{"id":7618,"date":"2023-07-05T10:50:06","date_gmt":"2023-07-05T10:50:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/blog\/?p=7618"},"modified":"2024-11-19T04:50:21","modified_gmt":"2024-11-19T04:50:21","slug":"keyword-search-is-dead-an-obituary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/blog\/keyword-search-is-dead-an-obituary","title":{"rendered":"Keyword Search Is Dead \u2013 An Obituary"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_76 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/blog\/keyword-search-is-dead-an-obituary\/#1_Fewer_Search_results\" >1. Fewer Search results<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/blog\/keyword-search-is-dead-an-obituary\/#2_Contextual_understanding_of_the_search_will_grow\" >2. Contextual understanding of the search will grow<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/blog\/keyword-search-is-dead-an-obituary\/#3_Entity_recognition\" >3. Entity recognition<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/blog\/keyword-search-is-dead-an-obituary\/#What_does_it_mean_for_Businesses\" >What does it mean for Businesses?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\u201cHave Fun and Keep Googling\u201d \u2013 so said Larry Page in 1998- and the world followed. Merrily and famously so- with daily 8.5 Billion Searches on Google Alone. Google became the world\u2019s knowledge repository and with that, anyone with a browser and the internet became empowered with access to unlimited knowledge.<\/p>\n<p>Looking for a cheap flight to Timbuktu- google it, want to find out if you need to carry your umbrella to the tube station, google it, want to buy pasta in Somalia \u2013 Just Google it and you would be spoilt for choices- with over 7 Million results for pasta in Somalia.<\/p>\n<p>Google has managed to learn \u2013 and learn it did, with people telling them what they want. Every time we type into Google for our information needs, we tell google what we are looking for. Maybe it is informational intent, or buying intent- everything has created a repository of unparallel search data and people\u2019s needs- and Google has done an amazing job of classifying and understanding what people want through its search data. This is what is Google\u2019s superpower. It has created for itself a competitive advantage which was not to be challenged and it has thrived leaps and bounds due to that. That is, till now.<\/p>\n<p>Things are dramatically changing \u2013 and with that search is poised for a disruption. Customers do not need 7 Million results for Pasta in Somalia, they actually just need one for their lunch hangout during that day. What they don\u2019t search on Google is, what they really need. The unstated needs of the regular searchers and putting their needs in context is what Google still misses. With the billions of searches it gets, google does get a fair idea about what the customer wants, but unless the searcher explicitly tells Google that they are looking for a \u201ctop-rated restaurant which serves pasta with pawns\u201d, in all likely hood, the searcher would have to sift through at least 4-5 top links ( and that too, because of the time on hand they would allocate to find what they need- else by the time they are able to go through 7 million results, it would take them a lifetime- so forget About lunch!) and pick their choices.<\/p>\n<p>What is now changing is \u2013 the advent of ChatGPT and <b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/the-ai-lab.php\">AI and ML<\/a><\/b>-trained models that can understand the context of the search and understand conversational searches. Semantic Search combined with Natural Language processing is evolving and will take the forefront of the search. When <b><a href=\"https:\/\/openai.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ChatGPT<\/a><\/b> was being developed, Google had to issue a \u201ccode red\u201d- which meant that they recognized that with NLP-based chatbots- and the technological advances coming into play, google felt threatened for its search product- which is the core of their offering and has allowed them to be an undisputed leader since decades. A Forbes article describes that Google called in all hands possible to the deck including the Founders Larry and Sergei to help with this situation. Google \u2013 now is working on its own AI engine based on LaMDA- and thus the search scape as we now see it \u2013 will change dramatically as the market leader will now use AI and NLP to be closely integrated with their search results.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p>What We at <b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fullestop<\/a><\/b> expect now with this and how <b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/search-engine-optimization.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Search Engine Optimization<\/a><\/b> as an industry will change forever.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Fewer_Search_results\"><\/span>1. Fewer Search results<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>a).<\/b> No longer than 7 million results for queries will be seen. At best, these numbers were just a way for Google to show its prowess at analyzing related pages to that query. Any search engine would likely limit the results to the best match results- or actually allow prompts to allow narrowing the results to best matches- and to be extremely relevant to the user.<\/p>\n<p><b>b).<\/b> Long Tail Keywords will convert to Long Tail Conversations and hence limiting the number of search results would be possible.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Contextual_understanding_of_the_search_will_grow\"><\/span>2. Contextual understanding of the search will grow<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>So if a coffee shop near me is searched, top results should factor in the closest coffee shops (which it does even now), Customer reviews \u2013 in order to understand the quality of the product \u2013 with the use of NLP \u2013 to say, coffee is great, service is Brilliant \u2013 and quick turnaround possible will happen.<\/p>\n<p><b>a).<\/b> The keyword inputted may also trigger a counter question to the searcher \u2013 basically, prompts which would be contextual and will allow the users to tell the engines what exactly they are looking for.<\/p>\n<p><b>b).<\/b> This could be questions like \u201cAre you OK with the coffee shop being a bit farther away, but having Top reviews for coffee\u2019s taste\u201d Or for that matter, is quick turnaround important for you?<\/p>\n<p><b>c).<\/b> Searchers will then be able to get more relevant results to their unstated needs. Things that they really want- with their contextual targeting.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Entity_recognition\"><\/span>3. Entity recognition<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>So if a coffee shop near me is searched, top results should factor in the closest coffee shops (which it does even now), Customer reviews \u2013 in order to understand the quality of the product \u2013 with the use of NLP \u2013 to say, coffee is great, service is Brilliant \u2013 and quick turnaround possible will happen.<\/p>\n<p><b>a).<\/b> By identifying entities within a search query, search engines are and will provide more relevant results related to the specific person, place, or thing being searched for.<\/p>\n<p><b>b).