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  • AI Search Optimization for Graduate Education Marketing in 2026

    What 2025 Research Tells Us About AI Visibility, Zero-Click Search, and Enrollment Strategy

    Executive Summary

    Here’s the reality: the way prospective graduate students find and evaluate programs has changed faster than most of us anticipated. Research from across 2025 — including original survey data from UPCEA and Search Influence (n=705) — shows that half of all prospects now use AI tools weekly, while 82% are more likely to consider programs appearing on page one of search results. Zero-click searches have climbed to 69% of all Google queries. AI Overviews now appear on nearly half of search results.

    And this is just where we are today. The trajectory for 2026 is clear.

    Key Findings at a Glance

    Metric 2025 Finding Implication for 2026 Source
    AI tool usage (weekly+) 50% of prospects Expect 60%+ as tools improve UPCEA/Search Influence
    Page one consideration 82% more likely AI citations become equally critical UPCEA/Search Influence
    Zero-click searches 69% of queries Will exceed 75% for informational Similarweb/SparkToro
    AI Overview reach 1.5B monthly users Expanding to 80%+ of queries Google Q1 2025
    ChatGPT weekly users 800 million Continued exponential growth OpenAI September 2025
    AI in college search 23% (6x from 2023) 35-40% projected Carnegie 2025

    So what does this mean for 2026? Traditional higher education SEO and paid search remain foundational—that hasn’t changed. But they’re no longer sufficient on their own. Institutions that fail to invest in AI search optimization and AI visibility strategy risk disappearing from the consideration set entirely, before prospects ever visit a website.

    The institutions that act now on GEO for higher education will have a 12-month head start on those still debating whether this matters.

    The State of AI Search: Where We Are and Where We’re Headed

    The Adoption Curve Has Been Steeper Than Anyone Expected

    I’ll be honest: when we started tracking AI adoption in college search two years ago, I didn’t expect to see numbers like these so quickly.

    According to Carnegie’s 2025 Summer Research Series, AI usage in the college search process jumped from 4% in 2023 to 10% in 2024 to 23% in 2025—nearly 6x in two years. Rising students show even higher adoption at 25%, while parents trail slightly at 21%.

    If this trajectory holds—and there’s no indication it won’t—we’re looking at 35-40% AI usage in college search by the end of 2026. For graduate and professional programs, where prospects skew older and more research-oriented, adoption may be even higher.

    The UPCEA/Search Influence study of 705 qualified respondents (March 2025) digs deeper into professional and continuing education prospects specifically:

    • 24% use AI-powered tools daily
    • 26% use them weekly
    • 18% use them a few times per month
    • 17% never use AI tools for search

    Younger prospects show higher daily and weekly usage, which isn’t surprising. But here’s what caught my attention: even among older demographics, the “never use” category is a minority. This isn’t a Gen Z phenomenon anymore. By 2026, the “never use” segment will likely shrink to single digits.

    Search Engines Still Dominate—But the Picture Is Getting More Complicated

    When researching professional and continuing education programs, prospects use multiple platforms, often in the same search session:

    Platform Usage for PCE Program Research (UPCEA/Search Influence 2025)

    Platform Extremely/Very Likely to Use
    Traditional search engines 84%
    University/college websites 63%
    AI chatbots (ChatGPT, Gemini) 36%
    AI search engines 35%
    Social media platforms 34%

    Here’s the number that should get your attention: AI-assisted tools now warrant the same strategic investment as social media, where institutions spend an average of $166,303 annually on advertising, according to UPCEA’s 2024 Marketing Survey. Are you spending proportionally on AI visibility for your university? Most graduate enrollment marketing teams aren’t—yet. By 2026, that gap will separate the visible from the invisible.

    The Lines Between “Search” and “Browse” Have Blurred Permanently

    We asked respondents which platforms they use “in a way similar to how you would use a traditional search engine.” The results tell us something important about how prospects actually behave:

    • YouTube: 61%
    • AI-powered search tools: 50%
    • Amazon: 32%
    • Instagram: 28%
    • Reddit: 28%

    Prospects don’t distinguish between “search” and “browsing” the way we do in marketing meetings. YouTube is a search engine to them. ChatGPT is a search engine. Instagram is a search engine. Your content has to work across all of them, or you’re only reaching part of your audience.

    For 2026 planning, this means content strategy can’t be siloed by platform. The same information needs to exist in formats optimized for each discovery channel.

    The Zero-Click Search Reality: Planning for a Post-Click World

    Most Searches Don’t Result in Clicks Anymore

    Zero-click searches—queries where users get answers directly from search results without visiting a website—have reached a tipping point:

    • 69% of Google searches ended without a click (May 2025), up from 56% in May 2024
    • 60-63% of all Google searches result in zero clicks according to SparkToro/Similarweb
    • 70-90% click-through rate decline when AI Overviews appear

    Google’s AI Overviews now reach 1.5 billion monthly users as of Q1 2025. The feature appears on 47% of searches today, with Google’s internal testing suggesting this will exceed 80% for informational queries in the near future.

    For 2026 planning: Assume zero-click will exceed 75% for the informational queries that drive graduate program research. Questions like “What are the admission requirements for [Program X]?” or “How much does an MBA cost?”—exactly the queries your prospects are typing—will increasingly be answered without a click.

    What Zero-Click Search Means for 2026 Graduate Enrollment Marketing

    The implications for university marketing teams are significant, and I don’t think we should sugarcoat them:

    1. Traditional funnel metrics are becoming less reliable.

    If prospects get answers about tuition, deadlines, and program details from AI summaries, they may form opinions about your institution without ever reaching your website. Your analytics won’t capture that interaction. You’ll have incomplete data on what’s actually influencing enrollment decisions.

    2026 action: Build brand visibility metrics alongside click metrics. Track AI citations, brand mentions, and sentiment—not just traffic. This requires a different approach to higher education analytics.

    1. You’re paying more for declining performance.

    Everspring reports that the average cost-per-click for higher education terms has increased 45% year-over-year, while performance has declined. That’s a rough combination that will only intensify.

    2026 action: Rebalance paid media budgets. The ROI calculus on traditional higher education PPC is shifting. Organic AI visibility may deliver better long-term value.

    1. This is already disrupting adjacent industries.

    Learning platform Chegg reported a 49% decline in non-subscriber traffic between January 2024 and January 2025, coinciding with AI Overviews answering homework and study questions that previously drove site visits. Graduate enrollment marketing isn’t immune to the same dynamics.

    2026 action: Don’t wait for disruption to hit your specific program category. Invest in zero-click search strategy now.

