SEO and AI: A Guide to Use Cases and Optimization Tools for Content Specialists

There's lots of talk about how artificial intelligence will impact writers and editors, but many expert voices forget that writing isn't just writing and editing isn't just editing. Most content specialists in marketing and in media do some search engine optimization in their work—and have to meet KPIs involving page views, backlinks, and reader engagement. As long as there are still search engines determining what searchers see—including AI-enabled search engines like Bing, aka, Sydney—content specialists and marketers will need to prioritize optimization as much as good copy.

Of course, AI SEO content generators are just one type of artificially intelligent tool marketers are using to enhance their optimization efforts. New AI SEO tools are geared toward marketers looking for support on the technical side of search engine optimization.

What are the Use Cases for AI in SEO?

One of the primary use cases for AI in SEO is in the area of keyword research, where AI tools can use machine learning and natural language processing (NLP) to identify relevant and high-traffic keywords, as well as to understand the intent behind search queries. AI SEO tools can enhance content for search engines by providing insights on topics, structure, and readability. With AI-powered tools, site owners and content creators can analyze the top-ranking pages for a given topic and use their findings to create content that meets the needs of both search engines and users. AI can also help with on-page optimization by analyzing title tags, meta descriptions, and internal links and making data-driven recommendations for improvement. Soon, AI tools for search optimization will play a more comprehensive role in SEO strategy development, scaling SEO initiatives, and automating SEO.

What Does AI SEO Software Typically Do?

AI SEO tools can analyze the complex relationships between the content on sites or specific pages and traffic and search engine rankings. The best AI tools for SEO provide deep, actionable insights and automate tactics—like keyword selection, content creation, and SEO workflow enhancement—to improve your online presence. While AI SEO tools vary in their exact capabilities, many can:

Identify opportunities for businesses to create targeted and effective content. Using sophisticated algorithms, the AI analyzes trends in industry and identifies gaps in the market to provide insights into the most effective topics to target.

Optimize website pages for conversion. With the understanding that not all website traffic is created equal, some tools provide on-page conversion or UX optimization recommendations to ensure that pages meet specific goals, whether driving orders or generating leads.

Refresh existing content to improve search rank. By leveraging mature content's link power and providing dynamic optimization updates and refreshed linking, AI SEO software can help older pages rank higher in search results.

The Best Best AI SEO Tools For Automation and Content Creation

SurferSEO is an AI SEO tool that provides on-page optimization recommendations based on data-driven analysis of top-ranking pages.

Frase uses natural language processing to analyze content and provide recommendations for improving search engine rankings.

Jasper's AI tool for SEO provides insights on keyword research, content optimization, and backlink analysis.

Outranking's SEO tools use machine learning to provide recommendations for improving search engine rankings and visibility.

INK is an AI tool for SEO that uses natural language processing to analyze content and provide recommendations for improving search engine rankings.

Diib provides insights on website health, search engine rankings, and social media engagement.

CanIRank provides recommendations for improving search engine rankings based on competitive analysis and data-driven insights.

MarketMuse uses AI to support keyword research, content creation, and competitive analysis.

Wordlift is an AI content optimization tool that uses natural language processing to analyze content and provide recommendations for improving search engine rankings.

Will AI Search Optimization Replace Content Specialists?

Not any time soon, but AI SEO tools will probably change how marketing copywriters work and may also prompt restructuring of marketing teams. SEO specialists, for instance, may  increasingly focus on analysis and strategy versus technical search engine optimization. Web copywriters might focus on developing content aligned with opportunities identified by AI. And as the applications of AI in search optimization continue to expand, expect to see an increasing shift towards automation in SEO. Organizations will be able to take advantage of optimization opportunities without having to rely on manual processes. Content marketers will likely adopt a hybrid approach to their work that relies on AI for simple optimization, freeing writers and SEOs to be proactive instead of reactive.