5 Tips From HubSpot’s Senior Director of Global Growth – InstantFollowerz

The SEO landscape has been on a roll lately, and many marketers and SEO experts are doing their best to keep up. However, HubSpot’s senior director of global growth, Aja Frost, remains optimistic about the future of SEO as new competitors enter the arena.

“In fact, I think the arrival of new competitors is one of the most exciting developments of the last two years,” she says. “For so long, we’ve all been just Google-centric and reverse-engineered the Google algorithm in many ways that have stifled innovation in content marketing and SEO.”

If you’re not sure how to change your approach to keep up with SEO marketing, here are five tips from Aja Frost on navigating the future of SEO.

AI is your tool, not your replacement.

I’ve said this so many times in previous blog posts and you may be sick of hearing it, but I promise it’s true – marketers need to see AI as a tool or marketing’s best friend, not a replacement. And Aja agrees.

“AI tools are great at researching, organizing ideas, outlining, and providing scaffolding for a great piece of content,” she says. And she’s not just talking about written content like blog posts or emails; AI can also lay the foundation for superior video and images.

But here’s why I can’t replace you, says Aja.

“AI tools aren’t as strong as humans in actually developing the content itself,” she says, “like taking an idea or concept from good to great and turning it into a full post or taking that proof of concept for a micro app.”

And that, says Aja, is where you, the marketer, need to color the lines and create content that pops. Think of it like you are Batman and HE is your Robin.

Marketers must evolve beyond just informative content.

Google’s algorithm was… dodgy… to say the least. However, one thing has been consistent through all the changes: his preference for unique, expert content that only humans can create.

So when you’re creating content that you hope Google will pick up and pass on to users, consider going beyond typical clinical information and thinking creatively.

“Differentiate your content from basic types of information and look for deeper, more nuanced and complex questions that require human expertise,” says Aja.

You might be thinking, “But does expert-driven content even matter in a world where people can just ask ChatGPT?” Doesn’t that make SEO useless?” Well, no!

Aja explains, “I don’t believe 90% of queries will be on AI search engines. Search engine behavior is entrenched, and there’s a lot of work to be done and tasks still required by traditional web searches.”

Aja recalls when the SEO industry was abuzz with predictions that up to 50% of queries would be handled by voice assistants like Amazon’s Alexa.

“Now, the only things I ask my Alexa for are the weather and setting timers, so I definitely wouldn’t write off traditional searches,” she says.

Expertise and authenticity are essential.

As I said earlier, expert-driven content is essential for SEO optimized content. But what should that look like? Do you just write that you are an expert in your blog post and hope for the best? No, according to Aja.

“Using first person doesn’t automatically mean expertise,” she says. “It requires an explanation of why the author is in a unique position to give advice.”

For example, whenever I write about topics in which I have personal experience, I reinforce my expertise in the following way:

• Sharing personal professional anecdotes
• Linking to my work or website
• Sharing the scenarios that have shaped me as a marketer and content creator

So once you’ve established yourself as an expert on your content, find ways to highlight your expertise. Show, don’t just tell.

Diversify your portfolio.

Like many SEOs and content marketers, you may notice some steep drops in organic traffic as the SEO landscape changes. Trust me when I say we’ve been there. Fortunately, Aja says that diversifying your portfolio can solve the problem.

“Look for defensible sources of demand,” she says. “For HubSpot, it’s YouTube and micro apps, but it might be Substack for another company.”

Aja also says that doubling down on working with creators could benefit your audience.

“It’s about saying, ‘If Google is really changing, then where else are we investing?'” she says.

No channel is a dead channel.

Don’t be quick to write off a supposedly “dead” channel when diversifying your strategy.

“What bothers me is when people say any channel is dead,” says Aja. “Search is not dead, and neither are podcasts or any other channels. You can make any channel work really well if you understand your personality.”