There are few things that evolve as quickly as the internet, and how we interact with it. From year to year we continue to see endless changes, opportunities for growth, as well as some healthy wariness around the growth of AI. As digital marketers, we not only look to analyze our audiences and where they’re likely to spend their time online, but also how they use it. Every year new tools rise, old ones fall, and the grind goes on. But in the current zeitgeist, there is one topic that everyone has their own opinions on: artificial intelligence.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here to stay, but the impact will be unknown for quite a while. It will inevitably impact digital advertising as a whole, from audience targeting to asset generation; however, this tends to be where it can get a little scary. How is AI going to impact my clients? How is AI going to impact my business? These are valid concerns, but they are not the right questions. Really we should be asking: how can we leverage AI?
Gartner predicts search engine volume will drop 25% by 2026, largely due to AI tools like chat bots and AI-powered searches. While this can sound a bit alarming, it’s worth noting that this was going to happen with or without AI!
Depending on the product or service, a lot of people – particularly younger generations – go straight to platforms like TikTok, YouTube, or other social channels to search. While AI can help summarize information or share quick lists, social channels, and influencers provide customers with the human perspective that can often mean the difference between giving a product a chance or not. This personal touch as opposed to the dehumanization with AI will continue to attract users who want transparency.
But this doesn’t negate the importance of search. After all, these posts are often what drive users to learn more about the products or services, sending them to search engines. While we shouldn’t be worried about the overall search volume in the next several years, we can focus on capturing those who are sticking around.
Now that AI is less avoidable, so are the questions from clients and executives about how a business can show up in AI searches. The answers to these questions aren’t typically difficult, but they can be a little anti-climactic. Moving forward, the best strategy to increase the likelihood of your brand showing up in AI search results is a robust content marketing strategy.
If you’re thinking that is what everyone has been saying for years, you’re right! The SEO strategy that never fails is the focus on generating valuable, high-quality content. Just as the search algorithm works, AI is seeking out answers and information for users based on their queries. The primary difference now is the personalized experience that comes with an AI experience. However, how we prove the value of our content to AI is no different than a normal search engine.
When looking up something like a coffee shop on ChatGPT, it pulls information from multiple sources, all of which are from high-quality domains. This can include local or national publications, Wikipedia, directories, and more.
This is the age-old question, shifting from “how do we show up at the top of the search page” to “how do we show up in AI searches.” Oddly enough, the answers have not changed. When it comes to increasing your organic presence, you need optimized content.
To get the most out of your content, there is an endless list of opportunities for optimization, but we recommend starting with the heavy hitters.
Focus On Domain Authority
Your domain authority is what tells various search engines and machine learning tools that your website is credible and a high-quality site. This information can be trusted, and thus is good to be shared to those looking for answers. The domain authority of your brand will have the heaviest impact on driving organic traffic to your website.
Domain authority is calculated based on multiple factors, however the biggest contributor to the score is the number of backlinks. Establishing a backlinking strategy for your brand is key to building authority. For some recommendations on how to generate backlinks, get a digital tune up from our blog on the subject.
Utilize Structured Data
When creating content, ensure to utilize the appropriate structured data to help search engines and AI tools read your information. Structured data is a standardized format of providing information about a page and its content that exists in the backend of a page. Utilizing the appropriate schema markup will help identify information in your content like events, non-text media objects (video, audio, etc.), addresses, content types, and more.
Different CMS platforms have their own ways to implement these markups. A popular tool that can help with this is Yoast which is compatible with Wordpress sites.
Make Content, Make Content, Make Content!
Lastly, we recommend focusing on creating high-quality, informative content that will not only attract customers or clients, but also attract those in your industry. This kind of content will drive traffic to your site, as well as encourage others to link back to you as the source.
Create blogs, make videos, engage on social media when appropriate, and focus on leaving breadcrumbs across the internet. This content will encourage more backlinking and prove authority, particularly if it includes original content or data that can then be leveraged in the content of others in your industry.
By creating high-quality content and sharing it, you will extend your reach and prove to artificial intelligence that this content is worth sharing.
Interested in learning more about how to leverage the robots to your brand’s benefit? Reach out today!
Jade is a digital deep diver on our marketing & strategy team. She loves investigating possible issues and brainstorming solutions. When she isn't deep in spreadsheets, she's drinking far too much caffeine or having off-screen dance parties to her favorite Tik Toks.