Over the last couple of weeks, Emily and I have talked about what artificial intelligence (AI) language models are, how they work, and some pros and cons of this dynamic technology. Why are we spending this time learning and teaching you about this, though? What ties does AI really have to search engine optimization (SEO)? More than you may think.
While some people fear AI and believe that SEO is going to become obsolete with its continued growth and use, that is actually not the case. Some practices of SEO may change, depending on how this technology develops over the course of time, but SEO is not going to simply disappear. In fact, utilizing AI as a part of your SEO strategy and execution has the potential to enhance it. How so? Let’s take a look.
Using AI for Content Creation
I want to preface this by saying: You should not be publishing AI-written content directly on your website and calling it a day. Not only can the AI output not be copyrighted, but it also could lack some accuracy. Remember, these systems only have access to the data they’re given. If they absorb something that is incorrect or understand it incorrectly, the content is not going to be factual. For this reason, it is a bit irrational to fear AI taking over content creators’ jobs, at least any time soon.
That all said, utilizing AI to create content that you are going to read over for ideas and rewrite or to simply draft up an outline is a great idea. In fact, I had ChatGPT outline this very article before I began writing. In terms of content marketing, AI is not going to be a replacement for human writing but a supplemental tool to streamline and potentially inspire better, more in-depth, well-rounded content.
Getting In-Depth with Keyword Research
Another really great way to use AI tools such as ChatGPT is keyword research. By prompting the tool to feed you keywords related to a specific topic, you can get a massive list of options. You can ask for just keywords, keyword clusters, and even specific topics that will help you utilize search terms in a meaningful way.
There are a couple of significant benefits to using a tool like this while compiling a list of viable keywords. First, it is fast. If you provide a topic or a couple of keywords and ask for related terms, you will almost instantaneously have a comprehensive list of targets. Second, AI can also assist you in understanding the intent behind each term. By simply inputting a keyword you are interested in and analyzing the response given by the AI model you are using, you can best understand what the intent behind the searches is because that’s what the model is doing. This is similar to Googling a term and sifting through some of the top results, but faster and possibly more accurate.
Tools like SEMRush, Moz, and Mangools are all useful when it comes to keyword research. But that’s not to say AI models like ChatGPT aren’t also in the game. Relying on only one of these databases is never a good idea anyway; keyword research isn’t an exact science and requires in-depth thinking. By performing your research across various platforms, you can find more opportunities and best refine your options. ChatGPT can and arguably should be used more for keyword research alongside the other tools at hand.
Looking into the Data: Using AI as an Organizational Tool
The most detail-oriented person cannot organize data as efficiently and accurately as a computer–that’s a fact. So it’s no surprise that using AI to help with this often daunting task is a really good idea. A significant part of SEO is looking at data, finding trends, and identifying places of opportunity, but looking through spreadsheets full of words and numbers is sometimes a challenge.
Formulas are one of the best solutions to quickly organizing data into a more digestible format. But, we don’t all know every single Excel formula off the top of our heads. Want to automate something in your spreadsheet and don’t know how? Ask ChatGPT for directions or a formula. Want to quickly identify a pattern in your data? Feed it to ChatGPT and ask it to find one. AI cannot take the data and use it to take meaningful action on the site, but it can help you do so.
Could the Future of SEO Lie in the Hands of AI?
Artificial intelligence language models can be extremely useful for SEO. From content creation and keyword research to data analysis and organization, it is a really powerful tool. So, could the future of SEO lie in the hands of AI? Yes and no. Notice how each of the uses AI has in the SEO world requires human tweaking or thought during the process? That is because humans are an essential part of an SEO strategy, at least until robots have the ability to fully think and comprehend the way we do.
However, the way certain SEO tasks are done and the speed at which they are done could lie in the hands of AI. As SEO professionals begin utilizing these tools, content, research, and data analysis could become faster. Those who choose not to jump into this new world could see an impact as they may fall behind. But those who are ready to dive in may just get ahead.
There is more to come on this question in a few weeks, so stay tuned for that. Until then, mess around with ChatGPT yourself. Get a feel for how it functions. If you think your dealership could benefit from working with an SEO partner that is staying on top of what’s happening and utilizing the latest technology to enhance their strategy, contact us at Wikimotive today. We look forward to speaking with you and helping you crush your competition.