Is Google Search facing a new challenge? After months of speculation and some denials from Sam Altman, OpenAI has officially announced SearchGPT, its AI-powered search engine. While some view this as a direct competitor to Google, others believe it could mark the beginning of a new era in search technology. Here’s what we know about SearchGPT and what SEO experts are saying.
**What We Know About SearchGPT**
SearchGPT, integrated into ChatGPT and currently in beta testing with a waitlist, promises several features:
- Real-time answers to queries
- Responses to follow-up questions
- Sources cited for each answer
We anticipated this launch based on OpenAI’s licensing deals with publishers, despite early denials. Concerns about AI "hallucinations" and misinformation have been prevalent, exemplified by past issues with AI Overviews and Bing AI's inaccuracies.
Publishers have expressed unease about AI tools potentially reducing their traffic and visibility. Forbes, for instance, threatened legal action against Perplexity for alleged content theft, and Wired accused Perplexity of plagiarism. By fostering good relationships with publishers, OpenAI aims to position SearchGPT as a credible alternative in the AI-powered search space.
**SEO Experts Weigh In**
Opinions on SearchGPT from SEO experts are mixed:
- **Sylvain Charbit**, Senior Technical SEO Specialist at HubSpot, is optimistic. He believes SearchGPT could improve the search landscape by offering a different perspective and higher-quality results. He views it as a healthy competition for Google.
- **Aja Frost**, Senior Director of Global Growth at HubSpot, is more skeptical. She questions whether SearchGPT will differ significantly from ChatGPT-4o, suggesting it might be more about branding than innovation.
- **Daniela Lopez Rubina**, Senior Marketing Manager, sees chat-based search engines as valuable for top-funnel questions and simplifying complex information. However, she believes users will still rely on traditional websites for detailed content, especially for significant purchases. She emphasizes the need for content marketers to adapt by focusing on structured data and diverse formats to meet user needs.
- **Victor Pan**, Product SEO Expert, believes that while the medium of search may evolve, the fundamental reasons for searching remain the same. SEO professionals will continue to adapt and optimize strategies according to new algorithms.
**Will SearchGPT Change the Game?**
It's too early to determine if SearchGPT will be a game-changer, but it’s unlikely to be as transformative as some anticipate.