With the recent fervour surrounding ChatGPT and the controversial role AI plays in our society, we thought this would be a good opportunity to discuss how and where AI fits into the SEO landscape. It’s no secret that the technology behind artificial intelligence has come a long way in recent years, but are we ready to implement AI for SEO full-time? Or should we not be embracing AI at all?
Our team of SEO experts have been looking into these questions in relation to our own SEO strategy. Unsurprisingly, the answers we’ve come to aren’t so straightforward as a simple yes or no.
Chat GPT For SEO – Will AI-Driven Content Threaten Human-Written Content?
A popular SEO-themed question right now is whether AI can replace humans in producing written content. Many will argue that it never will; that AI lacks the unique, personable touch that separates humans from machines. But does this matter to Google?
The argument for AI’s lack of ‘human touch’ is valid. Yet it’s equally valid that the technology behind AI is advancing all the time. What we thought of as impossible ten years ago is already forming around us. Who can say where we’ll be in another ten years? Is it inconceivable that AI-generated content could soon be indistinguishable from human-written content?
Remaining in the present moment, however, it’s worth mentioning that the content AI is currently producing is already better than the average content published online. ChatGPT can write high-quality essays and summarise long blocks of text into concise, punchy soundbites. Not only that, but it can do so far faster than any human.
More significantly then, if ChatGPT can produce well-written, informative, SEO-friendly answers, why wouldn’t Google want to rank this content in its search engine results? Especially if this content is superior to what’s already out there?
AI For SEO – What Does Google Consider As Good Content?
Of course, this doesn’t refute the original argument of ‘human touch’: that there is more to good content than simply providing articulate, correct information. After all, the best content requires either an expression of personal opinion or else the guidance of an expert’s point of view. Given that AI can only trawl through and repurpose pre-existing content, it arguably fails to deliver on either of these two fronts.
So, does this mean that AI for SEO has already reached a dead end? Not necessarily.
In its current form, it would seem unwise to rely solely on AI for all your SEO services. While AI technology has come a long way, it isn’t yet advanced enough to do it all on its own. It can’t claim to be an expert; it can only echo back the words of humans who have come before.
That said, it would be foolish to reject AI altogether. For instance, AI SEO tools such as Surfer SEO, Scalenut, and Frase are still capable of completing keyword research, making content suggestions, and assisting with link building in an incredibly time-efficient manner – even if the results do need to be manually checked by a human.
The best approach to AI in SEO then, for the time being at least, is one of cooperation. Rather than viewing AI tools as a threat, they should be embraced as a way of enhancing the work we already do.
As for human-written content, the same approach applies. If ChatGPT can produce high-quality blog posts in a fraction of the time it would take a human – even if it is reusing information that has been spoken before – it would be naïve to overlook the incredible advantages this represents. Just be prepared to spend some time going back through the AI-generated content, checking for any errors or inconsistencies, and adding human expertise where it’s required.
The Future Of AI For SEO
As for the future, it’s impossible to say what will happen next. If AI continues to progress at its current rate, and with the vast wealth of the internet at its disposal, is it inconceivable that AI might soon be producing expert blog posts, textbooks, and even novels without any human input?
A more fitting question is arguably when AI will reach this stage, and whether society will allow it to get there. In the meantime, we’d suggest not giving up on humans for your SEO strategy quite yet. But humans shouldn’t be afraid to use AI to their advantage either.
Are you interested in what our Bournemouth SEO agency can offer your business? Get in touch by sending us an email to hello@upperdog.co.uk or by calling us on 01202 798820.