    The Trust Signal Hidden in AI Overviews

    Here’s where the data gets interesting. The UPCEA/Search Influence study shows how prospects actually interact with AI Overviews:

    • 79% read the AI-generated overview when it appears
    • 51% click on sources most of the time or always
    • 43% click occasionally
    • 56% are more likely to trust brands/websites cited in AI Overviews

    That last number matters enormously for 2026 strategy. Being cited in AI Overviews isn’t just about visibility—it’s a credibility signal. When prospects see your institution referenced in AI-generated content, they’re more likely to view you as trustworthy. Absence from those results may communicate the opposite.

    Rethinking Optimization: From Higher Education SEO to GEO

    SEO vs. GEO for Universities: A Different Kind of Target

    Here’s a useful way to think about the shift we’re navigating:

    Traditional SEO feels like optimizing for an algorithm—a system that scores and ranks based on signals (keywords, links, technical factors). It’s mechanical, pattern-matching. You’re essentially optimizing for a librarian: cataloging, indexing, and retrieval.

    GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) feels fundamentally different. It feels like optimizing for a reader who happens to have perfect memory and infinite patience—an entity that’s actually trying to understand what you do, synthesize it, and explain it to someone else. You’re optimizing for a research assistant: understanding, synthesizing, recommending.

    Put more directly: with GEO, you’re writing content that helps an AI form an accurate opinion about your institution—because that’s what it’s going to share with prospects.

    The practical difference:

    • SEO rewards structure and signals
    • GEO rewards clarity, accuracy, and citable claims

    You’re not just trying to rank anymore. You’re trying to be the source an AI would quote if it were writing an article about your program category.

    What This Means for University Content Strategy in 2026

    For 2026, your higher education content strategy needs to serve two masters simultaneously:

    1. Traditional search engines that still drive significant traffic and still reward keyword optimization, technical SEO, and backlink profiles
    2. AI systems that are reading your content to form an understanding of who you are, what you offer, and whether you’re worth recommending

    The good news: these aren’t entirely at odds. Clear, factual, well-structured content performs well for both. But the emphasis shifts. AI systems don’t care about keyword density—they care about whether they can extract accurate, citable information. This is the core of AI-ready website optimization for higher education.

    What Prospects Trust—and Don’t Trust

    The Trust Hierarchy Is Clear (and Stable)

    When searching for professional and continuing education programs, prospect trust varies dramatically by source:

    Trust Levels by Platform (UPCEA/Search Influence 2025)

    Source Extremely/Very Trustworthy
    University/college websites 77%
    Traditional search engines 66%
    AI chatbots 33%
    Social media platforms 20%

    University websites are still the most trusted source by a wide margin. That’s actually good news for 2026. While AI tools are gaining usage, the destination of trust remains institutional websites. The challenge is making sure AI tools surface and cite your content accurately—so prospects who trust AI still end up trusting you.

    Think of it this way: AI is becoming the intermediary, but your website is still the authority. You need AI to accurately represent what’s on your site.

    Not Everyone Is Worried About AI Accuracy

    This surprised me a bit: nearly a third (32%) of respondents have no concerns whatsoever about using AI search tools for researching professional and continuing education programs.

    Among those who do have concerns:

    • 28% worry about validity, reliability, or accuracy
    • 7% cite privacy or security concerns
    • The remainder mention environmental impact, bias, and relevance

    So while accuracy concerns exist, a substantial portion of your prospect pool is comfortable taking AI recommendations at face value. That makes your AI presence even more critical—if AI gets your information wrong, a third of prospects won’t question it.

    What Would Build More Trust?

    When asked what features would be most valuable in AI-generated search results:

    1. Transparent sources for AI-generated recommendations: 51%
    2. AI-generated side-by-side comparisons of programs: 50%
    3. Emphasis on accredited institutions: 39%
    4. AI personalization based on interests: (favored by younger prospects)

    Prospects want AI to show its work. Transparent sourcing and comparison tools matter more than fancy personalization for most age groups.

    2026 implication: Structure your content with clear, citable claims. Include specific data points, credentials, and outcomes that AI can reference. Make it easy for AI to cite you accurately.

    Search Query Patterns: How Behavior Differs by Platform

    People Talk to AI Differently Than They Talk to Google

    This is one of the more actionable findings from the research. The UPCEA/Search Influence study asked respondents what they would type when searching for an MBA program across different platforms. The patterns are distinct:

    Query Type by Platform

    Query Type Traditional Search AI Search Engine AI Chatbot Social Media
    Phrase 80% 64% 55% 71%
    Question 12% 16% 23% 8%
    Command 1% 8% 9% 2%
    One-word 6% 6% 7% 9%
    Wouldn’t use 1% 5% 6% 10%

    On traditional search, 80% of prospects type phrases like “MBA programs near me.” On AI chatbots, that drops to 55%, while questions jump to 23% and commands to 9%.

    What this means for 2026 content: If you’re only optimizing for keyword phrases, you’re missing the conversational queries that dominate AI interactions. Content that answers questions directly—”What is the best MBA program for working professionals?” “Compare online vs. in-person MBA programs”—will perform better in AI contexts.

    The Core Keywords Still Matter

    Across all platforms, the most common search approaches for MBA programs included:

    • “MBA programs/degrees/courses/education” (27-31%)
    • “Best MBA programs/schools” (8-11%)
    • “MBA programs near me” (8-12%)

    The consistency across platforms tells us that core keyword targeting still matters. People are looking for the same information—they’re just asking for it differently depending on where they’re searching. Your content needs to address both the keyword and the question.

    Platform-Specific Behaviors: What to Prioritize for 2026

    ChatGPT Is the Default, But Don’t Ignore the Others

    Among prospects likely to use AI platforms for program research:

    AI Platform Would Use
    ChatGPT 78%
    Gemini 56%
    Perplexity 20%

    Here’s an interesting wrinkle: older age groups were more likely to use Gemini and Perplexity than younger prospects. My guess is this reflects different adoption pathways—Gemini through the Google ecosystem that older users are more embedded in, Perplexity through professional and research applications.

    2026 consideration: Your AI visibility strategy can’t focus on ChatGPT alone. Gemini is integrated into Google’s ecosystem (where 84% of your prospects still search), and Perplexity is growing fast among research-oriented users—exactly your graduate prospect demographic.

    The Scale of ChatGPT Is Hard to Overstate

    As of late 2025, ChatGPT’s numbers are staggering:

    • 800 million weekly active users (September 2025)
    • 190 million daily active users
    • 5.72 billion monthly visits
    • 77.2 million monthly active users in the US alone
    • 46.7% of users are aged 18-24

    For context, Perplexity AI processes 780 million monthly queries with 22 million monthly active users—substantial and growing fast, but still an order of magnitude smaller than ChatGPT.

