How to Use AI for SEO: A 10-Step Practical Guide

SEO isn’t what it used to be. Ranking on Google isn’t just about stuffing keywords and getting a few backlinks anymore. Today, AI and SEO go hand in hand, changing how content is created, optimized, and ranked.

Search engines have evolved, and so have the strategies needed to win in search results. This means SEO professionals must adapt and use AI—not just as an automation tool but as a way to make smarter, data-backed decisions.

But here’s the real question: how can you use AI for SEO without letting it take over?

That’s exactly what this guide will cover. You’ll learn how AI-powered SEO strategies can improve keyword research, content optimization, link building, and even technical SEO audits—helping you rank higher and faster.

By the end of this blog, you’ll have a better understanding of:

• How AI is changing the way SEO strategies work today. 
• Benefits of incorporating AI in SEO. 
• How to use AI for SEO in 10 practical ways. 
• The best AI SEO tools to make your workflow smoother. 

Let’s break it down.

What is AI for SEO?

AI for SEO refers to the use of artificial intelligence to enhance and automate various SEO processes like keyword research, content optimization, conducting competitor analysis, and search result performance tracking. 

Unlike manually completing SEO activities like keyword optimization or analytics tracking, AI tools can analyze large amounts of data, predict ranking opportunities, and provide actionable insights faster than a human ever could.

Think of it this way: Traditional SEO tools used to rely on static algorithms and manual input. Now, AI SEO agents like Chatsonic and Semrush use machine learning to make real-time decisions based on the latest data, refine search strategies, and even generate SEO-friendly content.

How using AI for SEO can help you:

• Search intent analysis: AI deciphers what users actually want when they type a query.
• Smarter content recommendations: AI suggests keywords, topics, and optimizations based on top-ranking pages, not just historical trends. 
• Predictive ranking analysis: AI can forecast which keywords will bring the best ROI based on trending search results.
• SEO automation: AI streamlines time-consuming processes like technical audits, link building, and competitor tracking.

With 84% of bloggers and SEO specialists reporting that AI has influenced their SEO strategy in 2023, it’s clear that AI tools have a significant impact on modern-day SEO.

Looking ahead, AI’s role in SEO is clearly set to expand, with 58% of SEO professionals planning to integrate generative AI functionality into their workflows in the coming year.

AI’s impact on SEO

With Google’s AI Overviews and the rise of AI-powered search engines, traditional SEO strategies are being challenged like never before.

Google is shifting from keyword-based results to AI-generated summaries and conversational answers. This recent change, also known as generative engine optimization (GEO), is changing how websites appear in search results.

Here’s why this matters:

• AI overviews (Google SGE): Google Search Generative Experience (SGE) pushes organic listings further down the page by promoting more AI-generated summaries for quick search results. 
• Fewer clicks, more zero-click searches: With AI-generated answers, users often get the information they need without clicking on any website.
• Greater focus on E-E-A-T: Google search algorithms prioritize content that aims to provide expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness over keyword-stuffed and overly optimized content. 

With a surge in AI-generated search and GEO, Gartner has predicted that traditional search engine volumes will drop by 25% by 2026. 

This means content teams and SEO specialists must optimize their SEO strategies to accommodate AI and generative search if they still want their content to get the right visibility. 

And ranking for Google’s AI Overviews isn’t the only thing. AI-first search engines like Perplexity and ChatGPT’s browsing mode are offering direct answers instead of traditional blue links.

In short, here’s how AI is changing the game for SEO:

• Search is becoming more conversational: AI models process queries differently, meaning keyword stuffing is dead. Writers need to focus on covering common search queries, long-tail terms, and understanding search intent. 
• Content needs to be optimized for AI-generated answers: Structured data, FAQ sections, and authoritative sources are crucial for visibility.
• Long-form content might lose visibility: AI summarizes information, reducing the need for users to read full articles. Writers should focus on providing to-the-point and direct answers instead of unnecessary fluff. 

This means traditional SEO tactics alone won’t be enough. To rank amidst AI search, content must be optimized for generative AI models, focusing on real expertise, structured information, and high-authority signals.

💡 Learn more about: Key Differences Between SEO & GEO 

How to use AI for SEO: 10 different strategies

There’s no doubt that AI has become an essential tool in SEO, not to replace human expertise but to enhance efficiency and decision-making. 

The manual approach to keyword research, content strategy, and competitor analysis is no longer sufficient, especially as Google’s search algorithms continue to evolve. 

