Artificial Intelligence (AI): You’ve probably heard the buzzwords get thrown around a lot in the marketing space over the past few years, but where it’s going and how it will affect the marketing industry isn’t as clear yet. However, despite its nascent nature, one area we’ve already seen shift precipitously from it is used daily by almost everyone: Search Engines.
Google, Bing, and even Jeeves are getting in on the AI revolution. Google started using AI to rank algorithms decades ago, but now AI tools are commonplace in the Search realm. For marketers using Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to help their businesses, understanding and embracing Artificial Intelligence will be imperative for success.
But where to start? Like any emerging technology, it can be hard to find the information you need in a single place, so we’ve put together the following guide to show you how AI is already impacting SEO, how it works, and what you need to know for your business. This article will explore how AI is revolutionizing SEO strategies, the tools and technologies driving that world-changing transformation, and the implications for businesses aiming to stay ahead in the digital realm amidst the noise.
Understanding AI in SEO
The Impact of AI on SEO
AI completely changed the game for Search Engines, sending their highly-advanced human-behavioral recognition capabilities into hyperdrive. By using machine learning in SEO and natural language processing in SEO, search engines can learn to pick up on human speech patterns and imitate how we learn so they better understand user intent to deliver pinpoint results that are more relevant to them. The improved user experience and engagement will drive more traffic to your site and, in turn, more sales.
Not only can these algorithms look at user behavior and different consumer search patterns to identify trends and show more accurate search results to consumers, but they can also better read and categorize different types of content, such as text, images, and videos, giving you a highly-personalized, engaging experience.
AI for Voice Search Optimization
Voice search has perhaps benefitted the most from AI tools. As Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant continue to rise in popularity, AI for Voice Search Optimization is being used more frequently. Even if a user doesn’t use a designated keyword, AI algorithms help these machines understand natural language queries and provide more targeted results.
AI SEO Strategies: Knowing Your Capabilities
With myriad AI and SEO Trends changing constantly, it can be difficult to understand how to use them to develop a strategy for your business. Here are some AI in SEO use cases to help give you an idea of what AI SEO Tools can do and how they can help you right away:
AI For Keyword Research:
AI can analyze data and identify trends, emerging topics, and find market gaps incredibly quickly. Using AI analysis tools, marketers can see which keywords are more valuable than others without looking at multiple cumbersome reports then use the data to generate content at scale. Having a more sophisticated keyword approach helps you:
- See what your target audience is searching for and better understand their behavior
- Based on the keywords, tailor your content strategy for your audience.
- Increase traffic to your website
AI Content Optimization:
Not only can AI generate content using a specific keyword set to give you the best chance of finding your target audience, but it can also audit your existing blog posts to identify gaps. Sure, you could manually go look at data to analyze post performance and find solutions for poor-performing articles. However, AI Tools can automate this for you, saving you time and sending your articles higher up the Search Engine Results Page (SERP).
AI Backlink Analysis:
AI can help you identify backlinks that link to you and your competitors’ sites, boosting your SEO ranking (the more backlinks you have the better). Of course you can also do this manually, but AI will save you loads of time to spend on other projects.
Use AI SEO Software For Schema Markup Creation:
Schema Markups are structured data pieces that help search engines recognize and display content in more compelling ways, attracting more readers. For example:
Credit: https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-seo/
Adding Schema markups is cumbersome and difficult if you aren’t a coder, but AI simplifies the process by creating the code for you so you can focus on other parts of your SEO strategy.
AI SEO Tools
We’ve seen that AI Tools can help you automate administrative processes, research users and keywords, quickly analyze backlinks, and create keyword-optimized content at scale. But which is the right one for you?
Here are some of the biggest AI SEO Software Tools that serve specific niches in the SEO realm in regular use today.
AI Content Optimization:
Jasper: Use Jasper to create SEO-optimized written marketing materials. You just need to feed it which keywords you’d like to include and clarify the tone of voice.
