There were times when you needed to read between the lines to understand where Google was going with its search updates. Not so much anymore. Case in point, the SMX Advanced conference keynote interview with Elizabeth Tucker, Director of Product Management for Google Search. 

The keyword variations Ms. Tucker used over and over again at the outset of the interview were “satisfying,” “helpful,” and “experience.” For example, she referenced Google’s North Star was getting people to “satisfying and helpful results.” Then, she said SEOers should create content that is “helpful, satisfying, and has good experiences” to align with that North Star to gain rankings recognition. The redundancy of these core keywords in the span of just a few minutes couldn’t be a clearer signal of where Google Search is going. Unless, of course, they decide to expand the search quality rating model from E-E-A-T to S-H-E-E-A T to make it stand for Satisfying – Helpful – Experience – Expertise – Authority – Trust.

Speaking of the Search Quality Rating, here’s a link to Google’s 170-page pdf with the guidelines provided to Search Quality Raters that cover examples of Low-Quality Pages, Medium-Quality Pages, and High-Quality Pages as seen through E-E-A-T eyes. While Ms. Tucker said “trust” was the most important factor in E-E-A-T, “trust” is built by using content that demonstrates “experience, expertise, and authority.” 

And, message received, high-quality content should also provide satisfying and helpful user experiences.

The DBE Gen AI SAIO Blog Prompt

We are constantly testing the evolving capabilities of Gen AI chatbots like Google Gemini, ChatGPT Plus, and Perplexity. This week we tried a different testing approach by prompting each of these three platforms with this task: “Can you write a blog about Search AI Optimization (SAIO) that is optimized for that keyword.”

The DBE Gen AI SAIO Blog Ranking Criteria

Before we share the three blogs and our rankings of them, here’s your chance to evaluate them. Follow these links to read the blogs:

• Google Gemini
• Chat GPT Plus
• Perplexity

You can use the blank chart below to play along (with the explanations for evaluation below):

DBE Gen AI SAIO Blog Rankings Criteria Explanations:

On scale of 0-5:

• How well did the Gen AI blogs demonstrate knowledge of SAIO best practices from technical, content, and links/social signals perspectives?

• How well did the Gen AI blogs demonstrate E-E-A-T quality values?

• How well did the Gen AI blogs demonstrate relevance with keyword/topic prompt intent?

• How well did the Gen AI blogs create content that was structured in a manner that helped the search bots parse the information and present it in the conversational tone that users expect?

And Our Winner Is:

If you’ve finished your review or decided to read our analysis first, the Best SAIO Blog Award goes to… ChatGPT Plus. BUT even ChatGPT Plus only ranked slightly above average. The issues we observed across all three Gen AI platforms reinforced the limitations (for now) of relying on Gen AI content without a heavy dose of human editing.

DBE Observations

• SAIO Best Practices: Only ChatGPT Plus addressed the technical SAIO best practice of using a structured approach. None addressed any aspect of links/social signals best practices.
• Experience: None of the chatbots demonstrated any element of relatable experience in their content. This would need to be corrected via human editing.
• Expertise: The depth of ChatGPT Plus’ blog conveyed a greater sense of expertise. Perplexity’s shorter blog did the opposite.
• Authority: Again, ChatGPT Plus’ content connoted a higher level of authority that would reinforce the brand’s reliability as a source for this topic.
• Trust: While all blogs were written in a way that  conveys trust, none of them leverage citations to make their blogs more trustworthy. Ironically, and egregiously, Google Gemini’s blog includes this recommendation – “Integrating citations from reputable sources strengthens the factual basis of AI-generated responses, fostering user trust and confidence.”
• Relevance: ChatGPT Plus’s blog made the strongest appeal to relevance, but the other Gen AI blogs also delivered relevant content.
• Structure Approach: Even though ChatGPT Plus was the only blog that recommended structured content, all three blogs were written in a structured way with sub-heads that split content into digestible chunks.

