We live in a time when technological advances in how we search for — and where we receive — information online directly impacts our reputation. From Google to Bing (yes, Bing is becoming a major search engine player), tech is evolving.
You may have noticed a new resetting of your Google search results. There may be less traffic flocking to your website, decreased homepage visitors. In fact, your website and personal social media profiles might appear in different orders in search results under your own name.
Don’t worry, there is a clear answer for what is going on. Artificial intelligence (AI)-powered algorithms increasingly impact how you are represented online.
For instance, once Microsoft launches its powerful new version of its search engine, Bing, which is powered by AI software from OpenAI — the maker of the popular chatbot ChatGPT — how others find you online will change because they will have expanded opportunities to research you. The implications of this on reputation management may be profound. (See Microsoft Signals a New Era for ‘Search’ Online, our article about that.)
Understanding the underlying tech is important to harness your own reputational power
Here’s a look at some of the search engine changes that should be on your radar:
Google’s latest algorithm update — In early December, Google rolled out its December 2022 helpful content update, which was completed as of January 12, 2023. Google describes it succinctly:
Google Search’s helpful content system generates a signal used by our automated ranking systems to better ensure people see original, helpful content written by people, for people, in search results.
This update reinforces Google Search’s emphasis on what it calls E-E-A-T content, or “Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.”
Take a look at its 176-page Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines (great for airplane reading or on the beach!), or this shorter recap. Google states that each letter of E-E-A-T mark key considerations when it comes to Page Quality rating. The most important part of E-E-A-T? That would be Trust.
Credible media platforms — Major, vetted newspapers and TV outlets, are considered authoritative content sources. If you or your brand are highlighted by trusted, verified sources, you will be rewarded. We’ve seen this in real time. Some of our clients and their organizations that have received credible media attention have jumped up from lower and mid-tier search positions to the top of the page results. (Clearly, if the media coverage is negative, this is not an asset.) Again, Google rewards trust.
Google’s continuous scroll — Instead of breaking search results into pages, with 10 entries, with the first page being the most valuable search results, the search giant now shows several pages at a time with no breaks. That means dozens of entries can be scanned quickly.
Google search is also using more Generative AI, the technology that underpins Microsoft’s ChatGPT to determine what search results to show when This is introducing new types of content that can rank highly on Google.
While Google’s parent company Alphabet dominates over 80% of the search engine market and brings in most of its $100 billion annual revenue from advertising on its search engine, the ascendency of Microsoft in this space means the iconic place to search the Internet has vested interest in remaining number one in the industry.
These new changes mean that as these search giants evolve and change how information is discovered online, it’s important that you adapt as well.
Clunky, poorly written content with SEO-centered tricks are out the window. If you want your online profiles, websites, articles, blogs, and other content to be rewarded by Google, Bing, and AI-fueled tech, you have to understand how these forums work. Your reputation counts on it.