Search Engine Optimisation is now Search Everywhere Optimisation

The way we search for information, products, and services online has undergone a dramatic transformation in recent years.

Mobile search has grown exponentially, but it’s not just optimising for mobile that we need to embrace, it’s also all the other search engines and channels that users now use to find the content they want.

With Google’s new AI search engine landing here in the UK, and with Search GPT – Open AI’s answer to the rising popularity of AI-driven search, coming soon – there is a lot to plan for in 2025!

Don’t lose out to your competition! Find out how to adapt your SEO strategy and become a winner in your niche!

Key Takeaways

AI Search Optimisation: SEO has changed and needs a more holistic approach. Focus on building authority in your niche and building up a comprehensive library of helpful content that resonates with your audience.
Mobile Optimisation: Ensure your website is fully optimised for mobile devices, as more and more searches are conducted on smartphones and tablets.
Voice Search Optimisation: Use natural language and long-tail keywords when creating content to optimise for voice search.
Image Search Optimisation: Create visual content by incorporating high-quality images and videos into your content to appeal to visual searchers.
Social Media Integration: Promote your content on social media platforms to increase visibility and drive traffic.
Local SEO: If your business serves a local market, optimise your website for local search by claiming your Google My Business listing and using location-based keywords.

The way we search online has changed – we have to adapt our SEO strategies

Let’s explore the different ways in which we now search. I’ve also provided some Top Tips on how to drive more traffic and user engagement!

Google AI Search

The world of search is undergoing a seismic shift, driven by the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI).

Google and Bing, the two dominant search engines, are at the forefront of this revolution, transitioning to AI-driven platforms that offer more comprehensive, relevant, and personalised results.

Google

Google is still the go-to search engine for most of us. Google has maintained its dominance with 91% of the search marketplace, but there are other emerging technologies coming through that could give Google a run for its money, and likely, in the not so distant future! We’ll talk about those in just a bit!

AI Overviews

An AI overview now appears for about 10% of Google searches, and is displayed in a highlighted box at the top of the search results page.

An AI overview is basically an AI-generated response to your search query. It will generate a summary or explanation of a topic, along with citation links to gain further information, and other related information sources you may wish to explore.

These overviews are designed to provide users with concise and informative information on a wide range of subjects.

An AI Overview can break down complex information into simpler terms, making it easier to understand, and it will also offer additional context or background information related to a search query.

AI overviews can also be used to answer specific questions or provide general information on a topic. AI overviews are a valuable tool for users who want to quickly learn about a new topic or get a summary of a more complex one.

Read more about AI Overviews in a recent article – How will Google overviews impact website traffic?

OpenAI’s Search GPT

This is the emerging technology eluded to earlier in this post!

OpenAI, a leading research laboratory focused on artificial intelligence. It has developed the highly popular ChatGPT and now SearchGPT, a powerful language model is being tested, designed to revolutionise search – and give Google a run for it’s money!

Most of you will no doubt have heard of, dabbled with, or use regularly the hugely successful AI language model, ChatGPT. SearchGPT is essentially a specialised version of ChatGPT that has been trained on a massive dataset of text and code, allowing it to provide more comprehensive and informative answers to search queries.

While SearchGPT is still under development, it has the potential to be a game-changer in the way we search for information by offering more detailed and relevant results.

We don’t yet know the release date of SearchGPT, but it shouldn’t be under-estimated! It will become more popular over time, and it has learned from the successes and pitfalls of early AI-driven technologies, and this will be giving it some key advantages over its competition, including Google.

Top Tips on optimising for AI search language models

1. Content depth
Prioritise content that provides contextually relevant, high value information. It should be high quality content that dives deep into topics.
2. Acquire mentions and reviews
Positive brand mentions, and create a Wikipaedia page for added authority.
3. Include relevant keywords
Optimise for keywords people may ask AI such as answers to questions. Align the content with user queries for improved relevant and discoverability.
4. High quality content
EEAT – detailed, accurate, provides genuine value, expertise, citations, pros and cons, datapoints in-depth topics.
5. Structure and context for easy digestibility
Key takeaways at the top, executive summaries and conclusion, structured user-friendly content.
6. Encourage user-generated content
Reviews, comments, forum posts will get increased citing in AI search bots.
7. Resolve technical SEO issues
Indexing issues, optimise for speed – script execution, server response times below 500ms, apply structured data markup to important content.
8. Keep content updated and relevant
Regularly add fresh content, keep it relevant to the user, regularly update old posts and show last published and updated date on post.