    Social Media Platform Preferences Vary by Age

    Among prospects likely to use social media for program research:

    Platform Would Use
    YouTube 57%
    LinkedIn 49%
    Facebook 43%
    Instagram 35%
    Reddit 31%

    The age patterns are predictable:

    • YouTube, Instagram, TikTok: Skew younger
    • LinkedIn, Facebook: Skew older
    • Reddit: Relatively consistent across age groups

    What Actually Works on Social

    When using social media to research programs, prospects find these content types most helpful:

    1. Program summaries or descriptions: 65%
    2. Career advice related to education choices: 54%
    3. Student testimonials: 50%

    One exception worth noting: for 18-22-year-olds, university/college advertisements ranked as the most helpful content type. Traditional advertising still resonates with the youngest prospects in ways it doesn’t with older demographics.

    The AI Tools Landscape: A Quick Reference

    Major AI Platforms by the Numbers (Late 2025)

    Platform Monthly Active Users Monthly Queries Key Demographics
    ChatGPT 800M weekly / 190M daily 5.72B visits 46.7% aged 18-24
    Google Gemini 284M monthly visits — 18% education sector
    Perplexity AI 22M MAU 780M queries 57% aged 18-34
    Claude ~3.2% US market share — Professional/technical skew

    US Market Share Context

    • ChatGPT: 59.5%
    • Microsoft Copilot: 14%
    • Google Gemini: 13.4%
    • Perplexity: 6.2%
    • Claude: 3.2%

    Strategic Roadmap: AI Search Optimization for Higher Education in 2026

    The Shift Is Structural, Not Tactical

    Let me be direct about what the data is telling us about graduate enrollment marketing:

    1. Search behavior has diversified permanently.

    Prospects use 5+ platforms interchangeably for program research. If you’re only optimizing for Google, you’re reaching a shrinking portion of your audience. Single-platform strategies are increasingly risky.

    1. AI is compressing your funnel.

    Generative AI tools deliver answers about your institution—and your competitors—before prospects visit any website. The traditional “awareness → consideration → decision” funnel is collapsing. Prospects may move from “never heard of you” to “crossed you off the list” without a single website visit.

    1. Citation is the new ranking.

    Being referenced in AI Overviews and AI tool responses builds credibility. Absence from these results may signal irrelevance. For a generation that trusts AI to give them straight answers, not appearing in those answers is a problem.

    1. Your metrics are incomplete.

    Website traffic and click-through rates don’t capture AI-mediated discovery. Brand visibility and AI citation frequency matter, but most institutions aren’t tracking them yet.

    Your 2026 Action Plan for Graduate Enrollment Marketing

    Q1 2026: Foundation—AI Visibility Audit and Technical SEO

    1. Conduct an AI visibility audit. Query ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews with the exact phrases your prospects use. Screenshot what appears. Document what’s missing or inaccurate. This is your baseline for AI search optimization.
    2. Review your website’s structure for AI readiness. AI tools favor content with clear headings, factual statements, and authoritative data that they can easily extract and cite. Does your program content deliver that, or is it buried in marketing language? An AI-ready website audit should be your first step.
    3. Check your technical SEO fundamentals. Crawlability and site speed matter more than ever for higher education SEO. AI engines are less patient than traditional crawlers. If they can’t see your content, they can’t cite it.

    Q2 2026: Content Development—GEO and Multi-Platform Strategy

    1. Develop a YouTube strategy if you don’t have one. 61% of prospects use YouTube like a search engine. Program overviews, student testimonials, and career outcome videos aren’t optional anymore for graduate enrollment marketing.
    2. Create content in multiple formats for AI optimization. AI chatbots favor Q&A formats. Traditional search favors keyword phrases. Social favors summaries and testimonials. The same information needs to exist in multiple expressions optimized for each platform.
    3. Build FAQ and comparison content. These formats are highly citable by AI systems and directly address how prospects query AI tools. This is core GEO for universities.

    Q3-Q4 2026: Infrastructure and Measurement Evolution

    1. Implement structured data and schema markup. Help AI tools understand your programs, faculty, outcomes, and accreditations through proper technical implementation. This is table stakes for AI visibility in higher education.
    2. Distribute content through authoritative channels. AI tools favor citations from recognized sources. Publishing through professional associations, research outlets, and established media increases the likelihood of AI citation—a key component of any higher education SEO strategy.
    3. Evolve your measurement approach. Start tracking brand mentions, AI citations, and sentiment alongside traditional metrics. The full picture of enrollment marketing visibility now extends well beyond clickable results.

    Methodology

    UPCEA/Search Influence Study (2025)

    Survey period: March 11-13, 2025

    Sample:

    • Total participants: 1,061 individuals
    • Qualified respondents: 760 (met all criteria)
    • Completed surveys: 705

    Qualification criteria:

    • Adults aged 18-60
    • Minimum high school diploma
    • Not currently enrolled in a PCE program
    • Interested in advancing skills through professional/continuing education

    Respondent demographics:

    • 55% female, 45% male
    • 68% employed full-time
    • Education: 32% bachelor’s degree, 19% some college, 18% master’s degree
    • Age: 25% ages 46-54, 19% ages 55-60, 17% ages 35-40

    Distribution: Internet panel

    Conducted by: UPCEA and Search Influence

    Carnegie Summer Research Series (2025)

    Sample: 3,400+ prospective students and parents

    Focus: College choice trends, AI usage in admissions, personality-driven communication

    Key longitudinal finding: AI usage in college search: 4% (2023) → 10% (2024) → 23% (2025)

    Additional Data Sources

    Platform statistics compiled from company announcements, third-party tracking services (Similarweb, SparkToro, Semrush), and industry research reports. All figures represent the most recent publicly available data as of November 2025.

    Glossary of Key Terms

    AI Overview: Google Search feature providing an AI-generated summary at the top of results, synthesizing information from multiple sources. Previously called Search Generative Experience (SGE).

    Zero-click search: A query where users find their answer directly in search results (featured snippets, AI Overviews, knowledge panels) without clicking to any website.

    Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): Optimizing content and digital presence to appear in AI-generated responses from tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews. Unlike traditional SEO (optimizing for algorithms), GEO focuses on helping AI systems accurately understand and represent your institution.

    Professional and Continuing Education (PCE): Post-secondary programs for working adults seeking to advance skills, change careers, or earn credentials—including graduate degrees, certificates, professional development, and continuing education.

    AI chatbot: Conversational AI interface (ChatGPT, Gemini) responding to queries in natural language, often synthesizing information from training data and/or real-time web search.

    AI search engine: Search tool (Perplexity, SearchGPT) providing direct answers by searching the web and synthesizing results, rather than returning a list of links.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How are prospective students using AI tools in their program search?

    Half of prospects (50%) use AI-powered tools at least weekly for general information search. For program research specifically, 36% are extremely or very likely to use AI chatbots, and 35% likely to use AI search engines. ChatGPT dominates (78% of AI users would use it), followed by Gemini (56%) and Perplexity (20%).

