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Amol Ghemud Published: September 24, 2024
Summary
AI is transforming SEO by shifting the focus from traditional keyword optimization to a user-centric approach. As AI handles simpler, top-of-funnel queries, businesses should target mid-funnel SEO, where users look for in-depth information to make informed decisions. SEO strategies must now focus on understanding the user journey, creating high-quality content, and offering a seamless experience to meet evolving user needs. Traditional SEO methods are becoming less effective, and adapting to these changes is crucial for sustainable growth online.
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The advent of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly large language models (LLMs), has significantly impacted how businesses approach SEO. During the changing dynamics of SEO in the AI era, emphasis is being placed on the shift from traditional keyword optimisation to a more user-centric approach.
We will explore how AI is reshaping SEO, the decline of top-of-funnel SEO, the rise of mid-funnel SEO, and the significance of adopting a user-centric approach to grow in this industry.
How AI is Reshaping SEO: A User-Centric Approach for the Future
While some traditional SEO tactics are losing effectiveness, AI is taking over SEO only partially. Instead, it is shifting the focus from merely targeting keywords to comprehending and addressing the entire user journey, especially in the mid-funnel stage.
The Decline of Traditional SEO and the Rise of Mid-Funnel
Traditionally, SEO relied heavily on optimising content around specific keywords and acquiring backlinks to improve search engine rankings. The primary goal was often to attract users at the beginning of their search journey, known as the “top-of-funnel.” However, AI has come to dominate this top-of-funnel stage, efficiently providing quick answers and summaries to simpler queries.
This dominance of AI in the top-of-funnel stage is causing a shift towards “mid-funnel SEO,” which targets users who are further along in their decision-making process. These users actively evaluate options, compare products or services, and seek more detailed information. They are looking for comprehensive insights, comparative analysis, and nuanced information to guide their decision.
Three Factors Driving the Shift to Mid-funnel SEO
AI’s proficiency in handling simple queries pushes users further down the funnel. As AI effectively answers initial questions, users are driven to refine their searches and seek more in-depth information, leading them to the mid-funnel stage.
Users are becoming more sophisticated in their search behaviour. With AI readily available for basic queries, users are entering more complex and detailed search queries that often exceed AI’s current capabilities.
Mid-funnel users require a deeper level of engagement. They are not merely looking for quick answers but rather comprehensive information, comparisons, and nuanced insights to make informed decisions.
Embracing a User-Centric Approach
Businesses need to adopt a user-centric approach to SEO, aligning their strategies with how users naturally discover, evaluate, and choose products or services. This involves understanding that SEO should be treated more like a product than a marketing tactic.
Two fundamental questions to guide this user-centric approach:
“What does my user need?”
This question encourages businesses to move beyond a keyword-focused mindset and genuinely understand the underlying needs, pain points, and desired solutions of their target audience. This requires stepping into the shoes of potential customers and understanding their challenges, the solutions they seek, and how they go about finding information.
“What kind of experience should I create for them?”
This emphasises the importance of crafting a seamless and valuable user experience throughout the customer journey. It goes beyond simply providing information and considers how it is presented, how easily users can navigate the website, and how well the content addresses their specific needs at different stages of their decision-making process.
Key Differences Between Top-of-Funnel and Mid-Funnel SEO in the AI Era
Top-of-funnel SEO: This strategy targets users in the early stages of their search journey, where they are discovering a need or broadly exploring a topic. Traditionally, this involved optimising content for broader keywords to capture a wider audience. However, AI now dominates this part of the search process, effectively providing quick answers and summaries for simpler queries. This makes it much more challenging for traditional top-of-funnel SEO tactics to stand out.
Mid-funnel SEO: This strategy focuses on users further down the decision-making path, actively evaluating their options, comparing products or services, and seeking more detailed information. They seek various choices and more comprehensive insights to guide their decisions. SEO remains crucial because AI’s current capabilities are less effective at addressing these more nuanced, detailed search queries.
AI is pushing users further down the search funnel by handling simpler queries at the top. This shift underscores the importance of adapting SEO strategies to focus on the mid-funnel stage, where users actively seek in-depth information and AI’s influence is less pronounced.
