In the current era, with the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in the digital world, the user experience in seeking information through search engines has evolved significantly. Google itself introduced the Search Generative Experience (SGE) feature in 2023, which has altered the impact of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in boosting website traffic and brand awareness. On the other hand, many people still do not fully understand the benefits and potential that can be gained from SEO. Are you one of them? If so, this article aims to provide a deeper understanding of the goals of using SEO in the latest AI era, presented by Doxadigital. We are a Digital Marketing Agency with more than 15 years of experience in the SEO industry.

Key Takeaways

• SEO refers to strategies aimed at improving website visibility and traffic through the proper selection of keywords, high-quality content, a well-structured website, backlinking, and conversion optimization.
• The benefits of SEO include increasing brand awareness, positioning a business as an expert in a specific field, and attracting new potential customers.
• Google has adopted AI in its search engines, such as Semantic SEO, BERT, RankBrain, MUM, and Search Generative Experience (SGE), to deliver a more personalized and effective search experience.
• The goals of using SEO in digital marketing include increasing the quantity and quality of traffic, ranking for relevant keywords, driving both micro and macro conversions, and focusing on website traffic as the primary indicator.
• Semantic search engines allow a single URL to be relevant to many keywords, meaning keyword ranking is no longer the top priority in SEO strategies.
• Content quality and the optimization of multiple low-competition keywords are more important than focusing on a single keyword ranking.
• Google Search Console and Search Console Insights are essential tools for measuring a website’s performance in Google search and understanding how audiences find the site’s content.

Understanding SEO

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is a strategy to optimize a website with the goal of increasing visibility and traffic. By applying the right SEO strategy, your website will appear at the top of search results (SERP), making it easier for your target audience to find you. To achieve this, several factors need to be considered:

• Keywords: The correct selection of keywords will help your website appear at the top of the SERP and attract visitors who are your target audience.
• High-Quality Content: Publishing relevant and high-quality content with targeted keywords will increase the chances of ranking at the top of the SERP.
• Good Website Structure: Optimizing the website structure with internal links and intuitive navigation will make it easier for search engines to crawl and understand your website.
• Credibility Through Backlinks: Building quality backlinks from other websites can enhance your website’s credibility in the eyes of search engines.
• Conversion and Sales: By optimizing your website and implementing the right SEO strategies, you can increase the conversion of visitors into customers, ultimately boosting sales.

The Benefits of SEO

By using SEO, businesses can optimize their websites to make them easier to find by internet users searching for information related to the products or services they offer. Some of the benefits of using SEO include:

• Increasing Brand and Business Awareness: By using SEO, businesses can raise awareness of their presence in the market. Internet users searching for information related to the products or services offered by the business are more likely to find the website through relevant search results.
• Positioning the Business as an Expert in a Specific Field: With the right SEO techniques, businesses can establish their reputation as an expert in a specific subject. This can be achieved by providing relevant, high-quality content and building backlinks from other sites related to the business’s field.
• Attracting New Potential Customers in the Long Term: Through effective SEO, businesses can reach new potential customers who were previously unaware of their business. By ranking high in search results, businesses can attract the attention of internet users searching for similar products or services.

Google, SEO, AI, and Search Generative Experience

Google search engines began widely adopting AI back in 2012 with the introduction of the knowledge graph concept through the article “Things Not Strings.” This allowed Google to understand the context of searches and deliver more relevant results.

The concept of Semantic SEO became crucial in Google search results due to the involvement of User Intent in determining the results to be displayed. From this moment, machine learning concepts like BERT, RankBrain, MUM, and Search Generative Experience (SGE) evolved. These concepts help Google improve the machine’s understanding of content and deliver a more personalized and effective search experience on the Search Engine Result Page (SERP).

In mid-2023, Google introduced Search Generative Experience (SGE) as an effort to provide a new way of interacting with search engines. SGE utilizes a chat system to interact with users, offering a richer AI interaction experience. This creates a more intuitive and personalized search experience, previously dominated by OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

The use of AI also involves concepts such as semantics, NLP, Information Retrieval, Machine Learning, and Search Generative Experience (SGE). With SGE, users experience a richer, more personal interaction with search engines. All of this highlights the technological advancements and Google’s focus on providing a better, more intuitive search experience.

How SEO Works in the AI Era

We have experienced significant growth in search engines, from when Google implemented full-text indexing to the introduction of Semantic Search in search results. What is the major difference?

• Deep Learning vs Human Interaction: Current AI systems can now equip themselves with learning capabilities. Human involvement in combating spam and low-quality content is decreasing. This means that some ranking manipulation practices will be detected faster.
• Older Algorithms vs Current Algorithms: Earlier algorithms focused on detecting publisher actions (content, backlinks, etc.), while current algorithms focus more on the quality of documents (helpful content, knowledge layers, rich media content, etc.).

Read Also: How AI Affects SEO and How to Optimize Your Website?

What Are the Goals of Using SEO in Digital Marketing?

