Google's New Search Engine Is A Killer -- The SEM Daily: 5.12.23
how the generative AI search results could cut out niche sites
This is SEM: your daily SEO inspiration, where I curate/summarize one valuable item related to SEO and send it your way M-F.
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Today’s newsletter is brought to you by Searcheye and is a look at Google’s new generative AI search engine.
Here’s the main thing Google is trying to do:
With new generative AI capabilities in Search, we’re now taking more of the work out of searching, so you’ll be able to understand a topic faster, uncover new viewpoints and insights, and get things done more easily.
Let’s take a question like “what's better for a family with kids under 3 and a dog, bryce canyon or arches.” Normally, you might break this one question down into smaller ones, sort through the vast information available, and start to piece things together yourself. With generative AI, Search can do some of that heavy lifting for you
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Which… you know, adapt or die. I get it.
But here’s a pretty frightening demonstration of Google helping a searcher buy a bike using generative AI and not using the organic results at all:
So that’s cool. I guess…
You can sign up to get access to test out this search engine here. I signed up. Know your enemy, right?
Coming up: my take on this whole thing. But first, a word from our sponsor:
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My Take
Well. That is interesting.
I promise I won’t be writing about this same topic every week, but like… it was a big week for existential anxiety if you’re an SEO.
I’m going to be posting more about how I’m trying to prepare for this SERPocalypse (I already registered the .com, don’t bother trying) in my longform newsletter, so go sign up if you haven’t.
This is pretty worrying if you are a niche/affiliate site. I’ve said for a while now that Google hates the fact of your existence and that they don’t make money from sending you traffic.
Now they don’t need you!
They’ll just use their own AI to scrape the entire web including your well-thought-out review content (JK we both know an AI wrote that) to tell people searching why they should buy X or Y product and then send those searchers to some Google Shopping ad (that a brand has paid for I’m sure) to buy. No more middleman!
That’s a pretty bleak note to end the week on, but I strongly feel that SEO isn’t going away it’s just changing.
So stay on top of the latest AI tools, and keep watching the SERPs to try and figure out how to stay at the top of what Google wants to serve people (if that’s even possible).
And finally stay subscribed and read my dumb newsletters cuz I’m gonna be trying to figure this shit out as well.
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A bit of a P.S. before the regularly-scheduled ending of this newsletter:
I’ve been putting together a private community of BUILDERS—people who are looking to change their lives by building an affiliate site or side-site (much like I did over the last few years_.
It’ll be capped so there’s not too many people there to help, and it’ll be one yearly price (instead of monthly) so we can focus on building a real community to support each other and not deal with people constantly churning out.
Nothing to sell you at the moment, just want you to GET HYPE it’s gonna be pretty cool—I can’t wait to help you build something amazing.
I’ll offer the first spots to readers of Rank Theory so make sure you’re subscribed to that.
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Links, Resources, and Recommendations
💌 To subscribe to my weekly(ish) longform SEO newsletter (new issue goes out this week!): sign up here.
💰 If you’re interested in sponsoring this newsletter and reaching a bunch of smart SEOs: message me sem@hey.com.
👷🏻 I recently launched a “done for you” site buildout service: check it out if you want me to build you something.
🔗 Looking for a solid agency to help grow your site? I recommend Smash Digital: tell them I sent you.
💼 Follow me on LinkedIN: @sem
Until tomorrow…
Sean Markey
sem@hey.com
PS — LMK what you thought of this quick SEO email. Good? Bad? …Sad? I’d love to hear from you (and thank you to those of you who read and have responded already!)
PPS — have a great weekend, I’ll be over here playing Tears of the Goddamned Kingdom cuz I love me some Zelda. You gonna be playing it as well?
hey:
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