How Will AI Affect SEO?

Like anything in marketing, search engine optimization (SEO) is constantly evolving. To stay competitive, companies need to stay on top of these changes. 

With that in mind, below you will find a brief list of the ways AI might affect SEO. Just like many industries, AI is changing the overall landscape of SEO. Adapt, and you will be rewarded. Ignore it, and you will be left behind.

Let’s check them out now.

5 Ways AI Will Affect SEO In The Future

1) AI-Powered Search Algorithms

Perhaps the most important way AI will affect SEO is in the algorithms. Just consider Google’s RankBrain and BERT. Both have AI at the center, and both are already changing how content is ranked. For example, these algorithms prioritize search intent and natural language understanding. Their main focus is not what people say they are searching for, but what they are actually trying to find. There is a difference. 

With that in mind, it’s essential for businesses to create high-quality, user-focused content. Google (along with other search engines) is becoming better at understanding the context of queries. As a result, anybody that wants to be found needs to focus on comprehensive, informative content that genuinely answers user questions. One quick win here is to start taking audience research more seriously. Understand who you are serving and what they want, and you can more effectively invest in the kind of content that potential customers are searching for. 

2) AI-Driven SEO Tools

For years, SEO has scared off non-professionals. Most everybody has a general idea of the basics (research the right keywords and create good content around them). But besides that? The nuts and bolts of effective SEO can be confusing at best, and overwhelming at worst. To a certain extent, that was a good thing. It meant there was a certain barrier to entry. The companies and professionals that took the time to truly master SEO were rewarded. 

But now? With AI, that era is slowly but surely coming to a close. Consider platforms like SEMrush and Ahrefs. As AI becomes an integral part of these “industry standard” tools, users get access to deeper analytics and actionable recommendations. In many ways, this makes SEO easier. Companies are able to refine their SEO strategies (and get results) quicker than ever. The risk, however, is for companies that refuse to adapt. The solution? Learn these things now. 

3) Voice Search

We’ve already seen a spike in voice searches. Odds are you are part of this trend as well. Just look at the rise of virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. The fact is, voice search is becoming a dominant force in SEO.

So – what does this have to do with AI? Because AI allows search engines to process “natural language” queries more effectively, the quality of voice search results will only increase over time. If you haven’t already, it’s time to optimize your content in the right way. Think about how you can include conversational keywords and question-based searches in your content. Voice searches are usually long and specific. The kind of content that will get found in these searches must mimic them.

4) Automated Content Generation

While it’s still too early to tell exactly how searching for content will change, producing content already has. AI-powered tools can now quickly generate content – and they’re only getting better. This includes anything from video scripts to full-length blog posts. It’s never been easy to create things. The problem, of course, is making sure what you create is still valuable and high-quality.

If content is how you get found, it’s important that you start working AI into your creation process. It only speeds things up. Struggle with finding the time for data analysis, topic ideation, or first drafts? AI can help. And once you have these baseline things taken care of, it frees you up for creative work like storytelling. The human touch will remain vital in content that gets found, but AI will increasingly take care of the repetitive parts of content creation.

5) Personalized Search Results

Many experts think AI will usher in an era of hyper-personalized search results. To a certain extent, we’re already living that. Think of your own time online. Often, you’ll be shown things targeted at your past behavior, location, and online interactions. That’s a kind of personalization most of us are already aware of. But with AI, it’s going to get even more precise. 

It’s almost inevitable that AI will make our search results more personalized. As a result, businesses that fail to create tailored experiences risk losing visibility. Try to gather detailed data on your audience ASAP. This allows you to segment them properly. In addition, you need to create a generally positive experience with your content. This is where good content marketing comes in. Prioritize user experience, fast-loading pages, and engaging content. This means that once you are found, people will stick around.

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