Welcome to another edition of The SEOs Diner's Club! Each week, I bring you a digest of the latest SEO updates and AI-driven insights, all crafted to fit into just a few minutes of your time. With over a decade of experience in SEO, my goal is to break down the week’s most important developments into a quick, insightful read. This way, you stay ahead of the curve in less than seven minutes. Let's jump into what matters this week!

How Your Brand Can Stand Out In AI and LLM Answers?

In this article, I discussed strategies you can implement to ensure your brand is included in these tools' responses.

In today's digital marketing world, achieving brand visibility through large language models (LLMs) and artificial intelligence tools has become an important strategic goal.

SEO specialists and digital marketing professionals are curious about how their brands can appear in responses provided by AI-based tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. However, finding reliable and detailed information on this topic can be challenging.

How Do LLMs Generate Responses?

Considering SEO's impact on Google and other search engines, keyword usage, content quality, and backlinks play a significant role in this process. However, the "link" factor is not as crucial for large language models (LLMs) as it used to be.

When LLMs respond to questions, they rely on the relationships and frequencies of words in their training data. For instance, the word that ChatGPT will produce after a specific word is determined by how often those words occur together during training.

ChatGPT has the text "The best thing about AI is its ability to...". Imagine it has scanned billions of pages of human-written texts (such as those on the web and in digitized books) and found all instances of this text—then it looks at how often different words follow. ChatGPT essentially does something similar, but it doesn't look at the text verbatim; it looks for things that are "semantically matched" in a certain sense. As a result, it produces a ranked list of which words could follow and presents the "probabilities" along with that.

Therefore, to ensure that your brand appears in the responses of such tools, you need to create "keyword proximity." In other words, your brand or products being frequently mentioned about specific topics will make you stand out in the responses given by LLMs.

How Can You Incorporate Your Brand into AI Responses?

1. Create Targeted Content and Publications:

First, you must ensure that your brand is frequently mentioned regarding a specific topic. To achieve this, produce content centred around targeted keywords and pay attention to the variety of platforms where this content is published. For instance, being highlighted on well-known websites listing “the best breakfast restaurants in Istanbul” can effectively link your restaurant brand to this topic in the data used to train language models.

2. Activate PR Efforts:

You can conduct an effective online PR process to ensure your brand’s AI tools are included in the training data. Collaborate with well-known media outlets, blogs, influencers, or other authoritative reference sites in the industry to increase your brand's visibility. Since the source of data is crucial for LLMs, being featured on such reputable platforms will enhance your brand visibility.

3. Word Proximity and Content Marketing:

To associate your brand with specific topics, ensure that your brand is mentioned in the related content. This process is similar to backlink strategies in Google SEO, but what truly matters in LLMs is the "mention" of your brand in word form. In this context, having your content featured in authoritative publications increases the likelihood that your brand will appear in LLM training data.

4. Use Tools and Gain Insights:

You can use these AI tools to learn about the sources from which large language models have been trained or what types of content they prioritize. For example, you can ask ChatGPT about the likelihood of a specific publication being included in LLM training data to get a general idea. Using tools like BuzzSumo, you can track where specific keywords appear and aim to be featured in those sources.

I recommend regularly monitoring sites highlighted in Google's AI Overviews using tools like Semrush. These tools allow you to discover sites quickly that have been previously identified and recommended by LLMs.

5. Establish Strategic Partnerships:

LLMs tend to use brands and content that frequently appear in the training data in their responses. Therefore, collaborating with authoritative sources in your field ensures your brand is often mentioned in such content. For example, writing articles for well-known industry blogs, sharing expert opinions, or participating in interviews can be practical.

So, what opportunities and strategies should you pursue?

• Alignment with User Intent: Ensure your content covers all variations your target audience might search for.

• Comprehensive Content: Every detail, such as features, use cases, and specific information, is valuable for promoting your product. -

• Extensive Editorial Coverage and PR: It’s essential to ensure your products and opportunities are included in every mainstream and niche guide, list, or article you can participate in. Aim to be featured in guides of popular sites. For instance, if you own a hotel site, it may not be easy, but being included in such a list can provide you with a significant advantage:

Conclusion: Integrating with Artificial Intelligence

Large language models and AI tools are reshaping SEO and digital marketing strategies. To ensure your brand is featured in the responses generated by these new tools, it's crucial to create keyword proximity and effectively utilize PR and content marketing. While this process may appear different from traditional SEO tactics, the fundamental content creation and relationship-building principles still apply.

Remember, when your brand is associated with a specific topic, your chances of being included in the answers to related questions will increase significantly. This provides a significant competitive advantage in digital marketing in the age of artificial intelligence and large language models.

Bing, Following Google with AI-Enhanced Summaries

Microsoft is following Google by adding AI-enhanced summaries to Bing. This new feature provides detailed summaries along with source links.

Artificial intelligence wars are in full swing. Microsoft has strengthened its position in this competition with new features added to Bing. Bing's latest move introduces a new feature called "AI-powered summaries." Similar to Google's Knowledge Panel, these summaries are displayed in Bing's information panel and directly show the source of the content.

These summaries gather multiple online sources using artificial intelligence. The links to the sources are directly included in the summary text. Users can access more information about the relevant sources by hovering over these links, which also helps make the published content more prominent in search results.

