Written by Martin Wiles

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Alert! SEO and AI are not our enemies, just as the television wasn’t the “one-eyed” monster some originally called it. Instead, what we think about these and other things is a matter of perspective.

Much of what is now written ends up, in whole or in part, on the internet. And since writers want their work seen and read, we must ensure the writing is SEO- and even AI-friendly. Editors may need to gently remind their clients of this.

The Definitions

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. In simple terms, this means formatting our writing so it’s easier for search engines to discover. What writer does not want their book, devotion, article, or blog post to show up when someone searches keywords that relate to their writing? Or even for their name. But presently, with many search engines, what often appears before the search results is AI-produced material. AI stands for Artificial Intelligence. In truth, this is a misnomer because it produces human-generated material.

So how do we produce SEO- and AI-friendly writing?

Formatting for SEO and AI

Title

Titles are critical. ChatGPT is one of the popular “bots” that does a good job with suggesting titles. The writer can ask it to provide ten alternative titles for the title they have proposed. Then, they can ask the bot to choose the title likely to get the highest rating in an AI or Google search.

When posting on the web, the title should be listed as a keyword and included in the post description. It should also be incorporated at least twice in the body of the writing. This can be accomplished by including it in a sentence, preferably in the first paragraph, provided doing so does not result in awkward readings.

Hook

Hooks are also essential. Although the hook will look different in a book than in a devotion, blog post, article, or even short story, it is still critical. The writer’s hook is often a personal illustration that may not lend itself to incorporating the title in the first sentence or paragraph. There are ways to circumvent this without affecting the SEO analysis. The writer can place headings within the writing. This also makes the writing scannable, which is also essential for SEO analysis.

Voice

Active voice is another significant element affecting SEO analysis. The goal is for the manuscript, no matter how long, to have no more than 10% of the sentences in passive voice. Let the subject do the acting rather than receive the action.

Long Sentences

A further factor affecting SEO and AI effectiveness is sentences of more than twenty words. These can be shortened by varying sentence structure, but without making the writing sound as if a first grader wrote it.

Consecutive Sentences

Another element that can affect SEO analysis is three consecutive sentences that begin in the same way. Varying sentence structure also cures this.

Preference or Productivity

Some writers may react negatively to this formatting process. As editors, we can gently remind them that undergoing this process does not have to change their writing style or voice. This is merely a matter of formatting some aspects so the writer can reach a larger audience.

Although writing can be and often is cathartic, we generally want our writing to benefit others. Using SEO and AI in this way benefits the writer but does not change the author’s style or voice. Of course, in the final analysis, the author determines whether to change or modify their original title.

In writing, the writer often must choose between preference and productivity. Preference might be how an author wants to title, write, and format their writing, but productivity frequently entails compromising a little to achieve the widest audience, which, after all, is one of the main reasons a writer writes.

Like it or not, our world now includes SEO and AI. As writers and editors, let’s embrace both and use them as positives, not negatives.

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