The launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 has been a real game changer for digital marketers across the world. SEO professionals are still trying to navigate the potential benefits and power of this technology.

The ability to type in search queries through live chat and get perfectly and uniquely written content hosts several advantages for those looking to create more content rapidly and scale their online businesses. Webmasters can also create codes faster than they can manually and this can be used to compliment or replace developers.

However, this may also present more challenges with increased competition across the digital marketing landscape and questions on how Google’s search results are going to react with increased marketing intelligence.

We speak to some industry experts and startup marketers to get more insight into how ChatGPT is changing SEO.

Content creation

For consumers, the ability to create unique content and do it almost instantly is probably the biggest advantage of ChatGPT.

“Many SEO professionals may have been dubious at first,” explains Andrew Baker of finance startup, Doddler.

“Writing unique content is something that is drilled into you from day one and anything that is automated or too good to be true can only be negative for SEO.”

“But the early evidence shows that ChatGPT is consistent and the content it produces is unique and can rank well if done correctly,” says Richard Allan of Divorce Bob.

“When it might have typically taken us 6 to 8 weeks to produce 50 pages of quality guides and blog posts, ChatGPT can do this in something like 3 hours.”

“We have been able to add pages for more than 1600 area codes across the US using ChatGPT – and this would have been a mountain to climb without AI or not something we would have considered doing.”

“It still needs a proper SEO person to interpret the right number of keywords, content length and other SEO bits like internal links and headings – but it certainly presents a very scalable way to push out content.

“It presents endless possibilities for targeting area codes, times, amounts and other long tail keywords both domestically and if you were to launch into different countries.”

Staffing and outsourcing

Outsourcing your content and code has been popular for many years, with startups and companies using the likes of Fiverr and outsourcing to India and Philippines for their marketing teams.

“But with ChatGPT, it questions whether you need to hire content staff at all,” argues Matthew Sullivan of consumer finance site, Harpsey.

“For years, there has been a question of whether you even need content writers or developers in-house and why pay local rates when it is cheaper abroad? But today, it is a question of whether you need to hire writers and developers at all.”

“This could mean that thousands of content writers could go out of work overnight. However, in practice, the early signs show that although millions are using ChatGPT, it is a small number to create an economic shock and that traditional businesses are still preferring the manual approach. But who knows if paid writers are using ChatGPT to do their work?”

Rapid prototyping and testing

“With the opportunity to create content so fast, this has given us an exciting way to test and try things out,” explains Gavin Cooper, the founder of Claims Bible. “And this is what a huge part of SEO really is.”

“We have been able to throw content together quickly and test out different site layouts and designs or even compare platforms such as Wix, Webflow or WordPress and determine which ranks the best in the SERPs. From there, we have been able to scale up and build out our business.”

“For us, we have been able to replicate hundreds of pages for different types of claims, whether it is for injuries, banks, car manufacturers and many more – and by having consistent meta-data and good backlinks, we have been able to secure positions on Google and generate quality leads.”

Changes in Google SERPs

If we imagine millions of websites using ChatGPT to put out new content and develop new sites, are we going to see huge fluctuations in rankings across all industries?

This does not appear to be the case yet, with ChatGPT operating now for more than 6 months. But it certainly will not be surprising if some industries which are very tech savvy such as consumer finance, casinos or crypto make huge strides in this area.

Hence, one might expect for some new brands to emerge on page 1 for some very competitive keywords, almost out of thin air, or for there to be some early wins for some sites and some even harder crashes if they get penalized.

Still need experience and SEO knowledge

SEO is always changing and no doubt, ChatGPT has created a paradigm shift and an exciting way to put out fast content and replicate code, allowing new and established businesses to scale up quicker than ever before.

Whilst the Google rule of thumb that ‘content is king’ still applies, one cannot deny it is Wie SEO professionals use this content that is truly important and will notably change the SEO landscape.

Whilst you can have content written quickly and to a high standard, it is not valuable unless it has smart and experienced SEO to back it up.

It is key to understand the right content to create, the right keyword research, user intent, meta-data and semantics – and if you can pair this with ChatGPT, this could be the recipe for true SEO success.

Born between 1997 and 2012, Generation Z (Gen Z) are the first generation to have grown up with the internet, social media, and smartphones as part of their everyday lives.

And as the largest generation in history, Gen Z is rapidly becoming a powerful force in the global economy.

Yet, when it comes to marketing to this generation, particularly at the local level, the old rules of digital-first marketing that have worked with millennials increasingly don’t apply.

Gen Z often has very different attitudes toward consumption shaped by the reality of growing up chronically online and coming of age remotely in the throes of a global pandemic.

To make strides with Gen Z, it’s time to retire the old playbook.

