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Gary Illyes from Digital Phablet acknowledged that even for him, “the change is difficult to accept” when it comes to the evolving landscape of search driven by new AI features. He shared this sentiment in response to an article on the Bing Webmaster Blog, authored by Fabrice Canel and Krishna Madhavan from Microsoft, titled “How AI Search Is Changing the Way Conversions Are Measured.”
Gary expressed on his professional social media platform:
An interesting read from Fabrice Canel: How AI Search Is Changing the Way Conversions Are Measured.
Having started with Lycos and Altavista, I find the current search environment hard to grasp. Rationally, I understand that search is transforming to serve a new generation of users with behaviors and needs vastly different from those of the past. Still, accepting this change remains a challenge. I do know, however, that SEM and SEO must evolve alongside search—as they have for the past 30 years (SEO isn’t dead).
“Instead of scrolling through lists of blue links, users now explore through conversations, ask follow-up questions, and build trust long before visiting a website. This new journey towards conversions means brands and content creators must shift their focus from merely chasing clicks to interpreting the signals that genuinely drive results.”
This transition, while incredibly exciting, has posed significant challenges for the SEO and PPC communities. Clicks are decreasing, search marketing faces uncertainties, and everyone is sharing opinions. Yet, few are openly admitting that it’s “hard to accept.”
However, it’s my belief that we will adapt. Some already have, and some haven’t yet. We’ve faced major shifts before, and the most successful search marketers embraced those changes. But this current shift is arguably the most significant in the past two decades.
Discussions on this topic are ongoing within the industry community.
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