It has become the reality for search engines to personalize their searches for every user according to a variety of factors, impacting the arrangement and the information delivered on the search result page. This phenomenon continues into the development of summaries through the use of AI and the creation of hyper personalized experiences.
Search engine optimization consultants have found that no two people get the same results while using the same search query. Search engines have for years offered search results customized for the user’s location, language spoken, search habits, type of computer or device used and the type of website. Today, search engines have a new variable for search results due to the emergence of generative AI.
Search engines such as Google now offer not only ranked links, but also summary links and dynamic layouts, which change from user to user and from market to market. This requires the use of multiple sources of information for the purposes of delivering results more aligned to individual expectations, though the processes behind these, especially for AI, remain opaque to many users.
Search result personalization can help improve relevance by considering user context. This may be accomplished by personalizing elements on the search results page, such as the featured snippet, People Also Ask box, videos and other elements based on search history and preferred regions.
This enhanced experience, however, also comes with its problems. Personalized outcomes might end up limiting the diversity of outcomes and even form filter bubbles for users to cater to a limited set of content that might be relevant to their past behavior.
The development in search engine personalization is an indication of how search is evolving. This is because search results have become personalized based on how people engage with search engines or AI assistants. Personalization in search is an important area for brands because it shows how search is having an impact on brands.
Personalization became central in the way brands engaged with possible customers online. Search engines learned to use behavioral, contextual, and regional signals to deliver results; generative AI brought deeper layers of personalization: session memory and semantic understanding.
Both platforms, with their related searches and AI, respectively, are constantly evolving; therefore, how user-centric results balance out against brand visibility remains a key issue for both marketers and technologists alike.
