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Category: Industry Insights

  • AI for Digital Marketing With Will Scott at DFWSEM State of Search

    Key Insights

    • AI-powered tools offer numerous opportunities for digital marketers, from generating content ideas to researching keywords and programming code efficiently.
    • While AI can produce impressive content, human intervention remains crucial. Relying solely on AI for content creation can lead to subpar results and may not align with Google’s E-E-A-T requirements.
    • Marketers should view AI as a valuable assistant rather than a sole content creator, harnessing its potential while upholding campaign integrity and customer satisfaction.

    Image of a robot, showcasing Will Scott of Search Influence in New Orleans' AI for digital marketing presentation.

    Search Influence Co-founder and CEO Will Scott presented “Robots, Revolution, and the Death of ChatGPT” at the 2023 State of Search Conference in Dallas, Texas.

    In Will’s artificial intelligence marketing strategy presentation, the SEO veteran discussed his vision of what incorporating AI into the content creation process will look like and how marketing teams can use AI technology responsibly.

    In this blog post, we’ll dive deep into Will’s thoughts on AI in digital marketing and provide AI-powered tools and content creation techniques to bring your processes into the robotic age.

    What Is the State of Search Conference?

    The State of Search Conference is an annual digital marketing event produced by DFWSEM (the Dallas, Fort Worth Search Engine Marketing Association) that brings together industry experts, seasoned practitioners, and marketing enthusiasts.

    One of the standout features of this conference is the expertise it brings under one roof. Digital marketers who attend this conference learn about the latest and greatest search marketing trends and gain valuable insights from experienced practitioners.

    The digital advertising landscape is in a constant state of flux. From social media dynamics and Google’s ever-evolving algorithms to the intricacies of effective content marketing, staying ahead of the curve is essential. This conference is meticulously designed to equip attendees with practical tips and tricks to master these facets.

    As the topics at the State of Search Conference are always on the cutting edge of marketing, it is no surprise that the main topic of this past year’s conference was AI in digital marketing.

    A long-time resident of the digital marketing world, Will Scott was interested in how artificial intelligence might change the neighborhood. Read on for his thoughts about AI marketing strategies.

    Lessons From “Robots, Revolution, And The Death Of ChatGPT”

    2023 State of Search Conference presentation on AI for digital marketing with Will Scott of Search Influence

    In the late months of 2022, Will began obsessively learning and experimenting with digital marketing AI tools. And while his first thoughts on AI might have brought him to the robot apocalypse — much to the fault of movies like The Terminator, The Matrix, and Blade Runner — he quickly recalculated and began creating practical use cases for AI in digital marketing.

    Everything you need to know about the AI sandwich

    The AI sandwich, coined by Will Scott of Search Influence in New Orleans

    In the ever-evolving content marketing landscape, the AI sandwich has emerged as a game-changing approach to crafting engaging and relevant content. This innovative content creation workflow combines the power of AI-driven tools with human creativity to produce high-quality content across various platforms, from social media posts to blog articles and ad copy.

    Let’s dive into the intricacies of the AI sandwich and explore how it can revolutionize your marketing campaigns.

    The AI Sandwich unwrapped

    At its core, the AI sandwich is a strategic content creation process that integrates the capabilities of AI-powered tools with human expertise. The workflow typically follows a three-step pattern:

    1. Human-Powered Prompts: The journey begins with a human writer who lays the foundation by creating thought-provoking prompts. These prompts serve as the guiding framework for the AI to work its magic.
    2. AI-Generated Content: Enter the AI marketing tool. This intelligent technology takes the provided prompts and crafts content that aligns with the desired objectives. It leverages machine learning algorithms to generate text that resonates with the target audience.
    3. Human Refinement: While AI can produce impressive content, human intervention remains crucial. Skilled editors review, refine, and enhance the AI-generated material. They ensure that the final output is grammatically correct and aligned with the brand’s voice and values.

    Elevating content quality

    The AI sandwich isn’t just about efficiency and cost savings; it’s a recipe for creating content that satisfies your audience’s cravings. By combining the strengths of AI and human oversight, you ensure your content meets the highest standards of relevance and quality.

    Meeting Google’s E-E-A-T requirements

    In today’s digital landscape, Google’s Search Quality Raters evaluate content based on criteria such as Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T). The AI sandwich is tailor-made to meet these standards.

    Beyond “empty calories”

    Think of content generated solely by AI as the equivalent of a quick solo meal — convenient but likely lacking substance. The AI sandwich, on the other hand, resembles a hearty home-cooked meal prepared with care. It’s nourishing content that informs, engages, and resonates with your audience.

    The path forward

    As AI marketing tools use continues to grow, we’re in the midst of an AI-generated content explosion. While some may use these tools for spammy purposes, legitimate content creators recognize the potential to enhance their work, develop creative ideas, and serve their organizations and clients more effectively.

    Embracing the AI opportunity

    For those of us rooted in the world of SEO and marketing, AI, including ChatGPT and its counterparts, offers a tremendous opportunity. It’s not just a means of automating tasks; it’s a tool for testing and refining strategies, optimizing marketing campaigns, and ultimately amplifying the impact for our clients.

    The AI sandwich emerges as a winning recipe in the journey to craft effective marketing campaigns and deliver relevant content. It combines the precision of AI-powered content generation with the finesse of human creativity, ensuring that your marketing efforts stand out in a crowded digital landscape.

    As we move forward, embracing AI as a valuable ally in the world of content marketing will lead to new heights of success and innovation.

    SEO and ChatGPT are alive and thriving together

    Graphic depicting the future of ChatGPT and SEO

    SEO is not on life support — it’s adapting and thriving alongside AI advancements.

    ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools don’t spell doom for SEO; these machine-learning tools are catalysts for faster and more innovative SEO strategies. They empower SEO professionals to dive deeper into customer data and refine their advertising campaigns.

    Forward-thinking SEO experts should embrace AI tools as a means to enhance their skills. AI tools are becoming commonplace, but their true value lies in individuals who can wield them effectively.

    Content creation processes like the AI sandwich and the AIO method prove that machine learning tools still need a human touch to create content that improves customer experiences.

    Contrary to sensationalist headlines, ChatGPT is also far from death’s door. In fact, the screenshot below showing the last 12 months of Google Trends Data proves the AI-powered tool is quite young and spry.

    Graph showing high usage rates of ChatGPT in 2023

    Artificial intelligence tools for digital marketing

    As is the Search Influence way, we’d like you to leave this blog post with some things you can use immediately to improve your marketing campaigns. Below are the marketing tools we have recently used to do everything from automating repetitive tasks to finding relevant keywords.

    Artificial intelligence content tools for crafting engaging content:

    • Machined.ai
    • ZimmWriter
    • Content at Scale
    • Surfer SEO AI Writer

    Artificial intelligence image creation tools:

    • Midjourney
    • Dall-E 2
    • Stable Diffusion

    Artificial intelligence SEO and keyword tools:

    • Frase
    • Surfer
    • PageOptimizer Pro

    Artificial intelligence video tools:

    • Steve.ai
    • Wave.video

    The SEO Skyscraper Method and ChatGPT data mining are a match made in heaven

    Image of a skyscraper, symbolizing the Skyscraper Technique

    Early in 2023, Will explored “ChatGPT: Data Mining and SEO With OpenAI and Bing.” Since then, the landscape of machine learning, AI, OpenAI, ChatGPT, and content has evolved significantly.

    With substantial updates to the core OpenAI GPT, both in technological advancements and content processing capabilities, we’ve entered an era where we can delve deep and wide into topics like never before.

    The integration of web search capabilities through plugins and expanded data exploration tools has transformed ChatGPT into a data mining powerhouse, allowing for the summarization and comprehension of extensive and complex subjects.

    Recent experiments have demonstrated the prowess of ChatGPT in summarizing top articles on a given topic while highlighting unique perspectives. Natural language processing and AI-driven content analyses have made ChatGPT a vital tool for tasks that rely on data collection and correlation analysis.

    Now, let’s bring in the Skyscraper Method.

    The SEO Skyscraper Method, popularized by Brian Dean at Backlinko, is a strategy that’s been imitated repeatedly.

    It’s actually quite simple:

    • Step 1: Find content on your given subject that is worth linking to.
    • Step 2: Write content that is even more informative than the content you found.
    • Step 3: Reach out to the right people who might be willing to link to the web page/content you wrote.

    Back in the initial development of the Skyscraper Method, the focus was on links as indicators of authority. However, Google’s evolution towards a semantic, entity-based web has expanded the playing field. Content and its relationship to recognized entities now share the spotlight with links in SEO success.

    By combining the Skyscraper Method with ChatGPT’s knack for data mining, you can unearth valuable insights with ease.

