Tips Tuesday – AI Terminology, Static vs Dynamic Content, AI Phishing Attacks

Tips this week include:

• Rolling with constant disruption in content marketing
• Living on the in-betweens with AI and regular search
• Awaiting AI browsers
• What to do now to get traffic
• AI Agent terminology
• SEO vs GEO
• LLMs.txt is a waste of time
• Will AI force all content to be dynamic?
• Static content vs dynamic content
• The caveat of dynamic content
• Why you need to check metrics and adjust strategies
• The caveat of seasonal videos
• AI tools ramp up phishing attacks
• Your site security starts with you

Q4 starts tomorrow. Are you ready?

Content Marketing

Rolling with Constant Disruption

Saying that our traffic from usual sources has been down for the last 2 years is the understatement of the decade.

The disruptions have come in waves.

Covid gave some sites a major boost and decimated others.

Some sites closed up shop after Google’s HCU.

Then ChatGPT was released right behind it, which further disrupted traffic.

Living on the In-Betweens

For those of us hanging in, we are watching traffic from AI summaries slowly creep up as regular Search traffic continues to decline.

I’ve read reports that 85% of ChatGPT users are still doing regular Google Search too. But then only 14% of those who regularly use Google Search also consult ChatGPT.

Those percentages are even wider with other AI platforms like Perplexity and Claude.

But, the number of AI Search users is growing year over year.

Awaiting AI Browsers

For years now, I’ve been reporting on the AI disruptions as they emerge.

In fact, Google’s AI has done a fantastic job of summarizing that reporting. I searched for “blogaid ai browser wars” to help me quickly find the Tips Tuesday post where I mentioned it.

Google’s AIO returned this full summary of my AI reporting. (Let me know if this link shows you that summary or not. I’ve never shared an AIO link before.)

Whether you can see it or not, the reason I’m sharing it is because I believe this is the type of search experience that will be the norm in the near future. Lots of info, but not lots of links to the sources. 

FYI, many of the links that it did show were to my posts on LinkedIn or other social platforms, not to BlogAid directly!!! And in LI, it’s just the summary with a bullet point list of headings, which shows just how important the SEO on those are.

I’ve kept my ear to the ground with the development of AI browsers from OpenAI and Perplexity. No additional info has been released on them yet.

Google was working on one too, but I’m not sure they need a different setup for it, as they are already doing it right in Google Search with the AIO. Of course, that doesn’t stop Google from confusing everyone with different ways to get to Gemini, and that’s basically what AIO summaries are, just sans the chat box to ask it more questions.

What to Do Now

I turned the DIY SEO course on its head this year because we need to find new ways to get traffic to our sites that are beyond Search.

That includes a renewed focus on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube as well as all things video on any platform where we can post them.

SEO applies to all of these platforms as much as it does to your site. That’s especially true with video.

All year I’ve been trying new things and sharing the results with you.

And all year we’ve had masterminds to help each other figure out settings, algorithms, and posting strategies.

I’m hearing from more of you that you’re finally taking the leap into video and that thrills me!!!

And more of you jumped into products this year and put them on Shopify or other platforms too. I’m delighted for you!!!

The point is, you can try to coast through whatever comes and be satisfied with the lower income. Or you can adapt and try new things to get eyeballs and make money in new ways.

I’m keeping my eyes open for the changes and opportunities and will continue to report them as they develop. And I’ll do my best to create workshops and tutorials so you can keep on top of those changes too.

SEO Tips

AI has introduced a slew of new words and acronyms to the SEO community. 

Let’s cover a few so you can keep current on the changes that are impacting your content visibility.

AI Agent Terminology

The pro SEO community is still trying to settle on what to call the different aspects of AI crawling and automation.

Following are a few terms that are bubbling to the top, and what they can mean.

