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Einstein famously said, insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
In today’s shifting digital landscape, this can apply aptly to SEO, and James has invited SEOLeverage’s Gert Mellak to discuss.
One of the big contributing factors to change is the rise of AI. People are saying AI is as big as the internet, and James is interested in what an SEO expert like Gert has to say about its impact.
In this podcast episode, James and Gert will look at the growing use of AI-assisted SEO.
They’ll talk about whether AI poses intellectual property risk or online privacy issues.
And they’ll discuss how business owners and marketers can continue to improve site ranking in light of the influence of AI.
Table of contents:
1. The potential impact of AI
2. Do you want AI using your info?
3. What platforms should you focus on?
4. The AI on devices
5. Where Google gets their data
6. Is more content a good idea?
7. Where AI comes in useful
8. The caveat to using AI
9. How Gert and his team use the tech
10. SEO then and now
The potential impact of AI
So is AI as significant as the internet?
Gert is of the opinion that we have yet to see just how big it is. He does predict notable changes in the next five years, however, and stresses the need to adapt to rather than ignore them.
James agrees. He recalls Mike Rhodes’ prediction that AI’s impact will feel slow initially but then accelerate rapidly.
While most of the AI hype is online, regular people, says James, are already being affected, often unknowingly, by AI technologies integrated into daily life.
This raises some concerns about privacy, especially as regards AI using personal data without consent. Some of James’s own coaching students ask him about the safety of using AI tools for summarizing their content and creating social media posts. Are there intellectual property risks involved?
Do you want AI using your info?
James has experimented with AI by searching for his own book on ChatGPT. The program knew all about it, raising questions about where the information came from and the evolving nature of search engines.
Gert explains that search has broadened beyond Google, with people now using platforms like ChatGPT to gather information, including about individuals’ reputations, based on online content.
Gert elaborates that AI engines, particularly large language models, use web content as training material. This includes books available online, raising significant copyright and legal issues. He notes that while some authors use their books as marketing tools rather than revenue sources, those relying on book sales must be cautious about AI usage.
James knows Tim Ferriss seeds download sites with his book to increase visibility, illustrating the trade-off between free distribution and revenue. He mentions that despite giving away his book, people still buy it in different formats, showing that multiple delivery modalities can coexist with AI’s role in content dissemination.
What platforms should you focus on?
Who are the current key players in AI and search platforms?
Gert would say that Google and OpenAI, connected to Microsoft and Bing, are leading the AI race, with other companies like Meta less publicly active.
It’s important to identify where a brand’s audience is most active. Gert explains that platforms like Twitter, Reddit, Quora, Medium, and SoundCloud can all be significant depending on the target audience and industry.
To effectively leverage AI and search platforms, Gert suggests brands should identify their top five platforms, referred to as tier one platforms, which are most relevant and impactful. YouTube and Reddit are common tier one platforms, while visual-centric businesses might prioritize platforms like Pinterest.
The AI on devices
James mentions that Apple, despite being less talked about, is closely integrated with Spotify on home devices and heavily utilizes AI in its hardware. He notes too that with the vast number of devices in use, companies like Apple and Microsoft could potentially track, monitor, and train AI using keystrokes and voice commands.
Amazon Alexa devices also have substantial training material, says Gert, and while not yet as advanced as ChatGPT, they could soon engage in more sophisticated conversations. He predicts that voice searches will become more effective, and devices like Alexa and Google Assistant will significantly impact how we interact with AI, sourcing information from a wide range of platforms.
Where Google gets their data
James and Gert reference a recent Google leak that revealed information about where Google gets its data, including browser data. The leak, says Gert, confirmed suspicions that Google uses Chrome Clickstream data, meaning user behavior in Chrome influences site rankings.
Gert explains that Google can observe user interactions on a large scale to determine site characteristics and rankings. He suggests that companies like Amazon likely use more data from devices like Alexa than they publicly admit, even if it means facing fines.
Much like the pharmaceutical industry, observes James.
Whatever is out there is fair game, says Gert.
Is more content a good idea?
Is producing large quantities of content and renting links from PBN networks effective in today’s AI-driven environment?
While these methods worked in the past, Gert says they are less effective now as the landscape has changed with AI and multiple platforms.
Quality and relevance are more important than sheer volume. Too much content, in fact, can actually dilute a site’s value and hurt core rankings. Being specific and targeted is more cost-effective and beneficial, as it aligns better with the current AI’s ability to process and prioritize concise, relevant information.
Where AI comes in useful
James has used ChatGPT to calculate the value of an item based on price and usage, a task that would have been time-consuming and biased without AI. For calculations like this, James appreciates the efficiency and objectivity of the technology.
Gert’s team similarly used AI to analyze 500 posts from a Facebook group to understand user profiles, goals, and desires. A task that previously required tedious manual analysis was completed in seconds.
With such potential application, says Gert, the big challenge is for companies to break all the possibilities down into what is actually actionable.
James jokingly blames Gert and others for training AI with the extensive online content they feed it. As a result, it can now streamline such processes as creating a video sales letter script from an existing sales page framework. This rapid efficiency characterizes the shift in research and content creation brought about by AI.
The caveat to using AI
While AI is useful, it often produces generic output needing human refinement. James always hand-polishes AI-generated content, he says, to ensure authenticity and alignment with the target audience.
Gert agrees. His team always edits AI-generated drafts to match the brand’s voice and style. He stresses, too, the importance of providing AI with enough context and examples to produce better results, and to avoid copy-pasting AI content directly.
Both agree that proactive content management is key, especially to prevent AI from generating false information due to a lack of existing data.
In terms of online reputation management, for example, Gert suggests creating and feeding positive content and testimonials into AI to mitigate the impact of negative reviews. In the absence of enough positive data, anything negative is more likely to damage a company’s brand.
How Gert and his team use the tech
Does SEOLeverage.com uses AI tools to enhance their work?
Gert confirms that they have been using AI for years, even before ChatGPT, to improve their processes. They regularly integrate AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, and Gemini to make their tasks more efficient and effective.
Gert’s team uses AI to generate sample texts for wireframes and to create articles. They also conduct internal challenges to compare AI-generated content with human-written content. They focus on integrating AI into existing workflows to boost efficiency without overwhelming themselves with new tasks.
In James’s business, they use AI to name podcast episodes, summarize transcripts, and create social media content. Reflecting on the progress of the technology, he recalls a 2018 podcast episode discussing AI’s potential. It’s come a long way, now able to perform such elaborate tasks as generating videos from text prompts.
SEO then and now
James outlines a traditional SEO process involving keyword research, content creation, and link-building. How have SEO practices evolved since?
Modern SEO, says Gert, involves understanding that there are multiple platforms beyond Google. They now begin with audience platform research to identify where the audience is active and what topics are trending, allowing them to create relevant, timely content that can also be repurposed for their website. This approach ensures content aligns with audience interests throughout the year.
To serve the needs of their clients, Gert and his team have a new Platform Leverage program, which integrates audience research with traditional SEO fundamentals. Interested listeners can head over to SEOLeverage.com and chat or email as a starting point.
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