How Google Gemini is Transforming Search:: The AI behind enhanced search capabilities

The recent rollout of Google Gemini marks a significant milestone in Google’s eight-year AI journey, promising to revolutionize the way users interact with Google Search and their other services. At the same time, it has also admittedly encouraged users to eat at least one small rock per day (for health reasons, obviously). But it wouldn’t be a technological revolution without a few comical blunders, now would it?

Gemini represents Google's latest effort to leverage AI technology for more intuitive and responsive user experiences. It needs a bit of work but shows promise, and it may have a significant impact on marketers’ SEO strategies down the line. 

What is Gemini?

Gemini is Google's new AI ecosystem, designed to enhance and transform how users interact with Google Search. This advanced AI technology can generate responses to natural language prompts by pulling information from the internet and presenting it in a conversational manner. Unlike traditional Google search results, which provide snippets of information or a list of links, Gemini works to deliver detailed and contextual responses.

Google announced Gemini (but called it “Bard”)  back in February 2023, conveniently after OpenAI and Microsoft announced their own AI chatbot systems. Initially, access to Gemini was limited via a waitlist, but by early May 2023, it had become widely available. Now, in May 2024, Gemini has advanced to become part of Google’s search engine ecosystem and has been rolled out to all Google users - whether they want it or not. 

Key features and capabilities of the new AI

Gemini is the result of continuous improvement in Google’s AI tools. The latest release has a ton of key features, many of which are unique to Google: 

AI-Powered Search Results

Gemini enhances the relevance and accuracy of search results with features like AI-generated summaries and lets users ask follow-up questions in a conversational way. (More on this in the next section.) 

Integration with Google Workspaces

Google has fitted Gemini neatly into its existing productivity tools, including Docs, Drive and Assistant. In Google Docs alone, it can summarize text, rewrite text, reference emails and Drive files and create images. The unification with apps we already use regularly is, in a word, glorious. 

However, many people use Google Chrome, Gmail and Google Workspace nearly every day, and Google has access to all of that data. Therefore, Google has purposefully limited Gemini’s ability to retain context for the time being due to the security and privacy concerns that come with access to so much user data. 

Customization for Developers

Gemini includes tools and APIs for developers and larger operations to create their own custom applications. The technology also allows for scalability and efficiency in these operations, as it can handle large amounts of data and interactions without sacrificing cost or speed. 

Key Features of AI-Powered Google Search

As we said earlier, Gemini’s AI has already begun to appear on the SERP for certain queries. You may have noticed an “AI Overview” at the top of your results. While some annoyed users have started searching how they can turn this feature off, others are embracing its role in improving search engine result accuracy. Key features include:

Faster information retrieval

Gemini takes the liberty of summarizing an answer to your query and helpfully citing links from the sites where it retrieved its information. If you click on one of these sources, the AI will jump to the spot on the page where it was pulled from. Users can then ask follow-up questions to which Google will respond with context from previous searches in that session.

Gemini can even suggest solutions based on your question. For example, if you’re looking for a hack for chopping vegetables quickly, it can offer up a veggie chopper for purchase.

By understanding the nuances of user queries and maintaining context throughout the search process, Gemini can deliver more relevant and tailored results. This personalized approach enhances user satisfaction and engagement, especially since you aren’t required to read or skim full web pages of content to get to the point. 

Machine learning to predict user intent

Machine learning is central to Gemini's ability to predict user intent, enhancing the relevance and personalization of search results.

This machine learning capability involves analyzing vast amounts of data – such as browsing history, search queries, clicks and purchase history – to identify patterns, understand natural language and provide tailored responses based on user behavior and preferences.

Basically, you search for lots of things related to baseball gear, and Google knows your search for “bats” probably has nothing to do with nocturnal flying mammals. 

Enhanced search result relevance

Gemini can be exceptionally helpful in more complex search situations where users would typically have to comb through multiple pages and conduct multiple searches to find their answer.

For example, Gemini can answer simple questions fine, but it can also help you solve a specific problem, like finding a “commuter bike with basket that works well on hills and costs less than $1,000.” or “Smoothie shop with vegan options within a half-hour walk of the Empire State Building.” 

Real-time, context-aware search responses

Unlike some earlier AI models, Gemini can provide real-time, context-aware responses. This ensures that the information provided is up-to-date, enhancing the accuracy and relevance of search results.

It also allows Gemini to respond to user inquiries using information previously offered during that session. For example, if you say you’re looking for a new camping tent, Gemini will retain this context throughout your search.

Gemini is currently limited in its ability to hold context over extended sessions but is expected to improve over time. 

Combined text, images, and videos in search results

Gemini's multimodal abilities allow it to understand and integrate text, images and even audio and videos within search results. This enables a more comprehensive answer for the user and helps them better understand the answer to their search.

