Seek and you shall find, goes the old adage — and now it’s easier than ever, thanks to AI. In fact, while consumers have historically been gaga for Google, the world’s top search engine has been steadily losing traffic to tools like ChatGPT.
With 1 in 10 people now using generative AI as their first tool for online search1 — a cohort projected to grow to over 90 million users by 20272 — AI is transforming the search marketing landscape.
While Google’s AI platform Gemini captures 35.3% of AI-driven search, ChatGPT edges it out with 36.8%, and other platforms, including Perplexity, OpenAI and Bing, are gaining ground.1
For food and beverage brands, a company’s website often serves as the central hub that advertising and marketing feed into. As a result, it’s critical to understand how AI is redefining search and explore ways you can optimize your website for it.
“The growth of AI-powered search engines is a game changer, both in terms of marketing strategies and customer experience,” said Megan Keleshian, vice president of digital marketing for The Food Group. “This seismic shift not only disrupts traditional Google search; it also opens up new ways for marketers to gain higher-quality traffic with greater purchase intent.”
With users increasingly drawn to platforms that offer more personalized, direct answers, search paradigms are integrating AI algorithms that deliver more organized and relevant results. Learning how to leverage these algorithms, as well as AI-driven automation solutions for link building and keyword research, is essential for amplifying your brand’s search presence.
The Power of 3: A Trio of AI Solutions Revolutionizing Search
1. Enhanced Search Engine Optimization
Google’s AI algorithms BERT and RankBrain work together to determine the intent behind search queries and ensure the most exact results. BERT helps Google grasp the finer nuances of natural language, while RankBrain deciphers the intent behind long-tail, more specific and unknown keywords.
Takeaway: Optimize site copy overall to align with more conversational, context-aware search queries. Think high-quality, relevant content that answers user questions comprehensively and in natural language.
Another game-changing advance from AI, semantic search puts greater focus on user intent than traditional keyword strategies by interpreting the meaning of words and phrases, instead of matching keywords exactly. It interprets the user’s intent by considering the relationships between words and concepts, similar to how a human would understand language.
“ChatGPT, for example, is looking for answer-driven content, so companies should keep that in mind. FAQs pages and QA-type content could be helpful,” said Nicole Bland, digital strategist at The Food Group.
Takeaway: Create comprehensive and informative content that answers user intent and addresses their needs in clear, conversational language. Be sure to keep content fresh and update it with the latest and most useful information.
2. AI-Driven Link Building
AI-powered tools like Linkody and BuzzStream automate the link building process with a focus on high-quality backlinks (links from one webpage to another site to boost search visibility and authority). Linkody provides a comprehensive view of a site’s backlinks, including competitor links. BuzzStream is a digital PR and link-building platform that specializes in email outreach, PR campaigns and developing relationships with influencers.
Takeaway: These and other AI solutions make link building more efficient and improve targeting. They can quickly identify reputable, relevant websites (such as food bloggers or health-focused publications) for backlink opportunities to improve your brand’s authority and search ranking.
3. Keyword Research Automation
AI-driven tools such as Ahrefs, SEMrush and Surfer SEO use machine learning algorithms to analyze massive amounts of data and identify keyword opportunities. These tools can suggest long-tail keywords, semantic keywords and even local keywords that could have otherwise been missed.
Takeaway: AI can help food and beverage brands not only find the most popular keywords but also identify underutilized, high-conversion long-tail keywords, as well as provide insights on content optimization, competitor analysis and overall SEO strategy. By creating content around these insights, you can target more specific and niche audiences, leading to better rankings and higher engagement.
As AI continues to transform search, a more competitive advertising landscape and even greater opportunities are sure to emerge. Success will hinge on staying in step with this evolution.
“Search marketing is evolving at a rapid pace,” Megan said. “An AI-driven search environment where personalized experiences and fresh data dominate isn’t in the far-off future. It’s happening now, and brands have to adapt to maximize their visibility and profitability.”
For more insights into the evolution of digital marketing, be sure to read our post “ Dishing on Data: A New Recipe for Success in Data Management.”
1 Zhukova, Natalia, “New Report From .Trends & Statista Reveals How AI Search is Changing the Web,” SEMRush, December 2, 2024
2 Statista, U.S. generative AI usage first for online search 2027, December 3, 2024
3 Gartner, Gartner Predicts Search Engine Volume Will Drop 25% by 2026, Due to AI Chatbots and Other Virtual Agents, February 19, 2024
4 Madsen, Karsten, Will AI grow bigger than Google search? 2020-2028 prediction, January 7, 2025