Magnus Äng, CEO and co-founder of Topvisible, shared insights on the evolving landscape of SEO in the age of AI. He highlighted how businesses can adapt to the changing search environment by:

• Focusing on In-Depth Content: Creating content that thoroughly answers user questions and leverages topic clusters.
• Utilizing Structured Data (Schema Markup): Enhancing visibility on emerging platforms and in search results.
• Embracing Video Content: Recognizing the increasing prominence of video in AI-generated search results.
• Monitoring Presence Beyond Traffic: Tracking engagement and visibility across various platforms, including LLMs.
• Adapting to AI Automation: Understanding and utilizing AI agents to streamline SEO tasks and content creation.
• Prioritizing Customer Engagement: Actively responding to reviews and comments to build trust and potentially influence search visibility.
  

Magnus emphasized the critical need for businesses to stay informed and strategically adapt their SEO efforts to navigate the dynamic digital landscape shaped by AI.

The text has been lightly edited for clarity.

00:00:00
Bernardo Candeias: Hello everyone. Welcome to the PinMeTo Academy. Today, we have a very special guest. We're going to discuss SEO, particularly the future of search and visibility. Our guest is Magnus Äng, CEO and co-founder at Topvisible. Magnus, please take it away.

Magnus Äng: Thank you, and good morning, everyone. It's a pleasure to be here. We'll delve into Google and SEO today. As you all know, there's a lot happening. We'll review statistics and studies from the last six months, and then discuss how to optimize in the current landscape, based on what we know, which is constantly evolving. Ultimately, we’ll focus on actionable strategies for the present time. Let's begin by examining the broader scope and landscape.

00:02:10
Magnus Äng: So, let's start by asking: is Google's golden era over? I've been working in SEO since 2003, so that's over 22 years. I've heard countless times that SEO is dead, and we're hearing it again. While it's true that things are shifting, and we're seeing a more challenging environment, I believe this is the first time in my 22 years with Google that we're witnessing a genuine paradigm shift. Previously, we speculated about changes, but nothing substantial occurred. Now, I dare say we're in a new era. And this isn't limited to SEO; AI is impacting everything.

00:03:13
Magnus Äng: Everything is evolving. A little about me: I've worked in digital marketing for over 25 years and in marketing for about 30. I've been a CEO for various companies, and about 12 years ago, I started my own, Topvisible. We're a marketing agency, and I've been creating content for 17 or 18 years, including podcasts, blogs, webinars, and more. I also conduct a lot of training, which is my primary focus.

00:04:26
Magnus Äng: This is part of my team. We have a strong network of external specialists, and we're a full-service agency. We began with SEO and Google Ads, and about seven or eight years ago, we expanded. Today, we produce videos and advertise on digital TV, YouTube, LinkedIn, and more. We have three business areas: the agency, our learning platform where we create and host educational content, and our own SEO tools and software. So, we're not a traditional agency. Let's move on to the world of SEO.

00:05:34
Magnus Äng: Let's take a quick look back. The significant shift we began to see was with the arrival of ChatGPT in winter 2022. Six months later, Google's Vice President, Prabhakar Raghavan, revealed a study indicating that 40% of Gen Z searches for lunch and other products were happening on Instagram and TikTok. This was in the summer of 2023. We realized something was changing. We had been using ChatGPT for six months, and then this announcement came, signaling future changes. This was only two years ago.

00:06:50
Magnus Äng: TikTok is a significant competitor to Google in search. In Sweden, we recently gained access to Creator Search Insights, which launched around Christmas. This is very interesting because you can check TikTok search volumes, keywords, and trending topics. It's the first platform outside traditional search engines to reveal search data. This helps with content creation, of course. It's a new market player offering free search data.

00:08:03
Magnus Äng: You might think Google offers this, but they don't. You need to pay for Google Ads to see real data. TikTok is doing the opposite, providing it for free. You can check trending topics, keywords, and content. It's fascinating to see where this will lead. Yes, they face competition from TikTok, and also from Perplexity, which I find excellent for web searches. Instead of Google, I use Perplexity. In Sweden, discussions about Perplexity began about a year ago. And of course, OpenAI and ChatGPT are major competitors.

00:09:08
Magnus Äng: How significant is the search volume difference between Google and ChatGPT? Look at this diagram: 14 billion Google searches per month compared to approximately 38 million for ChatGPT. So, they're worlds apart. At this point, the competition is minimal. A study by Semrush, an SEO software company, revealed some interesting insights. Semrush launched this study in the autumn. For those working in SEO, you're familiar with search intent.

00:11:39
Magnus Äng: When working with SEO, we focus on four primary search intents: informational, navigational, commercial, and transactional. These represent the main reasons people search on Google. A Semrush study on ChatGPT revealed a significant portion of activity that doesn't fit into these categories. This indicates new user behaviors and potential marketing opportunities.

00:12:51
Magnus Äng: The study also found that Search GPT is activated in more than half of ChatGPT searches. This impacts Google's traffic, as people find answers directly within the AI, reducing the need to click through to websites. Social media has diversified, and we're seeing the search market follow suit. This means different SEO disciplines will likely emerge for various platforms.

00:17:30
Magnus Äng: Google search is growing, but so are non-click searches. This means more searches, but less website traffic. In Sweden, Google's market share has dropped below 90% for the first time. 44% of searches are brand-related, leaving a little over half as generic searches, which are key for SEO growth.

00:20:19
Magnus Äng: Backlinks are becoming less important, especially for informational content. Google's algorithms now analyze content context and user behavior more effectively. This reduces the reliance on backlinks.

00:24:18
Magnus Äng: Google launched AI Overviews, which generate answers directly in search results. In the US, this feature is triggered in a significant portion of searches, leading to a decrease in website traffic.

00:28:14
Magnus Äng: YouTube videos are increasingly featured in AI Overviews, indicating the growing importance of video SEO. LLMs primarily produce text answers, giving Google an advantage with its YouTube video library.

00:30:36
Magnus Äng: Focus on topics and questions, not just search volume. Create in-depth content that answers these questions, and keep it updated. This strategy aligns with what's needed to appear in platforms like ChatGPT.

00:33:34
Magnus Äng: Structured data, or schema markup, enhances your content's visibility in search results, particularly in platforms like Perplexity.

00:36:22
Magnus Äng: We're entering a new era of SEO measurement. Tools are emerging to track presence in LLMs, not just website traffic. Impressions and engagement will become increasingly important.

00:39:09
Magnus Äng: AI agents are automating SEO tasks, such as report generation and content creation. These tools can significantly streamline workflows.

00:43:33
Magnus Äng: Some agencies are using AI agents to create high-quality articles, demonstrating the potential of AI in content production.

00:44:53
Magnus Äng: To summarize, focus on topic clusters, structured data, video content, and monitoring your presence in LLMs. Measure traffic from platforms like ChatGPT.

00:54:11
Magnus Äng: Google's Quality Rater Guidelines emphasize the value of ratings and feedback. While the direct impact on search rankings is uncertain, it's logical to encourage clients to actively respond to reviews and comments. This builds trust and enhances the customer experience.

00:57:43
Magnus Äng: Google analyzes the context of comments and reviews on your website, which can influence your content's ranking.

00:59:29
Bernardo Candeias: Thank you so much Magnus. Thanks everybody who joined it or is watching the recording and see you soon. Thanks Magnus. Bye.

Magnus Äng: Thank you. Have a nice day.