Future of Search: AI, Smarter SEO & Personalised Experiences

In Part 1, we explored how user behaviour and the rise of social search are reshaping the way we find and engage with content and how search engines like Google are adapting. In this second part, we’re looking at it from a marketer's perspective and diving into how AI is revolutionising SEO, transforming content creation and personalising the digital experience.

From AI-driven SEO tools to generative AI, the era of smarter and more intuitive search strategies that allow businesses to stay ahead in a rapidly ever-changing digital environment is upon us.

AI-Powered SEO: Optimising Smarter, Not Harder

Despite social search likely becoming the primary method for younger generations, it’s not all doom and gloom for our familiar pals over at Google and other search engines. 

There is a new era for these platforms. The era of AI-driven SEO. AI tools like Surfer SEO and MarketMuse (with more tools constantly emerging), enable just about any business to optimise their website and content. By leveraging AI, businesses can automate things like keyword research, predict user behaviour, and generate dynamic content at scale. A study by HubSpot found that 85% of surveyed marketers believe generative AI has influenced how they’ve created content, lending itself to the idea that it will inevitably integrate into their overall SEO strategies.

Google is going even further with their Multitask Unified Model (MUM), and it’ll herald in some big changes to searches. While still in its testing phase, it’s designed to handle complex search queries with context and deliver answers that cross multiple languages and formats. They’ve also recently rolled out the Search Generative Experience (SGE) that uses a custom Gemini model to provide more relevant search results by better understanding context and intent.

Generative AI and Personalisation: Intelligent New Frontiers

The integration of Generative AI into search engines looks to redefine how users interact with search results. 

As mentioned before, search engines and other platforms have begun to rollout AI in search queries for more relevant and personalised results, while tools like ChatGPT and Google's Gemini AI are enabling more conversational and context-driven search experiences. These systems can anticipate user intent, and for businesses this means creating content that ranks by answering the questions of users interacting with these tools in real-time. HubSpot released their research on the state of generative AI that sheds more light on the impact it’s making across the marketing landscape with some key highlights below.

Meanwhile, AI-driven personalisation is already influencing e-commerce and content marketing, allowing brands to serve hyper-targeted recommendations and articles. According to McKinsey, 71% of consumers expect companies to deliver personalised interactions, while 76% of consumers get frustrated when they don’t receive it, and businesses that succeed at delivering personalisation generate 40% more revenue. Those are some big numbers.

Preparing for the future of search 

As search becomes more intuitive and AI-powered, brands must adopt a holistic digital strategy that integrates new technology and tools to stay ahead and continue to innovate. 

It’s not as simple as just being found on Google anymore – this new era consists of creating experiences that engage, inform, and convert audiences in different ways on different platforms.

Brands that want to stay ahead of the curve are shifting to smarter and more versatile strategies that match the shifting behaviours of users to meet them where they’re searching and position themselves well for the future.

If you missed Part 1, you can read it here. 

If you’re looking to create personalised experiences and smarter content to connect with your audience, get in touch.