The Future of SEO is to Focus More on People Than Technology

An Overview of Modern SEO

It’s an exciting time for SEO. The SEO landscape is scattered with the unknown, especially with the emergence of Search Generative Experiences (SGE) or Generative AI, which Google is developing to enhance user search experiences by letting them find what they want more easily. This development will revolutionize the way users interact with search engines.

After someone submits a query in an SGE interface, Google's AI will generate tailored answers that it presumes to be correct and close to what the user is looking for, with links added for reference, rather than the list of links usually produced by a conventional search engine. Furthermore, AI can produce various forms of content, including text, images, and videos. This is a game changer for SEO marketing.

Nonetheless, AI isn’t the only exciting development in SEO. For example, Google’s support of AI isn’t always quite so predictable. Take these three recent updates as examples: 

• Google first announced they would not support content created by AI.
• One week later, Google clarified that only high-quality AI-generated content would be displayed in search results.
• In Google’s third update, the tech giant specified they would not list any AI-generated content produced in large quantities or densely packed with information but lacking in quality.

Companies that rush headfirst into AI implementation risk losing their SEO ranking due to Google's evolving algorithms. SEO marketing’s dynamic nature doesn’t just make the game intriguing, but also impacts user behavior and their interactions with search engines.

Although many emerging technologies continue to transform SEO, I want to remain focused on strengthening the foundations of my SEO work processes. While the tools may change, the foundational principles of SEO remain the same.

New Technologies, Same Principles

You’ve probably heard people in the tech industry talk about Perplexity as a major competitor for Google. As someone well-versed in SEO, I believe it's crucial to first assess your target audience and their preferred platforms, then adjust your strategy with your users at the center. After all, a hot new tool doesn’t always uproot the fundamental principles of SEO.

For instance, during the global surge of interest in a greener economy, a search engine claiming to be eco-friendly emerged, boasting that it would surpass the popularity of Google. This development prompted many to question whether they should optimize their content or website structure for this new search engine.

Or, when privacy was a hot topic,  DuckDuckGo actively promoted itself as a search engine that didn't track users or collect their personal data. However, upon closer examination, the operational differences between Google and DuckDuckGo aren’t that significant.

(It is worth noting that China and South Korea have their own popular search engines –Baidu and Naver respectively – which operate on algorithms distinctly different from Google's. However, I won’t go into detail about those in this article.)

The most important thing we need to understand about Perplexity is its criteria for the data it selects in analyzing and creating the data that matches what users are looking for. My best guess is that Perplexity has set processes for adjusting content and producing appropriate references for its users. This isn’t very different from how Google searches for the most suitable content and displays it as a feature snippet on the first search result.

I think Perplexity will open a new dimension in search experiences but planning an SEO strategy for search results in Perplexity might need some adjustments. All in all, the SEO foundation remains relatively unchanged, contrary to widespread concerns.

SEO Focuses on People, Not Trends

I'd like to share some insights regarding SEO. SEO professionals are quite obsessed with Google algorithm updates, new tools, and AI, which are undeniably crucial aspects of this industry. However, what many SEO specialists frequently overlook or underestimate is the human element. 

SEO marketing hinges not on individual efforts but on teamwork and leveraging cross-functional resources. These elements are essential in driving an SEO campaign toward success.

If an SEO campaign relies solely on the expertise of an algorithm or AI specialist without the support of a collaborative team, the campaign is likely to fail.

On the other hand, I’m more likely to find success if my SEO workflow is straightforward enough for anyone to grasp easily. The key lies in simplifying tasks such as revising titles and meta tags, optimizing website performance for faster loading, and adjusting website structure. Even without implementing new techniques, effective collaboration with other teams involved in the campaign is paramount for achieving favorable outcomes.

Based on my experience working with big companies, I've learned that campaigns typically involve 3 to 4 teams. These teams play a larger part in a campaign's success than any Google algorithm updates or emerging trends in AI.

A Successful SEO Campaign Makes Everyone Involved Proud

The key to becoming a successful SEO specialist is to always start by defining the requirements of your campaign. Success is not about devising a completely new SEO strategy or being an expert at implementing cutting-edge AI techniques. Instead, it's about adhering meticulously to fundamental SEO principles, and effectively engaging with team members from various departments.

From my perspective, SEO marketing helps users and people in general. SEO opens up opportunities for people to discover the products and services they want, whether those are offered by us or by our clients. These users might have simply been looking for the best options available, already knew about us, or discovered us through a search engine. This aspect of SEO holds a certain romantic appeal to me and usually yields valuable customers

Moreover, SEO serves as a tool that designers, developers, and other team members within the company can leverage to achieve shared objectives. The collaborative efforts invested in an SEO campaign should ultimately make them proud, as the campaign's success is a collective achievement.