As brands, we’re aware of the kind of influence artificial intelligence (AI) has had on search over the last two years. In fact, AI-powered search is changing how consumers search for and discover products online. With advanced algorithms and machine learning capabilities, search engines can now deliver more relevant, personalized and context-aware results for users.
For businesses, online reviews hold even more weight in influencing consumer decisions and search engine rankings, and the need to invest in online review management is greater than ever.
In this blog, we’ll discuss what is AI search, its impact on online reviews and how businesses can leverage them to their advantage.
At a glance:
• What Is AI-Powered Search?
• What Is Sentiment Analysis?
• Why Online Reviews Matter More With AI Search
• The SEO Benefits of AI-Powered Search
• How to Leverage Reviews for Business Growth
• Ethical Considerations of AI-Powered Search
• Polish Your Online Reputation With Thrive Local
What Is AI-Powered Search?
Leveraging machine learning and natural language processing (NLP), AI powered search engines understand the intent behind a query, not just the keywords.
Sentiment analysis allows them to interpret semantic relationships between keywords, predict consumer behavior and fetch answers that are accurate and more aligned with the user’s expectations.
This technological advancement has revolutionized the discovery of products and services by delivering heightened precision in search results.
For instance, if someone looks up a term like “Italian restaurant,” an AI search algorithm considers the user’s location, previous dining preferences and even customer ratings and reviews from trusted sources to suggest the best match.
This shift towards an AI-driven search ecosystem has necessitated that businesses pay closer attention to their online presence.
So now that we’ve answered the question, “What is AI search?”, let’s dive deeper into sentiment analysis, as it plays a crucial role in delivering AI-powered search results.
What Is Sentiment Analysis?
Sentiment analysis, also called opinion mining, is a natural language processing technique that determines whether a text expresses positive, negative or neutral sentiment.
Companies with large volumes of text data from customer support chat transcripts, social media comments, customer ratings, emails, etc., can use sentiment analysis tools to scan the text and extract insights into customer sentiment towards their brand or product.
Sentiment analysis tools are particularly useful for businesses looking to improve their online reputation management strategies. Combined with AI-powered search, sentiment analysis offers brands even bigger data for improving customer service and reputation.
Free and paid sentiment analysis tools with varying accuracy and features are available for download online.
Why Online Reviews Matter More With AI Search
A positive online review is a powerful form of social proof that can tip the scales in favor of a product or service. Inversely, negative reviews can dissuade potential buyers.
Almost 70% of users feel positive about using a business with good customer ratings and reviews (BrightLocal). Moreover, consumers are more likely to be motivated by online reviews than coupons, discounts, free shopping, loyalty programs and other incentives.
This peer-driven feedback system is even more critical in an AI powered search environment.
Here’s why:
Improved User Experience
User experience is crucial for search engine optimization (SEO), as search engines favor websites with seamless experiences. With AI-powered search, user intent is better understood, resulting in more accurate and personalized results.
Positive reviews can also increase website traffic and engagement and improve user experience.
Predictive SEO
Predictive SEO is a term coined to describe the ability of AI-powered search engines to forecast consumer behavior, future trends and search algorithm updates. This is made possible by analyzing vast amounts of data, including customer ratings and reviews.
Businesses with a large volume of positive reviews have more of an edge as they gain SEO benefits and earn the trust and credibility of potential customers.
Voice Search Optimization
Voice assistants like Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant pull answers from online reviews as they are more conversational and closely match the natural language used in spoken queries.
Businesses with a strong presence and positive customer ratings are more likely to be chosen and recommended by these voice assistants, so staying on top of your online review management efforts is essential.
Visual Search Optimization
With the rise of AI comes another groundbreaking feature: visual search. Unlike text-based searches, visual search algorithms process images users submit to offer search results.
To capitalize on the SEO benefits of this technology, businesses must optimize their online content for visual search. Images associated with your products or services must be high-quality and tagged with accurate, descriptive metadata.
Uploading images with clear naming conventions, including relevant keywords and alt text descriptions, can significantly improve your content’s discoverability through visual search.
Businesses should also encourage customers to post images in their reviews, as user-generated content can enhance a brand’s visibility in visual searches.
