For the past few months, ChatGPT has been making waves on the internet and has been a hot topic of discussion. However, the key question for this article is: Can you use ChatGPT for SEO?
Keep reading to explore how marketers can leverage this technology into their SEO strategies.
What is ChatGPT?
So let’s discover what all the fuss is about. What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is an AI chatbot created by OpenAI, one of the worlds leading organisations in artificial intelligence research.
Although it was only launched on November 30th, 2022, ChatGPT has already made a remarkable impact. Its capabilities are extraordinary, allowing you to generate entire blog posts, research keywords, or even write lines of code in just a few minutes.
The best part is, it is completely free to use. You can choose to upgrade to ChatGPT Plus which costs $20 a month, but you get a faster response speed and priority access to new features.
I have to admit, I was sceptical at first. It can take years of practice to perfect your content-writing skills. For those who struggle this can be a great tool to assist you with improving your content for SEO.
One of the main factors that distinguishes ChatGPT from other chatbots is its conversational ability. Unlike traditional chatbots, which rely on matching user input with specific pre-programmed keywords or phrases, ChatGPT utilises a more advanced natural language processing model. This enables it to better understand the context and intent behind a user’s input.
In simpler terms, this means ChatGPT can engage in more natural conversation with the user rather than providing responses based on a limited set of predetermined inputs.
How to Use ChatGPT for SEO
You can use ChatGPT for SEO in a number of ways. This includes:
- Keyword research
- Content creation
- Generating SEO titles
- Identifying search intent
- Improving content
Keyword Research
ChatGPT makes keyword research effortless, as it simplifies the process significantly. To get started, all you need to do is type in your target keyword or words related to the topic you are going to be writing about. ChatGPT will then produce a list of words related to what it has understood about your topic or niche.
For example, I asked ChatGPT to generate a list of keywords for the topic “Gardening tools”.
Within a matter of seconds, a large list of related words was generated. This is great for finding topics to write about in a shorter time than traditional keyword tools.
Alternatively, you can opt to further refine the words by narrowing your search to long-tailed keywords instead, for instance:
Again, a list of long-tailed keywords was generated within a matter of seconds. You can use the longer variants of words generated by ChatGPT for SEO as there is likely to be less competition.
If you’re not sure, you can simply ask ChatGPT how difficult it would be to rank for a particular word. This prompt can provide valuable insights:
While ChatGPT may not provide the same level of insights as a traditional keyword tool in terms of volume and relevance, it does offer a comparison of the difficulty level for ranking this specific keyword in relation to other broad keywords. This feature can be beneficial in generating a list of potential keywords to investigate further using another keyword tool.
Identifying Search Intent
This feature is crucial when using ChatGPT for SEO. It’s common knowledge that Google wants to match search queries with relevant answers. However, Google can only do its best, and sometimes this process can be unclear.
By inserting your keywords into ChatGPT and asking for the intent of the words, you can gain a better understanding of how to answer questions and match certain queries more effectively.
I’ll use a selection of the gardening tool keywords to show an example of their intent:
All the keywords I have chosen have informational search intent, which implies that users searching for these terms are seeking to learn something. By recognising this intent, we can create content that provides valuable information and helps users.
Content Creation
One of the standout features of ChatGPT is its ability to write entire pieces of content in a matter of minutes. This is particularly useful for those who are struggling with writer’s block or looking for fresh perspectives on a particular subject. You simply insert a prompt such as “write me an article on” followed by a keyword or topic idea, then hit send and sit back to watch the magic happen.
Let’s see it in action. I asked ChatGPT to write me a short article on AI writing tools. Here’s what it produced for me:
Pretty neat isn’t it? It’s not perfect by any means but you have some solid information to start out with.
For this example in particular I used a vague input response. However, in my experience, giving a more detailed input prompt improves the chances of getting better responses. You could adjust your prompt to include headings, word count or even a bullet-pointed list if you prefer.
Generating Titles for SEO
Generating titles can be repetitive and it can be hard to find one that stands out from the crowd. If you’re looking for something unique you can ask ChatGPT to generate page titles on your topic.
In this instance, I am going to use the gardening tools example again:
I have to confess, I was quite impressed with this prompt. The generated titles possess a clever play on words and are likely to catch the attention of readers.
Improving Content
If you have written something that you feel could be better, you can use ChatGPT to help you. Simply give ChatGPT the entire piece or just a few sentences and ask it to suggest improvements.
Let’s look at an example. I asked ChatGPT to rewrite the sentence I wrote in the previous paragraph:
As you can see, the entire sentence has been reworded. If you’re not happy with the response you can generate a completely different variation.
Alternatively, you can ask for a simpler version of the written text. This is particularly useful for breaking down complex subjects in a more easy-to-digest way. Simply use the prompt “rewrite this sentence in a simpler way”. Here’s another example for the same sentence I used previously:
It’s clear to see that more common language has been used. The sentence length has been made shorter and to the point.
Be aware though that rewording sentences can completely take away your tone of voice. Try to avoid doing this for every sentence as the personalised aspects of your content will be missing.
If spelling and grammar is your weak point you can ask ChatGPT to fix the grammar in a piece of text. You’ll get a response with perfect spelling and grammar. I removed the grammar from the example sentence and put it into ChatGPT to fix:
ChatGPT added the appropriate punctuation that was missing previously. This can save valuable time proofreading your work. With this feature, you can ensure that your text is accurately punctuated, reducing the need for extensive manual review.
Limitations of ChatGPT for SEO
Despite there being immense capabilities to enhance your marketing with ChatGPT you have to be aware of the limitations that come with it.
One of the primary limitations of ChatGPT for SEO is that it is unable to assess the overall quality of content. In other words, while it will make keyword research easier and more targeted, it cannot determine whether or not a piece of content is relevant, engaging, or well-organised.
Remember, ChatGPT only provides human-like responses, not actual human responses. From time to time ChatGPT may produce inaccurate answers despite how comprehensive the replies may seem. For instance, if you’re looking for specific niche-related content or information in your local area, ChatGPT lacks real human experiences. I discovered that issues can occur when you start becoming more specific. If your prompt is broader, ChatGPT does a really good job of covering the topic.
It’s important to always review material produced by ChatGPT for inaccuracies to prevent tarnishing your brand image or reducing the quality of your written content. Try it for yourself, you’ll discover which prompts provide more useful information and which ones are not 100%.
Summary: So is ChatGPT good for SEO?
In my opinion, I don’t think it is a good idea to simply copy and paste paragraphs and paragraphs of generated text to your website without editing it. By doing this, you won’t know if the text contains inaccuracies or plagiarism.
Instead, use ChatGPT to:
- Gather initial research & content ideas
- Generate headings & subheadings
- Rewrite the sentences for better reading
- Create a solid foundation for you to expand on
Despite Google no longer stating in their guidelines that they are against AI-generated content, it’s hard to say what the future holds. Their stance from the August 2022 guidelines advises not to use extensive automation not automation as a whole. Providing content that is helpful and meets users’ search intent is more important than who actually wrote the content.
You can really nurture this tool to improve your SEO efforts if you use it correctly. If like me you struggle with writer’s block sometimes, ChatGPT can give you that extra boost of inspiration, or set you up with a solid foundation to personalise and expand on. You can gather keywords and content ideas with ease making the whole content creation process much more pleasant and enjoyable.
