There has been a lot of excitement of late in the world of AI as the ChatGPT tool has been surprising people with the quality of experience it provides in chatting, or writing helpful answers to questions and queries. You can find out more about it at the link, but it is essentially a “smart” chatbot that learns as it goes. I had some fun with it last evening asking it some fun things like sports and music questions, and even to tell me a story. Interestingly, it did tell me a story once but told me it couldn’t tell me a story once. Of course, they are still working out bugs. You can have some fun with it for free when it isn’t overloaded. I actually went in today for this exercise and couldn’t get in.
AI and SEO
As AI evolves it creates shortcuts for people. In the world of SEO, it creates potential, but risky content shortcuts. SEO shortcuts can be dangerous if you don’t use them the right way. With the explosion of AI content writing tools in the past year, we have also seen Google come out with a “helpful content update“, which rewards good and unique content with “information gain” over the generic content that is typically spun out by AI tools. AI tools by definition are learning from the content available to them. They may do a great job of it, as my example below will show, but they are essentially taking a lot of content that is already out there and picking out pieces and putting it back together. It all becomes a mush of the same message, that isn’t necessarily “helpful” and that Google doesn’t want to rank. The key is whether you are using it to take a shortcut and not add value to your users, or as a shortcut to get you started, and then you add value to your usrs. If you aren’t comfortable as a writer, but want to cover the important issues, it can be a great tool to hash out a topic. However, you should always remember to add in your own expertise, your own take, and additional information that gives it value. The AI is just to cover the basics. It doesn’t make you stand out.
The PAA and ChatGPT Experiment
The exercise below is taking a number of Google’s “People Also Ask” (PAA) questions around small business SEO and submitting them to ChatGPT. It does a pretty good job of covering the basics, as you will see below. It doesn’t necessarily cover the risks associated with using it for your own site content as I outlined above though. So it still has a bit to learn. But a fun exercise. Most all of this is true and covers the basics. What I would recommend with your own topics, is to use a tool like this to get a general framework and then put it into your own words and add your own specialization about your experience, your market, and your special knowledge. This is generic stuff, and you know so much more.
Everything below in italics is from ChatGPT. The questions were from me via Google’s PAA, but the answers are from the tool:
Is SEO worth it for small business?
Yes, SEO can be very beneficial for small businesses. SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of improving your website’s visibility and ranking on search engine results pages. This can help potential customers find your business more easily when they search for relevant keywords on search engines like Google. Because most people tend to click on the first few results on the search engine results page, a high ranking can help increase traffic to your website and potentially lead to more customers for your business. It’s important to keep in mind, however, that SEO is a long-term strategy and the results may not be immediate. It may take some time to see the benefits of SEO, but in the long run, it can be a very effective way to help small businesses grow.
What are SEO services for small business?
SEO services for small businesses typically include a range of activities that are designed to help improve the visibility and ranking of a small business’s website on search engine results pages. These activities may include keyword research, on-page optimization (making changes to the content and structure of the website to make it more search engine friendly), link building (getting other websites to link to your site), and content creation (writing blog posts, articles, and other types of content that are relevant to your business and target keywords). Some SEO services may also include technical support and website auditing to help identify any issues with your website that may be hindering its performance on search engines. These services can help small businesses improve their ranking on search engines, which can lead to more traffic, more customers, and ultimately, more revenue.
Is hiring a SEO company worth it?
Hiring a SEO company can be worth it if you don’t have the time, expertise, or resources to do SEO yourself. SEO can be a time-consuming and complex process, and it requires a lot of knowledge and experience to do it effectively. A SEO company can help you save time and effort by taking on the work for you, and they can also provide valuable insights and expertise that can help improve your website’s performance on search engines. However, it’s important to choose a reputable and experienced SEO company that has a proven track record of success, and to set realistic expectations for the results. SEO can take time to produce results, and it’s not a quick fix. It’s also important to remember that SEO should be seen as a long-term investment in your business, rather than a one-time cost.
Can I do SEO by myself?
Yes, it is possible to do SEO yourself if you have the time, knowledge, and resources to do so. SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of improving your website’s visibility and ranking on search engine results pages. This can help potential customers find your business more easily when they search for relevant keywords on search engines like Google. There are many resources available online that can help you learn about SEO and how to do it yourself, including tutorials, blog posts, and video guides. You can also use SEO tools to help you with various aspects of the process, such as keyword research, website auditing, and on-page optimization. However, keep in mind that SEO is a complex and constantly evolving field, and it can take a lot of time and effort to do it effectively. It may be worthwhile to consider hiring a professional SEO company if you don’t have the time or expertise to do it yourself.
Is SEO still relevant in 2022?
Yes, SEO will still be relevant in 2022 and beyond. SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of improving your website’s visibility and ranking on search engine results pages. This is important because most people tend to click on the first few results on the search engine results page when they search for something, and a high ranking can help increase traffic to your website. In 2022 and beyond, search engines will continue to be a popular way for people to find information, products, and services online, so SEO will remain relevant as a way to help potential customers find your business. However, it’s important to note that the world of SEO is constantly evolving, and what works today may not work tomorrow. As such, it’s important to stay up to date with the latest SEO trends and best practices, and to adapt your SEO strategy as needed.
Is SEO a hard skill?
SEO, or search engine optimization, can be considered a hard skill because it requires a combination of technical knowledge, creative thinking, and analytical ability. SEO involves understanding how search engines work, and using that knowledge to make changes to your website that will improve its ranking on search engine results pages. This requires a good understanding of technical concepts such as website structure, HTML, and keyword research, as well as the ability to analyze data and make informed decisions based on that data. SEO also requires creative thinking, as you need to come up with ways to make your website stand out from the competition and attract the attention of potential customers. Overall, while SEO is not necessarily difficult to learn, it does require a certain level of knowledge, expertise, and experience to do it well.
Is it smart to use AI to write SEO content”
It depends on the specific situation and how the AI is being used. AI, or artificial intelligence, has the potential to help with SEO content writing by making the process more efficient and accurate. For example, an AI tool could be trained to understand the basic principles of SEO and to generate content that is optimized for specific keywords and topics. This could save time and effort for the content writer, and it could also help ensure that the content is SEO-friendly. However, it’s important to keep in mind that AI is not a substitute for human creativity and expertise. While an AI tool may be able to generate SEO-friendly content, it may not be able to create content that is engaging, original, or truly valuable to the reader. In addition, the use of AI for SEO content writing may raise ethical concerns, such as the potential for AI-generated content to be used for spam or manipulative purposes. Ultimately, whether or not it is smart to use AI for SEO content writing will depend on the specific situation and how the AI is being used.
Back to the Humans
This is a fun exercise and an opportunity to see some examples of AI at work writing content. Be wary with all of these tools. They are often very helpful, but they are also often sold as the full solution. The things that differentiate your site with SEO are the things that are hard to do. They are the things that personalize your content and make you stand out. Anything that is copying hundreds of others content is not going to help you stand out. It can however, help speed up some of the original steps of putting content together. Just make sure you use AI for good and not for evil. Respected SEO Glenn Gabe has already published some tools that detect poor AI content. If these tools can do it, know Google probably has an even more refined version built into the algorithm. If your small business needs help navigating this world, please give us a call. I love this stuff and have been helping people figure it out for over 15 years.
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