AI is Here, Baby! And it’s hungry.
We’ve written content for websites and blogs — much of which has contributed to the training data for machine learning and artificial intelligence — and we’ve fed this baby for a long time, over the last couple of decades.
AI wants better content, quality content! Not the same-o same-o, not just more noise. (I mean come on people, so many sites have the same info on, say, Botox, it’s all turned to “noise”.)
More importantly — and don’t lose site of this — your audience wants better content, too.
Don’t Add to the Noise
Better content can help a website show up in the AI Overview at the top of the search engine results page. This is where the searcher can get their answer, yay!
And boo! People very often don’t click to your website because you’re not included in the AI Overview, and nor do people scroll down to see other results. Hence the term “Zero-Click” (highly recommend this great article about Zero Click Marketing on Sparktoro’s blog). Zero Click Marketing has changed how to optimize web pages to show up on the Search Engine Results. Having more blog posts do not equate to more clicks to your website. Having better content can.
Strategies for AI Visibility
How do you get your content up there in the AI Overview? It’s quite the challenge. You could pay for an ad up at the top of the search engine page, which are under the AI Overview itself, as of this writing. But one thing is sure, you need to start with these two practices: EEAT and INTENT.
So, What Does AI Want to EEAT?
You’re familiar with E-E-A-T —> The content on your site demonstrates your Experience, your Expertise, your Authority on the matter, and is Trustworthy. This “best practice” has been around for years and is alive and well and more important than ever. We are talking content that is relevant and useful; it is not “noise”.
EEAT also helps build your Brand. It teaches your audience about what you’re all about, who you are. It answers the question, “Is this the company I want to deal with?” Your brand on all digital platforms is more important today because of the AI Overview. It deserves a separate blog post (I’ll work on that).
But that’s not all, my friends. Today your content needs to answer the INTENT of the query that your audience typed into Google. This is new for search engine optimizers because it does not only focus on a keyword; its focus is on the Topic.
Search Query Intent
People have specific reasons or intentions when they do a search, and AI recognizes this. The expectation is your content has an answer to a query that typically falls into these categories:
- Informational: for users who want to learn more, get some information, answer a specific question.
- Navigational: for users looking for a specific website, who want to open a specific page.
- Commercial: for users who are interested in a product or service and want a comparison before they buy.
- Transactional: for users who are ready to buy or complete an action.
AI looks for relevance, and so do your customers. To rank in Google, your content must be relevant to the specific query; ie, what is the intent of the search and can you answer it.
Examples of Search Intent:
Informational Intent
How to paint a room?
The expectation is to see a video or a diagram with steps, or a sequence of instructions
This could be a blog post and a youtube video.
Navigational Intent
Standard Paint and Flooring
The user is looking for a specific website, often these searchers include the brand or domain names.
My SPF Account login
Obviously the intent is to go directly to their login page
Commercial Intent
What is the best paint for ceilings
Here a blog post comparing ceiling paint to high traffic paint, or gloss vs satin vs flat would be a reasonable expectation.
Transactional Intent
Buy mist green paint for ceiling
One would expect to see this product’s page with information and pictures.
Satisfying AI and Customer Needs
Gone are the days where you put up one page about your product and figure you’re good to go. Today to rank in the AI Overview at the top of the SERPs and to be relevant to your current and potential customers, you’ll need to begin with better content that satisfies the searcher’s intent.
The content can be and should be more than text on the page. Include images, lists, videos, podcasts, comparisons. Add your specific benefits, angles or viewpoint. Don’t just be another site that’s full of noise and no substance.
No matter the questions — how do I… where is… do they have.. what is the best… I need to buy… — you need to be there answering your audience’s particular queries.