I’m sure most of you have read the headlines: OpenAI and Google are locked in a battle for dominance in the AI-powered search market. OpenAI is preparing to launch a new AI-powered search engine. Meanwhile, Google is not standing still, improving its Search Generative Experience (SGE) with the help of the Gemini AI model. This rivalry is heating up, and it got me thinking—what does search look like in Web 3.0? How do we stand out? How will user behaviour change?

What does it mean to be visible online?

Let’s start with the basics. What does it mean to be discoverable?

Picture yourself rambling through a bazaar. It’s packed with people and so noisy that you can’t hear yourself think. As a shopper, you’re not necessarily there to think. You’re there to browse, hoping to find what you’re looking for without too much trouble. As a vendor, just having top-quality merchandise doesn’t guarantee business. If your stall is tucked in a dark corner, chances are you’ll never be noticed. You’re just part of the noise, no matter how loud you shout.

The internet is a lot like this bazaar. Having the “best” product or offering the “best” deal doesn’t guarantee success if you’re invisible in the moments your audience is searching for you. Without strategic content and a keen understanding of your customers’ behaviour, you might find yourself lost in the digital noise. Being discoverable online means creating a strong, stable foundation that allows your audience to find you easily when they need you.

Gaining traction online requires a blend of educating your audience about your product, demonstrating its effectiveness, and articulating its unique value propositions. Most importantly though, quality content needs to reach your audience in the digital environments they frequent. This is the essence of effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO)—harnessing strategies that connect your website’s content to those searching for—and in need of—what you’re offering.

SEO in a nutshell

SEO blends the art of strategic content creation with technical website optimization, all to achieve a singular goal: ranking higher on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs). This involves optimizing various aspects of your website and content so that search engines—like Google—deem it genuinely useful and relevant to a user’s search queries. The ultimate goal? To drive valuable organic traffic to your site.

From on-page technical elements like schema markup, content hierarchy, and your site’s overall user experience (UX), to off-page factors like social media presence and backlinks, every aspect of SEO works in concert to signal your site’s relevance and authority to search engines. Together, these components signal your site’s value and authority and, in ideal cases, position your content as holding the best answer to a user’s query.

SEO in the age of AI

Now, imagine that same bazaar transforming into an efficient, AI-driven marketplace. Instead of browsing aimlessly, shoppers are guided by intelligent assistants that understand their preferences, predict their needs, and direct them to exactly what they’re looking for. For vendors, this means a significant shift in strategy. It’s no longer enough to simply be present; you need to anticipate where and when your potential audience will be looking and be ready to meet their needs proactively.

In the traditional bazaar, vendors relied on bright signs and loud voices to attract attention. But in this new AI-powered marketplace, the focus shifts to understanding what each shopper wants before they even start browsing. This is user intent—the core of modern SEO. It’s about predicting and meeting the needs of users with precision.

When a shopper enters this AI-driven bazaar, they might not need to shout for directions or scan every stall. Instead, the AI assistant knows they’re looking for a traditional pink vase. It guides them directly to the stalls that specialize in such items, considering factors like their past purchases and preferences.

Understanding the process

Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) leverages generative AI to provide users with more contextual and intuitive search results. SGE uses advanced AI models, like Google’s Gemini, to understand the context behind user queries better. Instead of just matching keywords, SGE interprets the intent and delivers overviews and detailed answers, enhancing the relevance of search results.

This means users receive quick, AI-generated summaries at the top of their search results, reducing the need to click through multiple links to gather information. The AI-generated content is designed to be easy to read and understand, catering to various levels of user expertise. While not perfect, it's just going to get better.

As users become accustomed to receiving more precise and contextually relevant results, their search habits will evolve. Users will increasingly expect immediate, high-quality answers to their queries, reducing their patience for sifting through traditional search results.

User intent matters

In this AI-driven search environment, understanding and leveraging user intent is really important. User intent refers to the goal a user has when entering a search query. Here’s why it’s vital:

AI can predict and personalize search results based on individual user behaviours, past searches, and preferences. This means businesses need to create content that directly addresses the specific needs and queries of their target audience. High-quality, relevant content that aligns with user intent will perform better in AI-driven search results. Businesses must focus on producing in-depth, valuable content that provides comprehensive answers to potential questions their audience might have.

Strategies to adapt

To stay ahead in this new search landscape, we have to adjust our SEO strategies. I found a few key pointers that you can follow:

1. Structure Your Content for AI

How? Use a logical hierarchy with clear headings, include bullet points for key information, and keep paragraphs short and to the point.

Why? Clear headings, bullet points, and concise paragraphs make it easier for AI to generate summaries and improve content digestibility. AI algorithms prefer well-structured content as it allows them to parse and understand the information more effectively.

2. Use a Conversational Tone

How? Write in a natural, conversational style that mirrors how people speak. Use longer, more natural-sounding phrases and questions.

Why? With more people using conversational AI, users are more likely to use natural, longer queries. Conversational AI models, like those used in voice search and chatbots, are designed to understand and respond to natural language, making conversational content more effective.

3. Optimize for Long-Tail Keywords

How? Research and include specific long-tail keywords related to your content. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Moz or SEMrush to identify those keywords.

Why? Long-tail keywords align with the more natural, specific queries people use, making your content more relevant and discoverable. These keywords often have lower competition and higher conversion rates. Making them more budget friendly.

4. Utilize Multiple Content Formats

How? Create and integrate different content types into your website and marketing strategy. Use videos to explain complex topics, infographics to summarize data, and interactive content to engage users.

Why? Videos, infographics, and interactive content engage users more effectively and enhance visibility in AI-driven search results. Different formats cater to different user preferences and improve overall engagement.

‍

Want to know more about the future of search, or discuss when we might hit the inevitable quantum singularity? Get in touch!