How Search AI Will Revolutionize the Future of SEO, According to HubSpot’s SVP of Marketing – InstantFollowerz

Let’s face it: AI will disrupt SEO. Plain and simple.

AI platforms and search functions have changed the way we find information. Gone are (almost) the days of scrolling through SERPs, clicking on links galore, and going through every page to get what you need.

In seconds, AI does it for you.

Plus, OpenAI just announced its new SearchGPT — a prime example of how artificial intelligence is transforming the search landscape as we know it.

This doesn’t just change your audience. It probably changed how you work, too. We found it 35% of marketers use AI for research — is becoming the go-to option for finding solutions online.

Fortunately, neither do the traders, we are used to this. ‘Marketing’ is practically synonymous with ‘change’.

Just look at the changes in popularity we’ve seen on SOCIAL MEDIA platforms or how content consumption habits have changed over the last decade. (My podcast consumption has grown so much over the past three years that I just had to start my own show.)

Relying on these shifts is critical to the long-term health of your business. So let’s jump in with some of my predictions about how AI-powered search will change SEO and how you can prepare.

How AI-Powered Search It will revolutionize SEO – and how to prepare

1. that-powered search will lower CTR on search engines — so you’ll need to appear in LLMs.

Let’s start with the most obvious — and potentially most challenging — change happening in the SEO space: AI-powered search results.

As a user, I am fascinated by AI search results. As these LLMs continue to become more sophisticated, we will be able to get more personalized and targeted guidance faster than ever before.

But as a marketing leader at a large SaaS company, I’m well aware of the concerns. As AI-powered search results begin to appear for common search queries, it will become more difficult for your website to get clicks.

Finally, CTR-driven marketers and SEOs may need to make a drastic change in philosophy: aim to appear in LLMs on page 1 instead of driving clicks in search results.

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Like all of us, I’m just starting to understand how to rank for AI-generated responses, but there are a few things that our SEO team at HubSpot (as well as those across the industry) have found to be most effective:

• Create high-quality content: Your content cannot only answer common questions with relevant information. Now, it must provide credible perspectives, authoritative advice that most readers won’t find elsewhere, and other elements that align with Google’s EEAT philosophy. This has been vital in helping HubSpot Blogs protect and defend our search traffic in the era of AI search.
• Optimize for Featured Clips: Structure your content so that it is easily scannable and provides direct answers to common queries.
• Focus on user intent: Tailor your content to specific user needs, which can improve your chances of being recommended as an answer in search results generated by LLM.
• Build authority and backlinks: High quality backlinks and mentions can signal to LLMs that you are a trusted source.

2. SEOs must become more holistic digital marketers.

The old, traditional SEO playbook won’t work like it used to. Now, SEO strategists will need to become more like digital marketers by thinking holistically about how their brands can be seen as valuable and authoritative.

Developed SEO roles may include driving discussions around their products, ensuring their websites appear on review pages, or generating quality backlinks to establish brand authority.

And the metrics you use to measure success will change. While clicks and traffic are still important, it’s becoming increasingly important to measure impressions as well.

3. Customer-centric strategies are more important than keyword clusters.

The future of SEO will be drastically different from today.

Instead of focusing only on keyword clusters, SEOs must craft compelling narratives around the problems their products solve.

Cultivating a strong online presence on all platforms outside of Google and positioning their brand as a solution to customer needs will also be higher priorities for SEOs.

This year, HubSpot’s SEO team revamped its game plan to focus on optimizing content for user intent and search patterns, rather than fixating on keyword clusters.

To appear in AI-powered search results, you’ll want to take a note from HubSpot and other brands by tailoring your offers to address customer pain points across all channels (including social, podcast, YouTube, and search).

HubSpot’s The new AI Search Grader can help you estimate your LLM ranking

In the spirit of solving for our clients, I’m excited to announce the launch of HubSpot’s new AI Search Grader — a unique tool that can help you determine how often your brand is mentioned in LLMs so you can start measuring where you’re ranking and where you’re lagging.

Although the world of SEO is new, we hope this can provide you with a tool to help you measure and evaluate how well your brand is doing in LLM.

As you tweak your strategy with some of the tips above, you can see what drives the highest ROI and where you need to adjust.

Businesses can still thrive in this new AI-powered ecosystem

In the coming years, AI will fundamentally change the way we interact with the web.

While the future of SEO in the era of artificial intelligence may seem uncertain, the keys lie in:

• Adapting to the AI ​​transformation.
• Adopting a holistic marketing approach.
• And solving for the customer with attractive, high-quality offers.

As we venture into this new frontier of SEO and AI-driven search, the possibilities are vast and the opportunities for innovation endless. By embracing change, staying informed about emerging trends, and continuously refining their strategies, businesses can adapt and thrive in a digital ecosystem defined by AI-powered search.

To all marketers and SEO professionals out there, let’s embark on this journey together and shape a future where brands not only exist, but excel.