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Writer's pictureShivendra Lal

Is your website ready for multi-modal generative search?

Did you hear about Gemini, Google's new multi-modal large language model? I think after years of tinkering with AI, and introducing multiple products with varying capabilities and applications, Google has finally created a point of convergence for its AI-based products.


Gemini is not a finished product. No AI-based product is a finished product and will continue to evlove as the foundational AI models evolve. What is worth noting is that Google has integrated Gemini with its two core offerings: Search and Ads.


In the first episode of the last season, I talked about SGE, Google's generative search experience. And in the previous episode, I talked about how generative search experience will impact paid search in the new year and beyond. I will drop in a link to both the episodes in the description below.


Now that Google Search and Google Ads will be driven by Gemini, it is important for businesses and marketers to understand what do they need to do make their website ready for the multi-modal generative search experience.


But first, let's refresh the basics

In multi-modal search, information from different sources is combined to improve relevance and accuracy. You can use text, images, audio, and video. A multi-modal search engine can handle text and images. Multi-modal search interfaces let users express their queries, so they'll have a more natural and intuitive search experience. So, you could click photo of a food item with text on it and upload it as a query. Generative search will provide the most relevant response. If you want to experience multi-modal search today, try Google Lens.


If you have used ChatGPT, Google Bard or Bing, you already know generative search experience. Basically, using AI algorithms, generative search generates dynamic and context-aware results.


Google's Gemini combines multi-modal and generative search to provide a rich, conversational, intuitive search experience that is closer to how we seek and process information.


And then prepare for multi-modal generative search experience

As we move forward into 2024, we will see multi-modal generative search more and more. I would expect that the impact in website traffic, CPC, conversions, and ad spend that businesses have witnessed will continue. Simply because AI is an iterative product which will get better as more people start using it. So, there is a lot of learning for everyone to understand where all this leads to. But, there are a few things that marketers can start doing today, if not already, to improve the chances of their organic and paid links appearing in generative search answers. And all of it has to start with the only owned media any business or marketer has on the Internet - website. Let's break this down by different content types - voice, images, and of course, text.


To make it ready for voice search, optimize the website content for conversational queries and natural language patterns. In other words, modify the tone of your website content as if it is talking directly to an individual. Make sure that the content is well-structured and mobile-friendly as voice search is largely done on mobile phones.


For better discoverability in image search, optimize the alt text for images containing descriptive text. It helps people with visual impairment and search engines in understanding the content of the images.


Give your images descriptive file names that reflect their content. In this way, search engines and image recognition algorithms can figure out what the images are about. Needless to mention, but, make sure the images used on your website are of highest quality and relevant.


Optimizing for better text search, make sure your meta descriptions are concise and informative. Add schema markup to your content to give search engines more context. Make sure your website loads fast, so users have a good experience.


The next step in preparing for generative search is having a proper schema markup. This is quite important. Use it for all types of content on your website. It will make it easier for search engine crawlers to understand the content on the page.


You can use GA4 and Google Keyword Planner to create content that aligns with user intent. Your content should answer questions and concerns about your industry or niche.


Analyze your user journeys and map it with the industry value chain to personalize your website content to user preferences and behaviour. And analyze user behaviour and preferences using analytics tools like GA4.


Finally, look at how your website works from a user perspective. UI/UX should be seamless and integrate text, image, and voice inputs. Create content that's aligned with the preferences of users based on their interactions and usage.


Keeping your website optimized for multi-modal and generative search is essential as this technology will keep evolving and will get widely used. By adapting to these innovations, you will increase the chances of your website links to start appearing in the generative search citations. Make sure that you keep optimizing your website taking the help of website analytics tools. This will make it more accessible and discoverable on relevant search queries, increase website traffic, and engage users more effectively.




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