In our industry, it’s important to regularly check in with what’s happening in the marketing environment. The effect of AI (Artificial Intelligence) on Search and Content is a big conversation right now.
WiseWords’ Digital Marketing Specialist, Dan Darcy Jones, was at BrightonSEO’s October 2024 conference. Dan gives us this run down of changes in the SEO landscape to watch out for.
John Mueller and Daniela Leitner – Keynote State of Search 2024
On Friday the 4th of October 2024, John Mueller, Search Advocate for Google, closed BrightonSEO with SEO consultant Dani Leitner. They quipped back and forth about the troublesome working relationship between SEOs and Google. Trying to work around Google’s constant updates is tough.
Aside from Google’s regular updates to search algorithms, it also rebrands and changes product or SERP features on the sly. Only recently we’ve seen:
- Bard renamed to Gemini
- Search Generative Experience renamed to AI Overviews
- Continuous scroll being removed and SERPs returning to paginated results
It’s a lot to keep on top of!
What is Gemini?
Gemini is Google’s generative AI tool designed to supercharge your ideas. This product is in direct competition with ChatGPT and other AI chatbots.
What are AI Overviews?
AI overviews are the latest SERP feature which organises information from various web pages to answer queries.
Your average searcher is likely to use this to quickly find an answer rather than trawling through a website. This makes ranking more complex. You’re now playing the SEO (search engine optimisation) game for organic rankings and for your expertise to be used for AI overviews.
New Google Crawlers
An interesting tidbit John gave us was on new Google Crawlers. He seemed to hint that the new Google Crawlers are less savvy at reading content as they’re looking for additional signals on your site. Mueller emphasised working, “Tech SEO magic”, so your content can be used for AI overviews. This means the new crawlers need the right contextual signals to parse your site and surface it on the SERP.
From on-page elements, such as metadata, to code elements, such as schema, we need to make sure pages are machine-readable for the new crawlers. There’s a lot to cover in technical SEO, which our team is happy to help with.
Crawlers are Going from Mobile-first to AI-first
AI is fast becoming the chosen medium for information searches. Now, Google crawlers will be parsing content for AI first. This means it’s time to optimise your site for AI. Artificial Intelligence knows what the user wants, and answers queries quickly. You need to prove your expertise, products, and services are exactly what users need for AI to send traffic to your site.
Addressing User Behaviour
Gartner predicts search engine volume will drop 25% by 2026 due to the increase in AI chatbot use. Now, this isn’t to say that SEO is dead. There are still ways to drive traffic to your site, including from AI overview citations linking to you. However, it is important to diversify your marketing channels. If you’re too focused on rankings and haven’t built up quality email lists or social media following, you’ll be on the back foot. Rest assured, we can support you in this!
Quality and Authenticity
Quality and authenticity will be focal points for businesses in this new AI age. Ensuring you’re delivering quality, helpful content which shows your authority in your niche is vital for success in organic rankings. Now anybody can use GenAI (generative artificial intelligence) to deliver content quickly, so it might be time to review your content strategy.
Can I Use AI for Creating Content?
We’ve put our thoughts together on this in our blog, Is it ok to use AI for content creation? Make sure to give it a read to understand this topic.
Changing SERP Features
AI Overviews Replace Featured Snippets and How-to
At BrightonSEO this October, Mueller also hinted that some structured data will leave SERPs (Search Engine Results Page). A SERP is the page you are presented with after submitting a search query into your browser. This will be made up of different elements, such as organic search results, paid ads, video results etc.
Optimising for Merchant Centre and Google Shopping
Mueller’s suggestion was that structured data may leave featured snippets and how-to. Both of which organised information from webpages and contributed to ‘zero-click’ searches. Now this type of information will show up in AI overviews.
If you’re selling products on Google, you have to be up-to-date with the Merchant Centre and Google Shopping changes.
What is a Merchant Centre?
Merchant Centre allows you to upload your products and get them seen on the SERP. It’s a great tool for getting your products and business seen on search.
What is Google Shopping?
A feed of products which shows up when users search for products. Google ads allow you to run Google Shopping campaigns to boost your products on SERPs.
How Do I Get My Products Seen on Google?
Structured data is vital for the Merchant Centre to understand your offering, and for Google Shopping’s success. To get your product seen on Google, you’ll need to format your product information for Google’s Merchant Centre. You can then run ad campaigns to promote your products. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with this, we’re happy to help.
What is Continuous Scroll?
Continuous scroll, recently removed from Google’s SERPs, was a feature that combined results onto one page where the user could scroll without having to click through pages.
Delivering Quality Content
Another part that stuck out to us particularly, was the following tips that revolve around creating content for SEO:
- Be reasonable with content and add value to users
- Avoid having the same content as others
- Don’t repackage content
It echoes Danny Sullivan’s thoughts on Aleyda Solis’s podcast about reducing the amount of content written purely for SEO practices. Danny Sullivan is a Search Liaison for Google who previously founded Search Engine Watch – he has been working in SEO for a long time and is now an intermediary between SEOs and Google.
What Does this Mean?
Google is clear: it doesn’t want every business to target the same keywords with repackaged content that everyone else has on their site. In essence, it makes sense; most of the time local businesses don’t need topic pages on everything related to their business just to gain traffic.
Going forward it is going to pay to be strategic about the content on your website. You’ll need to ensure that your site content is adding value to your audience and isn’t just there to target keywords. Content is an area close to our hearts at WiseWords, get in touch if you need help with yours.
It’s Time to Put Branding at the Forefront
Great branding can give you a major boost on SERPs. Not only does good branding build your reputation but it can also build search demand. You want users to search for your brand and come directly to your site. We work with exceptional branding experts that we can put you in touch with to re-energise your branding efforts to tackle this new digital landscape.
Mueller’s Final Words
To sum up his ideas, Mueller said, “Keep the web weird, wonderful, and valuable”. We love this. The web is a place for great content, written for users to answer queries in the best way possible. It can be a powerful tool for marketing your brand when implemented correctly!
How Can WiseWords Supercharge Your Marketing Efforts?
Our team covers a range of marketing elements. From strategy to implementation and detailed monthly reports, we assist you in achieving your business goals. We’re strategic, and we’re always looking at how to address changes, with future-proofed marketing strategies.
Diversifying Your Marketing Strategy
To supplement SEO work, you’ll need a good social media strategy and, if applicable, a strong local SEO strategy. If this is something you’re considering for your business, we can help.
How Do I Keep Up with All of the Changes in the Digital Landscape?
Our team keeps up-to-date with political, economical, and technological changes that affect businesses. We will put your best foot forward as user behaviour changes, and adapt your business’ marketing to reflect changes in the digital landscape. A key initial step of any marketing strategy has always been to analyse the external market, and we never skip this step.
Keep checking our blogs for the latest news and how we’re reacting to changes in our industry.
To discuss marketing strategy, contact us today.
