We’re at a strange point in the AI-ification of digital marketing. AI tools have been folded into every platform, software and tool, and at the same time, sentiment on obviously AI content is low. However, small to medium businesses, startups, and those companies looking to cut back on spending in marketing are jumping in with both feet, especially when it comes to areas that feel complex or inaccessible. SEO is a subject that can be both of those things, and AI solutions seem quicker and easier than learning or hiring for that specific specialist skill.

The Knowledge Gap

This is the major pitfall – the inexperience of the user works against them even more. An AI tool will churn out what it’s asked for, and to the untrained eye it’s all very plausible advice.

Add in that it’s unlikely this user has trained the AI on the specificities of their business, and the advice is generic by default, which is not detected either. (A special mention here to the 3 hospitality business and 2 dry cleaners on my road who have almost identical posters in their window because of this)

Without the grounding knowledge of how SEO works, the AI advice is accepted, implemented and published pretty much wholesale.

Bubbles A-Bursting

Around 18 months ago, using AI was a selling point, suggesting knowledge of technology, being at the forefront, and being a general mark of being ahead of the game.
Now the term ‘AI slop’ is common parlance, search engines are less likely to value your content if it’s generic AI output, and readers are getting more sceptical about it too. Even LinkedIn has recently introduced a flagging feature where you can tag and hide a post from your feed if it ‘seems like AI slop’.
The AI tools haven’t stopped working, the appetite and sentiment around it has fundamentally shifted, to the point where it’s potentially a liability.

Using AI to get Cited by AI Is a No

Being cited by AI is increasingly complex and inconsistent. It has been shown that some results are different for the same query, repeated 10 times – and even different depending on what version of the AI tool you’re using. What is becoming increasingly clear though, is that using AI to refine your keywords, publishing cadence, or optimally chunk your content, is not the way to increase citations.
AI citation is a trust problem, and so falls more earnestly under digital PR. You can publish as many self-aggrandising listicles as you like, but if you’re not being genuinely talked about by other trusted sources online then you’re pushing a large rock up a steep hill. Being referenced and talked about by relevant press, publications, and industry sites (and linked to, but not necessarily), is incredibly valuable. AI is the layer on top of the internet – so it’s positioned as the trusted friend doing the homework and checking your reputation before referring to a friend.
Companies churning out AI content and taking on 100% of AI advice on SEO strategies are focusing on the wrong layer, with longer term ramifications for your site authority. SEO is a long term game. I often describe it as a garden – it doesn’t matter if the landscaping was designed by the best gardener in the world, if you’re not maintaining it, or maintaining it with the wrong tools, then in 18 months it’s going to look crap.
18 months ago was a different landscape in SEO, quite literally. In that time, Google has released 9 major search updates, consisting of 6 core updates, and 3 spam updates. Unannounced and minor micro-adjustments also happen daily.
If we go back to the garden metaphor, your website SEO is the garden – and Google is the weather. What does your lawn look like after months of sun with no rain, and with no one looking after it who understands about moss and root depth?

AI SEO Cleanups on the Increase

We’ve received calls from companies asking for help with their SEO after following AI advice word-for word, and our SEO Audits have become one of our most commonly requested services.
This is how we know that AI is not the problem, it’s the way users are using it. Sorry, but also not sorry. Using this technology for something you don’t have any clear understanding of and chasing unrealistic goals for a quick win or saving, based on generic advice is a losing strategy, and a way to lose trust of your site visitors and search engines.
Common signs of losing trust from search engines include dramatic drops in impressions, as the search engines just stop bringing up your content for the relevant queries. Indicators of reduced trust from your site visitors is increased bounce rates, reduced session times, and less enquiries.

If you were sold into an SEO strategy by an AI ‘GEO expert’, or you did it yourself and have some regrets – you’re in the right place. We can help you rebuild trust, and it starts by giving us a call in the office.