“Just GPT it” is currently on everyone’s lips.
(Okay, okay. It didn’t catch on just yet. But my Uber driver said it, and I hope it sticks.)
But our marketing director isn’t worried this week. She doesn’t think SEO is going anywhere.
“I remember when people said that up to 50% of requests were handled by voice assistants. The SEO industry was abuzz about it,” she told me, laughing.
“And the only thing I ask my Alexa about is the weather. So I wouldn’t write (Google) off.”
She’s also senior director of global growth at HubSpot, so I trust her word and not my Uber driver’s address.
Lesson 1: Don’t be monogamous with Google.
The HubSpot Blog team has been using Google Fumes for years, and we’ve driven millions of views in organic traffic based on high-intent searches. This is also how we gained many of our current customers.
Aja Frost, who started on the blogging team in 2017 (back when “SEO strategy” was based on our personal whims), knows the value of Google better than anyone.
But she tells me it’s time for a new playbook.
“The rise of AI search has forced us to branch out to other channels like YouTube, micro-apps, and areas that we believe are more defensible against AI. And it pushed us to find new ways to be extremely helpful to our readers,” she says.
Frost’s tip for every marketing manager? Spread the love. Try Substack, collaborate with developers, or invest in your own micro-apps.
Google is still a viable channel. It’s just not the only thing.
Lesson 2: The days of reverse engineering algorithms are over – and that’s a good thing.
I asked Frost—in the same tone you might use to avoid scaring the neighborhood cat—if she’s worried about the future of SEO in the face of AI search. (I asked shyly because SEO is still her job.)
But she stubbornly shook her head. “I think it is one of the most exciting developments of the last two years. For a long time we all looked to Google, and the reverse engineering of Google’s algorithm has stifled innovation in content marketing and search engine optimization in many ways.”
She adds: “If there is a more competitive landscape, the relationship between SEO or content strategist and the search engine could change quite dramatically. It could be a much more collaborative and mutually beneficial relationship.”
Frost sees the future of SEO as moving from obsessing over algorithms to building true partnerships with search engines.
Is there a world where Google takes input from little ones? Mea content creator? We’ll see.
Lesson 3: Stop writing off marketing channels as “dead.”
One of Frost’s pet peeves is the knee-jerk reaction to industry hype.
“What annoys me is when people say a channel is dead, and that includes search,” she says.
“I definitely don’t think the search is dead. I don’t think podcasts are dead. I don’t think any channels are dead. I think you can make each channel work really well for you.”
I sincerely hope that MySpace is “no longer with us,” but I agree with her.
She adds: “That doesn’t mean we should all invest in channels that aren’t working for us – but it is.” does I mean, don’t write something off if your intuition says it might work.”
Lesson 4: Focus on expertise.
Questions like “How do I do XYZ?” are now redirected directly to ChatGPT. So if your SEO strategy revolves around basic definitions or info keywords, be prepared for a drop in traffic.
But when it comes to complex or opinion-based topics, readers still want the human touch.
Case in point: my recent obsession with LED red light therapy.
These at-home LED masks cost about a billion dollars, so I wanted to know: Will I look like a newborn baby when I buy the mask, or will I, as the CEO of the company, shine a bright red light in my face for ten minutes let? laughs all the way to the bank?
I didn’t turn to GPT for my skin aging issues; I turned to Google and asked, “What to do?” Dermatologists Do you have anything to say about LED red light therapy?”
This isn’t intended to be an infomercial for red light therapy (although any brands wanting to give one away, contact me ✋), but the point is: people still turn to websites for answers to more complex, nuanced questions. Not AI.
Frost makes it a point to add expertise (the extra “E” in Google’s new EEAT rankings) to your posts.
As she puts it: “They talk to me because I have a lot of experience in SEO. This content wouldn’t have the same impact if you were chatting with someone who just joined the SEO team. In general, the more expertise, the better.”
She has some additional advice: “Make sure you demonstrate this expertise in the post itself with relevant information and examples. Emphasize to Google – and more importantly, the reader – that you know what you’re talking about.”
