ChatGPT has so far made a minimal dent in Google’s search engine share despite all the headlines. Overall, it accounts for about 2% of the search engine giant’s monthly volume. In truth, it’s because ChatGPT is not a fully-fledged search engine. However, that’s all set to change.
What is SearchGPT?
SearchGPT is OpenAI’s new AI-powered search engine. Traditional search engines rely on matching keywords to static indexed pages. SearchGPT will offer users a different experience. Instead, it will interpret searches via Generative AI and return results based on real-time information.
In some ways, this is the logical progression of search engines. As we wrote last year, conversation is the new interface. Now, by using Bing’s live index, SearchGPT can respond with up-to-the-minute information, bypassing one of the initial issues with ChatGPT’s reliance on historical training data from before certain dates.
Currently, SearchGPT is in its prototype phase. Once the kinks are ironed out, OpenAI will integrate with ChatGPT, giving its Generative AI tool a powerful new dimension. But for now, the biggest question for marketing teams is how SearchGPT will affect SEO and how teams can optimize for this new frontier.
How will SearchGPT shape marketing budgets in the future?
Predicting how many users will gravitate toward ChatGPT when Search is rolled out is challenging. Several factors are at play, not least quality, convenience, and even the fallout from Google’s antitrust troubles.
One likely thing is that SearchGPT will not include ads. This situation could change the game for many brands highly reliant on acquiring clients via Google Ads. However, while everything is up in the air, there are some clear directions that forward-looking people need to think about when forecasting how they allocate future marketing budgets.
#1. High-quality content
SearchGPT wants to return the best, most in-depth articles. Brands that want to court traffic from SearchGPT links to their article will need to offer serious value and expert opinion that can’t be found on just any website.
Taking advantage of this route will require budget allocation toward content planning and execution.
#2. Images and videos
SearchGPT will also serve images related to a variety of topics. There’s also talk that it might return Generative AI videos. While generative video might not be something brands can use to target their audience, images are a credible avenue. In particular, things like brand infographics, charts, stats, and other visual aids could prove to be interesting ways to drive brand awareness.
Similarly, because SearchGPT provides links to the content it returns, images or instructional videos could prove to be a useful source of web traffic. While appearing on the SearchGPT “front page” will be highly competitive, teams that invest in the process could see serious returns.
#3. SEO adjustments
In point #1, we mentioned how high-quality content will be a big part of making SearchGPT drive traffic. However, there are no guarantees for brand visibility in search responses. Similarly, if people move to SearchGPT en-masse, we could see a downtick in web traffic and a reduction in the effectiveness of SEO and SEO-focused content.
That said, it won’t be the first time SEO is declared dead. Instead, teams must adapt and adjust their strategies and budget allocation.
One of the first adjustments that makes the most sense is to focus more on Bing optimization. After all, it will be the Microsoft-owned search engine index that will form the basis of SearchGPT’s generative answers. So, expect more budget towards that.
Content will still have its place. However, it will be a more omnichannel approach. For example, social media articles, blogs, and other content could form the cornerstone of a more holistic approach to SEO.
Finally, tools that successfully monitor SearchGPT’s performance could do very well, especially if fitted with analytics tools that help optimize OpenAI’s machine learning algorithms. If these tools work as they should, they could represent wise marketing budget spend.
#4. Large Language Model Optimization (LLMO)
If SearchGPT wrestles market share from Google, expect brands to rotate their marketing budgets into Large Language Model Optimization (LLMO). This emerging field seeks to understand and influence the output of models like ChatGPT.
Here is how this could work on a simple level. A business makes a SaaS product that serves a particular need. For example, it could help individuals find and populate leads. Traditionally, that team could write killer content focusing on the keywords, search terms, and topics that matter to their target audience.
In the world of LLMO, brands might provide this content but also focus on things like reviews, affiliate marketing, customer testimonial sites, and even user-generated content that is displayed on social media. The idea here would be to influence the LLM to have a positive sentiment about the brand and, in the best case, recommend the software solution as one of the most credible options when people use SearchGPT to find out how to drive lead generation.
If these methods get results, expect more marketing budget to go toward LLMO experts.
#5. Higher CAC
You may think customer acquisition costs (CAC) couldn’t get any higher. Well, you’d be wrong. If Google search users begin to drift toward SearchGPT, it will mean that more brands are competing for a shrinking pool of users, thus driving up competition. We’ve seen some version of this effect play out in recent years as more brands moved to the digital space.
While there will still be revenue to be found on Google, outmuscling your rivals will require bigger average bids. However, getting more conversions with less spending is a problem that Amanda AI was built to solve.
Amanda AI leverages Sequential Decision Optimization to continuously fine-tune your ad campaigns by analyzing real-time data and predicting the most effective budget allocations.
Our algorithms model each potential decision as a sequence, where each choice influences future outcomes. The AI dynamically adjusts bids and budgets by simulating multiple scenarios to optimize performance over time.
This process accounts for variables such as market fluctuations, consumer behavior changes, and seasonal trends, ensuring that each adjustment maximizes the overall efficiency of your campaigns. The system operates on a feedback loop, constantly learning from new data to refine and enhance its decision-making accuracy.
If PPC success requires outmaneuvering your rivals, then investing in sophisticated ad optimization platforms like Amanda AI will be essential.
Final thoughts
When SearchGPT becomes available for everyone, it could result in major disruptions for marketing teams. As always, there will be big opportunities for brands that adjust. Rotating marketing spend towards new channels will be essential, as will optimizing your PPC campaigns to keep ad bids viable.