Although this feature is not currently active for every user, it has been reported that Microsoft has started rolling it out, and some users have had the opportunity to experience it during this process. Notably, users like Shameem Adhikarath and Khushal Bherwani have shared this innovation on social media, which is supported by screenshots of the new summary format.

Google is also attempting to enrich search results with AI-generated summaries in a similar way. Microsoft’s move has ignited a new competition focused on artificial intelligence in the search engine market.

Google is Removing the Sitelinks Search Box Feature

Google is planning to remove the Sitelinks search box on November 21. This change will not affect SEOs but will result in some tool updates in Search Console.

Google's decision to remove the sitelinks search box is notable, even if it doesn't create a major shift in the SEO world. This feature, in use since 2014, allowed users to perform on-site searches directly through Google search results. However, its usage has declined over time, leading to a loss of functionality. As of November 21, this feature will be removed, and this change will not affect rankings or other display formats of sitelinks.

Tools like Google Search Console and the Rich Results Test will also be updated in line with this change. The good news for site owners is that they will not need to update their schema markup.

Here are some critical points to consider regarding the removal of the sitelinks search box:

• Decreased Usage: Google has observed a decline in the usage of the sitelinks search box.

• Simplification of Search Results: This change aims to simplify search results.

• Global Implementation: The change will be implemented globally, affecting search results in all languages and countries.

• No Impact on Rankings: The removal of the sitelinks search box will not affect rankings or other sitelink features.

• Search Console Updates: Google will remove the sitelinks search box reports from Search Console and will no longer highlight the relevant markup in the Rich Results Test.

• No Need for Structural Data Adjustments: Site owners can remove structured data added for the sitelinks search box; however, not removing it will not be an issue, and it will not cause errors in Search Console reports.

Strengthen Your SEO Strategy with Google Trends' New Guide

Google Trends' new documentation explains its usage for trend analysis, keyword research, content prioritization, and competitor analysis.

Google published a comprehensive and up-to-date guide on how to use Google Trends.

This guide, which Google Search Central prepared, contains essential information, especially for those producing content related to search marketing. This documentation is beneficial for everyone from beginners to experienced professionals and is summarized in six main topics: What is Google Trends, tracking trends, keyword research, content prioritization, competitor analysis, and measuring brand awareness and sensitivity.

Highlighted Topics in the Guide:

1. Information About Google Trends

   Google Trends provides data on search trends and user interests. The guide is an introduction for new users and an update for experienced marketers.

2. Tracking Trends

   Google Trends distinguishes between general and specific rising trends. The Explore tool tracks trends globally or in a particular country, filtering by time frame, category, and search type.

3. Content Prioritization

   By analyzing seasonal trends, you can optimize when to publish your content. For example, you can stand out by sharing content before people look for it.

4. Competitor and Brand Analysis

   Google Trends is also a powerful tool for understanding competitors' content strategies and measuring your brand's awareness and sentiment over time.

This guide is ideal for publishers aiming to create high-quality and well-planned content. It also serves as a great source for those looking to use Google Trends more effectively. Leveraging this documentation can strengthen your SEO and content strategies.

Google Favicon Update: High-Resolution Recommendation

Google has updated its favicon guidelines. It recommends using a high-resolution, 1:1 aspect ratio square favicon. A quality appearance is emphasized for sites.

Google Search Central has updated its favicon guidelines, which serve as a small yet effective signature in browsers and search results.

A favicon is a small icon that appears as your website's symbol in browser tabs, bookmarks, or on mobile device shortcut screens.

The Importance of Favicon According to Google's Guidelines

With this change, we understand that Google views favicons as small icons and an essential part of branding. A well-designed favicon can help users recognize your site and may even help you gain more clicks from search results.

What Has Changed in the Updated Favicon Guidelines?

According to the updates in Google's documentation:

• Square and High-Resolution Recommendation: Favicons must now be square with a 1:1 aspect ratio.

• Resolution Recommendation: Your favicon size should be at least 48x48 pixels, but the previous minimum standard of 8x8 pixels remains in place.

• New Clarity Requirement: Google further clarified its guidelines, suggesting that every site owner update their favicon to the appropriate size.

Why Is This Change Important?

This update is part of Google's efforts to emphasize the importance of favicons by clarifying its documentation. Google cares about representing your website in the best possible light, down to the smallest detail, including the favicon. While favicon design might seem like a minor detail for e-commerce and local business sites, it provides an effective visual symbol to capture user attention.

This Week in the World of AI: Tools, Services, and Tips

I've put together this week's agenda focused on AI for you, highlighting key topics exploring the latest advancements in artificial intelligence, discussions on ethical considerations, and innovative applications across various industries. Get ready for an engaging week of learning and collaboration!

• Anthropic aims to equip its Claude 3.5 model with computer usage capabilities, enabling the AI model to see the computer screen, use the cursor, and write. This development could provide users with more digital marketing and SEO automation opportunities. It could offer significant benefits, particularly in quickly completing web-based repetitive tasks, conducting real-time analyses, and facilitating data management. For more detailed information, you can watch this video.

• This week, I published a blog post on my English blog, Gptpromtchat.com, about using ChatGPT Canvas.

• Google published a blog post sharing eight tips about the AI note-taking assistant NotebookLM.

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Best,

Mert Erkal