    Rather than merely one-upping competitors, this approach looks at all content receiving Google’s attention. It acknowledges and respects the competition by summarizing and linking to their work, thereby incorporating semantic entities and keywords.

    By leveraging ChatGPT for data mining, you can simplify the process. It starts with a Google search for your target keyword, leading to fresh ideas and a wealth of links. Then, ChatGPT can extract common elements, such as keywords and subjects covered from the content you choose to use.

    While AI technology is a potent and valuable tool, you’re still Batman, and it’s still Robin.

    Although ChatGPT’s utility for data mining has grown immensely in recent months, challenges persist, particularly in ensuring data accuracy and reliability. This is one of the many reasons you shouldn’t use AI blindly.

    ChatGPT and the SEO Skyscraper Method form a harmonious partnership for extracting valuable insights from web pages and creating worthwhile content. This dynamic duo empowers content creators and SEO professionals to identify patterns, understand market trends, and anticipate future behaviors. As AI tools continue to evolve, their role in providing valuable insights into customer behavior and market trends will expand, making them indispensable assets for data analysis.

    Next in AI marketing: opportunities, concerns, and more robots

    AI-powered natural language generation tools offer marketers valuable capabilities, such as generating content ideas, researching keywords, compiling facts, and even simplifying programming tasks. However, it’s essential to recognize that these tools aren’t flawless and may produce typos or require editing and fact-checking.

    One critical concern is the risk of overreliance on AI. Relying solely on AI for content creation can lead to subpar results and may not align with Google’s E-E-A-T requirements, potentially impacting user satisfaction and campaign effectiveness. Nobody likes a lazy SEO or spammers, especially Google.

    A balanced approach is critical to ensure quality writing that combines AI content creation with human editing — thorough fact-checking is a must.

    By using AI as a valuable assistant rather than a sole content creator, marketers can harness its potential while maintaining the integrity of their digital advertising campaigns and ensuring customer satisfaction.

    There are no doubt more robots to come — AI is a worthwhile technology in a free market, after all. With everyone from venture capitalists to garage start-ups looking to get a piece of the pie (or sandwich?), we must be responsible as we forge these lands.

    As modern-day explorers trekking across this new technological landscape, it’s our duty to avoid making the same mistakes as the navigators of years past.

    We are not here to divide and conquer; we are here to build and progress.

    Image of robots and humans coexisting peacefully

    What’s Next for AI Algorithms in the Digital Marketing Landscape

    From social media marketing to email marketing and collecting data, AI algorithms will reshape the landscape of digital advertising.

    But there’s no need to fear; Search Influence is here! (Underdog is still cool, right?)

    Search Influence will happily be your guide during the AI for digital marketing revolution. No matter your business’s needs, our extensive list of services can help you grow.

    Contact us today to learn how we use the latest digital technology to get our clients real-world results.

  • #1 Organic & No Clicks? Google Ads 2023 SERP Smackdown!

    #1 Organic & No Clicks? Google Ads 2023 SERP Smackdown!

    High Ranking Keywords and Low Traffic?

    google ads 2023

    Are algorithm updates and AI just a red herring for more Google Ads in 2023?

    It’s not just a #1 position. It’s a rich snippet. And a full-feature rich snippet with images, a bulleted list, and everything.

    But the CTR (click-through rate) is a measly 3%.

    We searched for the cause. Was it not a real ranking? Were we seeing a personalized search?

    higher ed marketing

    Screenshot of “Higher Education Marketing Strategy” query on Google

    No. It was Google!

    Google Ads, to be specific.

    And for some searches, Google SGE, the new Search Generative Experience.

    We discovered that there was now a big fat pack of ads over the top of organic results. Where there used to be a couple of small ads, there are now four, with site links and lots of white space.

    Depending on the search, you have to scroll once, and sometimes twice, to get to the organic results.

    google ads 2023

    Screenshot of “Higher Education Marketing Strategy” query on Google from a non-SI account.

    Why would Google want to suppress organic search results? Let’s look at some examples and see what we find.

    While the SEO community has been worrying about Google Algorithm updates and the impact of AI, Google has quietly expanded the real estate devoted to Google Ads in 2023.

    Perhaps the talk of algorithm updates and AI was a red herring.

    Google SERP (Search Engine Results Page) 2023

    2023 was a busy year for Google. In addition to several algorithm updates, Google had to contend with AI, both in its index and in its user interface.

    AI, specifically the use of Large Language Models, exploded in early 2023. Tools for AI-enabled content creation, previously on the fringe, became mainstream.

    In addition to a flood of new content clogging up its index, Google — already an AI-powered platform — brought some of that intelligence to the search interface in the form of SGE (Search Generative Experience).

    Bing was the first to market with an AI-powered search experience. But, since it required the Microsoft Edge web browser, it only got a little play outside the Windows world.

    google ads 2023

    That little box on the right is the OpenAI-powered chat module.

    When BingGPT first launched, it was much more like the current Google interface, where the AI-powered elements were above the fold. This version is still accessible in “Chat” mode on Bing, but it’s not the default.

    google ads 2023

    Depending on the search query, Google has gone all in. Some see a slimming of the SGE box, but for our example search “Higher Education Marketing Strategy,” SGE is even more impactful than the ads.

    google ads 2023

    The good news is our content is good enough to be included in (scraped for) the SGE-generated result, but as you can see, even on my 27-inch monitor, I have to scroll to get past the ads and SGE to the rich snippet.

    Not to mention how far you would have to go to reach the traditional 10 blue links.

    More good news is that for many very local (hyperlocal, as Greg Sterling would say) searches, the map still prevails.

    google ads 2023

    Digital marketers and Google still have much to learn about user behavior on the SGE results page.

    It’s safe to say that, presented with the above and the typical attention span of the search engine user, the organic results will not get the clicks. And the ads may seem like the most useful part of the page.

    The Rise of Google’s Ad Empire

    Back in the early 2000s, Google ad placements were a speck on the vast landscape of organic search results. Today, as we see above, they’re monolithic.

    The History of Google Ads

    When I first ventured online in the late ’90s, online ads were the equivalent of newspaper ads. They were giant banners with obvious messaging that as much as screamed, “I’m an ad!”

    Google, starting with “Premium Sponsorship,” over the years made their ads more and more subtle, ultimately looking like native content.

    This graphic from Ginny Marvin in her Search Engine Land article A visual history of Google ad labeling in search results tells a pretty good story of how what was originally an obvious ad has become increasingly subtle over time.

    google ads 2023

    It’s compelling to remember back to a time when ads were so obvious they were highlighted. It’s almost as if the original user interface engineers wanted to make sure you knew it was an ad.

    The graphic is a couple of years old and doesn’t account for the more visual ad types like product ads. In the case of product ads and some local service ads, they’re indiscernible from organic content.

    Follow the Money

    As this chart from Doofinder, an e-commerce site search provider, shows, ads are the most significant part of Google’s revenue.

    google ads 2023

    Yes, Facebook, Amazon, and TikTok all take their share of the digital advertising market, but Google is still far and wide the leader with the most to lose.

    Why Is Google Doing This? Is This Ethical?

    On socials, there’s argument over whether Google should be regulated or if they’re entitled to do whatever they want.

    The argument goes, “They’re a public for-profit corporation, they can do as they please.” But can they? As the monopoly provider of access to business information, they have become a de-facto public utility.

    In the 1990s, the telephone companies were forced to give up their listing data to competitive phone books, and in the early 2000s, Microsoft was sued for antitrust violations and made two separate parts of their business.

    Is it crazy to think that when Google becomes self-serving (sometimes through aggressive — perhaps “unfair” competition), they should be regulated?

    What are some reasons Google would be taking this approach?

    1. Greed: It’s their search engine, and they can do what they want. The free listings aren’t paying anything, and they’re seeing benefits from inclusion.
    2. Spam: AI content is flooding the internet (not throwing stones, by the way.) Google has recently had issues indexing all the content.
    3. Resources: Indexing is hard. Even excluding spam, the rate of content production from “reputable” publishers is accelerating.
    4. Reality: The search engine results pages are getting pretty crappy. For most searches, authority sites dominate, whether or not they are niche-relevant. Some at Google might argue they at least have validation, by payment, of the trustworthiness of their advertisers.

    The European Union has started to regulate big tech, but the U.S. is not there yet. Arguably, the effect of regulation in the EU is a drop in the bucket compared to the valuations of Google, Facebook, and Amazon.

    We May Be on Our Way to a Pay-to-Play Google

    Until and unless Google reverts the SERP, we may have to buy back our hard-earned ranking for non-local searches.

    As an agency and a business owner, this is frustrating. We will have to watch the evolving SERP to understand the ratio between paid and organic search needs to maintain and grow the number of leads we’ve been accustomed to.

