Briana Severson, the new CMO of Zola, highlights that the shift in search behavior due to AI is a major concern for her marketing strategy. Traditionally, search engines directed users to publisher content, fostering a beneficial traffic cycle. However, AI is altering this dynamic by keeping users within its ecosystem, which diminishes referral traffic from traditional searches. This evolution poses significant challenges for Zola, particularly among Gen Z, who are seeking information through social media rather than conventional search engines. As a result, rather than altering their search strategy, Zola is focusing on influencer partnerships to reach younger audiences more effectively.
AI is uprooting the original search bargain - slowly but surely shifting it away from the familiar model where search engines crawled publisher content, served up snippets and rewarded publishers with traffic they could monetize. Now, the exchange is starting to fray.
Gen Z is searching in a very different way compared to how millennials search. A lot of that arguably stems from an increased reliance on human perspectives and an increased distrust of brands being brands.
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