Will Generative AI Mean The End Of Internet Searching And SEO As We Know It?

Before OpenAI’s Monday event announcing ChatGPT-4o, rumors swirled that the company was preparing to launch an AI-powered search product rivaling Google Search. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman put an end to those rumors (for now), but the question remains: will Generative AI change the nature of internet searching forever as more people choose to access information via tools like ChatGPT? Could internet searching (as we know it today) die out altogether? And what does generative AI mean for search engine optimization, an industry worth roughly $68 billion a year.

Generative AI Strips Away The Frustrations Of Searching For Info

Let’s face it: the average internet search experience is clunky at best. Say you’re searching something like “What are the top attractions in Savannah, Georgia?” You’ll probably be presented with thousands of search results. You then have to sift through the top ones and dodge all those cookie notifications that pop up on each website. And then you may have to scroll past paragraphs of SEO content to get the simple answer you were looking for.

Compare this to asking a tool like ChatGPT “What are the top attractions in Savannah, Georgia?” You simply type or speak your question and get an immediate response. The AI trawls the internet, so you don’t have to! It is, generally speaking, a much easier, less frustrating experience for users. (Of course, whether the information you receive from a generative AI tool is 100% accurate is another matter. But the same can be said of internet searching.)

Clearly, this could fundamentally change—and even threaten—internet searching as we know it. So, it makes sense that internet search companies are quickly integrating generative AI into their search offerings. Microsoft Bing was the first to integrate ChatGPT. Google has also released a new search experience called Search Generative Experience, which is designed to help users navigate information online more easily. As an example, SGE users can see definitions by hovering over certain words or accessing a list of key points from lengthy web pages.

In other words, internet search companies are trying to enhance what they do with generative AI so that they can provide a cleaner, less frustrating search experience. But will these efforts be enough, or will tools like ChatGPT gain the competitive advantage? It’s too early to say for sure, but one thing is certain: generative AI is absolutely going to change how we search for information.

Is The SEO Industry Under Threat?

Quite possibly. Traditional SEO tactics could be rendered obsolete by generative AI. SEO strategies provide ways for organizations to convince search engines to favor their website and present it as high as possible in search results. Banner displays and paid ad placements are other strategies to ensure a website achieves a prominent position in search results. But if users are increasingly bypassing search engines and getting their information from a tool like ChatGPT, all those time-consuming SEO efforts and paid placements are meaningless.

Companies like Microsoft and Google know this, which is why they’ve been so keen to add generative AI tools into their search functionality to retain users—even though they know it could affect future revenue from paid placements and banner displays. Consider that 58% of Google’s 2022 revenues came from Google Ads, and you have a pretty clear idea of how much a company like Google stands to lose. This means we’ll mostly likely see search providers like Google and Microsoft monetize generative AI answers in the future—just as they monetized standard search results before.

The big players will be all right, in other words. New revenue streams will emerge for these tech giants as they find ways to innovate with and monetize generative AI. But for the smaller businesses out there who provide SEO services, generative AI could pose a fundamental threat to their business model.

The Takeaway For All Businesses

SEO is just one example of how businesses could be affected (positively and negatively) by generative AI. Generative AI is poised to impact almost every business in various ways. Business leaders should take a proactive approach to understand and leverage this transformative technology.

Start by conducting a SWOT analysis to identify how AI can strengthen your business. Evaluate how AI can be integrated into your core processes to enhance efficiency and customer experience. Stay informed about industry trends and competitors' AI strategies. Launch pilot projects to test AI applications within your organization, and invest in training your employees to work with AI tools effectively. By doing so, you can update your business strategy to harness the full potential of generative AI and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving landscape.