As this search method becomes more prevalent, a robust visual search optimization strategy will be as crucial as traditional SEO efforts for maintaining a competitive edge.
Needless to say, customer ratings hold a substantial influence on consumer behavior as they affect trust and credibility as well as purchase likelihood.
The SEO Benefits of AI-Powered Search
With AI-powered search, the emphasis moves from keyword optimization to comprehending user intent and optimizing for relevance. Online reviews play a crucial role in this shift by offering valuable insights into consumer preferences and satisfaction levels.
To stay competitive and maintain a positive online reputation, businesses must actively monitor and respond to customer ratings and reviews, ensure a seamless user experience and optimize their online content for visual and voice search.
Some examples of how AI is integrated into search algorithms include:
• RankBrain by Google: This machine learning algorithm utilizes data from past user searches to deliver more relevant results.
• Amazon’s Recommendation Engine: Based on a feedback loop system, Amazon’s AI powered search engine analyzes user feedback, such as reviews, ratings and purchase history, to refine recommendations.
• Microsoft Bing: Uses next-generation OpenAI language model to refine search results and give users a more complete answer.
• Andi: A chatbot and search engine rolled into one that uses AI technology to provide comprehensive search results.
Overall, AI trends and developments in search algorithms are continuously evolving, and it’s up to businesses to stay up-to-date and adapt their strategies accordingly.
How To Leverage Reviews for Business Growth
Now that we’ve established the importance of online reviews in an AI-powered search environment, how do businesses utilize this information to enhance their growth? Here are a few tips:
Monitor and Respond to Reviews
Actively monitoring and responding to customer reviews, both positive and negative, is essential for reputation management. This shows customers that their feedback is valued and can help resolve any issues promptly.
Encourage Customers To Leave Reviews
Encourage happy customers to leave feedback on review sites by sending them a follow-up email after purchase, offering incentives or providing a convenient review submission process.
Use Reviews To Improve Customer Service and Products
Online reviews offer valuable insights into user preferences and brand perception. Use this information to improve your products, services and overall customer experience.
Display Positive Reviews on Your Website
Highlighting positive reviews on your website builds trust and credibility with potential customers as it serves as social proof of the quality of your products or services.
Turn Great Reviews Into Case Studies
Use your best reviews to create case studies and showcase real-life examples of satisfied customers. You can include customer testimonials and write the case study from your point of view or request the customer to write a first-hand account.
Share Reviews on Social Media
Good reviews are great lead magnets for social media marketing. Share positive reviews on social media platforms to attract new customers and improve brand awareness.
Ethical Considerations of AI-Powered Search
AI trends and developments in search algorithms have raised concerns about privacy, accuracy and bias. As businesses integrate AI into their SEO strategies, it’s crucial to consider the ethical considerations of using this technology.
Some of these ethical considerations include:
• Privacy: As AI-powered search engines gather large amounts of data from user searches, there are concerns about how this information is used and whether it is adequately protected.
• Accuracy: Despite AI making search results more relevant, there is also the risk of algorithmic bias, where certain groups or types of content may be favored over others. This could result in skewed and inaccurate search results.
• Discrimination: AI algorithms can perpetuate existing biases and discrimination, leading to unfair treatment of certain groups or individuals.
• Creativity and Ownership: With AI-generated content and search results, questions arise about who owns the intellectual property of this content and whether it undermines creativity and originality.
As with any new technology, adhering to ethical data collection and usage protocols is imperative to ensure the responsible use of AI-powered search.
Polish Your Online Reputation With Thrive Local
While we can’t control consumer sentiment, we can actively manage our online reputation to ensure a positive brand image and increased visibility in AI-powered searches.
Thrive Local is a full-service online reputation management agency that can help businesses monitor, respond to and improve their online reviews. Our services include:
• Online Product Review Management
• Reputation Repair and Management
• Review Monitoring
• Review Response
• Social Reputation Management
• Reputation Management Software
• Online Review Checker and more
Stay on top of the latest AI trends and developments with Thrive Local. Contact us today to learn more about our ORM services and how we can help your business succeed online.
