AI Search Engines Don’t Work Like Google: Here’s How to Stay Visible

AI-based search engines are popping up everywhere, or so it sometimes seems, and they work nothing like the Google you know. If you’re a business owner or marketer, this shift could make or break your online visibility. 

With AI-based search engines, from Perplexity to ChatGPT and even Bing’s enhanced AI features, you no longer see a list of links. Instead, they’re creating direct answers and summaries, all through conversational responses. This makes major changes to how people find your business online and the visibility you get from search queries. Today, we explore everything you ought to know about AI search engines vs Google search, and how to plan for an AI-powered search future.

How AI-Based Search Engines Actually Work

Let’s start by understanding how AI search engines vs Google differ.

A traditional Google search will show you links (and some ads). You then click through to each website to find the answers you need. AI-based search engines change this entirely. The AI “reads” multiple sources for you, understanding the content and shaping a complete answer right at the top of the search page.

What goes on behind the scenes of that AI-based search engine is the real secret. AI can scan thousands of web pages in seconds, pulling relevant information from multiple sources. It then creates a single, comprehensive answer. The reader gets what they need, without clicking through to individual websites. These answers are presented in a friendly, conversational format.

This is both amazing and terrifying for businesses. It’s fantastic that users are getting better answers, faster. But oh, that lost traffic to your actual website.

AI Search Engines vs. Google: Intent vs. Information is the Key Difference

At the core, there’s one key difference in the AI search engine vs. Google split: how they handle user intent. Google tries to match your entered keywords with relevant pages. Gen AI search engines try to understand what you really want to know.

Let’s look at an example. Say you type in “best marketing software for small business”. Google will show a list of comparison articles, mixed with product pages and ads. An AI-based search engine, on the other hand, would give a detailed comparison, mentioning a few top options and their pros and cons.

You may rank No. 1 on Google for that keyword. But the real question is whether your business will be mentioned in that AI-generated answer?

Why Current SEO Strategies Don’t Always Work for AI

Traditional SEO focuses on keywords and backlinks, paired with some technical optimization. And these things still matter- traditional SEO and Google aren’t going anywhere.

However, Gen AI search engines care about different signals, prioritizing content that is:

• Clear and easy to understand
• Factually accurate
• Up-to-date
• Comprehensive and thorough
• Well structured with headers and bullet points

It also looks at how often others have cited your content. If you have 10 websites referencing your article, AI-based search engines are more likely to weigh your insights in their answers. 

Citations, Your New Marketing Best Friend

Here’s something many businesses don’t know yet. AI search engines show their sources. While they generate a conversational answer right on the page, they also list the websites they got the information from.

This is huge for visibility.

It brings a new fight to the table, however. Instead of competing for Google ranking alone, you’re now also competing to be cited as an AI source. When this happens, Gen AI search engines can drive highly qualified traffic, as people trust AI-recommended sources.

To win with citations and AI, your content needs to be appealing for referencing. Industry reports, original research, and expert insights/thought leadership work best. 

Content That Works in the AI Era

There’s also a content preference difference in AI search engines vs. Google. Google loves keyword-rich content that matches search queries. AI-based search engines want content that sounds conversational and natural, offering a full answer to the question.

Write like you’re talking to a smart friend who wants to understand your topic. Use simple sentences. Explain complex ideas clearly. Break up long paragraphs into shorter ones.

Don’t lose sight of structure, either. Headers, bullet point lists, numbered lists… they all help AI understand your content better and extract the right information.

Building Trust for AI Search Engines

Trust is also a critical factor. AI search engines are new, with a technology few really understand. If they’re not offering accurate information, how do they build trust? This makes AI search picky about sources, favoring websites that offer:

• Clear author credentials
• Recent publication dates
• Citations and references
• Great user experiences 

Google has already penalized websites that are slow or hard to navigate. But now the race is really on to offer the best user experience possible. Lumbering sites full of outdated information will be skipped by AI-based search engines entirely.

What AI Search Means for Local Business

Smaller businesses generally already feel overwhelmed by the technical side of SEO. Now, there are gen AI search engines in the mix. Google is pretty decent about matching terms like “near me” with maps and local listings. AI can focus on detailed answers without offering that content.

That doesn’t mean you should give up, though. AI-based search engines pull from review sites, local directories, and even social media. If your information is accurate and up-to-date, you get more visibility. You can even encourage customers to leave more detailed reviews, highlighting specific services and products. 

Preparing for the AI-Based Search Engine Shift

While AI search is already here, dominance won’t happen overnight. Google is still the source of billions of searches daily. But smart businesses know to plan ahead.

Look at your content through an AI lens:

• Would an AI-based search engine find your information valuable enough to cite?
• Is it clear and comprehensive, and also accurate?
• Does it answer questions completely?

AI SEO needs you to be the go-to expert. Build relationships with other pages in your niche. Answer your customers’ questions thoroughly. The goal is to become a trusted source that those gen AI search engines want to reference.

If you’re keen for some step-by-step guidance, you can try our AI-readiness checklist.

What AI-Based Search Engines Mean For Your Marketing Budget

It’s likely also time to check in on how you spend your marketing dollars. Traditional PPC ads are likely to become lower value as people interact directly with AI instead of clicking through to websites.

Consider investing more in:

• High-quality content creation
• Industry partnerships and collaborations
• Improving your website’s user experience
• Building your reputation as an expert source

AI-based search engines are here to stay. In fact, they’re getting smarter (and more popular) every month. Gen AI search engines offer the user a very different search experience, and it’s time to adapt now. Before your competitors get the advantage. 

Your visibility in search results might look different in the AI era, but the opportunities are just as real. The businesses that adapt first will have a huge advantage over those that stick with old-school SEO tactics. Your future customers are already using gen AI search engines. It’s time to make sure they- and AI- find you.