There is a lot of conversation around the future of SEO in the age of AI Overviews (AIO). Some business owners wonder if SEO is still necessary. In this article, we answer some of your questions about the new age of search and how SEO is still an effective element in your digital marketing strategy.
The Rise of AI in Search: How Search Engine Updates Impact Your Website
People understand that having a website is important for businesses, making the online space crowded. According to Forbes “the world wide web has an estimated1.09 billion websites”. The quality of the websites ranges from highly authoritative to spammy.
A web browser’s main goal is to provide a good user experience (UX). To achieve this search engines, namely Google, perform numerous updates to their search algorithm, of which there have been many over the last year. Since February 2023, Google has made 13 core algorithm updates. They have also introduced AI Overviews (AIO)*, previously known as “Search Generative Experience”(SGE).
Recent changes have caused volatility in organic rankings and search traffic, making life difficult for SEO Specialists. Many websites have seen ranking drops because of core updates, and with each one, it can take time for some sites’ traffic levels to recover. The Internet is getting more complex and as it evolves SEO must as well.
*AI Overviews | Screenshot of the fulfilled search query “What is SEO and how does it work?” The presented result appears conversationally with AI Overviews (AIO) and is similar to a large snippet of structured content.
AI Overviews: Reshaping Search Results and Why SEO Still Matters
The introduction of AI Overviews (AIO) has altered how searched content is presented and how websites are shown in search results. When you look for something online, the search engine shows you information from what it perceives as the most relevant websites. AIO pulls together its findings and aims to make sense of the combined content as effectively as it can. These display conversationally at the top of the search engine.
The new AIO presentation differs markedly from what we’re used to from search results; it doesn’t include a list of websites to visit and the overall layout has changed. Website owners are asking if this new layout benefits them.
They also wonder if they still need SEO. The answer is YES! You need SEO now more than ever.
*An example of AI-collected content combined and presented from a wide range of what search believes are authoritative websites.
As SEO specialists we monitor and upskill as changes take place across search engines. Because of this, we are confident in our recommendations on how to stay ahead in search rankings with AI. One thing that has not changed is that businesses still need a solid ongoing SEO strategy.
SEO Strategy Recommendations
Here are key stages that remain relevant for SEO in the age of AI Overviews (AIO).
Technical SEO:
Monitoring your website to ensure it is free of errors, duplicate content, and pages that aren’t being indexed or crawled, understanding what is expected to avoid search engine penalties and maintaining your overall website health while following SEO best practices.
Keyword & Content Strategy:
Fine-tuning your website for a good user experience (UX) relies on the examination and strategies that are best provided by humans. Even AI relies on high-quality content written by humans with Experience – Expertise, Authority and Trustworthiness (E.E.A.T), the main component being authority. This includes streamlining website structure researching and optimising content with the right keywords and queries, and implementing structured data. We do this to ensure that your content is considered and included in the newly conversational search results.
Backlinking and Partnership Outreach:
A handful of high-quality industry-related backlinks over a year as opposed to those acquired with “black-hat SEO practices” is far more valuable to your website than hundreds of spammy purchased backlinks. Search engines reward quality backlinks with improved rankings, presenting you as an authority with relevance.
Human interaction and outreach are vital for connections resulting in top quality backlinks. These come from industry partnerships, trade publications, local forums and social media communities just to name a few.
An SEO specialist is a bridge between your website content and those who would like to link to it to inform their content further. This ongoing process takes time, monitoring and at times extensive communication.
Let’s Sum This Up
Your website still needs ongoing SEO informed by the understanding of rapidly changing AI-driven search. Search engines value websites with high-quality content and human authority that can be crawled efficiently. There is always value in collaboration or a given citation from someone in your industry. These provide rich backlinks that may improve ranking and visibility.
Search engines aim to give users a good experience. And as users give feedback on what they like and don’t like, search engine results will keep improving. In fact, since its launch in June, Google has pulled back AIO visibility.
The bottom line is that AI relies on your content to achieve its goals, and content done right is more likely to help your site rank well in search results. After all, we are still serving content for humans and a solid ongoing SEO strategy will keep you in the conversation.
Contact Our Team
Contact us for a free SEO Audit and learn more about how your website can show and improve ranking with a solid SEO strategy in the age of AI Overviews (AIO).
