The internet is said to be no longer the same as before as Google adjusts its algorithm, prioritizing AI-generated summary search results before linking to websites.
For decades, the global Internet has been dominated by “Search Engine Optimization” (SEO) – techniques for tailoring Content and websites to make them more crawlable and recognizable by Google. With millions of businesses relying on online search engines, SEO is a game that can’t be ignored.
However, Google has been constantly changing its algorithms over time. The products the company showcased at the Google I/O event show that the company is betting on AI with the ambition to change the Internet world once again.
The “Search Box” is changing
In order to rank high in search results, many websites have focused on optimizing content for SEO instead of serving the real needs of users. Google’s “war on spam” began with the 2022 update when it removed content created just to rank higher. The second major update took place in September 2023. In March of this year, Google continued to overhaul its algorithm to “clean up” the content displayed on the Search engine.
Google claims that “unoriginal, low-quality content has dropped by 45% in search results,” dealing a heavy blow to spam sites.
However, the overhaul has also been a nightmare for many websites. Data from analytics tool SEMrush shows that in the six months from September 2023, New York Magazine 32% reduction in traffic, dictionary Urban Dictionary lost 18 million views, still OprahDaily 58% reduction in visits from Google Search engine.
Changes in website traffic when Google changed its algorithm in September 2023. Source: SEMrush
According to experts, tweaking the “Google search box” is actually a zero-sum game. When New York Magazine good Urban Dictionary lose readers, Reddit, LinkedIn and Wikipedia saw a surge in new users. SEMrush said this was because Google’s algorithm prioritized websites with user-generated content like Instagram and Quora.
In which, the traffic increased dramatically on Reddit This is considered unprecedented on the Internet. Users often add keywords such as “Quora” or “Reddit” after the search content to read articles created and discussed by the community, instead of going to the tutorial websites as before.
Google Zero Fear
While website owners are trying to get used to the new ranking algorithm, Google continues to announce the next big change, directly affecting every Internet user.
In a May announcement, the company said it would display AI-generated answers at the top of search results, called AI Overview, which the company said would radically change the way people interact on the internet in the new era. CEO Nilay Patel of The Verge proposes a “Google Zero” scenario, where Google Search stops showing links that lead users to external websites. Instead, the company shows AI-generated results and keeps users within its ecosystem.
However, according to TelegraphGoogle is off to a “bad start” with this vision. Its AI keeps coming up with weird answers. For example, when asked how many rocks a person should “eat each day,” its AI says, “According to geologists at the University of California at Berkeley, everyone should eat at least one small rock. Rocks contain vitamins and minerals that are important for health and digestion…”
Business Insider said the recommendation was fabricated and that geologists at the University of California at Berkeley had never made such a claim. AI Overview also made the mistake of saying Barack Obama was the first Muslim president of the United States, or describing astronauts as “smoking and playing Video games.”
Google’s answer to the question “how much ice should you eat per day”. Photo: Reddit/Aitah
CEO Sundar Pichai apologized for the serious errors in late May, but the company explained that its AI model had “misunderstood queries, the nuances of language on the web, or the database did not have much useful information available.”
“AI can help with quick searches, but it lacks verifiable information. Google is so caught up in chasing competitors that it forgets its core values,” said analyst Claire Holubowskyj of Enders Analysis.
Meanwhile, James Rosewell of the Open Web advocacy group said that Google’s preference for AI-generated search results, rather than directing users to specific websites, could destroy the natural symbiosis of the web. “If publishers can’t reach their readers, they can’t create content. The internet will be completely destroyed by AI’s misleading results,” he said.
AI is Reshaping Privacy
According to New York MagAI’s impact on the Internet goes beyond Google search results or website clicks. More importantly, it could change the way companies collect user data.
In 2004, when Google launched Gmail, it faced backlash for putting contextual ads in inboxes. Privacy advocates compared scanning users’ personal information to dangerous ad recommendations to “releasing the genie from the bottle.” By 2017, Google stopped scanning emails to deliver targeted ads. That didn’t mean it stopped collecting information, it just changed its approach. Then, phone users noticed that their photo libraries had added facial recognition to organize albums by subject.
Google AI@ November 2022 event in Manhattan. Photo: AP
In the age of AI, virtual assistants with the mission of “serving users better” have cleverly requested access to all private content, from emails, contacts to what is displayed on the screen. This could reshape the future of the Internet.
Many companies today operate on the basis of acquiring, producing, and monetizing users’ personal data. AI companies also need to collect large amounts of public and private data to train intelligent chatbots to serve the public. Meanwhile, Google is betting on a more personal AI model.
In some AI features such as call screening, the company emphasizes that data will be stored and processed right on the user’s device, instead of being sent to the cloud. This means that the way traditional Internet companies collect and sell data will change. Google believes that in the near future, virtual assistants will be able to help users with anything, understanding them better than they do. In return, AI also needs all the information from users to be able to personalize to the maximum according to each person’s personality and habits.
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