SEOs know that the most valuable career skill is the ability to adapt to change, and there has been an incredible amount of it in the last 12 months. Industry headlines and random folks on X are happy to remind you that your SEO is “dead” in light of these developments, but the truth is that there has never been a more exciting and dynamic time to be in SEO.
As the new year dawns, the confluence of AI with existing frameworks will allow many to surge forward into new content streams and opportunities to connect with audiences via new channels. Across the industry, the rate and complexity of adopting AI tools will drive SEO growth and push advantage for audiences that have grown to expect innovation every day.
Sophisticated AI connectivity
AI has become a part of everyone’s workflow for SEO and marketing. Within the products we consume and how we create and manage content, AI has become an expectation rather than an exception in our lives.
Driven by a competitive landscape and customer expectations, in 2023, we saw AI emerge as an enhancement for hundreds of SEO and martech products. In a recent survey from Mailchimp , “88% of marketers believe their marketing organization must increase the use of automation and AI to meet customer expectations and stay competitive.”
In 2024, we should expect to see this trend continue and become more sophisticated. The first iterations of mainstream generative AI centered on discovering what this new shiny object could do. AI summaries and image generators are commonplace now.
For example, Wix has applied AI widely across its systems for almost a decade, introducing their proprietary Artificial Design Intelligence in 2016 . Their CMS and business solutions include machine-learning-powered tools like Google Translate, Vision AI, and Google Ad management. So AI is not new.
With the mainstreaming of AI in marketing and SEO , Wix added powerful AI capabilities to its SEO tools including:
- Create AI Text Tool for keyword-focused content.
- AI Image Generator for blog and content visuals.
- AI Meta Tag Generator which works with the Semrush keyword research integration.
- Wix Studio's Responsive AI which adapts desktop UX layouts to all screen sizes automatically.
Each tool builds on existing frameworks using real data to deliver exceptional results. SEOs and digital marketers will see automation and AI unlock new opportunities for innovation in 2024.
Headless for omnichannel
The era of AI makes headless CMSs even more appealing since they allow content to be distributed across any platform — websites, apps, IoT devices — using APIs. This flexibility is extremely valuable in multichannel marketing.
In 2023, headless CMS hit critical mass. Wix joined this trend with Wix Headless, allowing developers to use Wix's frontend with any tech stack (React, Node.js, etc.). Integrations with GitHub and Netlify broaden possibilities further.
Headless systems connected to custom GPTs and AI models will deliver seamless generative experiences — especially through chatbots and automated content engines.
Feed management as an SEO skill
Throughout 2023, SEOs observed changes in crawl rates and indexing patterns.
Google now seems to crawl different website elements via APIs and specialized structured data feeds.
Google directs content producers to organize content for specific channels:
- Google Merchant Center
- Google Manufacturer Center
- Google News
- Google Business Profile
Feeds must be optimized and well-structured. Unmanaged feeds trigger errors and block indexing. Valid dynamic structured data is critical.
Many sites are now indexed only through Merchant Center or other Google feeds, showing that feed optimization is no longer optional.
This article was written by Crystal Carter, Head of SEO Communications at Wix.
Source: https://searchengineland.com/key-seo-trends-for-2024-435527
