Why Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Will Not Kill SEO

You’ve heard the rumors: Artificial intelligence is out to take all of our jobs and before long, with Google’s RankBrain getting smarter, we won’t need SEO at all. But that is not further from the truth. In fact, SEO does the majority of the work, and RankBrain just fills in the gaps between the searcher and the site they are trying to find. So does the influx of artificial intelligence mean the end of SEO? No. It is merely the beginning of a more refined Digital Marketing landscape.

How Artificial Intelligence Is Currently Used for SEO

In short, the point of artificial intelligence is to mimic the human brain. It is constantly evolving and learning so that it can better serve the end user. In the world of digital marketing, artificial intelligence serves as the bridge between what the user is searching for and what the website has to offer. Basically, artificial intelligence ensures the content is relevant to the searcher’s intent.

Does this mean SEO isn’t necessary? Of course not. If anything, it means that your SEO efforts need to be even more precise so that when RankBrain is trying to find the perfect match for the searcher, you show up. RankBrain is not guessing what your site is about—it still needs to be told exactly what you have to offer. Think of RankBrain as the searcher’s agent—it is there to help the searcher find what they want. It is not there to help you portray what you have to sell. Note: It can help you in other ways, though, like ad targeting and analyzing your audience, it just doesn’t affect your on-page SEO efforts.

How Artificial Intelligence Will Be Used for SEO

Artificial intelligence in the world of digital marketing is just getting started. It will continue to provide benefits to SEO in many ways:

• It makes sure black hat SEO tactics don’t make it on the SERPs. It is too smart for the shoddy tactics to slip by.
• It ensures searchers are seeing results in real-time. SEO strategies won’t take as long to show results.
• It brings more accuracy to voice search so that when users speak a question, your site can still be found with your standard query keywords.
• It categorizes images and videos effortlessly, helping them become more searchable.

As you can see, artificial intelligence is only helping your SEO efforts, not replacing them. You still have to be smart and use effective on-page and off-page SEO strategies to make sure your site can be found, artificial intelligence just makes sure that the right people find you. To learn more about how artificial intelligence can impact your SEO strategy, both now and in the future, contact Zero Gravity Marketing now.