• Conversational Tone: All Gen AI blogs had a generally conversational approach. That said, there were instances of off-putting or stilted language:
  • Google Gemini: “If you’re keen to leverage SAIO for generative AI content, here are some initial steps:”
    DBE: Who says “if you’re keen to leverage” anything?
  • ChatGPT Plus: “One such futuristic concept that is rapidly gaining traction is Search Artificial Intelligence Optimization, or SAIO.”
    DBE: Futuristic concept? Why not simply say SAIO is rapidly gaining traction?
  • Perplexity: “Concerns have been raised about the potential for SAIO to lead to biased and misleading information being presented by AI chatbots and search engines..”
    DBE: Who is raising those concerns? Without citations, aren’t you presenting potentially biased and/or misleading information?

One Final Observation

Each of the three blogs started and ended with eerily similar frameworks:

• Title/Headline Start
  • Google Gemini: “Unleashing the Potential”
  • ChatGPT Plus: “Embracing the Future”
  • Perplexity: “Unlocking the Power”
• Closing Sub-Head
  • Google Gemini: “The Future of Generative AI is Search-Driven”
  • ChatGPT Plus: “The Future of SAIO”
  • Perplexity: “Unlocking the Future of Search”

Is this a result of having been trained to use this kind of writing style? Is it a reflection of what they are learning on their own? Or is it a glimpse of “the future of Gen AI blog writing”?

Google Gemini: Unleashing the Potential of Search AI Optimization for Generative AI Responses

In the realm of generative AI, where AI models produce human-quality text in response to prompts, searchability is paramount. This is where Search AI Optimization (SAIO) comes into play.

What is Search AI Optimization for Generative Responses?

SAIO, in this context, entails tailoring content creation to resonate with the specific search algorithms generative AI systems employ. Here’s how SAIO can be applied:

• Understanding Generative AI Ranking Factors: While the specifics are not always public knowledge, generative AI systems likely consider factors like factual accuracy, relevance to the prompt, coherence, and engagement metrics when ranking responses.
• Content Optimization for Retrieval: By understanding these potential ranking factors, SAIO can guide content creation towards meeting these criteria. This may involve incorporating relevant keywords and phrases, structuring responses coherently, and ensuring factual accuracy through citations to reliable sources.

The Advantages of SAIO for Generative AI

Here’s how implementing SAIO can benefit responses generated by AI systems:

• Improved Search Visibility: By optimizing content for retrieval within generative AI systems, SAIO can increase the likelihood of your responses appearing for relevant prompts.
• Enhanced Credibility and Trust: Integrating citations from reputable sources strengthens the factual basis of AI-generated responses, fostering user trust and confidence.
• Broader Reach and Impact: With increased visibility and credibility, SAIO can amplify the reach and influence of AI-generated content.

Getting Started with SAIO for Generative AI

If you’re keen to leverage SAIO for your generative AI content, here are some initial steps:

• Investigate Generative AI Ranking Factors: Research available information about how generative AI systems rank responses. Industry publications and forum discussions can be valuable resources.
• Incorporate SEO Best Practices: While the specifics may differ, established SEO practices like keyword research and content structure can provide a strong foundation for SAIO in generative AI.
• Prioritize Factual Accuracy and Citation: Ensure the information presented in AI-generated responses is accurate and verifiable by citing reliable sources.

The Future of Generative AI is Search-Driven

Search AI Optimization presents a powerful approach to elevate the quality and discoverability of content produced by generative AI systems. By understanding how generative AI systems retrieve information, and tailoring content accordingly, SAIO can ensure your AI-generated responses are informative, trustworthy, and reach the intended audience.

ChatGPT Plus: Embracing the Future: Optimizing Your Website for Search AI Optimization (SAIO)

In the dynamic world of digital marketing, staying ahead involves not just understanding current trends but anticipating future changes. One such futuristic concept that is rapidly gaining traction is Search Artificial Intelligence Optimization, or SAIO. This blog explores what SAIO is, why it matters, and how you can optimize your website for this innovative field.

What is Search AI Optimization?

Search AI Optimization (SAIO) refers to the strategy of enhancing your website’s visibility to AI-driven search systems, like those powering conversational AI chatbots across various platforms (e.g., Google’s Search Generative Experience and Bing Copilot). Unlike traditional Search Engine Optimization (SEO), which targets human interactions and conventional search engine algorithms, SAIO focuses on appealing directly to artificial intelligence systems that interpret user queries and generate content-based responses.

