Artificial intelligence (AI) has evolved over the last few years. In the past, AI was limited to a few commands, such as asking Siri to set the alarm or using Google Maps to find the nearest store. Today, it has plenty of applications to help billions of lives.
With virtual technology evolving, artificial intelligence chatbot programs have become a hot topic for online users. So it’s no surprise when Google eventually released Google Bard, a conversational AI program that adds more advanced AI features into Google’s products – including tools that digital marketers use for search engine optimization (SEO).
What does this mean for the future of SEO? Keep reading to find out more.
What Is Bard?
With the recent overwhelming rise of AI developments, you might wonder, what is Bard doing that’s different from the rest?
Bard is Google’s conversational AI chatbot, similar to the popular ChatGPT. The Google Bard AI was announced last February 6, though the chat service is powered by Google’s neural network using language models from Language Model for Dialogue Applications (LaMDA), which was announced in 2021.
If Bing uses an artificial intelligence chatbot like ChatGPT to augment the search engine’s tools, Google Bard is designed to help with Google’s own searches and other tools. Ideally, Google Bard AI can be used to provide automated support and serve as a helpful assistant to all users.
Benefits of Using Google Bard
Google Bard AI isn’t accessible to the general public as of writing. Though Google’s AI chatbot was announced last month, it’s still in its beta testing phase and is limited to several testers. However, the Google chatbot is expected to be available to the public soon.
Users can benefit from an AI chatbot like Google Bard in different ways, including:
• Simplify Ideas: The Google chatbot can simplify complex topics and provide easy-to-understand explanations to users, removing the need for users to research multiple pages to understand topics.
• Diverse Opinions and Insights: More than just stating facts, the Google AI chatbot can provide insights for user queries where there’s no right or wrong answer. This is great for people looking for different perspectives on a topic.
• Improved Efficiency: Users can get facts and insights faster, especially with Google AI, which uses information on the internet.
How Accurate Is the Artificial Intelligence Chatbot?
While AI has come a long way, it’s not perfect. During Google’s announcement, it demonstrated Bard’s capabilities of answering questions. When asked about discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope, Bard stated that the telescope took the first pictures of a planet outside the solar system.
However, many people took to social media to prove that this was false: the first picture of a planet was taken in 2004 by the Very Large Telescope.
Even ChatGPT and Bing are prone to providing false information, regardless of the confident AI language they use. The problem with AI chatbot accuracy is that they are still vulnerable to slip-ups like these. AI doesn’t look at a database of proven facts; instead, it looks up data and patterns online and essentially fills in the blanks based on what they see.
Both Microsoft and Google have come forward and admitted that mistakes are still possible with AI. They advise users always to double-check the answers and provide feedback so they can improve their AI chatbot technology. Google responded that their Trusted Tester program is still in the works, so it might be a while before we can fully trust Bard for accurate results.
How AI Affects SEO
Some marketers have already begun using SEO AI and other SEO strategies considering conversational AI language models. Most of the potential changes artificial intelligence chatbot programs make are focused on content marketing.
“The introduction of Google Bard marks a significant change in the SEO environment,” said Don Gruspe, a Demand Generation SEO specialist for Thrive.
“It will force companies to concentrate on creating optimized content for natural language processing.”
But what are the implications of AI SEO? Here are some of the ways your existing content marketing strategy can change.
1. AI Can Identify Relevant Keywords
We’ve seen how keyword usage has evolved in content marketing. In the past, companies that used black hat SEO tactics could get away with keyword stuffing and publishing content that users barely understood because it wasn’t written for users but for search engine algorithms. Google later updated its algorithm and now rewards well-written content optimized for users and algorithms.
But now, with AI language models, search results may be able to focus more on content’s user value. And rather than focusing on SEO AI, businesses should have content that’s valuable to users.
“Instead of only focusing on keywords, this entails prioritizing creating high-quality, conversational content that offers genuine value to users,” Gruspe said.
“The capacity of Google Bard to comprehend natural language inquiries is one of the main ways it is likely to affect SERPs. With the advent of voice search and the increasing prevalence of conversational queries, Google Bard will improve the accuracy and relevance of search results by offering more personalized responses tailored to the user’s intent.”
2. Content Could Go Beyond Pages and Text
Earlier examples of AI, like Siri, offer a rudimentary level of results. For instance, try asking Siri a question, and you’ll likely get a list of relevant websites. Users are always directed to pages unless they explicitly ask for a photo. However, the Google AI chatbot could provide more interesting results.
Gruspe believes that, as Google Bard improves, it may provide users with videos, photos and even virtual reality results. If the conversational AI platform finds it relevant, it can help users find what they need in their preferred medium. This could lead to a more immersive and captivating user experience.
3. Optimizing for AI SEO Will Be Necessary
“Google Bard is likely to have a big impact on SERPs,” Gruspe said. Businesses should stay competitive and relevant in an increasingly digital environment by adapting their SEO strategy to the changing AI landscape.
Ways To Optimize for AI
These are some of the ways your website can be optimized for AI searches:
• Create Better Content. “Prioritizing content optimized for natural language processing is another way that Google BARD may impact SERPs,” Gruspe said. “Search engines may start to rank content that is created to be easily understood by machines rather than just targeting specific keywords as AI chatbots grow more common.”
• Optimize Your Web Pages. This can include creating more defined headings, subheadings, bullet points and lists. These can make content easier to understand for AI to gather information on your pages.
• Optimize Your Technical SEO. Optimizing your websites for quick loading times, mobile-friendliness pages and crawlers can improve how AI chatbots see your website.
• Focus on Conventional Content: AI chatbots like Google Bard are designed to understand queries asked in natural language. Creating content that uses conversational language may optimize your content for AI searches.
• Use Long-Tail Keywords: “These are more specific and targeted, which will make it easier for Google Bard to understand the content of your content and match it to user queries,” said Gruspe, This can help Local SEO strategies and businesses targeting a specific location.
• Optimize for Featured Snippets: Create short and direct answers to common queries. This could improve how Google Bard sees and uses your content for relevant searches.
Monitor and Adapt to Changing AI Technologies: “As AI technologies like Google BARD continue to evolve, it’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest developments and adapt your SEO strategy accordingly,” Gruspe said.
How Thrive Can Make Your Website AI-Friendly
While nothing is set in stone until we learn more about AI chatbots like Google Bard, there are steps businesses can take to ensure their website doesn’t fall behind. However, they’ll need the assistance of experienced professionals in the digital marketing landscape.
“Thrive specializes in assisting businesses to stay one step ahead of the curve,” Gruspe said.
“Our SEO team is very educated about the most recent trends and methods, and we can assist companies in creating a thorough plan for optimizing their website for AI. This entails producing relevant, high-quality content and enhancing site speed and mobile friendliness. To keep our clients at the forefront of their respective industries, we also keep up with the most recent advancements in AI and search engine algorithms.”
Adapt Your Digital Marketing Strategy to SEO AI and the Latest Online Tech With Thrive!
Only time will tell whether conversational AI is here to stay for a better user experience or a flawed source of information that can take years to perfect. With the Google AI chatbot and many other search engines integrating AI into their user experience, there’s a chance that effective content marketing will have to consider AI language.
At Thrive, we adapt our practices and digital marketing strategies to the latest tech. This ensures the shift in user searches won’t negatively impact our clients’ online visibility. How AI affects SEO is not yet set in stone, but our techniques can future-proof your website regardless of how the future of conversational AI platform tech goes.
Get in touch with us today to learn more about our digital marketing solutions.
