Be Calculated with Keyword Use
Keywords can help boost your website’s ranking, but it can be challenging to balance keyword density. In fact, if you prioritize the number of keywords used over the readability of your content, Google will rank you lower.
This is why it’s so important to optimize keywords by putting them in the right places, such as your URL. It’s also critical to take time to research which keywords will drive traffic using tools such as Google Search Console to ensure your keywords are being searched while not getting drowned out.
In AI-powered search, keywords still matter—but so does phrasing. Generative AI tools prioritize natural, conversational queries, so using semantic variations and question-based formats can help your content surface more often in AI-generated responses.
Create Authentic Content
Content that ranks well with search engines is as authentic and helpful to the user as possible. It’s important to make sure you’re creating content for your audience first and foremost—keywords are implemented to help guide the audience. Take the time to understand your audience and what they might be searching for, and how they might phrase their search. Your audience’s search intent will be a driving factor in site impressions. In doing this, you can better generate content that hasn’t been published before and differentiate your content from similar options.
Authentic, value-driven content also increases your chances of earning citations across platforms and being referenced by AI systems, which contributes to your brand’s AI Share of Voice—how often your site shows up in generated responses.
Spend Time on your Meta Description
Meta descriptions are a summary of the content and the first impression your audience has of the page. A good meta description includes the information your audience is looking for while piquing their interest and enticing your audience to keep reading. Include your key phrases and keep your audience’s search intent in mind while writing the meta description.
While meta descriptions don't directly influence AI output, clear and concise summaries help traditional search engines and link previews present your content effectively—giving your site the edge when competing against instant AI answers.
Optimize Your Page Speed
In a world of information at our fingertips, people want answers to their questions instantly. If your page takes too long to load, people will move on to other sources with similar information. Clean up your page by performing routine maintenance by deleting old plugins, compressing images, and choosing the best file format to optimize your page speed. Site performance now plays a dual role—it not only improves user experience but also increases the likelihood that your page will be crawled, indexed, and ranked for AI-generated responses. Slow or error-prone pages may be deprioritized by both Google and AI systems.
Update Old Content
With SEO continuously evolving, it doesn’t hurt to go back and update old content. Updates should include adding relevant keywords, tweaking copy for better readability, and updating links to boost your traffic. Google does take relevant content into account when ranking your blog or landing page, so by updating and maintaining content, you are saving time and staying relevant. As far as AI goes, freshness matters even more now than ever. Many generative search tools favor recent, frequently updated content when pulling sources. Regularly revisiting old posts and aligning them with today’s queries can give you an edge in both traditional search rankings and AI discoverability.
Ready to take your marketing strategy to the next level? Reach out to GROWL today!