ChatGPT Search: A Real Competitor to Google?

ChatGPT’s real-time search feature changes traditional search habits. Instead of blue links, fast and chat-based answers are emphasized.

The search landscape is evolving rapidly with the introduction of ChatGPT’s real-time search feature, set to launch on October 31, 2024. This development positions ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, as a direct competitor to search engines such as Google.

Redefining Search with Conversation

ChatGPT’s search function offers a more interactive, conversational experience, unlike the traditional “blue link” format. Users can ask questions naturally and get short answers in the chat interface. ChatGPT can provide more relevant and personalized answers by preserving the context of previous questions. This conversational search design eliminates the need for users to sift through multiple web pages to find the information they want. As Kieran Flanagan says, “AI search is a layer on top of blue links. Instead of clicking through several web pages for your answer, AI can format the answer for you.”

Google search result: (“How many premiership points does Liverpool have for the 2024 season?”)

ChatGPT’s answer to the same search query:

Real-Time Data and Transparency: Setting a New Standard

ChatGPT’s search feature is distinguished by its access to real-time information, including news, sports scores, stock market updates, and weather forecasts. This functionality is further enhanced by rigorous fact-checking and source citations, facilitating deeper content exploration.

In ChatGPT’s responses, the origins of the information are clearly indicated, with links and a “Sources” sidebar providing direct access to the materials referenced. This level of transparency fosters trust and directs traffic to publisher sites. Furthermore, external links are equipped with UTM parameters, enabling publishers to monitor traffic generated through ChatGPT accurately.

Initial Tests: Successes and Areas for Improvement

Initial tests conducted by Search Engine Journal reveal some of the strengths as well as some highlights of the tests performed:

• Real-time updates: ChatGPT can access and display content published in the last hour, keeping users updated with breaking news.
• Fact-checking: AI can detect and correct false statements and demonstrate the capacity to verify the information.
• Source attributions: UTM-tagged links provide a distinct advantage for publishers tracking referral traffic.
• Accuracy and timeliness: Some issues with the freshness of content were observed; there is room for improvement in maintaining the date sensitivity of responses.
• Limited access to diverse perspectives: The bias towards official sources can limit the diversity of perspectives presented in responses.

My First Impressions of ChatGPT Search Results:

• Website authority is a crucial determinant of success in digital marketing, and backlinks, or “citations,” play a significant role in this equation. Citations from reputable and authoritative websites are particularly important.
• Websites that appear in ChatGPT results are optimized for natural language processing (NLP) and provide comprehensive content on the primary topic. The main keyword phrase is strategically incorporated into the URL, title, and H1 to enhance visibility.
• SearchGPT systematically crawls the web, including various search engines. To strengthen your online presence, it is essential to feature in leading publications within your niche. Effective link-building strategies can enhance your visibility and impact in the digital space.

The Changing Landscape of Search: What Does the Future Hold?

ChatGPT’s real-time search feature represents a significant evolution in search technology. While its long-term impact is unclear, this innovation presents opportunities and challenges for users, publishers, and SEO professionals.

Essential factors to consider include:

• Reliability: As Kieran Flanagan says, “The biggest challenges for AI search tools like ChatGPT are reliability and consistency. It can still be deceptive. The more you repeat the same task, the less reliable the AI ​​becomes.”
• Competitive pressure: Google, Microsoft and Meta are also progressing in AI-powered search, increasing competition in the search industry.
• SEO adaptation: SEO professionals must adapt their strategies for AI-powered search engines, each with unique features and requirements.

As is typical with disruptive change, those who benefit from the existing order often resist alterations. Certain SEOs, mainly those dependent on Google traffic, may dismiss the new search experience offered by ChatGPT. Nonetheless, there is a growing consensus among users globally that Google’s search experience has diminished from its previous standards.

It would be a big mistake to underestimate ChatGPT Search. Given ChatGPT’s user base and usage rate, it’s possible to change search habits much faster and more dramatically than expected. Considering how quickly AI has integrated into our lives, it doesn’t take a prophet to predict that ChatGPT will be a strong competitor to Google in the search space.

According to information obtained by SEO expert Kevin Indig from Similarweb, ChatGPT traffic has surpassed Bing traffic. This data was obtained before ChatGPT had a real-time search feature. If you want to track the traffic sent to your site by ChatGPT and similar AI tools via GA4, you can apply Jes Scholz’s reporting method.

The era of AI-powered search has commenced, and the introduction of ChatGPT in this domain has the potential to transform how we access and consume information. As this technology evolves, it will be essential to observe its effects on online search and the accessibility of digital information.