No doubt the fundamental techniques of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) are worth praising. Yet, nothing in the industry stays the same. Everything in SEO changes and evolves either each month or each year. Everyone knows SEO in 2023 is different in comparison to what it was in 2018.
For SEOs, the pressure to keep up with the industry’s trends is immense. They need to do all they can to stay in line with the latest trends in the industry to ensure they are aware of these changes. They also need to be the cutting edge of digital optimization.
When changes take place in the world of SEO, similar changes are experienced in the wider internet. The search experience is now becoming popular thanks to the rise of generative AI. Let us now see the current trends shaping the search universe and what should be the tactics SEO professionals need to deploy.
There is a new E in E-A-T making it E-E-A-T – Say Hello to Experience
Search Engine Optimization professionals remember the E-A-T formula. It means Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust. This formula helped them guide their work and know the integral factors to satisfy Google’s Search Quality Evaluators which asses their work.
Thankfully, they were aware of Google’s guidelines for both search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM). But in late 2022, Google raised the stakes by adding another E in E-A-T, making it E-E-A-T. Say hello to experience, making it Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust.
At first, it can seem that such an addition could be a response due to rising amounts of spam reviews and AI-generated content being found in search engine results. Google once aimed to tackle AI-generated spam with the August 2022 Helpful Content Update (HCU).
One of the main points in the HCU guidance looked like a clear forerunner to Google’s extra E. It asked if companies’ content demonstrates in clear terms the needed first-hand expertise and the needed depth of knowledge.
Google had stated earlier that it has no issues with content generated and assisted by AI. However, it has conditions: that content must have genuine value instead of being spammy. This is one key way of distinguishing content that is more likely to offer users value in certain contexts.
When experience is codified as part of E-E-A-T, Google makes it clear that such kind of first-hand hands-on knowledge is key to the way it evaluates and ranks all of its search results.
SEOs paying attention to E-A-T are least likely to face any difficulties in the arena of experience. They are likely to be helping oversee or produce content designed to be genuine, authoritative, informative, and helpful. Such information should help answer users’ queries instead of ranking the article just for ranking.
There is an additional reminder. Real knowledge is always important whether it is first-hand knowledge or driven by expertise. It should underpin content instead of looking knowledgeable after being spoofed by AI chatbots. This is something Google is checking and it requires content to be authentically original in terms of knowledge to provide users the best experience.
About Generative AI playing a big role in Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
AI-generated content and search is one avenue in SEO. Google has stressed the importance of writing for people instead of search engines numerous times. This is why AI-generated content farms are not worthy in the world of content, SEO, and digital marketing.
Google prefers original and authentic content. They stress that content marketers should make content for humans instead of search engines by spinning it through AI software. It’ll ruin the essence of the content itself.
Google is reportedly still working on a policy about how AI-generated content should fit into E-E-A-T. As per a summary of Google’s announcements and responses to queries at this year’s Search Central Live Tokyo, Google has cautioned against publishing AI content without getting it reviewed by humans.
Large language models (LLMs) and chatbots are sadly full of factual inaccuracies. Moreover, ChatGPT is becoming more and more problematic each time it is overused.
In July, Gary Illyes of Google cautioned on LinkedIn against relying solely on LLMs as SEO tools for diagnosing website issues. While they may provide responses, they often lack a comprehensive understanding of the website. As such, it’s crucial to complement such tools with expert insights, including those from reputable website design services, to ensure accurate diagnosis and resolution of potential issues.
Generative AI and LLMs are fast-evolving pieces of tech – why should they be used carefully?
Both Generative AI and LLMs evolve quickly. It is wise to keep an eye on announcements about them from Google, Bing, and other tech giants. Bing is developing a generative AI-based software as part of its search engine with Bing Chat. However, the core approach will stay the same.
Google is more interested in ranking content with genuine value to users instead of content existing purely for manipulating search results.
Understanding a bit about search generative experience (SGE)
Google is known to be developing its own generative AI technology and refining it, with the aid of its PaLM LLM and generative AI chatbot Bard. It is also making a new version of the search experience. This will integrate generative AI answers and summaries.
They are reported to be codenamed Project ‘Magi’ in-house. Outside of the company, they are known as Search Generative Experience (SGE).
Microsoft brought in the same functionality via Bing Chat. It allows users to chat with a patented AI bot. The bot can summarize information and explain it via Natural language (with links to information sources).
Yet, Bing’s market share has not increased ever since it brought in Generative AI. It appears that the share is being reduced. Digital and content marketers are now in anticipation of Google’s next move in this arena. They know the tech giant is vouching for a positive impact on SEO.
Conclusion
Experience has a good role to play in SEO. Professionals from a well-known SEO company in Dubai are in favor of E-E-A-T as it can help in combatting clickbait and spam content. Content made with the assistance of AI chatbots should indeed be checked by humans and reviewed properly.
The internet has been spammed badly because of the wrong use of AI chatbots. The situation had worsened and now Google is doing its best to reverse the damages. Generative AI will somehow have a limited role because Google wants content written for people with a human touch, not the other way around.
God forbid, if the web kept approving AI-generated content that is unchecked, then the internet would explode into an apocalypse that no website will ever be able to survive.