AI and SEO, 5 Ways Small Businesses Can Outrank the Competition

AI is changing SEO and will quickly obliterate small business website traffic. However, there are massive opportunities with the advent of AI search. Can AI be the secret weapon for your small business’s SEO success?

In this article, I’ll cover everything you need to know about AI and SEO.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of improving your website’s ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). This is crucial for small businesses, as it increases their online visibility and drives organic traffic to their website. Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming SEO by automating tasks, providing deeper insights, and personalizing user experiences.

Spammers are using AI to create low-quality, mass-produced website pages and articles. You DO NOT want to be one of these websites.

Understanding AI in the Context of SEO

AI refers to intelligent systems that can learn and perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. Search engines use AI algorithms to analyze vast amounts of data and understand user intent. This allows them to deliver more relevant and personalized search results.

Let’s look at a simple Google search for “Recipe for Kale Smoothie Recipe”

In the screenshot above, you have four sections:

1. Yellow: The search bar with alternate search suggestions below it.
2. Green: A rich snippet section with recipes (for e-commerce brands this would be product listings and for local businesses, this would be a list of local businesses and a map [after any ads]).
3. Blue: A featured snippet box with questions. This comes from website FAQ pages.
4. Pink: Finally, we see the website listings.

Starting back in the mid-2010s these snippets became an important part of search and are the baseline for showing up in search results.

That has changed.

Now there’s an added section in searched for AI.

But it doesn’t show for all search results. At least not yet.

In the SERP screenshot above, you’ll see the AI-generated text section (Yellow). In effect, this pushes websites further down the results page.

This will have negative effects on small business search traffic.

But with this challenge is an opportunity to outsmart your competition.

I’ll show you 5 ways to utilize AI-generated searches to your advantage.

Keep reading.

The Impact of AI on SEO Strategies

AI-powered tools can help you identify high-performing keywords and optimize your content for better search ranking. AI can also automate content creation tasks, freeing up your time to focus on strategy and quality control. Additionally, AI can personalize user experiences by tailoring content and search results to individual users.

AI is fundamentally changing the way users experience search engines. In the past, search results were primarily static web pages.

Now with AI, we have more dynamic and user-friendly search content formats, such as:

• interactive features
• knowledge panels
• voice search snippets

For instance, if you search for a recipe, AI might provide a step-by-step video tutorial alongside text instructions.

Or, for a complex topic like climate change, AI could generate an interactive knowledge panel with charts, graphs, and summaries of different viewpoints. This allows users to engage with information in a more comprehensive and informative way.

The rise of AI-generated content in search results presents both challenges and opportunities for SEO and website traffic.

Challenges Coming to Small Business Search Traffic

Our search page examples above highlight the tip of the iceberg. Here are 3 challenges that small businesses will face in SEO.

1. Reduced Clicks: With search engines providing more comprehensive answers directly on SERPs, users might be less inclined to click through to websites. This could lead to decreased website traffic.
2. Reduced Impressions: High-quality, authoritative websites are most used to create AI-search results. This means small businesses must work hard to gain brand visibility in searches.
3. SEO Strategy is Changing: More than ever, an investment in either professional SEO services or simply staying abreast with AI changes is a critical part of ongoing cost of doing business in the digital age.

SEO Opportunities with AI

The opportunities mostly exist with brand visibility and engagement (prior to going to your website). Here’s how.

• Higher Ranking: By optimizing content for the type of information AI surfaces in SERPs (like videos for recipe searches), websites can increase their chances of being featured in these rich snippets.
• Improved User Engagement: Even if users don’t click through, engaging and informative content can still leave a positive brand impression, potentially leading to direct traffic or future website visits.

Overall, SEO will need to adapt to prioritize content that not only ranks well but also provides a unique value that compels users to visit the website despite the presence of AI-generated summaries.

Google’s Policy on AI-Generated Content

Google prioritizes high-quality, informative content that is created with human expertise. While AI-generated content can be a valuable tool, it’s important to ensure it meets Google’s standards and provides genuine value to users.

In fact, as early as 2023 Google release guidance on how AI would impact SEO:

“At Google, we’ve long believed in the power of AI to transform the ability to deliver helpful information…Google’s ranking systems aim to reward original, high-quality content that demonstrates qualities of what we call E-E-A-T: expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness…Our focus on the quality of content, rather than how content is produced.” –Google Search’s Guidance Article

With that, we’ll use Google’s guidance to form an SEO strategy geared for AI-powered searches.

In the next section, I’ll share 5 SEO strategies that small businesses can use in their SEO to stay afloat outpace the competition.

Keep reading.

The Future of SEO with AI

AI is expected to play an even greater SEO role in the future. Search engines will become more sophisticated in understanding user intent and delivering personalized search results.

The Danger of Spam Content

However, spammers are using AI to create low-quality, mass-produced website pages and articles. You DO NOT want to be one of these websites.

In fact, if you hire out your blog content to a copywriter, these days, it’s likely they are simply churning AI-generated content.

NOT GOOD.

Showing Up with AI Generated Searches

With Google’s search update in April 2024 and coming updates this year, this low-quality content will be pruned from search results by 2025. Here’s how to stand out from this type of content.

More importantly, you have the opportunity to show up among the content that’s generated in AI searches.

Here’s how.

1. Engage with Your Audience: Encourage user interaction through comments and shares, as engagement can signal the quality of your content to AI systems. Real, human interactions with your content will signal to search engines high quality and authenticity.
2. Optimize for SEO: Use relevant keywords, meta tags, and descriptions to make your content more discoverable by search engines and AI algorithms.
3. Include Original Content: In addition to the article, include screenshots, live photos, customer reviews, and other 100% original content that can’t be copied by anyone else in the world. This is the content that AIs use to generate fresh knowledge in SERPs.
4. Create High-Quality Content: It goes without saying, but this fundamental principle is more important than ever. Ensure your content is well-researched, informative, and provides value to your audience. High-quality content is more likely to be picked up by AI tools for indexing.

Conclusion

AI is a powerful tool that can help small businesses improve their SEO and achieve their online marketing goals. By understanding how AI works and embracing AI-powered tools, you can stay ahead of the curve and ensure your website ranks higher in search results.