The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) in search engines has brought about a new way of optimizing for better search results. The concept of the “perfect click” is now being utilized by search engines like Google and Bing to guide users through the search process and directly lead them to the best solution for their problem.
The perfect click refers to a click from a search engine results page (SERP) that takes the user directly to the single best webpage or resource that solves their problem. Both Google’s AI Overviews and Bing’s Copilot aim to bring users down the funnel and get them to the perfect click without leaving the search interface.
Fabrice Canel, Principal Program Manager at Microsoft Bing, has confirmed that they use the concept of the perfect click internally and guide users on the SERP to the ideal bottom-of-the-funnel action – conversion. Although Google hasn’t communicated about it, they likely have a similar concept with a different name.
To understand how to optimize for AI-assisted search engines, it is important to understand the marketing acquisition funnel. The funnel consists of three stages: awareness, consideration, and decision. The goal of AI Overviews and Copilot is to guide users through these stages from awareness to the final decision.
The assistive engines achieve this by engaging in a conversation with users. They provide answers and summaries from information found on the web, make research suggestions, and offer recommendations about solution providers based on credibility evaluations. This conversation is crucial to optimizing for assistive search engines.
To build a successful strategy for Google’s AI Overviews and similar platforms, three key factors must be considered: traditional SEO, marketing, and entity optimization. Traditional SEO involves understanding how algorithms find and communicate your content to users on the SERP. Marketing focuses on how your content fits into the acquisition funnel. Entity optimization revolves around how well algorithms understand the website owner and content creator.
The nature of the conversation between humans and machines is crucial in optimizing for assistive engines. The human’s goal is to find the best solution to their problem, while the machine’s function is to guide them to that solution. The machine has an encyclopedic knowledge of possible solutions and can evaluate the credibility of solution providers, making it an ideal match for the human user.
The algorithms behind assistive engines are focused on guiding users down the funnel. They provide helpful research information, identify the best solution providers, and help users make their final decision. As an SEO, it is important to become the focus of the conversation between the machine and the human. This involves ensuring that the assistive engine introduces you to the conversation, placing you first in every list of options, and prioritizing you as the best solution provider.
To become the focus of the conversation, three steps can be taken. First, communicate understanding about who you are, what you offer, and who you serve. Second, establish credibility by convincing the algorithms that you are a legitimate solution provider. Third, provide deliverable content that encourages the algorithms to include you in the conversation more often.
The ultimate goal is to become the ideal candidate for the perfect click. Assistive engines aim to guide users to the perfect click within their own walled garden, and your aim is to be that perfect click. To achieve this, focus on understanding, credibility, and deliverability. Educate the algorithms about yourself, convince them of your credibility, and provide content that encourages them to recommend you as the best solution.
Optimizing for Google’s AI Overviews and similar platforms involves building the traditional marketing funnel. Start by clearly communicating who you are, what you do, and why you’re trustworthy. Once the algorithms understand your offer and credibility, they will be more likely to introduce you to the conversation with users. Provide detailed information that consistently recommends you and guides potential customers through your sales process, leading them to click directly on your most conversion-ready page.
The concept of the perfect click is revolutionizing SEO and search engine optimization strategies. By understanding how AI-assisted search engines work and optimizing for the perfect click, businesses can increase their visibility and attract more users to their solutions. It’s all about becoming the focus of the conversation between machine and human and ensuring that the perfect click leads to your website, not your competitors’.
