An Optimist's View on Generative AI, Content, and SEO ft Ryan Law

In episode 126, Ryan Law of Ahrefs stops by to discuss the complexities and potential of Generative AI in content creation and SEO.

Ryan shares insights on how SEO will be impacted by generative AI content and whether it will devalue SEO as a channel in the future.

We also discuss what this means for the importance of E-E-A-T (Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) in content going forward, the ideal direction for Google in search results, & what the next five years might look like in SEO.

(0:00) Intro

(3:11) Generative AI Content

(4:07) The Fear Around Artificial Intelligence

(5:36) The Right Way to Use GenAI

(6:36) Transparency Around the Use of Gen AI

(8:52) How Will SEO be Impacted by Generative AI Content

(10:45) Does GenAI Devalue SEO as a Channel?

(11:47) Will We Always Need Humans for Content Creation?

(12:35) How AI Can Challenge Humans in Thought Leadership?

(13:50) The Importance of EEAT Going Forward

(15:47) How Will Google Adjust?

(16:40) The Ideal Direction for Google to Go in Search Results

(18:52) How GenAI Can Solve the Personalization Problem in Search?

(21:27) What Will the Next 5 Years Look Like?

(22:19) The Hardest Content to Make Right Now

(23:46) How GenAI Will Change Keyword Research

(25:17) The Next Generation of Search

(25:55) Rapid Fire Rankings

Top 3 of anything:

1. The Lord of the Rings
2. The Malazan Book of the Fallen
3. A Song of Ice and Fire

Rank your best SEO marketing win:

I Googled 50 of the best-looking digital marketing agencies in the UK.

I wrote a bunch of flattering stuff about their blogging strategies.

I hit publish and emailed every agency.

One agency asked if I had availability for a test project. another asked about a retainer.

It snowballed from there.

I used my "agency experience" as social proof for more outreach soon, one agency offered me a full-time role to stop me from working with their competitors, setting me on the path to a role as agency VP - nearly a decade later.

Rank your top 3 SEO tools:

• Ahrefs
• Clearscope
• Screaming Frog

Rank your best SEO or trick or tactic:

Routinely running experiments to collect original, first-hand data that no other company possesses.

Rank what you love most about the SEO industry:

The problem-solving!

Working out what people are looking for, how you can deliver it, how you can bring new value to the SERP.

It's a big, fun game.

Rank your top 1-3 marketers:

• Tim Soulo
• Amanda Natividad
• Bryan Casey

Rank your best SEO learning resource:

Ahrefs aside, I really enjoyed the BlueArray Technical SEO course.

Rank your top cause or charity:

Support Devin Through Cancer