‘Is SEO dead? Did AI kill SEO?’, I am sure you’ve read those after the whole ChatGPT and AI boom a few months ago.
The truth is that AI is quickly becoming a major player in SEO. With the rise of AI tools, many marketers and businesses are taking advantage of this new technology to optimize their search engine optimization (SEO) strategies. But as with any new technology, there is controversy and debate surrounding the use of AI in SEO.
In this article, we will explore what AI in SEO is, the benefits and controversy associated with it and how to overcome all the issues and leverage all that AI has brought to the table.
And – NO, SEO is definitely not dead.
AI in SEO: What & Why
Okay, first things first, let’s get more into the terminology.
What is AI in SEO?
| AI in SEO refers to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to improve search engine optimization. AI can be used to automate tasks, analyze data, and create content that is optimized for search engines. |
For example, with some AI tools you can analyze website traffic data and identify which keywords are performing best. There are other AI tools great to generate content that is optimized for specific keywords or topics and even to automate tasks such as link building and keyword research.
This can help marketers and businesses save time and resources that would otherwise be spent on manual labor.
Additionally, you can use AI to analyze user behavior and create personalized content that is tailored to the individual user’s preferences. This can help create a better user experience and improve SEO performance.
Finally, AI can identify potential issues and opportunities that may not be immediately apparent. For example, AI can be used to identify low-hanging fruit in terms of keyword rankings or identify potential opportunities to capitalize on. This can help marketers and businesses stay ahead of the curve and ensure that their SEO strategies are always up-to-date.
So, yes, there are plenty of use cases and benefits when it comes to AI in SEO. The catch is to find the right tool and know how to make the most out of it.
14 AI tools for SEO
As mentioned, there are plenty of super useful AI tools you can use to increase your odds of ranking high in search engines. These are ones I personally use and recommend.
I mean, there’s even no need to explain how powerful this tool is. It is basically changing our lives on a daily basis (…or is it just me? 🤔), so why don’t use it for SEO as well. The main thing with ChatGPT is to use it wisely and with the right prompts.
That’s why I created my ChatGPT marketing prompts that you can download for FREE.
Writesonic is probably my favorite AI writing tool because it is powered by GPT-4 and offers over 100 templates for various content creation needs. It’s very user-friendly (a huge plus!) and has a bunch of cost-effective solutions for high-quality content generation, including an AI image generator. Additionally, it offers features like article writing, brand voice customization, flexibility in AI model selection, automatic blog image generation, bulk content creation, paraphrasing, landing page generation, and product description creation.
Jasper is another great AI writing tool powered by GPT-3.5, that offers assistance for various writing tasks such as blog posts and SEO articles. It has templates for different content types, supports 30+ languages, and integrates with tools like SurferSEO and Grammarly.
Surfer is an AI SEO tool that makes content planning easier by analyzing keywords and content quality. It integrates with Google Docs and Jasper which is really useful! The tool has features like automated keyword suggestions and content quality analysis.
Frase is user-friendly AI SEO software that simplifies content planning, creation, and optimization. It analyzes competitors’ content, provides real-time insights in the editor sidebar, and offers an AI writer for idea generation. The tool includes features like content brief generation, performance analytics through Google Search Console, and SERP data enrichment for strategy development.
MarketBrew is a search engine modeling tool that predicts webpage search rankings. It analyzes data like Google Analytics, keywords, and organic traffic trends. Users can create customized testing environments and receive detailed reports for effective SEO content strategies. Key features include A/B testing, centralized SEO team management, and algorithmic radar chart summaries of on-page and technical SEO performance.
GrowthBar is another AI SEO tool featuring a blog ideas generator, post outline builder, and content writer tool for creating full-length blog posts. It includes comprehensive content planning tools like keyword research and competitor analysis and offers a built-in collaboration platform. Besides, it supports various content types, offers an AI meta description generator, and allows real-time tracking of thousands of keywords across multiple websites to enhance SEO strategies.
