EDIT: Google SGE is finally here! Today, May 14th, 2024, Google announced that Google SGE, AKA Google AI Answers, will be rolling out to all United States users by the end of the week. But what are these new Google AI Answers, and what do they mean for the future of the search engine and your website’s traffic? Read on to learn more!

Everything changes all of the time. Especially in the world of SEO.

Google Search Results could likely be unrecognizably different by this time next year. With the growth of AI and Google SGE (Search Generative Experience), the world of SEO will get considerably more exciting and challenging moving forward. 

But what do we expect to happen when Google launches the SGE version of Search? How will optimizing your website change because of Google SGE? How will Google SGE impact how users interact with the search engine and your website?

We’ve asked our in-house SEO experts here at Direct Online Marketing for their opinions and we have compiled a guide of best practices we expect to help your website thrive, as you optimize for Google SGE.

What Do We Know About Google SGE AKA Google AI Answers?

What Are Google AI Answers?

Google AI Answers are the generated content you see at the top of search results within the United States as of May 14, 2024. Google AI Answers are pulled by the new system known as Google SGE.

What is Google SGE?

• Google’s Search Generative Experience – AKA Google SGE – is an innovation to its search engine, powered by its generative AI. 
• This new experimental feature aims to transform search engine experiences from being passive, as they were historically, to more interactive, personalized and dynamic. SGE uses AI to generate quick, concise overviews of search topics, enhancing user experience (sure, Google…) and providing new ways to interact with search results​​​​​​. 
• It also means there could be a significant shift in strategies previously employed towards gaining visibility in search results.

Will Google SGE Replace Rich Results?

• As of this writing, no explicit information suggests that Google SGE will entirely replace rich results, but it is very likely to have an impact. Rich results, which provide additional data in the SERPs, differ from SGE’s AI-powered overviews and interactive content. 
• As SGE is still experimental and not live out in the wild, its exact impact on existing features like rich results remains to be fully understood.

“While I anticipate seeing organic traffic drop for many sites, thorough and well-written content can enhance click-through rate to mitigate this decline by becoming the source of information that SGE quotes from, with the best, most relevant content available on the subject in question providing Google’s AI with all the information it needs on the query in an easily digestible way.”
– Brian Slonka, Digital Marketing Account Manager

When is Google SGE Coming?

• Google SGE is already available as an experimental feature in 120 countries (excluding Europe), supporting multiple languages. Its full implementation and potential expansion remain under development, with access to the Google Labs experiments open until the end of December 2023​​. There is much speculation that it will launch much sooner than many users originally anticipated. 

Will My Site Lose Traffic Because of Google SGE?

• There are concerns that SGE could lead to reduced visibility for organic search results. The AI-generated overviews at the top of search results might reduce the need for users to click on individual websites, potentially lowering click-through rates (CTR) and organic traffic. 
• This shift may require websites to adapt their SEO strategies​​. Images that accompany your top-ranking results on Google may become much more important as they can help guide users to click into your website since the URL of the site itself may be more obscured.

Are There Certain Types Of Sites That Google SGE Will Impact More?

Short answer: Possibly.

Google SGE may impact certain types of websites more than others. Particularly, sites that produce content tailored for Google Rich Results, such as recipe blogs and video game walkthrough sites, could see a decrease in search engine visibility. This is because their content might be incorporated directly into Google’s SGE results section, potentially reducing the need for users to visit the original websites for information.

“This advancement will likely enhance user experience by providing more intuitive, context-aware, and interactive search results. For website owners and content creators, this means adapting to a more AI-driven approach in content presentation and SEO strategies, focusing on quality, relevance, and structured data to align with how AI interprets and ranks content.”
– Alicia Cleary, Digital Marketing Strategist

Will Google SGE Mean More Ads in Search Results?

There is no direct company-issued information that Google SGE will lead to an increase in ads within search results, as Google says the focus of Google SGE is on enhancing the user experience through AI-generated content and interactive features. 

There is some speculation, however, that there will be more screen real estate taken up by Google SGE content in addition to ads, but this remains to be seen outside of what appear to be tests and experiments.

How Will Google SGE Impact My Analytics?

“Analyzing and optimizing for user experience is going to be more and more critical in the SGE world. Additionally, segmenting your organic data is going to be an absolute necessity for drawing insightful conclusions about the impact of SGE.

“Looking at your data by content grouping, funnel stage, device type, keyword intent breakouts, etc. will help you better mitigate and optimize for the new SGE landscape.”
– Dana Schumacher, Sr. Digital Analyst

Prepare For A New Search Engine Experience

In summary, Google SGE represents a significant evolution in search engine technology, focusing on AI-driven interactivity and personalized experiences. While its full impact on SEO, organic traffic, and ad integration is still unfolding, dynamically adapting to this rollout will be crucial for website owners and content creators.