    Do prospects trust AI-generated information about educational programs?

    It’s complicated. Only 33% rate AI chatbots as extremely or very trustworthy for program research, compared to 77% for university websites. But 32% have no concerns whatsoever about using AI for this purpose, and 56% say they’re more likely to trust brands cited in Google’s AI Overviews. Trust in AI is lower than traditional sources, but AI citations boost trust in the sources cited.

    What percentage of searches result in zero clicks?

    As of May 2025, roughly 69% of Google searches end without a click to any website, up from 56% a year earlier. When AI Overviews appear, click-through rates to top-ranking websites decline by 70-90%.

    Which platforms do prospects use to research graduate programs?

    Search engines dominate (84% extremely/very likely), followed by university websites (63%), AI chatbots (36%), AI search engines (35%), and social media (34%). But 61% also use YouTube “like a search engine,” and 50% use AI tools the same way. Platform diversification is the new normal.

    How do search queries differ between traditional search and AI tools?

    On traditional search, 80% use phrase-based queries. On AI chatbots, only 55% use phrases while 23% ask questions and 9% use commands. AI-optimized content should address conversational queries and direct questions—not just keyword phrases.

    What content types work best on social media for program discovery?

    Program summaries and descriptions (65%), career advice (54%), and student testimonials (50%) rate highest. Exception: for 18-22 year-olds, university advertisements were actually rated most helpful.

    What’s the difference between SEO and GEO?

    Traditional SEO optimizes for search algorithms—systems that score and rank based on signals like keywords and links. GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) optimizes for AI understanding—helping AI systems accurately comprehend and represent your institution so they can recommend you to prospects. SEO is like optimizing for a librarian; GEO is like optimizing for a research assistant who needs to explain you to someone else.

    About This Report

    This analysis synthesizes original research from the UPCEA/Search Influence study with data from Carnegie Higher Education, Everspring, EAB, and platform-specific metrics to provide a forward-looking view of how AI search optimization is reshaping program discovery in graduate education.

    The report is designed to help enrollment marketing leaders, higher education SEO professionals, and university marketing teams understand the AI visibility landscape and develop effective GEO strategies for 2026.

    Primary research sponsor: Search Influence

    Research partner: UPCEA (University Professional and Continuing Education Association)

    Report date: November 2025

    Sources and Citations

    Primary Research

    1. UPCEA and Search Influence. “AI Search in Higher Education: How Prospects Search in 2025.” Survey conducted March 11-13, 2025. n=705 qualified respondents.
    1. Carnegie Higher Education. “2025 Summer Research Series: AI Use in the College Search.” Survey of 3,400+ prospective students and parents.

    Industry Reports

    1. Everspring. “AI and the Collapse of Student Search: 2025 Higher Ed Trend Report.” May 2025.
    1. EAB. “Is Your College Website AI-Ready and Built to Drive Enrollment?” July 2025.
    1. EAB. “How Graduate Enrollment Leaders—and Prospective Students—Are Using AI.”
    1. Semrush. “AI Overviews Study: What 2025 SEO Data Tells Us About Google’s Search Shift.” May 2025.
    1. SparkToro and Similarweb. Zero-click search analysis, May 2025.
    2. EducationDynamics. “Engaging the Modern Learner: 2025 Report on the Preferences & Behaviors Shaping Higher Ed.”

    Platform Statistics

    1. OpenAI. ChatGPT usage statistics, August-September 2025.
    1. DemandSage. “ChatGPT Statistics” (November 2025).
    1. DemandSage. “Perplexity AI Statistics” (November 2025).
    1. Business of Apps. “ChatGPT Revenue and Usage Statistics” (2025).
    1. Business of Apps. “Perplexity Revenue and Usage Statistics” (2025).

    Additional Sources

    1. ICEF Monitor. “Students are switching to AI for search. Are you ready?” August 2025.
    1. EdTech Innovation Hub. “Universities face digital visibility crisis as students shift to AI search tools.”
    1. Search Engine Journal. “Google AI Overviews Impact On Publishers & How To Adapt Into 2026.”
    1. Bruce Clay. “How Google’s AI Overviews Are Changing Click Behavior and SEO Metrics.”
    1. Pew Research Center. AI usage survey, 2024-2025.
    1. McKinsey & Company. “The State of AI.”
    1. UPCEA. “2024 Marketing Survey Results.” (Social media advertising spend data—available to UPCEA members)
    2. Statista. “Share of Adults Who Would Switch to an AI-Powered Search Engine by Generation.”

    The landscape described here is evolving quickly. The 2025 data establishes clear trajectories, and the institutions that invest in AI search optimization and GEO for higher education now will have a meaningful advantage heading into 2026. AI-mediated discovery is becoming the norm, not the exception. The question for graduate enrollment marketing isn’t whether to adapt—it’s how quickly you can move.

  • 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.

  • 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
  • SEO Skyscraper Method + ChatGPT Data Mining = Winning the SERP

    SEO Skyscraper Method + ChatGPT Data Mining = Winning the SERP

    I can’t believe I’m sharing this, but after doing it a few times, I realized that the Skyscraper Technique, when paired with ChatGPT data mining, is too good to keep to myself.

    But look, don’t tell anyone else, alright?

    SEO Skyscraper Method as imagined by Midjourney.

    [ez-toc]

    Everybody’s afraid of the impact of derivative content. I say, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.

    [bctt tweet=”Everybody’s afraid of derivative content. I say, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.” username=”w2scott”]

    Lean into the power of derivative content and take a lesson from Brian Dean in the Backlinko heyday.

    A Little Background

    In March 2023, I wrote “ChatGPT: Data Mining and SEO With OpenAI and Bing.” Since then, a lot has changed with machine learning, AI, OpenAI, ChatGPT, and content.

    At the time, I was getting back from Pubcon, having presented on AI content (as much as we understood at the time), and was super pumped about the opportunity.

    I started experimenting with sampling existing content to build personas for voice and tone, but it was nothing like we’re able to do now. With updates to the core OpenAI GPT, both in the underlying technology and in the size and scope of content one can process, we can go both deep and wide on topics.

    Image of ChatGPT Data Miners at work - https://www.searchinfluence.com/blog/chatgpt-data-mining-seo/

    The more recent ability to execute a web search with plugins and the expanded data exploration enable summarization and understanding of exceptionally long and complex topics.

    The machine learning models and artificial intelligence technology are amazing in and of themselves. The killer app, in my experience, is the ability to analyze the aggregated content of those articles you’re summarizing and glean really useful information.

    ChatGPT As a Data Analysis Engine

    In a recent experiment, I had ChatGPT summarize the top ten articles on a topic, including highlighting unique positions. This use of natural language processing makes ChatGPT a much more valuable tool to perform tasks where the data collection and correlation analysis are themselves a competitive edge.