As marketers, we need to understand what drives them and rethink our approach to reaching them where they spend most of their time online: On social media.

Who Is Gen Z?

Gen Z is unique among current generations – not just for the social structure they have come up in, but also for their spending habits, which differ from other generations.

According to a 2021 Bloomberg report, they collectively have about $360 billion in disposable income.

They are saving more, thrifting, and decidedly not purchasing from companies that don’t reflect their values.

Additionally, according to Credit Karma, almost one-third of American Gen Zers between the ages of 18 and 25 live at home with their parents or other relatives, meaning less of their money is tied up in rent, groceries, and utilities.

Social media is embedded into the fabric of their lives.

A 2022 survey by Morning Consult found that 54% of Gen Zers said they spend at least four hours daily on social media, and 38% spend even more time than that. Their most used social platforms are YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat.

Furthermore, data from Statista in 2022 suggests that almost 80% of Gen Zers and millennials have bought something they saw on social media.

When it comes to online versus in-person shopping, it’s more of a toss-up. Gen Z is accustomed to the convenience of online shopping, but they value real-life experiences, as well as the ease of same-day pickup.

A Deloitte study in 2023 also found a 50/50 split between Gen Zers and millennials who see online interactions as meaningful replacements to in-person experiences, and those who prefer the real thing.

All of this suggests that an omnichannel approach to the customer experience is best for Gen Z, but still poses an interesting conundrum for marketers.

We know where Gen Zers are spending their time and how to reach them, but what does it take to connect with them authentically? And what drives them to log off and shop in person?

Here are five social media practices to consider.

Embrace Partnership With Creators

The concept of the traditional “influencer” – who does sponsorship deals, goes on brand trips and sells an aspirational lifestyle attainable to their followers through the purchasing of products – dominated the 2010s.

But for Gen Z, that heyday is proving to be behind us. As they become savvier about when and how they’re being sold to, the creator economy is king.

In this new paradigm, authenticity and originality are lauded over aspiration.

TikTok creator Alix Earle jumps to mind as a prime example. Earle has seen rapid fame in just a few short months, surpassing 5 million followers today.

She has all the marks of a traditional influencer – the travel, high-end products, and aspirational lifestyle – but her unpolished and relatable tone is arguably what garnered her a massive audience, and what them around as her lifestyle appears to become less attainable.

When she recommends a product to an audience, it feels organic, like a recommendation from a friend.

As a brand, encouraging, engaging with, and platforming this type of user-generated content (UGC) – where your product might not be the star of a scripted video, but a detail in a larger story – can be very effective with Gen Z.

Give The Brand A Persona Online

In addition to outsourcing content to creators with their own audiences, we’re also seeing the emergence of brands becoming influencers in their own right.

Some do this by bringing on a well-known creator to represent their brand’s social presence. For example, Kyle Prue, a TikTok creator with over 1.1M followers, has become jointly known for the personal finance brand, Fizz.

Stylistically, the content for Fizz is virtually indistinguishable from his personal content – except for the fact that it’s about personal finance.

Others employ a character or a staff member to become the face of the brand online. The popular language learning app, Duolingo, has amassed over 6.5 million TikTok followers making videos featuring its mascot, the Duolingo owl (and most of these videos have nothing to do with learning a language).

Another example with a different twist is the bag brand, Baboon to the Moon, which leverages a few of its Gen Z team members to make content that often features products prominently but feels snarky and off the cuff – a tone that tends to resonate well with the Gen Z audience.

Focus On Engagement Over Follower Count

Gen Z is far less brand loyal than its predecessors.

They’re frequently served content from social media main pages like TikTok’s For You page, Instagram’s Discover tab, and YouTube’s Recommended page.

An eye toward individual post engagement and visibility can be a better indicator of success than follower count by profile.

From a local experience (LX) perspective, this also means that there can be value in creating profiles for local stores to build a more personal connection with those locations.

Showing the location, offers, or events specific to that store and the people who work there could encourage more engagement.

For example, the TikTok profile for a Barnes and Noble location in Canton, Connecticut, has 16,000 followers and nearly 682,000 likes on its posts.

Democratizing content creation in this way can be a great way to generate more overall engagement, especially at the community level, and foster a sense of ownership with your staff.

Use Trends To Your Advantage

Viral content has become more attainable and yet more fleeting than ever.

Household name brands spending thousands on highly produced social media content can end up with a mixed bag of reach and engagement, while local library branches, museums, and businesses garner millions of views and engagements by jumping on the latest trending CapCut template (see: Pedro Pascal and Nicholas Cage.)

Keeping up with in-the-moment trends and acting fast on platforms like TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts can pay huge dividends in garnering awareness and positive association.