“SGE provides a unique opportunity for businesses to revisit how well their websites define their customers’ unique problems and how clearly they present solutions at a high and granular level.

“The depth, clarity, and formatting of website content is more crucial than ever. Website content that prioritizes these fundamentals will be in the best position to be present within SGE results and, most importantly, to convert traffic.”
– Gary Kramer, Sr. Digital Strategist

How Can I Try Google SGE Today?

Update: As of today, May 14th, 2024 Google SGE AKA Google AI Answers has begun rolling out to all Google users within the United States. Google SGE should be live for all US users by the end of week, but if you are outside of the US the following instructions may still be available for you.

If you want to try out the experimental version of Google SGE before it rolls out to the wider world, you can do so simply using Google Labs. Here is a short guide on how to use Google SGE today.

How To Try The Beta Of Google SGE

Log into Your Google Account:

• Open Chrome on your desktop or laptop.

• Click the profile icon in the upper right corner and select “Turn on sync”.

• Enter your Google account email and password.
• If you’re already logged in with Sync enabled, skip this step.

How To Access Google Labs:

• Open a new tab in Chrome.
• Click the small beaker icon to the left of your profile icon to open Google Labs.

How To Enable Google SGE:

• In Google Labs, find the SGE card.
• Click the On/Off slider on the SGE card to the On position.

• Close the Google Labs tab.

How To Try Google SGE:

• In the Google search field, type a query.
• On the Google search results page, click the “Generate” button above the standard results to activate an AI response.

• Google will return results personalized to your search using AI.

“SGE is going to impact user behavior away from visiting some websites entirely – particularly those sites that solely exist to answer questions Google can easily steal an answer and showcase in their SERP. I like to think of SGE’s impact being similar to the impact felt by the wide release of People Also Ask answer boxes and Featured Snippets, but on a much larger scale.

“Because of that, companies need to make sure they connect their top-performing webpages to keywords where Google users are more likely to need to take action, not just research something to get a surface-level understanding.

“Industry-leading sites have already been strategically growing with Google this way, but now every business that wants to grow using SEO will need to follow suit.“
– Jonathan Bentz, Sr. Digital Marketing Strategist

How To Optimize Your Website For Google SGE

Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) represents a significant shift in how search engines function, leveraging generative AI to enhance user search experiences. This article explores key strategies for optimizing your website for the upcoming Google SGE.

Content Quality & Google SGE

• User Focus: Consider what makes your website valuable to users. Why should someone choose your content over others? Ensuring your content serves the user’s needs is crucial.
• Google’s Perspective: Reflect on why Google should prioritize your content. It’s essential to align your content with what search engines consider valuable.
• AI-Generated Content: If you use AI to generate content, ensure it’s carefully edited and refined before publishing. Authenticity and quality remain paramount.

“A good content approach will be unfazed by SGE or, really, any Google algorithm changes. Since the beginning of the web, the mandate for content creators has always been to write the best stuff we can that informs the reader and answers the questions they have.

“We aren’t just writing for robots; we’re writing for people. The better we do our jobs, the better the search results get, and the better Google will get at recognizing (and delivering) the content we write.”
– Jim Foreman, Sr. Content Specialist

Authority & Google SGE

• E-E-A-T Framework: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Google values these traits extremely highly when deciding whether or not to show content currently, and it will only get more important as Google SGE rolls out in the wild. To build authority, focus on creating high-quality, expert content.
• Establishing Authority: Develop your website’s authority by showcasing expertise and providing valuable, well-researched content.
• Author Persona: Having content written by individuals with verifiable expertise is beneficial. This adds a layer of credibility to your website.

“User Experience is one of the most under-optimized parts of SEO, and it will only become more important as we move into the world of Google SGE. If a user has a bad time on your website, they’re unlikely to return, make a purchase, or recommend your content to a friend. Why would an AI version of Google continue to show your website if it doesn’t delight users?”
– Billy Wright, Lead Digital Marketing Strategist

User Experience & Google SGE

• Accessibility: Ensure users can easily find what they’re looking for on your site. Navigation should be intuitive and straightforward.
• Website Speed: A fast-loading website enhances user experience, which is a critical factor in SEO.
• E-commerce Optimization: For e-commerce sites, streamline the purchasing process to be as quick and user-friendly as possible.

Images & Google SGE

• Click-Through Rate (CTR): With SGE, images will play a more significant role in influencing CTR. Optimize images to be engaging and relevant to your content.

