Google has launched the second iteration of its major AI upgrade, and while the initial rollout is in the US, it looks set to fundamentally change how audiences find and discover your organisation.
For marketers, this means SEO and PPC, as we know them are shifting. Already, we’ve seen the impact of Google’s AI summaries in search results, which has reduced clicks by 30%. As the latest changes will integrate an end-to-end AI experience, clicks on your website will go even further.
Naturally, some of the early posts can be filled with panic, and we get it. Change always gives you that gut-drop feeling. But here’s the thing: the core principles of great marketing haven’t changed. You still need to know your audience, understand their needs, and respond. What’s changing is *how* we respond.
Here are the AI driven trends we’re seeing and how you can stay ahead of them…
From ‘Search and Scan’ to ‘Search and Serve’
Where people once searched “best restaurants near me” and scanned a list which involved higher effort to extract information, they’ll now receive bespoke, predictive answers shaped by their preferences and search history - instantly. If I’ve shown a love for Japanese food, this will come up higher. If I am a vegan, I won’t be shown a Brazilian BBQ. This level of curated results based on personalisation could increase the exposure to organisations your audiences are already engaging with, but discovery may be harder to break through.
Google search has 34x the volume of ChatGPT, which is currently favoured by men (85%) and more than half of its users are under 25. This rollout will introduce all generations, including those unfamiliar with AI-driven experiences, to personalised, immediate answers. That could fundamentally shift audience expectations.
Will users still scroll and scan through websites to find content? For example, a number of our charity clients serve essential healthcare information, which is currently discovered and found through SEO, connecting to a network of website content. Will long-form content still perform? It may be that AI Mode will affect digital patience. Time will tell but the shift to bite-sized, no-scroll, curated and personalised and highly reactive content seems likely.
In AI Mode, interactive shopping has been revolutionised within search. What will this do to the attention economy? Could this drive impulsivity? Or breed scepticism and caution? We’ll need to watch closely.
Everyone will chase short-form, fast, AI-optimised content. But audiences may crave realness more than ever. I’m finding content on social media is already flooded by AI copy. In the flood of homogenised content, well considered, distinctive video content may break through.
What marketers need to do:
We don’t need to react in panic. We need to observe, learn, and adapt quickly but thoughtfully. It is rolling out in the US before the rest of the world. The technical side of content (structure, metadata, delivery formats) will evolve fast.
But one thing remains constant: relevancy is everything.
So, where can you start to be better equipped to create the personalised content that AI serves to your audiences?
Audience insight
Do you know your audience segments’ needs, wants, motivations and expectations? RNIB recently combined user research with AI powered validation to design personalised email journeys that saw an 84% increase to the benchmark engagement rate. The principles applied in this project could also be applied to produce audience led content for AI-driven search. We offer Audience Insight to Designing Experiences training - let us know if you would like us to run in your organisation.
Technical approach to digital content
Google’s shift toward AI Overviews and AI Mode means the hygiene of your digital content across your sites needs the quality to be technically and structurally high. Understanding and reflecting on what audiences' queries may be within the content and technical structure is key. That means technical fundamentals matter more than ever - content must be indexable, load quickly, and be structured clearly with schema markup to be surfaced by AI. Success will come to those who create content that’s designed for user needs, easy for AI to interpret and valuable enough for humans to engage with. It's no longer just about ranking, it’s about being chosen by the model. Some organisations are calling this “Share of Model”.
Unlock data insights to better serve your customer
Your own data can be a powerful tool in understanding your audience’s needs however, many organisations miss opportunities to truly understand this data as their CRMs don’t integrate fully with their website and other channels. Invest in your data systems that will unite your data to provide a 360 view of your customer.
Now more than ever, it’s crucial to know your audience; their needs, motivations, expectations, and values. Anticipate them. Meet them where they are. Stay human in your approach.
We partner with a number of organisations to design audience-centred, accessible digital experiences. For more information about our Audience Insights to Designing Experiences training email hello@manifesto.co.uk