SEO in the Age of AI: How to Make Your Website Stand Out

2025 has arrived, and so has the use of AI, which for most businesses, will be a game-changer. The tools offered by AI are impressive to say the least, and when used together with human intelligence, the combo can be a boon for taking your website presence and search engine optimization strategy to the next level.

So, how can you set yourself apart?

1. Don't lose the human touch! Ironically, in the Age of AI, humanity is your greatest asset. Unique content created by you or your team undoubtedly is what will set you apart from the competition. Connect with your audience authentically, which means sharing your emotions, passions, values, and your personality so your audience feels a genuine connection with you and your brand.

   Here are some ideas on how to demonstrate your humanity:

   1. Use Videos: Create your own videos - keep them short and sweet. Show them throughout your website and share them on social media regularly to keep your content fresh, engaging and current.

   2. Go Old School: If you sell products or services on your website, thank your customers with a phone call. It doesn't have to be long, just a quick call by a human being to say thanks is sufficient. Think about the last time you made a purchase online - did you receive a call from a human to say thanks? Imagine how this will help your clients and customers feel appreciated and valued after doing business with you.

   3. Utilize Human-Centric Customer Service: Do you have a chat bot on your website? The AI chat bots are becoming very sophisticated, but still have limitations. Address limitations of AI by designing chatbots to recognize when a conversation requires human intervention (e.g., complex issues, emotional situations). The chatbot should smoothly transfer the conversation to a human team member, providing context and history to avoid repetition. And, for critical tasks or decisions, integrate human oversight. The AI can handle routine parts, but humans step in for final approvals or complex problem-solving.

   
   

2. Allow Your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Strategy to Continually Evolve: You are probably aware of the fact that search engine optimization is a long-game strategy, but well worth the effort. Most likely, what worked for SEO last year might be outdated by now. But not to worry, content is king when it comes to SEO so while keywords still play a role, the focus is shifting dramatically towards semantic search. Semantic search is a data searching technique that focuses on understanding the contextual meaning and intent behind a user’s search query, rather than only matching keywords. What does this mean for you? Semantic search requires creating content that comprehensively answers user questions and addresses their needs.

   Here are some ideas on how to create content for semantic search:

   a. Focus on Topic Clusters: Instead of targeting individual keywords, create content around broader topics. Develop a "pillar page" covering the main topic in depth, and then create "cluster content" – related articles, blog posts, and resources – that link back to the pillar page. This demonstrates expertise and provides a comprehensive user experience.

   b. Understand User Intent: What problem is the user trying to solve? Go beyond surface-level keywords and dig deeper into the underlying questions and problems your target audience is trying to solve. Use tools to analyze search intent such as SEMRush, SERanking or Ahrefs and tailor your content accordingly.

c. Embrace Natural Language: Write for humans, not robots. Use natural language that focuses on creating clear, concise, and engaging content. Use AI tools to help you write content, but use a human to revise it and read it for a good user experience.

3. In the Age of AI, SEO is no longer just about what you do on your website. Off-page factors play a crucial role.

a. E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness: Google emphasizes these qualities when evaluating content. Demonstrate your expertise, build trust with your audience, and ensure your content is accurate and reliable.

b. Link Building: Earning high-quality backlinks from reputable websites is still a valuable SEO strategy. Focus on building genuine relationships and creating content that others want to link to.

c. Local SEO: If you have a local business, optimize your Google My Business profile and focus on local citations to improve your visibility in local search results.

d. Customer Reviews: In the age of AI, reviews are becoming increasingly important. Ask for reviews and respond to them in a timely fashion. Engaging with reviews increases user interaction, which is a factor Google considers in rankings. It also demonstrates your commitment to customer service, which builds trust and credibility.

If you need help with developing a solid and on-going SEO strategy - reach out to Inspire Action Marketing. Serena Sampat, MBA has over 25 years of experience in marketing and advertising and is certified in SEO.