Fortunately, AI-powered SEO tools can analyze search trends, identify ranking opportunities, and optimize content at a scale that is challenging for humans alone. But learning how to actually put this technology to use in an effective manner is what matters. 

So if you’re unsure about where to start with your AI SEO strategy, here are 10 strategic ways we love using AI for SEO and examples of how Chatsonic can streamline each process.

1. AI for keyword research

Keyword research has shifted from simple volume-based targeting to a more intent-driven, predictive approach. 

Traditional methods required manual analysis of search trends, competition levels, and user behavior. AI SEO tools, however, analyze vast amounts of real-time search data, detect emerging trends, and group keywords based on search intent.

How AI enhances keyword research:

• Search intent classification: AI understands whether a query is informational, navigational, transactional, or commercial, helping prioritize high-converting keywords.
• Predictive keyword analysis: AI can forecast which keywords will gain or lose relevance based on search trends.
• Competitor gap analysis: AI can easily identify keywords that competitors rank for but your site does not, uncovering new ranking opportunities.
• Analyze bulk data instantly: Manual keyword research requires a lot of data analysis, tracking, and comprehending. But AI can instantly synthesize large amounts of keyword data, presenting you with summarized insights. 

Instead of manually sifting through keyword lists, you can use an SEO AI agent like Chatsonic to analyze search intent and competition. 

For example, you can ask a query like:

“Find long-tail keywords related to ‘AI SEO tools’ with high search intent and low competition.”

Chatsonic processes search data and generates a list of strategic keywords, including relevant long-tail phrases and intent-based classifications. This reduces the time spent on research while ensuring more targeted keyword selection.

In fact, AI tools like Chatsonic aren’t just great for quick and helpful data insights. You’ll also get actionable tips on implementing these ideas into your content strategy to get the most traffic and visibility. 

2. AI for topic clustering

Content strategy has shifted from standalone blog posts to comprehensive topic clusters that help establish topical authority. This is because Google’s recent updates related to Helpful Content prioritize websites that cover topics in depth, linking multiple pieces of content into a structured hub-and-spoke model. 

Identifying topic clusters for your website allows marketers to:

• Identify primary pillar topics based on user search behavior and content gaps.
• Map out subtopics that support pillar pages, strengthening overall SEO for your website.
• Suggest internal linking opportunities to improve site structure and crawlability.

Here are some potential use cases of incorporating AI for topic clustering activities:

• Semantic keyword grouping: AI helps identify cluster keywords based on contextual relevance rather than exact-match phrases.
• Content gap detection: AI tools can help detect missing subtopics that competitors have covered but your site has not.
• Automated cluster structuring: AI generates logical topic hierarchies, improving SEO coherence.

For example, instead of manually structuring content clusters, you can prompt Chatsonic to: 

“Generate a topic cluster for ‘AI SEO,’ including pillar page ideas and supporting content recommendations.”

Chatsonic provides a content roadmap, categorizing subtopics and which keywords to incorporate for each topic:

3. AI for competitor analysis

Analyzing competitors manually is time-consuming and often incomplete due to the volume of data involved. 

Instead of manually going through your competition’s pages or investing in expensive competitor analysis tools, you can simply ask AI tools like Chatsonic or ChatGPT to provide insights on competitor track ranking patterns, their backlink strategies, and content gaps that you can cover. 

In short, here’s how you can use AI to conduct a thorough competitor analysis:

• Track competitor keywords, rankings, and content performance over time.
• Identify backlinks competitors acquire and uncover potential link-building opportunities by asking AI which pages may have broken links of the most external links.
• Analyze competitor content strategies and identify areas where their content outperforms yours or any gaps that you can potentially fill. 

Here’s an example of how you can use AI to outrank competitor content:

“Analyze the top 3 ranking pages for ‘generative engine optimization’ and explain why they rank higher than mine.”

Chatsonic’s response includes:

• A breakdown of competitor on-page optimizations (keyword usage, content length, internal linking).
• Insights into their backlink strategy (which high-authority domains link to them).
• Actionable recommendations for improvement.

4. AI for content audits and identifying gaps

Content audits are essential for improving SEO performance, but manually analyzing thousands of pages is time-consuming and inefficient. 

Of course, a manual content audit can be extremely time-consuming. But AI tools can automate this process by scanning your site in seconds, identifying gaps, and recommending optimizations based on search engine ranking factors. 