Why is SAIO Important?

As AI technologies evolve, more users are turning to AI assistants for information retrieval. These systems use complex algorithms to parse through content and provide answers that are not only accurate but contextually relevant. Therefore, ensuring your content is discoverable by these AI systems can significantly increase your digital footprint and drive more organic traffic to your site.

How to Optimize for SAIO

1. Focus on Structured Data: AI systems thrive on well-structured data. Implementing Schema markup on your website can help AI understand the context of your pages, improving the likelihood of your content being featured in AI-driven responses.
2. Create Quality Conversational Content: Content that mimics human conversation tends to perform better with AI chatbots. This includes FAQs, how-to guides, listicles, and detailed articles that answer specific questions directly related to user queries.
3. Leverage E-E-A-T Principles: While Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust (E-E-A-T) are SEO cornerstones, they are equally important for SAIO. Content that demonstrates these qualities can help establish your site as a credible source for AI systems.
4. Update Content Regularly: AI systems prioritize up-to-date information. Regularly revising your content to keep it current can enhance its visibility and relevance to AI-driven queries.
5. Optimize for Voice Search: As voice-driven AI becomes more popular, optimizing your content for voice search is crucial. This involves focusing on natural language with clear, concise answers that are easy for voice assistants to interpret and deliver.
6. Perform AI-Focused Keyword Research: Researching how people phrase questions to AI assistants can guide your content creation. Tools designed to analyze voice search and AI queries can provide insights into the keywords and phrases that are gaining traction.

The Future of SAIO

Integrating SAIO with traditional SEO strategies offers a comprehensive approach to digital marketing that caters to both human users and sophisticated AI algorithms. As AI continues to permeate everyday life, adapting to its implications through SAIO will become not just beneficial but essential for maintaining and growing your online presence.

By adopting these strategies, businesses can ensure that their site remains relevant not only in today’s digital ecosystem but also in a future dominated by AI-driven technologies. Embrace SAIO today, and set your site up for success in the AI-enhanced landscape of tomorrow.

Perplexity: Unlocking the Power of Search Artificial Intelligence Optimization (SAIO)

In the rapidly evolving digital landscape, the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) on search and information discovery has become increasingly profound. As AI-powered chatbots and search engines continue to shape consumer behavior and decision-making, businesses are now faced with a new frontier in optimizing their online presence – Search Artificial Intelligence Optimization (SAIO). 

What is SAIO?

SAIO is a strategic approach that leverages the power of AI to enhance the visibility and positioning of brands, products, and content within the outputs of leading language models and search engines. Unlike traditional search engine optimization (SEO), which focuses on optimizing web pages and content, SAIO targets the underlying AI systems that power these search and discovery tools. 

The Importance of SAIO

As AI-driven chatbots and search engines become more prevalent, they are increasingly shaping the information that consumers receive and the decisions they make. By optimizing for SAIO, businesses can ensure that their brands, products, and content are prominently featured in the recommendations and outputs of these AI systems, ultimately driving increased visibility, engagement, and conversions. 

Strategies for Effective SAIO

Implementing a successful SAIO strategy requires a multifaceted approach. Key strategies include: 

1. Data Source Optimization: Carefully curating and optimizing the data sources used to train the AI models, ensuring that they are favorable towards the desired brands, products, and content. 
2. Content Optimization: Creating high-quality, relevant, and engaging content that aligns with the preferences and biases of the AI models. 
3. Brand Positioning: Establishing a strong brand presence and reputation within the AI ecosystem, through tactics such as influencer partnerships and strategic media placements. 
4. Continuous Monitoring and Adjustment: Closely monitoring the performance of SAIO efforts and making data-driven adjustments to maintain optimal results. 

The Ethical Considerations of SAIO

While SAIO presents significant opportunities for businesses, it also raises important ethical considerations. Concerns have been raised about the potential for SAIO to lead to biased and misleading information being presented by AI chatbots and search engines. It is crucial for businesses to approach SAIO with a strong ethical framework, prioritizing transparency, fairness, and the best interests of consumers. 

