The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has been a cause for concern among many professionals, but according to the State of Technical SEO Report 2024, the majority of technical SEOs are not worried about it negatively impacting their job security. The report, released by digital marketing agency Aira and the Women in Tech SEO community, found that 64% of technical SEOs surveyed said they were “not at all” worried about AI’s impact.
While some may argue that these concerns are not without merit, the report highlights that AI is not a substitute for human employees. The nuanced application of common sense, which AI has yet to master, is key in the realm of SEO. Technical SEOs, also known as humans, play a crucial role in this field that AI cannot replace.
Despite the overall confidence in job security, the report reveals that there are still worries about the impact of Google Search Generative Experience (SGE) on regular organic search results. Seventy percent of respondents expressed concern about this aspect of AI development. Natasha Burtenshaw-deVries, director of organic growth at Flywheel Digital, highlighted the uncertainty surrounding SGE and the importance of understanding how everyday users will react to it.
When it comes to how AI is being integrated into SEO practices, the report found that 52% of respondents used AI and machine learning (ML) tools to generate metadata such as titles and descriptions. Additionally, 46% used these tools for content generation, 35% for keyword research, and 23% for auditing pages.
Interestingly, the report also showed that the majority of technical SEOs do not believe that AI poses a threat to Google’s dominance in the search market. Eighty-five percent of respondents do not see ChatGPT as a standalone tool as a threat to Google, and 70% do not believe Bing can take away search market share from Google.
In summary, the State of Technical SEO Report 2024 provides insights into the perspectives of technical SEOs regarding AI and its impact on job security. While the majority are not worried about their job security, there are concerns about specific aspects of AI development, such as Google SGE. The report emphasizes the importance of human expertise in SEO and highlights the various ways in which AI and ML tools are being utilized in the field. Overall, it’s clear that while AI may bring changes to the industry, technical SEOs remain confident in their role and the value they bring to businesses.