    It’s simple to get started — search Google for your target keyword. The answer will give you a ton of new ideas and more links than you know what to do with.

    Then, use ChatGPT data mining to extract common elements. In this case, we’re talking about the most commonly cited higher education marketing strategies.

    [bctt tweet=”Search Google for your target keyword. You will get a ton of ideas and more links than you know what to do with. Then, use ChatGPT data mining to extract common elements.” username=”w2scott”]

    Conceptual image from Midjourney of a Higher Education Marketer navigating Higher Education Marketing Strategies - https://www.searchinfluence.com/blog/winning-higher-education-marketing-strategies/

    It’s these kinds of classification tasks where I think ChatGPT really shines.

    I’m looking forward to the very near future, where AI image tools like Midjourney and Dall-E can take the language model output and turn it into data visualization. Obviously, getting accurate responses from the code can lead to a better piece of content.

    This is just one of many factors that must be addressed before data scientists can rely on this powerful tool.

    Will this work for every subject? Maybe not, but for any topic with abundant informational content available, it should be effective.

    What Is the SEO Skyscraper Technique?

    The Skyscraper Technique was popularized by Brian Dean at Backlinko. As you would imagine, it’s been imitated, misquoted, and SEO’d beyond belief.

    • Step 1: Find link-worthy content.
    • Step 2: Make something even better.
    • Step 3: Reach out to the right people.

    [bctt tweet=”The Skyscraper Technique was popularized by @brianedean at @backlinko. As you would imagine, like most tactics that work, it’s been imitated, misquoted, and SEO’d beyond belief” username=”w2scott”]

    Note that the first filter is about links. Links are great and a strong signal of authority, but since Dean’s original article, Google has moved much further down the road toward a semantic, entity-based web.

    Links are still critical to ranking, but it’s widely acknowledged they are also very manipulable.

    This means that the page’s content and its relationship to already recognized entities can be as important as the links pointing to it.

    In fact, if you believe Kyle Roof or Koray Tuğberk Gübür, you might think you can own the SERP without links at all.

    So, the difference in this approach is that, instead of looking at a single piece or a small set of content, we look at all the content to which Google is giving the love.

    [bctt tweet=”Instead of looking at a single piece or a small set of content, we look at all the content to which Google is giving the love.” username=”w2scott”]

    Another difference is the respect we show the other ranked articles we’re referencing. We’re not just trying to one-up them — we’re giving them their dues with a summary and a link.

    And yes, by including the summary, we’re assuring we include all those juicy semantic entities and keywords in our article, too. We’re, therefore, also relieved of the challenge of keyword research because we know these articles rank. Look at a great number of sources and build the tallest skyscraper, and you win.

    Midjourney rendering: making keyword research easy conceptual image with references to a network

    And finally, by syndicating the content we’ve created, with derivative content enabled by AI, we’re presenting a 360-degree view of both the content and the link universe.

    And we’re setting ourselves up so that the first links pointing back are both super authoritative and, potentially, linkable assets in their own right.

    How Do You Use ChatGPT for Data Mining?

    In the last six months, ChatGPT has become a fantastic tool for data mining. With the addition of web crawling and integrations to third-party data sources like Google Sheets, what was previously just a content regurgitator is now a proper data analysis tool.

    In my original article on ChatGPT data mining, ChatGPT didn’t have live web crawling ability and was still giving out a lot of information it shouldn’t have been. In fact, it was giving me email addresses — accurate or not — for Pubcon speakers, past and present.

    But, as that article showed, you can’t trust ChatGPT to tell the truth, and there’s a fair likelihood that some of those addresses are made up.

    [bctt tweet=”You can’t trust ChatGPT to tell the truth, and there’s a fair likelihood that some of the information is made up.” username=”w2scott”]

    And just like that, it went away.

    From the earliest days of ChatGPT, you could ask it to identify frequency, relationships, and even format information in tabular form. But you still couldn’t trust it.

    In an example I’ve shared in the past, I asked ChatGPT for neighborhoods arranged by city within the greater New Orleans area. And it gave me a well-organized response. It looked accurate to me, but I’m sure it wasn’t entirely comprehensive.

    Now, with ChatGPT ingesting data from web crawling and Google Sheets, for instance, it’s the content that gets ingested one has to worry about, not ChatGPT’s famous hallucinations.

    I even made ChatGPT use the “F” word once 😀

    [bctt tweet=”I’m human, I’m helpful, some of this is AI, and that’s OK.” username=”w2scott”]

    Header image from LinkedIn article Uh oh, I Made ChatGPT Say The "F"​ Word

    The Prompt I Used to Summarize the Articles

    As anyone familiar with the ChatGPT language patterns knows, you must ask follow-up questions to produce great content:

    Please write a synopsis for each of the articles at the following URLs.

    Please use the article’s HTML title as the heading and include enough detail that I don’t need to actually read the article.

    If an article references multiple strategies, please list them.

    Please identify any unique or noteworthy positions taken by the author.

    Please include the URL immediately below the HTML title.

    I used the Access Link plugin and pasted the URLs of Google’s top 10 ranking entries.

    In prior iterations of this idea, pre-ChatGPT plugins, I have copied and pasted the whole article or used BingGPT — pour one out for BingGPT, y’all.

    Now, I know some of you prompt engineering pros will find ways to improve this. If so, please share.

    Keep in mind that I wasn’t trying to have ChatGPT write my whole article. I needed it to extract and present information from other articles that I could review and comment on.

    The Prompt I Used to Extract the Top 10 List

    As often happens with prompt engineering, I had to iterate my way to the final, golden output.

    I started with:

    Please identify the most common strategies cited in the articles synopsized below:

    [Text of ALL of the synopses from the prior exercise]

    [bctt tweet=”Please identify the most common strategies cited in the articles synopsized below – and then copy in the text of all the synopses” username=”w2scott”]

    This gave me a long list that didn’t seem to have any prioritization, so I asked for the top three, then the top five, and finally:

    Top 10 in order of frequency?

    And that was the money. From that, I got a great list with brief descriptions of the top 10 higher education marketing strategies. Given the iteration and the clarification in the prompt, I was also more inclined to believe the output.

    If you are going to use this technique for something more serious than SEO, please be sure to fact-check both the source articles and ChatGPT’s interpretation of them.

    Some Examples of ChatGPT Data Analysis for the SEO Skyscraper Technique

    For this exercise, I used the following prompt:

    Please write a synopsis for each of the articles at the following URLs.

    Please use the article’s HTML title as the heading.

    Please include enough detail that I don’t need to actually read the article.

    Please include any background resources cited in the article, the actual strategies used, and the steps in order.

    Please also identify ways in which they may disagree with the original article: https://backlinko.com/skyscraper-technique.

    Please identify any unique or noteworthy positions taken by the author.

