The Metaverse: What Is It?

When you think of the metaverse, you may picture a person playing a video game while wearing a bulky headset that covers most of their face.

It’s not surprising that digital gaming is one of the early adopters of the metaverse.

But, if the metaverse is all about gaming, Mr. Zuckerburg would not have bet his entire company on it.

In 2021, Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerburg, announced the name change of the company he founded two decades ago from Facebook to Meta – and the concept of the “metaverse” emerged from a niched and futuristic idea, to a mainstream business strategy.

In this article, we will explore what exactly the metaverse means, where it came from, and how it has evolved – and will continue to evolve.

Let’s dive in.

What Is The Metaverse?

Meta defines the metaverse as “the next evolution in social connection and the successor to the mobile internet.”

While this definition is generally true, it’s important to know that Meta doesn’t control the metaverse; no company does.

In fact, rather than thinking of one virtual space called the metaverse, it’s more appropriate to use the plural form, metaverses, at the current stage.

A metaverse can be any 3D virtual space powered by technologies – including virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain – that allows people to interact with each other (and in some cases, with non-human avatars).

There are many metaverses existing today.

Most of them were created by individual companies and serve a particular purpose. There is little to no interoperability among metaverses, as the standards of sharing user identities and data across different metaverse spaces haven’t been developed yet.

The History Of The Metaverse

The term “metaverse” was first used by sci-fi writer Neal Stephenson in his 1992 novel “Snow Crash.” In the novel, Mr. Stephenson describes a 3D virtual world that people could, in a sense, occupy.

The novel’s main character, Hiro, accesses the metaverse via a personal terminal that projects 3D virtual reality images to his goggles. Hiro’s avatar interacts with other people’s avatars in the metaverse, and in fact, “Snow Crash” is the name of a data file Hiro’s avatar received in the metaverse.

Fiction aside, digital gaming is how the metaverse was introduced to and adapted by consumers in scale. Launched in 2016, Pokémon Go, which incorporated augmented reality into mobile gaming, took the world by storm.

Since then, multiplayer games, such as Fortnite, Minecraft, and Roblox, have provided a virtual environment where players can interact with each other in the form of avatars – creating the foundation of the metaverse.

In 2023, the development and adoption of the metaverse has gone beyond gaming and into other industries.

Metaverse marketing is becoming a buzzword among consumer brands. Major multinational companies, from JP Morgan, Nike, and Adidas, to McDonald’s, all have initiatives to capture the marketing potential of the metaverse.

This creates another level of interconnectivity and a new dimension to our global economy.

The management consulting firm, McKinsey & Company, estimated the metaverse could generate $5 trillion in revenue for businesses by 2030.

How Is The Metaverse Different From The Internet?

Even though the metaverse is often considered the next evolution of the internet, there are significant differences between the two.

The internet, as we know it, is a network of websites.

Initially, websites were created for information distribution only.

Today, websites serve various purposes, from shopping, entertainment, to communication. The emergence of social networks made the internet a channel for people to connect and share their lives with each other.

Even as enormous as the internet is, it’s still a place for storing and sharing information its users generate about what happened in the “real world.”

On the contrary, the metaverse is a virtual world where its users “live” their virtual lives. The activities happening in the metaverse and the data it stores may not have any connection with the “real world.”

In other words, the internet is an extension of the real world, while the metaverse is a virtual space that exists in parallel with the real world.

To understand this difference, consider posting pictures of a dinner gathering with your friends on social media versus having a virtual gathering with your friends in the metaverse.

In the metaverse, you can go about many of your everyday life’s day-to-day interactions and occurrences in your avatar form.

Your avatar can interact with other people’s avatars.

You can conduct many activities in the virtual world as you do in the real world, such as buying and selling goods, attending concerts, going to museums, building or renovating a house, and more.

How NFT And Cryptocurrency Made The Metaverse Possible

To enable commercial activities in the metaverse, the metaverse needs a system to support business transactions.

Trading goods and services in the virtual world have two challenges.

First, it needs a way to determine the value. Since any digital goods can be copied and replicated easily, the metaverse needs a way to identify the authenticity of the goods and the owners.

Just as you won’t pay the same price for a faulty car or a fake Gucci knockoff, you likely don’t want to pay the same price for any digital goods that are replicas of the original – even though they look the same.

Secondly, the metaverse needs a way to transact in the virtual world. It needs virtual currency.

This is where non-fungible tokens (NFT) and cryptocurrencies come to the rescue.