Video & Google SGE

• Growing Importance: Videos are likely to gain more importance in search results. Incorporating unique video content on your site can enhance user engagement and SEO.

SGE’s focus on interactive, AI-generated content emphasizes the importance of quality, authority, and user experience in website optimization. By adapting to these evolving standards, websites can enhance their visibility and effectiveness in Google’s AI-driven search landscape

April 2024 Google SGE Update

Beginning at the end of March 2024 Google began testing the Google SGE AI results directly within the normal Google search results for some users within the United States. This caused lots of controversy as some users noted that they could not opt-out of getting the Google SGE results, and that it was taking up so much search real estate that it became problematic for their user experience. Whether this test is reflective of an upcoming roll-out of Google SGE in 2024 is yet to be seen.

May 14, 2024 Google SGE Update

At Google I/O today, May 14th, 2024, Google announced that Google SGE AKA Google Ai Answers was rolling out live for all United States users, and would be fully available across the US by end of week. Their language also focused mainly on calling it AI Answers, which reflects the most recent change to the text surrounding the generated content within the search results.

SEO will keep changing, as it always has–Google SGE is just the latest development to shake things up. At Direct Online Marketing, we’re all about helping you adapt and thrive in this new search era, no matter what happens. Got questions about how your site will work with Google SGE? Looking for smart strategies? We’ve got you covered. Drop us a line for a free SEO chat, and let’s team up to make your online presence shine in the world of Google SGE.

Note: This article has been updated to include the end of March 2024 / April 2024 Google SGE updates where it was tested among users who were not white-listed for Google SGE in Google Labs.

The post Google SGE: What Is It And Should You Be Afraid? appeared first on Direct Online Marketing.

With a multitude of content readily available at our fingertips, it has become even more important for advertisements to stand out. A high-quality design is vital in order to draw more attention to your call to action.

I flip this adage on its head when strategizing for digital ads, particularly when branding any of our internal campaigns. 

Recently I was tasked with designing the creative attached to our webinar, The AI Advantage: Unleash Your Digital Marketing Creativity & Efficiency, and I wanted to take a much more explorative approach than anything we’ve previously produced.

Ready to save your seat? Register here.

We’ll explore the steps of my creative process, and dive into the way AI generation impacted my creative strategy and design choices for this particular campaign.

Developing The Creative Strategy

Whether you know it or not, design is ubiquitous, and creativity subconsciously drives everyday choices. 

Quick, think about all of the websites, apps, social media platforms, billboards, advertisements, products, and big brands that throw design into your – i.e. the consumer’s – face without even batting an eye. 

• Why did you choose that particular coffee mug this morning? 
• Why did you buy a particular six-pack of a craft brew you’ve never heard of? 
• Why did you click on the ad while mindlessly scrolling your favorite social media platform? 

Probabilities point to design ultimately impacting your answer to each of the aforementioned questions. But it’s the strategy and application behind the designs that tend to drive your actions.

Before I begin every project, I ask myself three simple questions: 

• WHY? – Why should people care? What’s our purpose?
• HOW? – How is this different (and better) than what we’ve done before?
• WHAT? – What are we promoting?

Simon Sinek refers to the harmony of these three questions as “The Golden Circle” in his book Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. Reading this book and asking these three simple questions has bolstered the way I examine every new project.

Understanding the Project

Every successful design begins with a thorough understanding of the project. It’s crucial to have a clear grasp of the project’s objectives, target audience, and scope. 

This phase involves studying brand guidelines, competitive landscapes, and any existing design assets, ensuring you have a solid foundation to build upon.

I’ve had a hand in developing the branding for all our webinars and internal campaigns for much of the past 2 years, so this particular project comes a bit easier in that regard.

However, presenting this webinar in tandem with Semrush required a bit more diligent research. It was important that the creative assets would blend well with their voice on social media as well.

Semrush isn’t afraid to get a little cheeky on social media, so I loved the idea of incorporating some kind of off-the-wall concept that shouldn’t be taken too seriously.

With the prevalent themes of AI generation and creativity, I thought to myself “How can I play off of this to make something that elicits a somewhat creepy, yet sarcastic feeling while remaining relevant and professional?” 

Research and Inspiration

Now that you have a comprehensive understanding of the project, it’s time to dive into research and seek inspiration. Explore various sources to broaden your perspective. 

Gather visual references, analyze successful design executions, and identify emerging styles or techniques that align with the project’s goals.

Remember, inspiration can come from anywhere, so keep an open mind and let your creativity flourish. Sometimes, however, you don’t have to diligently search, and inspiration is right at your fingertips.