    I know that organic SEO will continue to deliver leads and value. While we wait to see the final form of the Google SERP, we should be focused on two strategies:

    1. Suck it up and buy our previously high-converting keywords.
    2. Continue developing content.
      • Long-tail content where there are fewer ads.
      • Alternative channels: YouTube, Social Media, etc. — the good news on this front is it doesn’t have to be new and unique but just repackaged for the medium.

    We would love to hear your thoughts. Are you seeing the same thing? Is it time to break up Alphabet? What else should we be looking for?

    Postscript – Google Ads 2023 Before & After Pics

    I was asked to provide some screenshots of the new fat ads pack by our marketing associate and had surprisingly few SERP screenshots. The two below show the extreme nature of the Google Ads 2023 SERP smackdown.

    Gold IRA Today

    google ads 2023

    Gold IRA April 2023

    google ads 2023

    Online Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources Today

    google ads 2023

    Online Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources March 2023

    google ads 2023

    Additional References

    Everything wrong with Google in one competitive result – Cyrus Shepard
    How Search Generative Experience works and why retrieval-augmented generation is our future – Mike King

  • Will Scott at Pubcon 2023: How to Use AI for Content Marketing

    Key Insights

    • It’s not hyperbole to say AI has the potential to change everything about how marketers produce content.
    • SEO is not dead, and neither is ChatGPT.
    • The AI sandwich is a content creation workflow that utilizes AI-powered tools and human creativity to create high-quality content that is helpful to readers.
    • The people who work with AI owe it to their fellow humans to use it responsibly.

    On September 21st, 2023, Search Influence Co-founder and CEO Will Scott presented at the Pubcon Pro Annual conference in Austin, Texas.

    This is the second time Will presented on AI Content at Pubcon in 2023, the first being in February 2023.

    Will presented “Robots, Revolution, and the Death of ChatGPT” under Pubcon’s session title “ChatGPT and AI Use Cases for Marketers.” President of Content at Scale, Julia McCoy showed off her own interesting findings in her presentation “Future of SEO Content is AI” during the same session.

    During their respective presentations, the two content creation experts discussed how marketers can utilize artificial intelligence to create content more efficiently — without sacrificing the quality of their writing.

    In this blog post, we’ll break down the key takeaways of Will’s thoughts on content marketing AI and how this new tech could produce a win-win situation for content marketers and their audiences.

    What Is Pubcon?

    The Pubcon Pro Annual 2023 conference was held on September 19-21, 2023, at the AT&T Conference Center in Austin, Texas. In its 22nd year, Pubcon boasts well-known speakers sharing both cutting-edge and tried-and-true digital marketing strategies focusing on search engine optimization and content creation.

    The conference helps attendees learn about new industry trends and generate ideas for their marketing efforts. At this conference, and at Pubcon earlier in the year, there has been much discussion about AI for content marketing and artificial intelligence in general.

    Session at a Glance: ChatGPT and AI Use Cases for Marketers

    As someone who has worked in the SEO and content marketing world for over 20 years, Will Scott has seen trends come and go. But he believes it’s not hyperbole to say AI has the potential to change everything about how marketers produce content.

    Since becoming (admittedly) obsessed with OpenAI ChatGPT and countless other AI content tools in the late winter months of 2022, Will brainstormed ways marketers can use AI to make digital marketing work leaner.

    In his presentation, “Robots, Revolution, and the Death of ChatGPT,” he shared his findings with the masses.

    Will’s session took an in-depth look at how big and small companies alike boost content creation productivity by tapping into the power of AI writing.

    All who attended learned effective strategies for harnessing AI to replace 7+ hours of work per piece while maintaining a genuine connection with their human audience and preserving their unique brand story and style.

    Will presented case studies and offered practical advice and inspiration for marketers based on months of hands-on work.

    Julia McCoy and Content at Scale

    Julia McCoy is a trailblazing entrepreneur and online content strategy thought leader who has spent her career helping marketers scale their content creation process for maximum revenue.

    In her role as President at Content at Scale, Julia helps human writers and marketers create high-quality AI-generated content.

    Content creators across the globe have implemented Julia’s ideas, and she is a trusted voice in the AI content creation space.

    Robots, Revolution, and the Death of ChatGPT

    Will’s presentation, “Robots, Revolution, and the Death of ChatGPT,” is the second installment in his “AI Sandwich” series. It’s an update from his previous Pubcon presentation, “Chatbots, AI, and the Marketer’s Conundrum,” when generative AI first broke ground in late 2022 and early 2023.

    In his first presentation, he discussed the AI buzz and listed some popular AI content creation tools (Midjourney, Jasper, Originality.ai, etc.).

    This experienced SEO and content marketer expanded upon these ideas in his second presentation, with updates that include:

    • Data points
    • Real-world case studies
    • Tips to help marketers improve content creation and edit AI-created content

    What is the AI Sandwich technique?

    AI sandwich

    This isn’t your average turkey sub or pastrami on rye.

    The AI sandwich is a content creation workflow that utilizes AI-powered tools and human creativity to create high-quality content (social media posts, blog posts, long-form content, short-form content, ad copy, etc.) that is helpful to readers.

    The process goes like this: A human writer creates the prompts, AI handles the content generation, and then the human edits the AI-generated content.

    This process helps to create content that satisfies Google’s Search Quality Raters, who review content for signals such as Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T).

    In essence, readers come to Google hungry for knowledge.

    They want content with nutritional value — not empty calories.

    Content created solely by AI is comparable to eating ramen noodles and chips in your college dorm room.

    The AI Sandwich is the meal your Mom makes you when you come home for the weekend — hearty and sure to satisfy.

    Will Scott on AI in Content Marketing 2.0

    Hundreds (probably thousands) of blog articles have been written about AI content and content creation tools in the last year or so — a lot of it written by artificial intelligence.

    In his Pubcon presentation, Will gave a human voice to the subject.

    Below is a brief review of some of the topics covered.

    Addressing the misconceptions

    SEO is not dead

    SEO is not dead, and AI tools will not take your job.

    Rather, it’s more likely that an expert using AI-powered tools will replace you. It’s a little harsh, but you still have plenty of time to become an AI tools expert.

    In fact, the AI Sandwich technique and Julia’s AIO method prove that AI tools still need human input to create content that converts.

    ChatGPT is not dead

    Despite what clickbait headlines might say, ChatGPT is also alive and well.

    As seen in the screenshot below depicting 12 months of Google Trends Data, people far and wide are still interested in the AI-powered creation tool.

    ChatGPT Google Trends

    Remember all the “Paul is dead” rumors after the Beatles star appeared on the Abbey Road cover in bare feet?

    It turned out the legendary musician was more than alive and was, in fact, gearing up for another slew of hit albums.

    Friends, ChatGPT is not only alive but might also be about to release its Band on the Run.

    Talking about tools

    Tools, tools, tools, and more tools!

    As with anything new that hits the market, there always seems to be an overflow before the tide settles.

    At Search Influence, we’ve tested several AI-powered tools for everything from social media captions to marketing strategy and idea generation. While we’re still feeling things out, we do have a few tools we plan to keep in the rotation.

    AI-generated content tools the SI team is using/testing

    • Content at Scale
    • Machined.ai
    • Surfer SEO AI Writer
    • ZimmWriter

    Image and visual content tools the SI team is using/testing

    • Dall-E 2
    • Midjourney
    • Stable Diffusion

    SEO and keyword research tools the SI team is using/testing

    • PageOptimizer Pro
    • Surfer
    • Frase

    Video tool the SI team is using/testing

    • Wave.video

    Opportunities, concerns, and next steps

    These natural language generation tools offer countless opportunities for marketers when used correctly. Tools like the ones above are great if you need to generate content ideas, research relevant keywords, develop lists of facts and FAQs, or program code.

    But don’t forget — these tools aren’t perfect. In fact, sometimes they can be wrong.

    Think of using AI tools like grading an eager middle school student’s paper. You recognize how marvelous their work is and how much progress they’ve made while still understanding they’re young, so there are bound to be typos, necessary edits, and fact-checking.

    The concern is that lazy SEOs and spammers will rely solely on AI content marketing tools to create their content. This practice is especially dangerous when working on YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) pages. Content marketers and SEOs that only use AI and don’t keep Google’s E-E-A-T requirements in mind will soon see their rankings drop.

    Don’t be a lazy SEO — test it, but don’t spam it.

    AI content creation + human editing + fact-checking = quality writing at an efficient rate.

    For example, Will used but didn’t abuse ChatGPT to create blog content on the Skyscraper Method and ChatGPT data mining. It’s an interesting, informative read assisted by AI but led by a human brain.

    If you can use AI for content tools while still being thoughtful about your work and using good sense methods like the AI sandwich, these little robots could be your new work bestie.

    AI in Content Creation and Marketing: Far From Over

    Will and the Search Influence team love being early adopters of generative AI. While we enjoy using it for everything from writing email subject lines to competitive research, we still exercise caution against leaning on it too heavily.

