Is SEO Dead? Did Artificial Intelligence Kill It?

Is the advent of artificial intelligence killing search engine optimization? Maybe. But is it the end of marketers trying to game the system and optimize? No.

It's more of a shift in focus from the old ways of optimizing for the search engines to how to optimize for AI and the more advanced search engines.

Links are far from dead, but now Google and its cohorts can glean the importance of your site from non-linked mentions on other pages. Pretty neat if you ask me.

I think that the panic that is ensuing with this realization is overblown. Instead of running around with our heads cut off, let's take a deep breath and take a look at how we can use this new technology to get our websites found in the new era.

ChatGPT and Gemini, to name just two, are going to change the landscape of how people use the Internet. And we need to adapt or die off.

We need to remember that SEO and optimization of our web properties have always been a moving target. Google doesn't sit by and let us optimize and game the system without changing things up constantly. Look at last year with all the algorithm updates. It was whack-a-mole all freaking year.

Back in the early twenty-teens we used to optimize for exact match domains. Remember those companies who named themselves "Doylestown Lumber Suppliers?" That was quashed by Google and its ilk once it was found to be gamed.

So AI is just another change that we as web practitioners have to adapt to.

Here's some insights from a buddy of mine in the SEO space, Simon Cox:

"There have always been a lot of different strategies in SEO and a most of them die off quickly as the search engines continually adapt and improve. The ones that have never died off, and are unlikely to, are the basics. This includes Technical SEO where there really are no shortcuts.

Content SEO is where most of the short term strategies have been tried and it has a lot to gain from AI if used as a helpful tool in your toolbox and not as a mass content generator. "

Simon Cox (https://www.simoncox.com/)

How do you plan on adapting? I'd love to hear. Hit reply and let me know. I read all the email replies. 😊

The Latest From Entrepreneur's Enigma

Web Jawn

• Meta Prompts Advertisers to Purchase Boosted Posts on Desktop To Avoid Apple Fees
  Clever work around. I for one love the idea of being able to do this action on the computer with a bigger screen and not having to rely on my fat thumbs.
• Meta Shares Insights Into How the Threads Feed Algorithms Work
  Interesting to see how the bagels are made. Some great insights.
• New Report Finds That X May Be Inflating its Ad Performance Results
  Surprised? Not one bit. Elon is a tool.
• AI Tools Are Revolutionizing Creation, but the Value of Concept Is Still Key
  I agree with this. AI still need human input to make it work. This is not doomsday.
• Reddit shown excessively in Google product review search results, study finds
  Reddit is powerful for product SEO. Surprised, not really. Reddit is a huge place for user-generated content and opinions. Makes sense if you ask me.
• Google announces Misrepresentation policy update
  A step in the right direction. Not complying could mean your ads account gets suspended.
• Dr. K – The Harvard Psychiatrist helping creators with performance, burnout, and dealing with negative feedback.
  I'm a HUGE fan of Jay Clouse and his Creator Science newsletter and podcast. This episode with a Harvard Psychiatrist is a must listen for anyone creating online and on social media.
• Waymo arson in San Francisco sparks new debate on self-driving cars
  People really don't like self-driving cars. This poor Waymo car got torched in San Fran. Geez.
• Amazon Sued Over Prime Video Ads: Class-Action Complaint Accuses Tech Giant of ‘Immoral, Unethical, Oppressive, Unscrupulous’ Conduct
  Dang, Amazon can't win. But to be honest, those who are paying more than $100 for Amazon Prime and are now getting advertisements on the streaming platform, are pissed. As they should be.
• Terrorists Are Paying for Check Marks on X, Report Says
  Well that's just great. Good job Elon! This is exactly what we want from the former-bird site. 😵‍💫☹️😒
• Musk’s X sold checkmarks to Hezbollah and other terrorist groups, report says
  Again... ugh! 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫
• No ‘GPT’ trademark for OpenAI
  I'm no trademark lawyer, but GPT seems a bit general to trademark. 😂
• OpenAI’s newest model Sora can generate videos — and they look decent
  More than decent in some cases. A bit uncanny valley in others. But pretty cool tech.
• Google: Google Search Wants What Your Website Users Want
  Well, well, well. I've been saying this forever. Focus on the visitor not the search engine! 😊✌️
• Twitter front-end Nitter dies as Musk wins war against third-party services
  RIP Nitter and one more reason to stop using X/Twitter.

I Was On The Growth Guide Podcast

Keigan Carthy is a young social media entrepreneur in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He was gracious enough to have me on his show, The Growth Guide, to talk about digital marketing and entrepreneurship. It was a great conversation. Check it out!

That's it for this week! Keep rocking it!

-Seth