Recently I’ve seen a comical (and sometimes relevant) meme floating around social media that simply states: 

“To replace creatives with AI, clients will need to accurately describe what they are looking for. We’re safe.” 

Design is more than just arranging pixels and crafting aesthetically pleasing visuals. It’s a journey of creativity, strategy, and problem-solving. While it may come as a shock, graphic design is not, in fact, magic. 

But every time I see this, I smirk just a little bit. It’s a humorous take on the harsh reality of the misconception that creatives often deal with.

That’s when I decided to get some help from a few AI image generators, inputting different phrases and testing across multiple platforms before coming to the decision that DALL•E, OpenAI’s image generation platform, was spitting out the most resourceful assets.

Concept Development

With a wealth of information and inspiration at your fingertips, it’s time to embark on the concept development stage. Start by brainstorming ideas and sketching rough concepts on paper or using digital tools. 

I began testing prompts within the AI generator, but there always seemed to be some kind of imperfections or shortcomings with the images, so I kept refining and finally got something from: “portrait of a man and robot split perfectly half screen”

The results clearly are nowhere near spectacular, but I knew I had something that I could work with. 

If you’re hoping AI is going to spit out perfect conceptual graphics, think again! Human manipulation is more important than ever. Super creepy though, right? 

Idea Refinement & Iteration

Once you’ve generated a collection of design concepts, it’s time to refine and iterate. Review your concepts critically, seeking feedback from peers or stakeholders if possible.

I took my favorite of the generated faces, put my head down, and meticulously edited the photos; adjusting proportions and shadows, and stitching the pieces together to formulate a cohesive image. 

Moments later, our AI Frankenstein was ready.

I knew my half-man-half-robot concept may not work for all audiences and internal stakeholders, so I made sure to pull a few more images that I felt may still hit with the same impact, each one getting a little crazier than the next. 

With a Lonely Island-esque “Incredible Thoughts” montage running through my mind, I asked myself:

• What if the king of the jungle was actually king?
• What if someone took a photo of the photographer shooting the moon landing?
• What if my dog is actually smarter than me?
• What if energy-efficient lightbulbs literally impacted our environment?

While we may not be able to accurately answer these questions directly, with AI, your wildest thoughts can become a distorted sense of reality, and that was just the case when I began experimenting more thoroughly.

Consider your project’s objectives, brand identity, and target audience while assessing each concept’s strengths and weaknesses. Combine the most promising elements from different ideas, gradually narrowing down your options. 

It’s essential to allow yourself to explore different directions, experimenting with typography, color palettes, imagery, and layout options. This phase encourages out-of-the-box thinking and enables you to generate a range of design concepts that capture the essence of the project.

Content Integration

While words crafted beautifully can elicit many emotions; when paired with graphics and artwork, they can work together to become a unified sensory experience that subconsciously impacts user decision-making.

The use of color isn’t just meant to make things look pretty, either. When you dive deeper into the theory of color it becomes apparent that it is a psychological technique that makes viewers feel certain emotions subconsciously. 

The deep teal hues used throughout these concepts fall in line with our branding, but heavy shadows within the imagery give off a more mysterious, menacing feel.

Strategy, brainstorming, testing, and even failure are natural cycles that are often overlooked in the creative process but are essential to any campaign’s overall success. 

Translating these concepts into your digital marketing campaigns is a subtle tactic that could help your ads drive more conversions, but ensure you’re not straying too far from your typical brand palette! 

Execution

With a refined concept in hand, it was time to bring everything to life and execute the design with precision.

I took the images and copy and began laying it out in the most compelling way possible, focusing on legibility, but also making sure the imagery was prominent and engaging.

Whether you’re working with software like Adobe Creative Suite or other industry-standard tools, pay attention to details, maintain consistency, and ensure the design is optimized for its intended medium. 

Fine-tuning typography, layout, color schemes, and other design elements until you reach a compelling and cohesive design that you’re proud to share with your team.

Ready to save your seat? Register here.

Collaboration, Feedback, & Testing

Design is a collaborative process, and seeking feedback is vital for refining and improving your work. Share your designs with team members or stakeholders and encourage constructive criticism. 

Listen attentively to their input, understand their expectations, and incorporate their suggestions where appropriate. Effective communication and collaboration foster a deeper understanding of the project’s goals and ensure that the final design meets or exceeds expectations.

Designers, I know it’s difficult for your egos, but make sure you’re not putting all your eggs in one basket, either. 

While personal preference will certainly come into play, trust the data to ensure you are pushing the creative that is driving the most conversions. The more you can test your designs against other variations, the better. 

