Is ChatGPT a real alternative to Google?

Google is like a successful veteran general, dominating the battlefield, with vast resources, a fortified position and a large army (its 90% of market share). It has established its hegemony through decades of impeccable strategy and control of the terrain. 

However, an unexpected threat has arisen in the form of artificial intelligence, represented by ChatGPT. The latter acts as an agile and disruptive strategist, not seeking direct confrontation on the battlefield itself, but employing unconventional tactics, exploiting the giant's weaknesses: its slowness to adapt, its wealth of information accumulated over years of fighting and its reliance on traditional structures.

In this context, Google has occupied the search arena for decades, but its approach remains linear: results based on organic and advertising placement. Meanwhile, ChatGPT represents a new contender that positions itself outside the conventional arena, offering instant answers and intelligent interactive conversations.

Another principle of Sun Tzu is:

"Take advantage of the vacuum and attack where the enemy is unprepared."

"ChatGPT does not compete in the realm of traditional search (SERPs), but redefines what it means to "search" by focusing on direct conversational answers and personalisation. ChatGPT does not seek to overthrow Google through a direct confrontation, but rather establishes a new paradigm or battleground, where Google was not prepared to fight. It seeks to rewrite the rules of the game so that the territory now dominated by the search giant begins to weaken by moving users to another territory. This creates a new battleground that Google, despite its dominance, does not, for the moment, control. It is probably the business move of the last century.

Juan Carlos Meneses (SEO Consultant at Marketzilla)

Let's find out what is happening and what the implications are for users and businesses.

What is SearchQuake?

SearchQuake is a term that describes the seismic shift in the way users search for and access information on the Internet. This phenomenon has been driven mainly by the artificial intelligenceand, in particular, by technologies such as ChatGPT developed by OpenAI.

While Google continues to provide answers through links, ChatGPT's model goes further by providing direct, contextual, natural language-based answers. This represents a significant disruption to the traditional search experience that will slowly be eroded.

Why is ChatGPT gaining ground against Google?

1. Immediate and personalised responses

One of the biggest advantages of ChatGPT over Google is its ability to answer questions directly and accurately.

• Google forces the user to browse through a list of links or search results, manually searching for information.
• ChatGPT delivers immediate responses based on the context provided, saving the user time.

This difference translates into a more efficient experience, especially for complex or specific queries.

2. Conversational intelligence

Google responds with static results, while ChatGPT enables continuous dialogue.

• Users can refine their queries and obtain more detailed information.
• ChatGPT interprets natural language and understands context, generating a more human flow of information.

This makes ChatGPT an ideal tool for investigations and processes that require interaction rather than one-way searches.

3. Ad-free user experience

The Google experience is saturated with ads and sponsored content, especially on the first page of results.

ChatGPT, on the other hand, provides information without commercial interruptions, which enhances the user experience.

Limitations of ChatGPT compared to Google

Although ChatGPT has revolutionised the way we search for information, still cannot fully replace Google. Here are some of its main limitations:

1. Updating of data

• Google indexes the web in real time, displaying results for news, events and recent content.
• ChatGPT (based on GPT-4) does not have direct access to the internet and real-time updated information (only until September 2021).
• If you have the paid version with web browsing enabled or with Bing AI integrations, the model will be able to search the internet and provide up-to-date information. 

This means that ChatGPT could fall behind in trends and relevant news with the free version.

2. Accuracy of information

Artificial intelligence, however powerful, does not always provide accurate answers 100%. Occasionally, ChatGPT can "freak out", generating incorrect or unreliable information. Even when developing a conversation, if it takes a wrong turn because of a poorly executed prompt, it can lead to really erratic results. 

Google, for its part, prioritises content backed by multiple verified sources through its own algorithm. The first results are always the best and best-performing from a search engine's point of view. SEO. This includes among the measurement parameters, the reliability and quality of the content (E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authority and Trustworthiness). 

3. Lack of direct links

While Google provides results that allow access to relevant websites, ChatGPT does not include direct links, which limits navigation to original sources. This makes it difficult to cross-check information with other sources to see if it is reliable or not.

How does SearchQuake affect businesses and SEO?

The rise of tools such as ChatGPT and the SearchQuake phenomenon are changing the dynamics of the SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). Companies and marketers must adapt to this new landscape in order not to lose visibility.

The key to the SEO consultants is to adopt AI as a tool in its arsenal to improve its customers' rankings. For the time being, Google is not going away and is making moves to adapt and integrate AI to improve the user experience on the search engine. 

Optimisation for AI and semantic searches

The key is no longer just to rank on Google, but to create content that is useful to natural language modelling as ChatGPT.

• Prioritise well-structured, informative and straightforward content.
• Answer common questions from your audience to improve relevance.
• Apply a semantic approach: use related keywords and synonyms.

Increased focus on authority and quality

As AI models evolve, they are prioritising the authority and credibility sources. This means:

• In-depth and well-documented content.
• Inclusion of verified and updated sources.
• Consolidation of your domain as an authority in your niche.

3. Adaptation to new platforms

It is not enough to be optimised for Google. Businesses need to explore how to interact with AI-based platforms and virtual assistants.

• Create content adaptable to conversational questions.
• Use formats such as FAQs and clear guidelines.
• Integrate chatbots into your website to provide instant responses.

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Will ChatGPT be the future of search?

The answer is complex. Google will not disappear anytime soonbut ChatGPT represents a viable and complementary alternative. While Google will continue to dominate traditional search, ChatGPT and similar tools have a bright future in areas such as:

1. Personalised virtual assistants
2. Complex and interactive queries
3. Education and e-learning
4. Automation of specific tasks

Both technologies can coexist, offering unique experiences according to the user's needs. I believe, as I said before, that ChatGpt is a threat to Google, but the latter can neutralise it by assimilating the AI technology on its platform to improve the user experience. In fact Google is already implementing it. Google's latest AI-powered updates are transforming the SERPs. They are based on prioritising direct responses, interactive elements and contextual insights. 

These changes are affecting the click-through rates (CTR)Google's search engine, as users find the information they need without clicking on links to drill down. At the same time, Google is giving pre-eminence to paid searches. Therefore, the more the SERPs resemble ChatGpt in order to compete with them, the more irrelevant organic ranking will become (although it will not disappear) and the more important paid search will become. 

Sun Tzu said:

"Use the enemy's strengths to forge your victory."

This reflects how Google can neutralise the threat posed by ChatGPT by integrating artificial intelligence technologies into its platform. Instead of resisting change, Google can embrace the best of conversational AI to improve its user experience, transforming the threat into a strategic opportunity to maintain its dominance.

Google vs. ChatGPT, what can we expect?

The phenomenon SearchQuake is redefining the way we interact with information. ChatGPT, with its conversational approach and personalised responses, offers unrivalled value for users looking for speed, task support and simplicity.

On the other hand, Google remains the undisputed king of global search, with access to real-time data and an unrivalled infrastructure.

Businesses and content creators must adapt to this change, making the best of both worlds. The key will be to create content smart, useful and optimisedThe new technology will be based on both traditional search engines as well as artificial intelligence models.

Is this the end of Google's absolute dominance? Only time will tell. What is clear is that the future of search is hereand it's called artificial intelligence.