Both NFTs and cryptocurrencies are based on blockchain technology. While the technologies are quite complicated, their usages are quite simple to understand.

NFT acts as a certificate, like the title to a house. Even if the digital product itself can be replicated, the NFT cannot, and is always tied to the original. Hence, they’re called non-fungible tokens.

Cryptocurrency is a natural fit with the metaverse. Since the metaverse is virtual, it is always active, self-sustaining, and creates incredible possibilities in business. And many of these possibilities hold a basis in cryptocurrency.

The advent of Bitcoin in 2009 kicked off the rising popularity of cryptocurrencies over the last decade. However, across the metaverse, Ethereum, which also supports NFTs, is the most popular cryptocurrency.

It’s also common for metaverse platforms to create their own versions of cryptocurrency. For example, the popular NFT art collection marketplace, Bored Ape Yacht Club, has its own cryptocurrency called ApeCoin.

How Do You Get Into The Metaverse?

Currently, there is no standard way to access the metaverse. Different metaverse platforms may have different requirements. But, in most cases, you can start exploring the metaverse with the devices you already have – a computer or a mobile device.

Just like accessing any platform on the internet, you’re typically required to set up a user account.

Most platforms allow users to start for free. If you want to engage in any commercial activities, you’d need to set up a cryptocurrency wallet.

However, to have the immersive experience the metaverse is best known for, you’d need to have a VR headset, such as the Oculus Quest 2.

How Major Brands Are Getting Involved

Some of the businesses preparing for the metaverse include major names such as Nike, Adidas, and Vans.

In October of 2021, Nike filed several trademark applications for its popular slogans and iconography (like “Just Do It” and the iconic checkmark), allowing it to make and sell virtual goods.

This occurred in tandem with Mark Zuckerberg announcing Meta.

Later that year, Nike announced its acquisition of virtual shoe company RTFKT studios, which will help it create shoes to sell in the metaverse. This is great news for sneakerheads everywhere.

Adidas is making its foray into the metaverse with collaborative NFT projects (which have since sold out), creating exclusive collectibles with other artists. Its NFTs collectively sold for over $22 million.

The brand has affirmed the NFT community by investing in NFTs as a company and has bought a large plot of land in the metaverse to host virtual parties and events.

It is one of the first corporations to not only release NFTs but to actually invest in the metaverse ecosystem itself.

Vans is also getting involved. The company has built an online skate park that’s already seen upwards of 48 million visitors. This type of engagement is unparalleled – in-person events simply can’t hold the same capacity of people. Customers can also shop in Vans’ virtual store to earn points and customize an avatar.

But while some brands are sold on the metaverse, others are more hesitant to get involved. With pandemic restrictions easing, many consumers have been eager to connect in person, drawing their interest away from virtual meeting places.

In addition to this, the rise of generative AI as a tool has become a shiny new tool that has captured the interest of both consumers and brands.

These are just a couple of reasons why the metaverse has taken off with some brands but not others.

Advertising And Marketing To Gen Z

A key objective for brands to get into the metaverse is to reach the next generation of consumers: Gen Z.

Digitally native Gen Z has proven to be tricky to market to; They possess an intuitive understanding of technology unprecedented in previous generations.

According to some reports, Gen Z considers digital lives as important as physical ones; for some, there is little to no differentiation. The virtual world and social media are not separate lives but further extensions of their more present, physical reality.

It also makes friendships around the globe more of a present reality and means exposure to brands they might not normally discover.

This boasts a two-fold impact on marketing and selling potential for brands: exposure is unlimited by physical constraints, and physical and digital goods become players of equal value.

Per Nike’s example, a virtual shoe is not of lesser value because it exists in the digital sphere – it holds the capability to compete.

If a brand’s target audience is going digital, it’s no surprise that brands must pursue digital innovation to compete.

As the metaverse plays an increasingly important role as a marketing and commercial channel, advertising in the metaverse will become necessary.

New forms of advertisement will emerge.

3D virtual billboards will be the new display ads, and sponsored avatars will be the new influencers in the metaverse.

B2B Metaverse: Virtual Conferences And Workplaces

The metaverse is as important in the business-to-business (B2B) space as for business-to-consumer (B2C) brands.

The pandemic catapulted society into a new era of digital innovation and created a significant need for advanced technologies that would allow us to continue our everyday business efforts from home.

Companies that depended on conferences and trade shows had to pivot – and fast.

The metaverse offers significant opportunities for companies to meet through virtual reality, saving businesses and attendees money on travel, lodging, and other associated costs.

