• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, November 20, 2024

Real-time data and insights through BrightEdge Data Cube X allow marketers to understand and act on performance strategies to make changes, if needed, based on how Google presents their brands in Google AI Overview (AIO) search results.

By engineering for AI search, all types of companies ranging from brands and marketers to publishers can gain visibility into their brand’s presence in Google AI Overviews. They can also monitor changes in real-time that impact their digital footprint by identifying all touchpoints where content can connect with consumers via search.

BrightEdge CEO Jim Yu announced the generative artificial intelligence (GAI) update for the product virtually at the company's annual conference on Wednesday.

The technology identifies keywords that companies need to optimize and provides a visual representation of the AIO.

The company also announced a tool to draft content based on any keyword, so it is prepared to answer any question that someone searching might ask. Yu said it maps out related questions the searcher might want to know and integrates it into the content brief, and allows them to draft the information through BrightEdge CoPilot (which is not to be confused with Microsoft Copilot.)

Brands may be unaware of the increase in AIO mentions. The New York Times, for example, increased its AIO presence by 31% from September to October. Its lifestyle content appeared most frequently with users searching for information related to cooking, health and exercise.

Some other publishers are experiencing the same increase. TechCrunch saw an increase in its AIO presence by 24% in the same period, as users searched for information related to Apple, free audio books and TikTok, for instance.

Before the conference, Yu shared with MediaPost new findings from the BrightEdge Generative Parser. It appears that consumers are ready to travel. 

The holidays are one of the busiest times for the travel sector, which saw the most significant increase in AIO presence -- rising 700% in October, compared with September to October.

Starting at around 1% of keywords in September, travel-related AIOs rose to nearly 30% by the end of October, with a surge around October 29 and October 31.

This surge suggests a growing interest in travel content, likely driven by users planning holiday trips, according to Yu. He suggested that to capture AIO visibility, travel brands should optimize content around seasonal travel, local events, and specific activities.

Many of the keywords that are part of this surge start with “Things to do,” which then triggers a list. 

Yu also suggested brands should create content around less commonly searched destinations, holiday events, and neighborhood-specific activities as AIOs expand to cover more localized travel topics.

Optimizing queries related to local events, neighborhood attractions, and seasonal activities can improve relevance as AIOs continue to focus on detailed, location-specific travel information. Content targeting searches like “best winter activities in New England” or “holiday events in small towns” is likely to see high response rates for travelers seeking experiences.