How Will AI Chatbots in Search Engines Affect SEO?

 Posted on February 28, 2023 in Search Engine Marketing

In recent months, news about artificial intelligence (AI) tools has come out at a near-constant pace. While it was once a novelty, AI has developed to the point that people are able to use it to answer questions, look up facts, and even write content such as essays, scripts, and computer code. The popular tool ChatGPT has impressed many people with its answers to questions and its ability to create well-written content in response to simple requests.

Technology companies have taken note of the many uses of these tools, and people who use search engines may soon start to see these features incorporated into online searches. Microsoft bought OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, and the company has begun to incorporate this chatbot into its Bing search engine. Google has taken similar steps, and it plans to introduce its own chatbot, known as Bard, into online searches and search results. These new tools leave website owners with questions about how they will be affected. When users will soon be able to get the answers they are looking for by having a conversation with a bot, will they still want to click on search results and visit websites? By understanding the answers to this question, website owners can make sure they are continuing to follow the best practices for search engine optimization (SEO).

Will People Still Visit Websites When Using AI-Powered Search?

For most websites, the purpose of SEO is to make sure they appear in search results for people who are looking for their products or services. SEO has focused on making sure a website targets the keywords that people type into search engines so that a link to the website will appear in the search results for people who are looking for answers that the website can provide.

With the rise of AI chatbots in search engines, website owners may be concerned that people will get their answers from a conversation with a bot, and they will have no need to click on links and visit a website. However, while a chatbot can provide some simple answers, it usually will not be able to fully explain what people are looking for. This is especially true in cases where people are searching for products or services. They will still need to click through to a website to make a purchase or contact someone who can help address their needs.

While chatbots may highlight a few of the most helpful websites in the answers they provide to queries, search engines will still include a list of links to pages that may answer people's questions. This highlights the importance of making sure a site has the best answers to questions its target audience is likely to ask, since this will make the site more likely to be highlighted in both chatbot queries and other search results.

In essence, the SEO strategies website owners will want to use are the same as those that have been recommended by experts over the past several years. Even though AI chatbots are only beginning to be integrated into search, Google and other search engines have been using AI tools to refine search results for some time. These tools allow people to ask questions using natural language, and they look for information on websites that will provide the best answers for users. By continuing to follow the best practices for SEO, which include creating well-written content that provides value for users and designing websites in a way that is easy to navigate and provides visitors with a good experience, website owners can take steps to ensure that people will find them in online searches.

Contact Our SEO Professionals

As search engines become more powerful and offer users more tools to find the information they are looking for, SEO will be more and more valuable. It is crucial for website owners to ensure that their content and website designs follow the best practices and target the right audience. At OVC Lawyer Marketing, our SEO experts understand these best practices, and we stay up to date on the latest developments with Google and other search engines. We build websites and create content that is optimized to rank well in searches for people in a website's targeted audience. To learn more about how we can help you build the best digital marketing strategy, contact us at 630-635-8000.

Sources:

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/how-bing-ai-search-uses-web-content/480643/

https://www.seoclarity.net/blog/google-and-bing-unveil-ai-chat-search-what-does-it-mean-for-seo