66: SEO vs AIO: I’m giving up on Google & optimizing for AI
-
[00:00:00] Earlier this month, I shared my story of how my website traffic took an 82 percent nosedive overnight. As an online business, that was really tough. But you know what? It led me to a fascinating relevation. Google Search is becoming the new Yellow Pages. It's great for finding specific businesses, but not so much for in depth information anymore.
[00:00:25] And that's okay because there's something new that's emerging AI search. And in this episode, I'm going to share why I'm no longer chasing Google rankings. And instead I'm focusing on something that I call AI optimization. Trust me, this is going to be a good episode. Welcome to think inside the square, a podcast full of tips and tricks to help you create a website that you're proud of.
[00:00:45] I'm your host, Becca Harpain, Squarespace expert and educator. And in this episode, we are diving into something that could completely change how you think about creating content online. Remember when SEO was everything? When giving that coveted first page of Google [00:01:00] felt like striking gold? Well, the landscape is shifting, and I've got a pretty radical take to share with you today.
[00:01:06] For a transcript of this episode, along with the links to any resources that I mentioned, visit insidethesquare. co forward slash podcast. Do you remember not too long ago when you'd hop into Google, type in a question, and then spend the next 15 minutes opening tab after tab, scanning through different websites, trying to piece together the answer that you needed?
[00:01:25] Yeah, those days are quickly becoming history, and I've got a pretty mind blowing stat to share with you about this. 81 percent of people are now choosing chatbots over traditional search engines for their questions. 81%! That is huge! And you know what? I totally get it! Just the other day, I was working on a JavaScript code, and I had to fix this weird issue, and instead of doing my usual Google deep dive, I asked ChatGPT, and immediately I got a direct answer, no Googling required.
[00:01:54] But here's where it gets really interesting for those of us creating content online. This shift isn't just [00:02:00] changing how people find information, it's completely transforming what makes our content discoverable. Remember when we used to obsess over keywords and metadescriptions? While those things still matter for traditional search, they are not the whole story anymore.
[00:02:14] I want you to think about how you talk to ChatGPT or Claude or Gemini. You don't type in weird keyword stuffed phrases like, Best Squarespace Template 2024. No, we're starting to ask natural questions, like which Squarespace template would be the best for my photography portfolio. And these AI tools?
[00:02:34] They're smart enough to understand exactly what you mean and give you a focused answer. This is often referred to as conversational search, and it is absolutely fascinating. Instead of just throwing keywords at a search engine and hoping for the best, people are having actual conversations with AI. Bye.
[00:02:52] They're asking follow up questions, they're clarifying their needs in the context, and they're getting increasingly specific answers. [00:03:00] Now, I know that some of you might be thinking, Aren't some of these AI tools wrong? Don't they just make stuff up sometimes? And you're absolutely right. They can make mistakes, or have what tech folks like to refer to as hallucinations.
[00:03:13] Because of those hallucinations and those errors, we're seeing a very interesting hybrid approach. People are using AI for quick answers, But then they're turning to trusted sources for verification. Now one of my trusted sources, AI expert Phil Palin, had an excellent pro tip on how you can get accurate answers for AI.
[00:03:32] So I asked him to record a little audio clip for this episode. Phil, what can we do to make sure that AI gives us the most accurate answer?
[00:03:40] So ChatGPT is actually trained to be lazy. It's only more recently that it's actually integrated the ability to connect to the internet and give you actual updated recent information.
[00:03:53] And so even though it can connect to the internet, it won't necessarily do that. It's trained to be lazy. So I [00:04:00] always like to explicitly say I want you to connect to the internet. I don't want garbage from two or three or longer.
[00:04:10] years ago. Of course, you can put this in your own words. But I like to interact with ChatGPT how I speak, and so my recommendation is when using ChatGPT specifically, tell it you want updated sources and citations, and always double check those sources and citations after they give it to you.
[00:04:28] That was great stuff, and I'll be sure to link to Phil's content in the show notes for this episode.
