What is SEO and does it matter in this AI search world?

When I say either SEO or search engine optimisation to most people, the glazed eye look or the awkward silence always follows. Because it's still a foreign concept. Mainly because it sounds either 'boring' or 'hard'. Then you throw in AEO, GEO, AI search, and any other acronyms that have been created that day and full-on shutdown or reboot mode kicks in.

What I love to tell the unsure noobies is it's like literally waving a flag to Google (or any search engines) saying "hey over here, look at me!" So, you're not just another website bobbing around in the massive, wide-open ocean that is the internet.

Simply meaning = SEO helps you be found on the internet for FREE.

So, what is SEO? (Give it to me straight)

Let me break it down.

The first two letters, S and E, highlight HOW your potential customers are trying to find you.

S = Search

E = Engine

When you go into any search engine. Whether it be the obvious, Google, or places like Bing, Pinterest, YouTube, or even your search bar in Instagram. Basically, anywhere you have to put in a question or a query, from how to make sourdough to size 39 Birks.

This is where customers are searching for an answer to your problem.

They are using a search engine to help them solve this query.

Then the last letter is where, as business owners, the work you put into SEO helps you become found as one of the answers or solutions to that person's query.

O = Optimisation.

This is where, instead of just creating a website that you thought looked 'great', making it live, then patiently waiting for the phone to ring, then wondering... what have I done wrong?

You used strategy to help your business be found on the internet, so when your ideal customer types in their problem, hoping with crossed fingers that the search engine delivers the answer they are looking for, and then... you appear... the shining star in the dark night.

That is the beauty and simplicity of what is SEO (search engine optimisation).

Does it matter when we now have AI search?

It matters more than ever.

Take Ahrefs' study of 1.4 million ChatGPT prompts, they found that 88% of the URLs ChatGPT cites still come from its general search results, meaning the same kind of search you'd run yourself. 

In layman's terms = If you're not even showing up in traditional search i.e. Google search, AI search isn't going to be your saving grace.

So, if anyone tries to tell you that they're two completely different things... they're lying to you.

AI search is essentially traditional old SEO, but on steroids.

Why steroids? Because certain SEO tactics are now a must to get found on AI search.

AND

There is now ANOTHER platform using SEO to provide answers to people with ‘lots of’ problems.

So, if you didn't have an SEO strategy before? Now is the time to start implementing one. Not because you are behind, because you want your business to succeed.

So, what should I be focusing on?

The data on how LLMs find answers to people's queries is changing rapidly.

Even though AI is nothing new (it's actually been around for years, just in different formats), there is no secret recipe that will 100% guarantee an AI citation.

However, Google has come out saying that focusing on good authoritative content (which they have been saying for years) helps. Especially if you are answering a question your audience is asking, in a unique but strategy-backed way, you've got a shot.

Backlinko has really good examples on how to write content for your audience - This blog in particular.

But apart from content that people actually want to read and can be found, my theory is to always stick to the basics. Don't make it complicated.

What are the SEO basics? I'm glad you asked.

Google has many things that it checks off to consider you (roughly about 200 things), but you're a busy business owner whose full-time job can't be looking after your SEO strategy.

So, let's look at some of my favs that still serve me in this AI-obsessed world we are now living in.

Three SEO basics to focus on

1. Keyword/Prompt research

Keyword research is the process of finding popular search phrases that people are using in search engines and working out which ones you should allocate to your website page or blog.

It's the fraternal twin of prompt research that you need for AI search.

Uptight and structured = Keyword research

Relaxed and conversational = Prompt research

Which works for me, as I like to approach my keyword research the way I like to approach life... the easy way.

So, I use a keyword research tool, and my preferred tool is Keysearch - grab a 7-day free trial (affiliate link).

This is where you can see if the keyword (or keyphrase) is worth worrying about.

And then before I start researching, I think about the content and purpose this keyword or prompt is serving, so I don't get too caught up in the technical aspects.

Ask yourself:

• What is my audience needing or wanting to know?

• What do I want this webpage to be found for or in relation to?

• How is it helping me or helping my audience?

And sometimes the most obvious, i.e. SEO services Wellington, is the answer. 

Let me show you how I did it for this blog:

• I knew my topic and how I wanted to approach it for my audience, so I checked the stats

• Then looked at the difference via location

• Then had a quick look at the data

Seeing the colour red is probably a dead giveaway that trying to 'rank' for this keyphrase is going to be haaaard. That's what the score means; it tells you the ranking difficulty of that keyphrase.

So, the fact that I chose this as my primary keyword for my blog means I'm either extremely ambitious or... dumb.

Then the other factor I want you to look at is volume. This neat little number tells you roughly how many people are typing this into a search engine on average in a month (keeping in mind that keyword research tools all have access to different amounts of data, so this could technically be lower or higher; that's why we say on average).

This number then makes me look like a genius.

So, how do you know what is the right answer?

You weigh it up. You might not rank, but you could be found in relation to this topic (especially in this season of AI), so sometimes it's worth taking the risk.

But if that score is a light blue or green, with a volume number like the above. You go for it. This is referred to as a unicorn keyphrase.

So, why did I choose this topic and keyphrase for this blog? To help you. My audience. I want you to understand more about why I'm such an advocate for this in people's marketing strategies. Because the data shows me people are still asking the same question 'what is SEO?' and now 'does it matter with AI?'

2. Backlinks

The simplest SEO strategy you could implement, and one I love doing as a collaborative way in business.

A URL from your website on someone else's website. Tick done.

Bonus: You've also just scored yourself a referring domain.

Now, you don't want to do the spammy version of this strategy. Where you pay for all and any backlinks on irrelevant websites.

You want authoritative, relatable, and authentic backlinks. Like I've done here with a fellow business owner.

3. Google Business Profile

This free tool is such a little powerhouse when it comes to being found online, and now with AI search it's your secret weapon.

Google confirmed that having a Google Business Profile makes it more likely for your business to be referred to in an AI citation.

And if you want to be found locally as the go-to kebab shop, then ensuring you have an optimised Google Business Profile makes that a breeze for you.

Not sure what one is? Check mine out below.

You normally see these appear on the right-hand side of your search, or it has a listing in the map area of where you are looking.

It is probably on the same level as backlinks as one of the easiest SEO tactics to implement.

Haven't got one? Set one up here.

These three SEO strategies are what I did when I launched my website, and then because life was lifing, that's where I stopped, but I was still able to achieve numbers like these:

AND THEN...

https://youtube.com/shorts/On9tyPECIq8?si=I_u67SW31hXMXIvw

And this was always my goal. Be found with little effort.

Even while on maternity leave, when I had glorious plans for things to happen while I was off, and of course they never happened, my numbers held.

And if you love learning how to optimise your business for the World Wide Web, then head over to my Substack and subscribe, where I give you frequent doses of SEO and AI search education.