Curious about How to Use AI for SEO? Discover more about the best way to leverage artificial intelligence tools to enhance your Search Engine Optimization efforts and simplify your life. In the past year, AI has exploded.
With the release of ChatGPT and other related tools, the SEO industry has been buzzing with questions surrounding AI and how it affects SEO. This latest SEO trend is worth exploring.
I recently attended a webinar through Search Engine Journal about AI and SEO, and it offered a lot of insightful information that I’ve summarized (and added more info) below.
The Importance of Creating Quality Content
Google has placed a huge emphasis on quality content. With the Google Helpful Content Update, content quality has become a massive ranking factor. Google is constantly trying to reduce spam in their search results and give the user results that actually provide value.
Besides the importance of quality content for SEO, it also directly affects your bad image. If you’re putting out poor content, it will reflect on your brand, but it’s also going to reduce the likelihood of users converting or returning.
Using AI
The biggest concern with using AI for content creation is the quality of the content written. But if you can use AI to create content that’s both original and helpful, then there’s no reason not to use it as a tool.
Google’s current guidelines don’t penalize against the use of AI. Their priorities are content quality and utility. It’s also worth noting that AI-generated content is not considered plagiarism.
However, it’s not recommended that you use AI alone. You need to combine artificial intelligence with your own original ideas, experience, and human oversight. You can let AI do 80% of the work, but you’ll need to do the other 20% to make the content worth reading.
When I write using AI, I’ll often create unique guidelines for ChatGPT and then edit the content, adding my own experience and insights where possible. There are things that ChatGPT won’t know. It can provide an overall idea of the topic and offer you facts, but it can’t fully explain how things feel and your personal experience.
AI Means More Competition
There’s no doubt that AI makes writing and content creation a lot easier. As a result, competition in the SERP is going to increase. But it’s predicted that content that’s created by a human will stand out more.
How to Stand Out in the Age of AI Content?
If you want to stand out in the search results, it’s all about real-life experiences. AI is a great springboard, but you have to include original thoughts and research. If you’ve got a list of content ideas, prioritize topics that you have first-hand knowledge of, as those will be the most unique.
It’s worth publishing original research. Include data based on your own efforts, include survey results, or include case studies. You can also add in detailed guidelines.
Another great way to ensure original content is by using original visual content like graphs or your own infographics. Also, don’t be afraid to use screenshots or annotated images. Include videos, GIFs
If you don’t have first-hand experience, you can always interview a product manager, influencer, entrepreneur, or industry thought leader.
Leverage E-E-A-T
E-E-A-T comes from Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines and isn’t considered a direct ranking factor. But it’s a good way to ensure your content is valuable.
E-E-A-T stands for:
- Experience
- Expertise
- Authoritativeness
- Trustworthiness
As AI-generated content increases online, originality and E-E-A-T signals are becoming essential. Experience is what will set you apart online.
Off-Page Authority Signals
Off Page SEO signals to Google that you are trustworthy. Backlinks and mentions online are valuable in showing Google that you know what you’re doing.
Check Your Facts
AI isn’t flawless, it can get things wrong or misunderstand things. Don’t trust everything that AI tells you, and always edit your work.
If you’re using the free version of ChatGPT, it is outdated since it hasn’t been updated since September 2021. So, it’s worth keeping this in mind if you’re writing about a topic that has changed since then.
Editing AI Content
When it comes to editing, here are some of the main things to look out for/remember:
- Elaborate on sections that may be vague and rather get rid of generalizations.
- Remove repeated phrases and repetition of information (I find ChatGPT uses “Remember” quite frequently.
- Ensure style and tone of voice align with your website (You can give the AI some guidance on your website style to make things easier).
- Add in your own HUMAN experience.
Don’t Forget About Other Channels
While your blog and website are great resources, don’t neglect things like social media and video search. Share your content, create unique stuff, and show your humanity.
Navigating AI as a Human
My LinkedIn feed is full of tips on how to use AI for SEO, how to optimize your prompts, and plenty of opinions regarding this hot topic.
ChatGPT isn’t perfect. There have been plenty of times when I’ve wanted to throw my laptop out of frustration because the answers I’ve been given aren’t what I’m looking for. This is where prompts come in. You need to be able to tailor your prompts to get what you want. You’ll never get the answers you’re looking for if you don’t ask the right questions.
Treat AI Like A Person
Think of the AI like a person and talk to it like a person. Make your prompts as specific and as detailed as possible. Give the AI information that it can use and teach it about what you want.
It’s probably not going to get it right on the first try. You’ll likely have to use follow-up questions or multi-step prompts to get the answers you’re looking for. And if it’s still not getting it right, tell it. If it really doesn’t understand what I’m saying, I’ll type in “You’re not understanding me,” and it will likely apologize and try different approaches.
If you’re not sure the information given is reliable, ask for proof so you can check the sources yourself.
Take Advantage of the Versatility of AI
AI’s like ChatGPT can do more than just write. They can analyze data, create tables, compare items, and more.
If you want to use AI for SEO, you’ll likely have to do a bit of legwork. Do keyword research, analyze search intent, create a persona, and review your competitors. You can use tools like ChatGPT to do some of this for you, but now SEO tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush are offering ways to leverage AI on their platforms.
Experiment with AI
AI is a tool that you need to learn how to use. It has vast capabilities and it will take time for you to fully understand them. It may be worth looking into free SEO courses on AI or following people who focus on prompt engineering.
Work On Your AI Prompts & Document What Works
If you find a prompt that works well for you, save it in a spreadsheet somewhere so you can use it again.
I’ve created my own little list now to help me navigate using AI for SEO, and it really does help. AI can help you save time, but in order to get to that point, you may need to battle through some frustration.
Ways to Use AI in SEO
Here are just a few of the ways you can use AI in SEO:
- Keyword research
- Persona creation
- General research
- Data analysis
- On Page Optimization
- Identify content gaps
- Compare content
- Page audits
- Internal linking
Final Thoughts on How to Use AI For SEO
Using AI for SEO is a process. It’s not a complete solution that’ll push your site to the top of the SERPs. You’re still going to have to use your brain, work with human editors, and put time and effort into your content. While it won’t take as long as it used to, quality content creation still requires work.
While you could use AI to generate batches of articles for your site without checking or optimizing them, it’s not going to benefit you or your website.
The good news is, if you invest time and energy into your blog posts, it will likely pay off.
If you’re looking for assistance with your blog, check out our content writing for SEO services.