[00:04:32] But this is where I'm starting to get so excited about where we're heading. Because while Google might be becoming more like the Yellow Pages, helpful for specific business info, but not so much for in depth information, we have this amazing opportunity to position our content in a way that makes it valuable for both human readers and AI tools.
[00:04:51] This shift in how people find information and verify it It's actually incredible news for those of us that are passionate about creating genuine, [00:05:00] helpful content. Now, let's be real for a moment. We've all seen what happened to Google. It is becoming a wasteland of AI generated articles turned out by people who never actually used the products they're writing about or tried the concepts.
[00:05:14] These are articles that are just crammed with keywords. But empty of real value. You know exactly what I'm talking about. You search for something specific, you click on what looks like a helpful article, and instead, you get this weird, almost human content that kind of dances around the topic without actually saying anything useful.
[00:05:32] These content farms have basically poisoned the well, making it nearly impossible for people to find legitimate, expert advice through traditional search. And it's why we're turning to AI. But here's why I'm actually excited about this shift. It is becoming harder and harder to fake expertise. AI systems are getting better at recognizing patterns and content that indicate real knowledge versus all that superficial fluff.
[00:05:57] They can identify when someone's writing from [00:06:00] experience versus recycling information that they found elsewhere. And for those of us who actually know our stuff, who've spent years in the trenches solving real problems and helping real people, this is our time to shine. So how do we, legitimate content creators, make sure that our valuable content rises to the top of this AI driven future?
[00:06:19] This is not about tricks or hacks, this is about creating clear, well organized content that truly helps people by answering their questions. Let's talk about what I like to call AI friendly architecture. When I first started rebuilding my content for AI, I realized something fascinating. The same principles that make content easy for humans to understand can also make it easy for AI to process.
[00:06:42] It's like we finally can align the technical side of content with actual human needs, and I think that's really cool. Now, the foundation of this AI architecture starts with a proper heading structure. When I restructured my Squarespace tutorials using clear, logical headings, something magical happened.
[00:06:59] [00:07:00] Not only did my readers tell me that they could find information faster, But AI started referencing my content more accurately. It's like giving both AI and humans a clear roadmap. And here's how I approach it. I want you to think about your own content while I break this down. Now first, I use my main heading to clearly state what the content is about.
[00:07:18] Blogging in Squarespace makes this really easy because blog titles are classified as H1. Now these titles, I never use clever wordplay or make them cutesy. I use crystal clear language. Instead of, The ultimate guide to making your site header button clickable. It'll say something like, How to customize the header button style in Squarespace.
[00:07:39] You see the difference? The second one tells both AI and humans exactly what they're going to learn. After that heading one, I started to use subheadings to break down the major topics of the tutorial. Think of these like chapters in a story. For my own tutorials, the first section could be about the design settings that are available, then when to use [00:08:00] CSS, and how to access CSS.
[00:08:02] Each one leads logically to the next. Now here's where it gets really interesting. Once I organized those headaches, I started creating what I like to call digestible chunks of information. Okay, you know those recipe blogs where you have to scroll through someone's life story to find the actual recipe?
[00:08:17] Yeah, we're not doing that anymore. Instead, I've started to organize my content into clear sections. I include bullet points for quick takeaways. I include numbered steps for my tutorials. I include short, focused paragraphs that make one point at a time. And my code snippets? Those are clearly labeled. And then, my favorite part of all, FAQ sections.
[00:08:41] These are pure gold for AI optimization. Why? Because AI chatbots. When I started adding little FAQ blocks to my tutorials, I noticed something fascinating. AI started to pull direct quotes from my content more frequently. It's like [00:09:00] I gave AI a little cheat sheet of the most valuable information. But here's a pro tip that took me way too long to figure out.
[00:09:07] This FAQ content shouldn't just be a repetition of what's in your content. It needs to address the follow up questions. The edge cases, the but what if scenarios that your readers are going to have. This not only makes your content more valuable for AI, but it provides comprehensive answers. Now, another game changer?
