Have you heard about Google Magi? Since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, AI has become all the rage. More than 100 million people are already using AI to look for answers to their questions or to create content for their blogs and social media, either directly or through WordPress plugins [1]. 🤖
Google Magi is Google’s first attempt at integrating artificial intelligence with Google Search. Here’s what that will mean and how you could benefit from it. 🎁
What is Google Project Magi?
Google Magi is a new type of AI-powered search engine that Google is developing. Project Magi was initially launched in May 2023 to one million users within the United States, and, depending on how the trial goes, the company expects to expand this offering to 30 million users by the end of the year [2].
Its AI capabilities allow Magi to understand natural language queries and will provide users with more accurate search results than traditional search engines.
Project Magi’s conversational search interface will allow you to interact with the search engine in a more natural way. This means you will ask questions and get answers that are like how you would talk to another person.
Magi will use AI to develop new ways to present information in a more engaging and informative way, including using multimedia content to provide you with a more complete picture of the topic you are searching for.
Overall, Project Magi’s conversational and visual search features will make the search experience more engaging and intuitive. This could make it easier and more enjoyable to find the information you are looking for.
On the downside, Project Magi is still in the experimental phase. There’s no telling how limited or accurate it will be. Google’s answer to ChatGPT, Bard, met with harsh criticism after its launch…including damning critiques from Google employees! There’s always a learning curve with AI tools, and there’s no telling whether Google will be able to launch Magi successfully in the near future.
💡 Having said that, it’s still important to understand the impact of Google Magi and how it will affect your industry, so you can prepare for its arrival.
The impact of Google Magi
The new search engine is expected to have interesting features that will give Google Magi the edge over traditional search engines, including a conversational search interface. Users will be able to interact with the search engine in a more natural way by asking questions and getting answers, just like ChatGPT. Here’s how that will affect the way we engage online:
The impact on SEO 🎯
Magi will have the ability to personalize and tailor search results to each user; the results that you see will be tailored to your interests and preferences. If you are looking for a new pair of jeans, Magi will be able to present pre-selected options from your favorite brands in your size and favorite styles. To top that off, it will allow you to complete the entire transaction on Google without visiting a retailer’s website.
While this will no doubt be extremely convenient for users, it’s going to have a big impact on paid search and SEO. Search engine optimization involves tailoring your website content with keywords, a specific page structure, and phrases in order to rank higher in search results. If Project Magi proceeds as planned, keywords and phrases will become far less important than answering users’ questions directly.
This doesn’t mean reinventing the wheel but rather adjusting your strategy to deliver answers to questions that users might have, e.g., Which jeans are the most flattering for short women? Where can I find a stylish pair of jeans under $100? Instead of ranking for the word jeans, you’ll need to create content that addresses users’ preferences, like their budget or their height.
The impact on advertising 📢
Advertising professionals and retail web owners may feel threatened or concerned, but rest assured: Google Magi won’t take traffic away from your website. It will provide a better search experience for users and may even improve the discoverability of your site. Think of past updates, like Google’s answer box. Nowadays, you can ask Google a question, and instead of clicking on a website link and reading an entire article, Google will simply display a snippet of content that answers the query.
Magi will use a similar approach to advertising. As long as you are able to tailor content according to the new approach, you will enjoy the same results (if not better).
Google’s ability to deliver personalized search results is a great way to prepare for the ever-growing voice search trend, as voice searches are far more natural and conversational than typed queries. By using long-tail keywords, focusing on user experience and personalization, you can still dominate search results pages.
The impact on jobs 👔
Google isn’t in the business of putting SEO professionals out of a job, but you will need to adjust your current strategies. Keep these tips in mind as you prepare for the introduction of Google Magi and other AI-powered search engines:
- Stick to the principles of search engine optimization, including maintaining your domain authority and creating high-quality, relevant content. Google Magi will be able to process audio and images, so make sure you take visual elements into account when developing your SEO strategy.
- Craft content in a way that answers users’ questions naturally, e.g., structuring information the way you would answer a customer’s question over the phone or in person. Avoid using technical jargon or complex sentences.
- Google Magi is able to understand the intent of search queries. This means that you should focus on creating content that answers specific questions. Use long-tail keywords and phrases in your content to help Google Magi understand what you are writing about.
- Optimize your content for featured snippets. Featured snippets are brief summaries of answers to common search queries that appear at the top of the search results page. To optimize your content for featured snippets, make sure that your content is well-structured and that it includes clear and concise answers to common questions.
- Stay informed. Google Magi is still in development and is likely to change significantly over time. Make sure you understand how Magi will impact your SEO strategy.
Instead of shying away from artificial intelligence, SEO professionals and website owners should embrace and prepare for the change as soon as possible.
Conclusion: Google Magi is coming 🧐
Whether we like it or not, AI is here to stay – and we need to adapt or face the consequences. Google’s plan to launch an AI-powered search engine is only the tip of the iceberg as users increasingly move to more conversational search queries, including voice search and ChatGPT.
Don’t avoid AI. Instead, stay ahead of the curve by adapting your content to match the way users are searching for answers online. 🤖
You can learn more about AI and using advanced AI technologies on your website by visiting our blog. We’ll keep you informed as changes are released and new products are launched.
Or start the conversation in our Facebook group for WordPress professionals. Find answers, share tips, and get help from other WordPress experts. Join now (it’s free)!