DiiB is an AI-powered SEO and traffic analysis tool that enables users to create customized growth plans to monitor essential page ranking metrics like keywords, backlinks, and competitors’ strategies. Additionally, DiiB tracks email deliverability, social media engagement, and provides an overall website health score, ranking insights, and growth opportunities on its dashboard. Key features include RankGuard for keyword ranking optimization, issue alerts for monitoring potential problems, and regular content and competitor SEO data snapshots for site audits.
Outranking is an AI SEO tool designed for content marketers, simplifying content optimization strategies. It offers a wide range of features, including keyword analysis, topic clustering, and on-page optimization. Notable features include the AI Content Wizard for content outlines, an information extractor for research, and a keyword heatmap for identifying ranking opportunities.
Alli AI simplifies SEO for agencies, automating tasks without coding. It integrates with platforms like Shopify and WordPress, adapts to SEO best practices, and reduces costs. Its link-building tool suggests valuable links, while AI reports offer insights for better SEO strategies.
11. RankIQ
RankIQ is a user-friendly AI SEO tool that helps bloggers and businesses automate their SEO strategies. It enhances organic search traffic by suggesting post titles and content, offering high-traffic, low-competition keywords, and enabling quick blog post outline creation. By typing your target keyword, RankIQ uses AI to find optimal results on Google, ensuring you have the right keywords. It provides an intuitive interface, along with video tutorials for easy usage, making it a valuable tool for producing high-ranking content on Google.
12. NeuronWriter
NeuronWriter is an AI-powered content optimization tool ideal for creating articles and social media posts that rank well on search engines. Its standout feature is the AI Writer, which efficiently generates SEO-optimized content. By utilizing Google SERPs data, competition insights, and natural language processing (NLP), it produces effective content around your target keyword. Additionally, NeuronWriter offers Internal Linking recommendations for easy link-building, Competitor Analysis to understand competitor content success, supports over 170 languages, provides Document Management, and features a content planner for organized SEO campaigns.
13. Copy.ai
Copy.ai is another writing tool, but has in-built features designed for SEO professionals, simplifying content creation by allowing you to select the title, keywords, tone, and article goal. It offers the option to review the article outline before completion to ensure alignment with your needs. In seconds, it generates full-length, high-quality posts that can be further refined by rewriting paragraphs and improving sentences. You can easily copy and paste the content into your content management system for publishing, choosing from a variety of tools and templates for different content types such as blogs, listicles, and social media posts.
14. Scalenut
Scalenut is an all-in-one marketing tool designed for scalability, offering a comprehensive approach to keyword research, content management strategy, and copywriting:
- Research: Gain insights and create a winning strategy with semantic keywords to outperform competitors.
- Create: Produce SEO content that ranks using advanced NLP and NLU technology, with real-time optimization based on SERP data.
- Optimize: Receive instant feedback on your content’s SEO performance, allowing for real-time improvements without the need for revisions.
- Marketing Copy: Generate persuasive copy for conversions with over 40 AI copywriting templates, including product descriptions, website copy, copywriting frameworks, and email copywriting.
Controversy around AI in SEO
Despite all the benefits stated above, there is still some controversy and debate surrounding the use of AI in SEO. One of the main concerns is that AI can be used to manipulate search engine rankings. For example, AI can be used to analyze website traffic data and identify which keywords are performing best. This could potentially be used to identify which keywords are most likely to rank high in search engine results and then target those keywords with artificial content. This could potentially be used to manipulate search engine rankings and give a website an unfair advantage.
Additionally, there are concerns about the accuracy of AI algorithms. They can be built using data from a variety of sources, but the accuracy of the algorithms can vary based on the quality and reliability of the data. This can potentially lead to misleading predictions and results, which could again, be used to influence the rankings.
You will also hear copywriters arguing that content written by humans shouldn’t be replaced by one created by ‘robots’. In their opinion, it’s quite unfair that AI content gets higher rankings than ones they spent hours or even days working on.
