Watch out Google - Meta AI just entered the search engine battle
š° NoGood News | Vol. 80
Hi NoGoodies,
Before we jump into another round of the NoGood News, here's a quick TL;DR of what's below:
Search is becoming more and more fragmented
Hereās how to understand which platform your audience is searching on
Was the Timothee Chalamet lookalike contest just an elaborate marketing scheme?
Read about how important it is to create brand experiences that are culturally relevant
AI overviews are taking over
Ready? Let's get into it.Ā
š Search is becoming more and more fragmented
Hereās how to understand which platform your audience is searching on
Letās face it ā search has evolved, and brands canāt just rely on Google anymore. Today, users are finding what they need across platforms that arenāt traditionally thought of as āsearch engines.ā
Almost anything can be a search engine
Traditionally, search engines were designed to index the web and retrieve information based on keywords and algorithms. However, the definition of a search engine has broadened to include a variety of tools and platforms that cater to specific needs and interests.
How brands should react to the fragmentation of search
Embrace niche platforms: identify which specialized search engines or apps your target audience is using
Tailor content for specific search behaviors: craft content that fits each platformās unique format and user expectations
Leverage personalization: focus on providing tailored content or services that cater to individual user preferences
Capitalize on discovery: create engaging, shareable content that encourages exploration and taps into trends
Incorporate consumer input in your brand strategy: listen closely to customer feedback, engage in two-way conversations, and encourage users to create content that aligns with their values
By recognizing the shift from a singular search engine model to a fragmented, app-based search ecosystem, brands can remain relevant and competitive, meeting users where they already are.
š¤ Was the Timothee Chalamet lookalike contest just an elaborate marketing scheme?
Read about how important it is to create experiences that are culturally relevant
The Timothee Chalemet look alike contest in Washington Square Park had doppelgƤngers in frenzy to win the $50 prize.
You may have noticed that the event was entirely organized and marketed through Partiful.
Given the viral success of the event both on and offline, this was clearly a huge marketing win for Partiful.
The success of this stunt was due to the eventās organic approach rather than directly promoting the app.
This contest not only reflects the unhinged culture that's popular with Gen Z audiences but also shows how brand experiences must embrace that energy to effectively engage their audience.
Creating successful brand experiences means staying culturally relevant and connecting with an audience naturally āwithout appearing too āad-like.ā
Do you think that Partiful was behind the entire event?
š± AI overviews are taking over
Learn how to optimize content for AI overviews
To optimize content for AI overviews, use clear headings, concise bullet points, and rich media like images or videos.
How to write and optimize content for AI overviews
Understand the fundamentals of Generative Engine Optimization
Use CSQAF: Citations, Statistics, Quotations, Fluency, and Authoritativeness to improve your content writing for AEO
When writing content to appear in AI Overviews, answer the question early
Break down monolithic paragraph structures
Link where no one has linked before with Text Fragments
Re-Index Your Content
Off-Page Optimization trumps backlinks
As content writers, strategists, and SEOs, we must embrace this change while maintaining the human touch that gives our content depth and authenticity.
The future of search is not about outsmarting algorithms but about creating valuable, accessible content that serves both human readers and AI systems.
šļø Q&A with an expert
A bi-weekly interview series with the best in the game
Q: What are your thoughts on Meta developing its own AI-powered search engine?
A: Meta has embedded Llama 3.1 then 3.2 into IG, whatsapp and FB search bars resulting in 400 M + active users. Today Llama is the world's most used LLM because of this integration. On the other hand, TikTok continues to capitalize on its search use case. It launched search ads last month and will likely experiment with a generative AI approach to search, similar to what Meta and others are doing.
Q: What does Meta have over other major players in the AI space like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Perplexity?
A: A Meta search engine will likely be somewhat similar to SearchGPT or Perplexity where LLM meet RAG as the new standard in the search space. What meta have over these other players is the social graph which could be a true differentiator here. It will be interesting to see how it will play out but search history is being re-writen as we speak! Itās fascinating to see how social search and AI generative search are converging while brands continue to invest heavily in conventional SEO. The history of search is being rewritten every month, and weāre all here for it!
Read more about Mostafaās thoughts on Meta here.
āļø We wish we wrote this
A curated list of the past 2 weeksā must-read articles:
How worth it does a pop-up need to be to wait in line at 5am?
To be visible to others is to collaborate
Google Maps is getting an update ā but this time itās not about AI
š Keeping up on the socials
Because we know you like to stay in the know:
Tom Hollandās beer brand just called out every celebrity drink ever
Gen Z is obsessed with Labubu dolls ā why?
Internet culture took over Halloween costumes this year
š„ Trend Radar: Blow up or fall behind
The trending topics, sounds, and formats to key and eye on:
Did we eat today? No, but we probably should
Suspect is runningā¦ roast them
Thatās a really cute spot ā to take a picture in
POV: you get an email at 5:01PM
š Ready to meet your NoGood partner?
Tell us where you are and where you want to be ā and weāll help get you there.