• AI Agent – this is an AI bot that works autonomously from a set of directives. 
• AI Crawler Bot – these are AI Agents created by entities, like OpenAI and Perplexity and some SEO agencies, that crawl the web. Google has employed them for decades.
• AI Response Agent – this is an AI Agent that powers a chatbot, like ChatGPT, that carries out a query search, collates the findings, and delivers them as a response to the user. AI Response Agents are also the type that can scan info, such as an email or any other transcription, and quickly summarize it. Not many folks are adding the word “Response” to their title to distinguish this use case, though, and just call them AI Agents. 
• Agentic AI SEO – the act of preparing and optimizing content to be easily found and captured by an AI Crawler Bot or AI Response Agent.

SEO vs GEO

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. 

This is the content/link game we’ve been playing with Google for the last decade or so.

Every successful SEO tactic we have honed and used for years failed us when Google released the Helpful Content Update in the summer of 2022. 

That upending was quickly followed by the disruption of AI when ChatGPT was released in Nov 2022.

But, standard SEO practices are not dead. They just need to be augmented.

GEO stands for Generative Engine Optimization.

This is the new game we are playing to get our content shown in AI summaries, like AIO, which is Google Search’s AI Overview section.

GEO tactics are changing every 6 months in response to how Search and AI responses are evolving.

NOBODY knows exactly what works to get their content shown in AI searches on all of the various AI platforms.

And even if they find what they think works, the criteria and/or the output format changes.

Keep in mind that every platform displaying AI results has radically different criteria for what it considers the best, most useful response to a query. And some AIs aren’t limited to content from just the web, either.

So, if you optimize for one AI Search, it may not pass muster for any of the others.

THIS, above all else, is why standard SEO is not dead yet. Authoritative, well-written content is still required no matter what type of bot is crawling or displaying it.

LLMs.txt is a Waste of Time

An llms.txt file was a first attempt at making a file similar to robots.txt, but specifically for AI bot crawlers.

All this year I’ve advised that it is a waste of time because there is no standard and none of the major AI platforms use it.

Plus, I told you how it could actually do more harm than good.

I’m not alone in my assessment.

Now, John Mueller at Google has confirmed that llms.txt is not only a waste of time, but a bad idea.

And the rest of that post describes where the misinformation about this thing started, and the position other pro SEOs are taking on it.

While few are as bold as me in saying, “Oh, hell no!” most are taking a middle of the road, politically correct stance on it, which is “won’t help, but doesn’t hurt”. And that is not really helpful because it doesn’t show the caveats of using it. Yes, it could hurt.

So, I’m standing in my opinion that we won’t even consider it until the AI agencies say they want it and will use it if it meets the standards they set.

Will AI Force All Content to Be Dynamic?

The nice folks over at Search Engine Journal have an interesting series running on Agentic AI in SEO.

Part 3 in the series is titled AI Agents & The Future Of Content Strategy.

The section that piqued my interest is Agentic Edge SEO.

In short, it says that creators should have multiple versions of the same content, but each emphasizes a different angle that would better match the search query trends.

Here is their explanation of how this type of dynamic content would work:

“Let us consider a product page as a case study. If Google highlights “sustainable” or “economical” trends for a particular search, this page automatically adapts its titles, metadata, and visuals to align with these market signals.”

Each article version is held in limbo and delivered from a CDN in response to a query based entirely on what trend Google is pushing at that time.

Static Content vs Dynamic Content

Maybe this dynamic content strategy works for products, but I don’t think it will work for the type of blog content we create.

Currently, we do static SEO and expect the search crawler bots to pick up the difference in similar content, and then sort that out with their AI, and then deliver the right link in response to a query.

For example – you have a typical apple pie recipe post and then another recipe post with the gluten-free version. Those are 2 different posts with 2 different URLs. The search engine should have crawled both, recognized the difference, and delivered the appropriate one to the user who entered the query. 

But with this Agentic AI SEO plan for dynamic content, they have every variation of apple pie recipe connected to one URL and the version that gets displayed is based entirely on which one best matches the query related to the trend Google is currently pushing.

