The concept of organic growth is evolving at a speed quite surprising to all of us. Needless to say, AI had a huge role to play in this. With so much search already being backed up by AI-generated content, it is only natural to wonder “Is SEO dead?”
AI has a knack for pulling up amazing descriptions, summaries, and extracting useful information from a large bulk of data in seconds. It is true that technological advancements are affecting how much companies now rely on SEO-backed organic growth but, SEO is still alive and thriving (only being replaced with a new and better approach that some refer to as SGE or Search Generative Experience.
The main aim of the new approach is to ensure that users get their answers/information quickly. As a result, long-length blogs are losing their charm and user-generated content or value-added content is gaining more popularity. In simpler words, it is still crucial to “optimize” content but rather than optimizing for a set of factors that Google ranks, the key is to optimize for visitors.
SEO Is Pretty Much Still Alive.. Although Parts of It Are Dead
Search Engine Optimization is still here (sigh of relief!)
However, we have to get accustomed to the fact now that some of the old, deep-rooted trends are now dead.
The first and on top of the list is over-optimization or stuffing content with keywords. This still adds to the SEO score but don’t get carried away simply because hiding the keyword here and there in the content has won you that green dot. It’s misleading!
There is no need to stuff exact keywords in the headings now. You should add variations, choose more descriptive headings and focus on covering content around the keyword. This should help keep things on track.
Secondly, spamming link building tactics are gone for good.
If dodgy link insertions had work for you in the past, they certainly won’t now. In fact, Google has even started penalizing sites that are using such tactics.
The importance of having good quality external links can not be overstated here. This still ranks as the safest way to build authority. The quality and relevance of the links matter more now rather than the quantity.
How To Switch For a Better SEO Approach in 2024 and Years To Come?
Google is now looking for more authenticity. It is prioritizing cross-channel growth so you can forget that simply launching a blog would do you any good. Instead, you have to focus on maintaining presence across all relevant channels, showcasing your high-quality content and ensuring that users are in fact benefiting from what you are offering.
This means, in addition to running a blog, you should maintain presence on LinkedIn, create a YouTube channel, and tap into the power of other platforms that seem relevant to your niche. You will notice that the organic growth will follow.
If you are gearing up for an online brand in the coming days, here are a few changes to consider in your SEO strategy.
- Continue Posting User-Friendly Blogs At Regular Intervals
Consistent blogging is something you would still need. However, the focus of the content should be to provide as much value to the visitors as possible. The content of the blog should target problem-solving areas around the keyword.
It is also okay to stop chasing keywords. Work on pieces that the audience really wants to read about.
- Think Outside The “Keyword”
Keywords are now just there to hint you what’s important and what the audience wants to read about. When you get down to producing a blog, it is crucial to research on the “topic around the keyword”. Explore creative ways to cover the information and optimize the content for all the relevant information.
- Do Not Under-Estimate The Power of Video Content
Humans generally have a short attention span. It’s even shorter for things that don’t attract enough (long, boring blogs, for example). That is why video content is winning hearts.
YouTube is in the forefront of leading this change. You can employ its power to publish relevant video content that complements your blog and generate more traffic. Moreover, video-based content would give you a strong presence against AI-generated content and help in establishing more authority online.
Now let’s talk a bit about the type of video content that would be beneficial in the long run.
Humans like to interact and connect. Therefore, faceless content or simple voice-overs might not be a good idea. The YouTube videos should be easy to relate to and connect you with the audience with a more personalized approach.
- Work on Building a Personal Brand
Social media is powerful but LinkedIn is proving to be a ground-breaking innovation in how professionals connect with each other. Strong LinkedIn presence can support your blog in more than one way. It can not only help generate traffic but also assist in building cross-platform authority, welcoming engagement from like-minded people, and building a community for support in the long run.
Where Does AI Fit Into This Picture?
Now you may be wondering, does Artificial Intelligence have a positive role to play here?
Yes!
You can not eliminate yourself from the race simply because AI is taking over some redundant tasks. In fact, you must learn to use it to your advantage. There are a number of AI tools that can help position you as an expert in your niche, complete tasks faster, and repurpose content ideas for you creatively.
Although I don’t personally support AI tools that can write blogs for you, there are some good ones that can help jolt down interesting topics, suggest improvements, check for edits, and generally help you in coming up with interesting pieces of writing.
Take-Home Message
It may be high-time to let go of being the number one ranking site on Google. Surprisingly, this no longer correlates to having good traffic. As long as you are adapting to the recent trends and shifting your SEO strategy accordingly, you should be able to see the results in no time in terms of increasing click-through rates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is SEO dead after AI?
Ans: SEO has evolved following AI but it is far from being dead. Companies still rely on search engine optimization for organic growth and things are likely not going to change in the coming years.
Q: Will SEO still exist in 10 years?
Ans: Skills around SEO and how it works will definitely change with course of time. Companies will need better data and approaches to understand the changes in the algorithm and adapt accordingly.
