The rise of AI chatbots in education

Is SEO Dead?

It is known to all that changes in the field of SEO occur at an incredible speed and the rules that this field has, in addition to being often unknown or hidden from the common mortals, are available for even more rapid changes and dazzling.

We already know that Google constantly makes changes to its algorithm and that is why SEO enthusiasts or professionals are scared and have learned (by force) to deal with these changes by resigning themselves to the calendar that Google itself imposes.

It is for this reason, and for many other things, that we say that SEO dies one day and is resurrected the next, and this has happened on countless occasions. Furthermore, we coined the above phrase because SEO (and in general all search engines) is gradually fading due to the emergence of the omnipotent Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the scene.

The free arrival (or payment depending on what the user demands and for what they want from the tool) of chatbots like ChatGPT, which answers the questions that its users ask it with a synthesis and editing capacity that would leave the user daunted. best of the experts in each subject, could make obsolete (in theory and/or supposedly) the lists of results provided by Google and/or other search engines similar to this one.

The problem would be that if this assumption (or current tacit fact, depending on how you look at it or who you ask) were to occur in masse, search engine users would stop clicking on the results lists and this would be due to the fact that the tool ChatGPT (or others similar, this is the first to come out or the pioneer) would have already answered said question or search in a conscientious and appropriate manner.

There are some experts who even believe that Google, if users continue down this path with chatbots and their questions, could be doomed to transform (or die) simply into an answer engine, leaving aside its initial purpose and motive (we could even say, its nature) of search engine.

At this point in the article, I pose the following question, is SEO really dying little by little due to the emergence of tools like ChatGPT (or in its global whole, artificial intelligence)?

Perhaps raising the question that SEO is dying when we have been seeing for many years how this discipline shows us its ability to adapt after infinite changes is too risky, so I leave the following idea in your minds, closing the paragraph with another question: Are we not facing an evolution in consumer habits when it comes to asking questions or searching for information on the Internet?

 


 Going further

The last question posed in the previous paragraph is linked to the evolution that we have been able to follow and observe over the last few years in the search habits of the most modern and technological generation, the Z.

There is nothing more than talking to them or reviewing their information search statistics to realize that centennials do not use Google or any search engine at all when making any type of query. Where we do see that the number of searches has increased is in the social networks, they use the most, such as Instagram, Reddit, Tik Tok, etc.

And all this is because this generation prefers to solve their doubts (through ChatGPT by asking very specific questions themselves) through content generated by other people who are similar or similar to them (many times, on video) in instead of plain text that shows them a normal Google search on the screen.

With all the above, we see that SEO may be threatened by this new type of “search movements” that are occurring today in new generations. But perhaps, this is a new moment for SEO to react and reinvent itself (as we have seen, and it has already done on countless occasions) and not end up becoming another tool of the past defeated by a boom in another type of technology and/or service such as social networks and the countless searches on all types of topics that young people carry out today. Perhaps an escape route for SEO comes from starting to use short videos in your responses or optimizing said organic content, which is always necessary in any type of company, brand and/or user.




Google strikes back

ChatGPT came into our lives on November 30, 2022, and it was not until this year, July 13, 2023 (in Spain) that Google counterattacked with its own Artificial Intelligence, Google Bard. It was not until recently, in September 2023, that Google updated and improved the tool to compete directly with the new search options that we have been discussing throughout this article.

One of the improvements that aims to compete directly with the problem of the way young people search for information today is that its chatbot is now capable of adapting its responses exactly to what each user of the tool needs.

This is because Google has improved the personalization of the responses of its tool, such as preparing routes and guides for a trip in which we have given the points of interest that we want to visit and the stops along the way.

In addition, it has been updated with new languages, with more than forty distinct types in which to use it and obtain tailored responses.

One of the biggest keys to this update is that Google is going to integrate the tool along with all the other applications that we have available such as Docs, Gmail, Drive, Maps, etc.; So it is clear that what it seeks is to displace the use of other tools such as ChatGPT by integrating these new “non-traditional” information search methods into its most used tools by its users so that they do not leave its ecosystem.

 

The future

We cannot predict, with certainty, what type of technology will take root in the future and become the winner, leaving the others obsolete or forgotten. What is clear is that SEO has had a new time to reinvent itself and it has not been due to a change in Google's algorithm, but rather a generational change when conducting any type of search with the aim of obtaining information. about travel, processes, science, etc.

Only time will clear us of doubts.

 Writer: Victor Orea De Lasala


Bibliography:

- Hurwith, J. (2022). Is SEO dead? A look at how SEO is effective today. Built In. https://builtin.com/marketing/is-seo-dead

 

- Lastra, E. (2023). ¿Tiene el SEO (ahora sí) un pie en la tumba? Marketing Directo. https://www.marketingdirecto.com/digital-general/digital/tiene-seo-pie-tumba

 

- Edwards, S. (2023). Is SEO dead? yes & no. here’s why. SEO.co. https://seo.co/is-seo-dead/

 

- Hardwick, J. (2023). Is SEO dead? Heck NO. Here’s why. SEO Blog by Ahrefs. https://ahrefs.com/blog/is-seo-dead/

 

- Dna, C. (2023, 21 mayo). Is SEO outdated? The answer is yes and no. Core dna. https://www.coredna.com/blogs/is-seo-dead


Comentarios

Anónimo ha dicho que…
Really you got me there...dead? Maybe yes maybe not... but thank you for your opinion, good insights!
Eider ha dicho que…
Buen artículo Victor. Gracias!
Daniel ha dicho que…
Muy interesante!