HOT TOPIC
AI generated content
This is where you’ve probably encountered the most heated debates. On the one hand, you’ve got “if you can’t beat them, join them” attitudes with teams pummelling out AI generated content in the hopes that the quantity over quality approach will get them ranking. This can work – we’ve seen it – but it isn’t sustainable and we usually see the negative implications after a few months.
Just like any tech industry, this area is rapidly evolving. It’s not just drivel being produced now; generally decent content can result from AI prompts.
Due to the ease of creating this passable content, AI generation has infiltrated so much more than just the blogging world. We’re seeing tools like Wix, Yoast, and the WordPress Elementor plugin, all jump on the AI bandwagon. From AI generated meta titles and descriptions to entirely AI website copy, you name it, it’s been introduced. You can even get AI generated websites – code and all – if you’re happy to pay.
On or off the bandwagon?
AI can save you a lot of time. But what it lacks is the side of SEO that has become more and more important in recent times. And that’s the E-E-A-T principle.
“Google Search’s guidance on AI-generated content has changed… to allow for AI content creation, provided it meets the same quality guidelines established for human writers.” - Search Engine Land
USE IT WISELY
The power of AI to simplify and speed up tasks
The combination of AI and SEO isn’t black and white. There are many ways it can optimise your workflow.
Don’t have time to write all your meta titles and descriptions by hand? Then yes, absolutely let Yoast’s AI write them for you. Something is better than nothing and we know that well-crafted meta titles and descriptions do make a difference, but they aren’t the be-all and end-all of your SEO strategy.
Got an idea for a blog but can’t quite work out where to start? ChatGPT an outline. Have a conversation about your blog’s purpose and harness the suggestions. Not sure why an existing blog isn’t performing very well? Ask AI.
AI is improving many of the tools we SEOs use on a day-to-day basis. SEMrush, SEranking, and so many more are now using AI to improve keyword research tools or to give complex predictions that would be otherwise difficult to do.
It’s important to explore these and other ways to integrate AI into your process without resorting to using AI content generation to flood your website or socials with meaningless content.
The new normal
AI in search
We’ve talked about a zero-click Google for a very long time, and the dawn of the AI generative search result has only raised the profile of that discussion further.
These AI generated results sit at the top of the search results page and attempt to answer your query or give information about a topic you’ve searched for before you even hit the much-desired top ten links.
When these were first introduced, they were everywhere, and they were, to quote Dr Pete Meyers, “bland at best, and inaccurate at worst”. Since then, Google has scaled these back and started providing sources.
AI GENERATED OVERVIEWS
The AI impact on search
According to this May 2024 study, these AI generated overviews have impacted the search landscape in a variety of ways:
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Race to the top
“I found a very strong correlation (0.917) between sites that show up in the top 10 organic results and sites cited in AIOs for the 1,675 keywords.”
These overviews, along with featured snippets, are all ways to get the information to the user as fast as possible. So it makes sense to optimise for these overviews if possible. Google’s John Mueller confirms that:
“I think AI type answers make sense for a lot of queries and that’s going to be frustrating for some sites that focus on those queries, kind of like with featured snippets as well. And that also provides a lot of opportunities.”
So, no matter what you might think about the quality of these AI overviews, optimising for them clearly comes strongly recommended.
Of course, these overviews also instructed some users to use glue to stick their cheese to their pizzas, so we’re all still learning.
time to take action
Using AI as part of your SEO strategy
It’s clear from what we’ve discussed above that using AI as part of your SEO strategy can enhance your ability to optimise content, analyse data, and adapt to changing trends in search algorithms.
AI powered or assisted tools can automate time-consuming tasks such as keyword research, meta description creation, and content optimisation and creation, allowing you to focus on strategic planning and creativity.
Predictive analytics driven by AI can help you anticipate shifts in user behaviour, enabling you to target emerging trends before your competitors. Additionally, AI can analyse massive amounts of data to identify patterns and insights, helping you craft the right content for your audience. By integrating AI into your SEO workflow, you can achieve greater efficiency, scalability, and accuracy.
But there are common pitfalls involved with relying on AI, so to ensure these are smartly sidestepped, it’s important to keep an eye on:
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Don’t just blindly trust your AI results.
Please.
Content should be checked and verified. This means fact-checking as well as running your final content through an AI checker to see just how much AI content is being used.
Leaving obvious errors in your content is going to undermine your trust and authority – directly impacting your SEO efforts.
If you’re relying on SEO for your content creation, ensure you’re allocating human oversight to the results to ensure those human emotions and perspectives are captured properly.
While the rise of AI undoubtedly impacts the digital landscape, SEO remains a critical component of a successful online presence. However, 84% of marketers said that AI tools are “very effective at aligning web content with search intent”. These days, with the continual messaging from Google about “helpful content”, this is one of the most important areas in SEO.
So: AI augments SEO strategies rather than replacing them.
Wondering how AI fits into your own SEO strategy?
Companies need to stay updated on AI advancements and work hand in hand with SEO experts to navigate this evolving landscape and maintain their competitive edge in the digital realm.
Book a no-obligation chat with Natalie to discover how AI can improve your SEO strategy.