    Please include the URL immediately below the HTML title.

    Articles:

    [List of articles to analyze]

    Once all the articles were summarized, I asked ChatGPT to help identify some recurring themes.

    Most Cited Methods for Keyword Research in an SEO Skyscraper Link Building Strategy

    [bctt tweet=”Most Cited Methods for Keyword Research in an SEO Skyscraper Link Building Strategy” username=”w2scott”]

    Based on the articles reviewed, the most frequently cited methods for keyword research, in order of frequency, are:

    1. Use SEO Tools: Most articles emphasized the importance of using specialized SEO tools to identify high-performing content and relevant keywords. The most frequently mentioned tools were:
      • Ahrefs: Especially its “Content Explorer” and “Keywords Explorer” features.
      • Semrush: Known for its keyword research and domain overview capabilities.
    2. Analyze Competitor Content: Many articles recommend examining content from competitors or top-performing content in the niche. This method helps identify what topics or keywords are already successful and where there might be gaps or areas for improvement.
    3. High vs. Low Competition Keywords: There was a notable emphasis on the strategy of choosing between high and low-competition keywords. While traditional approaches often focus on low-competition keywords, some methods, like the Shotgun Skyscraper, suggest targeting high-competition keywords due to their potential for more backlinks.
    4. Google’s “Searches Related to” Section: A significant number of articles pointed to the utility of Google’s own search results. The “Searches Related to” section at the bottom of search results can provide insights into related keywords and topics that users search for.
    5. Long-Tail Keywords: Several articles highlighted the importance of targeting long-tail keywords. These are longer, more specific keyword phrases that might have lower search volumes but can be easier to rank for and attract a more targeted audience.

    While these methods were the most frequently cited, it’s worth noting that the effectiveness of each method can vary based on the specific goals of the content and the niche in which one is operating.

    Most Cited Methods of Outreach for SEO Skyscraper Link Building

    [bctt tweet=”Most Cited Methods of Outreach for SEO Skyscraper Link Building” username=”w2scott”]

    Based on the articles reviewed, the most frequently cited methods for link outreach, in order of frequency, are:

    1. Personalized Email Outreach: Almost all articles emphasized the importance of personalizing outreach emails. This involves:
      • Addressing the recipient by name.
      • Mentioning specific details about their content or website.
      • Explaining why your content would be valuable to their audience.
    2. Use of Outreach Tools: Many articles mentioned the use of specialized outreach tools to streamline and automate the process. Some of the most frequently cited tools include:
      • Hunter.io: For finding email addresses associated with a particular domain.
      • Mailshake: For automating and tracking outreach campaigns.
      • Respona: For acting as an all-in-one PR and link-building tool.
      • Snov.io: For finding email addresses and conducting email outreach.
    3. Follow-Up Emails: Several articles highlighted the importance of sending follow-up emails if there’s no response to the initial outreach. This can increase the chances of getting a reply, but it’s crucial to strike a balance to avoid being too pushy.
    4. Offering Value: Many articles emphasized the need to offer value in the outreach email. This could be in the form of:
      • Sharing your superior content as a resource.
      • Suggesting specific improvements or updates to their existing content.
      • Offering to share their content on your platforms in return.
    5. Segmentation and Targeting: It’s essential to segment your list of prospects and tailor your outreach accordingly. This involves:
      • Identifying websites or blogs that are relevant to your niche.
      • Targeting sites that have linked to similar content in the past.
      • Avoiding sites that are unlikely to link back due to competitive reasons or misalignment in content themes.

    In addition to these methods, building genuine relationships and networking in your industry was a recurring theme. Gaining trust and rapport can significantly increase the chances of securing backlinks.

    So, You Want to See the Synopses?

    Since this is more of an explanatory article, I’m only going to include a handful, rather than the full top 10.

    Ahrefs: The Skyscraper Technique: How to Build High-Quality Backlinks to Your Content

    [bctt tweet=”Synopsis: Ahrefs: The Skyscraper Technique: How to Build High-Quality Backlinks to Your Content” username=”w2scott”]

    Screenshot of article: Ahrefs: The Skyscraper Technique: How to Build High-Quality Backlinks to Your Content

    https://ahrefs.com/blog/skyscraper-technique/

    Synopsis: The article begins by referencing Brian Dean’s introduction of the Skyscraper Technique in 2015, which quickly gained popularity. The technique works by improving upon existing popular content and replicating its backlinks.

    Steps to Implement the Skyscraper Technique:

    1. Find Relevant Content With Lots of Backlinks:
      • Use Ahrefs’ Site Explorer to identify pages with a high number of referring domains.
      • Use Ahrefs’ Content Explorer to search for content on a broad topic related to your niche.
      • Use Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer to identify high KD score keywords and the top-ranking pages for them.
    2. Make it Better:
      • Improve the content’s length, freshness, design, and depth.
    3. Reach Out to the Right People:
      • Use email outreach to contact those who have linked to the original content you’ve improved upon. Find these people using Ahrefs’ Site Explorer.

    Does the Skyscraper Technique Still Work? While the technique has been oversaturated over the years, many SEOs and marketers still believe in its effectiveness. However, only 18% of SEOs still use it, as per Aira’s Annual State of Link Building report.

    Reasons the Skyscraper Technique Might Fail & How to Improve:

    1. Sending Only Brian’s Email Template: Many SEOs used Brian’s original email template verbatim, leading to its overuse and decreased effectiveness.
    2. Not Segmenting Your Prospects: Tailor outreach emails based on the context in which prospects linked to the original content.
    3. Not Reaching Out to Enough People: A link building strategy is a numbers game. Expand the list of link prospects by also considering backlinks from other top-ranking pages on the same topic.
    4. Thinking Bigger Equals Better: Simply increasing the length or number of items in content doesn’t necessarily add value. Curation and quality are key.
    5. Not Considering Brand: Content quality isn’t the only factor; the reputation of the content creator or brand also plays a role.

    Final Thoughts: The Skyscraper Technique can be effective if executed correctly. It’s essential to focus on quality, value, and consistent content creation.

    Comparison With the Original Article by Backlinko:

    • Both articles emphasize the importance of improving existing content and reaching out for backlinks.
    • Ahrefs provides specific tools and methods to find and analyze potential content for the Skyscraper Technique.
    • Ahrefs highlights the potential pitfalls and oversaturation of the technique, suggesting that its effectiveness might be limited in the current landscape.
    • The Ahrefs article emphasizes the importance of brand reputation in the success of the Skyscraper Technique, which is not heavily discussed in the original Backlinko article.

    Unique or Noteworthy Positions:

    • The article suggests that the Skyscraper Technique’s popularity might have decreased because SEOs are now focusing more on content than links.
    • The emphasis on the importance of brand reputation and the potential pitfalls of the Skyscraper Technique provides a more nuanced perspective on its effectiveness.

