Generative AI replacing Featured Site/Answer Snippets

[bpmee]

I've noticed Google's Generative AI output is now replacing featured snippets/answers as result "0". This commonly happens with reference related searches, though I've seen others for sports stats and even some sports odds.

I'm highly annoyed as Google is essentially:

1. Aggregating others' work and not compensating them with the traffic they deserve.

2. Displacing small to mid-sized publishers with its Generative AI results.

3. Offering tiny - almost invisible - source attributions that no one will click anyway.

4. Admonishing webmasters not to use AI, then using it themselves.

5. The AI responses are frequently inaccurate, incomplete, non-sensical, or too general to be helpful.

6. Claimed the August Core update was meant to help independent publishers, but instead has "helped themselves" to independent content.

7. Missing important nuance and caveats: not every question can be answered in 200-300 characters effectively.

8. Abusing its own reputation: many people "trust" whatever Google serves up as Gospel, particularly if they're not educated on a particular topic.


New, thoughtful, clever, or insightful content will never see the light of day as it will be supplanted with dull, boring, boilerplate gibberish that doesn't really inform people but is worth a click or two on a shopping ad that Google can profit from.

[gm2891]

For general non-casino searches, it works OK/acceptable to get a quick answer. But for casino searches, it's all pretty much complete crap, especially if it generates the answer based on sites that don't care whether the info is accurate or not.


And it also generates answers for "Best" and "Top" keywords. Plus, it also generates a choice of things that the searcher would likely want to know or search for next. I spotted this one yesterday - it was between that generated garbage and organic pages. So essentially, the sites were far down...

[NoDepositCasinos]

I noticed something similar a few months ago, but I think they had to pull back because my search results have returned to the usual (featured snippets). I’m not sure if they’ll push it again, but the results were pretty crappy and not helpful unless you were searching for very straightforward things.

That being said, I believe this is something we’ll see come and go in waves. These changes aren’t beneficial for webmasters, but it’s also not in Google’s interest for people to lose incentives to appear in search results to the point where they stop building their websites. After all, where would they get their money and content from if not?

[bpmee]

That being said, I believe this is something we’ll see come and go in waves. These changes aren’t beneficial for webmasters, but it’s also not in Google’s interest for people to lose incentives to appear in search results to the point where they stop building their websites. After all, where would they get their money and content from if not?

Good point. I think if your site is big enough - or you're an authority - there isn't too much to fear.

But the smaller sites that get pushed out of the top 5 will essentially become Gemini Research Interns.

That also raises another question: if a site is good enough to be a source, is it good enough to rank #1, #2, or #3? And if two sites are tied, does authority win the day?

[baldidiot]

So we should be setting up white labels and then manipulating the generative AI so that the brand shows up. Got it.

[gm2891]

This video is a bit old, but i reckon it all still applies now:

https://youtu.be/9MfFS8rhZlY?t=364

[gm2891]

See this nonsense - Google's AI gives misleading, BS info, stating that Giropay closed on December 31, 2024, even though today is September 28, 2024.

Maybe some of the Googlers see this post and get rid of this AI thing, who knows lol.