Online marketing will accelerate at the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025. AI is developing rapidly and is becoming increasingly integrated into daily use in the Netherlands (both private and business). The possibilities of AI seem endless and increasingly accessible. Via separate tools and apps, but also integrated into the online marketing channels that we already use.
In addition, the arrival of the cookieless era forcing online marketers to rethink their traditional methods of data collection and audience targeting. Betting on look-a-like audiences and reaching people with realtime interests and/or motivation is no longer possible in the way we are used to and which we now use successfully time and time again. Deploying conversion-oriented campaigns will rely even more on first-party data. In other words, the data that you collect directly from your own customers and website visitors. SEO can play a crucial role in this!
SEO in de cookieless era
For the time being, Google has postponed the phasing out of third-party data to early 2025. But it is a given that the cookieless era is coming. When this happens, online marketing becomes even more of a race to get the right people to the website. With the appeal of the brand, the offer and appropriate content. Building the brand, yours fanbase and a good content strategy becomes crucial. The dependence on SEO will become even greater for most organizations.
And this is where the challenge lies when we look at developments within AI.
The effect of AI on SEO
SEO is an organic channel that allows you to generate a strong flow of relevant traffic and conversion. And which can make a substantial contribution to the collection of first-party data. For example, consider offering downloads based on appropriate search intentions. However, SEO is now also the channel that can no longer provide you with the certainty of traffic and conversions in the coming months, as it has always been in the past period. And this is because of AI.
The benefits of AI on SEO
The arrival of AI already has many advantages for content marketers, copywriters and SEO specialists. AI tools can automate and optimize SEO processes. The benefits of AI within SEO are:
- You can quickly perform data analyzes to collect valuable insights about website visits, conversions, keywords and content.
- You can easily get information on how to apply specific SEO components. With the right prompts, everyone on the team suddenly becomes an SEO specialist.
- You can create content easily and quickly. Various AI tools can create complete page texts, blogs, videos and images for you. The tools can also support you with brainstorming sessions, come up with catchy titles, produce high-scoring meta descriptions and/or other content elements.
Consider these AI risks for SEO
AI therefore saves a lot of time and money and ensures that organizations can do more themselves in-house can perform. That sounds good! But at the same time, AI also poses three major risks when we look at the SEO position for your website.
1. Tougher competition!
SEO will become an (even) more important channel not only for you, but also for many others. We see more and more budgets in the market shifting from paid efforts to SEO, including many of my own clients. At the same time, the accessibility of the AI tools is public. So not only you and your team benefit from the knowledge, speed and convenience of AI. But also all your competitors. And actually anyone who wants something with the keywords that are important to you. Content of a limited level and that is not unique or distinctive is popping up like mushrooms these days.
In addition, AI is also increasingly used to give everyone a certain degree of knowledge about a product or industry. And knowledge about SEO is no longer limited to the specialist! You can easily lose your position in search engines if you don’t pay attention.
2. More dependent on the EEAT model
This model was developed by Google with the philosophy of offering relevant quality content through a strong online position. The better you score on this, the higher you will be shown in the search engine. Google considers it important that the information provided on a website is authentic and reliable. For example, that a blog about hearing aids actually comes from someone (or an organization) with certified experience in this subject.
Due to more AI in websites and content, Google has started to apply this more heavily. So that unique and reliable content is rewarded more within Google than AI content. Initially with the addition of Experience to the original EAT model, which punishes the blind use of AI. This has ensured that the organization’s people, qualifications and experiences become more important for the ranking.
Now we see more and more algorithm updates that come with limiting the use of AI on websites if they do not support genuine knowledge, experience and certifications of the organization. And if you have not yet fully embraced the EEAT model on your website, you risk sinking further in Google’s search engine results.
3. The rollout of Google’s Search Generative Experience
It may sound a bit hypocritical after the previous point, but Google itself will focus heavily on AI. Precisely to give unique and distinctive content a stage, and to keep the solution on Google as a user.
After running the first pilots in the United States with Search Generative Experience (SGE), they are now also rolling it out in other countries. For the time being in some countries outside the EU, due to the stricter legislation we have here within the EU. SGE is a new way of searching in which the search results are enriched with real-time additions via AI (Gemini). In this video you get a good impression of what you can expect as a Google user.
What does this cause? Even better and more relevant answers for your specific long-tail questions. Because you can also ‘chat’ further within your results, you get stuck and the answers become more specific and appropriate, so that you get an answer to what you are personally looking for. The result? There is a good chance that you no longer have to search further in the organic results. SGE will appear above all organic search results in the SERP. The expectation is that after the rollout of SGE there will be significantly less traffic and conversions via the traditional organic results.
4. AI tools will become their own search engines
AI tools, such as ChatGPT, are increasingly used to get answers to issues. They also become, as it were, a search engine. This development is not an isolated event; people are increasingly searching in other ways. Think about voice searchesbut also search via social media. Just think of YouTube or TikTok. The algorithms and answers of these tools and platforms do not necessarily work the same as traditional search engines.
YouTube and TikTok are primarily about offering video content and with AI tools, such as ChatGPT and Gemini, it is especially important that they see your brand, organization and website as that one unique specialist and solution for the question asked. .
The solution? Implement these 3 strategic choices for SEO
Do you want to stay ahead of your competitors, make optimal use of the EEAT model and soon be included as a suggestion via SGE when this is rolled out? Then you need to take these three steps now:
1. Focus on niche markets
Zooming in on specific niches yields a lot of benefit within Google’s algorithm and with competitors’ SEO results. It’s about you top of mind and gain significant influence within a particular (sub)industry and/or location that ensures recognition by a particular audience. In other words, adding value to a locally super relevant topic. Fully embrace the local and/or niche topic. Take those keywords and search intents and cover the topic from all perspectives. Make sure you stand out in all the crowds and stand out on a specific topic and/or a specific region.
2. Deploy your own experts
As I indicated above, Google finds it increasingly important that organizations provide information on their website that is authentic and reliable. How? Show that the organization is made up of real people who are qualified and that their knowledge and experience is first-hand. And that they actually have experience with the information shared on the organization’s website.
A good way to do this is to put one or more of your specialists with relevant and demonstrable experience in the foreground. Let them be the face on the website and within the content that is offered. Match the choice of these people and the content offered with the niche keywords and search intentions that you embrace on the website. Continue this outside the website as much as possible so that these people really become figureheads on behalf of the organization. For example, by taking on a role in the local trade association or at events and PR appearances. The higher the external prestige, the more Google appreciates it.
3. Vary content types
As you could also see in the video about SGE, the search results within Google are becoming even more varied and visual. I still see on websites that the content is mainly textual. Already a missed opportunity within Google, but soon even more so once SGE is rolled out. And it’s not just for Google that a different type of content is a must. Search is increasingly shifting to social media channels, voice and AI tools. You really won’t be able to make it with text alone in the near future.
And the great thing is that the combination of these three strategic SEO choices also completely reinforces each other! The more you zoom in on niches with your specialized people in variable content items, the stronger you emerge in the results for relevant search queries. And this way people come to your website faster, giving you the opportunity to grow your pool of first-party data.
This article has been checked by the SEO panel.
Source: www.frankwatching.com
