AI

SEO in the Gemini Era: How Google’s AI Updates Impact Search Optimization

At the just concluded Google I/O 2024, Google announced expanded AI features for Google Search. How will this impact search engine optimization? Google has been making changes to Google search to improve how users find information in the search results.

The generative AI has even accelerated the improvement since the introduction of Gemini and the search lab’s search generative experience.

Here are some of the updates coming to Google Search in the Gemini Era

Google Search is introducing a new feature called AI Overviews.

AI overviews are summaries of search results that are designed to give users a quick overview of a topic without them having to click on multiple links. The feature has been tested in Search Labs, and users liked that they could get a quick summary and then links to learn more if they wanted. Google is rolling out AI Overviews to everyone in the US this week and expects to bring them to over a billion people by the end of the year.

Ability to Customize AI Overviews

Google Search will soon let you customize AI Overviews. You’ll be able to choose to simplify the language for easier understanding or get a more detailed breakdown of the topic

Search is getting smarter!

You can now ask complex questions in one go, thanks to a new AI model called Gemini. This means you can include all the details you want in your search, like location, criteria, and comparisons.

Google gives an example “For example, maybe you’re looking for a new yoga or pilates studio, and you want one that’s popular with locals, conveniently located for your commute, and also offers a discount for new members. Soon, with just one search, you’ll be able to ask something like “find the best yoga or pilates studios in Boston and show me details on their intro offers, and walking time from Beacon Hill.”

Plan Ahead!

Search can now help you create meal plans and trip itineraries. You can search for things like “easy 5-day meal plan for a group” and get recipe suggestions. Google says you can even customize the plan by asking for vegetarian options. You can then export the plan to Docs or Gmail. This feature is currently in testing but will be expanded to include other planning categories like parties and workouts.

Get AI-organized Results Pages

They’re introducing AI-organized results pages to help you brainstorm ideas. These pages will use AI to categorize different websites under unique headings, giving you a broader perspective on your search topic. This will be available first for searches related to dining and recipes, with plans to expand to movies, music, and more.

Google Search is getting a video search upgrade!

You’ll soon be able to search using videos. This means you can record a problem, like a malfunctioning record player, and Search will use AI to understand the video and provide solutions with steps and resources. No more struggling to describe the issue with text!

What does this mean for SEO?

The SEO Impact of Generative AI in Google Search

In my view, the question of how generative AI in Google searches will affect search engine optimization (SEO) has been a major concern. Is SEO dead? While the impact is undeniable, I believe SEO will adapt rather than become obsolete.

Firstly, website traffic might be affected. Users may get some answers directly from search results, reducing clicks to websites for basic information.

Secondly, content creators like bloggers and writers will face a challenge in crafting high-quality, relevant content that stands out for AI algorithms. However, Google’s inclusion of recommended articles within the search generative experience suggests that valuable content will still be crucial.

In essence, generative AI offers easier information access for users but presents a challenge for content creation.

What are your thoughts?

Using Generative AI in Digital Marketing: Opportunities & Challenges [Presentation]

Generative artificial intelligence became popular in 2023 thanks to the release of ChatGPT in November 2022. It has become a hot topic for marketers and businesses with each trying to see how they can weave in generative AI in their marketing strategy or day-to-day operations.

On 1st December 2023, I was privileged to give a talk on Using Generative AI in Digital Marketing at the 6th Marketers Conference and Awards 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya hosted by the Top Marketers Club.

What are the opportunities and what are the challenges for digital marketers in Kenya? In this article, I will give a summary of the points that I touched on at the conference. Here is how it started.

What is Generative AI?

Generative AI refers to deep-learning models that can generate high-quality text, images, and other content based on the data they were trained on according to IBM Research. Simply put, it includes language learning models that generate texts like ChatGPT, Bard or text-to-image such as Stable Diffusion, Midjourney, and DALL·E 2 among others.

The generative AI market is projected to reach USD 110.8 billion by 2030, and 80% of organizations have already adopted generative AI or plan to do so in the next three years.

What are the Benefits of Generative AI for Marketers in Kenya

I also touched on the benefits of generative AI. I mentioned that generative AI in marketing offers benefits such as:

• Creating high-quality visuals with fewer resources
• Enhanced content creation
• Personalized customer experiences
• Improved efficiency and productivity
• Improved customer service
• Trend forecasting and predictive analytics.

