Preparing for AI search and the generative college discovery process

The rise of AI search is fundamentally reshaping how users discover information online, including prospective students researching their college choices. This shift has significant implications for higher education content strategy, SEO and organic visibility. This session will help you prepare for a future where early-stage college research occurs through conversations with generative AI chatbots like Search GPT and Perplexity. This session will cover: What AI search is and how it differs from traditional search engines like Google. Why many internet users are beginning to prefer AI search over traditional search. How quickly users are adopting this new search model, and for what kind of queries. How AI-powered search tools aggregate and present college information to users. How to optimize your web content to appear effectively in generative AI responses. I will present case studies, user journeys and insights from my experiments with AI search to help attendees understand this new way to find information online. As a member of my college’s AI Steering Committee, I’ll share the latest research in AI search technology and how it’s being used in higher education.

Presenters

Adam Heidebrink-Bruno — Finger Lakes Community College