How to Use ChatGPT for SEO in 2023
I’ve been in the SEO industry for nearly a decade now. In that time span, there have been some revolutions - largely related to massive Google algorithm updates like Panda and Penguin. And there have been some “revolutions” that weren’t revolutionary at all. Things that were going to “change the game” but really didn’t. Things that come to mind are AMP pages and voice search.
But more recently, SEO has undergone possibly its greatest revolution of all: it has experienced the artificial intelligence revolution. ChatGPT has been a game changer not just in SEO but throughout all of industry. The landscape will likely never be the same.
In this article, we’ll dive into how AI and ChatGPT have indeed transformed the SEO industry. We’ll look at how SEO consultants have adopted the new technology for their own purposes. Whether ChatGPT is good or bad for SEO. And how the technology can be used to transform your own business.
Has ChatGPT Made SEO Obsolete?
It's a question on many digital marketers' minds: is the rise of advanced AI tools like ChatGPT signaling the end of SEO as we know it? Is ChatGPT going to kill the SEO Star the way Video killed the Radio Star?
While ChatGPT has undeniably shifted the content creation paradigm, it hasn't "killed" SEO. Not by a long shot. Instead, ChatGPT and AI offer tools to leverage within a broader SEO strategy that can make SEO work many times more productive, efficient, and effective.
While ChatGPT definitely has advantages for users seeking information, ChatGPT is not always accurate or reliable. But until it is, it’s a safe bet that people will continue to use old fashioned search engines like Google and Bing. These are still often best for users to answer basic questions, deep research a topic, or find local businesses to meet their needs,
Nevertheless, although SEO is not dead, consultants and businesses need to know how they can harness the power of artificial intelligence in their SEO work. Let’s take a look at how we can do that in the next section.
Harnessing ChatGPT for SEO
There are so many ways an SEO can use ChatGPT to make their work easier, more efficient, and better. Some of those ways include things like:
Keyword and Topical Research
Content Creation and Optimization
Learning how to fix technical SEO errors
Developing a link-building strategy
Generating client communications and materials for reports
There are many more possibilities as well. But, let’s take a closer look at a few of these ways of using ChatGPT for SEO.
Keyword & Topical Research
Leveraging ChatGPT for keyword research and topical ideation can be a game-changer. Especially when you're trying to think outside the box or you're stepping into unfamiliar terrain topically. Here's how an SEO can use ChatGPT for these purposes:
You can start with a broad or core topic related to the content you want to produce or optimize. For instance, if you're working on a website about “commercial construction management”, that would be your initial core topic. You can then ask AI to generate suggested keywords related to this topic.
Based on ChatGPT's initial suggestions, you can dive deeper into particular subtopics or niches. Perhaps you are particularly interested in diving deeper into a niche like cost estimation, risk management, or site planning. You can then ask ChatGPT for more information or more keywords related to that subtopic.
ChatGPT can help you identify question-based queries that users - and your potential customers - might be asking. These can be invaluable for FAQ sections or blog posts. They can also be especially good to help you rank for Google’s famous “People Also Ask” questions you often see on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP).
Finally, you can ask ChatGPT to help you generate SEO keywords that correspond to different stages of the user or buyer’s journey. This includes things like the informational stage, consideration stage, or transactional stage of the journey. ChatGPT can help you generate a list of various mid or long-tail keywords for each of these stages.
Content Creation & Optimization
Using ChatGPT for content creation and optimization opens up a world of possibilities. These can range from drafting initial content to refining existing pieces for better SEO performance. However, you need to be very careful in how you use the generated content. One of the most important facets of good SEO is creating good, useful, original content that adds value to the conversation. In other words, you need to be creating “helpful” content.
One way to use ChatGPT for SEO content creation is to have it generate an initial outline or first draft. Feed the primary keyword you want to use for our article and allow AI to generate a short, initial piece for you. Based on that initial concept, you can then ask it to generate a fuller outline of what your content should include.
While your content should ultimately be original, useful, and valuable to users, there is no harm in asking ChatGPT for SEO optimizations. This can include keyword integration throughout your copy, metadata creation, additional research, and sources, or effective calls to action.
While this shows how you can use ChatGPT to assist in the content creation process, it's essential to cross-reference suggestions with SEO tools, analytics, and original research for fact-checking. This ensures the content is not only well-written but also accurate and effective in driving traffic and engagement.
While ChatGPT is a potent tool for content generation and optimization, human judgment and expertise remain the secret sauce. Always review and adjust the content to align with your brand voice, target audience, and specific objectives. When you combine the power of ChatGPT with real-world data, analytics, and user feedback, you can create compelling, SEO-friendly content that will rank well in search.
Using ChatGPT for Technical SEO
Technical SEO, which deals with the aspects of a website that influence search engine crawling and indexing, is a crucial part of any comprehensive SEO strategy. While many aspects of technical SEO are deeply rooted in web development and server management, ChatGPT can still be a powerful tool here.
For starters, ChatGPT can be used to help you understand technical SEO concepts. If you come across terms or practices in technical SEO you're unfamiliar with, ask ChatGPT for explanations. For example, you might ask “what is a canonical tag?” or “are there SEO tags to indicate I am targeting a foreign country?” You can keep these explanations short and general or ask AI to dive in real deep.
Another way ChatGPT can be helpful for tech SEO is by using it to help with technical SEO audits. For example, you can ask ChatGPT to generate a checklist of various facets of tech SEO to cover in your audit. And if you encounter specific errors or issues during an audit, describe them to ChatGPT and ask for potential solutions. Example: "I've found 404 errors on a client's site. What could be causing them, do I need to fix them, and, if so, how?”
Structured data is a standardized format to label and organize the information on a webpage. This makes it easier for search engines to understand the content it’s crawling. It provides explicit clues about the meaning of a page. And it helps search engines index the content more effectively while presenting it in richer ways in the search results.
To help you with this, you can use ChatGPT to explain the different types of schema markups and their uses. You can also ask ChatGPT to help generate simple schema markup codes for your site pages.
Is ChatGPT Bad for SEO?
There is no simple answer to the question of whether ChatGPT is good or bad for SEO. This needs to be determined on a case-by-case basis. It largely depends on how one uses AI in the SEO process. And we’ve already seen some of the benefits of using it. So let’s take a look at some of the potential hazards.
One potential pitfall of using ChatGPT for SEO is the risk of creating unhelpful content. As we have seen, helpful content genuinely adds to the conversation about a given topic. But because generative AI largely reproduces prior content in slightly modified form, the content can often have a “me too” feel and not add value.
Another potential problem with using ChatGPT is ethical concerns. For starters, people may be or feel misled if you don’t disclose to them your use of the technology. Another problem is that many think that generative AI inherently infringes on copyright and other forms of intellectual property.
Finally, without adding that much-needed “human touch” to your SEO work, it may be soulless, boring, non-value added, and even factually incorrect. That’s why it’s so important not to over-rely on AI when doing SEO. It should be a helpful tool, not the whole package.
How ChatGPT-Powered SEO Can Help Your Business Today
When combined with the benefits of ChatGPT, SEO has the power to transform your business exponentially. AI-charged SEO can help you fill competitive gaps, speed up productivity, and develop powerful insights you may have missed. A balanced approach that combines AI-generated content with human oversight, creativity, and strategy will yield the best SEO results for your business.
The right SEO consultant will help you with this to grow your search-based traffic, leads, and sales. You can find the right SEO consultant by doing your research, asking your consultant the right questions, and gaining a bit of an understanding of how SEO is supposed to work.
If you’re interested in learning more about how I can help you grow your business with ChatGPT-powered SEO, contact me today, and let’s chat!