The Future Of SEO: Digital Prosperity Podcast Season 6 Episode 8

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This episode of the Digital Prosperity podcast welcomes our host, Andy Gibbins, accompanied by Daniel Baker, our SEO expert and one of our most senior team members, to discuss the future of SEO, with a specific focus on organic SEO.

What Is SEO & Why Is It Important?

Called Search Engine Optimisation, it is the process of improving your website’s visibility or your online presence.

Daniel Baker expands on this definition. He said, “To define it a bit better, it’s organic SEO. You can add search engine optimisation for the organic side of your website, and that’s how you’re found outside of paid marketing.

Our SEO expert added that with being all-encompassing, it can also be used in social media, for those looking to optimise their social posts for search engines like Google.

What Are The Different Types Of SEO?

As you might have guessed from the focus of this article, different types of SEO exist for different purposes. SEO encompasses on-page SEO, off-page SEO, technical SEO and local SEO.

Daniel explains each group as follows: “On-page SEO is when your website says or highlights the things that could bring a potential customer to your website or web page. For example, what keywords do you use, or what words are mentioned in relation to what an individual is searching for?

“Off-page SEO would be how often your webpage or a reference to your business is made externally, which acts as a vote of confidence for Google.

“Technical SEO aims to discover whether your website or web page is fit for purpose, and lastly, local SEO, which will, for example, help you find local plumbers, or you might have or create a webpage that is specific to a location.

“We also have a new sheriff in town, and that’s the AI element.”

What Are Some Of The Main Factors That Influence SEO Today?

You might be thinking that SEO sounds like the perfect tool for your business, but before you start including random words on your webpage, it is important to consider the factors that influence SEO today.

According to our SEO expert, the biggest factor that influences SEO is relevance.

He said: “I’ve spoken to many business owners who understand the world of SEO or want to be number one in Google but don’t necessarily understand the complexity around it, and particularly whether your website is relevant to what a potential searcher wants.

“Google doesn’t care about you as a business.

“It wants the best results for its customers, so relevance is key.”

However, this is not the only factor you need to keep in mind; originality, readability and EAT (expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness) also play a role in your SEO rankings.

Whilst you could ask yourself an infinite number of questions, start by discovering if your website displays your expertise if your content passes authority, how trustworthy the sources that you’re using are, and how secure your website is. Also, keep in mind how mobile-friendly your website is and whether or not its structure could be improved for user-friendliness.

Backlinks are also something to take into consideration, as Google will judge how many times your domain name appears on an external site.

Daniel highlights the fact that other factors can come into play, but these are some of the main ones that when implemented correctly, can help you reach great results.

Why Would You Do SEO Over PPC?

Whilst pay-per-click (PPC) does have a place and helps you become number one in search engines, it is important to remember that this is short-term.

Daniel added: “You’re only as visible as your wallet allows.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a short-term solution, but you’re only renting space whilst you’ve got the budget, whereas organic, what you’re building is a foundation over a long period of time, which will be evergreen.

“So when your budget runs out, you’re gone, but when you put in the work and you get to page one of Google, as long as you maintain that and do the right things we’ve discussed, you stay there.”

Whilst PPC might feel like it will get you to your goals a lot faster, organic SEO will drive visitors to your website on a regular basis, as well as inquiries.

Daniel said: “It’s not one or the other, ideally you should do both.

“SEO is like owning your property and paying for your mortgage every month, whilst paid advertising is like renting from Google.

“They both have a place, and actually PPC and SEP can work really work in tandem.”

👉 Watch the full episode below: 

Why Is SEO Important To Business Owners?

SEO is vital for business growth, as in today’s digital world, it influences discoverability by allowing you to use keywords targeted to each stage of the customer journey.

Daniel Baker said: “If you’re not there, someone else is.

“We’re in an economy where the way to grow your business or push your business forward is by being at the forefront of things and understanding that’s where your market is.”

With SEO, you don’t need to convince your audience that they need your products or services because they already want them. The only challenge you have to face is getting there.

What Impact Will AI Have On SEO Going Forward?

AI is going to keep becoming a more influential part of how we use the internet, and will also have an impact from an SEO perspective.

Daniel said: “AI is now starting to appear at the top of searches because Google has built into its algorithm in a way that assesses what it shows, it can gather data from various sources and summarise that into an AI overview.”

In other words, this means that we should expect AI to become a bigger influence in SEO as Google uses AI to provide even more value and relevancy for users. Hence, it is essential to ensure that the content on your website does indeed provide value to your customers or potential customers, as this is your best chance to appear in AI features, and the best way to do so is by also using AI yourself.

Is There a Future For SEO, And What Does It Look Like?

Our SEO expert, Daniel Baker, recommends that all business owners embrace AI and understand that it is another tool to help you provide value in your business and give users a better experience.

However, he also highlights the importance of SEO, adding that this will always be a requirement.

He said: “What will be different is what’s involved in doing that, and AI will have its place.

“Use AI to understand your market, to understand what people are searching for.”

As people continue to conduct Google searches, SEO will continue to exist, hence why you should think about what AI tools could be helpful and add value to your website.

AI is not designed to replace SEO or us as humans, but merely to provide value to things, hence why you should focus on creating human-centred content that is valuable to your customers, but use AI to facilitate this process.

This will help you do the right things in the eyes of Google, ensuring you are the optimum choice to show to potential customers when they are doing research.