While not developed solely as a marketing tool, ChatGPT has quickly gained traction as the Holy Grail for helping with many marketing tasks.
That, naturally, has many marketers wondering “Can I use ChatGPT for SEO?” The short answer: kind of. But a better question is probably “Is ChatGPT good for SEO?” When used correctly, it can be a helpful tool to automate or simplify some SEO tasks.
So to help you understand how to move forward with this AI tool in a way that doesn’t kill your SEO strategy, we’re sharing six best practices and ideas to consider when using ChatGPT for SEO.
What to know before you get started with ChatGPT for SEO
A key component of SEO is content creation, so we’re focusing on how to effectively use ChatGPT for that function of your SEO strategy.
So before we dive in, it’s important to put your digital marketer hat on and understand three critical aspects of effective content marketing for SEO.
First, you need to identify the right content to write by conducting thorough research on your target audience’s needs, preferences, and pain points.
Second, it’s crucial to position your content as educational rather than purely promotional, providing valuable information that solves problems or addresses concerns. (Adhering to the 80/20 rule is a good guidepost here.)
And finally, optimizing your content with relevant keywords and key phrases throughout, including in the title, headings, and meta descriptions, is essential for improving its visibility on search engines.
Once you have these foundations in place, you can leverage ChatGPT as a tool for SEO through content outlining and creativity, rather than solely relying on it as a content generator.
How to use ChatGPT for SEO (the right way!)
Follow these tips and best practices for using ChatGPT for SEO.
1. Get help identifying the right content topics (but don’t forget to do your own research!)
Crafting content that provides value and answers questions is a crucial SEO strategy for businesses to attract and engage their target audience. By anticipating what their potential customers are likely searching for, businesses can position themselves as trusted sources of information, building credibility and increasing the likelihood of conversions.
But coming up with the right topics can be a challenge. This is where ChatGPT can help.
For example, a music school in Toronto looking to attract new students is creating regular blog content as part of its SEO strategy. Their team may use ChatGPT to come up with some helpful topics they can drill further into.
From here, the team can do their own keyword research to ensure their topic aligns with search intent. As they scroll down the search engine results page (SERP), the music school comes across the “People also ask” section, which includes two questions that align with their target audience’s concerns: “Is 30 too old to learn music?” and “Is 35 too old to learn music?”
They may adjust the first topic ChatGPT suggested around “The Benefits of Music Education for Adults” to incorporate these questions to address searchers and search intent.
By using ChatGPT to ideate some topics and then do your own keyword research, you can find content creation opportunities that will boost your SEO.
2. Create the right ChatGPT prompts
Think of the concept “garbage in, garbage out.” ChatGPT’s output is only as good as the level of guidance and detail you provide in your prompt.
Your ChatGPT prompt should provide enough information for the tool to generate a useful response. The more information you can provide, the more tailored your response will be. One of the nice things about ChatGPT is that you can also continue the conversation to drill in further on specific points.
Play around with the ChatGPT prompts until you find the level of information and data you need to get the output you’re looking for.
3. Get ideas for adding keywords into your SEO content
Keywords play a crucial role in SEO as they help search engines understand the relevance and context of your content. While ChatGPT isn’t a reliable tool for keyword research, you can try using it to help you incorporate keywords in your content.
Prompt example: “Incorporate keywords strategically in a blog titled: Discover the Best Ages to Start Taking Music Lessons. Place keywords in titles, headings, and meta descriptions and ensure natural and seamless integration throughout the content”
Example output of keywords in titles, headings, and meta descriptions:
- Title: Discover the Best Ages to Start Taking Music Lessons
- Heading: Why Age Matters: The Importance of Timing in Music Education
- Meta description: Uncover the ideal ages for embarking on a musical journey. Learn how age influences musical aptitude and discover the best time to start taking music lessons for optimal progress and enjoyment.
Example of output of natural integration throughout the content:
- “Is there a perfect age to begin music lessons? Let’s explore the best ages to start learning an instrument.”
- “In this blog, we will delve into the importance of timing in music education and uncover the ideal ages for embarking on a musical journey.”
- “Children between the ages of 6 and 10 often exhibit a high level of receptivity to music education. Starting at this age allows them to develop a strong foundation in music theory and instrument technique.”
- “Teenagers can also benefit greatly from starting music lessons during their formative years. With their cognitive abilities and self-discipline becoming more refined, it’s an opportune time to dive into music.”
- “While it’s never too late to start learning music, adults can enhance their musical abilities by taking lessons during their free time. Starting at any age can bring joy and personal growth.”
ChatGPT can provide a helpful starting point for optimizing your SEO content to incorporate keywords. It can also give you ideas for optimizations you may not have considered and help when you feel stuck organically adding your keywords and key phrases to blog or website content.
4. Use ChatGPT as a creative tool
Instead of relying on ChatGPT solely as a content generator, approach it as a creative tool that helps you process your thoughts more efficiently. Utilize its capabilities to refine your writing style, improve grammar and spelling, and enhance clarity. When you feel the need for additional explanation, the AI can assist in generating analogies and examples.
By incorporating ChatGPT into your creative process, you can streamline your thinking and enhance the overall quality of your content.
ChatGPT can also assist you with creating outlines based on your angle or title, providing a structured roadmap for your writing. Simply request, “Please provide me with a blog post outline for: [Article Angle/Title],” and ChatGPT will help you out. By utilizing or modifying its suggestions, you can effectively overcome writer’s block and enhance your creative workflow.
5. Inject personal insights, experiences, and opinions
Adding your own voice to ChatGPT’s output is crucial to avoiding robotic and repetitive text that doesn’t reflect your individuality. This aspect becomes particularly important in content marketing, where you may be representing a brand’s tone.
Incorporate your unique insights, experiences, and opinions into the content to infuse it with authenticity and make it sound like you. By doing so, you can maintain a strong connection with your audience and create content that resonates with them on a personal level.
6. Get help with content promotion
Promoting your content isn’t the most essential function of SEO but it can help your content get found, generate backlinks, and drive traffic.
ChatGPT is a valuable tool for content promotion tactics like social post ideation, email outreach templates, and more.
By using ChatGPT to streamline some of the more time-consuming and less technical aspects of SEO, you can boost your strategy and spend more time on the tactics that will move the needle faster.
Use ChatGPT for SEO the right way
To wrap up, ChatGPT SEO best practices present a powerful solution for content creators in the digital landscape. However, it is important to recognize that ChatGPT alone cannot generate content that adheres to SEO guidelines, exhibits creativity, or embodies your unique voice.
Your guidance and expertise are indispensable in utilizing ChatGPT effectively for content marketing. By infusing your personal insights, knowledge, and creativity into ChatGPT’s output, you can create content that aligns with SEO best practices while maintaining authenticity and resonating with your audience.
Here are the 6 ChatGPT SEO best practices and ideas to keep in mind:
- Get help identifying the right content topics (but don’t forget to do your own research!)
- Create the right ChatGPT prompts
- Get ideas for adding keywords into your SEO content
- Use ChatGPT as a creative tool
- Inject personal insights, experiences, and opinions
- Get help with content promotion
