Tips on How to Integrate AI into Your SEO Content Strategy[2024]

Charlotte PenningtonDec 05, 2024
AI is changing the way we think about SEO and content marketing. But with these new opportunities come new obstacles.

So, what’s the play?

To prepare you for winning in the AI arena, we’ve gathered tips from the pros.

Read on to discover the must-know do’s and don’ts, plus the top trends in leveraging AI for content creation.

 

AI SEO

Don’t Avoid AI, But be Cautious When you Produce Content

Businesses that overlook the potential of AI in marketing are jeopardizing countless opportunities.

It’s akin to disregarding the internet’s transformative power in the 1990s.

AI can significantly enhance several content and SEO-related tasks. For instance:

Research: AI enables you to sift through massive amounts of data in seconds. Utilize it to generate content ideas based on your keywords, analyze data sets, craft content outlines, and more.

Content Creation: AI tools can write 12 times faster than any human writer. You can create complete articles, produce single paragraphs, introductions, headlines, and so on and so forth. Moreover, AI visual content generators work effectively in creating visual content.

Optimization and Editing: Many AI-powered writing tools can improve the organization, grammar, readability, tone, and SEO of your content. The possibilities for creativity are endless. For instance, you can create a buyer persona with AI and then have the tool optimize your content for that particular audience.

Content Analytics: AI enhances content audits by analyzing if your page needs more keywords and clearly communicates your value proposition. Google’s current stance on AI-generated content is neutral, saying: “We reward high-quality content, regardless of its creation process.”

In other words, websites will not be penalized for using AI when generating text.

Furthermore, AI-created content is programmed to contain no plagiarism, eliminating duplicate content issues.

What Google cares about-and what you should concern yourself with-is that your content be informative, useful, and original. So, does it make a difference whether or not you use AI to draft a blog post? No.

Does it make a difference if the content gives an excellent user experience, with unique insights and new ideas? Yes.

Here’s the important bottom line: using only AI and no human input isn’t the answer.

Consider the paintbrush as AI and humans as the artists. AI does apply the strokes, but human supervision brings the masterpiece to fulfillment.

Now, let’s discuss how to make this happen.

Enrich AI Content with Original Ideas and Research

While AI can speed up your content creation process, it’s crucial to complement it with unique research and original ideas. Firsthand experience of your content should be the highlight of your work.

With the increase in AI-generated content, unique insights will be valued more and more, and that’s exactly what Google recommends.

For example, you might have heard of E-A-T. It’s short for Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It comes from Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines, and it is not a ranking factor per se. However, it is a great guideline to keep in mind.

In late 2022, E-A-T became E-E-A-T when Google added another “E” for Experience to its ranking factors. This move demonstrates just how important it is for content to be based on experience.

AI SEO

So, how do you incorporate Experience into AI-created content? Here are a few ways:

  • Original research, such as surveys with your audience or real-world product tests.
  • Interviews of industry experts, such as from within your organization or acknowledged thought leaders in their own right.
  • Your case studies involving your own experiences with clients or initiatives; content authored by acknowledged experts within your domain.
  • Fast creation of content by using the insights and findings as an input in AI tools.

In all cases, however, there is the necessity for human intervention at one point or another.

Engage Editors & SMEs to Verify and Enhance AI-Generated Content

If there is one thing we learned from AI, it is this: while AI can be extremely helpful, it still relies on human skills and judgment. The following are some recommendations for responsible AI use:

  • Check generated content for accuracy: Ask AI for evidence and fact-check information using search engines.
  • Clarify sections that are ambiguous: Refine unclear paragraphs and remove generalizations.
  • Ensure Consistency: Edit for coherency, eliminating frivolous words and repetitive concepts.
  • Align with Your Brand Tone: Confirm that your content reflects an appropriate voice for your brand.

That being said, here is some additional enhancement and re-framing of your content that’s good practice by incorporating some personalized elements such as real life experiences or even a spot of humor.