[00:09:27] Using what I like to call context bridges. These are short sentences that connect different sections of my content, explaining why one topic leads to another. It's not just about making the content flow better for humans, but this content bridge helps AI understand the relationship between the different concepts that I'm discussing.
[00:09:47] And also, do not forget about multimedia content. I used to just throw a video link into my tutorial and not give it much thought. But now I make sure that every image, every video, every audio block [00:10:00] has detailed alt text. And I've started to include transcripts and descriptive summaries. Now for those descriptive summaries and those transcripts, I can include those in a quick accordion dropdown in Squarespace.
[00:10:11] And you'll see that in the show notes for this podcast episode. I think the best part about all of this is that when you structure your content this way, You're not just optimizing for AI, you're optimizing for understanding. I've had readers reach out to me tell me that they'd rather read the transcript than listen to the episode, and vice versa, so it's really a win win for us humans and the bots.
[00:10:31] Now that we've covered the AI friendly architecture, Let's get into the nitty gritty of actually implementing those changes. I've got some practical steps to share with you that you can start using today. And I promise they are not as technical as they're going to sound. Now let's start with structured data.
[00:10:46] That's kind of a fancy term for a label that an AI bot will use to understand what your content is about. We're kind of adding labels to everything. Now, you might have used structured data as a schema markup for your SEO, and we're [00:11:00] creating something very similar for that, but it's a little bit different.
[00:11:03] Instead of using specific keywords in your content, I want you to focus on clearly identifying the context. The context is the most important part of this. So for your schema markup, I want you to describe what your content is about and who you are as the expert creating it, when it was created, and again, focus on the context of your content.
[00:11:25] That matters a lot more than it used to. Now, let's talk about those FAQ sections that I mentioned earlier because they definitely deserve their own spotlight in this episode. I don't want you to hop into a blog post and just add an accordion block at the end with a bunch of random questions that you might repeat on every blog post.
[00:11:41] That is not the point here. What I want you to do is answer the actual follow up questions that you're getting from your audience. Look back at comments and DMs. That kind of content is gold. Try to think of the questions that a beginner would ask. An intermediate level of experience would ask and someone with advanced knowledge of the topic would ask [00:12:00] and then weave those into the article as conversation points.
[00:12:04] I want you to answer these questions when the readers are very likely to ask them by literally weaving them into your content. Little pro tip paragraphs or even a quote block to pull some content out of the entire blog post so it really highlights that level of expertise and conveys the concept of the content.
[00:12:23] Now, the other thing that you can do is really focus on making your multimedia content accessible. Every image, video, and audio clip is a chance to provide more context for AI to understand your content. Can you include a full transcript or a detailed summary that wouldn't just be helpful for the reader, but also helpful for AI to understand what that content is about?
[00:12:43] Taking the time to make proper transcripts and descriptions can make a huge difference. And again, it's not just about accessibility, although that is super important, but this is about helping AI understand the full value of what you're sharing. Now let's talk about something that is often overlooked, but [00:13:00] absolutely crucial, especially for AI.
[00:13:02] Attribution and authority building. This is about making it crystal clear as to why you are the right person to be trusted on this topic. Just because you know your stuff doesn't mean AI is going to recognize your expertise. Now, I want you to think about creating a schema markup that introduces yourself the way you would at a conference, in person.
[00:13:22] Now, you wouldn't just walk up to someone and start talking about your topic without giving a little context about who you are and why they should listen. The same thing applies here. When I share a Squarespace customization tutorial, I make sure to mention that I've been working with the platform for over a decade, and that I've helped thousands of people with similar issues that I'm addressing in that article.
[00:13:42] This is not about bragging. This is about helping both AI and humans understand why they can trust your advice. And speaking of trust, we've got to talk about citing your sources. This is something that I've become really passionate about. When you reference other experts or include statistics, link to them.
[00:13:59] This isn't [00:14:00] just about giving credit where it's due. This is about showing AI that you are a part of a larger conversation in your field. You're not just there spouting your opinions. You're contributing to a broader discussion with other experts. Now, the beautiful thing about all of these steps is that they really work together.
