Remember when SEO was all about keywords and backlinks? Things have changed. AI is rewriting the playbook, and fast. If your strategy still looks like it did in 2020, you’re already falling behind!
Search Is Smarter Now
Between Google’s AI-generated search results, Bing’s chatbot-style answers, and tools like ChatGPT browsing the web, search engines are doing a lot more thinking for users. That means you can’t just stuff in keywords anymore, you have to speak the language of intent and clarity.
Old SEO Tactics Still Matter… But Only Kinda
Yes, you still need to optimize for keywords. But AI is looking for more than just matches, it’s looking for meaning. If your content isn’t actually answering questions or offering value, it’s going to get passed over in favor of someone who does it better (or faster).
What AI-Driven SEO Looks Like Now
- Use structured data: Schema markup helps machines understand your content and show it in smart ways (like rich snippets).
- Write for summaries: AI tools summarize content so make your content easy to scan and break it into digestible blocks.
- Focus on E-E-A-T: Google still cares about Expertise, Experience, Authority, and Trust. Make your authors real. Cite sources.
Content Needs a POV
AI is great at rewriting generic info. You need to be the voice that says something better or different. That means adding your own insights, examples, and experiences the stuff a bot can’t fake.
So What Should You Do?
- Audit your existing content. Does it still answer real questions?
- Add FAQs, TL;DR sections, and plain language summaries.
- Use headings to make content scannable and AI-friendly.
- Mix in multimedia; videos, charts, audio clips, things that humans (and AI) can engage with.
The Bottom Line
AI is changing how people find and interact with content online. That’s not a bad thing it just means your SEO strategy has to evolve. Keep writing for people, but format and structure your site so machines can understand it too.
Need help navigating SEO in the age of AI? We can audit your site, update your content, and help you build a smarter SEO strategy that works now, and in the future.