<\/b> Underlying attributes for the entities will gain more prominence \u2013 Good, Bad, tasty, gourmet, dark- can describe coffee and these will come into play with understanding what will be more liked by the consumer and what would not be appreciated by the consumer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_does_it_mean_for_Businesses\"><\/span>What does it mean for Businesses?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Looking at the landscape, the businesses will really need to focus on what their core offering to the customers is- It sounds clich\u00e9d, but it would now be more important to understand the context of what their customers need and map it with their communication outreach. Extensive efforts to understand unstated needs and research will be important so that they can go beyond \u2013 Good Coffee to say, Gourmet coffee roasted to perfection with Soy Milk. Product descriptions will need to be extensive and detailed. Details will rule the search.<\/p>\n<p>The ability to create unique content \u2013 which is beyond informative \u2013 but is intuitive, addresses real questions, and delivers insights which can educate your customers and visitors to your digital assets will become the burning need. Content written for Search engine rankings will not work- as of today, Engines have been advising the same, but this will become more prominent \u2013 as users will only come to the sites which are answering their exact needs. The Keyword is \u201cexact\u201d needs \u2013 if a searcher is looking for gourmet coffee with a quick turnaround time and with five-star reviews which are vetted, and your offerings match that, in all likelihood, your pages will rank for that conversation \u2013 that will also mean that your conversions will skyrocket because your offerings will match exactly what your customers want. In other terms, Broad Keywords really will die- exact matches will fly.<\/p>\n<p>Brands need to Deliver on what they say they stand for. Right now, searchers look for services\/products and then shortlist the top 3-4 businesses that they would like to evaluate and then research for attributes like \u201cQuality\u201d, \u201cCustomer feedback\u201d, \u201cprices\u201d or any other feedback that they can see either on the businesses website or via third party reviews. Conversational searches will be a part of the instructions to the search engine to look for businesses which meet their needs. Contextually, in order to understand if a business match to the standards or needs of the Searcher- Online reviews should become extremely important as a data point.<\/p>\n<p>In this new era, businesses must prioritize understanding their customers&#8217; unstated needs and focus on creating unique, intuitive, and insightful content that addresses real questions. Detailed product descriptions and a strong emphasis on delivering exactly what the customer wants will become essential for success.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/freequote.php?utm_source=fullestop-blog-post-organic&amp;utm_medium=CTA&amp;utm_campaign=Generative-search\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-7632\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/CTA-01-1-scaled.webp\" alt=\"Generative Search: The Evolution Beyond Keyword Search-CTA Button\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1010\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/CTA-01-1-scaled.webp 2560w, https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/CTA-01-1-300x118.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/CTA-01-1-1024x404.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/CTA-01-1-768x303.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/CTA-01-1-1536x606.webp 1536w, https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/CTA-01-1-2048x808.webp 2048w, https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/CTA-01-1-500x197.webp 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Businesses will also need to ensure that their online reputation, in the form of verified and trusted reviews, is well-maintained to stay relevant in the context of conversational searches. As broad keywords fade into obsolescence, being able to meet customers&#8217; exact needs through tailored search results will be crucial for business growth and customer satisfaction.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, this shift towards AI-based conversational search engines will empower businesses to fine-tune their digital strategies and foster stronger connections with their customers. Embracing these changes and adapting to the evolving landscape will be key for businesses to thrive in the era of advanced natural language processing and more precise search results. Google already has rolled out \u201cgenerative search\u201d which will destroy conventional SEO practices.<\/p>\n<p>Concepts like ToFu, MoFu and BoFu need to be revisited by all marketers and businesses \u2013 catching the customer&#8217;s attention at the top of the funnel will be more important than ever as the interaction with customers will need to start with the buyer\u2019s journey. Trust will have to be won through education and close interaction with the customers. Capturing what customers have to say \u2013 in real terms- is critical. The web doesn\u2019t always allow for one on one conversations with customers. Tools like Pocial.com needs to be deployed to mass-generate customer conversations and generate insights from these conversations. Automated and manually administered polls will become mandatory and intent understanding will be important for businesses. But again, we are going back to the same old Adage, listen to your customers and understand their needs- but what is now more important is, this will have to be at a scale and AI tools must be used to capture, analyze and generate meaningful insights from the conversations.<\/p>\n<p>In all, it\u2019s time to change \u2013 again, and in order to stay competitive- Embrace the new World!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><b>Rahul Mehta<\/b><br \/>\nCEO &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/\">Fullestop<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/rahulmehta3\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/rahulmehta3\/<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cHave Fun and Keep Googling\u201d \u2013 so said Larry Page in 1998- and the world followed. Merrily and famously so- with daily 8.5 Billion Searches on Google Alone. Google became the world\u2019s knowledge repository and with that, anyone with a &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/blog\/keyword-search-is-dead-an-obituary\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":7681,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[298],"tags":[87],"class_list":["post-7618","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-search-engine-optimization","tag-seo"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7618","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7618"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7618\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8934,"href":"https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7618\/revisions\/8934"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7681"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7618"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7618"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fullestop.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7618"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}