How Do We Determine Whether to Prioritize Search Engines or LLMs in Our Marketing?

• Overview
• What I Think
• Deep Dive: Choosing Search Engines or LLMs for Marketing
• 15-Step Action Plan for Choosing LLMs or Search Engines for Marketing
• Quick Solutions
• About Us

Overview

Should you prioritize search engines or large language models (LLMs) for visibility? 

The answer is, it depends. 

It’s important to understand what they both bring to the table, and how people are using them. 

Search engines have long been a trusted source for those seeking reliable, vetted information, and it remains a leader in search, despite LLMs experiencing growth. 

And with Google offering a chat feature directly in its search results, more and more people may choose to stay within the search engine for their discovery needs — including the younger generations.

Yet LLMs continue to offer benefits for synthesizing knowledge and exploratory answers, which can be especially useful for brainstorming or ideation. 

The decision to prioritize one platform over the other often depends on the audience you’re targeting, and knowing how they engage with both. 

What I Think

Marketing leaders know that prioritizing one channel over another always starts with understanding the behavior and expectations of your audience. 

Most people today continue to gravitate towards search engines like Google for its established authority and familiar experiences. 

LLMs, while innovative, do not yet instill the same level of confidence for important decisions, particularly when accuracy is non-negotiable.

From my perspective, exploring visibility in both ensures you’re staying ahead of the curve. 

You may find that LLMs are not something you prioritize now, but knowing how to optimize for LLMs and how your audience is engaging in it keeps you one step ahead.

Deep Dive: Choosing Search Engines or LLMs for Marketing

The age of AI is here, and knowing which channel to prioritize keeps you competitive. Here are some tips: 

Know the Use Cases for Both Search Engines and LLMs

Search engines have established themselves as a source for reliable information. 

Their algorithms are designed to prioritize authoritative sources, which is critical when users are making decisions on sensitive topics or performing key tasks like purchasing. 

On the other hand, LLMs are increasingly used for queries that demand creative, synthesized or exploratory responses. 

Nevertheless, understanding how SEO works for both LLMs and search engines is an important step in modern SEO. 

Evaluate User Behavior for Your Target Audience

Evaluating user behavior and query intent is the key to determining when and how you might target each platform.

Sensitive queries generally benefit from the transparency and credibility of search engines, as their results are drawn from indexed, vetted databases. 

Meanwhile, users who seek inspiration for projects or problem-solving may find LLM outputs very helpful. 

However, the reliability of LLMs can vary, which requires users to invest time in evaluating the information provided. 

Understand Your Strategy

What do you want to get out of each platform? 

For instance, LLMs may be good for building brand recognition while search engines are an established way to drive website traffic. 

Measure Outcomes

Analyzing metrics like user retention, engagement rates and conversion rates can help you understand how effectively each channel works.  

You’ll want to monitor these metrics regularly so you can make adjustments. 

With data and insight into each channel’s capabilities, you can help ensure you’re allocating resources effectively.

15-Step Action Plan for Choosing LLMs or Search Engines for Marketing

Here are some key steps to consider when optimizing your website and SEO strategy in the age of AI.

1. Define the objectives for your marketing strategy.
2. Conduct research to understand your audience’s preferences and behaviors.
3. Segment your audience based on their information-seeking habits.
4. Identify the typical queries and intents relevant to your audience.
5. Assess the strengths of search engines and LLMs in meeting these intents.
6. Evaluate the credibility and depth required for sensitive topics or key decisions.
7. Develop a hybrid strategy that incorporates both platforms as needed.
8. Optimize the website to be set up for both search engines and LLM information-retrieval. 
9. Monitor user engagement metrics to assess platform effectiveness.
10. Test to refine optimization methods.
11. Implement feedback loops to gather user insights.
12. Integrate analytics tools to track website/content performance.
13. Regularly review and adjust your strategy based on analytics data.
14. Foster a culture of adaptability within your SEO team.
15. Periodically evaluate the technological advancements in both domains.

Ready to refine your content strategy and effectively integrate search engines and LLMs? 

Start Optimizing Your AI SEO Approach Today!
 

Quick Solutions

• How Do We Effectively Integrate AI into Our Marketing Strategy?

About Us

Bruce Clay Inc. has been at the forefront of digital marketing innovation since 1996. We specialize in providing expert strategies for search engine optimization, pay-per-click advertising and content marketing to help businesses achieve their online goals in the AI era. Learn more About Us.

Bruce Clay is founder and president of Bruce Clay Inc., a global digital marketing firm providing search engine optimization, pay-per-click, social media marketing, SEO-friendly web architecture, and SEO tools and education. Connect with him on LinkedIn or through the BruceClay.com website.

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