Ask Me Anything with ChatGPT: Today's topic is SEO

I sat down with ChatGPT to discuss a variety of topics on SEO. The transcript that follows has not been edited. I've conducted lots of similar bit-side chats with AIs for several years now and I can honestly say, this interview was highly substantive, somewhat informative, and genuinely thought provoking. It has not been checked for plagiarism or Flesch Reading Ease score. That said, there is nothing jarring or controversial in the responses it had. In fact, it's quite conversational (despite being asked to BE controversial) and easy reading, IMHO. If you haven't considered all that ChatGPT can do, you might consider giving it a go. Without further delay...

Explain seo in simple terms.

SEO stands for "search engine optimization." It is the process of improving the ranking of a website on search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. When people search for something online, they usually start by typing a few keywords into a search engine. The search engine looks through all the websites it has indexed and returns a list of results that it thinks are most relevant to the keywords that were searched for. The higher a website appears in the search results, the more likely it is that people will visit it.

There are many different factors that can affect a website's ranking on a search engine. Some of these factors are under the control of the website owner, while others are not. Some of the most important factors that can influence a website's ranking include the quality and relevance of the content on the website, the use of keywords in the website's content and metadata, the website's loading speed, and the website's overall design and user experience. By improving these and other factors, website owners can increase their website's ranking on search engines and attract more visitors.

Describe the methods and tools used to rank web pages in google.

Google uses a complex algorithm to determine the ranking of web pages on its search engine. The algorithm takes into account hundreds of different ranking factors, or signals, when determining the relevance and importance of a webpage.

Some of the main methods and tools used by Google to rank web pages include:

• Keywords: The use of relevant keywords in a webpage's content and metadata can help Google understand what the page is about and how it should be ranked.
• Links: Google looks at the number and quality of links from other websites to a webpage as a signal of its importance and relevance.
• Content: Google values high-quality, useful, and informative content, and ranks webpages with this type of content higher in the search results.
• User experience: Google takes into account factors like the loading speed and design of a website when determining its ranking.
• Mobile-friendliness: With more and more people accessing the internet on their smartphones, Google now places a high value on websites that are mobile-friendly.

Google also has a number of tools that webmasters can use to help improve their website's ranking, including Google Search Console and Google Analytics. These tools provide valuable insights into how Google is crawling and indexing a website, and can help identify and fix any issues that may be holding the website back in the search results.

What are some of the more popular commercial tools SEO professionals use?

There are many different commercial tools that SEO professionals use to help improve the ranking of websites on search engines. Some of the more popular ones include:

• Ahrefs: A tool that helps with keyword research, link building, and content optimization.
• SEMrush: A tool that provides data on website traffic, keyword rankings, and advertising budgets.
• Moz: A tool that helps with keyword research, link building, and on-page optimization.
• SpyFu: A tool that provides data on competitors' keyword strategies, ad budgets, and ranking history.
• KWFinder: A tool that helps with keyword research and search volume data.
• Majestic: A tool that provides data on a website's backlink profile, including the number and quality of external links pointing to the site.
• SERPstat: A tool that provides data on keyword rankings, organic traffic, and paid advertising.
• Advanced Web Ranking: A tool that helps with tracking keyword rankings and analyzing website traffic.

It's important to note that while these tools can be very helpful, it's still necessary to have a solid understanding of SEO principles and strategies in order to effectively use them.

How long does it take to rank a web page to first position?

It's difficult to give a definitive answer to this question, as the time it takes to rank a webpage in the top position on a search engine can vary greatly depending on a number of factors. Some of the main factors that can influence the time it takes to rank a webpage include:

• The competitiveness of the keyword: If the keyword being targeted is highly competitive, it will likely take longer to rank for it than if it is a less competitive keyword.
• The quality and relevance of the webpage's content: Google values high-quality, useful, and informative content, and will tend to rank webpages with this type of content higher in the search results.
• The strength of the website's domain: Websites with a strong domain authority (a measure of the overall strength and credibility of a website) will generally rank higher in the search results than those with a weak domain authority.
• The number and quality of external links pointing to the webpage: Google looks at the number and quality of links from other websites to a webpage as a signal of its importance and relevance.
• The optimization of the webpage for search engines: Properly optimizing a webpage for search engines, including using relevant keywords and a mobile-friendly design, can help improve its ranking.

Given these factors, it's difficult to predict exactly how long it will take to rank a webpage in the top position on a search engine. It could take a few weeks or even a few months, depending on the specifics of the situation.

How important are external dofollow links for SEO? What is the ideal ratio of follow links to nofollow links?

External links, also known as backlinks, are links from other websites that point to a webpage on your website. These links can be either dofollow or nofollow. Dofollow links pass on "link juice," or authority, to the linked webpage, while nofollow links do not.

In terms of SEO, external dofollow links are generally considered to be more important than nofollow links, as they can help to improve the ranking of a webpage in the search results. This is because Google uses the number and quality of external links pointing to a webpage as a signal of its importance and relevance. However, it's important to note that not all links are created equal. Links from high-quality, authoritative websites are generally more valuable than links from low-quality or spammy websites.

