Is the Blue Link economy fading? Rise of AI answers and search result shifts

The way users find information online is constantly evolving, and recent developments suggest a potential shift away from the traditional "blue link" search engine results pages (SERPs) dominated by publisher websites. This raises questions for marketers and SEO professionals about the future of search engine optimization (SEO) strategies. People want answers, not links, reported Search Engine Land.

The blue link economy refers to the ecosystem where businesses and publishers rely on ranking high in Google search results (the blue links) to attract website traffic. This traffic often translates to revenue through advertising, affiliate marketing, or other means.

A recent tweet by SEO professional Kristi Hines (@kristileilani) sparked a discussion about a potential decline in publisher visibility for certain search queries. Hines observed that searches for coupon codes, previously dominated by established publications like Wired and Forbes, now display dedicated coupon websites and outdated Reddit threads. This coincides with the implementation of Google's new site reputation abuse spam policy in May 2024.

Shifting priorities: AI Answers and Knowledge Panels

While the exact cause of the observed shift in SERPs remains unclear, it aligns with Google's increasing focus on providing direct answers through its AI technology and Knowledge Panels. These panels offer concise summaries of information directly within the search results, potentially reducing the need for users to click on traditional blue links.

This potential shift towards AI-powered answers presents both challenges and opportunities for marketers:

Challenges: Traditional SEO strategies focused solely on keyword ranking might become less effective. Marketers may need to adapt their strategies to ensure their content aligns with the types of answers Google AI might generate.

Opportunities: Businesses can explore creating content that complements AI answers, providing users with deeper dives, alternative perspectives, or calls to action. Additionally, optimizing for voice search and natural language queries might become more important.

The future of search

While the blue link economy might not disappear entirely, its dominance could wane. The future of search likely involves a more multifaceted landscape with AI-powered answers, Knowledge Panels, and traditional blue links coexisting.

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt believes the Blue Link Economy is not the core function of Google. In a CNBC interview, when questioned about the Blue Link Economy and the numerous businesses benefiting from Google Search results, Schmidt stated Google is undergoing a transformation.

In this new world, he suggests, AI will provide direct answers to user queries, rather than presenting a list of websites (blue links) that users need to click through to find the information themselves. This suggests a potential shift in how Google prioritizes search results, potentially moving away from a reliance on publisher websites.