#search-engines

#search-engines

For decades now, Google has been the unquestioned champion of search-our digital oracle, the first and last stop for every question, from "What's the best pizza place near me?" to "How many protons are in a carbon atom?" But here's the key difference now: while Google has started to incorporate AI with features like AI Overviews and the new AI Mode, a traditional keyword search is great for finding facts, but not so great at understanding context.

Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web. Google is testing an Ask AI Mode anything carousel feature. Bing is testing an updated Copilot product search box. Google Merchant Center allows you to use your own brand name in your short title. Google Discover was showing the publisher's name twice, it was a bug. Plus, I am offline today for Sukkos, so this email was pre-written

When Google became the dominant search engine around 2004, not everyone was happy. Everyone from book publishers to music studios blasted the company for helping itself to copyrighted content without paying. The search giant eventually smoothed things over but now, twenty years later, Google has become the media industry's villain all over again-this time for gobbling that same content to train its AI tools.

The devolution of the internet may have started as soon as the game of 'search-engine optimization' became the norm, so pretty much since the first internet search engines emerged.

According to PartnerCentric, Gen Z-ers are now favoring social media platforms over Google in terms of shopping, with TikTok and Pinterest preferred over traditional search engines.

The early promise of Ask Jeeves resonated well with users seeking an organized, conversational approach to web searches; it thrived until the dot-com bubble burst.

Cloudflare's CEO warns content creators risk losing advertising revenue as AI changes search dynamics; he advises restricting AI access to their content to ensure compensation.

Choosing the best SERP features to focus on comes down to understanding not only your industry and its competitive landscape, but your audience, what they are searching for, and the intent behind those keywords.