En los últimos meses hemos presenciado un cambio significativo en el paradigma de los buscadores, impulsado por avances en inteligencia artificial (IA) y despliegue de este tipo de tecnología dentro de los buscadores. Chat GPT entre otras han llegado para quedarse en el mundo de las búsquedas cambiando todas las reglas del juego y cambiando la forma de vender dentro de un buscador. Todo ello sin olvidar la evolución que actualmente están experimentando las redes sociales. ¿Cómo responde entonces el rey de los buscadores ante este cambio de paradigma?
In the digital era we live in, Internet search engines play a fundamental role in our daily lives. In recent months, we have witnessed a significant shift in the paradigm of search engines, driven by advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and the deployment of this type of technology within search engines. Chat GPT, among others, has come to stay in the world of search, changing all the rules of the game and altering the way of selling within a search engine. All this without forgetting the evolution currently being experienced by social networks. So, how does the king of search engines respond to this paradigm shift?
The adaptation of search engines to artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence has revolutionized the way search engines process and deliver search results. AI-powered algorithms are capable of better understanding search queries and providing more relevant and highly personalized results. Imagine it as if it were your closest confidant: you tell them your problem, and since they know you perfectly, they know how you think, how you act, how you are… and they will advise you on the best option for you. Search engine AI will do the same: it will gradually learn from user searches, their purchasing behavior, interests, to the point where it “knows you” and can provide you with a highly personalized response tailored 100% to you. Semantic search, which takes into account the context and intent of the user, has become a common practice. Furthermore, AI enables search engines to learn and improve continuously as more information is processed.
The rise of social media as a search engine
Google has always been the king of search, but in the past year, Google itself has detected a competitor that is gradually eating into its territory: social media. We cannot ignore that a very high percentage of the time users spend on their mobile devices is on social media. Last year, several studies from Google and Hootsuite revealed that the behavior of the younger generations on the internet is completely different, “40% of young people aged 18 to 24 use social media as their main search engine,” especially when it comes to brand searches.
The increase in the use of social media as search engines is due to several factors. Firstly, social media platforms have become places where people can discover new brands, products, and services. Users trust the recommendations and opinions of other users on social media, providing them with a more authentic and personalized way of searching for information about products or services they are interested in.
Additionally, social media platforms have improved their ability to index and organize relevant content. Through the use of hashtags, tags, and sorting algorithms, social media platforms can present users with content related to their interests and preferences. This allows users to perform specific searches within social media and discover relevant content more efficiently.
This shift has led to increased competition between social media and Google in the online search field and has prompted search companies to adapt to this new digital landscape.
Google’s response: Search Generative Experience
As mentioned in the previous point, the rise of social media search poses new challenges for established search engines like Google. While Google continues to be the undisputed leader in terms of internet search, it must adapt to maintain its relevance and competitiveness.
In response to this change, Google has recently updated its algorithms to include AI and improve its search results. But in addition to that, at its latest Google I/O conference, Google unveiled “Search Generative Experience,” its enhanced search experience supported by artificial intelligence and what promises to be a new era for information search on the internet. With this change, Google promises that this improved search experience will help users “understand a topic faster, discover new perspectives and ideas, and get things done more easily” thanks to the capabilities provided by AI. Regarding more transactional searches, AI will provide a more comprehensive image of what is being searched, helping to simplify purchasing decisions by displaying product descriptions, reviews, ratings, prices, and images… all within the Google search page.
We can already tell you that not only will it change the user experience, but also the advertising environment of Google. With the new search displaying answers directly on the Google page, the number of links shown will be reduced, completely eliminating search ads at the top of the results page that we are accustomed to seeing, and as a result, reducing the traffic generated to websites. At the moment, it is unknown how Google will address search ads within this new experience, but they have announced that “they will continue to appear in dedicated spaces on the results page.”
The paradigm of Internet search engines has evolved with the arrival of artificial intelligence and the growth of searches on social networks. Users are increasingly turning to these channels to find information, as well as entertainment and products. Search engines see their position threatened and have adapted to these changes to provide users with more relevant and personalized results. An example of this is Google with its new search experience that will soon change the way users search, and where marketing specialists must stay updated to adapt to this upcoming paradigm shift.
*Currently, this new search is in the testing phase in the United States.
