The world has gone AI crazy over the past few months and SEO Specialists like me are asking the question: so what now? Everyone is talking about how the landscape of search is going to be changed forever by the “improvements” Google is getting ready to roll out.  What does that mean for those of us who work in keywords and search rankings day to day? And more importantly, what does it mean for Edgar Allan and the SEO services we provide to our clients?

As a brand to build Webflow Agency that offers content creation for websites as well as content design to our clients, Edgar Allan knows content will always be king. But beware the AI Overlords. Google (and Bard) know the difference between AI-generated content and content written by a human being who is an authority on a given subject. And this will be taken into account in the future when Google presents search results.

While AI-generated responses and conversations will now be incorporated into how people search and how Google presents search results, high-quality content on websites is still very much going to be a thing. 

But what is high-quality content? And how should it be structured for the best possible SEO results in Google’s new landscape? I am here to answer those questions (or more accurately, try my best because at the moment no one can really say with 100% certainty what is going to happen).

What is high-quality content?

As far as Google is concerned, high-quality content is user-friendly content. This means that the content should be well-written, by a human, with a little help from AI where needed. User-friendly content is short, sweet, and to the point while at the same time answering questions in a well-structured way. The content should flow organically, be easy to follow, and even enjoyable to read. 

And importantly: this should apply to all content on the site, from core page content to blog posts.

How should content be structured?

Sometimes, more doesn’t always mean better. My background in search is largely based on SEO content for online casinos: a highly competitive and cutthroat space in every digital marketing channel, not just SEO. As such, I often fall back on the following example for clients with a large number of products or services that they want to build a content strategy around. 

Core pages come first. Then you use blog content to help bolster the core pages. 

A casino has A LOT of slot options for players to enjoy. Twilight, Star Wars, Golden Girls; you name it, there is a slot game for it. Because there are so many options available, it is not viable or advisable to create a dedicated page for each and every slot game on offer. If you do, you are going to end up with a bunch of “sludge” content that is difficult to manage, keep track of, and optimize. In the end, the quality of that content is going to suffer, and your developers and SEO writers are going to be pulling their hair out. (I also happen to be bald, so I really know what I am talking about here.)

So, what do you do? You create a core Slots page with optimized content that focuses on slots, how they work, why you should play them, and highlight a few examples of the slot games you have on offer. It is helpful to dedicate some (but not all) of the content for these core pages in a question-and-answer format that you know has the correct search intent based on your keyword research: How do I? What is? Can I? How much? This can be executed in selected paragraphs in between paragraphs where you write about information concerning your products and services. I call this “sprinkling.” By doing this across all your core product or service pages, you create a library of content that is backed up by your knowledge of your business, making you an authority on the subjects for Google to recognize and pull from in search results. In the very near future, Google will pull AI-generated answers from the very content library you have created, and that is how your site is going to rank well.

Then, when a new slot game comes out or if there is a slot game that has a special offer, you write a blog post about that game specifically and include links back to the core Slots page. 

By implementing this strategy, you can avoid a site that is bloated and confusing to users; this makes for a better user experience, ensures return users, and avoids high bounce rates: all things that will contribute to higher rankings on Google.

Exit through the giftshop, content clusters, and more sound SEO strategies

Here’s a common scenario: We’ve had clients in the past come to us to redesign websites that contain an information overload that overwhelms their users. Cluttered Home pages that lead down a maze of content, send users in circles without answering any of their questions (or create more), is the opposite of being user-friendly. Don’t be that website. 

Be kind to your users. Structure your content in a way that takes the user by the hand and guides them on a sight-seeing tour of your products and services that will leave them in awe and get them talking about your brand, buying from you and coming back for more. 

Develop an “exit through the giftshop” mentality. Your user has been on an amazing tour through the highly curated and beautiful content library that is your website, and now it is time for them to buy the t-shirt, mug, tote bag, stamp collection, and fridge magnet. (Whatever your list of services is, for anyone who didn’t pick up on the analogy.)

And one more thing: keep to content clusters. It is possible to target multiple keywords on a single page. If you have multiple services that are similar to each other or could fall under the same umbrella term, create a core page for that umbrella term with different parts of the content dedicated to the services that are similar but different. You can then get more specific by linking a specific keyword on that page to blog posts written to target that same related keyword and service.

Other places to focus attention and resources

Focus on the health score of the site by attending to errors flagged by tools like Ahrefs and Google Search Console. Keeping the site healthy and error-free is never going to be a bad thing in Google’s eyes, no matter how much AI tech they implement. 

Focus on the domain rating of your site by building a strong backlink profile. If you already have a strong backlink profile, then great! That  allows you to focus on content and a strong content structure. 

Stay up to date with what Google has planned. That is just me repeating what every other SEO news site is saying, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Pay attention to when Google makes any announcements or updates and change your strategy accordingly. For now, that is the best any of us can do while we wait for the dust to settle.

Take my advice. It was free!

Following the content structure I have set out here sets your site up for a healthy user experience and also gives it a better chance of maintaining rankings when Google decides to flip the AI switch on Search.

More from Edgar Allan, a brand to build Webflow Agency

Are you interested in more SEO-related blog content from Edgar Allan? If so, then check out:

SEO 101: How Webflow agency Edgar Allan helps clients develop an SEO content strategy

Understanding SEO for international clients: A conversation inside Edgar Allan

Edgar Allan SEO 101: Backlinks and how we use them as a Webflow agency

You can also check us out on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter, or catch us on Edgar Allan Live for hot tips, industry insights, and the next big thing we’re working on.