Here are a few ways you can use artificial intelligence to enhance content audits:

1. Identify underperforming pages: AI automatically detects content that has low traffic, high bounce rates, or declining rankings and can suggest actionable tailored strategies to boost these metrics. 
2. Find missing SEO elements: AI audit tools can flag meta descriptions, alt text, and structured data issues that impact search visibility.
3. Detect content gaps: AI can instantly compare your content against competitors and identify missing subtopics that could help improve rankings.
4. Analyze user engagement: AI tools like heatmaps can evaluate how users interact with your content and suggest ways to improve dwell time and click-through rates (CTR).

5. AI for SEO content optimization

Optimizing your content for SEO goes beyond just adding keywords—it involves enhancing readability, improving structure, and aligning content with search intent. 

With AI tools like Writesonic and Chatsonic, you can get SEO-friendly content in just a few clicks instead of spending hours on an SEO blog. 

Here are a few ways these AI tools can help improve SEO content optimization:

1. Semantic keyword integration: Ask AI to incorporate related terms and NLP-friendly phrasing to improve topical authority and relevance throughout your blog. 
2. Readability and engagement scoring: AI evaluates sentence structure, complexity, and flow, ensuring content is skimmable and user-friendly.
3. SERP performance prediction: AI can estimate how likely a piece of content is to rank based on real-time search data.
4. Automated internal linking suggestions: AI identifies where additional internal links can improve site structure and SEO equity distribution.

In fact, you can even ask AI to improve your content’s SEO by optimizing for featured snippets. Here’s how we did this using Chatsonic:

Apart from blog content, you can also ask AI to create SEO-friendly meta descriptions and titles for your content. 

P.S.: Why not try Writesonic’s free meta description generator, guaranteed to boost your blog CTR? 

💡 Related to your reading: Does Google Penalize AI Content? What You Need to Know 

6. AI for link-building

Backlinks remain one of Google’s top-ranking factors, but manual link-building is slow, repetitive, and often ineffective. AI speeds up link-building by analyzing competitor backlinks, suggesting outreach opportunities, and identifying high-authority domains for guest posting or collaboration.

How AI enhances link-building:

• Competitor backlink analysis: AI scans top-ranking sites and identifies their backlink sources.
• Outreach prospecting: AI finds relevant websites, bloggers, and journalists likely to link to your content.
• Predictive link-building: AI prioritizes high-impact backlinks that will improve domain authority and rankings.
• Broken link detection: AI identifies broken links on high-authority sites and suggests outreach opportunities.

For example, you can ask a chatbot like Chatsonic to “find high-authority websites linking to my competitors but not to my site, and suggest an outreach strategy.”

Chatsonic will:

• Analyze competitor backlink profiles and identify link opportunities by suggesting broken links that need replacing.
• Recommend outreach strategies, including personalized email templates for link-building requests.
• Suggest relevant content to use as linkable assets.

Combining AI-generated insights with Ahrefs’ Backlink Checker or Moz Link Explorer is a great way to verify backlink quality before launching outreach campaigns.

7. AI for SEO performance analysis

Tracking SEO performance requires analyzing multiple data points—traffic patterns, keyword rankings, engagement metrics, and backlink profiles. Manually reviewing these metrics is time-consuming and often fails to capture hidden opportunities. 

AI-powered SEO performance analysis tools provide real-time insights by detecting ranking trends, monitoring algorithm shifts, and predicting potential SEO improvements.

How AI enhances SEO performance analysis:

1. Automated ranking tracking: AI agents can continuously monitor keyword performance, showing ranking fluctuations in real-time.
2. Traffic and engagement insights: AI analyzes user behavior, bounce rates, click-through rates (CTR), and dwell time to identify content weaknesses.
3. Competitor benchmarking: AI can quickly compare your performance against industry competitors, highlighting areas where you can gain an edge.
4. Predictive performance analysis: AI can predict which content updates will lead to ranking improvements, helping SEO professionals prioritize optimization efforts.

Instead of manually pulling data from multiple tools, you can prompt Chatsonic:

“Analyze my website’s SEO performance over the past six months and suggest improvements based on ranking drops and traffic patterns.”

In return, you can see that Chatsonic has generated:

• A breakdown of ranking shifts for targeted keywords.
• Traffic analysis reports through Google Search Console integration, highlighting content that needs improvement.
• Actionable optimization strategies based on search intent changes and user engagement data.

8. AI for technical SEO audits

Technical SEO plays a crucial role in crawlability, indexability, and site performance. Issues like slow load speeds, broken links, improper redirects, and poor mobile usability can significantly impact rankings. 

