How to use AI for SEO: Have you ever seen that ad in your social media feed that says something like, "A robot wrote this ad for you, and it's working?" If you're like us, that most likely triggered a plethora of questions (maybe some you don't yet know how to ask). What kind of robot wrote this ad? How did a robot write this ad? What is called when a robot writes an ad?
It is now 2022, and the future of marketing is knocking at our front door (and in some cases, it's already made itself comfortable sitting on our couch with an ice-cold drink in hand). In the case of a robot writing an ad for social media, they mean that they used Artificial Intelligence (AI) to write that ad.
Now, that particular ad may not have been written with AI since I'm not sure that robots are quite aware of their existence. But they used that sentence to spark your curiosity (and it worked). We have only just begun to unlock the power of AI, but it is clear that we are accelerating toward something big.
Some of us may think of robot world domination when we hear those two unassuming letters used in a sentence. Still, for us marketers, AI is something many experts are starting to use to accelerate their workflow and eliminate overly repetitive tasks. And while Elon Musk may be aiming for robot world domination, the rest of us are using it for a more innocent purpose.
So without further ado, let's dive into today's topic: how to use AI for SEO (search engine optimization) in 2022 and to answer the question of whether will it ever replace human SEOs.
The History of AI
Although it may sound like a newer concept, AI has been around since at least the 1950s and was first popularized by Alan Turing, also known as the father of computer science. Many of us think of iRobot when we think of AI, but it is simply the act of mimicking human problem-solving and decision-making in a computer or machine.
AI can be classified as either weak or strong, depending on its level of complexity and function(s). Weak AI is designed to perform specific tasks, typically those to eliminate menial work. Examples of weak AI in practice are Apple's Siri, Amazon's Alexa, Tesla's self-driving vehicles, etc.
Strong AI, on the other hand, is a bit more complex and equal to the intellect of humans. As of writing this article, it is still a concept, but as each day passes, we are closer to making strong AI a reality. For this post, we will not be focusing on the ideas surrounding strong AI. We will focus on weak AI (although weak may not be the best term because so many significant technological advancements can be accredited to using weal AI).
How to Use AI for SEO
Now that we have a basic understanding of AI and its capabilities let's dive into how to use AI for SEO in 2022.
SEO Audits
Sometimes the concepts in plain sight are the easiest to overlook. It is common practice in the SEO world to use third-party applications to crawl websites, delivering an audit report to understand better how to improve SEO performance. Applications like ahrefs and SEMrush are examples of AI being used to improve SEO.
When using SEO software like those mentioned above, we are setting the parameters for the computer (the web server used to crawl) and automating menial tasks (such as manually sifting through every web page) to show weaknesses and areas for improvement. Sure there is a cost to using these systems, but think about how much time you would be spending on manual audits. I will happily spend the money to save hundreds of hours per month on our client sites.
Organic Keyword Reporting
Another feature of the previously mentioned SEO applications is organic keyword reporting. One of the main challenges of SEO is knowing precisely what keywords/keyphrases your pages are ranking for. Still, thanks to significant innovations in the AI world, we can pull up a detailed list of organic-ranking keywords/keyphrases at the click of a button. This is another excellent example of AI being used in SEO.
If all this sounds like nonsense to you, but you know the importance of having strong SEO, contact us today to see how we can elevate your local, regional, or national business.
Enhancing Practical & Technical SEO
One of the most exciting AI advancements in the SEO world is, without a doubt, the many SEO plugins available on the WordPress marketplace. Many offer countless ways to automatically and logically optimize your WordPress website for search engines in the most effective ways possible.
And yes, while Yoast might be the most popular option, we recommend using Rank Math for its customizability, ease of use, and out-of-the-box features that automate the most menial tasks, like auto 301 redirects and adding missing alt tags to photos.
One of our favorite features in Rank Math is the Content AI tool, which scans external pages/posts and provides a detailed report that can be compared to your post as a way to outdo your competitors. Another excellent example of AI at work is the post-analyzer. You can see live suggestions to improve your post and ensure it ranks high on the top search engines.
Content Writing
Without a doubt, the most challenging aspect of SEO is content writing. Specifically, writing blog posts that will both match human searcher intent and play nicely with the ever-changing search engine algorithms. So how can we stay informed about new trends and ensure our topics are of interest? Research. A lot of it.
And while I always believe that you get out of SEO what you put into it, I have been trying new and exciting AI tactics to accelerate my blog writing workflow, allowing me to focus more of my energy on the actual SEO strategy. When we look at how to use AI for SEO, platforms such as Jasper are great places to start when looking to accelerate your blog writing workflow.
I've used countless AI content writing tools, most of which are based on the OpenAI API, and I can confidently say they are great for sparking ideas, writing post outlines, and creating something out of nothing. These platforms have analyzed trillions of texts, allowing them to quickly and effectively choose the best combination of words and topics.
But do I think an AI content writing tool is good enough to replace human content writers? No, not quite yet. There have been tremendous strides made in recent years to exponentiate the development of AI in SEO (and all areas of life, for that matter). However, I still think there is a way to go until I would be comfortable letting a robot write my blog in its entirety for me.
How to use AI in SEO (in 2022), and will AI replace human SEOs?
At the present time, there are countless amazing AI tools that we can use to make our lives as SEOs easier. In just a few years, we will see significant leaps toward self-sufficient AI content writing and graphic/image creation.
For the time being, though, I don't think AI will replace human SEOs... just yet. And while I can't predict the future, I'd say there is a strong chance that human SEOs will become somewhat obsolete in less than ten years, mainly being replaced by AI.
SEO is constantly evolving. It's hard to imagine what Google will offer ten years from now, let alone next year, which always makes me wonder if SEO will even be a relevant topic in the future. But in 2022, SEO is still crucial to maintaining a successful business. If you are looking for a marketing agency with integrity and a portfolio to prove it, contact us today to learn more about how we can elevate your SEO and boost your search visibility.