INK: Ink learns from your competitors and writes brand content to specifically outrank them. It can also seek out keywords to further enhance what you do.
AI and SERP Analysis & Optimization:
AlliAI: As we noted above, a SERP is a Search Engine Results Page, the page that lists websites after you enter a Search query. It’s good to know which keywords are triggering your page and where you rank on each one.
AlliAI lets you optimize your website for SERPs, live edits text and code, and automatically A/B tests different page features to monitor performance.
Pro Rank Tracker: Pro Rank Tracker provides daily automatic updates on where your content ranks by analyzing different SERPs. This also accounts for international and hyper-personalized local results.
AI and Google Algorithm:
RankIQ: Google currently holds an 83.49% global market share amongst search engines, so you’ll need to tailor how you plan your search strategy to their algorithm in order to be successful.
RankIQ creates SEO-optimized blogs and content briefs that identify topics Google’s algorithm favors. It can churn out a quick blog in just minutes.
View more of the tools here.
The Impact of AI on Google Algorithm
Google RankBrain
As we noted above, Google’s vast market share dictates how much of the SEO world operates. Their RankBrain algorithm, powered by machine learning, is a testament to the evolving role of AI in SEO. By deciphering complex search queries and understanding context, RankBrain ensures that search results align with user intent, ultimately improving the search experience for consumers and making them more productive for marketers.
This helps Google understand the semantics behind your searches. It will identify the keywords to understand the search queries and then measure how people interact with the results to gauge their satisfaction. Rankbrain uses AI for Semantic Search to understand not just who is searching for something, but why they’re looking for it. It analyzes entire paragraphs and the context of sentences to gain a better understanding.
AI Enhancements Across SEO Functions
AI isn’t just making administrative tasks faster; it’s also enhancing many of the SEO capabilities we’ve already become accustomed to.
AI for Personalized Search
AI-based search personalization uses AI technology to make tailored SEO experiences for different users. Personalized search experiences are becoming increasingly prevalent thanks to AI algorithms that analyze user behavior and preferences. By tailoring content and recommendations to individual users, businesses can enhance engagement and foster customer loyalty.
AI and Semantic Search
As we just mentioned above, semantic search algorithms go beyond keyword matching to understand the context and intent behind search queries. By integrating semantic SEO techniques, you can ensure that your content aligns with user intent and ranks prominently in relevant search results.
AI for Local SEO
For businesses targeting local markets, AI offers invaluable tools for optimizing local SEO efforts. From geo-targeted keyword optimization to local business listings management, AI-powered solutions help businesses enhance their visibility in local search results. Local searches have a higher percentage of same-day store visits and sales and give customers convenient and immediate options for making purchases. AI can help small businesses with content creation, predictive keyword analysis, and by analyzing user behavior patterns.
The Future of SEO: AI and Predictive Analytics
Predictive Analytics in SEO
Predictive analytics leverage AI algorithms to forecast future trends, identify emerging opportunities, and anticipate changes in search engine algorithms. This allows businesses to gain insight and make informed decisions faster than ever before.
AI and User Experience (UX)
User experience is a key ranking factor in SEO, and AI plays a crucial role in optimizing it. Designers can use it to analyze data more easily as they construct user experiences. From website personalization to interactive chatbots, AI-driven UX enhancements create seamless and engaging experiences that keep users coming back for more.
Embracing the AI Revolution in SEO
As consumers increasingly rely on AI-driven search experiences, businesses must adapt their SEO strategies to remain competitive in the digital marketplace. At Snapshot Interactive, we’re committed to staying at the forefront of AI innovations and learning with our clients to head into the future with confidence.
For more insights on how AI is revolutionizing digital marketing, check out our comprehensive guide here. Let’s embark on this journey together and unlock the full potential of AI in SEO.
Sources:
https://www.semrush.com/goodcontent/content-marketing-blog/ai-seo-content-marketing/
https://www.brightedge.com/glossary/how-has-ai-changed-search-marketing
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/ai-seo