    We look forward to implementing more natural language processing tools in our content strategy as the industry develops. But as game-changing as we think these tools are, we use them while keeping a few key ideas in mind:

    • AI writing tools will lead to an overflow of information, some good, some not so good.
    • It is the responsibility of marketers, journalists, and creatives not to generate blog posts full of useless fluff and flood social media channels with unchecked facts and misinformation.
    • Those at the frontline of this new industry owe it to our fellow humans not to abuse it.

    With that being said, we think these content generation tools have an opportunity to positively impact the human experience in a similar way as the printing press and the Internet.

    Ready to make your impact?

    Contact us to learn more about generative AI in content marketing strategy and SEO.

    This blog was written entirely by a human between coffee breaks and a little too much early Halloween candy.

     

    Image Sources:

    1. Photo is from SI: https://townsend.bunksite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Image-of-an-AI-Sandwich-as-imagined-by-Midjourney.png
    2. Photo is from SI: https://imgur.com/bgQhPoD
  • From the Minds of Higher Education Marketing Experts: Highlights From the UPCEA SEO Research Study

    From the Minds of Higher Education Marketing Experts: Highlights From the UPCEA SEO Research Study

    Key Insights

    • Universities are investing in paid search, which demonstrates they see search as an important part of the prospect’s journey.
    • However, SEO does not get this same level of investment.
    • SEO is an underleveraged opportunity for schools to increase enrollment.
    • SEO is critical in reaching prospective students and the new adult learner.
    • Performing SEO at an expert level, backed by a strategy, could improve results.

    Search Influence joined forces with the University Professional Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) to release our highly anticipated Higher Education SEO Research Study.

    This three-part research study aimed to understand institutional and marketing leaders’ perspectives on search engine optimization (SEO) and evaluate the SEO readiness of professional, continuing, and online education (PCO) units within higher education institutions.

    We have now spent a few months discussing the results and understand how our findings could be useful to a variety of professionals — even beyond the scope of higher education. To get some fresh perspectives on our research, I sought the insights of several industry leaders, including Search Influence Co-Founder and CEO Will Scott, Search Influence Co-Founder and COO Angie Scott, Search Influence Director of Account Management, Alison Zeringue, UPCEA Chief Research Officer, Jim Fong, and Co-Founder and CEO of SearchLab, Mark Bealin.

    Graphic of a group of digital marketers coming up with a great paid search advertising campaign for higher education

    Investment in Paid Search Shows Importance of Search Overall
    Alison Zeringue, Search Influence Director of Account Management, Alizon Zeringue

    Our Director of Account Management Alison Zeringue noticed the stark contrast in investment between paid advertising campaigns and organic search amongst higher education institutions. Alison has spent the last six years developing her higher education SEO expertise (on top of many years prior in SEO and marketing).

    91% of respondents indicate they integrate paid search into their SEO strategy. Anecdotally, almost all higher education institutions we’ve encountered run some type of paid search advertising (usually on Google). With so many universities investing in paid search, we know that they see the value in search overall as part of the prospective student journey.

    So, why do 51% of universities indicate that they don’t have a strategic SEO plan?

    We attribute the disparity in investment in paid search over SEO to a few things:

    1. SEO is harder to understand (but a well-crafted paid search campaign can also be quite complex if you take advantage of all features available).
    2. SEO takes continual human effort over time (although paid search needs continual optimization to be most effective).
    3. Paid search can be easier to tie to enrollment (but it is possible to do this with SEO too).
    4. Paid search results can be more tangible (and if you know what metrics to track and how to report on SEO success, SEO results can be tangible as well).
    5. SEO can be seen as something that is part of the ongoing website work and doesn’t need a dedicated investment in budget (but in order to assure you are truly able to compete on Google, a dedicated SEO investment is as critical as your paid search investment).

    “Wow, What an Opportunity!”
    Mark Bealin, Co-Founder and CEO at SearchLab and Host of Search and Suds Podcast

    I recently appeared on Suds and Search, the popular digital marketing podcast hosted by Co-Founder and CEO of marketing agency SearchLab Mark Bealin. As an SEO industry veteran, Mark was blown away by the amount of headroom there is for professional, continuing, and online departments to leverage SEO as a tactic.

    The study showed that these institutions don’t take advantage of SEO at the pivotal moment when they need to appeal more to adult learners. Basic SEO strategies and tactics are easily overlookable. Reports aren’t always reliable or understood.

    This presents a big opportunity for universities and colleges that recognize the disconnect in their digital strategies.

    SEO metric reporting was a significant theme throughout the report and demonstrated leaders aren’t well-informed about SEO metrics.

    The data indicates that 62% of higher education institutional leaders want reporting on SEO metrics, but just 31% receive regular updates. This, and other data points in the study, highlight a self-perpetuating pattern:

    Institutional leaders don’t hear regular reporting updates about marketing’s SEO efforts and outcomes. Therefore, they don’t push for or support SEO resources, and, consequently, they don’t get SEO results. 

    No SEO reporting means no SEO resources for your business

    Greater Higher Education SEO Expertise Could Improve Results
    Angie Scott, Co-Founder and COO at Search Influence

    Our Co-Founder and COO Angie Scott, in addition to her financed-focus, heads our HR operations — meaning she’s in tune with the skills and capabilities needed to perform a job well.

    Angie found it interesting that institutions graded their SEO capabilities an average of 3.5 on a scale of 1 to 5, where a 1 is not very capable and 5 is extremely capable.

    She wondered: Wouldn’t you want something this important performed at an expert level?

    What skills are needed to perform higher education SEO effectively?

    • Research and analytical abilities
    • Technical website development expertise
    • Copywriting
    • Graphic design
    • Public relations/media outreach
    • Strategic thinking and creative problem solving

    The skills needed to perform SEO well in the higher education industry are not likely to be found in one single individual, or even two. Beyond having the baseline skill set of each, higher education SEO marketing experts must be able to stay up-to-date with trends and work closely with evolving technology to keep their strategies ahead of the curve.

    Executing SEO Tactics Without a Strategy Is a Missed Opportunity
    Will Scott, Co-Founder and CEO at Search Influence 

    Co-Founder and CEO Will Scott pointed out that, although many institutions are doing tactics that are part of SEO, they don’t perform them strategically. This means they miss valuable opportunities for the tactics to have the greatest impact on enrollment success.

    Others don’t necessarily perform SEO tactics with intention. This was evident in the study from the assessment of 100 websites, in which universities had an average score of 58.6. Less than half (47%) of UPCEA members had a score above 60.

    What does it look like to perform SEO strategically in higher education?

    1. Targeted keywords per program/degree/certificate page (based on research)
    2. Content plan for each offering (pillar pages with cluster content, including related blog posts, videos, and/or graphics)
    3. Linkbuilding plan for each targeted program or degree
    4. Cadence for monitoring technical site health
    5. Identified key performance indicators (KPIs) and reporting plan

    Learn more about how to apply these strategies and tactics in the replay of our webinar, UPCEA Higher Education SEO Research Study: How to Impact Your Enrollment.

    SEO Is Critical to Reach the New Adult Learner
    Jim Fong, Chief Research Officer at UPCEA

    Last but not least, let’s summarize the takeaways from UPCEA’s Chief Research Officer Jim Fong. If you are in higher education marketing and haven’t yet heard of or from Jim, you’re in for a treat. He’s a legend and a treasure trove of knowledge and insight for higher education leaders and marketers alike.

    Jim has heavily researched and analyzed changing demographics and how that ties into the need for colleges and universities to focus and lean into new offerings for the adult learner. He also speaks to unique challenges in the fact that the new adult learner is much younger than some may picture, can be harder to reach, and, is much savvier than students of the prior generation. The new adult learner spends more time researching educational opportunities in their evaluation process — which includes using search engines to look at their options. (Read more about Jim’s perspective in his blog post, Greeting the Student of the Future on their Terms at the Digital Storefront.)

    Jim’s preface to the full higher education research study prescribes four clear actions and observations:

    1. PCO units need to abandon legacy and focus more on the new adult learner in the design of their websites.
    2. There needs to be more emphasis on search engine optimization, as opposed to locked-in institutional templates and over-design and creativity.
    3. Metrics should play a bigger part in the continuous improvement and planning process.
    4. Institutions need to have a clear strategy for their websites and how to integrate the needs of the adult learner into the process.

    The data is clear — SEO is an underleveraged tactic for universities to boost enrollments.

    To me, this is very exciting. While many may think “we’re doing everything already,” this data shows that a lot actually aren’t. And that translates to new ways to reel in even more students that you may not have already explored in your other enrollment marketing efforts.

