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🗝️ Google's AI-Search Revolution

A Marketer's Guide to Google I/O

Author

Kole Ogundipe
May 11, 2023

Hey, Marketers.

In today’s email: A Search Marketer’s guide to the biggest announcements from Google’s big conference yesterday.

  • 🤖 Google Search Overhaul

  • 🧠 Google adds Human “Perspectives”

  • 🛍️ Google Shopping

These are easily the biggest changes in Google 25 year history.

Let’s jump in 🪂

P.S. If your teammate will find this info useful, do me and them a big favor and forward this free newsletter to them.

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Google Search Overhualed

And there’s a new acronym in town: SGE

Search Generative Experience (SGE) is something you’ll be hearing a whole lot more about. That’s what Google is calling their AI-powered answers right at the top of your search results page.

The new-and-improved Bard will provide the conversational style search experience. As you can see, the ‘ask a follow-up’ button will refine the answers.

The future of Google Search is built to handle more complex tasks and provide “snapshots” of information with links to resources.

What does this mean for our website traffic? In the prototype above there are 3 preview links to third-party websites in the top right corner. With more links underneath the AI answers. Google claimed: “We’re committed to continue sending valuable traffic to sites across the web”. Traffic to third party-websites from Google may be much lower in future but perhaps more qualified by the context given by the AI.

What about Google ads?

Google is reliant on ads for revenue so while there is uncertainty over the format, Google said: “Search ads will continue to play a critical role”. Expect a lot of experimentation over the coming weeks to balance usefulness and commercialization.

When? 

The search feature will initially only be available in the US and has a waiting list. Google said it will roll out the changes more widely in the coming months.

Google adds human “Perspectives”

Google Search won’t be totally AI

In the coming weeks: "When you search for something that might benefit from the experiences of others, you may see a Perspectives filter appear at the top of search results”.

A Perspectives filter will show long and short-form videos, images, and written posts from discussion boards, Q&A sites, and social media platforms.

Google as Personal Shopper

Google Shopping is getting an AI-makeover

There are 35 billion products listed on Google Shopping. Which have attributes like availability, reviews, materials, colors, and sizes. Plus, YouTube videos! That becomes a rich data set that Google will call on to make product recommendations.

The screenshot below shows the usual ‘sponsored’ Shopping results. Underneath is where AI comes in, with suggestions on what factors to consider when purchasing.

More Headlines:

  • Bytedance is eyeing book publishing next

  • ChatGPT-4 w/ web browsing is in alpha (tweet)

  • Facebook relaunches bonus program for Reels

  • Google’s chatbot Bard is now available to everyone

  • A new report finds that 70% of UK consumers hide their data online

Quick reminder if you made it this far to forward this email to your teammate who’ll find it useful! Thank you!