le Bard is now available and disappointed vs. Bing Chat or ChatGPT //
Bard is currently open to a limited portion of the public for one full day. I have had the chance to experiment with Google’s AI chatbot and am getting mixed results.
This article will cover my initial thoughts about Bard, how I obtained early access, questions regarding AI answers, first-hand experiences, and concerns.
How I was able to get early access to Bard
Google confirmed that Bard early access is only currently available in the U.K.
If you’re U.K.-based or U.S.-based, you can signup for early access with a personal Gmail account. Google will contact your account once it has been made available.
You can also contact Google directly if you are involved in any Google-related programs, such as Women Technomakers. Google will offer you early access to Bard. This is how I got mine.
Google plans to expand the AI chatbot’s functionality to include other languages and countries.
“We will continue to improve Bard, adding capabilities such as coding and multimodal experiences. One thing is certain: As we learn, we’ll be there for you. Bard will continue to improve with your feedback.
Bard: The response of the digital marketing community
Before I share my first-hand experience and thoughts, it is important to talk about the industry’s initial reaction.
We find many inconsistencies within Bard and it rarely references sources. Many SEOs are concerned about how Bard will impact organic traffic to their websites.
Questions remain about the visibility of traffic from Bard in Google Analytics and Search Console.
Bard’s inconsistency in citation can lead to concerns about the authenticity and quality of its answers.
Google doesn’t hide the fact that the AI chatbot could make mistakes and possibly share offensive responses.
Bard is a great experiment in generative AI. It is able to accelerate people’s ideas. Bard is equipped with safety controls and feedback mechanisms that conform to our AI Principles. However, it can display incorrect information or offensive statements.
– Bard FAQ, Google
Bard Early Findings
Bard is a powerful and useful tool that can be used to help others.
It is however, a rushed launch that I cannot help but feel was necessary to be competitive with ChatGPT and Bing Chat.
Indexing speed and inconsistent answers
I was first to inquire about Billie Geena’s identity when I got early access to the tool.
It included a brief paragraph about me. Although it didn’t cite any sources, I was able to find out that it had combined information from my blog with my LinkedIn profile.
We saw amazing indexing speeds when Bing Chat was first released. This ensured that its AI chatbot would provide the most current information.
IndexNow is likely to play a role in this. Brodie Clark performed a remarkable experiment to see how fast Bing finds and indexes information.
I was curious if Bard had a system that could match Bing Chat’s speedy indexing. To answer the question “Who is Billie Geena?” I modified the data sources Bard used. I gave the information a few hours to be updated.
After searching for the answer a second time, I got the following results.
Bard could not answer the question. To see if it could find the answer, I gave my full name. It was unsuccessful.
I am curious about Bard’s consistency in answering my questions and will continue to play with the same questions for a while.
Bard can’t remember conversations from the past, unlike ChatGPT. As each conversation is unique, Bard cannot remember the context of any previous conversations.
Google has solved the problem of bard not being able to remember conversations.
“Bard’s ability of holding context is intentionally limited at the moment. Bard will continue to learn and its ability to retain context in longer conversations will improve.
– Bard FAQ, Google
Search intent
SEOs will love the “Google it!” button on Bard. This allows Bard to connect with Google search, which is what we are most familiar with.
Bard does not seem to be able to understand different user intents, despite my testing. Bard asked me, “What information should appear on Bard?”
Bard offers suggestions for how to get information from your site(s), onto its data set.
Bard doesn’t know that I am asking about it when I click on the “Google it!” button. It takes me to a knowledge panel about bards, the middle-age storytelling poets.
Bard has Google’s entire index available to it, so it is surprising that it fails to grasp content with multiple meanings.
This is a good sign for SEOs, as it indicates that Bard will not be the end Google search. Bard might not always provide the answers users need and they will most likely go to Google search to resolve their queries.
Overall, I found Bard to be disappointing in comparison to ChatGPT and Bing Chat.
It will be a powerful tool once it reaches its final phase. It feels like Google has rushed to release a minimum viable product, which is not comparable to other tools.
Google Search’s end is nearing the Bard.
Without hearing the “SEO is dead” comment, we wouldn’t be SEOs. This is not true.
Organic search listings will continue to play an important role in search engines, according to me. Bard will not replace this but be an extension.
This could be another factor that we try to target as the tool improves its citations and “Google it” functions.
Bard, in its current state is a factual and informational tool.
Bard will not compete with Ecommerce, SaaS, and service-based businesses other than through their blog/informational content.
Bard, for example, does not recommend specific products when asked questions such as “What shoes do I need to climb Mount Fuji?”
Bard will likely improve search and add shopping features. As SEOs, we will continue to play a part in the search landscape.
Better Bard
Bard is a cool tool, but it could be even better.
The AI chatbot is a disappointment, especially when compared to other AI chatbots.
I will continue to experiment with Bard and record my findings.
The post Google Bard disappointed vs. Bing Chat & ChatGPT was first published on Search Engine Land.