Our short answer: No, ChatGPT is not the future of SEO. But ChatGPT is undoubtedly going to influence the future of the search experience. Before we dive into what that may mean for SEO, let’s back up first:
What Is ChatGPT, and Will It Replace Google?
ChatGPT is a chatbot from the team at Open AI that is accessible to the public. Upon giving it a question or prompt, ChatGPT uses artificial intelligence to generate answers in a conversational, human-like manner. ChatGPT is capable of writing essays, translating text, conducting research, and more.
Image Source: OpenAI
Google definitely finds the public’s fascination with ChatGPT a threat, but it’s unlikely to replace Google by any means. While it won’t be taking Google’s spot, there is no denying ChatGPT’s influence on the future of search engines.
Are Chatbots Coming to Google Search?
With the popularity of ChatGPT on the rise, search engines are looking to incorporate AI chatbot technology into the future of search. Bing is set to launch a version of the search engine with chatbot integration in March 2023. Microsoft has had an investment in OpenAI since 2019, so Bing has a competitive edge they don’t usually have in the search engine landscape. It’s possible that come March, we may see Bing regain some popularity, at least until Google launches a search engine with chatbot capabilities later in 2023.
What does this mean for SEO and organic rankings? We can’t be 100% sure until Bing, Google, and other search engines roll out their own versions of chatbots. What we can be sure of is why users love chatbots. Simply put, chatbots use artificial intelligence and natural language processing to gather information and package it in a way that reads naturally to the everyday user. It may be surprising to some that Google already uses machine learning and natural language processing in their search engine today called MUM.
How Should SEO Strategy Adjust for the Prospect of Chatbots in Search?
Our response to ChatGPT and other chatbots is similar to when Google released MUM. When it comes to content for SEO, we can stay ahead of the curve by creating high-quality content that reads naturally. In particular, people turn to ChatGPT for a natural answer on how to do something or solve a problem.
With that in mind, SEO strategy for small businesses may start to focus on more top-of-the-funnel informational content, which is largely found in blog posts and incorporating frequently asked questions into the content. As a whole, Google continues to push for sites to create helpful content with the user in mind, as made clear by the series of updates dubbed the Helpful Content Updates.
Should Business Owners use ChatGPT To Create Content for SEO?
AI-created content isn’t new, it’s just now more accessible and popular than ever. Some site owners are jumping at the chance to use ChatGPT to create content. It may seem like an easy solution, but it’s one that comes with a price. At best, ChatGPT may help guide you to stronger content, but at worst, it could be detected and deindexed by Google. To use AI content effectively for ranking in search, it needs substantial human intervention and revision.
AI content may be helpful in some areas of marketing, but search may be an area where AI content isn’t as welcome. Google states that Helpful Content updates are specifically targeted to promote “more original, helpful content written by people, for people” in search results. As a result, we do not recommend using ChatGPT to generate content, especially if you’re looking to rank in search.
It’s easy to see the future evolving toward new technology and think that we need to reinvent the wheel. In reality, chatbots and algorithm updates are simply trying to push content back to what it was before the main focus of content was SEO: actual useful content. Content overoptimization has grown prevalent in the last few years. Instead, Blue Corona is committed to making content that’s first and foremost optimized for the user, then the search engine, because that is where the future is headed.
For human-first content that ranks and converts for your business, turn to the team at Blue Corona. For more updates on the ever-changing world of SEO, check out the Blue Corona Blog!
