In the midst of the digital marketing revolution, Marwick Marketing has achieved remarkable growth, boasting a staggering 124% increase. The rapid evolution of the digital landscape since 2020 has driven a surge in demand for forward-thinking marketing strategies, leaving outdated approaches ineffective in the rapidly changing landscape of 2024.
Business owners and marketing managers are grappling with the challenge of adapting to new practices and staying ahead of the curve. Many find themselves in the dark about the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in marketing, and the complexities of Meta’s platforms (including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) have left them frustrated.
While these are the current challenges faced by business owners and marketers, a significant shift looms on the horizon within the next 12 to 24 months – the Search Generative Experience.
The Search Generative Experience employs advanced machine learning (AI) techniques to generate organic search results and recommendations, making it a transformative development for every online business.
Matt Burns, Head of SEO at Marwick Marketing, explains, “The way we search, and subsequently optimise websites, is condensing queries into short, broad keywords. However, as Google advances in comprehending longer and more specific requests with AI, a subtle shift is underway. In the coming months, we anticipate transitioning towards longer-tail, low-volume queries as users embrace a more natural language approach. For companies adopting this as part of their SEO strategy, they will see bigger wins in the future over competitors who do not.”
Yet, it’s not just the adoption of AI and new marketing platforms that businesses need to be prepared for; it’s the speed at which the digital landscape will evolve.
Chris Thomson, CEO of Marwick Marketing, provides insight into this pace of change. “It took seven years for Google to shift from indexing websites on desktop to mobile fully. Google officially announced its mobile-first indexing initiative in November 2016, which has only recently finished rolling out. Mobile-first indexing means that Google primarily uses the mobile version of a website’s content for indexing and ranking, rather than the desktop version.”
Thomson adds, “Many companies were slow to make the shift, losing SEO rankings to their competitors. This gave forward-thinking business owners an upper hand against established brands. The transition to a Search Generative Experience presents a much higher significant opportunity for visionary business owners and marketing teams. Still, the window of advantage will be much shorter than the mobile-first shift – approximately 12 to 24 months.”
Looking ahead, the future for businesses in the era of generative AI holds promise. As AI algorithms advance, search results will become more personalised and refined, enhancing the user experience and delivering targeted information. Businesses that embrace these advancements and leverage AI-driven insights will effectively engage their target audiences, gaining a competitive edge.
The evolution of generative AI introduces new opportunities for businesses to harness data, analytics, and emerging technologies. By staying informed about generative AI developments, businesses can adapt their strategies to provide exceptional user experiences and capitalise on the sweeping changes that lie ahead, positioning themselves for enduring success.
