Today, for leaders and organizations to get noticed, it’s critical to feed content to both traditional search engines as well as those powered by AI. Unlike traditional search engines that focus on keyword-based indexing, AI search engines analyze the context, intent and semantics of queries to deliver personalized and highly relevant results. They interpret user input in a conversational way, going beyond simple keyword matching to analyze patterns and provide tailored responses (IBM). Knowing how people search for information across platforms such as Google, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok helps SEOs to better understand where customers are in their buying journey. Ultimately, this information can inform how we package content so it will be discovered.
Following are tips on how to gain audience insights for the AI era provided by Travis Tallent, my guest on a recent PR Patter broadcast.
Audience First Marketing Will Win No Matter How Technology Advances
”We’ve been spoiled the last two decades with the likes of Facebook ads and Google Ads, and being able to target audiences. I think back to the 1930s, 1940s, billboards where Coca-Cola put their billboard right next to a rum billboard and that’s where the idea of drinking rum and coke came from. So understanding the audience and how people are using your products, and then developing strategies to ultimately meet them where they’re at – there’s so many more platforms on which to do that today. If you can answer who the audience is, how to reach them, and what they want and then execute at scale, then you win.”
Mapping Search Data to Your Audience Will Determine Your Sweet Spot
“People are searching online to find a solution to a problem or challenge. If you’re someone who’s conscious about saving energy and sustainability, you may be searching for solar, installation services, etc. If any of those sites you visited advertise online, you start seeing
the ads and eventually get to a website where you fill out a form to get more information and eventually buy. Knowing how the customer goes through each step of that journey – what they’re thinking and looking for, which platforms they’re looking on – will inform the elements of the marketing funnel whether you need a YouTube video, downloadable brochure, FAQ, and more.”
Importance Of Backlinks Has Changed
“In the public relations world, it used to be that getting earned media to include a backlink was critical. Now, it’s less about getting the backlink and more about getting the brand mentioned.
That’s because the consumer journey is not just on one platform – it’s anything but linear. It’s scattered, and being able to map out a strategy that helps guide people along the way is paramount. More than ever, digital pr is having a renaissance and is really important in winning AI search. So you can show up on all of these publications that are being mentioned and cited within AI search results.”
More from my conversation with Travis Tallent here.
