This one stopped me in my tracks when I thought of it. I thought it would be an easy “Yes” or even a firm “No, and here’s why.”
Then, I’d give my reasons, and you’d have your answer.
I was wrong.
SEO Is Part Data, Part Human
At this point, the scramble for the life of SEO itself is still heating up. I think artificial intelligence (AI) killed SEO, despite those saying we must adjust how we approach SEO.
Some say SEO always has been and always will be. That simply depends on your philosophy of what SEO is.
For me, it has a lot to do with data analysis and human psychology, and those two things are not going away.
But I’m increasingly in the camp that SEO has ruined the internet and that Google allowed it to happen. Or at least encouraged it.
As I type this, I’m beginning to despair and realize that SEO fits into the humanistic cycle of creation, jubilation, exaltation, and destruction, which accompanies everything good in our history.
Yes, SEOs Must Also Be Content Strategists
If we get back to the topic while keeping my previous comments in mind, I guess the answer to the question “Do all SEOs have to be content strategists,” is…
Yes.
How does one exist without the other?
You can enjoy the technical or data analysis side of SEO. Still, you’ll inevitably have to apply those to a content strategy to ensure your technical or analytical skills are “up to par.”
Do the technical fixes you propose after a site audit actually work? You can only tell if the content is getting traffic.
Did the content you created because your data supported it actually turn out to drive traffic or ROI? Again, the only way to know is if visitors see and like it and continue to the next stage in your sales cycle or marketing funnel.
So, the only way to ensure that your efforts produce traffic, ROI, or revenue is to understand the entire content strategy or create it yourself and include the technical or data analysis in your plan.
‘Fake News’ and the Deadly Sins Rule Modern SEO
I feel I’ve left my readers wondering what the fuck the section on SEO ruining the internet was about.
Well, the more I think about it, SEO and content strategy are my bread and butter, but it’s also the very thing that makes the internet shitty.
That and the algorithms that SEOs study religiously to give their content every slight advantage.
I feel it’s where the term “fake news” comes into play.
Our human traits of lust, greed, gluttony, envy, and pride explain how SEO has ruined the internet. Notice those are five of the Seven Deadly Sins.
Consequences of SEO ‘Sinners’
SEO is a contest—a competition. And the winner stands to make a lot of money.
So that is where all of those sins raise their ugly heads.
And what’s happened is that several greedy and gluttonous people across the world decided to use “black hat” methods of SEO to create crap content that they were able to get to rank highly.
They use data to determine people’s worst fears or what they want to see most and create fake, mistaken, or unproven content that feeds into those.
So now, low-quality, fake, and unregulated content is floating around everywhere. Google says it’s trying to crack down on this, but it’s too late.
New Questions for the Future of SEOs and Content Strategists
So, my final answer to the questions is that an SEO must also be a trustworthy content strategist.
We all hope that SEOs and content strategists are trustworthy. We need them to be because AI is here, and I’m hearing about generative search engine optimization (GEO).
That poses a slew of new questions.
- How can we influence the answers that generative search engines will return to users?
- How can we make money from generative search?
- How can we govern content production to ensure generative search engine answers meet Google’s EEAT guidelines?
Problem Solved (for now): Find a Trustworthy SEO and Strategist
Remember, these are just my musings on the state of SEO in 2024. We don’t really know which way things will go.
Google may win out and find a way to ensure all content is actually trustworthy.
The SEO and content strategist role could become one of reputation, where we all live by a code of honor (which we’re supposed to be already doing, BTWs).
Generative search could eventually become so smart that it governs itself, and the human traits are removed from the equation.
Who am I kidding? That will never happen as long as money is involved.
For the unforeseeable future, you’re stuck with finding a good SEO/Content Strategist, getting comfortable working with them, and trusting they’ll drive traffic and revenue to your site.
Deven Bhagwandin 