Numerous start-ups, such as Flox and Virtway Events, are trying to seize the opportunities by offering platforms for businesses to create immersive virtual conferences and events.

Conclusion

The metaverse is still in its infancy stage. While its infrastructure is still being set up, some companies and brands are jumping at the opportunity to be a part of this new world.

It is worth noting, however, that while some brands are diving into the metaverse feet-first, others appear to be stepping back from their metaverse initiatives.

In early 2023, both Disney and Microsoft announced they were shutting down their respective metaverse units. Even Meta seems to be paring down its efforts slightly, having let go of some of its metaverse division employees in recent company layoffs.

But this doesn’t mean the metaverse is going away – far from it.

Much like the internet in the 90s, the metaverse has great potential to shape businesses and people’s lives. The technologies, usages, and business models around the metaverse are rapidly evolving.

As the proliferation of websites highlighted Web 1.0 and the adoption of social media represented Web 2.0, the metaverse could be the signature for Web 3.0.

No one knows how the metaverse will evolve in the future. But one thing is certain – it’s no longer science fiction. It’s already here.

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How To Focus On What Matters In SEO As AI Accelerates Rapid Change via @sejournal, @coreydmorris

SEO is, by default, a longer-term digital marketing channel, and this can challenge the patience of SEO professionals – and that of important stakeholders.

Discipline and a high level of knowledge are often needed to see it through to success for companies and their clients.

I can’t understate the importance of being patient, disciplined, and focused right now.

With news emerging weekly about new ways search engines are integrating AI technology and how it will reshape search, SEO pros have a lot to think about.

And we should think about them, and start incorporating AI into our SEO strategies and processes!

But until AI fully takes over the algorithms and search results, we also need to stay focused on what works today – and that’s not a basic or simple checklist of things to do.

Getting our strategies right, aligning with our own goals, knowing our audiences and competitors, and focusing on the top priorities of what matters most right now for our SEO plans is still very much important.

Whether you’re concerned about being able to keep up, what the future of SEO might look like, whether it’s still worth investing in, or just want some perspective on what to do right now, I hope this article helps provide some reassurance.

I will unpack eight things right now to focus on and prioritize as we balance the AI boom with our current environment and reality.

1. Know Your Goals & Objectives

SEO can be a big waste of time and resources if it isn’t guided toward specific goals.

There are so many tactics and things to “do,” but it can all be done in vain if you don’t know what you’re targeting and why you’re doing it.

You can spend less time doing things manually and turn your processes over to AI, but if they are misguided or misaligned with your goal outcomes, then you run the risk of not achieving the results you want.

Whether it is a set of goals tied to conversions, traffic, exposure, or aligned with thought leadership and a customer journey – you want to set goals so you can work toward them in an organized fashion.

2. Have A Set Process & Standard Operating Procedures

If you’re integrating AI deeper into your methodology, you’re now introducing new technology and processes.

Innovation is great, and I support it 100%.

However, you can get loose with processes and practices if you don’t have a set process from which you’re starting.

My team is working on enhancing our standard processes and operating procedures, not just in how we do SEO, but across our entire agency.

We’re utilizing Systemology for this, but there are a number of different ways and approaches.

Regardless of how much you’re adjusting and adapting, if you have a team of more than one, or want to be able to hand off or delegate in the future, you should have things documented and standardized as much as possible.

Plus, you’ll want to have a handle on what’s working and what isn’t.

3. Be Adaptable & Embrace Change

If you’ve been doing SEO for a long time, you know that change is a constant.

From big algorithm or ranking factor updates to ongoing core updates to machine learning being built into the algorithm, changes will occur, and you will inevitably need to pivot – even when you’re firmly established where you want to be in the search engine results pages (SERPs).

Even if you’re skeptical or want to take a “wait and see” approach to how AI will truly impact the SERPs and change SEO in the bigger picture and longer term, I encourage you to use AI today to automate processes and leverage those increased abilities to increase efficiencies.

4. Leverage What Works Today

It can be all-consuming to test new things, adapt processes, and engage AI within them.

While my point above encourages such exploration, don’t take your focus too much off of what works today and what the current ranking factors are.

Keep a human, user-first approach when it comes to using AI to generate content.

Yes, you can use multiple AI tools to get a good score, regardless of whether the content was generated by AI or a human.

However, even if you get rankings and traffic to your site, if your goal is conversions or something deeper than that, you may not be hitting the right level of resonance with your audience.

Focus on your user, even if you’re using AI, to ensure that you stand apart from any level of commoditized AI-generated content or low-quality content (even if human-generated) in your industry.