The Caveat of Dynamic Content

The biggest issue with trying to serve dynamic content is the lag time.

First, you have to constantly gather metrics on what is trending. That changes on a weekly/monthly basis.

Plus, AI crawler bots just crawl what’s currently on the site, and that could be 2-3 weeks behind any trend change. 

So, while you could serve content that matches a trend change, Google may not know you have it yet, and won’t know until their next crawl.

No thank you. We’ll be sticking with static content SEO. 

While you need to know what’s happening with SEO, like this dynamic content thing, I don’t want you to feel like you’re falling behind with AI SEO if you don’t jump on every trend that pro SEO folks are pushing.

Some of these things apply to highly competitive products more than the type of content most of us create.

Video Tips

Why You Need to Check Metrics and Adjust Strategies

Earlier this year on Heartwood Art, I made long-form videos for using the jigsaw. One video was tips about the tool and the other was for making different cuts. Both were made up of segments that I could easily edit into Shorts. 

The goal was to have the Shorts get more Reach and link to the long-form video that paid more revenue.

And it’s working!!

So, I used that same strategy with my Halloween craft videos.

It didn’t work at all!!!

The Shorts are getting good watch time, but there are very few clicks over to the long-form video.

Plus, it seems that YouTube does not push holiday craft videos as early as crafters would be looking for them. I had to postpone my Halloween Shorts until September, as the ones in August were getting no reach at all.

Y’all, this is why you have to look at your metrics and adjust strategy. You can’t assume that a strategy that worked on one video will work on another. You have to check to ensure you’re on the right track with each video.

The Caveat of Seasonal Videos

As you saw in last week’s Tips Tuesday, I need to keep my tight content creation schedule through the end of this year.

So, I finished making my Christmas craft videos on time this past week, but I won’t be publishing them until the very end of October because of what the metrics tell me about the Halloween videos.

That strategy will work fine on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

But it won’t work well for Pinterest, which has been showing Xmas stuff since August.

So, I’ve decided that videos pay me more than anything, and getting that freshly-published push on video-leading platforms is what’s most important to me.

Some Pinterest posts can catch on in about 2 weeks, but I’m not expecting a lot of traffic from the new holiday Pins this year.

Instead, I am counting on Pinterest to show these posts year over year, like it does for the Wood Jack o’Lantern Pins I’ve had on there for the last 5 years. So, it may be next year before I see real traffic gains from that platform on these new Pins, and I’m okay with that.

I’m also taking into consideration that my top-performing Pin is for a set of garage shelves, which is evergreen. And those tend to do better all year long.

Security Tips

AI Tools Ramp Up Phishing Attacks

I don’t want to call by name or link directly to this tool, so I’m linking to a post from Post Status that has more info on it.

Look for the section with the new AI tool that is being sold on the Dark Web. 

It is helping cyber criminals carry out email phishing attacks at a level we have never seen before. It even includes metrics and content creation tools to help them hone their delivery.

See how to protect yourself below.

Your Site Security Starts with You

Y’all know I’m doing everything I can to keep your sites safe.

But I can’t protect it from you.

It’s time to get super serious about every aspect of your online security.

Most phishing attacks are in the form of a legit-looking vendor email or SMS text message.

Here’s how to protect yourself, including ways you’re probably not considering:

• NEVER click on a link in the email or message itself no matter how official it looks. Instead, log into your account with that vendor and see if there are any notifications or messages.
• Report any messages that you know are spam or phishing emails/messages. That helps your provider track and block them.
• Log out of sites/accounts when you are finished with them.
• Close inactive browser tabs – this is the WORST habit I see – folks having 20 browser tabs open, including their email client. If you click on a malicious link in one of those open tabs, it could take over your browser and get control or snoop on every other tab you have open.

Let’s stay safe online and on our devices!!