On this week’s episode of Dear Katie, I had the pleasure of answering a question that I think a lot of firm owners are wondering: “Given that people are using ChatGPT more and more, do you think it will make SEO irrelevant?”
AI and SEO are not all or nothing. I’ve found SEO to be more important than ever, and I’ll tell you why below.
But before I do, I just want to say that I’ll be using ChatGPT as an example of an AI tool because that’s what the person asking the question was using. You can apply these basic concepts to any AI tool that you’re using.
AI uses existing content online to generate answers.
As a result, you’ll see a lot of AEO optimization (basically optimizing for these AI tools to promote your content) popping up because 5.2 billion visits go to ChatGPT alone each month, and then you have Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek and other chatbots that are doing the same thing.
Publishers suffering from a loss of traffic to their websites because of AI answers and responses have named companies like Google and OpenAI in lawsuits. Questions of copyright and the legalities of training AI on these works have to led pushback on the way these answers are produced.
As an answer to this pushback, AI platforms and search engines have added links to the original publisher(s) content from which the answers were derived.
That’s why, if you search on Google, you’ll often see an AI Overview with links that help clarify the sources that led to the platform’s answer.
SEO principles that help you rank on search engines are still relevant and include:
You want to show up when someone searches on ChatGPT or other platforms, and it’s all a part of SEO. And while the 5.2 billion visits to ChatGPT each month are impressive, you have to look at the larger picture.
Google receives over 139.9 billion visits each month in the US alone. Daily, 16.4 billion searches go through the platform.
AI may be shaking things up a bit and changing the way that people search, but SEO is far from irrelevant.
AI and SEO work together to maximize your traffic from organic search and platforms like ChatGPT.
More search engines are integrating AI features. Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) is a great example. To rank well in this new environment, your SEO strategies must be tailored to these AI-enhanced search algorithms through:
SEO isn’t just for search engines like Google.
It’s also for social media platforms, YouTube and even e-commerce sites.
All of these platforms rely on SEO principles to help users find relevant content. Optimizing your content ensures that it stays discoverable across all channels, including those that are increasingly influenced by AI.
Okay, got it – SEO is still important.
But I know many of you are now asking: can I use ChatGPT to write and optimize my content for SEO purposes?
You can absolutely use AI to help.
But the keyword here is “help.”
If you use a tool like ChatGPT properly, Google won’t penalize you.
That’s right.
A lot of marketers claim that using AI will be penalized by Google.
That’s wrong.
In fact, Google has said this – they won’t penalize you. That being said, Google also has said your content must still follow their EEAT (Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness) principles.
One crucial thing here is to make sure that you make ChatGPT content sound less generic and more personalized.
Add your own personal touch to your content, such as your voice, your unique experiences and real-life examples. Don’t just copy and paste the content you generate.
We’ve established that you can use ChatGPT to help you write and optimize your content. But is optimization for AI different from optimizing for search engines?
Not entirely. However, AI prioritizes user-friendly formats like lists, FAQs and conversational tones.
Now, here’s another important question: how can you measure the success of your ChatGPT-generated SEO content?
I recommend tracking the following metrics:
You can do all of this using simple tools like Ahrefs or Google Analytics.
AI tools like ChatGPT aren’t replacing SEO; tthey’re making it even more critical for brands to focus on creating high-quality, optimized and authoritative content to stay competitive and visible online.
SEO isn’t dying. It’s just evolving. And AI can be a helpful tool in assisting with your optimization strategy. Just be sure that you’re tracking the progress of your results over time.
And, that’s a wrap on this Dear Katie question.
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Now I want to hear from you. Do you have a question?
No, SEO is still very important. AI tools depend on SEO-optimized content to generate answers, making SEO even more critical for visibility.
You can use ChatGPT to help write and optimize content, but ensure it follows Google’s EEAT principles and add your unique voice to avoid generic content.
Focus on keyword selection, high-quality content, and structured data to improve your rankings on search engines and AI platforms.
LinkedIn is highly effective for accountants, as it connects you with decision-makers and supports various content types. Choose platforms where your audience is active and that you enjoy using.
Look beyond vanity metrics like likes and followers. Collect feedback directly from your audience to understand how they found you and the impact of your content on their decisions.
Yes, anyone can become a thought leader by defining their unique point of view and sharing it. Focus on developing your insights and finding ways to communicate them effectively.
No, SEO is still very important. AI tools depend on SEO-optimized content to generate answers, making SEO even more critical for visibility.
You can use ChatGPT to help write and optimize content, but ensure it follows Google’s EEAT principles and add your unique voice to avoid generic content.
Focus on keyword selection, high-quality content, and structured data to improve your rankings on search engines and AI platforms.
SEO is adapting to include AI-enhanced search algorithms, requiring content that offers authoritative insights and answers specific questions.
Track organic traffic, engagement rates, keyword rankings, and conversions using tools like Ahrefs or Google Analytics.
Not entirely, but AI prefers user-friendly formats like lists and conversational tones, so adjust your content accordingly.