The world of SEO has completely shifted in just a few years. The reason for this? The rapid growth in the use of Artificial Intelligence to rank higher on search engines.
Many SEO agencies and bloggers have already begun using AI to increase their productivity and to get their clients’ websites ranking higher.
If you’re still scratching your head about how to implement AI assistance into your SEO workflow safely, you’re in the right place!
A lot of people have been asking doomsday questions like, ‘will AI kill SEO?’, or ‘is this the end of SEO?’.
These are the wrong questions to be asking. A far better question would be: ‘how can I use AI to get websites ranking faster?’.
This blog is all about exploring how to safely harness the power of AI in SEO, guiding you through the opportunities, the potential pitfalls, and the best practices to use AI in SEO safely.
AI & Search Engine Optimisation
Have you ever wondered how Artificial Intelligence, or AI, intertwines with the world of Search Engine Optimisation? If you haven’t, it’s time to sit up and take notice.
Let’s get the basics down first.
AI, in a nutshell, is a branch of computer science that creates systems capable of learning from data, making decisions, and improving over time without being explicitly programmed to do so.
Now, SEO, on the other hand, is the bread and butter of digital marketing – the art and science of optimising your online content so that a search engine likes to show it as a top result for searches of certain keywords.
The Intersection Of AI & SEO
Now, imagine bringing these two powerhouses together.
That’s like adding a turbocharged boost to your already powerful marketing engine. It’s about using AI to make algorithms work for you, rather than you for them.
This is where the real magic happens in today’s digital marketing landscape.
The marriage of AI and SEO is no fleeting trend. In fact, it’s rapidly becoming a necessity for digital marketers who want to stay ahead of the curve.
AI is revolutionising SEO, from streamlining tasks like keyword research to providing valuable insights into user behaviour.
The Potential Dangers Of Combining AI & SEO
When combining AI and SEO, several potential dangers and challenges can arise, both from an industry and an ethical perspective.
We’ve listed a few of these potential dangers below:
Quality Concerns:
While AI can create content and optimise SEO strategies, it may not always understand the nuances of human language, context, or cultural references.
This can lead to content that doesn’t fully address user intent or lacks depth and originality.
Users value high-quality, unique content, and an over-reliance on AI could damage the quality of content.
Ethical Considerations:
AI could be used to manipulate SEO rankings in unethical ways, leading to a degraded user experience.
This includes techniques like keyword stuffing, creating spammy backlinks, or generating low-quality content solely for the purpose of ranking.
Data Privacy:
AI typically relies on vast amounts of data for training and decision-making. This can present privacy concerns if sensitive information is mishandled.
Lack of Human Touch
While AI can mimic human behaviour and language to a certain extent, it lacks the emotional intelligence and human touch in content creation and customer engagement.
This can lead to less compelling content and lower user satisfaction.
Algorithm Dependence
AI and machine learning models heavily depend on algorithms and data inputs.
If the data is biased, incomplete, or inaccurate, the output will reflect those issues.
AI isn’t sentient, it can’t figure out the real truth about something, it can only reframe existing ideas.
Also, SEO algorithms change frequently, and AI models may struggle to keep up without regular updates.
Black Box Problem
AI is turning into more and more of a “black box”, which means it is becoming more and more difficult to understand how AI makes decisions.
This can make it hard to understand why a certain SEO strategy worked or didn’t work, making improvements and learning opportunities hard to come by.
Job Displacement
There’s a risk that relying on AI could lead to job losses in the SEO industry.
While AI can automate certain tasks, there’s still a need for human experts to guide strategy and ensure the best results.
It’s important to remember that AI is a tool that can help improve SEO strategies, but it isn’t a replacement for a comprehensive, human-led SEO strategy.
How To Use AI In SEO Safely
With such a new technology, it can be difficult to maximise the positive opportunities that AI presents to the SEO industry while also minimising the negative side to AI.
Fundamentally, balancing the use of AI and human expertise is essential to address these concerns.
Let’s take a look at some of the ways we can use AI in a more safe and ethical manner:
Avoid Unethical SEO Tactics:
With great power comes great responsibility.
With the rate at which AI can perform tasks, it might be tempting to fill a page with keywords through AI generated content.
That’s a great way to get de-indexed, avoid using AI for unethical SEO tactics like keyword stuffing or generating spammy backlinks.
Such practices can lead to penalties from search engines and damage your brand reputation.
Respect Data Privacy:
Use AI responsibly with respect to user data. Any data used to train or inform your AI tools should be collected and processed in compliance with all relevant privacy laws and regulations, such as GDPR (if you’re in the UK or EU).
Users should be informed about how their data is used and have the ability to opt-out if desired.
Human Oversight:
Always have humans involved in the content generation process.
While AI can automate certain tasks, human expertise is needed to ensure the quality and effectiveness of the SEO strategy.
Humans can catch nuances, interpret context, and make strategic decisions in ways that AI can’t. AI is still in its infancy, and occasionally making silly mistakes that could cost you repeat visitors.
Keep Up To Date With Google’s Rules
Google has gone back and forth on whether or not they reward or punish AI generated content on websites trying to rank highly.
Currently, it appears that Google has no problem with AI generated content so long as it is of high value to the reader.
Google values expertise, regardless of if it comes from a human or a machine.
Update Your AI SEO Tools
WIth a constant stream of updates and changes being made to AI everyday, it is important you keep your eye on new plug-ins and updates that can help improve the rate and quality of your SEO content.
Conclusion
In conclusion, AI presents fantastic opportunities for increased productivity and creativity in the world of SEO.
It’s still early days for the technology, so it’s important to identify issues with the technology and attempt to use SEO in a safe, ethical manner that helps you rank at the top of the search results.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Google does not care if content is AI generated, so long as it is of high value to the reader.
This may mean you have to edit the AI generated content, so as to differentiate it from other articles and blogs online.
AI will help increase the productivity of SEO experts, allowing them to get sites to rank faster than ever before, whilst still providing value to the site visitor.