The Terror of Google's AI Search Results - Interview with Alex Donaldson
Jan 8, 2024
auto_awesome
Alex Donaldson, owner of RPGSite.net, joins Patrick to discuss the evolution of Google's AI search results and its impact on the quality of search results. They explore trap doors in mapmaking and video game guides, discuss the challenges faced by websites due to Google Discover, and talk about the future of the ad market and gaming industry. The chapter concludes with a call for support for RPG Site and the podcast.
Google's AI search results pose financial challenges for websites reliant on ad revenue.
Google's algorithms prioritize wordy and content-rich pages, resulting in low-quality and frustrating user experiences.
The media industry, including video game journalism, faces an uncertain future due to challenges such as AI-generated content and the unstable advertising market.
Deep dives
Google's AI-generated answers are challenging websites and impacting revenue
Google has rolled out AI technology that provides concise and useful answers to search queries while aggregating content from various websites. This AI-driven feature eliminates the need for users to click through to websites, potentially leading to financial challenges for websites reliant on ad revenue. The scraped content is then generated and written by AI, displaying directly on the search page. This can have detrimental effects, particularly for websites that focus on guide and walkthrough content. Google's attempt to solve the problem it created raises concerns as it risks causing job losses for many content creators while exacerbating the already problematic state of the internet.
The negative spiral of SEO and Google's role in it
The increasingly complex web of search engine optimization (SEO) has caused the internet to become cluttered with low-quality content and clickbait strategies. Google's algorithms favor wordy and content-rich pages, making the environment even worse as websites incorporate unnecessary content to meet these requirements. SEO-driven approach focuses on attracting clicks from Google through keyword optimization, rather than providing concise and valuable information to users. This approach has made the internet less enjoyable and harder to navigate, prompting frustrations from users looking for straightforward answers.
The uncertain future of media and jobs in the industry
The media industry, including video game journalism, is faced with an uncertain future due to various challenges, such as Google's AI scraping content from websites and the constant changes in search algorithms. The rise of AI-generated content and plagiarism further threatens job stability and the ability to monetize content. Layoffs have become more prevalent, and new outlets and investments are scarce. The landscape favors niche expertise rather than generalist approaches, leading to fewer opportunities for content creators who lack established audiences or financial backing. The future of media seems unpredictable, making it difficult for individuals to plan long-term careers in the field.
The Impact of Google's Algorithm Changes
The podcast episode discusses the impact of Google's algorithm changes on online content. It explores the question of whether the changes have resulted in bad or good content. The speaker suggests that while there may have been some okay content that has been negatively affected, overall, the changes target websites that use deceptive SEO practices and produce non-helpful content. It highlights how certain websites have experienced a drop in traffic due to the algorithm updates, which has been exacerbated by the unstable advertising market. The episode emphasizes the need for websites to focus on expertise, authority, trustworthiness, and building organic audiences.
Challenges and Future of Media Ecosystem
The podcast delves into the challenges faced by the media ecosystem, particularly in the gaming industry. It acknowledges the devaluation of content over the years, the reliance on search engines like Google for traffic, and the lack of stability in the ad market. The discussion touches on the importance of community and niche audiences, and the potential for subscription models to provide more stable income. The episode also raises concerns about the power of one company, like Google, to shape the fate of websites and the need for a more balanced media landscape. Despite the uncertainties, the speaker remains hopeful that the industry will find its equilibrium through cyclical changes and the resilience of dedicated readers and communities.
In the 90's Google changed the way people found things on the internet, and now they're incorporating AI to "help" people by showing them answers without needing to actually go to the website that they scrapped that information from. Patrick is joined by Alex Donaldson, Owner of RPGSite.net to go over the changes and track the history of Google's influence over the entire internet and more specifically game websites.