Finalization and Delivery

The last step of my creative process involves finalizing the design and preparing it for delivery.

Polish the details, double-check for any errors or inconsistencies, and ensure the design is optimized for different platforms or mediums. 

The suite of deliverables for our webinars typically ranges anywhere from digital ads to social assets, email marketing materials, and even the deck for the presentation. 

Create the necessary files, maintain an organized file structure, and keep backups to facilitate future revisions or updates.

I can’t stress enough how incredibly important it is that the creative translate cohesively across all deliverables to heighten brand awareness for these events. 

When your creative pieces look good, it’s a bonafide first impression that helps to drive all of the other KPIs for a given campaign.

The creative process is a fascinating journey that combines strategy, creativity, and technical skills. By following the steps outlined above, you can approach your projects with the same clarity and confidence, delivering exceptional designs that captivate and communicate effectively. 

Remember, the process is fluid, and each project may have its unique requirements. Embrace the iterative nature of design, stay open to collaboration, and continue to evolve and grow, embracing new technology and harnessing it to your advantage.

As the marketing world and generative AI continue to change daily, it’s important to remember that design quality will still reign supreme, but adapting to industry trends will only make your campaigns stronger. 

Read more about how design and creative services can revitalize your digital marketing efforts.

• https://www.directom.com/ai-creative/ 
• https://www.directom.com/how-are-digital-graphics-used-to-advertise/ 
• https://www.directom.com/the-year-for-social-media-marketing/ 

The post How AI Imagery Shaped The Look Of Our Latest Webinar appeared first on Direct Online Marketing.

This year, AI has quickly gone from “having a moment” to dominating the daily headlines in digital marketing.  

In this webinar, marketing leaders from across the world will gain a better understanding of the remarkable potential artificial intelligence has for improving their digital strategies.

Are you still waiting to open your eyes to the vast number of advantages AI can bring? Are you a marketer looking for ways to be more creative and simultaneously boost your efficiency?

AI can help you come up with more creative campaigns, enabling your business to grow with greater confidence by reaching more customers and increasing audience engagement.

It can also automate some of your tedious, time-consuming tasks. 

The right suite of AI tools can also help you make better data-driven decisions for your company.

Our experts are here to share how they are doing it, and how you can use these tools to your advantage.  

What Can You Expect To Learn In Our Webinar With Semrush

Marketing leaders and emerging professionals interested in attending the webinar should prepare to discover:

• What AI tools should be prevalent in the marketing tech stack of growing companies
• What Semrush’s research tells us about AI’s impact in all digital marketing channels
• How humans-in-the-loop are essential for a productive harmony with AI
• Ways that AI tools can improve your work and marketing strategy

Don’t want to get left behind as a marketing professional who failed to embrace the possibilities presented by working alongside AI? Then the time is now to understand what options AI can provide you to increase your creativity and simultaneously make you more efficient.

The Experts Sharing AI’s Advantages For Digital Marketing

Speaker: Fernando Angulo, Senior Market Research Manager, Semrush

Fernando has been with Semrush since the beginning of the company’s marketing efforts and has built its all-star marketing team.

He specializes in B2B search marketing, e-commerce, influencer marketing, and has trained marketing teams at companies like Expedia, T-mobile, Prestashop, and Bing.

Speaker: Billy Wright, Lead Digital Marketing Strategist, DOM

Billy is a Lead Digital Marketing Strategist specializing in SEO with a background in Local and eCommerce SEO.

He’s optimized the online personas and websites of clients from the Entertainment Industry to the Political world and everything in between.

He’s been in love with The Internet since he built his first website in 1996.

Host: Justin Seibert, President, DOM

DOM President and 20-year digital marketing veteran Justin Seibert started in the field in 2001 as a one-man digital marketing department for an LA-based firm.

In 2006, he founded DOM and has grown it into an Inc. 5000 digital marketing firm who’s worked with clients on every populated continent that is recognized by Google as one of it’s top 3% Premier Partners.

Should You Sign Up For This DOM + Semrush Webinar?

If you are responsible for leading a team of marketing pros but have yet to take the time to figure out the best way to make AI work in your department, this is DOM + Semrush webinar is one you need to attend.

In addition to marketing leaders who are done putting off the AI revolution, you may also be the right person to register if you are responsible for:

• Data-driven decision making
• Using chatbots or AI to increase your productivity
• Tasked with “figuring out this AI stuff”

You don’t want to be a marketing professional who got left behind because you failed to embrace the possibilities presented by working alongside AI. 

