“Let Google do the searching for you.”
If you are a business-owner, a marketer, or a content creator, brace yourself.
On May 14, 2024, Google announced the official launch of AI Overviews. This new feature transitions Google from a search engine to a search and answer engine - it uses Google's generative AI to summarise information from websites and give direct answers to users’ search inquiries.
AI Overviews is now officially rolled out in the US for a small number of searches, and Google plans to extend this to over a billion users globally by the end of the year.
The feature is still "experimental, info quality may vary" (you might get an occasional recommendation to use glue as part of a pizza recipe or to eat a rock per day to keep healthy).
AI Overviews is obviously a work-in-progress, but it's clear Google has grand plans for it, and what we see today is just a tiny slice of what's coming.
They argue that AI Overviews will help users get quick answers to their most complex questions - you no longer need to scroll, click through, and analyse. The AI does that for you.
Are you seeing the red flags?...
The implications for search behavior, content strategy, and digital marketing are profound.
The AI Overviews snippets appear above the standard organic search results, so it’s the first thing users see.
Next to the AI-generated answer, there is a ‘carousel’ of references, with usually 3 links visible. These websites are expected to receive the majority of the organic traffic - that is, if users aren’t satisfied with Google’s answer and bother clicking through to read the primary sources.
As for the rest of the standard search results appearing below the AI Overviews, the future doesn’t look so bright.
AI Overviews has been in beta since May 2023 (previously known as Google Search Generative Experience (SGE)), and some businesses have already suffered disastrous effects.
According to the BBC, some business owners say they feel Google's AI is outright stealing their content, arguing that this could be an extinction-level event for a lot of businesses.
"This will be catastrophic to our traffic, as marketed by Google to further satisfy user queries, leaving even less incentive to click through so that we can monetise our content," says CNN’s News/Media Alliance chief executive Danielle Coffey.
Data from the analytics tool Semrush shows that the New York Magazine website lost 32% of its Google Search traffic in the past six months, while GQ.com shrank 26%, and Urban Dictionary dropped 18 million page views - more than half of its search traffic.
Founders of HouseFresh.com say they got “absolutely crushed” since AI Overviews was in beta, having to lay off half of its team.
SEO is clearly undergoing a massive shift in 2024, and it’s a change that could make traditional SEO redundant. Top of funnel information creation as a marketing strategy will become a guessing game, and unless you take proactive steps now, you could see your share of market dwindle or worse, disappear.
Best way to insulate yourself and your business from the whims of Google?
Combine referrals with content marketing and a competent outbound sales function.
Amid perpetual crises and uncertainties, outbound sales - the proactive approach to reaching potential clients who may not be actively seeking your product or service - is a tool more vital than ever before for finding new business.
You get to dictate exactly who you approach and, ultimately, who you work with, empowering you to attract people and projects that energise you the most.
Outbound sales is challenging and takes consistent effort, but when executed well, you are almost guaranteed better quality leads with higher and faster conversion rates, and a more predictable pipeline.
And the best of all, you are in full control, immune to Google’s updates.
If you are interested in building your own outbound sales function, want to know the costs involved, or need a hand with creating a winning sales playbook, we got you covered.
With time, patience and sufficient in-house resources you can absolutely manage this yourself. Don’t have the time or tools for outbound sales? Send us a message and let’s have a chat! 🌿📈
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