You’d have to be living under a rock not to have heard about ChatGPT. Since its debut at the end of 2022, the chatbot has taken the internet by storm. ChatGPT and its competitors have sparked a debate about the value and benefit of using chat tools for everything from SEO to writing college essays.
While ChatGPT is still a ways away from becoming self-conscious and completely taking over the world, SEO experts have embraced the technology and are using it to improve their campaigns and transform better results. Let’s look at how search engine optimization (SEO) experts, in particular, make the most of marketing AI.
What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is an AI-powered language model that talks to you. People can ask ChatGPT questions, and it will do its best to provide answers based on the information it has been fed.
The “information it has been fed” is the huge disclaimer for ChatGPT. Unlike people, the AI chatbot can’t think for itself (yet). It can only respond to queries based on the data it has. Since there’s a lot of data out there, and ChatGPT has seen a lot of it, the chatbot can often provide thorough, accurate responses. But when there’s a gap in the data, it’s left to try to fill those gaps, which can lead to errors and inaccuracies.
So, while ChatGPT is revolutionary, it’s not yet giving digital marketing agencies a run for their money.
How to Use ChatGPT for SEO
Google and other search engines, like Bing, have embraced AI in their algorithms. ChatGPT and similar chatbots, like Bard, have other uses for SEO, too. While you don’t want to hand over the reins of your SEO or content marketing strategy to ChatGPT, you can use it as a support tool when developing a campaign. Here are a few advantages of AI for SEO and how we’re using them here at Zero Gravity Marketing:
Keyword Research
You have a list of keywords you want to target with your SEO campaign. But are those the best keywords to use, or are there others that might provide better results or support your SEO?
ChatGPT can give you the answer. You can ask the chatbot to provide a list of keywords relevant to your primary keyword. It should generate a sizable list of options, some of which you would never have thought of on your own.
Content Topic Creation
Using ChatGPT to create content is dicey and best if used in the most strategic way (Google penalizes sites that solely use AI-generated content). Using ChatGPT to get inspiration for content topics is another matter, though.
Let’s say you have a general idea for content and want to create several pieces related to that big idea. You can ask ChatGPT to provide you with a list of sub-topics. Think of it as a tool to support your brainstorms and help you cover all thoughts or questions your audience may have.
Brainstorming Ideas
On that note, ChatGPT is an excellent partner to have when you need to brainstorm ideas. It can help you come up with topics, formats, and more to make your website stand out and rank high in search engine results.
Generate Rich SEO Titles
It’s not just your content that helps your pages rank well on Google. The structure of your pages and the H1s and H2s you use also play a role. Creating SEO-friendly titles can be a pain, but ChatGPT can do the task for you. Just ask it to come up with a few titles based on the topic and the keywords.
As always, double-check the chatbot’s work before you post anything.
Understanding of Search Intent
ChatGPT isn’t human, but it does a good job of figuring out what humans want. It’s a valuable tool for cracking user intent or a person’s goal when they type (or speak) a query into a search engine. You can use ChatGPT to decipher user intent and craft content that meets your visitors’ needs.
How Positive Is the Impact of ChatGPT on Digital Marketing?
The initial reaction to ChatGPT and other AI chatbots from digital marketers and SEOs was, well, panic. People worried that the chatbots would take their jobs and eventually take over everything.
It’s been a few months, and that initial panic has since died down. While there’s always the risk that ChatGPT will negatively impact digital marketing, so far, the results seem to be positive. Many in the online marketing industry see improved results and greater efficiency when using the tools. Of course, how you use the tools and what you expect to get from a chatbot will have a significant impact on your final results.
What Are the SEO Experts Saying?
To see the impact of AI on SEO and digital marketing, it helps to turn to the experts. Our team of search marketing professionals, share their thoughts and feelings on ChatGPT and tips for making the most of it.
What are your thoughts on ChatGPT & SEO?
Should and how do you leverage AI in your strategy?
“AI has some incredible potential when it comes to helping us become better SEOs, whether it’s assisting with research, outlining, ideation, or analysis, AI can help us streamline processes in order to improve a client’s SEO in a more efficient manner. Personally, I have found AI to be extremely helpful for blog topic ideation and semantic analysis of keywords. AI can help us understand the context and meaning behind search queries, allowing us to create content that better addresses user intent. However, I believe there is a major difference between improving efficiency and taking shortcuts which is why I and many other SEOs agree AI is a tool, not an SEO solution.” (Senior SEO Strategist Manager, Dan Hamilton)
ZGM Can Handle Your Content Marketing Strategy
ChatGPT is a valuable marketing tool, but it won’t replace the need to work with a team of digital marketing and SEO experts just yet. Zero Gravity Marketing offers a variety of digital and content marketing services in Connecticut. If you want to maximize your content marketing strategy, with or without the help of AI, contact us today.
