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Sometimes a certain tactic may look really good on paper but won’t actually play out in terms of its ranking. From chasing volume over conversions to neglecting the maintenance of top-ranking content Here are 3 common mistakes I’ve made during my SEO journey—and the lessons that will save you time, traffic, and headaches. Swipe through to avoid making the same mistakes ??

ChatGPT is basically an assistant now. And I use it often to boost my Google rankings… I ask it to rewrite my content so it ranks higher on Google’s generative AI snippet. And you can too. How? ? First, I ask ChatGPT to set the criteria for a strong answer that could make it to the top of the generative AI snippet. ? Then, I ask it to review my blurb and compare it to my competitors'. Using that criteria, it rewrites mine to be better. ? Sometimes, I give it extra instructions, like: adding more data, user insights, or examples. This process helps me keep my content fresh and consistently outrank my competition. And this is typically what I use to outrank my competition using chatGPT. Give it a try and watch your rankings improve.

The volatility of AI search: Why small changes in queries make a BIG difference Discover how the tiniest tweak in wording can flip AI search results upside down. From the rise of generative engines to quirks like “THE” vs. “SOME,” here’s why adapting to AI-driven search is the new SEO frontier. Learn the nuances, the challenges, and how to stay ahead.

Not everything that sounds like a smart SEO move will actually boost your rankings. I’ve made my fair share of mistakes along the way. So here are 3 of the biggest ones—and what they taught me about driving real results. From focusing too much on volume instead of intent to letting top-performing content slide, these lessons are a must-read for anyone serious about SEO. Take a look and repost if you found it useful ??

Use this tactic to get more volume across different platforms... Reddit is a hidden gem for uncovering trending topics While SEO tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, or Mangools might label some as "zero search volume." With Reddit you can find the real interest behind certain keywords actively discussed in Reddit communities. By finding highly active Reddit threads with lots of engagement, you can identify topics people care about right now. These discussions not only highlight strong audience interest but also give you a sneak peek at future keyword growth, helping you stay ahead of the curve.

Imagine this: You're in court, presenting your case to prove you deserve the top spot for a specific search term. What arguments would you make? Would they hold up under scrutiny? And most importantly, would the jury rule in your favor? This mental exercise shapes how I approach keyword research, key terms, and content. Because at the end of the day, ranking isn’t about convincing Google you’re good—it’s about proving it. And the best way to prove it? Solve real problems, outperform the competition, and create content that truly serves the user. That’s how you win your case. ??

Want to outrank your competition in the SERPs? It’s not just about keyword volume or competition metrics anymore. What’s the secret now? ? Spotting weaknesses in the search results like: —Content gaps, —Outdated info, —Poor mobile experiences and more. I’m breaking down how to identify and leverage these SERP weaknesses to gain a competitive edge. Let’s turn insights into action ??

?? Here’s a quick insider tip on AI-driven search results: ? Small tweaks in your queries matter a LOT. AI search results change more often and are less stable compared to Google's regular ones. It makes sense—it’s just the beginning of this era. But how volatile are they? What I found through some research: — If you keep your query exactly the same, the results will generally stay consistent. — But the moment you tweak it—like adding a word or shifting phrasing—everything can change. ?? Take this example: ‘’What are * THE * best tools of SEO to look for professionals?’’ vs What are * SOME * good tools to look for SEO for professionals? That one small difference—“THE” vs. “SOME”—is a game-changer. There is a great case study from Tim Soulo and Olga Andrienko: Tim tested the query with “THE,” and Olga without it. The results? Completely different. So adding anything to the prompt changes it’s results. It might seem insignificant, but for LLMs, it's a big deal because of how they analyze relationships between words during crawling. ? LLMs focus heavily on the relationships between words. ?? Here’s another example: ? SearchGPT's map results are inconsistent, often dominated by a single source or failing to trigger maps. Asking explicitly for a map redirects users to Google Maps, highlighting its strengths in local search. While it excels in time-sensitive queries like holiday shopping, it struggles with local searches, sometimes misclassifying results or relying on paid directories. ?? It’s fascinating—and it also shows just how nuanced (and inconsistent) these AI-driven processes can be. This volatility reflects the rapid evolution of AI search: Major 2024 milestones: ? Google AI Overviews ? Bing’s generative search ? ChatGPT Search ? Bing’s role is growing as it powers ChatGPT Search. While indexing in Bing is key, ranking high isn’t—SearchGPT often pulls results from a broader database, including outside Bing’s top 100. ChatGPT now drives 31% of LLM traffic on some sites. Yet there's still significant gaps: ? Paywalled or outdated content: ChatGPT sometimes cites paywalled or 404 pages, exposing flaws in source verification. ? YMYL queries (Your Money or Your Life): For sensitive topics like "How to lower cholesterol," ChatGPT relies heavily on trusted sources like WebMD but lacks diverse perspectives. ? E-commerce challenges: While AI excels at surfacing fresh content, transactional depth falls short compared to traditional engines. Right now, we’re in the early days. Eventually, optimizing for AI-driven search might become more straightforward. But for now, AI-driven search feels as volatile as early Google, when you could rank # 1 just by stacking PBN links. As these systems mature, SEO must shift from ranking to building visibility and relevance across ecosystems. Curious to read anyone else's findings on this new hot topic!

Backlinks are just NOT doing it anymore. ? You might need to change your approach to SEO. Let me tell you why though: I started this year with my team of backlink builders going out full force. I was spending around $3,000 to $4,000 a month on building links. Paying someone to handle outreach—referencing my articles, studies, and data. (And I had a very strict criteria) But by March, of this year I had started noticing that the links were just not pulling the same rank for me. Last year, I could rank much faster and higher with the same type of links. But this year, even with DR 90s and DR 93s, nothing was moving. I was thinking, ‘’what is happening?’’ When I dug deeper into it I realized?? It comes down to information gain. ?? ? It’s all about what’s new in the article. Is there a fresh insight? A unique personal perspective that isn’t already in Google’s knowledge graph? The major weakness with your page is that the content is lacking fresh and new unique insights which has not been published already. If there’s nothing new, it doesn’t matter how many backlinks you build. That metric alone won’t move the rankings. Google’s looking for VALUE beyond just links. Rewrite your content to have original insight, data, new perspectives, personal anecdotes, examples, comparisons, opinions which are not already in Google‘s Knowledge Graph. ?? In fact TopicRanker.com identifies this as a weakness and fronts this up as a “Generalized content found” — Check out my last LI newsletter were I go a little more in depth about this https://lnkd.in/en2Y3BsW We don’t want generalize content or something ChatGPT can just put together — ChatGTP does not have personal experience and that’s what we want. And that was a big shock to me. I realized I needed to change my approach as an SEO. I needed to generate original insights and to do that I had to work harder. You can’t just pay link builders to build links and have general consensus content anymore. You need to be able to create original insights and personal perspectives. A big shift in the industry altogether this year. SEO is a different game now.

The main weakness of your page? It lacks fresh, unique insights (that haven't already been published elsewhere) In the AI age, marketers need to include more than the common info compiled by tools like ChatGPT. You need to stand out with originality. Here’s how you can level up ;) Wishing you fresh insights and a Happy Thanksgiving! ??