Introduction to AI Search
Google’s VP of Product for Google Search, Robby Stein, recently shared insights into how AI search works and what content creators should focus on to stay relevant to users. In a podcast, Stein discussed the importance of PR activities in getting recommended by AI and the best practices for creating content that ranks well in AI search.
How PR Activities Help in AI Search
Stein mentioned that being mentioned by other sites can be beneficial for a business to be recommended by AI. This is because AI search works similarly to how a human would research a question, by searching on Google and looking for recommendations from other sites. Stein’s answer implies that the context of the query fan-out technique is important, where AI performs Google searches to answer a question. He stated, "Yeah, interestingly, the AI thinks a lot like a person would in terms of the kinds of questions it issues. And so if you’re a business and you’re mentioned in top business lists or from a public article that lots of people end up finding, those kinds of things become useful for the AI to find."
Best Practices for Content Creation
Stein emphasized that the same best practices for creating helpful and clear content apply to ranking well in AI search. He advised content creators to think about how they can make their website helpful for people searching for certain topics. Stein stated, "And so in the same way that you would optimize your website and think about how I make helpful, clear information for people? People search for a certain topic, my website’s really helpful for that. Think of an AI doing that search now. And then knowing for that query, here are the best websites given that question." The key takeaway is that helpful and clear content is essential for standard search, AI answers, and people.
Overlap with SEO
The podcast host asked Stein if optimizing for AI is basically the same as SEO. Stein replied that there’s an overlap with SEO, but the questions are different between regular organic search and AI. He stated, "I think there’s a lot of overlap. I think maybe one added nuance is that the kinds of questions that people ask AI are increasingly complicated and they tend to be in different spaces." Stein advised content creators to study how people are using AI to find answers to specific questions, particularly in areas that are growing quickly.
Understanding How People Use AI
Stein emphasized the importance of understanding how people use AI, including the modality of information such as text, images, speech, or video. He stated that Google Trends is a useful tool for understanding what people are searching for and that businesses should go beyond keyword-based research to understand intent across multiple ways in which users interact with AI. The two key takeaways are long and specific questions and multimodal contexts, which are growing quickly.
Future Developments
Stein confirmed that Google wants to provide more information about how users are searching in the future, not just for advertisers but for everyone impacted by AI search. He stated, "I think down the road we want to get, provide a glimpse into what people are searching for broadly. Yeah. Not just advertisers too. Yeah, it could be forever for anyone." This will help businesses and SEOs to better understand how to optimize their content for AI search.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Stein’s insights provide valuable information for content creators and businesses on how to optimize their content for AI search. By focusing on creating helpful and clear content, understanding how people use AI, and studying the growing trends in AI search, businesses can improve their chances of being recommended by AI. As AI search continues to evolve, it’s essential to stay up-to-date with the latest developments and best practices to stay relevant to users.