[00:14:16] When you combine clear structure, those helpful FAQ snippets, some optimized multimedia, and proper attribution, You're not just making your content more AI friendly, you're making it more valuable for everyone who encounters it. When you have these systems in place, you're going to spend less time wondering how to organize your thoughts.
[00:14:35] Less time wondering about what keywords you should rank for and more time about sharing your valuable expertise. And that's what we're all here for. Creating that conversational content that can genuinely help people. Now, before I wrap up this episode, I want to talk about something that gets me pretty excited.
[00:14:51] Where all of this is heading. You know, when I first lost my Google traffic, I kind of felt like I got fired from the internet. I felt like a rug had been [00:15:00] pulled out from underneath me. But now I genuinely am starting to see this as one of the best things that could have happened to my business. Because it forced me to look forward instead of trying to play catch up with an outdated system.
[00:15:11] Here's what I've realized as a content creator. It's no longer about getting traffic. When AI cites your content, it's acknowledging you as an authority in your field. Now think about it. When someone asks ChatGPT or Claude or Gemini about Squarespace customization, And they reference one of my tutorials that is getting a stamp of approval from the world's most thorough researcher.
[00:15:34] It's like saying, this person knows what they're talking about, and I love it. Now, the really cool part, unlike traditional SEO where you're competing for handfuls of spots on the first page of Google, AI can cite multiple sources in a single response. So it's no longer about beating our competition. It's about being a part of the conversation.
[00:15:55] It's about sharing your unique perspective and adding your expertise to the mix, and I think [00:16:00] that is incredible. Now, I want to share something that might sound a little bit counterintuitive at first. The best way to position your content for AI visibility, it's not to write for AI at all. It's to write for humans in a way that AI can better understand.
[00:16:14] You no longer have to worry about ranking for the right keywords and competing with those content farms that we talked about earlier. Those content farms, they're trying to gain the system just the same way that they did with Google. But AI is getting better and better at recognizing genuine expertise and authentic voice.
[00:16:30] Now, I've started thinking about my content strategy like building this library of resources rather than a bunch of individual articles. Every piece of content I create now is just part of a larger knowledge database. When I write a tutorial, I'm not just thinking about that one specific topic. I'm thinking about how it connects to everything else I've created and everything that I plan to create.
[00:16:52] Now this is a sustainable content strategy. I'm not chasing trending topics or trying to gain the system. I get to focus on creating [00:17:00] content that answers real questions for my actual audience, that draws from my genuine expertise, and connects my content to other content in meaningful ways. The future of content discovery is not about quantity.
[00:17:13] It is absolutely about quality, and it's about authenticity, and it's about interconnectedness. It's about creating content that stands the test of time and actually helps people solve their problems. And you know what makes me the most optimistic about this shift? For the first time in a long time, the technical side of content optimization truly aligns with what's best for our audience.
[00:17:36] We're not trying to stuff keywords or build artificial backlinks anymore. We're just trying to share our knowledge in the clearest and most helpful way possible. And that's what this really comes down to. Now whether someone finds your content through AI, through social media, through word of mouth, what matters is that when they do find it, It genuinely helps them.
[00:17:55] That's what builds real authority. That's what creates lasting impact. And [00:18:00] that is what will keep your content relevant no matter how technology evolves. The future of content is not about fighting algorithms or gaming systems. It's about sharing your expertise in a way that is clear, helpful, and authentic.
[00:18:13] And if you ask me, that's exactly how it should be. Alright, let's wrap this episode up with some concrete steps that you can take today to make your content more AI friendly. First, I want you to audit your existing content. Just start with one blog post. I want you to look for opportunities to add clear headings.
[00:18:31] I want you to look for opportunities to create those content bridges where you can lead one section of content to the next. And I also want you to look for spots where you can include FAQs. Can you answer more questions that people might have about that content? Answer the specific questions that your audience is asking.
[00:18:50] You can also consider creating a dedicated resources page that AI can easily reference there on your website. Because interlinking your content is becoming incredibly important. [00:19:00] The number one takeaway from this episode is that it's no longer about trying to gain the system or outrank each other.