As an SEO practitioner, having clear goals is essential for optimizing a website and achieving desired results. In the context of SEO in digital marketing, there are several targets to consider:

• Traffic Quantity: An essential goal of SEO is to increase the volume of traffic to a website. The more traffic generated, the higher the level of brand or business awareness. SEO plays a crucial role in driving organic traffic from search engine results.
• Traffic Quality: While increasing traffic is important, it is also crucial to ensure that the traffic is relevant to the business. This means attracting the right audience, which can be achieved by implementing the correct SEO strategies and optimizing the website and content with relevant keywords.
• Keyword Ranking: One of the important targets of SEO is ensuring the brand has a strong presence on search engine results pages for keywords relevant to the business. This helps the brand become more visible to people searching for solutions or information related to the business.
• Micro Conversions: Traffic with the potential to become future customers, such as interactions through live chat or subscribing to a newsletter, is another target to be considered. By leveraging SEO, we can increase the likelihood of turning traffic into potential leads.
• Macro Conversions: Traffic that can generate significant conversions for the business, such as transactions, sign-ups, or purchases, is also a target to be reached. With the right SEO strategy, we can increase the chances of turning traffic into meaningful conversions.

Website Traffic as the Primary SEO Indicator

In this new era of AI, traffic generated through SEO campaigns has become more important than ever. Search engines are now semantic, meaning they can understand the meaning of a page and build their knowledge layers. We believe this is the primary KPI to focus on, both in terms of quantity and quality.

SEO-driven visits or traffic indicates two things:

• The level of product and solution awareness in an SEO campaign.
• The potential customers who trust and are interested in learning more about our services and products.

Given that search engines now have a better understanding of page contexts and user intent, SEO practitioners must ensure they provide content that satisfies both the audience and search engines. Accurate data feeds, markup, structured content, fast page load times, and document interlinking all play a crucial role in helping search engines understand content.

Keyword Ranking as an SEO Target Remains Important, but Not the Top Priority

In an SEO optimization campaign, keyword ranking is one of the aspects to consider. However, it is important for readers to understand that keyword ranking is no longer the top priority in SEO strategies.

Why the Priority of Keyword Ranking Has Decreased

Several reasons explain why keyword ranking is no longer the highest priority. Here are the key points to consider:

• Relevance of URL to Multiple Keywords: With the advent of AI, a single URL can be relevant to many different keywords. As a result, focusing too heavily on a single keyword can lead to over-optimization and decrease overall content quality.
• Reaching a Broader Audience is More Effective Than Narrowing Target Audiences: Securing a broader audience tends to be more effective than targeting a very narrow one. This is because the conversion rate for top 1 rankings doesn’t exceed 30%. By expanding the reach, there is a higher chance of attracting visitors and improving conversion rates.
• The Importance of Content Quality: Instead of solely focusing on keyword ranking, it is better to prioritize high-quality content. Relevant, informative, easy-to-read content that addresses user problems can enhance user experience and build strong brand awareness.
• Optimizing Multiple Low-Competition Keywords: If your KPI goal is ranking, having a high ranking for many low-competition keywords will have a greater impact than focusing solely on one keyword. Optimizing content for low-competition keywords and ranking on the first page of search results can increase traffic and produce better results.

Measuring SEO Performance with Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a useful tool for website owners or SEO teams to assess their site’s performance on Google search. It helps understand how users are finding the site’s content and which pages are performing best in search results.

Some key features of Google Search Console include:

• Performance Metrics: This includes information on website traffic, impressions, clicks, and average position in search results.
• Index Coverage: Ensures that all important pages are indexed and accessible by search engines.
• Crawl Errors: Identifies pages that may not be crawled due to issues such as broken links or server errors.

By using Google Search Console, website owners can measure their site’s performance and use the insights to adjust their SEO strategy for better results.

In Conclusion: SEO Strategies for Your Website’s Growth

In conclusion, SEO strategies in the era of AI are crucial for improving the visibility and performance of your website in search engines. SEO goals now focus more on website traffic, both in terms of quantity and quality, as well as relevant content, interlinking, and proper use of AI-enhanced search engine features. Keep in mind that focusing on keyword ranking alone is no longer enough for SEO success; content quality and user intent are now key factors that influence SEO results.

Do you need assistance with your SEO strategy for your website? Reach out to Doxadigital today and let us help you take your digital marketing efforts to the next level!

Viktor Iwan( CEO and Founder of Doxadigital Creative Digital Marketing Agency )

Viktor Iwan adalah CEO dan pendiri Doxadigital Creative Digital Agency. Dia juga merupakan pembicara dan pelatih publik dalam berbagai acara pemasaran digital seperti “Social Media Week”, “Tech in Asia”, “WordCamp”, “SEOCon”, “QuBisa Bootcamp”, dan “Google Agency Bootcamp”. Viktor Iwan memiliki sertifikasi Google Ads, Facebook Lead Trainer, Facebook Media Buying and Planning, dan Google Analytics. Dia juga menjadi salah satu dari 5 Product Expert Google Ads asal Indonesia oleh Google Inc. Viktor Iwan juga memiliki website pribadi di viktoriwan.com.