Focus on solid technical, on-page, and off-page ranking factors that are tied to strong SEO strategies and tactics right now.

5. Implement Today With An Eye On The Future

Am I contradicting myself at this point? I don’t think so.

While you focus on what works today, my message and recommendations are all about balance. While you’re implementing your current strategy, you can’t fall behind.

Know how ChatGPT, Bard, and other aspects of AI are being used by search engines and integrated into search results. Develop an understanding of how SERP feature changes are going to influence how we do SEO.

Be ready and willing to adapt and adjust as you go.

We’re definitely in a balancing act right now; Those that don’t adapt will be left behind.

Those that get distracted by the new shiny object today and stop doing what works today will lose ground and momentum.

6. Stay Active & Keep Momentum

A constant since the beginning with SEO is the need to take a long-term and ongoing approach to it.

Sure, you might see a bump from doing a round of optimization tactics.

Yes, you can stop actively working on SEO and might not see an immediate or drastic drop in traffic.

However, my recommendation hasn’t changed: You need to have a plan – phased out, ongoing optimization built into it – and stay the course.

Even if the SERPs change and the things that work today are totally different in SEO next year, you want to keep going and not get lax. Momentum is important in SEO strategies and in getting where you want to be with your goals.

The search engines aren’t the only things changing.

Your marketplace and competitors are extra variables to contend with.

7. Don’t Write Off SEO Easily

SEO has gotten harder in some ways over the past few years.

As the ongoing squeeze of real estate continues at the top of the organic results, we can see high rankings but lower traffic from those.

Looking at my historical Google Search Console data, I can attest to that.

SEO can be hurt by not having the resources – internal or external, soft or hard costs – beyond people with SEO titles to see success. Content is fuel for SEO; Dev, UX, and IT teams all have a part to play.

Your overall marketing strategy and ensuring things work together across multiple marketing channels can provide insights and lifts in SEO.

There are a lot of reasons why SEO doesn’t work.

Don’t silo it and have unfair expectations.

Don’t write it off without fully trying it.

A three-month investment isn’t enough. It takes time and additional resources, but if the return on investment (ROI) math works, it is worth sticking with so you really know whether it can be successful or not for your brand.

8. Keep SEO Integrated With Other Channels & Efforts

Naturally, SEO and paid search have a lot in common, seeking the same audiences and trying to land traffic coming to a SERP.

Other digital and traditional marketing channels that involve content, websites, and customer journey mapping can provide insights and work “with” SEO, versus separately from it.

Don’t set SEO apart from the overall marketing plan and strategy. It can benefit greatly from being plugged in.

And as you work on leveraging new technologies, it can be a testing ground to find areas where previously time-consuming and inefficient processes can be improved.

Conclusion

I’m excited about how technology will improve SEO.

My team is fully testing and already leveraging AI for internal processes and content outputs.  We will continue to do this.

However, we’re still in the day-to-day process of optimizing client sites and implementing strategies within what works today to reach goals.

The key to any big change in SEO has always been to balance the here and now versus what is to come.

This might be one of the biggest waves of distraction and disruption we’ve seen, but the need for balance remains – and might also be more important than ever as we rapidly advance tech and AI.

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Tools Of The Trade: When To Use ChatGPT And When To Use Google via @sejournal, @tonynwright

As digital marketers and SEO professionals, we always seek new and innovative tools to help us achieve better client results.

With the rise of AI technology, we now have access to a vast array of tools that can assist us in providing more efficient and effective services.

One such tool is ChatGPT, an advanced language model that can help us deliver valuable information to users through conversational queries.

ChatGPT is built on the GPT-3.5 (and GPT-4) advanced language models and can understand natural language and respond to questions conversationally.

This technology has enormous potential and has significantly impacted several industries, such as healthcare, finance, and ecommerce.

Many SEO pros see ChatGPT as a threat to their livelihood. The number of “SEO is Dead” articles is increasing daily.

But I don’t see it that way.

End users are already learning what types of queries are best answered by ChatGPT and what queries are best answered by more traditional search engines.

AI is already significantly impacting the features of traditional search engines. However, at the end of the day, ChatGPT is best for informational queries, while Google is still the best place for transactional queries.

What Can ChatGPT Do?

One of the advantages of ChatGPT is that it can provide users with accurate and informative answers to their queries. Users can ask open-ended questions, and the model will respond with relevant and concise responses.

For example, a user may ask, “What is the capital of France?” or “What are the symptoms of COVID-19?” ChatGPT will provide a suitable answer.

