How to prepare for Google and AI: The Sky Isn’t Falling

Google now provides a ChatGPT-like answer to people’s queries, pushing the blue search links further down the page. In some cases, people won’t need to click the organic (or even paid) search links to get the answer for which they search. AI Mode is going to change SEO as we know it. 

UPDATE: I wrote this a while ago. Did I get it right? I’ll add some updated thoughts below.

Why you need to be aware of Google’s AI

I’m providing this information to combat misinformation, rumors, clickbait, and even aggressive salespeople who claim to “know the secret to Google.” 

We don’t know precisely when this will roll out or what this will look like. There are many rumors out there. It could start as weary as May 14th, 2024. It could also become a paid feature of Google rather than available to everyone. Only time will tell for sure.

UPDATE: I correctly predicted the rollout of AI Overviews at the top of the SERPs. Only recently has Google rolled out AI Mode.

How AI fits into the History of Google

Google has been reducing the organic search results on its pages for several years. Instead, it has filled the space with paid ads and other “helpful” features like Featured Snippets, local maps, YouTube videos, and additional ads. AI is just the next iteration of this.

Over my many years of SEO, I’ve seen many significant changes in how Google serves websites organically. Sometimes, this leads to frustration and a decline in traffic. Remember: ultimately, Google does not make money from organic search- only paid search. They hope to frustrate marketers into throwing up their hands and saying, “I’m tired of this- I’ll just pay for traffic!”

During these significant algorithm changes (and this one), some will claim that “SEO is dead.” While it might change significantly, organic search results will remain- even if in a different form or even lower on the page in Google. 

UPDATE: It’s unsurprising to see people claim that SEO is dead now that AI Mode is here. I’m not ready to call it. Many things that make SEO work (technical SEO, consumer-focused content, etc) will help you get served in AI Mode. It might look different, but not much has changed.

A Productive AI Strategy

Although AI may impact our search traffic and customer acquisition, we will work to mitigate any loss and compensate for it using the best practices available in web marketing. As you know, our approach to SEO has never been to trick Google- we’ve focused on doing good marketing that results in improved traffic and customers from organic search. We will continue this strategy in the AI world.

Our Plan for AI

Most of what we do for a productive SEO campaign will remain the same- it will survive even AI.

Tracking and Measuring Customer Acquisition

You know how important measuring customer acquisition is to our success. We’ve abandoned vanity metrics (even “rank”) and focused on getting more customers. That’s a good thing because, in an AI world, “rank” might not exist. However, we should still receive website visitors and customers from our efforts.

UPDATE: I’m already seeing tools claim to be able to show you your “AI Visibility” (as a sort of proxy for “rank”). What a waste! Let’s get past this already. There are infinite ways someone could find your website in an LLM model. There’s no way to track this- it’s time to move on.

In addition, using analytics to monitor our traffic and customer acquisition will help us pivot our strategy and tactics to this change in how SEO works. If we only focused on “rank,” we would be lost. Instead, we can double down on what’s working- and redouble our efforts or cut what isn’t.

UPDATE: In my experience, SEOs who focus on “rank” as a success metric call SEO dead. However, if you’re keeping track of visitors and conversions from LLMs, this isn’t a problem. Focus on what you want to get from your marketing efforts rather than on early indicators of possible success.

Good, Unique, and Human-written Content

As you know, I’ve resisted AI-generated content. This unwillingness was in preparation for this change. When Google uses AI to provide answers to people with their AI, they want to use something other than AI-generated content for their AI-generated answers. It’s a good thing we’ve taken the hard road to write our content! Now, we’re set up to be successful in the AI world- rather than ignored.

UPDATE: Google has clarified previous statements about AI-generated content to remind us that it’s not a good idea.

Promoting Your Website on Other Sites

Productive SEO campaigns require consideration of what other websites say about your website. We call this “link building.” This tactic is even more critical in an AI world.

When another website talks about your business, we can use their ability to promote themselves to promote us. This tactic is where link building will change (a little). We would look for a link that passed link authority in the past. This authority will still be necessary in AI, but an existing site’s audience might be more critical. We can promote ourselves on their site and let them promote us to their audience. 

Social media sites and apps can also help promote us. Although these links don’t “count” for SEO, in an AI world, it’s another way of promoting ourselves on other sites. The fact is that social media is similar to search: Facebook and LinkedIn are search engines through which people can find solutions. If we connect with our audience on these platforms, we will succeed even with AI changes.

UPDATE: Whether or not AI systems use links to establish website credibility, getting traffic from third-party websites is an important part of marketing now. Even more than in the past, link building is really about good PR.

Email Remains Valuable

Many of you have existing email lists. You’ve taken the time to develop a following of interested potential customers to whom you can send informative and helpful content. In the least, this reminds them you’re there to help. At most (and occasionally), you can send them a sales pitch.

Although email marketing often gets overlooked by the glitz and glamor of cooler platforms, like TikTok, remember: you need an email address to use TikTok. Besides, regarding social media, you’re still renting space there. Just like Google algorithms fluctuate, so do social media algorithms. 

Instead of being captive to algorithms, email campaigns allow you to own your list. If they’ve opted into your email list, you have a list of people who want to hear from you. This list becomes more valuable during times of change, such as AI.

Google Still Makes Money Through Paid Search

Of course, even if all other efforts fail, you can always turn to a paid search (PPC) campaign to fill in the gaps. Yes, this is one of Google’s goals: frustrate you into paying them for what you used to receive for free. However, it’s business- not personal. 

An effective PPC campaign can be a money-printing machine for most businesses once you dial into a productive ROI. 

That’s the trick. Google makes a lot of money from people’s wasted PPC budgets because someone sets up a campaign and hopes it works. Google doesn’t need your money. Optimize your campaign to ensure you get more money from it than you’re giving Google. Admittedly, this has become harder lately as Google has taken away some of our ability to manage specific dimensions specifically. In addition, as more people turn to PPC (whether out of frustration or fear), ad costs will rise as well. However, with effort, you can optimize a PPC campaign to receive an excellent return on your ad spend.

And no matter what AI does to SEO, PPC will remain. It’s how Google makes trillions of dollars a year. 

Don’t Panic

All things must change, and this is just another change. Suppose we stay the course by watching what works (using data and not conjecture) and doing real marketing (rather than trying to trick algorithms). In that case, we will continue to find customers through AI- or whatever else comes next. 

UPDATE: I made some good predictions and can stand behind this post today- even though the search world has changed significantly since I first wrote this article. The key- don’t panic. Your customers are still looking for you. We have to change the way we help them find you.