And keeping it simple is actually a positive – unlike a platform like Instagram, where feed posts are expected to be high quality and aesthetically appealing.

Optimize Your Google Business Profile

Let’s say that you successfully build the authentic connection and positive association necessary to attract a Gen Z buyer.

At the local level, their experience begins when they open a new tab on their computer or switch apps on their photo to search for your brand – and there’s a strong chance that they are turning to Google to do that.

In a 2022 study of local consumer search behavior (Disclosure: I work for Rio SEO), we found that:

•  47% of Gen Zers said they very frequently use Google Search and Google Maps to find information about businesses in their area.
• 65% of the most frequently searched information on local business listings is the business address/directions – followed by reviews (56%), hours of operation (54%), and website (54%).
• 68% of Gen Zers conduct online searches a few times per day.
• 65% of Gen Zers want to travel 10 miles or less for a business’s products or services.

To progress your Gen Z leads from Social-Media-Marketing into conversion, managing your LX and optimizing with your Google Business Profile (GBP) is key.

Your GBP should be optimized for mobile and up-to-date, with correct store hours and addresses with GPS directions, as well as quick visibility into in-store inventory, payment options, and other store highlights.

In Conclusion

The key takeaway is this: Gen Z social media marketing requires striking a balance between adaptability of medium and consistency of voice to bring in an engaged audience.

Optimizing online, social media, and local experience will equip brands to convert that audience into customers.

The brands that make both sides a priority will be the best poised to break through to this notoriously elusive generation.

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Featured Image: CarlosBarquero/Shutterstock

To set goals and track and measure your performance in any campaign, you will need key performance indicators (KPIs) and benchmarks.

But with so many KPIs, knowing exactly which ones you should be benchmarking can be challenging. In this article, we will look at which SEO benchmarks matter and why. 

Many people usually talk about key performance indicators (KPIs) and benchmarks interchangeably, which can be confusing, especially if you’re new to SEO. Although they do work together, they are not the same.

KPIs are industry statistics you can use to measure performance over time and give insights as to how effective your SEO campaign is. 

Benchmarks, however, are KPIs you set as your reference point when building your SEO strategy. 

For example, organic traffic is a KPI. But you can use last month’s organic traffic as a benchmark.

SEO benchmarks allow us to have a before and after picture for any particular KPI. This helps us to see how our SEO campaign is progressing and can help us to adjust our strategy if needed. 

Benchmarks also allow us to communicate the value of our work to clients. 

There are many different KPIs you can measure. And like most things in SEO, which ones you should track will depend on the type of site you’re working on and their individual goals. 

However, there are several KPIs that are important for tracking the performance of all websites. 

Let’s take a look at which KPIs everyone should be benchmarking and why they are important. 

Traffic and user experience benchmarks

Driving users to your site is only part of the work. 

If a site user has a bad experience, they are likely to leave the site and never return. This is why we not only want to set traffic-related benchmarks but also user experience benchmarks too.

Organic search traffic

This metric shows how many users visit your site from unpaid listings on search engines like Google and Bing. You should be tracking traffic on a monthly basis. 

When setting benchmarks, generally speaking, it is advisable to use the last full month’s data and not set it any further back than this, as the goal should always be to outperform your closest benchmark. 

However, if seasonality is a factor in your business, it’s advisable to use your best month in the peak season as your ongoing benchmark. 

For accuracy, when it comes to organic traffic from Google, it is advisable to check Google Search Console (GSC). 

There are a number of discrepancies between GSC and Google Analytics due to how they collect data. But when focusing on organic traffic from Google itself, GSC is considered more accurate. 

Head over to Google Search Console and go to Performance > Search results.

In the “Performance” report, you will see four metrics. The first metric, “clicks,” is the number of people who clicked through from the Google search results to your website. This is the number we are interested in. 

Below this, you can also see the number of clicks at page level.

If you want to split organic traffic by search engine, you can do this with GA4. Go to Acquisition > Traffic acquisition.

Then you can go to “All Users” and choose “First user source / medium” from the “Audience name” drop-down menu. 

Then you can select the organic search channels you want to include from the “Dimension values” drop-down menu. This can be all organic traffic from multiple search engines, or you can set individual benchmarks for each search engine, like Bing or Yahoo. 

With these filters applied, you will see your website’s organic traffic for the past month. If you would like to see it broken down at the page level, you can simply go to Engagement > Pages and screens. 

Engaged sessions

In GA4, “Bounce rate” has essentially been replaced by “Engaged sessions.” In order for a session to be engaged, it must last longer than 10 seconds, have multiple screen or page views, or result in a conversion. 

You can see the number of engaged sessions per user in Engagement > Overview.

Average engagement time

Average engagement time in GA4 is important because, generally speaking, we want users to stay on the site for a longer period of time. 