Moreover, ChatGPT is a valuable tool for research, as it can provide information from multiple sources.

This means that users can get all the information they need from ChatGPT without searching for information on different websites, saving them time and effort.

ChatGPT is extremely powerful when integrated with voice assistants such as Siri and Alexa. It has already been integrated into some smart home devices, allowing users to control their homes with their voice.

This technology has enormous potential as it can understand and respond to natural language queries.

Where ChatGPT Fails, And Google Succeeds

While ChatGPT is a powerful tool for answering informational queries, it is unsuitable for transactional queries.

Transactional queries are focused on taking action, such as “buy shoes online” or “book a flight to New York.”

For these queries, users are better off using Google or other search engines designed for this purpose.

For transactional queries, search engines like Google are the go-to option.

These search engines provide users with a list of websites where they can complete their desired action, whether purchasing a product, booking a service, or making a reservation.

Transactional Vs. Informational Queries

Digital marketers need to understand the difference between informational and transactional queries.

Informational queries provide users with knowledge, while transactional queries focus on taking action.

To optimize for informational queries, webmasters should focus on creating content that answers common questions and provides valuable information to users. This content should be well-written, informative, and optimized for relevant keywords.

To optimize for transactional queries, webmasters should focus on creating landing pages designed to convert visitors into customers. These landing pages should have clear calls-to-action (CTAs), user-friendly design, and relevant information about the offered product or service.

There are plenty of articles here on SEJ with amazing advice on landing pages for transactional queries.

Informational queries don’t convert well on Google. In reality, most SEO pros need help to monetize informational queries.

I see a day when informational queries are handled completely by AI and transactional queries use a more traditional search engine model.

If your business model is to sell something, ChatGPT isn’t going to help you.

There are very few sales attributed to queries from ChatGPT.

What About The Other Stuff ChatGPT Does?

As AI technology evolves, ChatGPT will be used more frequently on websites.

This technology can provide users with an enhanced browsing experience by allowing them to interact with websites using natural language.

This will enable businesses to provide personalized customer service, automate customer support, and improve user engagement.

When you make ChatGPT or other AI services work with your website, the possibilities for increasing conversions are significant.

Another use case for ChatGPT is in chatbots.

Chatbots are computer programs that use AI technology to mimic human conversations. They can be used to answer customer queries, provide customer support, and assist with transactions.

Chatbots that use ChatGPT technology can provide more accurate and personalized responses to users, making them valuable business tools.

Will Webmasters Ever Get Credit In ChatGPT?

It’s unlikely that webmasters will ever be cited in ChatGPT.

This means the chances of getting a visitor to your site via ChatGPT are low.

Therefore, ChatGPT on the OpenAI website doesn’t make you any money.

Should I Optimize My Site For ChatGPT?

It’s still important to optimize content for this technology.

But you don’t need to do much more than is required by Google, Bing, or any other traditional search engine.

You optimize for ChatGPT by creating high-quality content.

Your content should convey experience, expertise, authority, and trust – or E-E-A-T.

By creating high-quality content that provides value to users, businesses can rest assured that their websites are optimized for ChatGPT and other AI technologies.

Integrating ChatGPT Into A Site To Increase Sales And Other Conversions

ChatGPT can also be used to improve customer engagement through personalized marketing. By understanding users’ interests and preferences, businesses can create targeted marketing campaigns that resonate with their audience.

This can lead to higher engagement rates and better conversion rates.

In addition, ChatGPT can also be used to provide real-time customer support.

By integrating ChatGPT into their websites, businesses can respond instantly to customer queries, reducing wait times and improving customer satisfaction.

This can also help businesses to identify common issues and improve their products and services based on customer feedback.

While ChatGPT is still in its early stages, it has enormous potential to revolutionize how we interact with technology.

As AI technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see more sophisticated language models that can understand and respond to human queries more nuanced and naturally.

This will open new business opportunities to provide personalized and engaging customer experiences.

Conclusion

In conclusion, ChatGPT is a powerful tool for delivering valuable information to users through conversational queries.

While it’s unsuitable for transactional queries, it can improve customer engagement, provide real-time customer support, and personalize marketing campaigns.

As AI technology evolves, we expect ChatGPT to be used more frequently on websites, allowing businesses to provide more personalized and engaging user experiences.

It’s important for digital marketers and SEO professionals to understand this technology’s potential and optimize their websites accordingly.

By doing so, they can ensure that their websites are at the forefront of the latest technological advances and provide the best possible user experience.

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