I have been gnashing my teeth at the tech press since SearchGPT was bolted on to ChatGPT. The problem is that they are heavily invested in wanting to gin something up with Google.
At first, I thought they didn’t understand what SearchGPT represented. I figured they were just ignorant of the facts, and it would take a good SEO to straighten them out (Hi Mom!) It later dawned on me, that they might actually know what SearchGPT is but can’t be concerned with little things like facts. Like a roofer after a hail storm, it’s election season baby – when main stream press readership and sky rockets. It’s Christmas for reporters. Ye Haw!
They are so deep into headline trolling and the click promise of any title with Google in it brings, that they simply don’t care about it.
Lets look at what the internet has had to say about SearchGPT:
- I Tried ChatGPT Search and Realised Google is Too Good to Beat (mysmartprice)
- ChatGPT Search vs. Google: Which One Produces the Most Useful Answers? PCMag
- OpenAI Escalates War on Google With ‘ChatGPT Search’ PCMag
- Bye, Google? 7 reasons I believe ChatGPT could be your go-to search engine Indianexpress
- OpenAI adds search features to ChatGPT, challenging Google TechInAsia
- ChatGPT has officially replaced Google Search for me – here’s why ZdNet
- ChatGPT Search May Have A Shot At Google SEJournal
- Is ChatGPT’s new search engine OpenAI’s Google ‘killer’? ThisWeek
In fact, looking down my feed reader, there are a staggering 160 stories in the last two weeks that include Google and ChatGPT Search in the headlines.
Why Should an SEO Care?
First, you can not approach these two beasts as an SEO as if they are equivalent. The difference is subtle: ChatGPT is a Conversational AI with supplemental search engine results and Google as a Search Engine with supplemental results from conversational AI. ChatGPT is meant to be prompted, and Google is meant to be queried.
Google is about keywords and long tail phrases, and ChatGPT is about question s, context, and conversational discussion. This is why so many people are flamming on Google AI because it disrupts the way they traditionally have used a search engine.
Second, know that SearchGPT is not about being a real search engine just yet. It is about shutting the leaky backdoor. The #1 exit from ChatGPT is to Google according to SemRush data (h/t Michael King):
If OpenAI can shut the door a bit, it will increase engagement and time-on-site. I believe this is exactly what ChatGPT web search is intended to do – fullstop.
If OpenAI can limit the flow of external distractions by narrowing the options for users to leave the platform, engagement and time spent on-site will naturally rise. When users are nudged to rely on ChatGPT’s in-house answers rather than veering off to other sources, it reinforces a self-contained ecosystem where people can explore, ask follow-ups, and interact without the disruption of leaving to search elsewhere. This creates a more immersive environment, enhancing the “stickiness” of the experience as users are inclined to stay within the ChatGPT platform, deepening their interaction.
The web search capability, therefore, serves a dual purpose. On one hand, it expands the AI’s ability to provide up-to-date information and more precise responses. On the other, it effectively contains the search within ChatGPT’s own interface, allowing OpenAI to retain users longer. This setup cultivates a space where users can satisfy their curiosity and find answers with minimal friction, making ChatGPT not just an assistant but a one-stop information resource.
-Sam Altman – Lex Friedman interview.
Real World Optimization Differences
| SearchGPT | |
|---|---|
| Content That Reads Smoothly And Naturally | Structured, Hierarchical Content |
| Answers Questions Directly And Succinctly | Transactional, Or Navigational Intent |
| Prompt Optimization | Query Optimization |
| Information Density Faq’s | Long Form Content To Increase Dwell Time |
| Engagement Time | Serp Click Rates |
| Optimization For Consensus With Llm Training Sites | Site Optimization For Eeat |
| Semantic Clarity | Schema Markup |
| Information Generation | Information Retrieval |
| Where Google is Headed | Where Google desperately wants to be |
It’s a crucial step in positioning ChatGPT as more than a chatbot, nudging it closer to the realm of an all-in-one information ecosystem.
Here’s why this matters and how it likely ties into OpenAI’s overarching goals:
- User Retention and Stickiness: The primary goal behind closing the backdoor isn’t merely to prevent users from switching to Google; it’s about cultivating a habit. When users grow accustomed to obtaining relevant and on-point information with ChatGPT, their reliance on external se’s will wane. The habit reinforces ChatGPT’s utility as a go-to solution for questions from simple queries to complex research.
- Enhanced UX : A key driver of Google exits has to have been ChatGPT’s limitations in accessing real-time data,navigational requests, or more specific informational requests. By reducing the need to exit for “second-opinion” searches, OpenAI can craft a more seamless, frustration-free experience.
- Data Collection and Feedback Loop: With more users staying on-site, OpenAI has a greater opportunity to gather valuable feedback and interaction data, which can be used to refine ChatGPT’s answers, improve conversational flow, and adjust the types of information prioritized in responses. This feedback loop helps AI’s ability to meet user needs, making it increasingly competitive as an information source.
ChatGPT begins to promote Search GPT usage with a popup - Competitive Positioning Against Google: Even though it is not ready to take on Google directly, it does put a stake in the ground that Google can’t ignore. If ChatGPT can handle common informational tasks well, Google becomes less necessary. This adds pressure on Google to innovate in response, potentially paving the way for OpenAI to capture a share of the search market over time.
- Revenue and Monetization Potential: Keeping users engaged longer on ChatGPT has obvious monetization implications. Higher engagement means more opportunities for upselling advanced features, premium subscriptions, or even introducing ad models. Increased engagement metrics can also enhance OpenAI’s bargaining power with potential partners, investors, or advertisers by showcasing a captive audience.
- Fish Slap: The lawsuits against OpenAI over its use of web content for training data are somewhat unfair, especially considering that Google has been doing something similar for nearly 20 years. Google’s AI generates titles and descriptions based on crawled data much like OpenAI’s models, with one significant difference: Google offsets this by driving traffic back to websites. OpenAI, without a search engine to reciprocate with clicks, lacks that cushion. Perhaps if OpenAI introduced a search engine of its own, it could balance the dynamic a bit by sending some traffic back to sources, evening out the competitive field.
In short, while ChatGPT isn’t a direct search engine competitor yet, the implementation of web search capabilities serves as a strategic containment measure, keeping users within the ChatGPT ecosystem longer. If successful, this move not only boosts ChatGPT’s immediate utility but may signal the beginning of a subtle shift in how people interact with online information, slowly shifting reliance away from traditional search engines.
We are going to come back to the “all-in-one information ecosystem” quite a bit in the coming years. I strongly believe we are headed towards a OpenAI email system, a browser, and a document system online. I believe Altman has major stars in his eyes and he wants it all.
As the CEO and founder of Pubcon Inc., Brett Tabke has been instrumental in shaping the landscape of online marketing and search engine optimization. His journey in the computer industry has spanned over three decades and has made him a pioneering force behind digital evolution. Full Bio
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