Low engagement time isn’t always a bad thing. It can simply mean the visitor got what they needed fast. If you’re working with a site that monetizes content like an affiliate site, you will want your visitor to click that affiliate link as soon as possible. So take this one with a grain of salt.

However, it can sometimes be an indicator of:

• Low-quality content
• Poor user experience

Overall average engagement time is listed on the “Report snapshot” in GA4.

But you can get a detailed breakdown in Engagement > Pages and screens.

Backlink profile benchmarks

Backlinks are links from another website to a page on your website. They help Google and other search engines understand your content and how authoritative your website is. 

The backlinks’ quality, quantity, relevance, authority, and anchor text are among the many ranking factors for Google. 

Number of backlinks

You want the number of (quality) links to be growing at a consistent rate. You need backlinks both to rank and maintain your rankings. Benchmarking the number of backlinks your website has will help you to monitor growth as you go forward.

With the Backlinks report in Ahrefs’ Site Explorer, you can see the total number of links to your website. 

You can also see the number of individual referring domains and how they are growing month over month (and compare that against competitors on the same graph). 

This is an important thing to benchmark, as there is a strong positive correlation between the number of referring domains and increased organic traffic. 

Domain Rating

Ahrefs’ Domain Rating (DR) is a measure of the strength of a website’s backlink profile. It shows how your website’s backlink profile compares to the others in the Ahrefs database on a 100-point scale.

The idea would be for your website’s DR to increase over time as an indication that the strength of your backlink profile is improving. 

Benchmarking DR is a pretty common practice, especially among those working with clients who may not fully comprehend SEO and, in particular, link building. It’s easier to relay that DR getting higher indicates improvement.

URL Rating

Although DR correlates with Google rankings pretty well, it doesn’t do this as well as Ahrefs’ URL Rating (UR). UR is a measure of an individual page’s backlink profile on a 100-point scale.

UR considers both internal and external links and “nofollow” attributes when calculating the UR score, following the same principles as Google’s PageRank. Therefore, benchmarking UR can help you understand how well an individual page can rank on the search engine results pages (SERPs).  

Keyword benchmarks

Keywords are the bread and butter of your SEO campaign. After all, you need to understand what relevant queries your potential audience is searching for in order to optimize your pages. 

Individual keyword positions

Your website could naturally rank for thousands of keywords on the SERPs. However, there should be some keywords you care about more than others—likely those that are most relevant to your products or services. 

Benchmarking individual keyword positions (where they rank in the search results) will allow you to track and set goals for important keywords. For example, if your website currently ranks in position #6 for “seo consultant,” you can use that as your benchmark to improve upon. 

While you can monitor keywords in Google Search Console, using a rank tracking tool like Ahrefs’ Rang-Tracker will allow you to track the keywords you care about most and see how you stack up against competitors. You can even get email alerts about the progress of your tracked keywords.

Keyword profile value

Although benchmarking the keyword profile value may not be relevant for everyone, I find that for anyone working with clients, it can help them to relay the value of the work they’re doing. Keyword profile value can be seen in Ahrefs’ Site Explorer as “Traffic value.”

Organic traffic value is the equivalent monthly cost of traffic from all keywords that the target website/URL ranks for if paid via PPC instead of ranking organically. 

Keyword Difficulty

Ahrefs’ Keyword Difficulty (KD) is a metric that can help you determine how hard it would be to rank in the top 10 for a given keyword in a given country. 

It is calculated by taking a trimmed mean of the number of linking domains to the current top 10 ranking pages and then plotting the result on a logarithmic scale from 0 to 100. 

KD only takes into account linking domains, but there are many other variables you will need to rank highly, like great content. However, it is a good indicator. 

KD can be used as a benchmark for choosing keywords. For example, you may find that, currently, you can only rank for keywords that are considered “easy” or “medium” in terms of KD. Whereas your most important keywords may be considered “hard.” 

However, the level of KD you can achieve should improve over time. That’s why KD can be an important metric to benchmark and improve upon. 

Share of voice

Share of voice (SOV) takes rank tracking to another level. You can see SOV in the Überblick report in Rang-Tracker.

The SOV metric shows you the percentage of all possible organic clicks (from the SERPs) for the tracked keywords landing on your website. It basically shows you how visible your brand is on the SERPs.

There is a strong positive correlation between SOV and market share. So it is an important KPI to benchmark. 

By heading to the “Competitors” tab in Rang-Tracker and entering the websites you consider your competition, you can compare your SOV to those sites. 

Abschließende Gedanken  

Benchmarking important KPIs is one of the best ways to not only see where your website is currently at but also give you data you can improve upon. It allows you to set strategic goals and measure ongoing performance.

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