listed as the top domain in 7 of the top 9 industries, excluding Healthcare and Finance
- When it comes to finance, Perplexity prioritizes Yahoo, MarketWatch, and CNN
- Mayo Clinic, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Coursera are considered authorities on healthcare, restaurants, travel, and education, respectively.
- E-commerce is an area where Perplexity and Google don't exactly see eye to eye. Both use Wikipedia and Amazon, but when it comes to third-party product reviews, Google uses Quora and Consumer Reports. Reddit is once again Perplexity's preferred site.
Some sources are pulled in thanks to paid partnerships, while others are obtained through the open web. In any case, Yu argues that this is an example of “seaside real estate” where generative AI engines need to contract with online communities to obtain the training data needed for their models. . Take a look at Reddit's licensing deal with Google ahead of its IPO, or its partnership with Yelp and Perplexity.
confusion on the move
BrightEdge's report follows Perplexity's announcement that it will soon show branded ads in search results. The AI search engine company displays native ads on relevant questions and allows advertisers to control what follow-up her queries are displayed. Such a move appears to be in contrast to the company's claims on its site that search should be “unaffected by ad-driven models,” said Dmitry Shevelenko, Perplexity's chief business officer. told AdWeek that advertising has “always been part of who we are.” I'm going to build a great business. ”
If this evolves beyond native ads and sponsored questions, could there be an equivalent to Google AdWords in Perplexity? Although nowhere near the scale, this would bring AI apps more like Google and help digital marketing This may increase the interest of the person in charge.
Search advice for marketers
Perplexity's growth a year after its founding shows that AI won't necessarily destroy web traffic or make people rethink Google search marketing. In fact, once his SGE is released from beta this year, perhaps Google I/O will once again secure Google's top position. “Never underestimate Google,” he says Yu. “[It’s] It is very dominant in referral traffic. ”
However, based on BrightEdge research, he offers the following insights:
- Identify the areas in which you have the most expertise in terms of topics. What right do you have to win with your content? Traditionally, SEO involved optimizing a few keywords. However, Yu now recommends optimizing as follows: conversation. One response will trigger a follow-up query along with another, so make sure your site includes all relevant content.
- Make sure your site includes structured information for AI search engines. Metadata is used to tell AI things like where the content comes from and who created it. Additionally, it provides models with an easy way to tag and cite the sources of information that they obtain. If he is already doing SEO well, this will not be a problem.
- Consider breaking down silos within your organization. Yu explains that optimizing for the web requires collaboration from everyone on the team, regardless of department, because the AI experience brings everything together.
It is important to note that this report does not imply that Perplexity is a better marketing tool than Google. Instead, Yu says the young startup's snapshot “marks the beginning of further search models” and urges companies to prepare. He elaborates that he can ask questions on Perplexity, rely on Google to help with shopping and travel planning, and then use OpenAI's ChatGPT to find out how to purchase a billing system. doing. “More than one he needs to prepare for a world where AI engines exist,” he says Yu.
“AI-first engines are steadily gaining ground and carving out specializations of their own, making it important for the marketing community to master multiple search platforms. There is too much revenue to be left behind. That's why we closely track the development of these engines and everything about AI search, from traffic trends and queries to quality of results and more.”