In move to leverage advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), American tech giant Google is set to transform search engine marketing (SEM) for small businesses in Africa. The company’s latest product, Gemini, aims to reshape how businesses utilize Google’s search engine for online marketing, utilizing AI-powered large language models (LLMs) akin to OpenAI’s GPT-4.
Initially launched in the United States last December, Gemini is now extending its reach to African businesses, offering a potential resurgence of search advertising on the continent. This move comes at a crucial time when traditional SEM methods have faced challenges, with dwindling returns for vendors.
Breaking away from the conventional SEM model, where businesses paid Google to feature their websites prominently based on selected keywords, Gemini introduces a paradigm shift.
The AI-powered technology analyzes website content to autonomously generate relevant keywords, ad headlines, descriptions, and even images for advertisements. Vendors simply need to input their website links, eliminating the need for manual creation of search advertisements.
The innovative aspect of Gemini lies in its promise of a ‘conversational experience’ for ad creation. Vendors can interact with the Gemini LLM in a chat format, and the system generates the ads they require.
Shashi Thakur, VP for search ads at Google, highlighted the motivation behind this innovation, emphasizing the reduction in time and complexity that small businesses typically face in ad creation.
Thakur stated, “Our new conversational experience helps businesses of all sizes tap into the power of Google AI to create successful Search campaigns with remarkable ease.”
Despite Google’s optimism about Gemini’s potential to revolutionize SEM, uncertainties persist regarding its effectiveness in revitalizing search advertising.
The shift in user behavior, with more individuals turning to AI-powered LLMs like ChatGPT and alternative search avenues such as social media, poses a challenge. Data from digital marketing research firm Meltwater indicates a marginal decline in internet consumers using traditional search engines since 2021, currently estimated at 80 percent.
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