Hey, I’m kinda on their side here, as I really made an effort to write this blog post! Google is also clear about this matter: Automatically generated content is against Google’s webmaster guidelines. But, yes, there is ‘a but’, and we’ll get into it in the next chapter.
Finally, there is also some concern about the ethical implications of using AI in SEO. Many people feel that AI could potentially lead to unethical practices.
Potential solutions for overcoming the controversy
Fortunately, there are some potential solutions for overcoming the controversy surrounding AI in SEO.
First, it is important to ensure that any AI algorithms used for SEO are built using reliable data. This will help ensure that the predictions and results are accurate and not manipulated to give a website an unfair advantage.
As for content created by AI, well, even Google is clear about the fact that it wants ‘content created by people, for people, but you can use AI for ideas and assistance along the way’.
Danny Sullivan from Google wrote a couple of Tweets (X posts) that explain this matter:
Printscreen: Twitter/X
Printscreen: Twitter/X
Pro tip: Even if you use AI to create content, make sure you give the right inputs and human-editing. You can run the content through Quillbot, a paraphrasing tool to ensure that *AI detectors (..and Google) won’t recognize the AI-touch.
*Keep in mind that these tools are not yet good enough and that you would need to edit the content manually if you want to ensure search engines don’t penalize you.
Additionally, it is important to ensure that AI algorithms are built with ethical considerations in mind.
This means that any AI algorithms used for SEO must be designed to respect user privacy and not discriminate against any particular demographic, that they are transparent and accountable, so that any potential issues can be identified and addressed quickly.
Examples of AI in SEO
There are a number of examples of AI in SEO. One of the most common examples is the use of AI for keyword research. AI algorithms can be used to analyze website traffic data and identify which keywords are performing best. This can help marketers and businesses identify which keywords to target for their SEO strategies.
Stats: According to reports, the AI Writing Assistant Software was worth about $818.48 million in 2021, and it’s expected to reach around $6,464.31 million by 2030. This growth is at a rate of about 26.94% annually from 2023 to 2030.
Have you downloaded my FREE ChatGPT prompts for marketing? Don’t miss it, GET IT NOW!
Additionally, AI can be used to generate content that is optimized for specific keywords or topics. This can help improve the user experience and increase a website’s organic search engine ranking.
Tool to check out: When you type in a main keyword, Twinword quickly gives you lots of helpful information like similar keywords, popular topics, and keyword patterns. This helps you figure out which keywords will make your web pages and content better.
AI can also be used to automate tasks such as link building. This can help marketers and businesses save time and resources that would otherwise be spent on manual labor.
AI and SEO Trends for the Future
As AI continues to become more sophisticated, there are a number of trends that are likely to emerge in the future. One trend that is likely to emerge is the use of AI for personalized content creation. AI algorithms can be used to analyze user behavior and create personalized content that is tailored to the individual user’s preferences. This can help create a better user experience and improve SEO performance.
Additionally, AI is also likely to become increasingly important for identifying potential issues and opportunities that may not be immediately apparent.
For example, AI can be used to identify low-hanging fruit in terms of keyword rankings or identify potential opportunities to capitalize on. This can help marketers and businesses stay ahead of the curve and ensure that their SEO strategies are always up-to-date.
How to Use AI in SEO
Using AI in SEO can be a powerful tool, but it is important to ensure that it is used correctly.
I totally encourage you to check the above recommended tools (…and let me know if I missed any, if you have more recommendations!), BUT to still have a human being making the final decisions, creating and implementing SEO and content strategies.
Yes, AI can be very useful, and you should certainly leverage all the help you can get, especially for those time-consuming, repetitive tasks. What I would advise you is to think of AI as your assistant. So you are the one who should provide the right guidelines, but review the final work afterwards.
Don’t try to cheat search engines, yet to improve your work and SEO rankings accordingly.
I’ll now sound like a highschool teacher 🙂, but I hope you read this article carefully, because by understanding the controversy and potential solutions, marketers and businesses can ensure that they are taking advantage of AI in SEO in an ethical and responsible manner.