AI’s Dominance in Early-Stage Search: AI, especially LLMs, provides quick answers and summaries, effectively addressing many top-of-funnel queries. This dominance makes it more challenging for traditional SEO to stand out in initial search results.
Shifting User Behaviour: As AI handles simpler queries, users are becoming more sophisticated in their search behaviour. They are entering more complex, detailed queries, moving beyond the scope of AI’s current capabilities and pushing them further down the funnel.
The Need for Deeper Engagement: Mid-funnel users require more than just quick answers. They seek comprehensive information, comparative analyses, and nuanced insights to guide their decisions. This is where SEO strategies that focus on rich, informative, and user-centric content come into play.
Determining When SEO is Right For Your Business
When considering if SEO is the right approach for a business, it’s important to look at the level of market competition and search volume in your industry.
SEO should be treated more like a product than a marketing tactic. It requires a deep understanding of a customer’s journey to be effective.
Collaborating with Product Managers (PMs) can help guide your SEO efforts. Consider what questions your users have and the kind of experience you want to create for them on their search journey.
Focusing on how your product fits into a user’s self-discovery process is key.
For example, many SaaS companies should not rely solely on SEO because their customers’ decision-making processes are typically longer, involve numerous stakeholders, and are unresolved with a single search.
What are Common SEO Myths in the AI Era?
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) plays a crucial role in enhancing a website’s visibility and driving organic traffic. However, there are several misconceptions surrounding SEO, especially in the era of AI (Artificial Intelligence). Here are some common SEO myths that businesses should be aware of:
The Impact of AI on SEO Strategies
AI has significantly impacted SEO strategies, leading to some key differences between traditional SEO and SEO in the AI era. Here’s a breakdown:
Traditional SEO
Focus on Keywords and Links: Traditional SEO heavily relied on optimising content around specific keywords and acquiring backlinks to improve search engine rankings.
Top-of-Funnel Focus: The primary goal was often to attract users at the beginning of their search journey, aiming to capture their attention early on.
Technical Aspects: Technical SEO, like site speed and mobile-friendliness, played a crucial role in achieving higher rankings.
SEO in the AI Era
Shift to Mid-Funnel: While AI now dominates the initial stages of search (top-of-funnel), SEO has become vital in the mid-funnel stage. This is where users explore various options and seek more detailed information.
Understanding User Journeys: SEO in the AI era is less about keywords and more about comprehending user journeys and aligning content with their needs and questions. This approach treats SEO as a product rather than just a marketing tactic.
Focus on User Experience: Creating high-quality, informative content that addresses user intent and provides a seamless experience is paramount. This resonates with the user-centric approach emphasised in the AI era.
Collaboration with Product Teams: SEO is no longer an independent effort. Effective SEO strategies now require close collaboration with product managers to ensure alignment between user needs and the product’s positioning in search results.
Example:
Traditionally, a SaaS company might have focused on ranking for broad keywords like “project management software.” In the AI era, the focus shifts to understanding the specific needs and pain points of users searching for such software. Content would then target longer-tail keywords like “best project management software for remote teams” or “how to improve team collaboration with project management software.”
While AI has undoubtedly transformed the SEO, it has yet to render SEO obsolete. Instead, it has shifted the focus from simply ranking for keywords to understanding and catering to the user’s entire search journey. This user-centric approach, emphasising high-quality content and a deep understanding of user needs, forms the crux of SEO in the AI era.
Framework for SEO in the AI Era
Treat SEO as a product, not just a marketing tactic.
Key Takeaways
AI has not replaced SEO, but it has transformed it. While traditional SEO tactics are becoming less effective, SEO itself remains relevant, particularly in the mid-funnel stage.
The focus has shifted from keyword targeting to understanding and addressing the entire user journey. This involves profoundly understanding user needs, pain points, and decision-making processes.
User-centricity, high-quality content, and a deep understanding of user needs are paramount in the age of AI. SEO strategies must adapt to meet users’ evolving needs and align with their search behaviour.
SEO is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Businesses need to carefully consider their industry, target audience, and the complexities of their customer journey when developing their SEO strategy.
