Previously we looked at what Artificial Intelligence was and how it’s used in industry and marketing. In our final article of the three part series, we’re looking at the growing impact of AI on digital marketing and SEO.

So, what does AI mean for SEO?

Currently, AI is utilized in digital marketing to collect data on ad targeting, to determine the relevancy of content, also it’s used to exam customer segmentation for cross-selling, for streamlining ads campaigns and evaluating which emotional values have the maximum effect on their targeted market. But the number is growing for organizations to use AI technology to enhance their search engine rankings.

Once you search for something with the use of the AI/SEO technology, the result displayed will remember several things, such as search history, favorite websites, and what other customers clicked on for the same query. AI enhancements mean ranking factors can change from query to query, as the algorithm learns from how people are clicking on the search results and decides on the best-related factors to take into account for every search.

Latent Semantic Indexing: what is it and how does it impact SEO?

Latent Semantic Indexing poses a debate for some, but first let’s define exactly – what is Latent Semantic Indexing or LSI?

LSI uses a mathematical technique called singular value decomposition to scan unstructured data within documents and identify synonyms and relationships between the concepts. Basically it finds hidden relationships between words so that search engines, such as Bing or Google can index the site.

Examples of synonyms: pupil = student or purchase = buy.

With LSI machines are being trained to adapt to conversational phrases and language and LSI also allows documents to be clustered together based on their common themes.

According to Bill Slawski, Google doesn’t use latent semantic indexing in its algorithm. “Google does like synonyms and semantics, but they don’t call it Latent Semantic Indexing, and for an SEO to use those terms can be misleading, and confusing to clients who look up Latent Semantic Indexing and see something very different.”

So, which is it? Be concerned with LSI keywords or simply be concerned with providing keyword synonyms (phrases and co-occurrence of words) that say the same thing and give Google and Bing something to sink their teeth into? I think the latter.

How to benefit from AI and search engine optimization

Artificial Intelligence is getting so smart that even Google and Bing have trouble ranking their own products first on search engines today. Google and Bing use AI to improve the search algorithms to help customers find better search results.

In an article by SEO Mechanic they share five ways to benefit from AI and search engine optimization.

1. Keywords are becoming less relevant – but intent is not. On smart phones, voice searches are increasing. Artificial intelligence helps search engines match their need. The best way to engage consumers is to write naturally. Speak like a human search like a human… and from that, content is found.
2. Predict what they do next. It’s not enough to search but to predict what the consumer wants to do next – this is using Schema data. This keeps the attention of the user and improves the time spent on the site, decreasing the bounce rate to a website. A visit of 3-5 seconds is not valuable to Google. Longer time on the site verifies validity and relevant content.
3. The buyer cycle, clarify and understand. When you can segment your content you speak to the customer in the language they understand. Most buyers go through a buying cycle – awareness, interest and decision. If marketers and businesses can give the buyer the information they need at each stage of the journey through segmented and directed search content – a deeper relationship is established. AI looks at all of these interactions as data points.
4. Be specific. Be niched. AI interprets sites based on how much you help a customer. Having a niche site helps Google and Bing know your industry or services. Google’s RankBrain  has forever changed SEO. RankBrain, is an algorithm tool to help measure machine learning more accurately. This helps businesses group good sites from bad to decide which sites can answer the user’s search criteria.
5. The backbone of AI – Real Time Data. This helps businesses aggregate and organize search terms in real-time. This allows you to test the location, date or device works best with each search term. From there, you can figure out the phrases with the highest ROI. Not only are things like keywords, metrics, and targeted ads going to become increasingly automated, the possibilities of real-time data aggregation solutions are going to change the game for good.

AI-Assisted Marketing Tools.

AI-assisted Voice Search tools, such as Siri, Alexa and Google Voice Search are putting more emphasis than ever on conversational content, Google Maps and high rank criteria SERPs. As smartphones and smart speakers bring increasingly sophisticated AI tech into consumers’ lives, searches and SEO are evolving. It’s increasingly important for digital marketers to optimize content for conversational language with clear, grammatically correct answers to specific questions, such as who, what, where, when, and why. This impacts SEO searches and how we communicate on search engines.

AI-powered Chatbots – or Digital Assistants though sometimes a little annoying – actually provide a valuable service to consumers and businesses. Chatbots allow customers to engage with a business without asking a person to search for information. Operating 24/7 Chatbots are a friend ready to help.  SEO’s are engaging with search engines to get their answer matched to a searcher’s query. Search engine marketers can take advantage of this support and help businesses transition into the realm that fits trends in how users gain information. Both chatbots and AI bots provide a foundation for sustainable business growth through improved user experiences, scalability, and low overhead, high return efficiency. For more AI tools for marketing check out 42+ Artificial Intelligence Tools for Martketers.

Artificial intelligence is only growing in scope and impact. It’s time to adapt or be left behind in the race for ranking.

Pamela Abeyta is the creative maven for Abeyta Design Group. Abeyta Design Group will help with your visual design, off-page marketing and environmental graphic design needs. Need help? Say Hello! Abeyta Design Group.