Search GPT vs Google (a rant), Adjusted Rankings For Off Topic Content & The Web Creator Summit
SEO TL;DR #46 - 04/11/2024
AI SEO
ChatGPT Search: A Game Changer for Instant Information
OpenAI has now integrated SearchGPT directly into ChatGPT, which is available for ChatGPT Plus and Team users. It’s effectively the AI Overviews in Google or CoPilot without the ads (for now) - but is it any better?
I’ve tested it for various keywords, and there are pros and cons. Firstly with something very informational like “can i get a mortgage on an auction property”.
The first thing to note is that the results are unique to the individual, which means it’s unlikely you’ll get the same result as me here - and a bloody nightmare for anyone obsessed with position tracking.
There’s also not much diversity in the sources, which are mainly from one site in this example: The Mortgage Dog. The whole answer is pretty much a paraphrased version of their blog on the matter, minus the branding.
The fact I haven’t needed to visit the site makes things slightly easier. I’ve saved the effort of having to scan the results and click on a link; you know, the reason the whole thing was probably written for in the first place.
On the other hand, if I Google the same thing, The Mortgage Dog is in position 8, which makes it very unlikely I’d have ever noticed them.
In cases like this, content creators are forced to decide between:
Being OK with GPT plagiarising their content and hoping that GPT sends some clicks there way.
Blocking GPT from crawling their site, focus on increasing traffic on other platforms, but miss out on any traffic from SearchGPT.
The Google results are no better in this example. I would have bet that an AI Overview would appear, but someone is bidding on this term, so obviously, that takes precedence.
And an absolute car crash of an ad landing page as well; so much for quality…
SearchGTP for Ecommerce Searches
Similar trends are observed for more transactional intent searches too. Take “best running shoes for wide feet” for example:
Slightly more imagery here, but again, 4 out of the 5 results are from the same affiliate blog post. Similar searches show the same thing - affiliate after affiliate.
Chris Long from Go Fish Digital did a good video overview on e-commerce-related searches and also concluded that SearchGPT often pulls from affiliate sites.
The conclusion: affiliate sites are the SearchGPT equivalent of Google Ads
💡Takeaway. Trying to get your products featured in affiliate sites or listicles is nothing new. It has been a big part of SEO, link building and digital PR. However, if this early version of Search GPT takes off, it’s worth shifting focus to.
Remember that Google still has an overwhelming lead in the search market, an official monopoly, so don’t change tried and tested marketing strategies on a whim!
Content SEO
Google Adjusts Rankings for Off-topic Content
Google has confirmed it is now demoting content that starkly differs from a site’s main topic, impacting sections like Fortune Recommends and Forbes Advisor, shown below, with an almost 50% drop in top 10 keyword rankings over the past month.
This change isn't part of the "site reputation abuse" policy but is an algorithmic tweak that identifies unrelated subdomain or subfolder content. Google’s stance now contrasts its 2023 guidance, which indicated that a single-niche focus wasn’t required to rank well.
💡Takeaway. This adjustment aims to promote more useful information from websites with a unified focus, so there are fewer excuses to put off writing content out of fear it won’t rank.
Content should never be written purely for SEO reasons - even if it never ranks, it should still be helpful to your audience and be distributable in other ways.
Content SEO
New Google Ranking Update Won’t Reverse Impact of Past HCU Hits
At the recent Web Creator Summit, Google told site owners affected by September’s helpful content update (HCU) that a new ranking update is on the horizon, but recovery for HCU-affected sites remains unlikely.
Though a few may improve gradually, Google’s current system doesn’t prioritise HCU recovery. The focus, according to Google, is on high-quality content that meets user needs, making it clear that once a site is hit by HCU, it may need to pivot its strategy rather than wait for recovery.
Barry Schwartz covered the summit in a lot of detail over at Search Engine Roundtable - with summaries from the many of the SEOs and content creators who attended - so it’s well worth a read if you’ve been affected.
AI
Google Expands AI Overviews to 100+ Countries and Languages
Google has announced a significant expansion of its AI Overviews, reaching over 100 countries and over a billion users. Previously available in only seven countries, the tool will now be accessible in all supported languages. See the full list.
Technical SEO
Google’s CrUX Vis Tool Offers New Insights into Core Web Vitals
Google launched CrUX Vis, a new data visualisation tool based on the Chrome User Experience (CrUX) dataset, to help site owners understand trends in Core Web Vitals.
It provides detailed views of metrics like loading performance, interactivity, and visual stability, all represented by intuitive icons and trend graphs.
This tool is a valuable addition for those wanting a clearer picture of how their sites perform over time across different devices and user demographics. But remember, while improving metrics can help user experience and conversion rates, minor improvements aren’t going to shift the needle for your organic rankings.
Content SEO
Building Expertise for Better SEO: Key Tips for E-E-A-T
A recent blog by fellow Venture Streamer Emily Crosby explores how expanding your site’s expertise under Google’s E-E-A-T framework can improve SEO.
Focussing on the ‘expertise’ part, it covers strategies like broadening product lines and creating valuable, detailed blog content. It shows how building expertise signals can help build credibility with your audience, which may lead to better rankings.
General
Google Achieves Record Ad Revenue in Q3 2024
To back up my point on the popularity of Google vs GPT, in Google’s latest earnings report, ad revenue reached $65.85 billion. This is a 10% increase over last year and the highest ad revenue quarter in its history.
The surge is part of Google’s broader success, with overall revenue up 15% and profits up by 33%. CEO Sundar Pichai credits Google’s AI advancements for driving growth across advertising and user engagement, noting a 90% reduction in machine costs for AI-related queries over the past 18 months.