It’s important to stay informed about common SEO myths. For instance, not every business needs SEO to succeed; link-building alone is insufficient, Google’s algorithms are complex but understandable, and small websites do not need to overemphasise technical SEO.
By embracing a user-centric approach, focusing on the mid-funnel stage, and adapting to the evolving behaviours of both AI and users, businesses can navigate the changing scope of SEO and achieve sustainable online growth.
Conclusion
AI has significantly changed the approach towards SEO. Businesses must now rethink their strategies, shifting focus from simply targeting keywords to understanding and addressing the entire user journey. By embracing a user-centric approach, particularly in the mid-funnel stage, and adapting to the evolving behaviours of both AI and users, businesses can navigate the changing face of SEO and achieve sustainable online growth.
Watch: How AI Is Redefining SEO for the User-Centric Era
For Curious Minds
The rise of AI has fundamentally shifted SEO's focus from capturing high-volume, top-of-funnel traffic to engaging users with high-intent, mid-funnel content. Since large language models (LLMs) now efficiently handle simple informational queries, the real opportunity lies in addressing the complex needs of users who are actively evaluating solutions. This requires treating SEO as a product designed to guide users through their decision-making process, not just as a channel for acquiring clicks. Instead of optimizing for broad keywords, your strategy must now revolve around answering deeper questions and providing comparative value that AI cannot easily replicate. To explore how to build a content moat around this principle, continue reading the full analysis.
Mid-funnel SEO targets users who have moved past initial discovery and are now actively comparing options and seeking detailed information to make a purchase decision. This stage has become critical because AI's dominance in answering top-of-funnel questions pushes users with more complex needs further down the funnel, where your business can provide unique value. These users are not looking for simple definitions; they need comprehensive insights and nuanced analysis to guide their choice. By focusing on the mid-funnel stage, you connect with an audience that has a higher purchase intent, making your SEO efforts more directly tied to revenue. Understanding how to create content that captures this valuable segment is key to modern growth.
A traditional top-of-funnel strategy focuses on broad, informational content to build awareness, whereas a mid-funnel SEO approach creates highly specific content for an audience actively evaluating solutions. The key difference lies in intent and depth. While top-of-funnel content might explain a general concept, mid-funnel content would offer detailed comparisons between products, case studies, or implementation guides. For resource allocation, prioritize mid-funnel content for driving conversions and demonstrating expertise, as these users are closer to making a decision. Top-of-funnel efforts are still useful for brand visibility but yield a lower direct return in an AI-driven search environment. Discover how to balance this strategic investment by examining the complete framework.
The rise in long-tail, detailed search queries shows that users now turn to AI for simple questions and expect more from organic search results for complex problems. This shift in user behaviour is evidence that people are becoming more sophisticated, actively seeking nuanced information that LLMs currently struggle to provide. Effective strategies to capture this traffic involve creating content that directly addresses these complex needs, such as:
In-depth comparative analyses of products or services.
Detailed guides that solve specific, multi-step problems.
Content that synthesizes information from multiple sources to offer a unique perspective.
By developing content that serves as a definitive resource, you align with the expectations of these advanced users. The full article provides more examples of content formats that succeed in this new landscape.
A user-centric approach is now essential because AI has commoditized basic information, forcing businesses to compete on the quality of their insights and user experience. To build a resilient strategy, consistently ask these two questions:
“What does my user need?” This forces you to move beyond keywords and understand the underlying problems, pain points, and goals of your audience.
“What kind of experience should I create for them?” This shifts your focus to creating a seamless journey, ensuring content is easy to navigate and provides clear value at every step.
By internalizing this framework, you transform your SEO from a marketing tactic into a core product function that builds trust and authority. Dive deeper into how this mindset can revolutionize your results.
To effectively pivot to a user-centric, mid-funnel strategy, B2B providers should focus on demonstrating expertise and solving complex user problems. A practical plan involves a clear, multi-stage process to ensure your content meets the needs of users who are actively evaluating their options. Follow these steps to build your new approach:
Map the User Journey: Identify the specific questions and comparisons your prospects make before a purchase.
