Key Takeaways
- Ensure your SEO agency understands Google’s AI changes to keep your business visible online.
- Ask your SEO agency how they use Google’s AI like BERT and MUM to improve your search rankings.
- Prioritize creating thorough, high-quality content that shows your expertise and builds trust with users.
- Learn that older SEO tricks like keyword stuffing are less effective with Google’s new AI systems.
The digital world has always been in a state of constant flux, but recently, an acceleration of the mighty artificial intelligence integration by Google brought a sudden shift.
What was once defined as a realm of science fiction is now deeply ingrained in how Google understands, presents information, and organises. For businesses, depending on the magic of search engine optimisation, this significant transformation raises a question: whether your SEO agency is fully ready to smoothly through this AI-driven future? Taking Google’s AI advancements for granted is like following outdated maps to reach your destination. The techniques that provided you with the desired results might not be that effective now, or impact your digital visibility.
If you have also outsourced your SEO aspect to an SEO agency and want to learn whether they are catching up with the latest updates, read this blog. We will discuss its prominent tools, why these updates are important, and questions to ask your agency.
Understand Google’s AI
You must be familiar with Google’s tactics of blending AI into its algorithms, but the recent advancements have secured the label of transformative. The following are the key AI initiatives reshaping the SEO format:
RankBrain
It was launched in 2015, making a big step towards understanding the meaning behind the search queries instead of sticking to matching keywords. This machine learning system assists the search giant in interpreting long-tail queries, enhancing the relevance of search results.
Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers
Bert surfaced in 2019 and played a beneficial role in revolutionising natural language processing for Google Search. The machine lets Google understand the differences in human language, the full context of the words in a sentence, to better grasp the intent of the user. This has an immense impact on targeting keywords and creating content.
Multitask Unified Model
Then came the Multitask Unified Model, which took the capabilities further in 2021. How? I carry the potential of understanding information across a variety of formats, such as images, audio, video, and text and that too in different languages. MUM aims to answer complicated questions that might ask the users to conduct a bunch of searches beforehand.
Pathways Language Model 2
The comparatively new language is LLM, which powers many of Google’s latest AI features. The model flaunts enhanced bilingual understanding, code generation, and reasoning capabilities. PaLM 2 is influencing several aspects of search, from understanding the context of the content to the latest generation of Search Generative Experience (SGE) results.
Why Are These AI Updates Important For SEO?
Don’t assume that these AI developments are only technological curiosities; they have distinct implications for how SEO is done and what strategies can work out in your favour, so the AI updates matter due to the following reasons:
Shifts The Focus of Keyword
Keywords play a role in keeping your content in the first few searches, but here the focus is more on understanding the intent of the user and the broader topic. AI has the capability of comprehending natural language, meaning that optimising for exact matching keywords is no longer enough. SEO agencies need to focus on developing comprehensive content that addresses facets of a user’s query.
The Rise of Long-Form and In-Depth Content
AI algorithms bend towards content that provides insightful and thorough answers. If the content is short and superficial, that has less chance of ranking, especially for complicated topics. Hence, agencies are required to train businesses in creating premium-quality and long-form content that arranges the layout for authority and expertise.
The Significance Of E-E-A-T
Google’s AI is talented at analysing the quality and genuineness of the content creators’ and websites. So, portraying experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness remains significant, especially in “Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL) niches.
What Questions You Must Ask Your SEO Agency?
To know whether your partner SEO agency is keeping up with Google’s AI updates, you should ask them the following questions:
How Are Bert, MUM, and PaLM 2 Influencing Your SEO Strategies?
Their answer should demonstrate a clear understanding of these technologies and their implications.
Explain Your Way Of Adapting Keyword Research To Account For Natural Language Processing and User Intent.
Look for an understanding of semantic search and topic modelling, as your SEO agency must be aware of it.
In Which Way Are You Ensuring That Your Created Content Matches with Google’s E-E-A-T Guidelines?
Your agency should be able to show you particular strategies for building experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.
What Is Your Approach To Optimise Conversational Search and Voice Queries?
Their experts should provide you with answers that go beyond keywords and consider how users interact with their devices.
Signs Your Agency Is Falling Behind
The following signs will tell you that your SEO agency is not with the latest AI algorithms:
Focuses On Old Strategies
If the particular SEO agency focuses on old strategies like stuffing keywords or proceeding with low-quality linking, then sadly, you have signed up for zero results or even penalties.
Expresses A Lack Of Understanding Of The Google Updates
Their teams let you down by expressing a lack of understanding of the Google updates. For instance, if they fail to describe BERT.MUM, or SGE, its a red flag.
Goes On Pushing Short, and Keyword-Centric Content
AI pushes deep and thorough content, instead of short text; therefore, check whether your SEO agency is doing the needful or not.
Conclusion
With these techniques in hand, you can figure out if your SEO agency is prepared for Google’s recent AI updates, or if it’s time to join hands with another platform.