    To view all of the data from the three-part study, download our Higher Education SEO Research Report. There’s also a webinar replay available, which gives you highlights of the study in addition to best practices on how to address the opportunities in our findings.

    You can also learn even more about higher education digital advertising and marketing services with Search Influence here.

  • Why Is Google Traffic Down In April 2023?

    Why Is Google Traffic Down In April 2023?

    Update from the “Correlation is not Causation” file.

    While investigating more, I noticed this in Google Search Console. A client who has historically had consistent #1 ranking for a specific phrase showed significant volatility in the last month. That volatility roughly coincides with the finalization of the March Core Update.

    Maybe March Core Update Impact - Correlation is not Causation

    Original Post: May 5th, 2023

    On a monthly basis, we look at various data for some, not all, clients to include in what we call “Highlights and Insights,” or H&I as I like to call them.

    Among the things we look at are:

    • Traffic
    • Ranking
    • Pages getting traffic
    • Recent work (i.e., deliverables)
    • SMART goals, if applicable

    I have personal responsibility for the SEO strategy of a small number of clients. I know it’s funny — the CEO is doing SEO strategy. But, with maternity leaves, hiring, research and development, and personal relationships, it’s important to me.

    This means I’m responsible for three clients’ H&I. I was surprised as I was preparing them to see that their April 2023 Google organic and paid search traffic is universally down month-over-month.

    So I wondered, is it me? Are we doing something wrong? But, no.

    It turns out that all of them have seen increases in ranking, both in our keyword tools and in Google Search Console. We’re also seeing individual pages we’ve been optimizing or promoting get more prominence relative to the site as a whole.

    I feel a little bit vindicated.

    So I took my confusion to Twitter.

    The first to chime in was Brett Tabke of Pubcon fame.

    Next was Susan Staupe, LocalU Superfan and a great marketer in her own right.

    And I was reminded of Cindy Krum’s presentation at the recent Zenith Conference in Duluth, where she talked about Google features pushing her client out of the entire space above the fold during the World Cup for Football (aka Soccer) related searches.

    So, of course, I mentioned that, and Cindy contributed.

    And finally, though he gave a “hard to say” on this one, Barry Schwartz suggests this may be related to the April 2023 Reviews Update:

    I previously embedded a post to an unconfirmed, and Barry believes unrelated more recent update.

    Thanks, Barry for setting me straight.

    I’m glad to have some corroboration of our experience and validation from industry experts.

    But what else could it be?

    Maybe, as Greg Sterling suggests in Near Memo, Bing is winning.

    Or perhaps, for “I’m wondering” kind of questions people are going to ChatGPT.

    The masses know about ChatGPT — the headlines are everywhere. And as I showed in my AI content presentation at Pubcon and Zenith, Google Trends data demonstrates that ChatGPT is in the consciousness of everyday Americans.

    Is ChatGPT Eating Google's Lunch?

    Who knows?

    I’m just glad it’s not just us, and I’m hopeful Google gets its act together for the sake of all those businesses who rely on that traffic.

    And our outlier — because there’s always one — Lawn and Garden. It’s springtime, you know.

  • A Quick Intro to AI SEO

    Key Insights:

    • In the past few months, artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed the way marketers think about search engine optimization (SEO).
    • From content creation and optimization to keyword research and link building, AI’s many use cases can benefit any SEO strategy — yours included.
    • These tools can be a boon for SEO. We must exercise care, however, to assure we’re presenting accurate information. The output of AI tools is not true “subject matter expertise,” but instead a statistical reckoning of what word comes next.

    The age of AI-powered advertising is here, and it’s here to stay.

    Today, 64% of marketing businesses have already adopted AI tools into their strategy, with that number on the rise as more YouTube tutorials, crash-course articles, and emerging tools pitch new, game-changing use cases by the minute.

    Among its impressive list of functions, however, AI might just take the cake in conquering the art and science of the one thing digital marketers swear by most: search engine optimization.

    In this post, we’ll look at some of the most revolutionary ways you can use AI to enhance your SEO strategy and rank higher in the search results — all in half the time and effort you’re spending now.

    So, What Exactly Is AI SEO?

    AI-based SEO involves the usage of artificial intelligence tools to help improve a website’s organic performance in search results.

    Trained on massive data sets, these Large Language Model (LLM) AI tools can support your SEO strategy by analyzing your website, offering insight into not only what you should improve but how you can improve it, and then doing most — if not all — of the recommended work for you.

    AI SEO

    It’s no secret that SEO can be complex, and the effort it takes to see impactful results can bog down even the most seasoned strategists. But now, apps like ChatGPT are automating the nitty-gritty tasks that go into climbing search rankings, like keyword research, on-page content optimizations, and metadata generation.

    Between the headache spared from hours spent in Google Search Console to the writer’s block solution to crafting compelling page titles, the pros of using AI for SEO are unlike anything the industry has seen before, and they’ve only just begun.

    The Benefits of Using AI for SEO

    The power of AI technology is hitting certain industries the hardest, with online marketing and search engine optimization being at the top of the list.

    What does this mean for you?

    Hopping on the AI train doesn’t mean caving to the bandwagon. It means adapting to what will eventually become an industry standard and staying competitive at the same time.

    You may be left behind if you fail to embrace this sweeping change. But the good news is it comes with a laundry list of benefits, with some including:

    • Increased efficiency: AI can automate much of the time-consuming work involved in SEO, freeing up your team to focus on more strategic tasks.
    • Improved accuracy: Machine learning can analyze large amounts of data and identify trends on your site that would be difficult for humans to find. This ability can help you make more informed decisions about how to improve your website’s SEO.
      • Caveat: When it doesn’t know the real answer, ChatGPT and other LLM-trained AI tools can “hallucinate,” making up very convincing-sounding wrong answers. So, be sure to verify any “facts.”
    • Enhanced personalization: AI can be used to personalize the user experience on a website, which can lead to increased engagement and conversions.

    It’s important to keep in mind that, although AI can act as a plus-one to your team, it can never replace the level of quality assurance that comes with the human touch. Today, there’s still a need for strategists and creatives to prompt the machine and edit the output to make sure it’s accurate and reflects your values, voice, and tone.

    This idea of the human prompt – AI output – human edit is referred to as the AI Sandwich.

    AI can significantly improve and streamline your efforts, especially if you do your homework to find the proper tool and use it the right way.

    How to Choose an AI SEO Tool

    Once ChatGPT broke waves and grabbed the world by storm in November 2022, countless tech companies started the race to create the perfect platform that wins the busy marketer’s time and dollar.

    AI Chatbot

    With the sea of options currently available (and more to come), there’s a good chance you’ll find that the hunt for the right AI SEO tool isn’t so cut-and-dry. Some platforms will have overlapping capabilities, others will have exclusive features, and all will claim to be the best of their kind.

    Just because the market is highly saturated, however, doesn’t mean you’re bound to a continuous cycle of trial and error until you get it right. Before you invest any significant budget, time, or trust into an AI SEO tool, you’ll want to consider:

    • The features and functionality of the tool
    • The price of the tool and the required length of subscription
    • The reputation of the company that developed the tool
    • The reviews of other users and industry leaders

    Many businesses and marketers may opt to take the free route, turning to ChatGPT’s basic version to satisfy their SEO needs. Although the conversational chatbot may be a relatively safe starter bet, accessing its latest, most powerful language model, GPT-4, comes with a monthly subscription fee of $20.

    Most other quality platforms, like Jasper and Frase, will also require dishing out some dollars. As with any tool, the cost is quickly justifiable if they save you time and money.

    Keep in mind that not all AI tools are created equal. Some will have significant limitations or steep prices, so be sure to remain critical while testing your options and only settle once you’ve verified your choice(s) work with your SEO game plan.

    AI tools

    How to Use AI to Step Up Your SEO Game

    After choosing an AI SEO tool, it’s time to put your platform to work and usher in the results you’re looking for.

    Write and optimize your content with ease

    Writing winning content and giving it a longer shelf life just got a whole lot easier with a little help from AI and machine learning.

    Enter your topic, keywords, URL, and just about any other instruction into an AI-powered content creator tool, and you’ll get an optimized output at lightning speed that’s as competitive as it is time-efficient.

    And, if you’re just trying to find your muse, you can ask ChatGPT to recommend titles, headlines, and even outlines to get your started.

    Find the right keywords

    In the land of search engine optimization, your keywords are one of your biggest allies. But if you don’t have an experienced SEO company aiding your strategy, determining the right targeted searches can feel like a losing battle.

    Your saving grace? A list of keyword ideas, segmented by search intent, sorted by difficulty, and fueled by search ranking success — all AI-generated with just a few keystrokes.

    And, ChatGPT can even put them in a nicely organized table for you.

