We’re feeling the seasons change here in B.C., with the days growing shorter and darkness creeping in. It’s not just our moods that need a boost — our digital marketing strategies could use some illumination too.
The past few months have brought several significant developments including ChatGPT Search, Google’s August Core algorithm update, rising saerch ad costs, and a prediction on what sites will suffer most from these changes.
1. OpenAI’s ChatGPT Search Released on October 31
OpenAI released ChatGPT Search on Halloween slowly to paid and waitlisted users. You may recall GPT is trained on old data, known as the “knowledge cutoff date”:
- GPT-3.5: The training data includes information up to January 2022.Â
- GPT-4: The knowledge cutoff is April 2023.Â
- GPT-4o: Knowledge cutoff of October 2023.
ChatGPT Search adds live search capability, with a new sidebar with citations and search results:
In addition to Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), which integrates AI to provide users with overviews directly in search results, this reduces the need to click through to individual websites by prioritizing quick answers and conversational queries.
Applying This to Your Business
This doesn’t change much for SMB’s – continue to focus on high-quality, authoritative content, using well structured posts, and optimize for local and voice search. Some sources say overall AI search increases overall search traffic as more people are using it, while others think many sites will suffer – why visit the webpage when you’re result is right there? We’ll keep an eye on how this affects search traffic in future SEO news updates.
2. Google Core Update August 2024: What Small Businesses Should Focus On
Many sites saw significant volatility after the update. AÂ poll by Search Engine Roundtable found that 44% of respondents reported declines in rankings and traffic, while 27% observed improvements, and 29% noticed no changes.
Applying This to Your Business
Focus on producing valuable content that directly addresses your audience’s needs. Regularly audit your website to ensure it aligns with Google’s quality guidelines – once a year is sufficient for all but the most content-focused SME’s.
3. Rising Search Ad Costs and Declining Conversion Rates: Implications for SMBs
The third quarter has seen an increase in search ad costs coupled with a decline in conversion rates. This suggests that businesses are spending more on ads but receiving less return on investment.
Applying This to Your Business
Reevaluate your advertising strategies by focusing on organic growth and optimizing ad spend. Investing in SEO and content marketing can provide sustainable traffic and reduce reliance on paid ads.
4. The Shift to Customer Lifetime Value: A New Growth Marketing Playbook
Marketers are increasingly prioritizing customer lifetime value (CLV) over short-term metrics. This approach focuses on building long-term relationships with customers to maximize their overall value to the business.
Applying This to Your Business
Implement strategies that enhance customer retention and loyalty, such as personalized marketing and exceptional customer service. Remember that newsletter you said you’d start years ago (us included) – time to get that going. Focusing on CLV can lead to more sustainable growth and profitability.
5. SEO Prediction: The Content Sites That Will Suffer the Most
You know those keyword-stuffed and websites that rank for topics they shouldn’t? Sites like Business Insider – who’s top articles from organic search that are not business or tech-related include a timeline of David Beckham’s alleged affair with Rebecca Loos (who?) and a review of Owala water bottles – neither of which have any business getting this amount of search traffic.
Not to single out Business Insider, as Forbes is a classic culprit. They’ve suffered since with a 35.6% drop in keywords ranking in the top 100 (source: ahrefs):
In the industry, we call sites like these pure content plays. With AI favoring quality, engaging, and truly helpful content — it is making it harder for sites like this to be feasible. Expect more layoffs and consolidation in the near future.
Applying This to Your Business
If this describes your website(s), look out. But hey, you had a feeling this day was coming, right? You can only game the system for so long. This type of SEO is a constant game of outwitting the algorithm, adjusting, and trying to stay on top. Very little of this helps the end user and it is not a sustainable content strategy. Answer real questions in natural language, structure it well, but don’t try to trick the algorithm. Play the long game.
Next Steps to Improve Your SEO
Curious how your site is doing in terms of search? Want to know what youu and your competitor’s top pages are? Big Cedar specializes in research to get actionable insights that will boost your search rankings, which means more clients contacting you.
If you’re unsure where to start or want an audit to identify quick wins and opportunities for long term gains, reach out to the Big Cedar team.
