Back to basics! The five SEO practices that still hold power in the AI era
18 January 2024
With the increase of AI in marketing, there are a lot of unknowns on the horizon. However, the fundamentals of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) remain just as important.
In this article, we outline the top five SEO practices that marketers need to be mastering to improve their firm’s website's visibility and performance.
1. Getting the keywords right
There’s more to keyword research than just inserting keywords into your content; knowing your target audience’s search intent allows you to create content that meets their needs. These carefully chosen words and phrases, when strategically incorporated into your content, enhance the overall visibility of your online presence.
2. Creating helpful content
Always start by thinking about what’s genuinely helpful and engaging for your audience. There’s a good chance you might need to prioritise quality over quantity… consider spicing up your content with different formats. This is a great way to repurpose and get the most value from your existing content.
3. Intuitive user experience (UX)
UX means working with the user in mind; people want their experience on your site to be intuitive. Optimising your website does not stop at desktop. Search engines, especially Google, have adopted a mobile-first approach to indexing, so improving your website on mobile should not be at the bottom of the to-do list – this is non-negotiable.
4. Increasing your site speed
Technical SEO serves as the silent architect behind a well-optimised website. People are time poor and will become impatient if your firm’s website is slow to load. Search engines will always prioritise a fast-loading website, which naturally leads to higher search volumes.
5. Gaining popularity online
Having links directing to your site from high-authority sources contributes to your website's credibility in the eyes of search engines, playing a pivotal role in determining your firm’s search rankings. Building links is by far the most time-consuming task on the list, but it is one of those SEO basics that must not be overlooked.
Conclusion
SEO optimisation is never-ending, and the most common reason we see websites not ranking highly is inconsistent optimisation. SEO requires a significant investment of work and time, but the return is always worth it. By recognising the value of these practices, you can not only enhance your website's visibility but also strengthen its position in the new AI driven landscape.
If you’d like to explore enhancing your SEO and the benefits to your brand, please contact Duncan Shaw in New York, Greg Hobden in London or Gigi Yung in Hong Kong.