This webinar is scheduled for 12:00 PM EST / 9:00 AM PST on Wednesday, June 7 and will broadcast exclusively here at directom.com.

Ready to save your seat? Register here.

The post DOM + Semrush Webinar On June 7 To Share The “AI Advantage” For Digital Marketing appeared first on Direct Online Marketing.

Could creatives soon be competing with machines for jobs? 

It’s certainly possible, but before any (more) fear is elicited, let’s break down what exactly AI-generated images are and how they are made. 

What Exactly are AI-generated Images?

Put simply, AI-generated images are images that are created entirely by an algorithm, without any input from a human artist. The possibilities for this technology are vast, and it has the potential to revolutionize creative services completely. 

This algorithm is trained on a dataset of images, and then it uses that training to generate new images that are similar in style and content to the images in the dataset. 

The algorithm can generate anything from realistic photographs to abstract designs, and it can even create entirely new images that have never been seen before.

The more detailed and specific the original prompt, the more likely the algorithm will be able to successfully generate a slew of images based on the information.

How Quickly are AI-generated Images Created?

One of the most interesting things about AI-generated images is that they can be produced at a speed and scale that would be impossible for a human artist. With traditional art, it can take hours, days, or even weeks to create a single piece. 

With AI-generated images, however, an entire collection of images can be produced in a matter of seconds. This speed and scalability have the potential to completely transform the creative services industry.

Common Concerns Surrounding AI Creative Services

Much like other industries currently being impacted by AI trends, the creative field is no different. Graphic designers, developers, and artists of all kinds have concerns about the impact that AI-generated images will have on the industry. 

Putting Artists Out Of Work

One of the biggest concerns is that it will put traditional artists out of work. After all, if a machine can create images faster and more efficiently than a human artist, why would anyone hire a human artist in the first place?

While it’s true that AI-generated images have the potential to replace some types of artistic work, it’s important to remember that there are some things that machines simply can’t do. 

For example, machines don’t have emotions or life experiences, and they can’t create art that is deeply personal or reflective of the human condition. There’s real power in passion, which leads to the notion that there will always be a place for human artists in the industry, even as AI-generated images become more prevalent.

Copyright Infringement

There is also a general cause for concern when it comes to copyright infringement. It may be impossible to tell where inspiration or reference is coming from with AI-generated images being pulled from every edge of the web, which could make usage guidelines rather hazy going forward.

This directly plays into the looming issue of information interpretation. How AI algorithms interpret an image prompt is almost certainly going to be different from what the human mind can envision. 

With a few general searches, there seems to be a clear lack of realism in many of the AI-generated options. Many have clear imperfections or unrealistic styles that folks working in the creative field can easily spot, further emphasizing the battle between quantity and efficiency against quality. 

Lack of Diversity

This also leads to the concern that AI-generated images could make the industry less diverse. If the majority of images are generated by machines, there’s a risk that all images will start to look the same. This could result in a lack of diversity in the industry, as well as a loss of creativity and innovation.

The Positive Outlook on AI Creative Services

On the contrary, there’s also the potential for AI-generated images to make the industry more diverse. For example, AI could be used to create images that are more inclusive and representative of different cultures, races, and backgrounds. 

Additionally, AI-generated images could be used to create images that are more accessible to people with disabilities, such as images with audio descriptions or images that are designed to be viewed by people with color blindness. 

Many of these image styles are currently lacking when it comes to widely available stock assets that already dominate the web. 

Think about all of the off-the-wall requests that would have taken hours to manipulate different stock photos to get the request just right that could now be at the disposal of AI. It’s true that these could become an extension to stock assets and give creatives an endless library to play with, but at what cost?

Are AI-generated Images Free?

While many companies offer a few free credits for AI-generated images, once these credits run out many companies will attempt to capitalize on subscription-based services. 

OpenAI’s AI-generated image platform, DALL•E, includes 15 free credits upon account creation. This system is still not perfect and oftentimes crashes mid-search due to server errors, but produces some decent options in the grand scheme.

Adobe is also Beta-testing its new AI-generation platform, Adobe Firefly. The Firefly Beta is currently only accessible to approved creatives with active Adobe subscriptions.

The Future for AI Creative Services is Now

Adobe plans to take its AI capabilities to even bigger heights as well, with ideas in place that could transform the efficiency and overall framework of the creative field.

Adobe is exploring the following capabilities with Adobe Firefly:

• Text to image (AI-image generation)*
• Text effects*
• Recoloring vectors
• Inpainting
• Personalized images
• Text to vector
• Extending image aspect ratios
• 3D to image
• Text to pattern
• Text to brush
• Text to template
• Sketch to Image

* available with the Beta version

Fortunately for us, our team has already been approved to test Adobe Firefly (Beta) and is actively exploring its capabilities and offerings. 

