I can’t lie—I use ChatGPT to ask most of my questions and often skip Google searches now. While AI is improving, it still doesn’t pull up as much as I’d like, and sometimes the good stuff gets buried. Google’s changes to how they structure search results have made things more challenging, too. What rises to the top isn’t always reputable, and it’ll be interesting to see how that’s handled going forward.
But you definitely have to double- and triple-check anything that cites statistics or sources, because they’re not always accurate. Often, it pulls from secondary sources, not the actual resource. Unfortunately, I think we’ll see a lot of data being quoted that’s hard to verify, and that’s a big problem.
Try Perplexity Bette. You'll love it. Define the results you want in the prompt -- trustworthy, original sources (e.g., McKindsey, Gartner, Forrester) -- and you'll stand a much better chance of getting improved returns. Google's AIO is good too, but I prefer Perplexity. Oh, and give Claude a try. Now that it can see the web, you may be surprised as the results.
I'm definitely going to try perplexity. I have used the web search on ChatGPT and it's decent. It just doesn't always give you as much variety as if you do a Google search. But I'll give perplexity a try.
This is one of the most comprehensive and sobering looks at the AI/search changes I’ve seen—appreciate you putting hard numbers to the coming disruption.
The Silver Lining here -
AI is still terrible at two things lol
Original reporting (try getting ChatGPT to break news)
Cultivating trust (would you take medical advice from an uncited AI answer?)
Thank you, Neela. You are too kind. As I said in response to @Andy O'Brien's post, "Why AI-Generated Content Is So Easy to Spot Now," we have to see AI as the horse and ourselves as the rider.
Oh, yes. I've been waiting for that for a long time. Now, Claude is helping me write my new book on AI-induced technostress, "The AI Technostress Paradox." Plus, it's adding all kinds of resource materials for use in training, workshops, etc. I LOVE IT!
Great thoughts here. We here a lot about why AI results in Google are disliked - but that's a popular opinion not necessarily a habit. AI overview can be super useful. For me, the skills for brands is to embed the brand in content so you benefit whether anyone finds info. I do pity smaller publishers relying on search traffic.
"the skills for brands is to embed the brand in content so you benefit whether anyone finds info" -- that's brilliant. Thanks, Susie. I'll definitely keep that in mind. Until a better one comes along (and it will), I prefer Perplexity to the other AI search engines.
I can’t lie—I use ChatGPT to ask most of my questions and often skip Google searches now. While AI is improving, it still doesn’t pull up as much as I’d like, and sometimes the good stuff gets buried. Google’s changes to how they structure search results have made things more challenging, too. What rises to the top isn’t always reputable, and it’ll be interesting to see how that’s handled going forward.
But you definitely have to double- and triple-check anything that cites statistics or sources, because they’re not always accurate. Often, it pulls from secondary sources, not the actual resource. Unfortunately, I think we’ll see a lot of data being quoted that’s hard to verify, and that’s a big problem.
Try Perplexity Bette. You'll love it. Define the results you want in the prompt -- trustworthy, original sources (e.g., McKindsey, Gartner, Forrester) -- and you'll stand a much better chance of getting improved returns. Google's AIO is good too, but I prefer Perplexity. Oh, and give Claude a try. Now that it can see the web, you may be surprised as the results.
Perplexity is my default search engine. So much better Google now.
I'm definitely going to try perplexity. I have used the web search on ChatGPT and it's decent. It just doesn't always give you as much variety as if you do a Google search. But I'll give perplexity a try.
Good insight 😌. Can i translate part of this article into Spanish with links to you and a description of your newsletter?
Ciertamente. Gracias. (I don't speak Spanish. LOL That's Google translate.) But, feel free.
Thanks.
I was thinking about the end of SEO last week, and I think other people would be interested as well.
Thanks also for your Spanish.
This is one of the most comprehensive and sobering looks at the AI/search changes I’ve seen—appreciate you putting hard numbers to the coming disruption.
The Silver Lining here -
AI is still terrible at two things lol
Original reporting (try getting ChatGPT to break news)
Cultivating trust (would you take medical advice from an uncited AI answer?)
PS Claude does links now - did you see that?
Happy Thursday Paul.
Thank you, Neela. You are too kind. As I said in response to @Andy O'Brien's post, "Why AI-Generated Content Is So Easy to Spot Now," we have to see AI as the horse and ourselves as the rider.
Oh, yes. I've been waiting for that for a long time. Now, Claude is helping me write my new book on AI-induced technostress, "The AI Technostress Paradox." Plus, it's adding all kinds of resource materials for use in training, workshops, etc. I LOVE IT!
My fav is Claude as well - Deep Seek is pretty good too as long as you don’t save it to a browser lol
Enjoy your evening Paul.
I'm groking Claude bigtime now. It's so much smarter than me!
When advertising gets into AI then I'll know its game over
It already is, David. https://youtu.be/z4bZKYTa1BU?si=Ndl5df6ZS0ZzrL1V. Nothing is immune. We have to become more Don Draper and less Peggy Olsen.
I'll miss humanity
Great thoughts here. We here a lot about why AI results in Google are disliked - but that's a popular opinion not necessarily a habit. AI overview can be super useful. For me, the skills for brands is to embed the brand in content so you benefit whether anyone finds info. I do pity smaller publishers relying on search traffic.
"the skills for brands is to embed the brand in content so you benefit whether anyone finds info" -- that's brilliant. Thanks, Susie. I'll definitely keep that in mind. Until a better one comes along (and it will), I prefer Perplexity to the other AI search engines.
saving to read when I get a chance
Thanks!