It’s been three years since ChatGPT was released to the public, making a boom in industries around the world. Access to this type of technology has changed the way we think, process, and execute. And now, with access to a variety of models from Gemini to DeepSeek, and the ability to train models how to do specific tasks, artificial intelligence is being used in almost every industry. But it can’t be used for everything.
When it comes to SEO, there are definitely ways AI can (and should) be utilized to enhance strategy. There are also plenty of ways it can’t or shouldn’t be used.
Understanding the difference between when to leverage AI and when to rely on human expertise is the key to building a successful SEO strategy in today’s landscape.
Let’s take a look at when and how AI can be an asset.
When It Comes to Content
AI Can’t…
AI models use predictive text to generate their responses, which means that using them to write your content isn’t going to be effective because you’ll see the same phrases used over and over; the content won’t be unique.
Not only that, but AI models, even after a lot of evolution, hallucinate. You can ask ChatGPT for a list of facts about the 2030 Chevy Silverado 1500, and it will give you made-up information.
When it comes down to it, you can’t rely on AI for accurate details or unique content.
But AI Can…
While AI struggles to write unique, human-like content as a whole, it does a great job of helping to craft content outlines.
When you’re writing multiple landing pages that target similar keywords, such as “GMC dealer,” “GMC dealer in Dallas,” and “GMC dealer near me,” it can be challenging to think of unique ways to lay out the content. AI can help you create unique outlines for each, ensuring they aren’t too similar.
This can be as simple as prompting ChatGPT with, “I am writing landing page content for my car dealership’s website. We are a [MAKE] dealership in [LOCATION]. I am targeting ‘[MAKE] dealer,’ ‘[MAKE] dealer near me,’ and ‘[MAKE] dealer near [LOCATION].’ Please create three unique outlines for the content.” Just fill in the blanks with your own dealership’s details.
Even though AI can’t create unique content, it can certainly help you with creating your own unique content.
When It Comes to Keyword Research
AI Can’t…
Keyword research is a pivotal part of an effective SEO strategy. In order to pick keywords worth targeting, you have to look at a number of factors, including the dealership’s inventory levels, current rankings, and search volume. None of these are things that AI models have access to research or effectively strategize with, even if they could.
I asked ChatGPT for the search volume of “Chevy Silverado for sale” in Houston, TX, and it provided an estimate of 1k-10k searches per month. “Chevy Silverado for sale” is searched approximately 450 times per month, according to the keyword research tool, Mangools. This is just one example of inaccurate data being generated by an AI model.
Accurate information is essential to being able to make informed, strategic decisions. Since AI models can’t do that side of things, there isn’t much they can do in terms of keyword research.
But AI Can…
It’s true that AI can’t do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to keyword research, but it can help you come up with ideas for keywords and keyword buckets.
For example, you can ask AI to come up with a list of keywords related to the Ford Explorer. Then, that list can be used as a starting point for deeper research.
AI models can also be used to help identify untapped geo targets. If you need help identifying the high-population cities within a certain proximity of your dealership, asking an AI model to provide a list can be super helpful. Of course, you should always verify targets as “good” by checking your current rankings and the search volume for your keyword within the target, but getting idea lists from an AI model can really help you get started.
When It Comes to Technical SEO
AI Can’t…
Technical SEO is one of the most untouchable things for AI; there’s no way for an AI model to work directly on your site. But even beyond the inability to work directly on your site, AI struggles to follow numerous instructions at once, making it hard to even work on the off-site aspects of technical SEO, like writing meta titles.
AI models can follow a couple of simple instructions, but struggle when given numerous rules. In fact, AI specifically struggled with word and character counts, so performing tasks like writing meta titles, where character count is key, is nearly impossible.
For similar reasons, it’s not worth it to try to use AI to write optimized headers or alt text. Alt text is specifically bad because the processing time on each image is significantly longer than it would just take for a human to write the alt text.
Between not following the set parameters and the amount of time it would take to get one task done, AI really isn’t the best tool for technical SEO.
But AI Can…
While there aren’t a whole lot of ways AI can help on the technical SEO side of things, it can help you map out how you want to work on different pieces of the puzzle. It can also help you think of ideas for internal linking between different landing pages based on keywords.
In terms of technical SEO, AI can be a sounding board, but it can’t actually DO anything.
Use AI for Ideas–Not Strategy
Artificial intelligence is a great tool for ideas and outlines, but it can’t replace a human SEO strategist.
While AI can create content outlines to help you ensure you’re writing unique content, it can’t write human-like content itself. While AI can help you come up with ideas for keywords, it can’t tell you which are the right ones to prioritize in your strategy. And while AI can help you map out your technical SEO plans, it can’t actually perform any technical SEO tasks.
If you want to work with an automotive SEO partner who uses AI where it makes sense but doesn’t rely on it for the things it’s not so good at, contact us at Wikimotive.
We’re not scared of AI and we’re not relying on AI—we’re embracing it where it can enhance and avoiding it where it will hold you back.