What do you do when you want to find something on the internet? Until recently, the answer to this question was the same for everyone: you’d go to a search engine like Google, type in your question, and click Enter. The search engine would list websites that answered your question based on keywords, and you would visit those sites to find the information. The SEO strategies that sites like Spin City casino have used for years were based on this: using keywords to get search engines to rank them higher.
But that’s changing now: when you look for something on search engines, an AI displays a short summary of what you’re curious about. Moreover, we no longer use a keyboard and mouse to perform a search: the devices we use to access content on the internet have also changed. All of this is creating a “searchless” world, and SEO strategies have to change accordingly. Let’s take a look at how this can be done.
What Is a Conversational Interface?
This means the interface we use to interact with online content has changed. The traditional interface consisted of a PC/smartphone screen and keyboard commands, meaning, for example, we had to type to search for something. Conversational interfaces, however, make this much different:
- Voice assistants and smart speakers: If you use devices like Alexa or Google Home, you can give them a voice command and ask them to research a specific topic. They will then respond verbally.
- AI chatbots: You can use them both with the classic interface and with voice commands. Bots like ChatGPT find and summarize everything you’re looking for, and can even browse hundreds of sites in seconds.
- Ambient computing: This simply means wearable devices, such as smartwatches. You can now use them to access online content, and they can sometimes be proactive, displaying the information you need before you even ask. For example, if your heart rate is too high, they can tell you what your heart rate range is normal for your age and weight (before you even ask).
Conversational interfaces mean we’re now using an intermediary to access online content. In the classic interface, there was nothing between you and the search engine. But now, it’s become you—the conversational interface—and the search engine. We do not question this, and we accept it easily because these intermediaries make our job easier. But user interfaces aren’t the only things that have changed: search engines now also use intent mapping instead of keywords.
Intent Mapping: More Than Keywords
Traditional SEO techniques are based on trying to match the user query with keywords. For example, if you search for “casino games,” they list sites that contain that exact keyword. However, this technique is inadequate for conversational interfaces: search engines now need to understand user intent and refine their results accordingly, a process known as “intent mapping.” Here are a few examples:
- Group-related goals: Let’s say you search for “plan a weekend getaway.” The search engine should understand that at least two people from a group will participate in this getaway and provide multiple suggestions to suit different tastes, even personalizing these suggestions based on the chosen route.
- Entity recognition: If the searched item is a named entity or a semantic topic (e.g., brands or locations), the search engine should be able to provide more information about it without relying on keywords. This will help conversational interfaces personalize the response based on user habits.
- Context signals: Search engine answers must now be much more personal and tailored. So, instead of generic answers, every query should be answered on a personalized level, based on the user’s location, device, and previous interactions. This simply means incorporating the user’s context into the answer.
All of this can’t be achieved with keywords alone: search engines now use a wide variety of techniques to analyze and rank content, and modern SEO strategies must adapt to these techniques.
Creating Content for Dialogue
This means that content should be created like a dialogue. In other words, website content should now be designed with the assumption that it will engage in a dialogue with search engines and conversational interfaces. Content should be more modular, more dynamic, and easily parsable. For this purpose, the following techniques can be used:
- Content snippets and FAQs: Sharing key information through snippets and FAQs is now more important than ever. Content prepared in a question-and-answer format significantly simplifies the work of search engines & conversational interfaces and increases SEO scores.
- Conversational tone: Make sure that your voice tone is natural and conversational. Algorithms prioritize a natural voice tone over professional or personal ones. This should be the default choice unless the content specifically requires otherwise.
- Progressive disclosure: Starting content with concise answers and sharing more information behind links like “learn more” is more appealing to AI algorithms. This allows the algorithm to return to your site when the user makes a more detailed query on the same topic.
- Conversational schema: Analysis of content with specialized tools (e.g., Speakable) is now essential to ensure it is compatible with voice and chat interfaces.
- Real-time information: Sharing dynamic data within content via OpenAPI endpoints or JSON-LD will significantly improve SEO scores. These features make it easier for AI algorithms to perform real-time queries (for example, for product availability).
In this context, traditional metrics used to measure SEO success will also need to change. For example, KPIs should now include answer rate (questions an AI assistant can correctly answer using your content) and follow-up rate (the success rate of queries following the initial query). While old ones won’t become completely obsolete, new techniques need to be measured with new metrics: you need to make sure the platforms you use can perform analysis accordingly.
In any case, SEO strategies must now be determined and implemented in line with conversational design: traditional strategies will no longer be enough to get you discovered. The faster you implement and embrace these changes, the greater your likelihood of success in this new, modern world.
