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Marketing by Design – Design thinking that makes marketing work

AD92: Prepare for the Future of Search

Published over 1 year ago • 4 min read
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11 May 2025 | Issue #92

In this issue:

  • Why Search is so Bad
  • Apple's Big Revelation on the Future of Search
  • Using ChatGPT to Drive Technical SEO
  • New Podcast Interview About The Visual Marketer
  • Design Quote of the Week

Why is Search so Bad?

Because it can be.

It's no secret that Google has been making search worse for visitors for years. And it keeps getting worse. When you have a majority of the market, you can work to squeeze every last nickel from your customers.

Google no longer wants to send visitors to your website. It wants to keep you on Google properties as long as possible to show more ads.

It's been a couple of years since SparkToro's Amanda Natividad introduced us to the concept of zero-click content to help address the fact that Google isn't in the business of driving traffic to your site.

Google understood it could make the user experience worse because it knew that people didn't have another option. What are you going to do, switch to Bing?

But now, there are other options. And worse (for Google) people are using them.

Apple's Big Revelation

People using AI for search has been mostly anecdotal up to now. I know I use it. And I see the traffic to my site that comes from AI (thanks to Google Analytics). But this past week had a big revelation from one of Google's biggest frienemies (I'm too old to use that word, but since Google and Apple work together while competing against each other, I don't know a better word).

At an antitrust trial involving Google and its parent company, Alphabet, Apple's SVP of Services, Eddie Cue, said that search in its mobile browser, Safari, fell for the first time ever (we're nearly 20 years into the era of iPhones, btw). Apple's Cue also said that it was exploring AI partners for the future of search.

Now, this could be a negotiation tactic by Apple. Google pays Apple $20B a year to be the default search engine on iPhones. But since this was at a trial, I would assume that it's truthful.

Alphabet's stock dropped 7% the day this news broke.

What's the Future?

So, if more people are using AI to get answers to their information, how can you as marketers get your content in front of this audience?

Andy Crestodina, co-founder and CMO of Orbit Media, is the person to listen to when it comes to optimizing your site and content so it can be more easily consumed by AI.

Some of his tips that I want to try out on my upcoming website:

  • Add an AI Terms of Use to help AI bots get permission and a full understanding of your services
  • Create AI personas and have those evaluate your site
  • Make suggestions on new content

Andy also talks about the goal of getting more mentions within AI.

If more people are using AI for their searches, then you want to have your content feed the AI and become the trusted source.

The most significant difference between a Google search and an AI search is that Google gives you millions of possible answers, and AI gives you the answer.

(assuming it's not hallucinating)

As I mentioned, I'll be using a lot of Andy's suggestions as I'm building out my new website(s).

NEWS AT THE INTERSECTION OF MARKETING, DESIGN, & AI

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🥊 Using ChatGPT to Drive Technical SEO

Search Engine Land explores how SEO professionals can leverage ChatGPT to streamline and enhance technical SEO tasks.

  • Automation of Complex Tasks: ChatGPT can assist in generating schema markup, crafting .htaccess rewrite rules, and creating meta descriptions, reducing manual effort and minimizing errors.
  • Enhanced Efficiency: By integrating ChatGPT into SEO workflows, professionals can expedite routine processes, allowing more time for strategic planning and optimization.
  • My Take: Another POV to align with what was posted above.

​Keep reading​

THE VISUAL MARKETER

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Helping marketers and business owners create more effective visuals. Read The Visual Marketer now!

RECENT AND UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS

This past week I was a guest on another podcast that should be out in the next two weeks or so. And I had a speaking pitch approved for September.

In case you missed it, I was on #TimTalk with Tim Hughes. Tim said some wonderful things about The Visual Marketer and asked some questions that proved that he enjoyed the book.

The conversation is ~20 minutes long and I enjoyed it.

video preview​

On June 6th I'll be speaking at EvolveDrupal in Boston.

I also have a few other podcasts and roundtables in the queue.

If you're looking for podcast guests, or want to collaborate on something, shoot me a DM.

DESIGN QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Bad design is like wearing a rumpled suit. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad person, but it may give people the wrong impression.”
– Unknown

My AI disclaimer: I write the main story. I find the news stories, and the summary is by ChatGPT. I write the My Takes bullet. If AI generates the images, I include the prompt so you can see how I got to that image.

Thanks for reading!

–Jim

14 Grapevine Road, Merrimack, NH 03054
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Marketing by Design – Design thinking that makes marketing work

Jim MacLeod

I test the AI tools, design trends, and brand moves marketers are talking about, then tell you what holds up and what doesn’t. Written by the author of the bestselling The Visual Marketer, after 20+ years leading brand, creative, and digital experience marketing teams.

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