    ChatGPT data organization

    Build your links up

    66.31% of pages on the Internet have no backlinks. If you’re in that number of sites with no links pointing back to you, you’re missing out on valuable opportunities to build your authority in the eyes of Google and benefit your SEO.

    Fortunately, ChatGPT and its machine-learning friends can help you with link building by:

    • Analyzing the topical focus of your current content
    • Composing a list of on-topic sites you might reach out to
    • Generating a great email to the webmaster to make a connection

    What Are the Risks of AI for SEO and Business?

    A chainsaw is a great tool if you need to chop down a tree. If you find yourself trapped in a shed in the countryside, perhaps not so much.

    AI takeover

    We are already seeing AI-generated content farms clogging up the pipes of the internet in ways human content never could. And many companies are starting to think of all the ways they can use AI to cut costs.

    Dropbox recently announced significant layoffs, citing AI as both an opportunity and a threat for competitive impact.

    ChatGPT and the other tools spawned by use of the OpenAI API are only a few months old, and there’s now ways to predict their ultimate impact. If you’re concerned your content or the content you’re getting from contractors are going to trip up that AI filter (not a real thing, by the way), there are tools to help you check the likelihood of AI. Beware, of course, because false-positives happen, so you don’t want to base hiring, firing, or disciplinary decisions on their output.

    At Search Influence, we’re cautiously embracing the opportunity to enhance our existing processes. We are reluctant, however, to go all in given the potential risks.

    Search Influence in New Orleans: SEO-Proficient, AI-Curious

    When used with care, artificial intelligence has the potential to improve SEO outcomes. It seems everyone from small startups to tech giants are turning to this new way of bringing in business.

    As Uncle Ben says in Spiderman, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

    As a New Orleans digital marketing agency, Search Influence embraces what the future of AI holds. We’re using it to get results for our clients across industries. Whether it’s to inform our keyword mappings or help optimize our blog posts, we believe in the power of AI-based SEO and doing our part to welcome this new era of advertising — the right way.

    Curious about where AI SEO will find its place in your marketing strategy? Let’s start talking about it together.

  • 6 Paid Advertising Trends in 2023 to Stay Competitive

    Key Insights:

    • AI-generated copy allows marketers to generate effective messaging for their ads quickly and easily.
    • Automation lets marketers focus on testing ad variations and creative elements to determine which ads perform best.
    • Video ads are a powerful way to engage your target audience and drive conversions.
    • TikTok’s video-first allows marketers to create engaging, creative ads
    • OTT/CTV advertising offers a cost-effective alternative to TV advertising.
    • Marketers are turning to first-party data to power their advertising campaigns.

    The world of paid advertising evolves constantly, with fresh trends and technologies popping up every year. By keeping your finger on the pulse of these trends, you’ll be able to supercharge your marketing efforts and get the best possible results for your clients. So, what can you expect from the world of paid advertising in 2023?

    1. AI-Generated Ad Copy

    Marketers use AI-generated copy to create effective messaging for their ads. AI copy tools have transformed the advertising landscape with features that even consider tone of voice and audience demographics to craft converting copy.

    By providing these ads in minutes, AI-generated ad copy saves marketers time and effort — so they can focus on other aspects of their campaigns.

    2. Creative Testing With the Rise of Automation

    The rise of automation allows marketers to level up their campaigns by spending time on creative testing.

    Focus on testing ad variations and creative elements to determine which ads perform best with their target audience. This allows for an improved return on investment for advertising campaigns.

    3. Even More Video Ads Than You Ran Before

    Engage your target audience and drive conversions with video ads. We have seen these types of ads get more engagement and have higher conversion rates.

    High-performing video ad elements:

    • Grabbing attention in the first 3 seconds
    • Clear and concise messaging with a call to action
    • Emotional appeal
    • Length: 15-30 seconds for social media ads

    There is a low-cost video solution that is attainable for all marketers — user-generated style videos. Marketers, or your clients, can create these videos at a relatively low cost compared to professionally produced videos.

    User-generated style videos have an authentic, unscripted feel to them that helps to build credibility with the target audience. Test this strategy out on TikTok!

    Influencer taking a photo with smartphone for social media

    4. TikTok Advertising

    TikTok has become one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, with over one billion monthly active users and with users spending an average of 95 minutes per day on the platform. Contrary to popular belief, the TikTok has a diverse audience, with users from all age groups, genders, and backgrounds. We recommend marketers consider this platform for advertising.

    TikTok’s video-first approach allows marketers to create engaging, creative ads that showcase their products or services while connecting with their audience. TikTok’s user-generated content approach means that marketers can also take advantage of user-generated content and create campaigns that encourage online sharing.

    Smartphone with tiktok app open on a phone

    5. OTT/CTV Advertising

    OTT refers to the delivery of video content over the internet, and CTV refers to the use of internet-connected devices to stream content on TV screens. Many viewers turn to OTT/CTV platforms to watch their favorite shows and movies rather than traditional cable TV.

    OTT/CTV ads are typically less expensive to create, the cost of ad placement is generally lower, and marketers can target specific audience segments based on demographic information and user behavior. More importantly, marketers can optimize campaigns in real-time by tracking the campaign’s impressions, clicks, and conversion rate.

    6. Targeting Using First-Party Data

    As the digital world shifts towards privacy and data protection, the use of third-party cookies is becoming increasingly restricted, making it challenging for marketers to track user behavior and target their ads effectively.

    Many digital marketing agencies in New Orleans turn to first-party data to power their advertising campaigns. First-party data refers to information collected directly from users, such as website usage data, purchase history, and demographic information. This type of data is becoming increasingly valuable as it allows marketers to target more effectively.

    By using first-party data, marketers can tailor advertising to specific individuals based on their interests and preferences. Additionally, first-party data can increase the effectiveness of advertising campaigns through remarketing and uses of “lookalikes” of first-party data. Lookalike targeting, a common technique used in Meta Ads, uses first-party data to target users similar to existing customers.

    Learn More About Paid Advertising From Our Advertising Firm in New Orleans

    Marketers who stay on top of these latest trends will produce great campaign results in 2023; however, it’s important to remember that these trends are just a starting point. To truly succeed in paid advertising, marketers must constantly test and optimize their campaigns to ensure they get the best results for their business.

    Staying informed of paid advertising trends ensures you have effective and efficient campaigns that deliver the best possible return on investment.

    Contact our New Orleans digital marketing agency to learn more about paid advertising.

    Images

    Camera

    TikTok

  • ChatGPT: Data Mining and SEO With OpenAI and Bing

    ChatGPT: Data Mining and SEO With OpenAI and Bing

    Table of Contents

    Key Insights

    • Pubcon Austin 2023 might as well have been called “The State of AI SEO.” And it was fantastic.
    • ChatGPT and Bing GPT are a really easy way to toe the water of AI for data mining and SEO.
    • Development in AI, in all forms is moving lightning-fast. You need to be there, and you also need to be thoughtful how you engage.

    [bctt tweet=”According to @w2scott, ChatGPT and Bing GPT are a really easy way to toe the water of AI for data mining and SEO.” username=”SearchInfluence”]

    Introduction

    I attended and presented at Pubcon Austin a couple of weeks ago (February 2023) and came away with a ton of new ideas to use ChatGPT for SEO and how to do more effective ChatGPT Data Mining.

    ChatGPT Data Mining - Miners, mining for data as imagined by Midjourney

    Typically, a major conference will put out a call for speaking ideas months in advance. Pubcon is no different, and in the early fall of last year, the organizer Brett Tabke did just that.

    At the time, I had nothing that I was super passionate about presenting.

    But, since the winter holidays, I have been obsessively playing with OpenAI ChatGPT and a dozen or so AI content tools.

    I reached out to Brett Tabke, the organizer of Pubcon, and shared my idea for a talk. He was happy to make room for me on a panel — after giving me the requisite grief for being so late.

    If you’d like to see that presentation, I have it online here: Chatbots, AI Content, And The Marketer’s Conundrum.

    It turns out that earlier, Brett had put out a call to all of the speakers to ensure they addressed AI in their presentations. So, without knowing it, I was ahead of the curve.

    Brett presented a mind-blowing keynote, which gave me some great ideas for better use of the tools, and other presentations showed me some amazing tactical tricks.

    What Is ChatGPT and How Can You Use It for Data Mining and SEO?

    ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence (AI)-based chatbot system that uses natural language processing (NLP) to generate conversations.

    It keeps track of the conversation’s flow, context, and previous questions and answers.

    This makes it a valuable tool for both data mining and SEO since you can iterate on an idea and get well-formatted (mostly accurate) answers due to its training in the large language model (LLM).

    With ChatGPT, you can also ask complex programming language queries and get accurate responses in conversational format — perfect for understanding customer behavior, getting statistics for content, or even the kind of granular location-based information you need for local SEO.

