After I/O: What To Know Following Google’s Big Month with Amanda Zantal Wiener, Roger Montti, and Matt Southern

Search Engine Journal Show

On this episode of the SEJ Show, we dive headfirst into the aftermath of Google's momentous May, from I/O to Marketing Live.

Join SEJ Editor-in-Chief Amanda Zantal-Wiener in conversation with industry experts Roger Montti and Matt Southern as we dissect the key takeaways and groundbreaking announcements from Google's annual events.

From an abundance of AI announcements to product updates, tune in to learn how to leverage and apply these developments to stay ahead of the curve.

Google announced a lot of things, but they're not shipping anything yet, so it's not like they're flooding the market with all this new stuff that we have to try. There are a lot of announcements, and I find that we have a lot of time to digest them before we can get our hands on them and use them. –Matt Southern, 2:17

The big takeaway that I got from I/O and the way Google is looking to change the search experience, also with GML yesterday changing the advertiser experience is making everything conversational, which by the way, I feel like we've seen this before. Conversational marketing with chatbots etc., was a really big deal. There's a big emphasis on a conversational approach to all these things. –Amanda Zantal-Wiener, 32:22

So it seems both Open AI and Google are afraid of the democratization of AI. Right now, people are building a chatbot for 500 bucks or less, so the technology is out there. People are building their own things, like Jasper AI is working with Cerebras, which provides AI infrastructure, and a lot of people think Jasper AI is just taking a chat GPT feed and modifying it. No, they built their own large language models using the Cerebras infrastructure, and it's very unique to them and very specific–what's called domain-specific. That's going to pose a problem for them, and they want to keep a light on it, in my opinion, but that's why you're seeing the first strike from Google and open AI about the legislation because they want to control what the laws are. –Roger Monttii, 7:17

[00:00] - About Matt & Roger

[02:04] - Are things slowing down this summer?

[05:50] - The talk about the L-word: Legislation.

[12:33] - The white paper on Google’s ethics and AI.

[17:32] - Initial thoughts on Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE)

[22:03] - About Section 230.

[32:22] - How do you optimize for the new search experience?

[47:15] - How will the new search experience impact accessibility & KPIs?

[52:37] - What’s the motivation for companies?

[58:26] - What’s on the horizon?

Resources mentioned:

Google I/O: https://io.google/2023/

230 should be amended to account for recommender algorithms which is a relatively new thing that didn't exist. Section 230 was originally formulated to regulate, give a fair forum, and allow free speech. Section 230 is about allowing free speech. But let's face it: When it comes to people advocating harm, it might seem controversial, but there should be limits on free speech because the right to free speech is only the right to have to be able to say what you want and not have government and put laws into it. Free speech is when I walk into your house or Matt’s house, or anybody who's watching. I can't go in there and say whatever the hell I want. You have the right to kick me out. So when you go to a website, whether it's YouTube, Twitter, or some random forum, if you don't can abide by the terms of service that restrict what kind of speech is allowed there, they have the right to kick you out. –Roger Monttii, 27:22

As far as the summer in search, I think that it might slow down, but Google has a history of pushing things without announcing them over to summertime, although there are some updates too. But there's been a history of Google pushing important changes related to how search works during the summer and then announcing it in the fall. –Roger Monttii, 4:13

I was watching the hearing with Sam Altman, and it seemed a little too friendly compared to previous hearings. It's unusual for a company like that to just welcome regulation, almost like they're asking, "please regulate us." –Matt Southern, 10:09

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Connect With Roger Montti:

Roger Montti is a seasoned search marketer boasting over 20 years of experience in the field. He has built a solid reputation for expertise and effectiveness by offering site audits, phone consultations, and content and link strategy assistance.

In addition to being a Head Judge for the 2020 and 2021 U.S. Search Awards, Roger is also a publisher of award-winning websites, showcasing his multifaceted talents within the industry.

As a prominent figure in search marketing, Roger has shared his insights at various conferences, including SES, SMX East, SMX West, SMX Advanced Seattle, Affiliate Summit NYC, Affiliate Summit West, and multiple PubCon events. In addition, his writing covers various topics, such as WordPress, Facebook, Google, SEO, and search marketing, further establishing him as a thought leader.

Connect with Roger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinibuster/

Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/martinibuster

Connect With Matt Southern:

Matt G. Southern, a highly respected Senior News Writer, has been integral to the Search Engine Journal team since 2013. With a bachelor's degree in communications, he excels at distilling complex subjects into clear, engaging content.

In addition to writing, Matt is responsible for overseeing strategy development within SEJ's news department, ensuring that the organization remains at the forefront of the digital marketing and search engine optimization landscape.

As a trusted source of information, Matt's work at SEJ combines accuracy, quality, and relevance. His dedication to excellence in reporting and commitment to helping others better understand search engines and digital marketing make him an indispensable asset to SEJ and the broader industry.

Connect with Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattgsouthern/

Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MattGSouthern

Connect with Amanda Zantal-Wiener, Editor-in-Chief at Search Engine Journal:

Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Amanda_ZW

Connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandazantalwiener/