Share your SEO tips and tricks?

[ThatDevAaron]

I'd love to hear some of your SEO tips and tricks

 

[Data Swami]

think the main thing i have changed so far is rather than a blog is to replace that where i answer questions instead

 

[fisicx]

SEO hasn’t really changed that much in all the years I’ve been doing marketing.

Lots of informative and interesting content that adds value with internal navigation, trustmarks and clear calls to action.

They way all the above is presented has changed a little but not much.

The problem is usually because people silo SEO instead of considering the bigger marketing plan.

 

[Frank the Insurance guy]

@Paul Carmen has got loads of tips and tricks!

He's done a great job of SEO for me!

 

[Shopclicks]

Tips, not tricks .....

1. Fast loading pages to help pass Google's Core Web Vitals on desktop and mobile. (As tested on Page Speed Insights).

2. Keyword research.

3. Descriptive and keyword rich page titles.

4. Descriptive and keyword rich product and product category titles.

5. Any service industry site should include location specific pages for their entire service area.

Very few website owners would recognise poor or missing SEO elements. Only because they don't know the right questions to ask or place trust in cowboys.

 

[ThatDevAaron]

think the main thing i have changed so far is rather than a blog is to replace that where i answer questions instead

I'm interested, share more informationnnnnnnn

 

[fisicx]

I'm interested, share more informationnnnnnnn

Start with the Google SEO guide. It explains the basics.

A blog is just a way to publish content. It can include anything you want. Including how to guides and answers to questions

 

[ThatDevAaron]

Start with the Google SEO guide. It explains the basics.

A blog is just a way to publish content. It can include anything you want. Including how to guides and answers to questions

i dont think thats what @Data Swami meant - maybe it is - but it didnt sound like it which is why i asked for more info - i thought he switched from a blog-format to something else

 

[Ozzy]

i thought he switched from a blog-format to something else

Why not have a look at his website and see for yourself. It was I who gave him pointers to switch to answering the questions instead of old-fashioned (and, frankly, now useless) blogs, which was all part of the same conversation in which he asked here for feedback on his original site.

 

[fisicx]

However, the blogging component of a website can generate a lot of converting traffic if done properly. You can certainly use it for answering question. Just need to be a bit creative.

I’ve got ‘how to’ blog posts from years ago that still work. And if properly categorised and interlink can give a real SEO boost. Category pages are oft overlooked but Google really likes them.

 

[Shopclicks]

Why not have a look at his website and see for yourself. It was I who gave him pointers to switch to answering the questions instead of old-fashioned (and, frankly, now useless) blogs, which was all part of the same conversation in which he asked here for feedback on his original site.

It seems this advice was taken far too literally. Post titles don't need to be questions, they need to be a relevant and obvious solution to queries people actually search Google for.

eg. Search term: best greek islands for beaches (monthly search volume 1900)

Top result: A post called 'Best Greek islands for beach lovers' - Not a question in the title but rather an obvious solution to the search query.

This is why keyword research is all important.

 

[Ozzy]

eg. Search term: best greek islands for beaches (monthly search volume 1900)

Thing is; search terms are going to die out and asking AI in a conversational manner is going to replace searching Google like we did in the old days. It may well be that people over 40 might still use Google, but a generation of teens and 20's are coming up who are using AI for their information and that isn't going to change. So training AI on your content is going to replace trying to optimise for the front page of Google like we all used to do back in the day.

 

[Data Swami]

Yeah fair point - I didn’t mean “ditch all blog posts”. What I changed was the "shape" of the content: instead of writing broad opinion pieces, I’m building pages around specific searches people actually type (often questions), and grouping them into a simple Q&A/guide hub with decent internal links.

So it’s less “a chronological blog” and more “a library”: a short page that answers one problem clearly, then links to the next obvious question (and up to a relevant category page). You can still publish it via a blog engine if you want - it’s the intent + structure that’s different.

And also some of this was a view for AEO too as they seem to pick up questions alot more

 

[Shopclicks]

Thing is; search terms are going to die out and asking AI in a conversational manner is going to replace searching Google like we did in the old days.

AI has a long way to go before it overtakes Google search. It needs to provide the best results before that happens. This thread was aimed at SEO.

I’m building pages around specific searches people actually type (often questions)

You don't answer a question with a question. You answer with a relevant post topic.

Where are you getting your post titles from?

 

[fisicx]

Thing is; search terms are going to die out and asking AI in a conversational manner is going to replace searching Google like we did in the old days.

It may do at some point in the future but unlikely for many years. People access content in many different ways, traditional search and AI can coexist.

And of course it depends on the intent of your search. I needed a fuse box cover for a 1973 TR6. An AI search failed but Google delivered.

 

[Data Swami]

AI has a long way to go before it overtakes Google search. It needs to provide the best results before that happens. This thread was aimed at SEO.


You don't answer a question with a question. You answer with a relevant post topic.

Where are you getting your post titles from?

To be fair google have already made alot of moves with their AI overviews which is not just looking at SEO when its pulling for content to summarise. And it definitely is a market for a wide variety of markets with people getting leads from AI. Had a few mortgage advisers get leads from it recently.

And im not answering questions with questions im answering questions from many sources from what people ask, serp etc so they focus questions on what my ICPs are searching. For instance one where lawyers were asking which was better for them chatgpt or claude.

 

[Data Swami]

It may do at some point in the future but unlikely for many years. People access content in many different ways, traditional search and AI can coexist.

And of course it depends on the intent of your search. I needed a fuse box cover for a 1973 TR6. An AI search failed but Google delivered.

Hard disagree its already happening especially for the younger generation. Most dont have the ability to easily search google for an answer. So its either a question on tiktok or searching one of the many AIs. Traditional search still exists but alot of what google are doing these days does show their focus on the AI Summary (there is a lawsuit or something going on as to how they properly cite and quote sources in the summaries)

 

[Shopclicks]

especially for the younger generation. Most dont have the ability to easily search google for an answer.

What an odd thing to say.

 

[Data Swami]

What an odd thing to say.

Why odd? From my experience working with the kids at the college and also my own daughter there is a big skill gap even for searching google due to how they have been brought up with tech

 

[Ozzy]

I needed a fuse box cover for a 1973 TR6. An AI search failed but Google delivered.

I agree, I use Google, and for finding a product to purchase I use Google to find that product 100x over any AI search because that is me.
However...

AI has a long way to go before it overtakes Google search.

Technically, I agree, but looking to the future, I disagree that it will be that far ahead.

What an odd thing to say.

My daughter is 23 and doesn't use Google Search - ever. She uses TikTok search or Amazon Search when shopping for products, and uses ChatGPT to find information. She never uses Google.

She's not unique either. When I spend time in secondary schools giving talks on employability and careers coaching, it is very unusual for me to find any students who still use Google search in any meaningful way; they all typically use TikTok for shopping. That's their main source of online shopping, and looking at product reviews, and also for How To information tutorials. They tend not to use YouTube either when looking for product reviews, their attention span is so short and the TikTok short form video is how they consume information. TikTok are aware of this shift towards them over YouTube and Google, which is why you may have seen a lot of TV advertising from TikTok, demonstrating finding product info, or even one advert I saw showing how to change a plug!
Their use of AI is significantly higher then our generation too, using it for research and knowledge. Whether we like it, agree with it, and doubt its accuracy, our opinions on this generation are basically irrelevant. We are old, out of date, and slow.

The data may show that Google search is a higher volume than AI search right now, but the thing to bear in mind is that you, I, @fisicx and we older generation will all be dead soon and our way of doing things will die out with us.
It's the generation finishing through college and university now that the 20-30 year old business owners need to be positioning themselves to reach - and right now that generation barely care about Google at all.

 

[Ozzy]

skill gap even for searching google

I can give some insight into that from my own experience spent in colleges and universities.
Using Google has become an artform to try and find information, you have to craft your search but then often the results are not that useful if you don't craft your search carefully. We have learned how to do that, but the younger generation don't have the patience to learn how to use Google search and to craft a good search query.

In the same way that the younger generation use voice notes all the time to message each other, rather than typing text messages - they don't have the patience to type a text message as we do. They use voice with AI apps, talking to the app to ask their questions. So they can ask an AI tool what it is they want to know, and the AI app on their phone talks back to them with the results. That is what they are growing up with, a search engine like Google is just so old fashioned, it's like that Facebook my grandad uses.

 

[Data Swami]

I can give some insight into that from my own experience spent in colleges and universities.
Using Google has become an artform to try and find information, you have to craft your search but then often the results are not that useful if you don't craft your search carefully. We have learned how to do that, but the younger generation don't have the patience to learn how to use Google search and to craft a good search query.

In the same way that the younger generation use voice notes all the time to message each other, rather than typing text messages - they don't have the patience to type a text message as we do. They use voice with AI apps, talking to the app to ask their questions. So they can ask an AI tool what it is they want to know, and the AI app on their phone talks back to them with the results. That is what they are growing up with, a search engine like Google is just so old fashioned, it's like that Facebook my grandad uses.

hell even whatsapp my daughter cant stand to use in favour of snapchat lol XD

 

[UKSBD]

My number 1 Tip, before selecting the right keyword even is Select the right subject or product.

If the cheapest you can sell a product for and still make a profit on is £100 and others are selling the same product for £70.00 is there any point spending the time and money building a website for it even?

 

[fisicx]

My daughter is 23 and doesn't use Google Search - ever. She uses TikTok search or Amazon Search when shopping for products, and uses ChatGPT to find information. She never uses Google.

Which means your market research should identify the best place to market your products and services. SEO may not work but neither may AI. If you sell cheap socks all you may need to do is be present on Amazon and eBay.

There is never just one answer to any marketing question.

 

[Ozzy]

Which means your market research should identify the best place to market your products and services

Very true, and yet what I see so much of on here is a lack of realisation what is steam rolling down the road ahead of us. Change is coming so quickly and so many people are not prepared for it.

Then we have companies like Ryan Air who have completely transformed their position in the market by realising the changing trends and launching probably one of the most successful TikTok marketing campaigns I have ever seen.

 

[Shopclicks]

Very true, and yet what I see so much of on here is a lack of realisation what is steam rolling down the road ahead of us. Change is coming so quickly and so many people are not prepared for it.

Again, this thread is about SEO. Not AIO. I use AI generated responses every day and I'm a fan.

What @Data Swami wrote was that the 'younger generation don't have the ability to easily search Google'. If they can search on TikTok or write a prompt on ChatGPT, they most certainly have the ability to search Google. They may not do it, favouring any of the other options available to them. It's learned behaviours, not ability.

I asked ChatGPT 'When will SEO become a thing of the past?' You should too.

As it relates to SEO, I don't believe AI is either 'steam rolling' or moving 'quickly'.

 

[Data Swami]

Again, this thread is about SEO. Not AIO. I use AI generated responses every day and I'm a fan.

What @Data Swami wrote was that the 'younger generation don't have the ability to easily search Google'. If they can search on TikTok or write a prompt on ChatGPT, they most certainly have the ability to search Google. They may not do it, favouring any of the other options available to them. It's learned behaviours, not ability.

I asked ChatGPT 'When will SEO become a thing of the past?' You should too.

As it relates to SEO, I don't believe AI is either 'steam rolling' or moving 'quickly'.

SEO and AEO are synonymous these days and will continue to optimise together the more search engines use AI summaries.

And you're quibbling over semantics searching on google is a learned behaviour to have the ability to do it well. They dont have that ability 1 because they havent grown up with it to gain the skill/ability and 2 they ingest content differently. Hell there are even people who have grown up threw it and not used the internet etc like many of us and so dont know the best ways to search or even know a scam.

But also in terms of SEO and AEO as people become lazier with google searches they will rely more on AI summaries they give. Hell im guilty of it at times too. So working with your SEO process with an eye on AEO will get you very far for those still using google as that AI summary is very prominent. If you look at the AI summaries too alot of reddit usage as source is being used there too.

 

[Ozzy]

Again, this thread is about SEO. Not AIO.

I'm going to quote some prior @fisicx advice given on this forum, in that semantic markup for SEO is the same semantic markup used by AI, and his advice is that if you do your SEO correctly, it will also feed the AI engines too. Then if you take the closing comment in this comment from above, SEO isn't the one silver bullet as you need to look at where your audience is.

We'll just have to agree to disagree on the rate in which AI is developing and moving into mainstream everyday use.

 

[Shopclicks]

SEO and AEO are synonymous these days and will continue to optimise together the more search engines use AI summaries.

How's that working out for you? Should I use Google or ChatGPT to find one of your questions showing up?

 

[Shopclicks]

I'm going to quote some prior @fisicx advice given on this forum, in that semantic markup for SEO is the same semantic markup used by AI, and his advice is that if you do your SEO correctly, it will also feed the AI engines too.

Totally agree with this.

 

[Ozzy]

I asked ChatGPT 'When will SEO become a thing of the past?' You should too.

I was curious so did do this, and the output does back up what I've been trying to state;

Gartner predicts that by 2026, traditional search engine volume will drop 25% as users turn to generative AI assistants. ChatGPT has already crossed 1 billion weekly searches and 800 million users. TTMS To put the scale in perspective, ChatGPT now processes 2 billion queries daily and is the 5th most visited website globally. Exposure Ninja
That said, Google isn't collapsing — it's adapting. More than half of respondents now start a search by opening an AI app, but Google usage hasn't actually declined Orbit Media Studios — the overall search pie is just getting bigger.

Why people are switching
AI search engines offer something traditional search doesn't — conversation. People can ask direct questions, send follow-ups, and get summarised answers without clicking through multiple links. SEO.com Traditional search feels increasingly linear by comparison.

What makes this particularly interesting for businesses
Even though AI traffic is still a fraction of Google's volume, AI search traffic converts at 14.2% compared to Google's 2.8% Exposure Ninja — that's five times more valuable per visitor. The reason is straightforward: AI users arrive having already researched and refined their requirements through conversation — when they click through to a site, they're further along the buyer journey. RankScience

So what does this mean for SEO?
The rules are changing significantly. Traditional SEO was about ranking on page one of Google. The new game is about being cited by AI. A few things now matter more than before:

Being an authoritative source — AI systems act like editors, deciding which content to surface, summarise, and stitch together. The goal is to be part of the answer, not just to rank. Semrush
How your content is structured — AI systems can't synthesise what they can't segment. Content needs to be clear, organised, and written to answer specific questions directly and concisely. Semrush
Where your content appears in the page — 44.2% of all AI citations come from the first 30% of a piece of text Position Digital, so getting to the point early is now critical.
Brand mentions across the web — AI search engines look for consistent brand mentions across third-party websites, social media, and publications — similar to how consumers research by checking multiple objective sources before deciding. SEO.com


The horizon to watch
Several independent analyses suggest AI search could surpass traditional organic search as a source of traffic to many sites by around 2028, particularly in informational and research-heavy sectors. Growth Engines
The practical takeaway is that businesses that start optimising for AI visibility now — not just Google rankings — will have a compounding advantage over those who wait. It's less about chasing keywords and more about becoming the trusted, well-structured source that AI consistently reaches for.

 

[Shopclicks]

I was curious so did do this, and the output does back up what I've been trying to state;

My key takeaway from that, is that Google is not in decline. I think a large percentage of AI model searches are for things you can't ask of a Google search. ie. Create an image, rewrite my resume, or turn this list into sentence form. Things that only AI can do in seconds.

 

[Ozzy]

think a large percentage of AI model searches are for things you can't ask of a Google search

Time will tell if Google “Search” becomes less dominant than AI search. We’ll get a heads up if Google decide to go down the AI route themselves to keep up…

 

[Data Swami]

How's that working out for you? Should I use Google or ChatGPT to find one of your questions showing up?

Going alright while I make sure all my pages get indexed. But one very popular one is if you ask Gemini or Google this:

Chat gpt or claude for lawyers

Got scored very well where it appears in the AI summary for Google and also shows up in the llm chats too

 

[Data Swami]

Time will tell if Google “Search” becomes less dominant than AI search. We’ll get a heads up if Google decide to go down the AI route themselves to keep up…

This is from Google themselves with their double down on AI search and AI summaries https://blog.google/products-and-pl...h-driving-more-queries-higher-quality-clicks/

 

[Shopclicks]

Going alright while I make sure all my pages get indexed. But one very popular one is if you ask Gemini or Google this:

Chat gpt or claude for lawyers

Got scored very well where it appears in the AI summary for Google and also shows up in the llm chats too

I'm not going to argue with you on this. Can you tell me the search volume?

 

[ThatDevAaron]

@Ozzy you're wrong here respectfully - most AI agents are filtering through google search results anyways

-----------


But I do generally prefer blogs/articles to answer questions, I probably won't abandon them, my google search console is quite active with thousands of impressions just from my articles.

Example articles we post:
*I know, URLs will be better SEO if refactored to `hammervm.com/x/how-to-do-something-cool` instead of ID based*

https://hammervm.com/document?id=445

Is there any platform that lets you manage your search console presence for Google Bing Yahoo etc?

 

[Data Swami]

@Ozzy you're wrong here respectfully - most AI agents are filtering through google search results anyways

-----------


But I do generally prefer blogs/articles to answer questions, I probably won't abandon them, my google search console is quite active with thousands of impressions just from my articles.

Example articles we post:
*I know, URLs will be better SEO if refactored to `hammervm.com/x/how-to-do-something-cool` instead of ID based*

https://hammervm.com/document?id=445

Is there any platform that lets you manage your search console presence for Google Bing Yahoo etc?

Indexnow is what can be used for bing and all the others. Here is a GitHub tool that can get it to index for you them and Google. And can host it yourself to run daily https://github.com/Hormold/indexplease

In terms of AI agents most aren't using Google search they are using their other tools more dedicated for AI agents to read like tavily, exa search etc. And the way they serve data from the likes of Google search is different to how they serve up results. However as stated before that doesn't diminish SEO at all it's just an adaption to stay optimised for general search but also for getting into the AI summaries and for the likes of chatgpt et al.

 

[Data Swami]

I'm not going to argue with you on this. Can you tell me the search volume?

I think you're arguing with yourself as not sure how answering your question is arguing

But volume for that niche isn't really tracked for that specific long search. But that one question/answer drove 200 clicks and 20k impressions in less than 28 days. Which for a fresh proper setup of the site I think isn't too shabby especially for a niche like that. And as everything gets indexed the stats are showing a steady growth of impressions and clicks

 

[fisicx]

Did any of those clicks convert?