Marc: Hi Natalie, there have been some really interesting data snippets relevant to SEO and SAIO strategy in recent editions of DBE’s Perceptive Marketer newsletter.
Nat: Hi Marc, I’m glad you’re finding value in the posts and I hope our subscribers are too. What items caught your eye?
Marc: First, let’s cover the fact that 92% of SEOs believe their competitors buy links. And then 71.1% of them went on to say they believe it’s possible to rank high on Google solely through quality content, without relying on backlinks. A separate article on how long SEO takes to gain traction. Announcements about new Gen AI search platforms from ChatGPT and Bing. And, finally, the quiz question that asked if the statement “Some 99% of those using AI platforms for search are still using traditional search engines as well” is true or false.
Nat: Ah yes, that first stat about 92% of SEOs believing their competitors buy links came from the State of Link Building 2024.
Marc: Yes, I found that one hard to believe as most SEOers I know think buying links is old-school and black-hat. Do you have any thoughts on this?
Nat: It struck me odd, too. Especially since 67% of those surveyed recognized digital PR as the most effective link-building tactic.
Marc: Interesting point. Any other thoughts on that post before we move on?
Nat: Yes, two actually. First, the survey results did not include any mention of leveraging social media posts for authority signals, which as you know, we have established as a successful tactic.
Marc: Good point. And your second thought?
Nat: Although it was buried at the bottom of the article, it is really important to highlight that 71.1% of SEOs surveyed believe that it is possible to rank high on Google solely through quality content, without relying on backlinks.
Marc: Glad you called that one out. I do think high-quality and helpful content using the E-E-A-T guidelines can generate quick visibility and ranking gains given recent algorithm updates. However, if your product is in a more competitive environment and/or if you are looking to maintain earlier successes, you need to support your content optimization with link and social signals. That reminds me of the next article I wanted to discuss regarding how long does SEO take for brands to see results?
Nat: Yes, that Click Z article specifically asked that question for eCom brands, but we both agree it applies to brands in all industries.
Marc: And while their answer was initially “it depends,” they did a good job describing the arc of SEO success over time.
Nat: Yes, and, long story short, their basic timeframe for starting to see performance indicators of success is 3-6 months.
Marc: Which is exactly what we always tell our clients. Let’s switch to some SAIO-related stories. What did you think about the SearchGPT prototype that is combining their AI models with web citations?
Nat: Honestly, the screenshots they shared look a lot like Perplexity which is already an established AI search engine that includes web citations. I was more excited by Bing testing a new generative search experience that looks like a combination of Gen AI and traditional search results. Here’s an example screenshot from the Search Engine Land article that has the Gen AI response on the left (with some source citations) and the traditional results on the right.
Marc: So it’s actually a SERP that has potential for both SEO and SAIO visibility on the same page and another reason to be leveraging both practices as part of an overarching optimization strategy.
Nat: Speaking of a dual SEO/SAIO strategy, what was your answer to the EMARKETER Daily Quiz we highlighted: True or false? Some 99% of those using AI platforms for search are still using traditional search engines as well.
Marc: I am happy to say I got that one right and the answer is “True.” It makes sense given the errors and hallucinations Gen AI models are still struggling with. That’s why I like what Bing is testing in terms of showing both results on the same page as a form of validation of the AI response. And I think that’s a good note to end on today. Thanks, Nat, for all the great work you do on pulling together our weekly Perceptive Marketer.
Nat: Thanks, but you know it’s a team effort. For those hearing about Perceptive Marketer for the first time, you can subscribe to get more SEO, SAIO, and related digital news insights each week by simply subscribing via digitalbrandexpressions.com and our LinkedIn Newsletter.
Marc: Thanks again, Nat. I look forward to future editions.