Conduct Audience Research: Go beyond keywords to understand the pain points and desired outcomes of your ideal clients.
Create Comparative Content: Develop articles, webinars, and tools that directly compare solutions and methodologies.
Optimize for User Experience: Ensure your site is easy to navigate and that your in-depth content is structured for clarity.
This structured transition from keywords to user needs will attract higher-quality leads. Explore the full guide for more detail on executing each step.
The long-term implication is a necessary evolution from generalist content creators to deep subject matter experts. As AI handles basic informational queries, the value of human-led marketing shifts to areas that require critical thinking, nuanced analysis, and authentic experience. Marketing teams must now focus on creating content that AI cannot replicate, such as proprietary research, expert interviews, and in-depth case studies. Key skill shifts include a greater emphasis on qualitative user research, data analysis to uncover unique insights, and the ability to craft compelling narratives around complex topics. This strategic pivot ensures teams provide value beyond what an algorithm can generate. The article further outlines the future roles for content professionals.
The most common mistake is continuing to prioritize high-volume, top-of-funnel keywords while ignoring the user's deeper, more complex needs. This legacy approach fails because AI now serves these simple queries, rendering much of that content obsolete. To overcome this, businesses must reframe their entire strategy by adopting a product mindset for SEO. Instead of asking what keywords to target, ask what problems your users are trying to solve and how you can create the best possible resource to help them. This involves shifting focus from keyword density to content depth, user experience, and demonstrable expertise, which builds lasting authority. The full article explains how to initiate this critical organizational shift.
Treating SEO as a siloed marketing tactic is no longer viable because AI-driven search demands a holistic, high-quality user experience, not just optimized pages. Viewing SEO as a product requires a fundamental organizational shift where content, web development, and product teams collaborate to serve the user. Key changes include:
Embedding SEO specialists within product teams to inform feature development.
Using user research and pain points, not just keyword volume, to guide content strategy.
Prioritizing website performance and user interface design as core SEO components.
This integrated approach ensures your entire digital presence works to solve user problems, building trust and authority that algorithms reward. Read on to learn how to break down these organizational silos.
Marketing leaders should conduct a strategic reallocation of resources, moving away from high-volume, low-conversion top-of-funnel content. While maintaining a baseline for brand awareness is wise, the majority of investment should now target mid-funnel SEO, which addresses users actively evaluating solutions. Industry analysis suggests that targeted mid-funnel content can improve conversion rates significantly over broad top-funnel articles. A re-prioritized budget would favor:
Creating in-depth product comparisons and case studies.
Developing tools or calculators that help users make decisions.
Investing in subject matter experts to produce unique, authoritative content.
This shift aligns your spending with the highest-value touchpoints in the new user journey. Discover a more detailed budget allocation model in the complete article.
As LLMs evolve, they will likely become more adept at answering complex, comparative mid-funnel queries, further raising the bar for organic content. To build a defensible moat, businesses must focus on strategies that are difficult for AI to replicate, such as cultivating brand trust and creating proprietary value. Proactive steps include:
Building a strong brand that users seek out directly.
Publishing unique data, research, and expert insights that cannot be scraped from other sources.
Fostering a community around your brand through forums or user-generated content.
These strategies create a layer of authority and trust that makes your site a destination rather than just another search result. The full piece explores how to build this long-term competitive advantage.
This shift in user behavior is a significant opportunity for businesses to differentiate themselves through genuine expertise. When users ask more complex and detailed search queries, they are signaling a need for in-depth, nuanced information that goes beyond surface-level summaries provided by AI. This allows you to capture a highly qualified audience by creating content that offers comprehensive solutions, detailed analysis, and expert perspectives. By aligning your content with these sophisticated needs, you position your brand as a trusted authority and a go-to resource in your industry, attracting users who are much further along in their decision-making process. Explore how to identify and answer these high-value queries in our full analysis.
Amol has helped catalyse business growth with his strategic & data-driven methodologies. With a decade of experience in the field of marketing, he has donned multiple hats, from channel optimization, data analytics and creative brand positioning to growth engineering and sales.
Growth Strategy and Planning