    HubSpot: How to Use the Skyscraper Technique to Drive Traffic

    [bctt tweet=”Synopsis: HubSpot: How to Use the Skyscraper Technique to Drive Traffic” username=”w2scott”]

    Screenshot of article: HubSpot: How to Use the Skyscraper Technique to Drive Traffic

    https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/skyscraper-technique-drive-traffic

    Synopsis: The article discusses the increasing difficulty of capturing audience attention in the current marketing landscape. It introduces the Skyscraper Technique as a solution, detailing its creation by Brian Dean of Backlinko. The technique involves improving existing popular content and then reaching out for backlinks.

    What’s the Skyscraper Technique?

    • It’s a method for turning content into high-quality backlinks.
    • The process involves researching popular content, creating a better version, and then reaching out to those who linked to the original content.
    • Reasons for its effectiveness include:
      • Proven demand for the content topic.
      • Engaging an already primed audience.
      • Potential for high search rankings.

    How HubSpot Used the Skyscraper Technique:

    • The author shares a personal experience where they saw a similar article from Fast Company about a freelance hourly rate calculator.
    • They created a visually appealing infographic on the same topic and promoted it.
    • The result was over 8,200 shares, 72,000+ page views, and 3,648 new email subscribers.

    6-Step Checklist for Using the Skyscraper Technique:

    1. Research and Uncover Opportunities: Use tools like Google Alerts, BuzzSumo, HubSpot’s Keyword App, and Google’s Keyword Planner.
    2. Build a List of Potential Distribution Partners: Start with known contacts and expand using BuzzSumo.
    3. Create Better Content: Consider different content mediums and focus on delivering more value.
    4. Promote to Your Audience: Share on social channels, email lists, and internally.
    5. Reach Out to the Right People: Contact influencers, brands, and bloggers who share related content.
    6. Stay Current: Update content to ensure it remains relevant over time.

    Comparison With the Original Article by Backlinko:

    • Both articles emphasize the importance of improving upon existing content and reaching out for backlinks.
    • HubSpot provides a personal case study to showcase the effectiveness of the technique.
    • HubSpot offers a step-by-step checklist, making the process more actionable for readers.

    Unique or Noteworthy Positions:

    • The article emphasizes the importance of staying current and updating content over time.
    • HubSpot’s personal case study provides a tangible example of the Skyscraper Technique’s success, highlighting the potential benefits when executed correctly.

    Content Marketing Institute: Skyscraper Content the Right Way: How to Truly Help Your Readers

    [bctt tweet=”Synopsis: Content Marketing Institute: Skyscraper Content the Right Way: How to Truly Help Your Readers” username=”w2scott”]

    Screenshot of article: Content Marketing Institute: Skyscraper Content the Right Way: How to Truly Help Your Readers

    https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/articles/skyscraper-content-readers/

    Synopsis: The article critiques the overuse and misuse of the Skyscraper Technique in content marketing. While acknowledging the original brilliance of the concept, the author argues that many content creators equate the technique with producing longer content, rather than more valuable content.

    What Is Skyscraper Content?

    • It involves finding successful content, reverse-engineering its success, creating a better version, and replicating its distribution strategy.
    • The author encourages readers to refer to Brian Dean’s post on Backlinko for a good example of the methodology.

    What’s Wrong With Skyscraper Content?

    • Many content creators mistakenly believe that longer content equates to more value.
    • The focus on length can lead to padding posts with unnecessary information, making it difficult for readers to find valuable insights.
    • Skyscraper content can become inaccessible if it’s always lengthy and doesn’t consider the reader’s experience.
    • Google’s algorithm prioritizes content that meets readers’ needs, so skyscraper content that doesn’t prioritize readers may not rank well.

    Unoriginal Content:

    • Skyscraper content can lead to unoriginality, as creators model their content after existing successful pieces.
    • The challenge is to find a unique angle and add value to the original topic.
    • Merely adding more words without offering a fresh perspective can make the content redundant.

    How to Make Skyscraper Content Work:

    1. Genuine Need: Update content that’s outdated or full of broken links.
    2. Unique Angle: Offer a new perspective or personal account on a familiar topic.
    3. Focus on Value, Not Text: The goal is to create content that’s more valuable, not necessarily longer. For instance, transform a long article into a video or an interactive tool.

    Conclusion: While the Skyscraper Technique can be powerful, it’s essential to use it correctly. Content creators should prioritize value over length and ensure they’re genuinely helping their readers. If the content doesn’t add value, it’s better to create something original that delights the audience.

    Comparison With the Original Article by Backlinko:

    • Both articles discuss the Skyscraper Technique’s methodology.
    • The Content Marketing Institute article critiques the overuse and misuse of the technique, emphasizing the importance of value over length.
    • The article suggests that many content creators misunderstand the Skyscraper Technique, leading to redundant and unoriginal content.

    Unique or Noteworthy Positions:

    • The article offers a critical perspective on the Skyscraper Technique, highlighting its potential pitfalls.
    • It emphasizes the importance of originality and value in content creation, rather than merely replicating successful content.

    CoSchedule: The Skyscraper Technique: Why You Should Use It

    [bctt tweet=”Synopsis: CoSchedule: The Skyscraper Technique: Why You Should Use It” username=”w2scott”]

    Screenshot of article: CoSchedule: The Skyscraper Technique: Why You Should Use It

    https://coschedule.com/blog/skyscraper-technique

    Synopsis: The article introduces the Skyscraper Technique, a three-step SEO method that involves finding top-performing content, creating better content, and then promoting it to gain backlinks. The author emphasizes that while the technique is rooted in SEO, it’s beneficial for all content marketers, not just SEO experts.

    Understanding the Skyscraper Technique:

    • It’s not exclusively an SEO strategy.
    • It’s not a license to steal or replicate someone else’s content without adding value.

    How to Use the Skyscraper Technique:

    1. Find Top-Performing Content:
      • Use tools like BuzzSumo to identify popular content based on keywords.
      • Analyze the top content to understand its themes, content length, number of images, and overall quality.
      • Use tools like the Moz Toolbar to gather backlink information and understand the authority of the content.
    2. Create Better Content Than Current Top Performers:
      • Make content longer and more in-depth.
      • Incorporate rich content like images, videos, and infographics.
      • Delve deeper into the topic to provide more value.
      • Think strategically about SEO and keyword usage.
    3. Get People to Link to Your Content:
      • While promoting with social media marketing is a start, the key is to earn backlinks by producing superior content.
      • The focus should be on generating better content ideas and improving content quality.

    Conclusion: The Skyscraper Technique provides insights into what content is performing well and what’s being shared the most. It’s a valuable method for generating new content ideas and improving content marketing strategies. The ultimate goal isn’t to replicate but to innovate and produce better content.

