Stay in the SEO know.
Welcome back to The Bolt, readers. This month, we're taking a close look at a key topic in the the digital space - Search Engine Optimization.
TLDR: The SEO landscape is continuously growing. Brands that prioritize high-quality content, bountiful keyword research and consistent on-page optimizations will outrank their competitors. Even with evolving AI tools, organic search optimization is essential to your brand’s online presence.
For a deep dive into the key pillars of a successful SEO strategy, check out our 2023 SEO Trends & Insights Field Guide.
The Latest in SEO
SEO is essential. Stay up-to-date with the latest SEO trends to ensure your website ranks well and is visible to potential leads.
Here are some of the trends you’ll want to keep in mind:
️️️⚡️Create high quality content & perform strong keyword research.
Google recently added a new E to the commonly used acronym E-A-T (expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness). This new E stands for Experience. E-E-A-T is what Google uses to assess content, and determine if it is valuable to readers and how it will perform in comparison to competitors.
️⚡️Optimizing your site for “zero-click searches”.
“Zero-click” or “no-click searches” are when the potential lead finds all the information they need without clicking on a website link. As these types of searches increase due to AI and featured snippets, ranking on the first page of SERPs is crucial.
Marking up specific types of content with structured data, may lead to Google displaying rich results from your site in search results. This is why on-page optimization and checking that your structured data is marked-up correctly is essential for an SEO strategy.
️⚡️Increasing use of AI tools…
As we continue throughout the year, there’s been an increase in conversation around AI and the effects it could have on content creation. While AI may help generate new ideas faster, and write content quicker, AI cannot pull from past experiences, and lacks the originality search engines are looking for.
AI chat bots are becoming all the rage, yet organic search is still just as valuable and companies should make sure they are putting there best foot forward when it comes to their website’s SEO.
AI vs. Organic Search
Despite the hype behind AI and it’s ability to quickly answer a users’ query, organic search is not going anywhere. AI does not have the ability to provide information on subjective matters or information that varies on individual perceptions.
AI results have the potential of being biased or include false information. This means humans (actual people) will continue to search for information and do their own research, especially when it comes to subjective queries. What laptop brand should I buy, what coffee shop is the best etc. are examples of subjective q’s.
Organic search provides more information from credible sources. Having your site rank on the first page of Google shows users that you have high-quality content and are relevant to their search. As marketers navigate this changing landscape, they should ensure SEO is riding shotgun. SEO and organic search go hand in hand, and despite the growth of AI, those top-ranking spots are more important than ever.