Search via multiple types of media

Users can now search the web by typing, speaking, taking a picture, or shooting a video through Google Lens, and Gemini will figure out what you’re trying to ask. This feature is available on both mobile and desktop applications.  

Launch details and initial reception

Despite an impressive announcement and major rollout, the initial reaction to Gemini, including its chatbot and new search capabilities, has been… lukewarm.

Early user feedback has highlighted areas for improvement, such as the accuracy of AI-generated answers and multilingual performance. When asked to give a six-letter word in French, Gemini prefers to give a random word, regardless of length. It’s not great with basic coding advice, and it did allegedly suggest a user use glue as a pizza topping to get cheese to stick a bit better (yum!)

Despite the initial mixed feedback, Google remains optimistic about Gemini's potential and insists any evidence of AI tomfoolery is anecdotal. Presumably, Google will continue to upgrade and enhance Gemini to better meet user needs and correct these errors, or people will start jumping off the Gemini ship, and fast. 

Gemini’s Impact on SEO and Digital Marketing

This rollout could have major implications for marketers down the line, but there’s no need to panic (yet). The introduction of AI-powered search results with Gemini represents an evolution in SEO strategies rather than a revolution. Marketers should take notes on the following: 

Emphasis on user intent

Traditional SEO focuses on matching keywords to queries, but AI-driven search emphasizes understanding user intent. This shift requires marketers to create content that aligns with user preferences and behaviors more than ever before.

Content marketers should optimize snippets for chatbots while providing in-depth answers for users to click on if they so choose. Structured data and schema markup will become non-negotiable in supporting efforts to match user intent. 

Need for personalization

Because search results can now be influenced by context and past search history, SEO will need to be more targeted and customized. Marketers need to understand their audiences’ needs and preferences on a granular level to provide personalized content, modify content for varying segments and optimize for local search.

Greater impact on organic traffic

Gemini's ability to provide direct answers to user queries may impact organic traffic, particularly for "how-to" blogs and other content traditionally reliant on click-throughs. Businesses will need to adapt by creating diverse content that addresses a broader range of user questions and optimizing for both AI-driven and traditional search results.

It's also important to understand your audience’s questions beyond “how-to.’ What are they searching for that could use a longer explanation? 

Need for high-quality media

Because Gemini integrates video and photo results into its AI-generated summaries, marketers should anticipate an emphasis on rich and engaging content formats beyond text. Aligning with the new search experience is critical to achieving higher ranks as Google evolves its AI technology. 

Disruption of Google’s current ecosystem

Google has an enormous existing ecosystem of products and services for users. But this system could be upended by AI. For example, a major source of revenue for Google is its paid search engine results, which are pushed to the top of the SERP. If AI generates high-quality, more valid answers to queries above that, users have no reason to click into these ads. Many businesses rely on these ads for sales but will pull out if they aren’t getting their money’s worth, implying Google will still need to prioritize advertised results.

On the flip side, Google may retain users with new features in its Workspace. If a user is writing in Google Docs, they no longer need to consult a competitor, like ChatGPT, to generate text for them. Instead, they can work within Docs without leaving their browser tab. 

If executed well, Google’s foray into AI could be major for tech companies. It could entice users to stay within the confines of the Google ecosystem and purchase home devices and subscriptions to Gemini Advanced, and work within Docs instead of Microsoft Word. But we still have a long way to go, especially after initial lackluster reception. 

Potential Future Updates to Gemini

Google has announced a handful of updates in the near future, including a Google Lens-esque feature for Gemini Live that enables users to utilize their phone camera to communicate with the AI. This enhancement will empower Gemini Live to perceive the world through the camera lens, providing feedback and answers. We can also anticipate the integration of Gemini across other Google products, like Google Home.

Remember, Google is only eight years into its AI journey and is constantly working on its tech. Just over a year ago, Gemini was called Bard and was only available to a select number of people.

However, Google has been relatively mum on its planned upgrades to Gemini. It’s uncertain how the company will comply with security and privacy rules, especially in the EU, and balance its AI answers with its existing sponsored content system, as businesses may question the value of paid content if overshadowed by organic results.

While Gemini holds promise, ongoing improvements are necessary. Not every seemingly qualified search delivers AI results, and user sentiment is starting out fairly flat. The t::team ran multiple tests, searching different combinations of general and specific queries, and mostly found that specific searches (like “10-speed bike good for commuting 5 miles on flat ground”) delivered no AI results, while caveman-like searches (think “what does plant do”) resulted in a small encyclopedia of AI-powered text and images. 

Let’s just say we still have a long way to go before the AI overlord robots can even think about taking over.

As it continues to evolve, Gemini has the potential to transform users' interactions with search engines and other digital platforms. We encourage you to try out Gemini's new AI-powered search capabilities and share your experiences and thoughts on how Gemini will transform the SEO landscape. 

We know it's a lot, so if you'd like to sit down to chat about how AI may affect your content or SEO strategies, just send a message, and we'll grab a pot of coffee.