The Evolution of Google Search and AI: New Techniques SEO Professionals Must Know

Q: What can Google Search do?

1. Explore the world of Google Search and AI - search for information anywhere, anytime. 2. Generative AI in Search - create specific answers that match your questions through AI Overviews. 3. Fact-check with Google features - quickly distinguish facts from fiction. 4. Your information in Search - control and manage personal information that appears in search results. 5. New ways to deal with low-quality spam content - filter out unhelpful information. 6. Improve Google ranking for AI content - help websites that provide valuable information.

When discussing technologies disrupting various industries today, Generative AI stands at the forefront, becoming the new standard for technological tool development. Even giants like the Google Search engine couldn’t remain idle, leading to the launch of the new “AI Overview” feature, which leverages artificial intelligence to help users find information faster and more precisely. This article explores how Google Search and AI are integrating and the new Google AI trends that AI SEO professionals must learn to stay ahead of Google ranking AI content challenges.

What is Google's AI Overview? Understanding the Latest Google AI Trend

Google’s AI Overview is a new feature of the Google Search engine that launched in Thailand around October 2024. This feature functions similarly to the Feature Snippet you’re familiar with but takes it to the next level by using AI to extract information from multiple sources, process it, and create comprehensive, easy-to-understand answers.

AI Overviews appear when you search for complex questions or want to see an overview of a topic of interest. However, you should be cautious about the accuracy of information compiled by AI. This is why AI SEO professionals need to understand how it works and adapt to ensure their websites rank well in AI Overview results and maintain strong Google ranking for AI content.

Google Search and AI: How Does the System Work?

Currently, AI Search Results or Google’s AI Overviews appear in only 7-20% of all searches. According to the latest research, it’s only 7-15%, and at present, AI Overviews don’t fully support the Thai language, requiring AI SEO professionals to adapt to the changing landscape of Google Search and AI.

Research from Ahrefs shows that:

Search queries that display AI Overviews (AIO keywords) are typically long-tail keywords with approximately 4 words.
The search volume of AIO keywords is 98% less than regular keywords.
99.2% of keywords with informational intent are AIO keywords.
Only 10% of commercial and transactional keywords are AIO keywords.

In addition to displaying summaries, AI Results also include links that users can click to read more information, which helps increase traffic to websites referenced in Google’s AI Overviews. This changes how users interact with the Google Search engine to find information.

New-Age Google Search Engine Capabilities: Not Just an Information Search Tool

Many people may not realize that Google Search and AI integration isn’t just an information search tool but serves multiple functions in our daily lives. Current Google AI trends require adaptation to these diverse capabilities, such as:

Finding restaurants you want to eat at in nearby areas.
Searching for text in emails you’ve received.
Keeping up with the latest news and trending topics.
Using it as a starting point to reach other websites (like typing “Shopee” or “Lazada” in Google).

As AI Search Engines enter the competition, we must consider how well they can meet these needs because users don’t just want information—they want a comprehensive user experience. That’s what the Google Search engine with AI capabilities needs to develop to maintain its market position.

AI SEO: When Artificial Intelligence Transforms Search Engine Operations

AI plays a crucial role in several aspects of Search Engine operations, directly affecting AI SEO work on websites today:

1. Website Ranking (Search Rankings)

Search engines like Google Search heavily rely on AI to decide which content should rank at the top. Algorithms consider various factors, from keywords in content to user experience. Google sets guidelines for algorithms to determine how much weight to give each factor. AI SEO professionals must understand this process to ensure their websites rank well.

2. Understanding Questions (Search Queries)

Search engines are computer programs that rely on Natural Language Processing (NLP) to understand human language. AI helps analyze what users are really looking for and presents results that match their needs.

3. Quality Control

Since many websites use “gray” methods to rank at the top, such as keyword stuffing or cloaking, Google updates its AI to filter quality content and reject websites using inappropriate methods.

AI Powering Google Search and Effective Google Search Techniques

Google uses several AI systems to improve search efficiency, which AI SEO professionals must understand to develop effective SEO techniques:

1. RankBrain

This is the main AI for Google’s website ranking system. It understands the connections between words and concepts, helps identify topics related to search terms, and distinguishes between topics that seem similar but have different meanings.

2. BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers)

This AI understands human language at a deeper level, analyzing the meanings and intent of search queries, making website ranking more accurate based on content relevance.

3. MUM (Multitask Unified Model)

An AI developed from BERT, it can understand both context and search intent simultaneously. It supports 75 languages worldwide, understands information from both text and images, and helps support RankBrain and BERT in website ranking.

AI Search Engine VS Google Search - Who's Superior?

When comparing AI Search Engines with traditional Google Search, we see that each has different strengths depending on the type of search, directly affecting Google Search techniques and AI SEO:

1. Navigation

Google wins: Typing the name of a website you want to visit, such as “YouTube” or “Shopee,” Google takes you there immediately. Meanwhile, AI Search Engines often display lengthy information about the website or company when users just want a link to access the site.

2. Real-Time Information

Google wins: For searching the latest information such as football results, weather conditions, or PM2.5 dust levels, Google usually provides more up-to-date and accurate information, while AI Search Engines may display information that isn’t the most recent.

3. Evergreen Information

AI Search Engine slightly wins: For general questions unrelated to time, such as “why do tides occur” or usage instructions like “how to clear data on iPhone,” both tools provide good answers. However, AI Search Engines often provide more concise and relevant answers without requiring multiple clicks.

4. Exploration Query

AI Search wins: For exploratory knowledge questions such as “why was aspirin invented,” AI Search Engines perform much better because they provide answers in an easy-to-understand conversational format with references, while Google requires multiple clicks to gather and piece together information.

Impact of Google's AI Overviews on AI SEO

The arrival of Google’s AI Overviews affects AI SEO practices and Google Search engine optimization in several ways:

Reduced click-through rate (CTR): Users may get the information they need from Google’s AI Overviews without clicking on websites, resulting in decreased traffic.
Increased competition: Need to create higher quality and more credible content to improve Google ranking for AI content. The importance of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) increases.
Content format changes: Need to adapt content to suit what AI Overviews look for, such as creating content in question-answer format.

Google Search and AI Optimization Techniques to Improve Your Website Ranking

If you want your website to appear on Google’s AI Overviews and improve Google ranking for AI content, AI SEO professionals should implement these strategies:

1. Create High-Quality Content Following AI SEO Principles

Creating content that matches the search intent of your target audience is the heart of AI SEO. You should create content that:

Comprehensively covers important issues.
Is designed for easy reading, using sub-headings and bullet points.
Keeps each paragraph concise.
Truly benefits readers with information that can increase engagement and conversions.

2. Optimize SEO in All Aspects

Websites with good SEO optimization are seen as more credible and have a higher chance of ranking well. You should optimize:

On-Page SEO: Optimizing elements on the webpage, such as keyword research, improving titles and meta descriptions, creating internal and external links.
Off-Page SEO: Building quality backlinks from credible websites.
Technical SEO: Technical optimization such as implementing HTTPS, site structure, robots.txt, and sitemap.

3. Use Question Phrases in Heading Tags to Meet Google Search and AI Requirements

Using question phrases with keywords in headings, such as “What is Google’s AI Overview?” or “How to improve Google ranking for AI content?” helps AI match user questions with content more easily. This aligns with search behavior that often uses question phrases, which is an important technique for effective AI SEO and appearing in AI Overviews.

4. Request Indexing in Google Search Console

After creating or updating content, use the Request Indexing feature in Google Search Console to help Google recognize and index your webpage faster. This increases the chances of ranking and being featured in AI Overviews.

Why Should Marketers and AI SEO Professionals Care About Google's AI Overviews?

Marketers and AI SEO professionals should study and adapt to Google’s AI Overviews and understand the latest Google AI trends for the following reasons:

SERP position changes: Google’s AI Overviews will display first, requiring users to scroll down to see organic search results.
User behavior changes: Users may be satisfied with answers from AI Overviews without clicking on websites, resulting in decreased traffic.
New opportunities: Websites referenced in Google’s AI Overviews may gain more credibility and improve Google ranking for AI content.
Content adaptation needed: It’s necessary to create content that can answer complex questions well for the Google Search engine to use in AI Overviews.
Quality comes first: AI SEO isn’t just about keywords but creating truly useful content that aligns with Google AI expectations.

Google's AI Overviews and Different Personas: How Does Each Benefit?