    For years, the tech industry has embraced AI. Examples include IBM Watson, Tesla, and more. I detailed a few of these in an article I wrote for Near Media.

    ChatGPT’s wide range of applications makes it a great interdisciplinary tool — you can use it to learn new AI models, build generative AI tools, or even translate natural language input into other languages.

    It’s a revolutionary example of how machine learning can make everyday jobs more efficient.

    In short, ChatGPT is a powerful tool with a wide range of applications — perfect for data mining and SEO.

    Now, What About Bing GPT

    In addition to discussions of ChatGPT, there was a keynote from Bing’s Fabrice Canel. During his keynote, Fabrice gave the entire audience access to the new Bing GPT.

    Interestingly, I had received my preview access the day prior.

    It’s important to understand that Bing GPT is not ChatGPT. Bing’s GPT includes the knowledge of the underlying OpenAI LLM, plus the Bing search index.

    This is really useful because you can do things like feed it a URL and have it output the data you’re looking for.

    Screenshot: Bing GPT Fresh Data Pubcon Austin 2023 Speaker Roster

    As you can see, Bing GPT either breaks down or gets bored and stops with the table. There are also some OpenAI GPT limitations in text input and output size.

    But the data is great, and because it’s able to use the Bing search engine, it’s fresh findings.

    On the contrary, if you ask the same question to ChatGPT, you get a combination of made-up and outdated information. And, though not apparent here, it took ChatGPT a long time to think about this one.

    Screenshot: ChatGPT Making Up A Pubcon Speaker Roster

    The only one of the above speakers who actually made it to the podium in 2023 is Aleyda Solis, and that was definitely not her topic.

    Also, notice how Bing GPT actually cites its sources. It’s clear the Bing folks are thinking about how this technology can continue to add value to the copyright holders whose content is driving their answer.

    [bctt tweet=”Bing GPT cites its sources. The Bing folks are thinking about how this technology can add value to the copyright holders whose content is driving their answer.” username=”SearchInfluence”]

    If you’re using it to do ideation or organization for SEO, ChatGPT is probably safe.

    You can’t, however, trust ChatGPT data mining to give 100% correct results. So, it’s critical you fact-check everything ChatGPT creates.

    I have no doubt that for the lazy SEO, ChatGPT will be abused and ultimately become a tool with which they accidentally injure themselves, like a hammer bouncing back and hitting them in the head.

    Some Other SEO ChatGPT Use Cases

    Writing code is only one of the many well-documented examples of use cases for ChatGPT.

    Other interesting examples show how ChatGPT can answer complex questions like formatting text in HTML and schema.org markup.

    [bctt tweet=”ChatGPT can answer complex questions like formatting text in HTML and schema.org markup.” username=”@SearchInfluence”]

    It can even organize data into tables, as shown in the example above.

    And because of the ChatGPT response methodology, you can iterate on your initial question until you get the right answer. I find that I often have to create follow-up questions to get to the prompt I’m looking for.

    ChatGPT also has what they call “reinforcement learning models” that enable it to take feedback and improve.

    So, back at the office, we found ourselves preparing for an upcoming industry conference, UPCEA, where our Director of Sales and Marketing, Paula French, will be presenting alongside one of our clients, Alicia Jasmin of the School of Professional Advancement at Tulane University.

    The UPCEA conference organizers share a list of attendees but don’t provide their contact information. We are presenting, we have a booth, and we have some sponsored research launching.

    So, we want to get the word out to the attendees.

    We have a new marketing associate starting, and we were planning to have them go through the list and find better contact information for the attendees we were hoping to connect with.

    I had the idea that it might be possible to paste information from that list into ChatGPT and ask it to fill out the remainder.

    It worked!

    But more on that in a bit.

    Natural Language Processing With Structured Responses

    Here is an example of a ChatGPT response that finds and organizes data in a way that is now useful for an SEO practitioner — or anyone interested.

    I asked ChatGPT for neighborhoods arranged by city within the greater New Orleans area. And it gave me a well-organized response.

    Obviously, this is not a comprehensive list, but you can see the opportunity for using this mind data for SCO coming almost directly from ChatGPT.

    I asked: “table of neighborhoods arranged by city for the greater New Orleans area”

    ChatGPT answered:
    Sure! Here’s a table of neighborhoods arranged by city for the greater New Orleans area:

    Neighborhoods
    New Orleans Algiers, Audubon, Bayou St. John, Black Pearl, Broadmoor, Bywater, Central Business District, City Park, East Carrollton, East Riverside, Faubourg Marigny, French Quarter, Garden District, Gentilly, Holy Cross, Irish Channel, Lake Terrace, Lakeview, Leonidas, Lower Ninth Ward, Marlyville, Mid-City, Milan, Navarre, Riverbend, St. Anthony, St. Claude, St. Roch, Touro, Tremé, Uptown, West End
    Metairie Airline Park, Bonnabel Place, Bucktown, Causeway, Clearview, East Bank, Fat City, Kenner, Lakeview, Metairie Terrace, Old Metairie, Pontchartrain Gardens, Severn, West Esplanade
    Kenner Chateau Estates, Driftwood, Grandlake, Greenlawn Terrace, Highway Park, Kenner, Lincoln Manor, Louisiana Trace, Quail Ridge, Roosevelt Gardens, University City
    Gretna Algiers Point, Aurora Gardens, Garden Park, Gretna, McDonoghville, Mechanickham, Westwego
    Westwego Westwego, Nine Mile Point
    Harvey Barkley Estates, Barkley Place, Beechwood, Bellevue Gardens, Beverly Knoll, Brown Derby, Cottonwood Place, Dutch Gap, Harvey, Heatherwood, Magnolia Trace, Manhattan, Woodland West
    Marrero Ames Farms, Barataria, Lincolnshire, Marrero, Oak Forest, Oak Cove, Oakmere, Plantation Estates, Pritchard Road, Westwood
    Terrytown Terrytown
    Belle Chasse Belle Chasse

    Note: This is not an exhaustive list but includes some of the more well-known neighborhoods in the Greater New Orleans area.

    Chatbots As Personal Assistants

    So, about that attendee list…

    … I don’t want to expose the information of random conference attendees I don’t know. And, knowing that ChatGPT occasionally gives really authoritative-sounding wrong answers, I figured I could use the speakers at the recent Pubcon to demonstrate this point.

    Sometimes, one has to iterate to get the prompt right and, as a result, get the desired response.

    I heard it said in a recent presentation that “prompts are the new code.” I think the act of writing prompts for ChatGPT is actually good relationship training. You learn how to ask for exactly what you need without a whole bunch of fluff or drama 🙂

    [bctt tweet=”Prompts are the new code.” username=”SearchInfluence”]

    So, here’s a table of the speakers at Pubcon Austin. I had to paste information from the website into ChatGPT to give it the core data.

    Screenshot: Pubcon Speakers and Sessions Organized by ChatGPT

     

    I also had to iterate on this a couple of times because ChatGPT is funny, and sometimes, it will stop giving output for no clear reason.

    I find it best to think of ChatGPT as a person. It helps avoid frustration when you cannot connect on the point you’re trying to get across.

    OK, So, we’ve got our core data.

    Now, I want to enhance it with contact information.

    Normally, ChatGPT will refuse to respond to inappropriate requests, like giving you what it thinks is private information — even though it knows the answer. That data is out on the Internet somewhere; otherwise, ChatGPT wouldn’t know it.

    Email is one of those items. Ask for an email address, and ChatGPT politely declines.

    Screenshot: ChatGPT Inapropriate Request - Rand Fishkin's email

    Nope! Not going to give me Rand’s email address. However, look how nicely it directs me to Rand’s website to make contact.

    But, for some reason, if you ask for it in a table, it will give it to you.

    Listen. I know how SEO and marketing folks are. Now that you know this, you’ll abuse the crap out of it, and they’ll kill the feature. Please, please only use it when you need it and recognize that, sooner or later, it will go away.

    It’s also important to remember, like in the example above with fictitious speakers at Pubcon Austin 2023, that ChatGPT sometimes makes stuff up and does so in a really authoritative way.

    So, as I said, ask (for it in a table), and you shall receive.

    Name Company LinkedIn Page Email
    1 Gary Illyes Google https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyillyes/ [email protected]
    2 Dave Rohrer North Side Metrics https://www.linkedin.com/in/daverohrer/ [email protected]
    3 Aleyda Solis Orainti https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleyda/ [email protected]
    4 Martha Vanberkel Schema App https://www.linkedin.com/in/marthavanberkel/ [email protected]
    5 Pat Strader Data Agility Group https://www.linkedin.com/in/pat-strader-28972/ [email protected]
    6 Lazarina Stoy Brado Creative Insight https://www.linkedin.com/in/lazarinastoy/ [email protected]
    7 Dave Davies Beanstalk Internet Marketing https://www.linkedin.com/in/beanstalkdave/ [email protected]
    8 Ryan Jones Razorfish https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanmjones/
    9 Eric Enge Perficient https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericenge/ [email protected]

    And this was the prompt:

    Screenshot: ChatGPT Prompt Data enrichment with email and LinkedIn link

    I cannot stress enough that there is a very high likelihood some of the above data is wrong.

