Is your business embracing the new era of AI-driven search? By Stephanie Oley

For decades, Google has practically defined the way we search online or promote our businesses. But with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI)-led search, that's changing. So, what are the main things for businesses and marketers to know?

Online search habits are ingrained

Before we start, remember that although technology is changing at the speed of light, humans aren't responding quite as fast.

Studies have found that our information-seeking habits are just that – deeply ingrained habits. ‘Googling it' is embedded into our popular culture and muscle memories. So for most people, the new AI-powered nature of search means we'll likely adapt our habits – not change them outright.

For example, the typical search experience involves a mix of loose queries. Users gradually refine their search terms then receive a page of semi-useful options, all of which they must manually click on to find what they need.

AI is helping to reduce the delays caused by these often-imperfect queries, streamlining the process of finding relevant information. While users may still review multiple sources for complex questions, AI can surface more targeted answers up front. Let's take a closer look.

The 4 big differences of AI-boosted search

AI is enabling an increasingly organic and personalised degree of search.

To paraphrase from a Google article on AI in search, a traditional query for kids' summer holiday activities would have involved a basic prompt such as, ‘kids holiday sports activities in Familyville.'

Now, thanks to Google's inbuilt AI tool, Gemini, you can search like this: ‘Find some affordable holiday activities within 10 minutes' drive from Familyville for two kids, aged 6 and 9. Include dates, pricing tables, after-hours care options and optional add-on activities such as craft.'

Essentially, here's how AI has enhanced the online search experience:

1. Longer memory – AI will prompt suggestions tailored to interests and needs you’ve specified in previous searches.
2. More personalised – Instead of being limited to one or two keywords, AI can make multifaceted searches such as the earlier example on kids’ holiday activities.
3. Wider sources – AI doesn’t just use text-based search. It can also find information based on images you share, or visuals you stream using Google Lens, to suggest anything from meal ideas based on what’s in your fridge, or ways to fix your science project.
4. Multiple sources – Google’s AI-powered search aggregates information from sources including web pages, maps and sometimes user-generated content, to provide more comprehensive answers.

Of course, we’ve only referenced Google and Gemini so far. Similar AI-driven search and content generation features are emerging in tools like Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT, which can help with information retrieval and summarisation.

How your business can adapt

For businesses, the rise of AI-led search means you’ll need more than just keywords to be found online. Customers are asking fuller, more nuanced questions, and AI is scanning a wider set of sources to answer them. This places renewed importance on up-to-date, credible content across your website, ads, reviews and social channels.

To keep pace, AI tools should be viewed as partners: useful for idea generation, analysis and testing, but not substitutes for strategy or authentic messaging. Success comes from combining strong fundamentals with thoughtful use of these new capabilities.

Adapting in practice

All of these changes also mean that CCE’s courses are evolving.

One is our long-running SEO web copy course, now named Web Writing Course with SEO and AI for Search and Content. Course facilitator Simon Hillier advises firstly that all the principles of good web copywriting still apply.

‘Your website still needs to offer genuine value to users, answering real queries, with content structured for scannability,’ he says. ‘Increasingly, though, your website must cater to an even wider range of questions, showing your presence out and about, including on social media and product or service review pages.’ This is one of the topics covered in his course.

In terms of writing their actual website content, marketers can use a range of tools including ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot and Perplexity. However, the trick here is to not accept your tool’s suggestions verbatim.

According to Clive Hawkins, facilitator of CCE’s Google Ads and other courses, ads written with too much AI input can come across as low-quality or spammy. (Read our article ‘Writing with AI? Here’s what to do – and what to avoid’ to learn more).

‘A better way to use AI when writing ads is to firstly ensure your website is up to date, since Google’s AI-generated ads use content drawn from your own website,’ he advises.

‘You should then use the AI suggestions as a starting point before reviewing and revising content to ensure you are putting forward your key messages in your preferred style.’

Hawkins also suggests that businesses and marketers tap into Google’s many other AI-led tools, such as advanced data analysis or trend forecasting.

By staying informed and adapting your digital strategy, you can stay ahead of emerging changes that are bound to change the way customers find your business.