As a matter of fact, the images featured throughout this post were all generated with Adobe Firefly… with some human manipulation, of course.

Overall, it’s clear that AI-generated images have the potential to completely transform the creative services industry. The concerns about the impact that this technology could have on traditional artists and the creative process are very real, but it’s important to remember that no matter how advanced the technology becomes, there will always be a place for human creativity and imagination.

It’s important to note that the AI trend is not limited to creative services. Direct Online Marketing provides AI Marketing Services as Ai continues to change what the Internet looks like and how we interact with it.

Read more about how AI is impacting other industries below.

• How To Optimize Your Website For ChatGPT
• Will AI Replace Copywriters?

The post Revolutionizing Creativity: How AI is Transforming the Landscape of Creative Services appeared first on Direct Online Marketing.

In the world of artificial intelligence, the “singularity” is when the AI becomes indistinguishable from human thinking. There have been countless science fiction books and movies written about this premise.

The Matrix, Terminator, Bladerunner.

Side note re: Bladerunner – the good one, NOT that one with Ryan Gosling. How did that movie even get made?

All these movies captured the imagination by positing the idea that A.I. might one day overtake us in the very cognitive abilities that make us human. 

So it’s not too much of a surprise that the news of Unbounce’s acquisition of Snazzy.ai in 2021 caused a ripple throughout our offices. Our content people in particular could be seen wiping sweat from their brows when they thought nobody was looking. 

When asked about it, they responded with platitudes about the human mind’s irreplaceable capacity for creative thought and so on. However, privately they worried at their desks and imagined a future where all writing was automatically generated by an electronic super mind that was totally incapable of making errors. 

For a lot of businesses and marketing professionals, such a thing would be the most welcome innovation since on-page SEO tools. Imagine having an endless source of instantly generated content to drive your marketing efforts!

Let’s take a look at this leading AI copy generator and get to the bottom of just how worried our flesh and blood content writers need to be in the face of this new technology. 

Unbounce Smart Copy: The AI Copy Generator Formerly Known As “Snazzy AI”

Snazzy.ai was a name that was heavily featured in marketing news circuits for a while, and with good reason. The AI copy generator had been used extensively by marketing professionals for things like email copy, Google Ad copy, social media posts, etc. The acquisition by Unbounce in 2021 simply elevated the buzz around its capabilities. 

Today, Unbounce Smart Copy gives users an extensive array of options for content types. Having trouble coming up with a blog idea? Unbounce Smart Copy can do that.

Need a mission statement for your brand? No problemo.

Running into a wall generating meta descriptions for your pages? Unbounce Smart Copy has you covered. 

Unbounce Smart Copy In Action

For this exercise, we’ve invented a fake company called Binko’s Space Robots. Binko’s specializes in creating hulking, gigantic Gundam-style space robots for everything from asteroid mining to intergalactic combat. 

We’re planning on running a Google Ads campaign for Binko’s, but our team is busy and doesn’t have the bandwidth to devote to writing the copy, so we’ll have to rely on Snazzy.ai’s expertise to whip something up. 

So right off the bat, we have to make a new Snazzy account. When you create an account, you fill in your company’s information. Everything you do with the tool from there is based on this initial information, so it’s not really possible to use an account to generate content for other businesses (in the free version, at least). 

For instance, upon account setup you’re asked to fill in your company description, the audience, and some brand keywords. 

For Binko’s Space Robots, we entered the description as worded above, “creating hulking, gigantic space robots etc.” For our audience, we entered space pirates, asteroid miners, space heroes and villains, and starship pilots. 

Our brand keywords are “asteroid mining,” “giant robots,” “space robots,” and “giant robot battles in space.” 

After a popup with introductory information, we’re given the full array of content creation options. Our goal was to create a Google Ads campaign, so let’s start with that. 

Here are the top three Google Ads that were generated for Binko’s Space Robots:

Binko’s Space Robots – All Hands On Deck – Join Our Space Combat League – Locally-owned Giant RobotsAsteroid Mining. Planetary Domination. Intergalactic Combat. Massive Robots. Huge Giant Robots for Sale. Our Robots Can Do It All. Grab An Asteroid and Mine it to Smithereens. Crush Your Enemies! The only company to mine for gold in space. Asteroid Mining Giant Robots

Binko’s Space Robots – Giant Robotic Mining Platforms – Asteroid Mining Robots – Welcome to the FutureSpace Robots. Giant Robots. Giant Robot Battles in Space. The Best Space Robots Available. Huge selection of space robots. Fully Modular, Customizable Robots. Battles and Mining in Deep Space. The Ultimate Asteroid Mining Game. Blast, Hover & Boost Your Way to Riches.