AI-powered technical SEO audits automate the detection and resolution of these issues, ensuring websites remain optimized for search engines.

How AI tools can help automate technical SEO audits:

• Automated site crawls: AI site audit tools can scan websites for broken links, duplicate content, and indexation issues.
• Page speed optimization: AI can flag slow-loading pages and suggest improvements based on Google Core Web Vitals.
• Schema markup recommendations: AI can suggest structured data implementations to improve search engine understanding of content.
• Mobile-friendliness analysis: AI evaluates responsive design performance and identifies mobile-specific usability concerns.

In fact, here are some interesting insights we received from Writesonic’s SEO site audit tool:

9. AI for local SEO

Local SEO is critical for businesses that rely on geo-targeted traffic. 

With AI-driven tools, businesses can automate local keyword research, optimize Google My Business (GMB) listings, and enhance local content strategies to improve search visibility in specific locations.

Here are a few ways you can use AI to enhance your local SEO efforts:

1. Local keyword research: Use AI to identify high-traffic location-based queries and hyper-local keywords for optimization.
2. Google My Business (GMB) optimization: Use AI to analyze competitor GMB profiles and suggest enhancements for your Google Business profile.
3. Sentiment analysis for reviews: AI listening tools can monitor online customer reviews, helping businesses understand user sentiment and optimize responses.
4. Voice search optimization: AI detects natural language queries relevant to local searches, improving local rankings.

For example, you can ask Chatsonic’s SEO AI agent to:

• Provide localized keyword suggestions, optimizing for city-based searches.
• Recommendations for improving GMB listings, including proper category selection and posting frequency.
• Voice search keyword insights and how to ensure visibility in “near me” searches.

10. AI search engine content optimization

With the rise of Google’s AI-driven search results (SGE) and generative AI search models, traditional content strategies are becoming less effective. 

AI search engine content optimization focuses on structuring content in a way that aligns with AI-powered search engines, ensuring visibility in featured snippets, AI summaries, and voice search results.

To help ensure that your existing content doesn’t get ignored by AI search engines, here’s how you can make use of artificial intelligence to make your content more compliant for generative engine optimization (GEO):

1. Structured data implementation: Ask AI to optimize content for rich snippets, knowledge panels, and AI-generated answers.
2. Featured snippet analysis: Identify high-ranking snippet opportunities and get suggestions for your own content modifications to increase the chances of ranking in position zero.
3. Conversational query optimization: Refine existing content to be voice-search friendly, ensuring compatibility with AI-powered search assistants.
4. SERP intent prediction: AI identifies which content types perform best based on current Google ranking trends.

Whether it’s analyzing SEO performance, running technical audits, optimizing for local searches, or preparing content for AI-powered search engines, AI enables SEO professionals to make data-driven, efficient, and highly targeted optimizations.

💡 Learn more: How Many SEO Keywords Per Page Should You Use?

Best AI tools for SEO 

Using AI in SEO is no longer optional. Search engines are evolving, and AI-powered tools are now essential for analyzing ranking trends, optimizing content, and automating SEO workflows.

Whether you are a content marketer or an SEO strategist, leveraging the best AI tools for SEO can save time while improving search visibility.

Here’s a breakdown of the top AI SEO tools available today to automate keyword research, content optimization, technical audits, competitor analysis, and anything related to your SEO workflow:

1. Chatsonic: The all-in-one AI SEO assistant

Chatsonic’s AI SEO agent is designed to eliminate the need for multiple SEO platforms by offering an all-in-one solution for content optimization, SERP analysis, keyword research, and competitor tracking. 

Unlike traditional SEO AI tools that rely on static historical data, Chatsonic provides real-time web search capabilities, ensuring access to the latest search trends and ranking insights.

Key features that make Chatsonic one of the best AI tools for SEO:

• Multi-model AI engine: Uses OpenAI’s GPT-4o & o1, Anthropic’s Claude, Google’s Gemini, and Flux 1.1 in a single chat interface.
• Canvas + Artifacts: Provides a visual workspace that helps organize keyword research, structure topic clusters, and streamline SEO workflows.
• Automated SEO content generation: Creates SEO-optimized content while ensuring proper keyword placement, internal linking, and readability through the content AI agent. 
• Real-time search insights: Live web searches to deliver up-to-date information rather than relying on outdated keyword data.
• Seamless integrations: Connects with Google Search Console, Ahrefs, People Also Ask, Zapier, and WordPress to provide a data-driven SEO strategy without requiring multiple tools.