There is no ideal ratio of dofollow to nofollow links that is considered to be "best" for SEO. The important thing is to focus on building high-quality, relevant backlinks from a variety of sources, rather than just trying to get as many dofollow links as possible. A mix of dofollow and nofollow links can be beneficial for SEO, as it can help to make your backlink profile look more natural to search engines.

What is an SEO penalty? How does one recover from such a penalty?

An SEO penalty is a punishment or sanction applied by a search engine to a website that has violated the search engine's guidelines. Penalties can be applied manually, by a search engine employee, or automatically, by the search engine's algorithm.

There are two main types of SEO penalties:

• Algorithmic penalties: These are applied automatically by the search engine's algorithm, and are usually triggered by specific kinds of violations, such as keyword stuffing or cloaking.
• Manual penalties: These are applied manually by a search engine employee, and are usually the result of more serious violations, such as the use of black hat SEO techniques or the purchase of backlinks.

If a website is penalized, it will generally see a significant drop in its search engine rankings, which can result in a significant loss of traffic and revenue.

To recover from an SEO penalty, it's important to first identify the cause of the penalty. This can often be done by using tools like Google Search Console or by consulting with an SEO expert. Once the cause of the penalty has been identified, it's important to take steps to fix the issue and follow the search engine's guidelines going forward. This may involve making changes to the website's content or design, cleaning up the website's backlink profile, or taking other corrective action. Once the necessary changes have been made, it may be necessary to submit a request to the search engine to reconsider the website. This can be done through tools like Google Search Console or through the search engine's support channels.

What is a reasonable percentage of organic traffic?

It's difficult to give a specific percentage of organic traffic that is considered "reasonable," as the amount of organic traffic that a website receives can vary greatly depending on a number of factors. Some of the main factors that can influence the amount of organic traffic a website receives include:

• The website's industry and niche: Some industries and niches are naturally more competitive than others, which can make it more difficult to attract organic traffic.
• The strength and credibility of the website: Websites with a strong domain authority (a measure of the overall strength and credibility of a website) will generally receive more organic traffic than those with a weaker domain authority.
• The quality and relevance of the website's content: Google values high-quality, useful, and informative content, and tends to rank webpages with this type of content higher in the search results.
• The website's technical SEO: Properly optimizing a website for search engines, including using relevant keywords and having a mobile-friendly design, can help improve its ranking in the search results and attract more organic traffic.
• The website's link profile: Google looks at the number and quality of links from other websites to a webpage as a signal of its importance and relevance. A website with a strong link profile will generally receive more organic traffic than one with a weak link profile.

Given these factors, it's difficult to determine a specific percentage of organic traffic that is considered "reasonable." In general, however, a website that is receiving a significant amount of organic traffic is likely doing well in terms of SEO, while a website that is receiving very little organic traffic may need to take steps to improve its ranking in the search results.

Tell me something controversial about SEO. For example, what are some of the more popular black hat SEO techniques today?

One controversial aspect of SEO is the use of black hat techniques, which are tactics that are used to try to improve the ranking of a website in ways that are in violation of search engine guidelines. Some of the more popular black hat SEO techniques that are used today include:

• Keyword stuffing: This involves cramming a webpage with an excessive number of keywords in an attempt to manipulate its ranking in the search results.
• Cloaking: This involves showing different content to search engines than what is shown to users, in an attempt to manipulate the ranking of a webpage.
• Link schemes: This involves using various tactics, such as buying links or participating in link exchange programs, to try to improve the ranking of a website.
• Doorway pages: These are pages that are created specifically for the purpose of ranking highly in the search results, but which do not provide any real value to users.
• Spamming: This involves using various tactics, such as comment spamming or forum spamming, to try to promote a website.

Using black hat techniques can be tempting, as they may be able to achieve short-term gains in the search results. However, it's important to note that search engines are constantly evolving and improving their algorithms, and are getting better at detecting and penalizing websites that use black hat techniques. As a result, it's generally not worth the risk to use these tactics, as the consequences of being caught can be severe. It's generally best to focus on building a website that provides value to users and follows search engine guidelines, rather than trying to take shortcuts.

In closing, what are the ethical considerations of using AI and ChatGPT for SEO?

There are a few ethical considerations to keep in mind when using AI and ChatGPT for SEO:

• Deception: It's important to be transparent about the use of AI and ChatGPT in your SEO efforts, and not to use them in a way that is deceptive or misleading to users.
• Manipulation: It's important to ensure that the use of AI and ChatGPT in your SEO efforts is not used to manipulate the search results or the ranking of a website in an unethical way.
• Privacy: It's important to respect the privacy of users and to ensure that the use of AI and ChatGPT in your SEO efforts complies with all relevant privacy laws and regulations.
• Disclosures: If you are using AI and ChatGPT to generate content for your website or for other SEO purposes, it's important to disclose this to users and to be transparent about the role that these technologies are playing.

By following these ethical considerations, you can ensure that your use of AI and ChatGPT in your SEO efforts is responsible and respectful of both users and search engines.