my thoughts on google ai search

Pre-AI, Google used to read your website and if its content matched a search, Google put a link to your site on the SERP.

Win, win all round.

Now, Google AI (Gemini) reads your site, and if its content matches a search query, Gemini rewrites that content and presents it on the search page as the answer to the search question.

Sometimes, it might include a link to your site – but why would the searcher click on it when they already have the answer to their question?

So, you have bot-blockers added to your site’s code – so Google cannot access your content – and you seek other ways to drive traffic to your site.

Use of Google search drops because search results lose quality.

Google lose income because they sell loads of ads on search, but hardly any on Gemini.

Lose, lose all round.

just a thought

Alphabet’s primary source of income is from advertising on Google, and yet they’re trying to move searchers on to Gemini, their ai search ... which has few advertisers. 

Even ignoring the costs involved with ai (for google), this doesn’t sound like a sound financial move.

it's funny cos it's true

 

as bad as it gets?

The first image is my local newspaper's home page. The ad is - it seems - immovable - so you can't get at the navigation bar. 

After clicking on the ad in an attempt to move it, and got this ...

I despair 😞 

just sayin' (in case you didn't know)

 Meta AIs Terms of Service

YOU SHOULD NOT RELY UPON OUTPUTS FOR ANY PURPOSE OR USE OUTPUTS TO INFORM PROFESSIONAL ADVICE OR DECISIONS RELATED TO MEDICINE, FINANCE, LAW, OR PHARMACEUTICALS. IF YOU PLAN TO USE OUTPUTS FOR ANY REASON, IT IS YOUR SOLE RESPONSIBILITY TO VERIFY OUTPUTS. 

[Block capitals in original]

facebook.com/legal/ai-terms

really ...

 ... a skull ?

ad spend well spent?

Not only is this of no interest to me, but the stats on this one are rather strange 🤔

how many?

This is the 'cookie' notice for a rather niche online magazine. Its content is not well suited with the amount of companies getting visitors' data.

ad spend well spent [part 2]

 Do they never learn? See ad spend well spent?

review overkill?

I'm a big fan of ToolStation ... but really, a review for a £2.95 pair of hooks?

bbc ... how many?

If you use DuckDuckGo as your search engine, the 'search' page gives information on tracking and pop-ups that it has blocked. Here's a few at random from my web history.

Some are no surprise [a newspaper that makes money from ads and selling data], others more of a surprise [ebay and temu being quite low, for example].

But one really stands out. Yep, the UK's public broadcaster. What are they doing with all that data?

one for the spam file

This was an unsolicited email. AI or human waste of time? 🤔

This is doing the rounds on social media …

The Internet is now a store - it used to be a library.

I agree.

a bit dramatic for websites ...

 ... but the message is valid.

just a reminder