Voice Search

The popularity of voice-activated devices like smartphones, smart speakers, and virtual assistants such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Siri and Microsoft Cortana has led to a surge in voice search. People are increasingly using their voices to ask questions, search for information, and even make purchases online.

Top Tips for Optimising for Voice Search

1. Natural Language
Conversational Tone: Use language that sounds natural and conversational, as if you were speaking to a person.
Long-Tail Keywords: Incorporate long-tail keywords that mimic how people would ask questions verbally. For example, instead of “best restaurants in London,” use “where can I find a good Italian restaurant in central London?”
2. Answer Questions Directly
FAQ Pages: Create comprehensive FAQ pages that address common questions your customers might ask.
Blog Posts: Write blog posts that answer specific questions related to your industry.
3. Optimise for Local Search
Google My Business:Ensure your Google My Business listing is complete and accurate.
Local Keywords: Use location-based keywords in your content.
4. Focus on Mobile Optimisation
Responsive Design: Make sure your website is mobile-friendly and loads quickly on all devices.
Voice-Friendly Design: Consider using larger buttons and clear navigation for easier voice control.
5. Leverage Structured Data
Schema Markup: Use schema markup to provide search engines with more context about your content. This can help your website appear in featured snippets or knowledge panels.
6. Consider Voice-Activated Devices
Skill Development: If you have a product or service that could benefit from voice control, consider developing a skill for devices like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.

Image Search

As technology continues to advance, we can expect to see even more innovative ways to search using images.

Here are some of the most popular platforms and channels people use to search using images:

Dedicated Image Search Engines
Google Images: The most widely used image search engine, offering a vast database of images.
Bing Images: Microsoft’s image search engine, often used as an alternative to Google Images.
TinEye: A reverse image search engine that helps you find the source of an image or similar images.

Social Media Platforms
Instagram: A visual platform where users can search for images based on hashtags, accounts, or locations.
Pinterest: A visual discovery platform where users can search for images based on interests or boards.
TikTok: A video-sharing platform that also allows users to search for images and GIFs.

E-commerce Platforms
Amazon: Amazon’s image search feature allows users to upload an image and find similar products.
eBay: eBay also offers an image search feature to help users find specific items.

Specialised Image Search Tools
Google Lens: A mobile app that allows users to search for information about objects or images in real-time.
Pinterest Lens: A similar feature on Pinterest that lets users search for images based on a photo.

These are just a few examples, and the list of platforms that support image search is constantly growing.

Top Tips for Optimising for Image Search

Optimising your images for search engines can significantly improve your website’s visibility and attract more organic traffic.

1. Use Descriptive File Names
Keyword-Rich: Include relevant keywords in your image file names. For example, instead of “image123.jpg,” use “blue-dress-sale.jpg.”
2. Alt Text
Comprehensive and Informative: Provide detailed and accurate alt text for each image. This helps search engines understand the content of the image and also benefits visually impaired users.
3. Image Size and Quality
Optimise for Size: Ensure images are compressed to a suitable size to reduce loading times.
High Quality: Use high-quality images that are clear and visually appealing.
4. Image Format
WebP: This is the optimal format as they are smaller files, high quality and superior compression, so will allow your site to run faster.
JPEG or PNG: Choose the appropriate format based on the image type and desired quality. JPEG is generally suitable for most images, while PNG is better for images with transparency.
5. Image Sitemap
Create an Image Sitemap: If you have a large number of images on your website, create an image sitemap to help search engines index them more efficiently.
6. Use Relevant Keywords in Surrounding Text
Contextual Relevance: Ensure the text surrounding an image is relevant to its content. This helps search engines understand the context of the image.
7. Consider Image Licensing
Copyright: Be mindful of copyright laws and obtain necessary permissions for using images.
8. Leverage Structured Data
Schema Markup: Use schema markup to provide search engines with additional information about your images, such as the image type or the photographer’s name.

Platforms like TikTok, Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook can be powerful tools for driving traffic and visibility and increasing engagement with customers.