9 Generative AI Opportunities for Marketers in Kenya

Now let’s look at some of the opportunities that generative AI presents for digital marketers 

• Content Generation

Have you started using AI tools to create content? Generative AI presents opportunities for content generation, including content idea generation, converting long-form content to social media posts, creating content outlines, writing the first draft of content, writing press releases, and conducting content research and data analysis. For content generation, you can use tools like ChatGPT or Jasper AI

• Search Engine Optimization

Also, generative AI  can assist marketers with search engine optimization by conducting competitive and keyword research, creating SEO titles and meta descriptions, generating content, and editing and proofreading drafts. You can use tools like Surfer, Bard and ChatGPT to get keywords and cluster keywords.

• Video Creation and Editing

Moreover, generative AI can be used for creating and editing videos, including explainer videos to introduce new concepts or products, promotional videos for marketing purposes, and product demos to showcase features and benefits. You can use tools like Virbo AI, Synthesia, Designs.ai and Rephrase.ai

• Image Creation

You can use AI text-to-image platforms to create images for your social media posts, blog cover ads and even your infographics. It’s time-saving and you can play with different elements. Some of the popular text-to-image websites include Imagen, DALL-E 2, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion

• Voice Generation

Voice generation using AI allows marketers to create unique audio content with customized brand voices for advertisements and marketing campaigns. It also enables businesses to develop AI-generated voice-overs for commercials, podcasts, and interactive advertisements, as well as realistic voice-overs for animations and video games. Examples of AI voice generators include Replica Studios, Lovo, and Synthesys.

• Chatbots and Virtual Assistants

Generative AI can enhance chatbots and virtual assistants by improving natural language processing, personalizing customer interactions, automating content creation, generating insights from data, creating creative content, automating lead nurturing, analyzing sentiment, providing proactive customer service, supporting multiple languages, and continuously learning. This allows marketers to deliver personalized, engaging, and data-driven customer experiences, ultimately driving business growth and success.

• Sentiment Analysis

ChatGPT’s natural language processing capabilities make it a powerful tool for sentiment analysis, enabling businesses to gain insights from customer feedback, reviews, and social media interactions. Marketers can harness this power to uncover customer sentiment trends, identify potential issues proactively, craft tailored customer service responses, predict future customer needs, track brand reputation, and make data-driven decisions that enhance customer experiences.

• Hyper-Personalization

We are now used to personalization but generative AI takes personalization to a new level by predicting and generating content based on customer preferences, allowing businesses to deliver more personalized experiences that customers are more likely to engage with. This can include creating custom promotional offers, personalized shopping guides, or unique user experiences tailored to each customer.

• Automating Process

AI tools that combine public and private AI models with CRM data are becoming increasingly popular for businesses. These tools can help businesses automate tasks, generate personalized content, and gain insights from data. They are often built on robust AI platforms, enabling them to integrate seamlessly with existing business systems. An example of this is Einstein GPT integrated into Salesforce CRM

Challenges of Using Generative AI in Marketing

Some of the challenges that come with using generative AI in marketing include

• Hallucination

Hallucination in AI refers to the generation of outputs that may sound plausible but are either factually incorrect or unrelated to the given context. It leads to misinformation and disinformation and users may lose trust in the

• Copyright infringement

Also, generative AI models can be trained on copyrighted data without permission, generating outputs that mimic copyrighted works or creating counterfeit products.

• Bias, Stereotypes, Discrimination

 While Generative AI is powerful and versatile, can also introduce biases and stereotypes into marketing campaigns if not carefully considered and implemented.

• Data Privacy Issues and Breaches

As you know, generative AI models often require vast amounts of personal data for training and operation, raising concerns about data collection practices and the potential for misuse of this sensitive information.

• Ethical Issues and Regulations 

Lastly, generative AI is a powerful tool with the potential to revolutionize marketing, but it also raises significant ethical concerns and data privacy challenges. To ensure responsible and ethical use of generative AI in marketing, companies must prioritize transparency, fairness, data security, and compliance with relevant regulations.

Conclusion

To conclude, generative AI is revolutionizing digital marketing globally. It allows you to generate high-quality content, personalize experiences, and automate tasks. While it is promising it has inherent challenges that a marketer needs to know such as hallucination, bias and privacy issues. Marketers must stay informed and tap into the power of generative AI