How Artificial Intelligence Redefines “Search”

Not making a decision might be the path of least resistance, but it’s making a decision all the same. When you do nothing, things will still eventually change and you will have to deal with the consequences of your inactions whether you want to or not.

The concept carries over to artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning as well. It’s already happening, and its impact is becoming more apparent every day. Even if you choose to ignore machine learning advances, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t having a big impact on AI. These changes affect the way you do business whether you realize it or not.

Although the principles of AI can seem complex, deciding to adapt it is easy. Either you jump in and get acquainted with different ways of doing things or decide not to learn and hope for the best. This isn’t a judgment call since every business must make daily decisions about marketing, operations, customer service, and many other things. Because of this, this decision on whether to implement AI may not get the immediate attention you would like. Unfortunately, this can equal slow progress over time. You may find yourself looking back months from now wishing you had gotten started much earlier.

Search Redefined

The above scenario is happening now regarding online searches. Search has evolved to the point that it’s time to consider redefining it. Sadly, you’re already behind the times if the only thing that comes to mind when you think of the term search is typing words into Google or another search engine and skimming the results it returns. Today’s search involves context, location, personalization, usefulness, and voice.

AI currently helps to sort search engine results that we read. While it doesn’t determine what gets displayed, it does help to sort the order of the results. AI essentially acts as another layer of filtering based on what the search engine already knows about us.

Google knows when you have visited a certain website in the last several days. It also attempts to determine whether you had a positive interaction during your visit. If so, the AI could push another answer from the same website to a higher position in the search engine results in hopes that you will tell others about your positive experience.

Search Isn’t Really Dead

While some people insist that search is dead, this is not the case at all. Compared to only a few years ago, it is more advanced than ever. When your business comes up high in search engine results, you can feel confident that you’re doing several things right. Google and other search engines especially reward the following:

• You have equipped your site for mobile responsiveness
•  The pages on your website load fast
•  You provide authoritative and useful content
•  You have mastered SEO
•  Your website is exceptionally secure and contains structured data
•  If the above doesn’t describe your online experience, it’s important to commit to achieving these goals as soon as possible.

Today’s Search Means Voice and Visual

People who conduct searches are now speaking to their devices directly and they expect immediate spoken and written responses. These voice and visual searches powered by AI means that it has an unprecedented ability to learn quickly. As AI learns more about each person and can predict his or her responses, it’s able to provide an even faster response the next time. For consumers, this means increased accuracy and greater usefulness.

Today’s economy means that you can no longer afford to take no action and hope for the best. With change happening all around you, the choice is clear. It’s time to embrace AI and learn as much as you can about this exciting technology. The risk of not doing so is seeing more of the market share you work so hard for go to the competition.

Stay in the Game with Digital Knowledge Management

Remaining competitive today means you need to understand a process called Digital Knowledge Management or DKM. This process enables you to identify and manage any fact about your business that current and potential customers could see.

Today’s consumer is an informed one. They invest significant time in research before considering a purchase, which means they read online reviews written by other customers. This means you must manage the digital information out there about your company. You need to ensure a consistent brand message across all digital platforms. The reality is that you can’t continue to compete with outdated and single-focused strategies. The world has changed, which means you need to embrace AI and change with it.