You will need to identify where your customers are spending their time online and enhance your brand visibility on the social platforms that present the most opportunity.

To maximise user engagement and increase social media referral traffic to your website, it’s recommended that you adopt a strategic approach that goes beyond simply posting content.

1. Understand Your Audience
Demographics: Identify the age, gender, interests, and location of your target audience.
Psychographics: Understand their values, beliefs, and behaviours.
Online Habits: Analyse their online behaviour, including the platforms they use, the content they consume, and the times of day they are most active.
2. Create High-Quality Content
Visual Appeal: Use eye-catching images and videos that are relevant to your brand and resonate with your audience.
Value-Added Content: Provide valuable information, tips, or entertainment that benefits your audience.
Consistency: Maintain a consistent posting schedule to keep your audience engaged.
3. Engage with Your Audience
Respond to Comments: Actively engage with your followers by responding to comments and messages.
Ask Questions: Encourage interaction by asking open-ended questions.
Join Conversations: Participate in relevant discussions and communities.
4. Utilise Social Media Features
Stories: Use stories to share behind-the-scenes content and create a more personal connection with your audience.
Live Streams: Host live broadcasts to interact with your audience in real-time.
Reels and TikToks: Create short, engaging videos that are optimised for platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels.

Mobile Search

If you’re a business aiming to conquer the local market, then you need to be on it with your mobile search strategy and local SEO!

According to Statistica December 2023 research study, 47.17% of web traffic to UK websites were via mobile devices. Laptop and desktop searches were about the same, and tablets only 5%. Getting your site optimised for mobile devices and stepping up your local SEO is like a supercharge for your business. It will increase your local search visibility and draw in those coveted local customers searching on their mobile phone.

By optimising your website and online presence for local mobile search, you can ensure that your business appears prominently in search engine results when potential customers in your area search for relevant keywords. This means that when people in your community are searching for products or services you offer, your business will be more likely to appear at the top of search results on mobile devices, making it easier for them to find and choose you.

Top tips for a winning Local SEO Strategy

1. Claim and Optimise Your Google Business Profile
Complete and accurate information: Ensure your business name, address, phone number (NAP), and website are consistent across all platforms.
High-quality photos: Use professional-looking images of your business, products, and team.
Encourage customer reviews: Positive reviews can significantly boost your local rankings.
Respond to reviews: Show customers you value their feedback.

2. Optimise Your Website for Local Search
Keyword research: Identify relevant local keywords and incorporate them naturally into your website content.
Geo-targeting: Use location-specific keywords and phrases to target your local audience.
Schema markup: Implement schema markup to provide search engines with more context about your business.
Mobile optimisation: Ensure your website is mobile-friendly, as Google prioritise mobile-first indexing.

3. Build Local Citations
Consistent NAP: Ensure your NAP information is consistent across online directories and citation sites.
High-quality directories: Focus on reputable directories like Google Business, Yelp, Bing Places, and industry-specific listings.
Claim and update listings: Regularly check and update your listings to maintain accuracy.

4. Create High-Quality Local Content
Blog posts: Regularly publish informative and engaging blog posts related to your local area or industry.
Local news: Share local news or events relevant to your business.
Customer testimonials: Showcase positive customer experiences.

5. Encourage Local Reviews
Provide excellent customer service: Satisfied customers are more likely to leave positive reviews.
Make it easy to review: Include review links on your website and social media profiles.
Respond to reviews: Show customers that their feedback is valued.

6. Leverage Social Media
Create local-focused content: Share posts related to local events, news, or promotions.
Engage with your community: Respond to comments and messages promptly.
Use location-based features: Utilise location tags and check-ins to connect with local users.

7. Partner with Local Businesses
Cross-promote: Collaborate with complementary local businesses to reach a wider audience.
Joint events: Organise joint events or promotions to attract more customers.

Adapting Your SEO Strategy

So there you have it! To succeed in today’s multi-modal, omnichannel search landscape, your business will need to adopt a comprehensive SEO strategy. One that will work to get your brand noticed on all the different platforms and channels that your audience is spending time on and interacting with. Doing so will help you get ahead of your competition and will future-proof your online presence into 2025 and beyond.

Ready to get started? Let us show you how!

Contact Whizz Marketing today to learn more about our effective SEO strategies and how we can help you attract more local customers and grow your business.