  • SME Interview: Validate all claims and recommendations with an expert.
  • Optimization for search: Make sure your content is crafted for the right keywords and adheres to the search intent (more on that in a bit).

The takeaway? Just because the AI wrote it doesn’t mean your job is complete; thoughtful refinement is key.

Adopt a “Hybrid Strategy” for Using AI in SEO

AI can create unique content ready for publication on your website.

However, it may not be sufficiently optimized to rank at the top for competitive keywords.

Why is that?

Most of the AI tools, such as ChatGPT, don’t provide real-time information about keywords, their search volume, user intent, and other important SEO parameters.

The best way around this, though, is to combine AI with manual competitor research and SEO tools. You can also consider using those AI content tools that can give you competitor analysis information.

For example, you may use ContentShake AI. Using Semrush’s strong SEO data, it generates articles geared for ranking.

Its AI Writer will effectively implement target keywords and build content based on insights derived from the analysis of your organic competitors. In addition, AI can help with a range of keyword research and content optimization-related tasks, such as:

  • Suggesting content ideas according to the selected keywords
  • Analyzing keyword optimization for your text against competing pages
  • Using keyword clustering and mapping strategies
  • The ability to check if your content is oriented to specific keywords, queries, and user needs.

Continue reading for more interesting uses of AI in content creation.

Talk to AI Like You Talk to a Real Person

The most common myth is the expectation that AI can generate perfect results right from the first use.

For non-experts, the learning curve may appear insurmountable.

One way to improve matters is to consider the way one interacts with AI as no different from a conversation between two humans.

How Dialogue Works

We are living in a time of instant gratification with digital tools, where one click can give immediate results.

But with AI, you need to set your expectations a little different.

Instead of thinking of it as a tool, think of AI as a collaborator.

Consider this: you wouldn’t expect a colleague to give you a fully fleshed-out, detailed answer to a complex question right this second.

AI is similarly productive when it has very clear guidance and context.

In using AI, you could:

  • Ask Follow-up Questions: If an initial response doesn’t exactly give you what you’re looking for, or if it seems incomplete in some way, then you’re always free to ask for further clarification or more content. For example, you might ask the AI to expand upon its answer or rephrase it in a certain style.
  • Set the Scene: The context you give will go a long way in framing what the AI returns. Giving it a good understanding of the situation will, more than likely, yield more relevant responses. If the content generated isn’t quite right, share more about your audience or the tone you want to convey.
  • Rephrase and Fine-tune: If the AI’s responses aren’t aligning with your expectations, try rephrasing your question. This is akin to clarifying something when discussing a specific topic with someone who isn’t well-versed in it.
  • Practice Patience: It’s natural to seek immediate outcomes. Nonetheless, when working with AI, exercising patience and persistence can enhance the overall experience.

Remember, this isn’t just about throwing one query at it; it’s about having a conversation.

With time, you’ll find a cadence to communicate effectively, just like mastering the art of talking to people.

Let’s Consider an Example

Suppose you want to write multiple LinkedIn ads with the help of ChatGPT.

You would first want to give it all the necessary information, like:

  • Setting the setting – for example, tell ChatGPT to play the role of a copywriter.
  • Outline your company and unique selling proposition
  • Describe who your target audience is
  • Specify what kind of ads you would like to run – including platform, desired call to action, etc.

Conclusion

In the end, AI will help in drastically upping your SEO content strategy to create premium optimized content that resonates both with search engines and with your audience. By automating keyword research, creation, and performance analysis using this intelligent technology, you go through smoother processes and find vital insights that will give more heft to your content marketing. Remember to balance automation with creativity for authenticity and engagement in the content. As AI technology proceeds to evolve, staying attuned to trends and best practices will keep your strategy effective, and ahead of the competition, all the time. Unleash the power of AI, and watch your efforts in SEO flourish, driving massive traffic and engagement to your brand like never before!