How is search evolving and what are the first consequences on brand visibility strategy? The point of view of David Eichholtzer, director and founder of the WAM Agency, specializing in the development of the digital authority of brands.
From Google hegemony to a new search ecosystem
With 9 out of 10 queries made on the Google search engine, it holds a dominant place in the search market: “Google has maintained this hegemonic situation for more than twenty years, but today we are witnessing the emergence of new search habits“, observes David Eichholtzer. The first emerging phenomenon is that of the arrival of generative AI and its integration into search engines : “We can cite Bing which is gaining market share with the integration of Copilot or even ChatGPT which has just launched SearchGPT”continues this one. The trend thus seems to be moving towards search engines which deliver answers in a conversational manner by associating the sources used.
A customer journey that is more fragmented than ever.
At the same time, the other phenomenon observed is that other digital spaces are increasingly used to carry out research, whether social platforms – and in particular TikTok and YouTube or e-commerce sites like Amazon for BTC, LinkedIn for BTB. These new habits then impact all stakeholders:
– brands must think about a more diversified editorial strategy,
– e-commerce platforms develop their retail media offering,
– while social platforms work on their own AI search engine, like the META Group.
“Attention is fragmented, and so is traffic… Brands then have a double challenge to take on: that of being present at the right moment in the customer journey while succeeding in generating interest! Ultimately, it’s about being authoritative in these digital ecosystems.” summarizes the manager.
What are the consequences for the brand visibility strategy?
“Brands are starting to consider other search engines, while the video format is taking up more and more space on social networks”continues David Eichholtzer. The trend is therefore towards short and vertical video formats, designed under the prism of authenticity. They no longer hesitate, moreover, to share content created by their community (User Generated Content – UGC). “ Faced with the increase in the number of content created by each brand, according to an ever-increasing heterogeneity of formats, it is recommended to set up a Content Factory. This will allow all teams to be able to use the assets already created and to think together about future needs. For example, to be cited by SearchGPT, the brand’s presence in the media is key. It’s relatively new, communication was for a long time kept away from these purely digital subjects,” recommends the manager. An approach which is also part of a commitment to more responsible communication and “slow content”.
Finally, it is better to develop a detailed knowledge of the media consumption habits of your audience, in order to choose the right communication format based on the right channel.
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Source: www.e-marketing.fr
