GenAI must earn consumer trust if it is to transform search marketing

Generative AI is making inroads in search marketing, but it needs to earn consumer trust if it is to become a “Google killer,” according to new research from Semrush and Statista. That said, genAI’s capabilities continue to convince digital marketers who find it a huge gain in productivity and return on investment.

Google has been the dominant force in the online search market for over 20 years. The November 2022 release of the AI-based generative chatbot ChatGPT has led to predictions of the end of the search engine’s position. ChatGPT attracted more than a million users in five days and 5 million in the following months.

In 2023, 13 million U.S. adults used generative AI as their primary online search tool in 2023, a figure expected to rise to more than 90 million by 2027, according to the report.Online search after ChatGPT» (registration required).

However, comparing this with traditional search engine usage is like comparing a match to the sun. Last year, Google had 18 billion visits per month United States only. ChatGPT’s total monthly traffic only exceeded 10 million visitors in April.

While many in the tech industry say consumers would welcome the AI ​​generation if they understood it better, it’s clear they understand its biggest problem: reliability.

The use of AI has not improved consumers’ opinions about it

In 2023, before many consumers use generational AI tools, a survey of people in the US, UK, Australia and India found that more than 60% of they didn’t think AI was safe or trustworthy. The use of AI has not improved the situation. A 2024 survey of US Generation AI users found that “most did not trust the content and did not believe it would improve their search experience,” according to the Semrush report.

Source: Online research after ChatGPT report.

Consumers remain much less interested in AI than those who sell it and use it for professional purposes. About 28% of U.S. respondents said they generally don’t care about AI tools. Meanwhile, 22% expressed interest in trying new and innovative AI tools, and 19% were excited about such applications.

The way to get more people to trust AI results is to involve more people in the process. “A significant share of U.S. respondents were more likely to trust AI-based search tools if content was confirmed to be verified by a human and if there was an increase in regulations on data privacy,” according to the report.

AI, SEO and digital marketing

Despite this, AI is having a significant impact on digital marketing. A Semrush survey of business owners, marketers, and CEOs found that 68% reported increased ROI when using AI for content marketing and SEO. Two-thirds said AI tools improved SEO rankings, with 39% saying it took one to two months to rank with AI-generated content.

Dig Deeper: How to build customer trust with data privacy and security

Although search engines remain essential for most online users, changes in the traffic patterns of standard search providers and Q&A sites show that AI generation can divert traffic even from major players like Google. The big challenge for technology remains to improve its accuracy and prove it to consumers.

Note: Third Door Media, which is the publisher of MarTech, is owned by Semrush.