How to Use Artificial Intelligence for SEO

Can artificial intelligence actually support your SEO goals? Which tools are worth the investment? And how do you make sure your content still sounds like you, not a machine?

With more than two decades of experience guiding clients through SEO’s constant evolution, we’ve learned that durable strategies come from adaptability, not the latest gimmicks or trending “insights”. 

AI, used well, helps teams move faster with fewer guesswork loops. It can simplify planning, and highlight blind spots that would otherwise get buried in spreadsheets.

But SEO isn’t just about content. AI can reveal crawl errors before they spiral into visibility issues or help pinpoint exactly where visitors are losing interest. These tools don’t just diagnose problems, they can suggest where to focus your SEO efforts next.

Put simply, artificial intelligence tools aren’t a shortcut to sidestep established SEO practices that work. If you want your brand to climb the search engine rankings, you have to know when they can be trusted, and when they need to be ignored. Let’s take a closer look at where artificial intelligence in SEO, and broader digital marketing, has its place.

Artificial intelligence in SEO is already changing how search works behind the scenes. From Google’s AI-driven ranking systems to tools that analyze user behavior and surface search intent, machine learning now influences everything from keyword discovery to how content gets prioritized in search results. Going forward, it’s best to think of all search platforms as AI-powered search engines. 

For marketers, that means the established rulebook is out of date. AI tools are reframing what effective SEO looks like. Instead of chasing keywords or writing for algorithms, we’re optimizing for context, intent, and relevance at scale. The game has changed, and AI is driving the shift.

Let’s break down the key areas where AI can support your efforts without replacing the human strategy behind them.

AI-powered SEO tools can help automate keyword research by analyzing massive datasets to identify high-opportunity terms, trending phrases, and overlooked long-tails. More importantly, they can help you connect relevant keywords to search intent, which is the key to writing content that actually performs.

Instead of just focusing on volume, AI helps you understand what your audience is really looking for—and why.

Can AI write SEO content? Technically, yes. But the better question is: should it?

The best approach is using AI tools to support your content creation process. That means generating outlines, suggesting subheadings, or critiquing your own writing.

This is where AI excels:

• Producing structured drafts quickly
• Identifying opportunities to improve on-page optimization
• Suggesting internal linking strategies
• Analyzing top-ranking pages in search engine results pages (SERPs)

You need to create high quality content that readers will find helpful. If you see AI generated content as not machine-written filler. When used well, AI helps content teams move faster without sacrificing depth or originality.

AI tools are great at surfacing technical or structural issues that may hurt your visibility in organic search.

Using AI to optimize existing content is often more impactful than churning out new pages. A few smart updates can dramatically improve search rankings, especially for posts that are underperforming despite strong potential.

Understanding who you’re up against is critical. AI-powered SEO platforms can break down how competitors structure their content, which keywords they target, and what types of content dominate specific SERPs.

This level of analysis helps you:

• Pinpoint opportunities for differentiation
• Identify gaps your content can fill
• Predict which search queries are gaining traction

Instead of guessing, you’re making decisions based on actionable insights drawn from live data.

AI can also take the heavy lifting out of technical SEO. Whether you’re looking for issues with structured data, page speed, broken links, or crawl depth, these tools make it easier to diagnose and prioritize fixes.

Some tools even integrate with your CMS or analytics platform to monitor performance and alert you when something changes.

That said, executing these fixes often requires dev support—which is why web development and SEO should go hand in hand.

You can use it to accelerate your SEO work, but not to replace a complete strategy. AI is most effective when paired with human experience and a solid understanding of your target audience.

Yes, from Jasper and Surfer SEO to Clearscope and ChatGPT, there are many different AI SEO tools out there for different use cases. Choose tools based on what you need: content support, keyword research, technical audits, or analytics.

Start with a draft or outline generated by an AI-powered platform. Then, layer in brand voice, storytelling, and human insight. Don’t forget to align with SEO best practices like internal linking, alt text, and metadata.

Most likely, yes—especially if the content lacks originality or seems formulaic. Google rewards high quality content, no matter how it’s made, but it penalizes content that’s thin, misleading, or written by AI powered tools to game the system.

No, but it will evolve. As AI-powered search becomes more prominent (think Google’s SGE and Bing’s Chat), SEO strategies will shift toward optimizing for search visibility within these new interfaces.

It depends how you use it. AI can enhance your workflow and offer valuable insights. But relying on it too heavily can lead to generic, ineffective content. Balance is key.