The question of whether Google will survive the AI tsunami is being answered quicker than expected
The explosion of artificial intelligence has indeed had a significant impact on Google search volume — but maybe not the one naysayers were predicting in the last quarter of 2022.
Google responded with counterpunches that integrated AI into its search methodology and leveraged machine learning algorithms to improve on understanding the intent behind user queries and provide more relevant results.
In addition, AI has also enabled Google to provide more personalized search results based on a user’s past search history and other online activities. This has led to an increase in search volume for long-tail keywords and niche topics, with the improved results for specific search queries.
How has AI impacted Google’s search competitors?
Artificial intelligence has had a significant impact on the search industry as a whole, and Google’s competitors have not been immune to it’s impact. With the rise of AI-powered search technologies, companies like Bing and Yahoo have been investing heavily in developing their own machine learning algorithms to better understand user intent and provide more relevant search results.
Additionally, some new players have entered the market, such as DuckDuckGo, which offers a privacy-focused search experience powered by AI and natural language processing. Overall, the competitive landscape of the search industry has been shaped by the increased adoption of artificial intelligence, as companies work to keep up with Google’s advances in this area.
How can small businesses compete in this intimidating new landscape?
There is no question that small businesses must adapt to the changes AI has wrought on the search engine landscape in order to remain competitive.
Here are some ways they can adapt:
- Optimize for voice search. With the rise of smart speakers and digital assistants, voice search has become increasingly popular. Small businesses should optimize their website content to be more conversational and use long-tail keywords that mirror the way people speak.
- Focus on quality content AI search algorithms are becoming increasingly sophisticated and can identify high-quality content that is relevant to users. Small businesses should focus on creating high-quality, informative content that provides value to their target audience.
- Utilize structured data Structured data helps search engines understand the content on a website and present it in a more useful way.
- Personalize user experience AI-powered search engines can personalize search results based on user behavior and preferences. Small businesses should leverage personalization to provide a more personalized user experience and increase engagement.
- Keep up with updates AI-powered search algorithms are constantly evolving, and small businesses should keep up with updates to ensure their website remains visible in search results.
Staying informed and adapting to changes will help small businesses stay competitive in the new AI era. And you do have the option of super affordable, expert SEO packages for small businesses and start ups available (blatant self-promotion warning ahead!) from seo57. Who knew?
The right mix of social media and SEO is key
Investing in both social media campaigns and SEO investments can have different outcomes depending on your business goals and resources. Here are some general insights:
Social Media Campaigns
Investing in social media campaigns can help increase your brand awareness, reach a larger audience, and engage with your target customers. This is especially useful if you have a strong social media presence, aim to generate referral traffic to your website or if your business wants more engagement in the social media arena. Social media can also offer valuable insights about the preferences of your target audience. However, social media campaigns are ephemeral, meaning that your content has a limited lifespan before it falls off of users’ feeds. Oftentimes, social media is best used as a supplement to other marketing channels.
SEO Investments
Investing in SEO can help increase organic traffic to your website and improve your website’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). SEO provides long-term benefits for your business, helping to sustainably drive traffic and generate leads. By enhancing your site’s authority and optimizing for the right keywords, businesses may see a stronger brand presence and a higher return on investment (ROI) over time.
Ultimately, which one you invest in more will depend on your company’s unique goals. However, it is good practice to have a healthy mix of both social media and SEO investments to best reach your target audience.
The surprising method hackers are using to defeat CAPTCHA’s
The cat and mouse game between web security forces and those who seek to exploit that has taken an interesting turn. The Hacker News is reporting that actual human beings are defeating the process and rendering bad bot filtering useless. Check out the full story here : CAPTCHA-Breaking Services with Human Solvers Helping Cybercriminals Defeat Security.
WordPress Roundup
- On May 16th WordPress made it’s first update to v6.2 available, a maintenance & security release (6.2.1). It addressed a short list of bug fixes and patches to recent vulnerabilities. If you have concerns that your WordPress site is not adequately protected in 2023 against bad actors, please reach out to us for a no-obligation site review and phone consult.
Remember — it’s not the WordPress platform itself that is vulnerable, it’s the lack of attention by website owners that create the daylight hackers need to do their thing. No different than if you left your front door wide open all night, then in the morning wonder why you got robbed.
WooCommerce Roundup
- WooCommerce 7.8 Beta 2 has been released and can be downloaded here if you’re interested in testing it out.
