Generative AI has brought significant changes to the SEO industry, some of them have experienced success integrating SEO into their daily workflow, while others not so much. How is AI best used in SEO tasks and what are its capabilities and limitations and can the subjective nature of SEO negatively impact the SEO outcome?
Automated SEO with AI
There are some tasks that an AI can do reasonably well, such as creating meta description tags and title elements at scale.
But the usefulness of AI becomes questionable when it comes to other aspects of search optimization.
AI has been put to work analyzing search engine results pages (SERPs), keyword research, content scoring based on keyword usage, keyword-based article creation, competitive research, as well like just creating content based on keywords.
It’s an act of faith to trust that the people behind the software understand SEO. But who do you trust if SEO is so subjective that people can’t even agree on the proper use of title tags and headings?
Even the concept of SERP analysis can go south depending on the experience of the person doing it. For example, there is a school of thought that the way to beat the competition is to understand why your content ranks and then use those data points as ingredients to create exact copy that is better, which is oxymoronic.
Obviously, you can’t make something better by making an exact copy that’s better. However, this is the underlying logic behind the Skyscraper Content Tactic which (ironically) is a knockoff of the 10X Content Tactics, which are popular with those new to SEO. And as absurd as this tactic is, it’s at the heart of how some AI tools run SERP analysis.
Clearly, some AI tools can amplify the inexperience of those who created the tools, as well as those who use AI tools.
Julia McCoy, president of Content at Scale (LinkedIn) agrees.
She explained:
“AI is absolutely the most incredible advance in technology we’ve seen in the last 200 years.
We’re seeing a ton of AI tools designed for content optimization or copywriting that deliver incredible efficiencies: they can streamline processes, give you insights for optimization and ranking improvements, and , even generate entire articles almost ready for publication.
But, you have to know how to use them. And you need to know who built them.
I think it’s crucial to recognize: no tool can transform a hobbyist into an expert overnight. Just as Malcolm Gladwell’s skills come from years of honing his craft, not a tool that landed in his lap overnight, the path from novice student to seasoned and competent expert it takes time, experience and a deep knowledge of the industry.
While AI has democratized access to advanced techniques by making higher-level strategies accessible, it cannot instill wisdom or knowledge where none exists. It amplifies the capabilities, but also the shortcomings. We must remember that human intuition complements technology, not replaces it.”
AI amplifies the user’s SEO skill
Why do some people succeed with AI and others don’t? In my opinion, AI is just a tool like a brush. Talent and skill belong to the person, not the tool.
A less experienced SEO will analyze a web page by extracting keywords from the content, headings and title tag. A more experienced SEO will analyze the web page understanding what questions it answers.
The importance of skill and experience is evident with AI image generators where some users can create incredibly realistic works while others make images of people with seven fingers on each hand.
Is AI democratizing SEO?
There is the idea that AI can allow an SEO novice to perform at the same level as someone with decades of experience, but that’s not how AI works at the moment, as Julia suggested above.
I asked Brenda Malone, a technical SEO strategist and web developer (LinkedIn), for his take on AI and the potential to democratize SEO.
Brenda shared:
“I don’t necessarily think it will fully democratize the discipline of SEO as it exists today.
I believe that the overabundance of AI SaaS tools will serve to overwhelm inexperienced SEO professionals, while further empowering experienced SEO professionals who know how to exploit specific AI tools for more qualified human analysis.
What I believe the effect of AI on the SEO industry in the short term will be a decrease in the number of professionals needed because much of the data collection will be automated.
Today’s SEO professionals cannot afford to be Luddites and instead should delve deeper into AI to identify tasks related to SEO activities and develop analytics specializations so that the days of their simple implementation of ‘meta and title tags for ranking are over.
AI’s ability to amplify makes a person more efficient. For example, deep data analysis is a complement to AI. But it’s also ideal for tedious tasks like performing an analysis, generating a benchmark of the main data, and creating a presentation from that data.
Takeaway food
Generative AI like ChatGPT and Claude can have a significant impact on SEO, amplifying what can be done and streamlining workflow. However, it also amplifies the shortcomings of its users. Experienced SEOs can leverage generative AI to improve their work, while those new to SEO may not experience the full potential, although they may benefit from SaaS tools depending on the publishers’ experience these tools
Generative AI amplifies the user’s SEO skill and experience. Generative AI won’t necessarily democratize SEO, but SaaS AI tools can benefit users who are new to SEO. Review the founders and creators of SaaS SEO tools to understand their experience and skill levels. don’t be a luddite
Featured image by Shutterstock/Krakenimages.com
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