SEO Basics A Foundation for AI Optimization

In the digital marketing world, the conversations about generative artificial intelligence seem to be drowning out everything else.

There are constant debates about how to use it, what tools to use, and whether it will replace employees. Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about how generative AI affects search habits and what that means for search engine optimization.

Businesses large and small have spent billions of dollars over the last 10 years on search engine optimization – keyword research, content creation, website management, and link-building in a fight to appear ahead of competitors in search engine results.

Will LLMs Replace Search Engines?

But what happens, marketers are beginning to ask, if people start using ChatGPT, Gemini, or DeepSeek instead of Google Search to find a local plumber, a lawyer or the best pizza in Rochester, N.Y.? In the oceans of data available to generative AI’s large language models, how will your local insurance agency have a chance to stand out?

Those are the wrong questions.

Generative AI is not a search engine. You might use it to ask questions about how to buy insurance and the types of insurance coverage you need. Then, you’ll use a search engine to find an insurance agency that can help you put your knowledge to work.

Search Engines Help Keep AI Honest

As they continue to mature, large language models are using search engines to improve the accuracy of their responses, according to Christopher S. Penn’s latest “Almost Timely Newsletter.”?

Penn lays out an incredibly robust strategy for optimizing content for large learning models, but it also includes search optimization basics – a well-structured website with engaging, easy-to-digest content.?

If you’re a small business pondering how you’ll compete for attention in generative AI, start by examining your search optimization tactics. Unless you have all the basics covered, you won’t need to worry about how you’re showing up in AI.

A Search Engine Land article by Jed White makes a similar case for being mindful of the basics.?

As a small business, you don’t have to spend millions on adapting to generative AI and large learning models. However, you can take the first step by following some of the simple search optimization tactics that digital marketers have been recommending for years.

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Until next time, be grateful. Be generous. Be patient. Love.??

Mark

P.S. - This newsletter was written by me, a human.