Recently, researchers announced that Google’s artificial intelligence is now smarter than Apple’s Siri. When you hear the words “artificial intelligence”, SEO might not be the first thing that comes to mind. The thought of artificial intelligence might conjure up images of futuristic worlds or SciFi thrillers where robots overtake mankind, but don’t worry – it’s not as scary as that. The enhancement of Google’s AI is actually a good thing for your business. Learn how AI affects your SEO strategy and what you should do to optimize for it.
AI Focuses on Intent and Meaning
The days of stuffing as many keywords as possible into your content are over. RankBrain, Google’s artificial intelligence algorithm, looks beyond keywords and is able to understand the meaning or the intent behind your content. Because of this, the intent of your content is a more important search ranking factor for AI than keywords. Content that is written conversationally (for a human and not a computer) and incites audience engagement will be rewarded with a rankings boost by Google.
RankBrain is smart enough to understand meanings and synonyms, so there is no need to stuff your content with excess keywords. You should focus on what the user is trying to learn from your website. This may include providing links to pages that will further enhance the user experience by providing more resources.
AI Changes Algorithms Based on Different Factors
The “intelligence” aspect of artificial intelligence means algorithms are constantly changing depending on certain factors like location and the medium (desktop, mobile, voice) used to conduct a search. For example, if you ask Siri for the best kind of pizza while standing in line at a pizza shop in NYC, it will give you much different results than if you search “best type of pizza” from your desktop computer in Manahawkin, NJ.
Ensure that you’re creating content that provides the best user experience for your target audience. If you own a local pizza shop, you’ll want your content to be easily read on the go with a friendly, conversational tone. For this type of business, you could include references to different geographic areas but you will not need to focus on ranking well outside of your target location. However, if you own a larger business with multiple locations across the country, you’ll want to make your content relevant for a wider geographic area.
User Engagement is a Heavy Factor
Artificial intelligence enables search engines to account for user engagement as a major ranking factor. What this means is search engines can rank your website based on the user interest it generates. Do your users sign up for your newsletters or click on articles you suggest? How long are users spending on your pages, especially your blog page? These are the kinds of questions you should be asking yourself when trying to increase user engagement.
To increase the user engagement on your site, create content with a specific purpose. Make sure the content you share is something your users would be interested in or something they can learn from. Pay attention to how long users are spending time on your blog page and try to include quality backlinks that will pique their interest enough to explore further.
Deep Learning Defines Good and Bad Strategies
RankBrain uses deep learning – a substructure of machine learning – to determine whether the information you’re sharing is good or bad. It ensures that the content and structure of your website fits your industry. For example, a digital marketing agency should not have the same type of content and website structure as a simpler site in the food service industry. RankBrain will be able to tell your website is not set up with your customer’s interests and goals in mind, and you could be penalized for it.
Narrowing your focus on the content you share will not only help prevent you from being penalized but it will help you be seen as an expert in your niche. Narrowing your focus of topics will also help to reduce competition since vague topics can be covered by multiple businesses or industries. In the end, your top priority should always be to create high-quality content that engages your users.
Artificial Intelligence Affects Your SEO
With Google’s AI now being smarter than Apple’s Siri, it is time to start refocusing on your SEO strategy. At Creative Click Media, we specialize in search engine optimization. We can help you create a high-quality content strategy that will increase user engagement and enhance your search rankings. Take a look at our wide variety of services or contact us today to get started!