Binko’s Space Robots – Taming the Galaxy – Battle Intergalactic Villains – Binko’s Space RobotsOne Giant Robot, Two Giant Robots, Three Giant Robots, Four Asteroid Mining Robots. Giant Robot Battles. Planet Destroying Weapons. Binko’s Space Robots – Massive, Hulking Robots for Asteroid Mining. The Leader in Space Robot Technology.

As you can see, Smart Copy by Unbounce filled in some blanks beyond the information that we fed it. For instance, we never said anything about planetary domination, but there it is in the copy of the first ad. 

Also, each of the three ads is focusing on a different audience. The first ad seems to use language that would appeal to villains. The second is more mining focused, and the third is focused on the space hero demographic. 

Are these great ads? We think they’re pretty good. However there is the question of accuracy. In the second ad, the copy mentions that the robots are fully modular and customizable. We did not mention anything about those features, but the AI just included them. 

This is a cautionary example that shows you can’t simply plug and play with Smart Copy’s generator. Some of the results may contain inaccurate or misleading information, so they have to be studied before use. Not only can they lead to unhappy potential customers, but they can get your ads disapproved. 

In general, though, we’re really impressed by these ads. The power to generate copy in the blink of an eye is something to behold. 

The pricing structure is, well, maybe a little less impressive. 

Unbounce Smart Copy’s Pricing

Unbounce Smart Copy has a free option. The way this works is you’re given 40 credits upon account creation. Every time you generate content, you’re using a credit. Every week that you log into the account, you’re given 10 credits. 

For the most part, this freemium model is going to get you what you need without a lot of hassle, assuming you’re okay with what you get on the first or second round of content generation. 

In the Google Ads example from above, it generated 5 total ads the first time we ran it. We could run it as many times as we wanted, but every time we click that “create” button, it burns another credit. 

Additionally, the “Customize” option is locked behind the paid subscription. What this means is your topic for any generated content is going to be related to your initial profile information by default. If you want to make content focused on a related topic that isn’t exactly what you’ve filled in for your profile, you have to pay up. 

Paying up here isn’t anything to sneeze at either. By default, membership costs about $19 per month. There is an option to pay annually for only $96 a year, which works out to be $8 a month. However, if you want to take advantage of the 14-day free trial offer, it seems you’re then forced to pay the more expensive $50 monthly rate. 

Is it worth it? That depends. As a business expense, the cost is relatively light. In return, you’re saving your marketing people a lot of potential hours by letting the platform do the heavy lifting. 

If you’re an individual, however, that’s a large chunk of change any way you slice it. $300 could be anywhere from 20 to 30 pizzas you’re giving up for a more convenient content solution. More if you pay the monthly rate. 

Should You Be Worried About Unbounce Smart Copy?

We’re going to answer this one without any suspense. No, human writers shouldn’t be afraid of AI copywriting. In fact, they should be ecstatic. 

That singularity we talked about at the beginning of this article has yet to be reached. There are no cybernetic organisms from the future that are assimilating into our society on the hunt for the future leader of the human rebellion. AI is still artificial, a bare facsimile of humanity. 

What AI can provide is suggestions for long-form content based on data that can then be used to whip up amazing blog copy and product descriptions. This makes the job of a content writer easier rather than obsolete. 

We asked one of our writers and contributor to this blog, to add his thoughts, which he did:

“Chris is absolutely right. Automation is coming for all of us, eventually. The PPC side already knows what it’s like to compete with algorithms that claim to do their jobs better than they do. I think what we’ll start seeing in content marketing is a more personalized stamp, like the old days of blogging, when we would do it for fun, not SEO. Also, would an AI just randomly insert a fun Star Wars reference if you didn’t tell it to? Never tell me the odds, but I don’t think it’s very likely.”

—Jim Foreman, Senior Content Specialist

While short-form copy like Google Ads and social media ads can be generated to hit on all the relevant keywords, there’s still nothing that can replace the skills of a great writer when it comes to creating engaging content that people will read. 

If you’re looking for great content for humans to give your business a boost, Direct Online Marketing has the tools to get the job done. Our experienced team of SEO and PPC professionals will help you reach your goals. Contact us today for a free consultation.  

As a bonus, here are some Unbounce Smart Copy auto-generated DOM taglines.

DOM. We cause things to happen. 

DOM. Break the rules. Be different. 

DOM. Dominate everywhere you go.  

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