Unlocking the Future of Search

As the influence of AI continues to grow, SAIO will become an increasingly critical component of any comprehensive digital marketing strategy. By embracing this new frontier, businesses can unlock the power of AI to enhance their online visibility, drive engagement, and ultimately, achieve greater success in the digital landscape.

Generate visibility and traffic with citations and links in conversational chatbots like Bing Copilot, Google SGE, Google Gemini (formerly Bard), ChatGPT Plus, Perplexity, and more.

If you’ve been following the Google SGE (Search Generative Experience) storyline for as long as we have, you’ve seen the continuing saga of how and when SGE will be rolled-out of its current experimental status. The latest news about SGE testing IRL continues to cloud the full-launch time frame. This uncertain timeline might lull some SEO-ers into taking a wait-and-see approach to determine the best course of action or reaction to the live version when finally launched.

But the reality is conversational AI chatbots like Bing Copilot, ChatGPT Plus, and Perplexity are:

1. already live;
2. already stealing traditional SEO visibility;
3. and already driving clicks via citations and links to what they deem trustworthy content sources.

So, in the immortal words of Rocky’s manager, “What are we waiting for!?” Now is the time to protect your investment in organic search marketing by adding Search AI Optimization (SAIO, pronounced “say-oh”) to your traditional SEO strategy.

Here’s an Executive Summary of why SAIO is important and how you can approach these AI platforms as an opportunity rather than a threat to your organic search traffic:

• Simply put, a SAIO strategy focuses on optimizing websites to show up in searches—with link attribution—on conversational chatbots like Bing Copilot, Google SGE, ChatGPT Plus, and Perplexity.
• SAIO and SEO are not mutually exclusive strategies. In fact, they are both rooted in technical, content, and authority signals that address the EEAT and “helpful content” search quality standards for achieving search rankings and visibility.
• Successful implementation of a SAIO strategy requires shifting your SEO mindset. Your approach to keywords, website content delivery, and how you leverage social media for authority signals is different with SAIO.
• You should be thinking about how to integrate SAIO now, even if tools for monitoring and measuring “chat-tribution” haven’t fully emerged yet.

Now let’s dig deeper into SAIO by sharing some of the questions our clients are asking about this new strategy.

Who should be thinking about a SAIO strategy now?

Reports estimate Google SGE’s potential negative impact on search traffic could range from 17% on the low end to 76% on the extreme high end, depending on industry (more details on AI chatbot ads here). Regardless of your industry, you should be thinking about SAIO if:

• You are already leveraging traditional SEO tactics to bring significant volumes of relevant and “convert-able” organic search visitors to your website and/or
• You want to protect your brand’s competitive visibility in these new search environments.

Can you further explain why you need different types of content for SEO and SAIO?

One of the biggest adjustments when approaching SAIO vs. SEO is how you approach page architecture and content. For example, one of today’s popular SEO strategies utilizes a “pillar” approach with a primary page optimized for a topic that is supported by and linked with a series of sub-topic pages optimized for related keywords.

SAIO also takes a topical approach but, rather than separating sub-topics into separate pages, you can cover the supporting concepts on the topic page. However, the content on this single page needs to be more structured in formatting. This helps the AI learning models “see” the relevance of the content to the variety of intentions of potential user queries. Content formats we’ve found to have led to citations in AI chatbots responses include:

We’ve also seen the AI chatbots display and link to image graphics and videos that follow these structured approaches to content.

How should you approach links and social signals for SAIO?

Similar to the traditional search bots, the AI chatbots are looking for signs of authority and trust that support citing your content as relevant and reliable. To that end, we are seeing LinkedIn and YouTube as particularly attractive vehicles for supporting citations. LinkedIn is considered more credible than X or Facebook as its user base is composed of identifiable brands and professionals with demonstrated expertise and experience in their fields. YouTube channels with dedicated content around key topics similarly connote the EEAT values that work for both SEO and SAIO.

Final thoughts on SAIO

Those involved with SEO from the early days understand organic search is an ever-evolving, never-gonna-die part of an integrated digital marketing strategy. The introduction of conversational, generative AI chatbots like Google SGE and Bing Copilot are just another advancement in how people find relevant information to help them in their professional and personal lives. This AI search world is already live and rapidly gaining traction. So now is the time to protect the efficacy of your SEO program. By adding a SAIO strategy, you can reach and influence these AI searchers – and bring them directly to your brand, services, and products.

