By 2028 brands’ organic search traffic will decrease by 50% or more as consumers embrace generative AI-powered search, a recent report by Gartner on marketing predictions has revealed. The rapid adoption of GenAI in search engines will significantly disrupt CMOs’ ability to harness organic search to drive sales, it said.

It surveyed 299 consumers in August 2023 and found consumers are ready for AI-enhanced search, with 79% of respondents expecting to use it in 2024. Furthermore, 70% of consumers expressed at least some trust inGenAI-backed search results.

Emily Weiss, Senior Principal Researcher in the Gartner Marketing Practice notes that CMOs must prepare for the disruption that GenAI-backed search will bring to their organic search strategies. “Marketing leaders whose brands rely on SEO should consider allocating resources to testing other channels in order to diversify,” she added.

Before AI even became the buzzword of the industry, the traditional Google Search was a go-to for whoever needed information. It was almost like a default action by almost every individual with access to the internet. However, after a year of AI having taken over the world, the question now is - will Google and the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) remain the go-to for searches when chatbots powered by LLMs can dig through the web with context and deliver nuanced orders directly to us?

Probably the tech giant itself has realised that adaptation and evolving with the world is extremely necessary in this dynamic landscape. Hence, even Google searches are powered by AI now. For instance, if we go back to May 2023, a Google blog introduced Search Labs, which brought to light the new generative AI-powered Search experience.

Mitesh Kothari, Co-Founder & CCO at White Rivers Media highlighted the Google AI offering and mentioned that altogether the world is witnessing new technologies and behaviours. “It is going to redefine search forever,” he added.

Step up the SEO 

All of this, however, sounds good if we see it from a user perspective. Reach the other side of the table and look at it from a brand perspective. Weiss’ wise words pointing out reliance on SEO keeps echoing.

Industry experts agree, that as brands, to survive in a world whereSearchis driven by AI, one needs to step up their SEO game.

Rahul Vengalil, CEO and Co-Founder of tgthr, says, “Going forward, brands will have to double up on their SEO game and ensure that whatever listing is currently happening, whatever indexing is currently happening or the content that is being made, has to still exist. The effort that goes into on-page optimization, off-page optimization, content creation, still remains because for Gen AI to pick it up, the content needs to be still indexed. The better it is indexed, the higher the brand will be on the Gen AI response,” he explained.

Initially, if 1 user for 1 search was going to 10 different websites to make a decision, now it might come down to 3 or 5 websites. “So certain brands that are not doing the indexing correctly, will miss out on opportunities. It all boils down to how a brand can tell Google that the content that they have created and displayed is relevant to the information that the consumer is seeking,” Vengalil said.

Shifting from Metadata to Intent-Aligned Content 

As the saying in the industry goes, Content is King, and Kothari also explained why the need for content creation will continue. He, however, pointed out that the type of content going forward will have to change.

“Previously the content on aGoogle Searchmethodology, was created with a thought process of metadata, which would allow you to get indexed much higher onto the Google pages. Now brands might have to end up creating content aligned with intent, because AI will stitch together the context and intent to give you a more relevant response. So, from this perspective, businesses would have to tweak their SEO tactics,” he said.

Kothari also feels that while SEO will be one of the most important skill sets, it is going to undergo a fundamental change. “A major percentage of people is moving toward AI practices, and this paradigm change might have an impact on brand’s organic traffic. SEO practice involves optimising content for search engine algorithms, but the rise of Gen AI may change the dynamics of content discovery,” added Swati Nathani, Co-Founder & Chief Business Officer, Team Pumpkin.

According to Kothari, to remain discoverable, relevant and competitive, marketeers will have to stop just putting out generic content articles, which have keywords. “That will end. That is a very Google SERP methodology, which even Google has been changing over time. Putting in unique elements will provide for an additional option in the search discovery for the brand,” he said.

Abhinay Bhasin, Head of Product Marketing at Profitwheel also highlighted that there will be a high dependence now on relevant content creation at scale. “Generative AI will have a tremendous impact on improving SEO to a large extent but there will also be a high need for human intervention checking, content relevancy and ensuring a lot of content doesn’t get flagged with nuances in certain industry norms and guidelines of search engines,” he mentioned.

Rise of Zero Click Searches 

However, looking beyond content, experts feel that the future of search might also see an increase in ‘zero-click’ searches, where users will directly get answers without necessarily having to click to go to a page or inspire any action.

“While this may be great for users, it will impact businesses [especially smaller ones] reliant on ads for boosting discoverability,” Bhasin said. Speaking of alternatives, he said, “Adapting to changes, marketers will have to focus on avenues to keep users engaged once they arrive on their site, given that itself may reduce. Focussing on targeted ads across other mediums to reach users in moments of relevance could be a key strategy adopted as well.”

Eyes beyond AI 

Even if Generative AI is out of the picture, SEO Indexing remains a key priority for brands, say experts. Especially in a world where search is no longer just restricted to Google, but also has been growing on e-commerce.

Shradha Agarwal, Founder & CEO, Grapes echoed a similar opinion and mentioned that SEO will become one of the most effective spaces for brands. “India is a growing economy, every brand is coming to India which means the number of ads you see in a day will also keep increasing. Amidst so many ways of advertising like via Influencer Marketing or video ads etc, SEO will stand out as the most organic result you can get. SEO Indexing will become one of the most important aspects, not just on Google but also the likes of YouTube and Amazon,” she explained.

Having said that, it seems like not all brands have been able to crack the code to a bang on SEO game as yet. “While the tech or digital brands like blinkit or a MakeMyTrip have been able to crack it well, standalone brands have unfortunately not been able to do so,” Agarwal added.

To surmise, experts opine that no doubt SEO is one of the best marketing practices for organic traffic. But as Nathani says, in this ever-evolving landscape one must be prepared for upcoming challenges and open to learning.