OpenAI's SearchGPT: What is It and How to Use It

The rivalry between OpenAI and Google is not new, but it has again become the talk of the tech world with OpenAI's launch of SearchGPT. It is an AI-powered search engine that can change the way we search on the web.

As of June 2024, Google held over 90% of the search engine market. However, with the launch of SearchGPT, Google's territory is under attack. So, what exactly is SearchGPT?

Let's explore SearchGPT in detail in this guide and see what difference it makes.

Part 1. What Is SearchGPT?

SearchGPT is an AI search engine that can access real-time information from the web and provide you with clear answers from relevant sources. It combines the capabilities of AI models and information from the web to provide fast and clear responses.

Unlike Google and other search engines, which only provide links to the sources, SearchGPT delivers summarized answers with direct references to the original sources. For example, if you search for "music festivals in Boone, North Carolina in August", it will provide brief details of all music festivals along with links to access more details. In addition, SearchGPT allows you to ask follow-up questions further and easily find the exact information you are looking for.

Overall, this AI-powered web search experience saves significant time compared to exploring multiple links to find the exact information.

Part 2. How to Use SearchGPT?

As of now, SearchGPT access is limited. It is launched for a small group of users and publishers to let them test and provide feedback. The goal of OpenAI is to integrate the best features of SearchGPT directly into ChatGPT.

From the images and videos shared by OpenAI about SearchGPT, we can see that it provides a search bar where you can write the prompt. Afterward, it quickly searches the information from the web and provides summarized answers with direct references to the original sources.

Still want to use SearchGPT? You are in luck—there is still a chance to be part of the group testing this revolutionary tool! How?

OpenAI allows users to join the waitlist to try the prototype. You can head to the OpenAI SearchGPT webpage and join the waitlist. Afterward, you will be notified when you are granted access.

Alternatively, you can opt for other GPT-powered tools that can offer a somewhat similar experience as SearchGPT. For instance, UPDF AI Online is a GPT-4 powered AI assistant that can help summarize/translate/explain PDFs and search/chat about any topic. You can use its chat box to search for anything. Afterward, it will search and present the relevant answers with brief descriptions and reference links.

So, try UPDF AI Online to have a SearchGPT-similar experience without waiting on the waitlist.

UPDF AI Online

Part 3. What Impact SearchGPT Will Have on Search Engine Optimization?

SearchGPT seems like a revolutionary AI-powered search engine that can change the traditional search engine practices we have used for decades. However, this also raises the question of what impact SearchGPT will have on search engine optimization.

One thing evident from SearchGPT's current exposure is that publishers will have to make their content AI-friendly, i.e., the AI models should be able to identify and use their content easily. The keyword optimization and backlink building may switch to content optimization for AI.

Currently, OpenAI is partnering with publishers and empowering them to manage how they show up in the SearchGPT. So, it is still quite early to say about the impacts on SEO with SearchGPT. Once SearchGPT becomes accessible globally, the best practices around SEO will become clearer.

Conclusion

After OpenAI announced SearchGPT on Thursday, Alphabet's (Google's parent company) share price dropped by 3%. This alone reflects SearchGPT's potential to disrupt the search engine market. However, these are early talks. Since OpenAI calls it a temporary prototype, we still require time to see its full potential. In the meantime, you can add intelligence to your day-to-day activities with UPDF AI Assistant to chat about any topic or handle PDF-related activities proficiently.