    Comparison With the Original Article by Backlinko:

    • Both articles describe the Skyscraper Technique’s methodology.
    • CoSchedule emphasizes the technique’s applicability beyond just SEO experts and highlights its broader benefits for content marketing.
    • The article provides specific tools and methods to implement the technique effectively.

    Unique or Noteworthy Positions:

    • The article stresses that the Skyscraper Technique is not just for SEO experts but is a valuable strategy for all content marketers.
    • It underscores the importance of adding value and not merely replicating existing content.

    Semrush: What Is the Skyscraper Technique?

    [bctt tweet=”Synopsis: Semrush: What Is the Skyscraper Technique?” username=”w2scott”]

    Screenshot of article: Semrush: What Is the Skyscraper Technique?

    https://www.semrush.com/blog/skyscraper-technique/

    Synopsis: Semrush provides a comprehensive guide on the Skyscraper Technique, emphasizing its role in SEO link building. The article breaks down the technique’s definition, its benefits for SEO, and a step-by-step guide on its execution. It also discusses the importance of skyscraper content and the factors that make it stand out.

    Key Points:

    1. Definition of the Skyscraper Technique: A method that involves identifying competitive content with many backlinks, improving it, and then encouraging sites to link to the superior content.
    2. Skyscraper Content: Content crafted as part of the Skyscraper Technique, designed to be a superior version of a widely linked resource. It should be more comprehensive, up-to-date, credible, and presented effectively.
    3. Benefits of the Skyscraper Technique for SEO:
      • Inheriting links that previously pointed to competitors.
      • Earning backlinks on pages with established traffic and authority.
      • Encouraging the creation of quality content.
      • Scalability.
    4. Implementation Steps:
      • Find Competitive Content: Identify content types suitable for the Skyscraper Technique, such as how-to guides, comparison guides, listicles, and more.
      • Analyze Competitors’ Content: Use tools like Semrush’s Backlink Analytics to find competitors’ most linked pages.
      • Review Backlink Opportunities: Determine the potential and value of inheriting specific backlinks.
      • Create Skyscraper Content: Outdo the competition by being more comprehensive, adding unique insights, improving user experience, establishing credibility, and incorporating images and videos.
      • Optimize Content for Search: Ensure the content is optimized for relevant keywords and follows on-page SEO techniques.
      • Conduct Email Outreach: Identify link building prospects and send personalized pitches to encourage them to link to your content.

    Conclusion: The Skyscraper Technique is a targeted approach to link building that can yield significant SEO benefits when executed correctly.

    Unique or Noteworthy Positions:

    • Semrush provides a detailed breakdown of the types of content suitable for the Skyscraper Technique, offering clarity on content selection.
    • The article introduces tools and resources available within the Semrush platform, guiding readers on how to optimize their skyscraper content and conduct effective outreach.
    • It emphasizes the importance of personalizing email outreach and provides a sample skyscraper email pitch to inspire readers.

    Brian Dean Didn’t Have Today’s Software

    Yes, machine learning and natural language processing are making the collection and production of website content more approachable. Data analysis is also helping with optimization. With tools like SurferSEO, Frase, and others, you can ensure your content isn’t just longer and more comprehensive, but also better optimized.

    Link builders know that one of the best ways to get new links is for your site to be the answer to what people are searching for.

    There is an explosion in data exploration products for on-site optimization. The challenge isn’t finding one — it’s limiting yourself to just one.

    [bctt tweet=”There is an explosion in data exploration products for on-site optimization. The challenge isn’t finding one — it’s limiting yourself to just one.” username=”w2scott”]

    No lie, I currently actively use at least five machine learning-enabled SaaS products.

    Concluding Thoughts: No, It’s Not Data Science

    Hopefully, you see how incredibly powerful this technique can be.

    Like many users of AI content — consistent with human nature, you may be tempted to take shortcuts.

    SEO tactics, when abused, lose effectiveness. So, please don’t abuse this.

    The SEO Skyscraper Technique with ChatGPT Data Mining will be most useful when a human, knowledgeable in the topic, is making a good AI Sandwich. If you copy and paste and perfunctorily add the non-AI bits, you won’t be adding value to the internet and will eventually see any rankings you did gain disappear.

    Image of an AI Sandwich as imagined by Midjourney

    Something noteworthy in this example is that I’m seeing more sites that aren’t accessible to ChatGPT. I wonder if this is due to those webmasters blocking the OpenAI crawler.

    [bctt tweet=”I’m seeing more sites that aren’t accessible to ChatGPT. I wonder if this is due to those webmasters blocking the OpenAI crawler.” username=”w2scott”]

    Also, ChatGPT has some words that show up again and again. You should be on the lookout for these so you can edit them where appropriate. “Delve” and “boost,” particularly in the context of SEO, come up again and again.

    You’ll notice I tend to be polite when I’m making requests of ChatGPT. This is for two reasons. First, I’m generally a polite person. Politeness counts. Second, when the robots take over, I want every advantage I can get. I would rather they see me as a collaborator 🙂

    Finally, as the list of articles to analyze gets longer, you may need to prompt ChatGPT to “continue.”

    If you’ve already been using this technique, please hit me up on Twitter and show me some examples, @w2scott.

    If you’re just getting started, I hope you find it as useful as I have.

    [bctt tweet=”SEO Skyscraper Method + ChatGPT Data Mining = Winning the SERP” username=”searchinfluence”]

    Sources:

    https://ahrefs.com/blog/skyscraper-technique/

    https://backlinko.com/skyscraper-technique

    https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/skyscraper-technique-drive-traffic

    https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/articles/skyscraper-content-readers/

    https://coschedule.com/blog/skyscraper-technique

    https://learn.g2.com/skyscraper-technique

    https://leavingworkbehind.com/skyscraper-writing-method/

    https://marketingartfully.com/how-to-write-long-skyscraper-blog-posts/

    https://marketinginsidergroup.com/content-marketing/does-the-skyscraper-technique-work-anymore/

    https://respona.com/blog/skyscraper-technique/

    https://snov.io/blog/skyscraper-technique/

    https://wpmudev.com/blog/skyscraper-seo-link-building-technique/

    https://www.authorityhacker.com/link-building-techniques/

    https://www.clearvoice.com/resources/how-to-build-backlinks-with-the-skyscraper-content-technique/

    https://www.elegantthemes.com/blog/wordpress/how-to-use-the-skyscraper-technique-to-boost-seo

    https://www.lean-labs.com/blog/how-to-write-a-skyscraper-post-blog-post-template

    https://www.livingthedreamrtw.com/skyscraper-posts-in-travel-writing

    https://www.redefineyourmarketing.com/blog/the-skyscraper-link-building-technique

    https://www.semrush.com/blog/skyscraper-technique/

  • 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.

  • 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.