[00:19:05] Creating content is about creating accessible content that serves human readers and AI systems. The future of content discovery is changing, and we have the opportunity to be at the forefront of this shift. Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Think Inside the Square. If you enjoyed it, please subscribe to my podcast wherever you happen to be listening or watching this episode.
[00:19:27] And if you're checking this out on my blog or on YouTube, hop into the comments section and let me know what you think. Thanks again for tuning in, and most importantly, have fun with your website. Bye for now.
-
Phil Pallen's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/philpallen
Phil Pallen’s AI book: preorder it now!
https://www.amazon.com/Small-Business-Operations-Artificial-Intelligence/dp/1507222912
Articles and News:
The Verge: https://www.theverge.com/
Wired: https://www.wired.com/
TechCrunch: https://techcrunch.com/
Research Papers and Reports:
OpenAI: https://openai.com/
Google AI Blog: https://ai.googleblog.com/
Industry Insights:
Search Engine Land: https://searchengineland.com/
Moz Blog: https://moz.com/blog/
AI Experts and Thought Leaders:
Andrew Ng: https://www.andrewng.org/
Yann LeCun: https://www.facebook.com/ylecun/
AI Search stats:
In 2023, around 13 million adults in the United States claimed to have used generative artificial intelligence (AI) as their primary tool for online search. By 2027, this number is projected to reach over 90 million online users. Around 68 percent of adults in the country claimed to use generative AI for answering questions. As a result, the online search market is likely to be one of the most affected industries by the AI-powered search market trend.
Google is Becoming the Yellow Pages (And Why That's Actually Great News)
Remember when losing 82% of my website traffic felt like the end of the world? Turns out, it was actually the wake-up call I needed. Because here's what I discovered: Google is becoming the new Yellow Pages – fantastic for finding a local pizza place, but pretty useless for finding real, in-depth information.
And you know what? That's actually incredible news for those of us who are genuine experts in our field. Let me explain why.
The Death of Traditional Search (As We Know It)
Here's a mind-blowing stat for you: 81% of people are now choosing chatbots over traditional search engines for quick questions. And honestly? I get it.
Think about the last time you searched for something on Google. How many tabs did you have to open? How much fluff did you have to wade through just to find one actual answer? It's exhausting, right?
Why This Is Actually Amazing News
Remember all those AI-generated articles clogging up Google? The ones written by people who've clearly never touched the products they're writing about? They've actually done us a huge favor by pushing people toward AI tools that can filter out the noise.
For those of us who actually know our stuff? Who've spent years in the trenches, solving real problems and helping real people? Our time is finally here.
Welcome to the Age of AI Optimization
Instead of stuffing our content with keywords and hoping for the best, we can now focus on what really matters: sharing our expertise in a way that both humans and AI can understand.
I call this "AI-Friendly Architecture," and it's revolutionizing how I create content. The best part? It's not about tricks or hacks – it's about being a better teacher and communicator.
I want to get my content in front of more people; Is SEO a waste of time?
No, but the role of SEO is changing. Think of traditional SEO as becoming more like business directory optimization – still important for local businesses, but not the be-all-end-all for content discovery.
Do I need to completely restructure my existing content for AI?
You don’t nee a complete overhaul – you can gradually adapt to where content discovery is heading. Start with your most important content first, and develop a structure and plan from there.
Will AI replace human-created content?
Actually, the opposite! AI is making it easier for genuine expertise to shine through. It's becoming harder to fake expertise, which means authentic, experienced voices are more valuable than ever.
What You Can Do Right Now
1. Focus on clear, logical organization of your content
2. Create comprehensive FAQ sections that address real questions
3. Use proper heading structure to guide readers (and AI) through your content
4. Include detailed context for any multimedia content
5. Build authority by clearly showing your expertise
The Future of Optimization is AI
This shift isn't just changing how people find information – it's finally aligning technical optimization with what actually helps people. No more choosing between pleasing search engines and serving your audience.
And that? That's the kind of future I'm excited to be part of.
