How AI has Changed the SEO Landscape

AI has dramatically changed the world of SEO, making it more dynamic and sophisticated. Here’s a simple breakdown of how it affects SEO and what people should be aware of:

1. Search Engines Are Smarter

AI helps search engines like Google understand what users really mean when they search for something. Instead of just looking at keywords, AI considers context, intent, and even phrasing. This means:

• Old-school keyword stuffing no longer works. (This was done away with some time ago but people still do it for some reason.)
• Content must be truly helpful and relevant to rank well. In other words, fluff content doesn’t fly. Questions to ask yourself are: does it support your site (by extension your products, etc if you’re in eCommerce); does it help users answer important questions; are you providing content that users can use to inform their customers? There is a long list of questions that can be asked, of course.

2. Content Quality Matters More Than Ever

AI-powered search algorithms (like Google’s RankBrain and BERT) prioritize high-quality, useful content. This means:

• Writing for people is more important than writing just for search engines. Again, this is a give-me, but there are practitioners who still do it.
• Articles, blogs, and pages need to provide real value and be seen as a trustworthy source for your customer. If they keep coming back to your site to digest your content, you’re in a good spot.

3. Voice Search & Conversational Queries

With AI-driven assistants (like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant), people now search using natural language. Instead of typing “best pizza NYC,” they might say, “Where can I get the best pizza near me?” This means:

• Content should include conversational phrases and natural language.
• Local SEO (optimizing for location-based searches) is more important than ever.

4. Personalized Search Results

AI personalizes search results based on user behavior, location, and past interactions. This means:

• No two people may see the exact same search results.
• Businesses need to focus on user experience (fast websites, good design, mobile-friendliness).

What Should People Be Aware Of?

• SEO is not just about keywords anymore—content quality and relevance matter most.
• AI-generated content is growing, but it still requires human editing  and voice to be effective. If recent Google core updates are any indication, supplying AI-generated content at scale can really hurt you.
• User experience affects rankings, so websites must be fast, mobile-friendly, and easy to navigate.
• Search engines evolve constantly, so staying updated on SEO best practices is key.

In short, AI is making SEO more sophisticated but also more user-focused. If businesses and content creators want to succeed, they need to focus on quality, relevance, and user experience—rather than just gaming the system. SEO of even two years ago won’t cut it.  Make your content and website function as such that users are first and you will see Google effectively helping your site in many ways.

If you need a consult for your website, contact me today. I will provide a transparent view of where you stand and offer suggestions on where you need to go in this new era of digital marketing.