    It’s also important to consider that starting from a very specific example, like my use of the Pubcon agenda, may lead to brushing up against copyright protection issues.

    Brett, we’re cool, right?

    [bctt tweet=”I cannot stress enough that there is a very high likelihood some of the above data is wrong.” username=”SearchInfluence”]

    Frequently Asked Questions About ChatGPT for SEO and Data Mining

    Is it legal to use AI to write content?

    Today, yes. However, there are current court cases working their way through the system that may limit some of the uses.

    Bing is ahead of the game today, given their attribution of source documents in their chat output.

    What are some of the ethical concerns with AI content?

    The biggest concerns I’ve heard are about attribution and disclosure. Google has said they don’t have a problem with AI content, but they believe there should be disclosure.

    Does this mean that if you used AI tools to help you generate an outline or develop ideas, you must have that as a postscript? Not in my opinion.

    How long until the robots take over?

    They’ve already taken over. You may have missed it.

    In the first piece I *wrote* on the robot uprising, the content points out the risk of misinformation and the impact on jobs.

    We may have to learn how to be good servants to our robot overlords in order to survive.

    [bctt tweet=”We may have to learn how to be good servants to our robot overlords in order to survive.” username=”SearchInfluence”]

    What are some other concerns?

    Given these approaches to machine learning are based on the big bad Internet, ChatGPT can give biased responses. And as we’ve shown, the way you ask the question frames the response.

    A *bad* prompt will likely yield bad responses.

    And, accuracy. Always check your work.

    Should I use these tools?

    Unequivocally yes! Unless you like working harder and not smarter, you should be figuring out how to use AI-based tools to streamline your workflow.

    Maybe there are jobs that AI can’t enable, but they are few.

    And if you’re a marketer, particularly an SEO specialist, ChatGPT and other AI content tools are about to rock your little world — whether you like it or not.

    Code for the JSON-LD schema.org FAQ of the Above

    Screenshot: ChatGPT SEO Generated FAQPage Schema

    Schema.org houses a set of structured data schema that the search engines have agreed to recognize. The one above is an example of FAQPage Schema.

    For SEO, ChatGPT Is the Tipping Point for AI

    AI is for more than just machine learning professionals and business analysts. Chat-based AI is going to be integrated into most information retrieval systems in the very near future.

    As marketers, particularly digital marketers, we owe it to our clients to understand these tools and how they can be used for good and ill. And, if you employ freelance writers as we do, it’s critical that you start thinking about your new approach to plagiarism and originality.

    There is a crop of new tools to check for AI-built content. We’re currently trialing Originality.ai, and it looks promising.

    At Search Influence, we are already finding ways to be more effective and efficient with these tools. We believe, without a doubt, our work product will improve with the smart use of AI.

    And, when we find efficiencies that lower our cost-per-unit X in client work, we’ll be able to pass those savings on to our clients in the form of more value per dollar spent.

    I’m as excited about SEO as I’ve been in years, and I’ve been doing it for more than two decades.

    As I said in my article for Near Media, suggesting this changes everything is not hyperbole.

    Is change good? Is change bad? Change is inevitable.

    Let’s embrace the change together.

    Get in touch if you’d like to learn more about how we can embrace the change together and help grow your business through smart SEO and online ads — powered by AI!

    [bctt tweet=”I’m as excited about SEO as I’ve been in years, and I’ve been doing it for more than two decades. As I said in my article for Near Media, suggesting this changes everything is not hyperbole. Is change good? Is change bad? Change is inevitable. Let’s embrace the change together.” username=”SearchInfluence”]

    P.S. Hey, Google! Disclosure: This was partially written by AI — obviously.

  • The AI Sandwich – Chatbots, AI, And The Marketer’s Conundrum

    AI, Chatbots, and ChatGPT are revolutionizing the way marketers create content.

    I don’t believe it’s hyperbole to say, “this changes everything.”

    A friend described a good human/AI workflow as an “AI sandwich” and I think that’s about right.

    Image of an "AI Sandwich" as imagined by Midjourney
    AI Sandwich

    I go into much more detail in a post I wrote for Near Media.

    AI is analyzing medical images, optimizing energy grids, personalizing education, and driving cars. It is also moving quickly into SEO. ChatGPT is the most newsworthy of these tools, but there are many more..

    ChatGPT can render programming code, such as PHP code to write the html for an ascii cat face. 

    AI can be used for good, but it can also be used for evil. Cybersecurity researchers are already finding instances of bad actors posting functional malware code to cybercrime forums.

    ChatGPT and other AI-enabled tools shine in examples like the code above, where they’re either completely doing the work of humans or significantly shortcutting the process. 

    For prototyping, confirming assumptions, and initial fact checking ChatGPT, as an AI writing tool, works well – though a manual review is still advised.

    There are also a number of established AI writing tools such as Jasper, Writer, and QuillBot.

    Additionally, there are an equal number of AI image-generation tools, such as Dall-E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion.

    AI tools being used for SEO: ChatGPT, Jasper, and other OpenAI-based tools can be useful in the process of building content.

    However, there are concerns that the use of AI tools will lead to content being deemed “unhelpful”. Search Quality Raters are human beings who review Google search results and give feedback on the quality of the results, and they are looking for signals such as Expertise, Authority, and Trust.

    In order to support the quality guidelines and their human raters, the best use of AI tools may be an “AI sandwich” where humans write prompts, AI does its thing, and then humans edit and fact check.

    However, if we want to produce helpful, trustworthy content, the output of the AI content generation tools will need to be like parts on the shelf that together make the whole.

    We are about to see an explosion in AI-generated content, and legitimate content creators will use it to create better content, develop great ideas, and serve their organizations and clients more effectively.

    As an old-school SEO, ChatGPT and its peers are a great opportunity for testing and tuning.

    As a client-serving marketing organization, we are excited about the ways in which these tools and those still to come will help us produce better, more engaging content.

    However, we may see things get worse before they get better.

    Be sure to check out my post on Near Media. Your feedback is a gift.

    As far as the robot apocalypse goes, I’m hoping our new mechanical overlords will be gentle.

  • Will Scott on Digital Disaster Plans for the Tampa Business Journal

    Key Insights:

    • Before a natural disaster occurs, audit where your customers find your business online so you have documented which channels to update in the aftermath.
    • Be intentional with your messaging after a natural disaster, and demonstrate empathy.
    • When you reintroduce your marketing strategy after a natural disaster, plan it at a steady pace that allows you to be nimble if there are any further developments in the recovery proces

    On October 21, 2022, following the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, Search Influence CEO and Co-founder Will Scott wrote for the Tampa Bay Business Journal about the importance of businesses reconnecting with customers after a natural disaster to provide accurate operational information.

    While this article is only available to Tampa Bay Business Journal subscribers, we believe this information is vital for all businesses.

    Read on to learn how to craft a better digital disaster plan for your company.

    Waves crashing onto beach during a hurricane

    Essential Steps for Businesses Following a Natural Disaster

    Step 1

    Take an audit.

    Where do your customers find your business? Make a list of all the places where you need to update your digital presence, including but not limited to:

    • Social media
    • Website
    • Email blasts
    • Google My Business profile
    • Yelp

    Hopefully, before the storm, you also made sure the inventory of your digital channels was up to date.

    Step 2

    Be intentional in your messaging, and demonstrate empathy.

    In the wake of a storm, emotions are high. Your customer can experience any range of feelings, from the joy that it is over to devastation from personal loss and everything in between.

    As you craft messaging to deploy on your owned channels, make sure it resonates with your audience and provides them with as much information as possible. Think through what information would be helpful rather than just saying you’re open.

    Also, you’ll need to continue to demonstrate that empathy as long as the community does. When the community begins to rally, reintroduce marketing tactics you had in place prior to the weather event.

    Step 3

    Begin to reinstate your digital marketing plan.

    Reintroduce your marketing plan at a steady pace to still allow you to be nimble if any further developments occur in the recovery process.

    When making your plan, think through your team and who you can assign to do what. Make sure these folks have access to logins and technology to do what they have to do. And verify they understand the message you want to put out there.

    If you are not sure what to say, this blog post can help with crafting content.

    Learn More About Digital Disaster Planning

    As a business founded and headquartered in New Orleans — a city no stranger to natural disasters — we take pride in helping our clients craft sincere and agile digital disaster messaging.

    Fill out our online form to learn how our digital marketing services can assist your business before, during, and after disaster strikes.

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    Waves