This is an article ‘How AI Will Impact SEO In 2024’ by Marc Primo Warren
As we look toward 2024, one of the most significant waves shaping this landscape is Artificial Intelligence (AI). This year, the international AI market is expected to exceed $136 billion, with around 97 million people expected to work in the AI space. For one, how AI will not only impact but potentially revolutionize SEO strategies in the coming year is probably on every marketer’s or business’s mind. Let’s navigate through the labyrinths of AI's capabilities, its influence on search algorithms like Google, content creation, user experience, and beyond.
First things first— let's understand the role of AI in search engines. The everyday man’s main platform, Google, has been utilizing a great deal of AI upgrades to improve its search results, offering more relevant, contextual information to users. With the introduction of AI-driven algorithms like BERT and MUM, the search engine's understanding of language has become more nuanced, focusing on the intent behind search queries rather than just the keywords. This evolution means that in 2024, SEO strategies will need to be more sophisticated, catering to the depth and context of content rather than just sprinkling in keywords.
Predictive Analytics and SEO
AI's ability to predict and understand user behavior is absolutely a game-changer. Predictive analytics use AI to analyze past behavior and predict future actions. In SEO, this means understanding what users are likely to search for or how they interact with content. By 2024, we can expect tools powered by AI to provide more profound insights into user intent, search patterns, and content relevancy, enabling businesses to tailor their strategies accordingly.
Voice search is also on the rise, thanks to digital assistants like Alexa and Siri. Nearly 27% of consumers are now tapping into voice search on their mobile devices. In the span between 2021 and 2022, fewer than 40% embraced voice search, with even fewer utilizing it across different devices. As these tools become more sophisticated with AI, they change how people search. Conversational queries are becoming more common, and in response, SEO strategies need to adapt to this more natural language processing. The implications for 2024 are clear: optimizing for voice search isn't just nice to have; it's essential.
Revolutionizing Content Creation and AI
If you’re not familiar with the likes of ChatGPT, Dall-E, or Midjourney yet, then it’s high time you familiarize yourself with these AI-powered tools before you draw up your business plans for 2024. AI is revolutionizing not just how we understand content but also how we create it. These tools are enabling the automated generation of articles, blog posts, and even code— of course, still with human intervention required. As we approach 2024, the use of AI in content creation will become more prevalent, helping to produce more targeted, personalized, and relevant content.
However, the challenge for SEO professionals will be to balance AI-generated content with a human touch to ensure it remains engaging and valuable to the reader. In a recent survey of 2,000 consumer respondents, 85% said they don’t care much for AI-generated content. At least, the obvious ones that really don’t have any voice or tone.
How do you get AI tools to work with your campaign? Turn to personalization strategies, which are widely considered the future of marketing. After all, AI has been unlocking many building blocks for tailor-fit campaigns for the right target audiences for years. By analyzing user data, AI can help create highly personalized content strategies, ensuring that the right content reaches the right audience at the right time. In 2024, expect to see SEO strategies incorporating more personalized content, from customized email marketing campaigns to dynamic website content that changes based on the user's behavior.
With the rise of AI-generated content comes a growing concern about content authenticity and originality. In the coming year, it will become increasingly important for SEO professionals and content creators to ensure that every art and copy they offer online is not only relevant and personalized but also authentic. Strategies will need to be developed to distinguish AI-generated content from human-created content and to maintain a level of trust and engagement with the audience.
Enhancing User Experience with AI
Along with authentic messaging and content, AI is also set to enhance every aspect of the user experience. In 2023, many businesses honed their UX campaigns to improve SEO, recognizing that a seamless user experience is critical to ranking well in search engines and keeping users engaged. To name a few, there’s how Etsy improved its category pages and search functionalities or how Bank of America continued to enhance its mobile app and website interfaces, simplifying navigation and making financial information and services more accessible, improving both user satisfaction and SEO.
From predictive search results that anticipate what a user is looking for to chatbots that provide instant customer service, AI can make the online experience smoother and more personalized. In 2024, SEO isn't just about getting users to a site; it's about providing them with a memorable and positive experience once they're there.
Then, there’s also visual search technology, which allows users to search using images instead of words. As AI improves the accuracy and capabilities of visual search, SEO strategies will need to adapt. This means optimizing images and videos not just for content but also for context and relevancy. By 2024, visual search may become as common as text-based queries, and being prepared for this shift will be crucial.
Keeping Up With AI’s Rapid Changes
With 80% of searches now conducted on mobile devices, mobile optimization is more important than ever. AI is helping to streamline this process, from understanding how users interact with sites on mobile to optimizing site speed and layout for mobile devices. Next year’s mobile SEO will need to be more sophisticated, taking advantage of AI to create a seamless mobile experience.
However, as AI becomes more integrated into SEO, the ethical implications also become more significant. Issues around data privacy, consent, and the potential for AI to create misleading or biased content are just a few of the concerns. Marketing professionals will need to be vigilant about using AI ethically and responsibly, ensuring transparency and fairness in how they use AI tools and data.
Considering that AI is evolving at a breakneck pace, keeping up with the latest developments can be pretty challenging. For those in SEO, continuous learning and adaptation will always be crucial. Staying informed about the latest AI technologies and understanding how they can impact SEO will be essential not just in 2024 but in the coming years. As long as there is a human touch that ultimately determines the success of these strategies, we can leverage AI tools to connect, inform, and inspire efficiently.