Other resources

• Perceptive Marketer – Weekly digital marketing briefs with a mindful twist!
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• SAIO LinkedIn Page
• Latest SAIO News and Blogs
  • Spring 2024 Rains Ads On Gen AI Results!
  • From Brand Authority to EEAT to SEO to SAIO
  • SEO vs. SAIO Content Strategy
  • The Yin & Yang of SEO and SAIO
  • SAIO and YouTube: Another Click In The (EEAT) Wall
  • SAIO and EEAT: The LinkedIn Connection
  • Search Artificial Intelligence Optimization (SAIO) News
  • 🎥 SAIO and SEO FAQs Answered
  • A SAIO (Rhymes with Day-oh) and SEO Strategy Success Story
  • The Chattribution Gap
  • 🎥 What AI Can and Can’t Do in the Search and Social Space
• Search Engine Land AIO (another name for SAIO) Article Library – Get the latest updates on AI optimization topics.
• Brand Nexus Prompt Templates – A tool that helps create AI chatbot prompts that produce valuable digital marketing insights.

Ah, the good old days of 2023 when AI chatbots provided those pristine results to our search queries. The pages were so clean and the citations – so clear. It was like the first beautiful day of spring when there is nothing but optimism for a brighter future. 

But now the ads have started to rain down and the pages have become muddied. Just look at this example from of a Google SGE results page:

We knew the ads were coming to SGE–it was only a matter of time with ads being Google’s biggest revenue generator. We should have realized ads would also start showing up in Bing Copilot results as Microsoft Search has always been a “monkey see, monkey do” to Google. At least with Copilot, the Gen AI response is above the Sponsored Product Ads and Listings:

What do ads in Gen AI results mean for Search AI Optimization (SAIO)?

First, not all Gen AI search bots are showing ads – yet. For example, Perplexity isn’t showing ads. Not only does it not have ads, but it puts the link citations at the top of its Gen AI response. So optimizing your website to be visible among the select few citations delivered from these ad-less AI search bots is valuable.

Second, just like there is a well-recognized rationale for leveraging SEO in relation to PPC, there is a need to leverage SAIO in relation to PPC. With the ads appearing at the top of the page, the next place to gain visibility for brands is in the Gen AI results.

Implementing a SAIO strategy is the best way to protect yourself from having your visibility washed out by Gen AI ads. Our proven SAIO approach gains Gen AI citations by bolstering the authority, trust, and relevance of your brand’s webpages. In this case, call it our SAIO authority umbrella.

Find more on Search AI Optimization (SAIO) here.

I’ve been thinking about how the evolution of AI and its bursting into our SEO world can be viewed a little bit like the origin story of Frankenstein.

First comes Dr. Frankenstein’s technological creation; he brought it to life in secrecy.

Then, comes his training. Gemini AI summarized the Frankenstein tale this way: “Through stolen books and observations of a nearby cottage family, the creature acquires language, reading, and rudimentary knowledge of history, science, and morality.”

We all know the rest of the story includes the revelation of the creature to the village and the subsequent fear it generated.

Fellow search villagers’ initial responses to AI’s launch in Bing Copilot, Gemini/Bard, Google Search Generative Experience, etc. were similar to Mary Shelly’s work. “SEO is finally dead!” and “Organic search traffic is going to drop by up to 76%!!” are a few of the howls we initially heard.

But rather than reaching for our pitchforks, the villagers at DBE took a different approach where we saw AI as not happening to us, it’s happening for us.

So we explored how AI search bots were working.

We performed our own AI experiments to test different ways we could help AI search bots learn about the topics/brands that are important to us. Some of our main theories and queries research included:

• How did the AI searchbots act differently from the traditional search bots?
• What forms of content did they find authoritative and worth citing?
• Were they influenced by off-website factors like social media posts?
• Did the results vary between the different AI platforms?

Then we saw the results of our experiments as what we fed into the AI ecosystem echoed back in the AI responses to related questions.

