Dig deeper: How to harness the power of brand mentions across the search universe
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5. Be present in all the sources Google uses for information
Reddit comprised about 4% of the training data for GPT-3, yet it held a significant weight of 22% in its influence.
Similarly, Wikipedia made up around 1% of the training data but has three times that weight in its impact on LLMs.
Given its current importance, it’s clear that being active on platforms like Reddit is essential for maximizing your Google visibility.
What this means for SEOs
To appear in AI Overviews and other LLMs, it’s crucial not only to be mentioned or cited but also to actively establish your brand on platforms like Reddit.
Instead of simply driving traffic from Reddit to your website, consider posting relevant information directly on the platform.
When done thoughtfully and without spamming subreddits, this approach can resemble a white or gray hat strategy of parasite SEO that adds value to your business.
Additionally, maintaining a presence on Wikipedia is important – just remember to avoid spamming.
As Rand Fishkin put it, “You have to be present with native content in the zero-click platforms because that is the future.”
Dig deeper: How to win with generative engine optimization while keeping SEO top-tier
6. Learn from CTR tests
We can no longer afford to lose clicks because our titles in SERPs are not optimized for CTR.
If some of the clicks are going to be taken by AI Overviews, then we need to make every impression in SERPs count. There’s no better way to do this than optimizing your CTR.
What this means for SEOs
I can’t emphasize this enough: SEO is evolving, and our strategies must adapt accordingly.
CTR tests should be a fundamental aspect of our approach, as even small adjustments in click-through rates can lead to significant results.
These improvements can be observed at various levels, including individual pages, folders and sitewide performance.
7. Guard your brand against manipulation
Negative SEO, which once involved building toxic backlinks to competitors’ websites using spammy anchor texts, is set to evolve.
Competitors may now attempt to manipulate AI Overviews and LLMs to present negative information about a brand.
What this means for SEOs
To protect your brand from manipulation, monitor brand mentions and build a strong identity that is not easily undermined.
We need to develop effective ways to measure our brand’s health in SERPs and online.
While we currently have metrics such as the total branded searches, clicks, share of voice and interest in the brand (as indicated by Google Trends), we should also consider creating additional metrics and methods to assess our brand health comprehensively.
Dig deeper: Online reputation management: Top 10 hurdles and how to overcome them
8. Learn about RAG
As Michael King puts it, “Search, as we know it, has been irrevocably changed by generative AI.”
Answer bots like Perplexity and AI Overviews use retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), a technology that leverages live data to ground answers in facts and reduce hallucinations.
What this means for SEOs
Just as we once learned how Google operated, we must now understand the workings of RAG technology.
By investing time in grasping how RAG functions, you can better navigate this new reality and adjust your tactics and strategies accordingly.
Many SEOs have yet to change their playbooks simply because they don’t fully understand these changes. Take the time to learn about RAG – it’s crucial for adapting to the future of SEO.
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