AI-Supported Search and Voice Search Are Threatening Publishers, How Can They Survive?
Without Ads and References, Generative AI Tools Cause Monetary and Copyright Issues for Publishers
When I first used ChatGPT, my impression was mixed up. Of course, I was amazed by its ability to summarize an answer from various sites to get a comprehensive and accurate answer. On the other hand, I was shocked by the absence of references that they used to get the search results. As someone who worked in a digital advertising agency, I was concerned that publishers were not getting as much traffic as they used to, which would result in lower advertising revenue.
In 2023, media publishers started losing their traffic and advertising revenue from these AI-supported search engines. Most top publishers globally have stopped allowing big AI platforms to access their content to maintain their position as credible resources. Moreover, the New York Times has sued OpenAI and Microsoft due to the use of NYT’s published work to train their AI technologies, which is a copyright infringement.
The Rise of Social Media Search, AI-Supported Search, and Voice Search
When it comes to searching for a recipe, an event, or anything else, my go-to search engine has always been Google. It’s fast and smart — even there’s a catchphrase “Just Google it”, which enhances its power as the number one search engine in the world. As technology advances year after year, social media searches become a thing, supported by hashtags and SEO optimization. In 2023, HubSpot said that 31% of Gen Z prefers to search on social media over search engines. However, publishers and brands can still keep up with it because they can create their owned-media on social media platforms and implement the SEO strategy there.
People now also use AI-supported search as their go-to search engine, such as ChatGPT, which now holds the highest market share. Even though these AI-supported search engines currently have their weakness of inability to provide real-time information (only up to January 2022 per this date), it’s not impossible that they will be developed and gain the ability to generate the most up-to-date source, just like Google. The downside for publishers is that without references in ChatGPT, they can’t get traffic from the search at all.
Voice search is another struggle. As an Apple user, I rarely use voice-assisted tasks, even with Apple’s Siri. However, it is indicated that more than 25% of people in Western countries use voice assistants daily, and the number is continuously growing. That is why more companies are considering developing their voice-assisted tools, including in search engines. As for publishers, the challenge is similar to AI-generated search due to the absence of references.
There is Still Hope for Publishers
Other than ChatGPT, one emerging generative AI search tool is called Perplexity. I first thought it was similar to ChatGPT, but Perplexity is a combination of ChatGPT and Google, providing an answer just like ChatGPT but also attaching the sources just like Google. It turns out that not all AI-generated tools don’t have source links.
Google also has developed its Circle to Search and AI-powered multisearch experience through Search Labs, which still incorporates website sources. In March 2023, Google also launched its beta version of Search Generative Experience, which looks like Perplexity but with a different order (answer first, then the sources).
The Search Strategy for Publishers and Brands in Facing AI Search
As Jim Highsmith said, organizations should view change as an opportunity, not a threat. With tools like Perplexity and Google’s Search Generative Experience, publishers and brands still have the chance to generate their traffic through these platforms. One big task they should do is define how to win with a new search strategy.
As a marketing student, I believe publishers and brands should first learn how AI-generated search works. With the development of AI, their SEO strategy should be adjusted, especially for keywords and how they create the content. They also should understand how people search verbally, which can differ from typing. Creating content with conversational queries or keywords is one of the strategies that publishers and brands should start implementing to compete in the voice search scene.
What do you think about AI? Are you excited or somewhat worried about the future of journalism? Let me know your take on this issue in the comment box below!
Stay connected,
Annisa