The changes in Google Search and AI affect users differently depending on their needs and usage behavior. Let’s see how different personas benefit from AI Overviews and how they interact with the Google Search engine:

1. Business People and Executives

Executives who need information quickly for decision-making will appreciate AI Overview’s ability to summarize important information from multiple sources. It saves time reading multiple articles and provides an immediate overview of the information needed, especially data about markets, competitors, or business trends.

2. Marketers and Content Creators

For marketers and content creators, AI Overview is both an opportunity and a challenge. They need to adapt their content creation strategies to suit being extracted for display and create content with special value to attract users to click and read more. Additionally, they need to learn how to use questions in content to respond to conversational searches.

3. Website Developers and SEO Professionals

Web developers and SEO professionals need to adapt the most by understanding how Google AI selects content and adjusting website structures to be more AI-friendly. This includes using Schema Markup, organizing clear data structures, and adding Q&A in content to improve Google ranking for AI content. The challenge is maintaining balance between AI optimization and creating a good user experience. Staying up-to-date with Google AI trends is essential for these professionals.

4. General Consumers

General users benefit most from AI Overview because it saves time searching for information and provides comprehensive answers immediately without opening multiple websites. It’s suitable for general information searches, recommendations, how-to guides, or information about products and services, making purchasing decisions faster and more confident.

Understanding how different personas use Google Search with AI will help businesses plan SEO strategies that better target their audience and create content that effectively meets the needs of each group.

CIPHER Services That Address Google Search and AI in the New Era

As your digital marketing partner, CIPHER is ready to help your business grow in an era where Google Search and AI are changing the industry, with comprehensive services to improve your Google ranking for AI content:

1. Optimization Techniques for AI Overviews Rankings

We create high-quality content that meets both reader and Google AI needs with a team of writers and AI SEO experts who understand the mechanics of Google’s AI Overviews and current Google AI trends.

2. AI SEO Intelligence Analysis

Comprehensive website analysis with advanced tools, along with keyword research strategies focusing on long-tail keywords that have a high chance of appearing on Google’s AI Overview.

3. Technical AI SEO Optimization

Optimize your website to be AI-friendly for Google, including site structure, schema markup, and core web vitals to increase ranking opportunities.

4. Google Search and AI Optimization with Question-Based Content

Develop strategies for creating question-answer format content that matches the search intent of your target audience, which is suitable for display on Google’s AI Overviews and helps improve Google ranking for AI content.

5. Google Search and AI Performance Tracking

Monitor and analyze performance on Google’s AI Overviews and the impact on website traffic, while continuously adjusting strategies according to the latest Google AI trends.

Conclusion

Google Search and AI are developing hand in hand, with the Google Search engine strengthening its position through AI Overviews to compete with AI Search Engines that provide better in-depth answers. Meanwhile, AI SEO professionals must adapt by creating high-quality content and considering the question-answer format that Google AI looks for to improve Google ranking for AI content. Following Google AI trends is essential for staying competitive in this evolving landscape. At CIPHER, we have a team of experts ready to help your business keep pace with these changes through comprehensive digital marketing strategies.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an AI search engine?

An AI Search Engine is a tool that uses artificial intelligence technology to search and process information from various sources. AI helps increase accuracy in extracting information that matches what users want more than traditional search tools, which sometimes may not give entirely satisfactory results. Search tools with AI assistance, like the current Google Search engine with AI Overviews, have the ability to understand complex questions and respond more relevantly to user queries.

What can Google Search do?

Explore the world of Google Search and AI – search for information anywhere, anytime.
Generative AI in Search – create specific answers that match your questions through AI Overviews.
Fact-check with Google features – quickly distinguish facts from fiction.
Your information in Search – control and manage personal information that appears in search results.
New ways to deal with low-quality spam content – filter out unhelpful information.

What are the benefits of Google Search and AI integration?

Google’s mission is to organize all the world’s information and make it useful and accessible globally. This is why the Google Search engine helps make finding information from various sources easy. Some questions are easy to answer, like the height of the Eiffel Tower, but for complex topics, Google Search and AI integration through features like AI Overviews creates a tool that helps you explore information from multiple sources for deeper understanding. Following Google AI trends ensures users get the most relevant and up-to-date information possible.

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