This is how we created and breathed life into our Search AI Optimization (SAIO) solutions. This is how we can help you not fear AI but teach it to like and link to you.

Have you heard about Moz’s Brand Authority metric? It was announced last fall at its Mozcon event and it has now been incorporated into its Pro platform as part of its new “Domain Overview” summary section. The section also includes the long-standing Domain Authority and Page Authority metrics that predict the ranking potential of a website or a specific page on a scale of 1-100. Brand Authority is also presented on a 1-100 scale and “shows the value of the brands that Google associates with a domain.”

Wait, what? Let’s try that again.

“Brand Authority™ is a score (1-100) developed by Moz that measures the total strength of a brand.” 

Understand it better now? 

After a deeper review of how Moz explains Brand Authority, DBE has settled on this explanation – Brand Authority is an algorithmic determination of a brand’s salience online in terms of search intent, search volume, and visibility. 

Regardless of how it is defined, it now can be used as a competitive metric where a brand with a higher Brand Authority score is deemed to have more online “authority” than brands with lower scores.

Okay, let’s start connecting some dots.

“Authority” is the A in Google’s EEAT cornerstone for generating the relevant, quality SEO content that influences rankings on traditional search engine results pages.

Search engine rankings results are one of the factors mentioned by both Google SGE and Bing Copilot as influencing what brands they cite with links in response to prompts in their AI platforms. Plus these AI search chatbots also mention LinkedIn as another online “authority” source they value.

So there you have it – the outline of a strategy map from Brand Authority to Search AI Optimization (SAIO). As always, the ability to deliver results success lies in the details of the implementation.

When we launched DBE’s Search Artificial Intelligence Optimization (SAIO) strategy for generating link citations in answers to questions asked of conversational search AI chatbots like Bing Copilot and Google SGE, we showed this iceberg image to help distinguish the similarities and differences between traditional SEO tactics and the new SAIO tactics:

We also created a new presentation slide for SAIO Best Practices that illustrates these tactics share the same three foundational optimization pillars: Technical (On-Website), Content (On-Website), Links/Social Signals (Off-Website). Compare SEO and SAIO best practices below:

Now we’re finding the connection between SEO and SAIO is more than a story of similarities; there is a real synergy of visibility generated when implementing both sets of best practices.

In a previous blog post, we established that Bing Copilot and Google SGE use traditional search index data as signals of authority and trust factors that influence the inclusion of link citations in their responses to conversational AI searches. Here’s an example of how that worked for our client, Paula Deen:

Now, we are seeing how implementation of SAIO-targeted conversational content in the form of FAQs, images, and videos are having the positive benefit of being included in multiple Google SERP (Search Engine Result Page) features in addition to organic listings:

So don’t think of implementing SEO best practices and SAIO best practices as an either/or situation and leverage the power of “and” – as in SEO and SAIO best practices combined.

Updated: 3/20/24

As part of our ongoing “human” learning process on conversational AI searches, we’ve been talking with the chatbots themselves about their “machine learning” processes. Today we’re sharing a recent Q&A session with Google’s Gemini (formerly Bard) that started with this simple question:

Here is Gemini’s response:

Note that Gemini included DBE’s SEO/SAIO Iceberg graphic with a citation link to our SAIO LinkedIn post. Gemini is becoming more like Google SGE and Bing Copilot, in terms of providing citations. More on LinkedIn in a moment. First, let’s review Gemini’s response to our prompt for more information on how SAIO can be used to gain visibility for searches:

It’s like Gemini is reading the DBE SAIO playbook! Now, let’s get back to LinkedIn and why it is being used by Gemini as a source for citation that fulfills the Experience, Expertise, Authority and Trust (EEAT) model for helpful content:

BTW, we first asked Gemini this question using X instead of Twitter but apparently Gemini had not been trained on the new name. Following this response, we asked Gemini to create a table comparing LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook in terms of relevance and trust.

We exported Gemini’s response and add our own subjective observations to create this table about SAIO, EEAT, and LinkedIn:

Update: You’ll see YouTube has now been added to the social channels in the above chart. We’ve found through our testing that YouTube can convey EEAT value depending on the authority of the source and the content. LinkedIn is still a more important channel for SAIO.