Pros:

• Automates end-to-end SEO workflows, reducing the need for multiple platforms. 
• Automates all SEO tasks from SERP analysis, competitor tracking, and content creation. 
• Works in real-time rather than relying on outdated data. 
• Built-in prompt library for keyword research, content ranking, and SEO optimizations. 
• Saves hours of manual work while adapting to Google’s latest search algorithm updates. 

Cons:

• Advanced features may have a learning curve for basic SEO users. 
• Requires time to explore full capabilities. 

Pricing: Free plan available. Paid plans start at $16/month.

G2 rating: 4.0/5

2. Ahrefs: Perfect backlink analysis and keyword research partner

Ahrefs is widely recognized as one of the most comprehensive SEO AI tools for backlink tracking, competitor research, and site audits. 

While many AI SEO tools focus on automation, Ahrefs provides deep data insights that allow SEO professionals to make data-driven decisions and optimize for AI in SEO.

Key features that make Ahrefs a leader in SEO tools:

• Keyword Explorer: Offers extensive keyword insights, including search volume, keyword difficulty, and click-through rates.
• Backlink Checke: Analyzes backlink profiles, identifies high-authority domains, and tracks lost links.
• Site Audit: Conducts a technical SEO audit, highlighting crawlability issues, duplicate content, and slow-loading pages.
• Content Explorer: Helps SEO professionals identify top-performing content in their niche.

Pros:

• Perfect for SEO professionals looking for deep analytics. 
• One of the most accurate keyword research tools available. 
• Excellent for technical SEO audits and content strategy planning. 

Cons:

• Free version has limited features. 
• Paid plans can be costly for small businesses. 

Pricing: Free version available. Paid plans start at $129/month.

G2 rating: 4.5/5

3. Semrush: A full-suite SEO and marketing platform

Semrush is one of the most versatile SEO AI tools, offering an extensive AI-powered SEO strategy that covers keyword research, technical audits, content optimization, and paid advertising insights.

Key features of Semrush:

• Keyword Magic Tool: Provides 26 billion+ keywords with advanced filtering for intent-based search.
• AI-powered SEO Writing Assistant: Helps improve SEO content quality with real-time optimization suggestions.
• Competitive Research: Allows domain-to-domain comparisons, backlink tracking, and keyword gap analysis.
• PPC Optimization: Enhances Google Ads and social media campaigns with AI-driven insights.

Pros:

• One of the most comprehensive SEO and AI content tools. 
• Regular updates to adapt to Google’s latest algorithm changes. 
• Strong competitor benchmarking and SERP feature tracking. 

Cons:

• Pricing may be high for small businesses. 

Pricing: Starts at $139.95/month.

G2 Rating: 4.6/5

4. Outranking: AI-driven content optimization

Outranking is a powerful AI SEO content tool that specializes in content creation, real-time SERP analysis, and AI-powered optimization.

Key features that set Outranking apart:

• AI-powered content generation: Uses real-time SERP data to suggest content structures that align with Google’s ranking preferences.
• SEO scoring system: Evaluates on-page SEO quality and provides actionable improvements.
• Content gap analysis: Identifies missing subtopics and keyword opportunities.

Pros:

• Helps streamline AI and SEO content strategies. 
• Provides data-driven insights for optimizing existing content. 
• Supports multiple languages, making it ideal for international SEO strategies. 

Cons:

• Steep learning curve for beginners. 

Pricing: Paid plans start at $19/month.

Capterra rating: 4.5/5

5. SE Ranking: Budget-friendly AI SEO tool for small businesses

SE Ranking is a cost-effective yet feature-rich SEO platform that provides AI-powered rank tracking, keyword research, and competitor analysis without the high price tag of enterprise SEO platforms.

Key features of SE Ranking:

• Automates rank tracking: Monitors keyword rankings across multiple search engines and geographic locations.
• Website audit: Scans for 120+ technical SEO issues and suggests improvements.
• Competitor analysis: Easy-to-navigate UI for comparing site rankings, backlink strategies, and keyword gaps.

Pros:

• Affordable pricing for small businesses and startups. 
• User-friendly interface for SEO beginners. 
• White-label reporting for agencies. 

Cons:

• Limited integration options compared to higher-end competitors. 

Pricing: Free trial available. Paid plans start at $52/month.

G2 rating: 4.8/5

FAQs

1. Is AI writing good for SEO?

AI writing can be effective for SEO when used properly as part of your AI SEO strategy. The quality of AI SEO content has improved significantly, and unlike some myths, search engines actually do accept AI-written content that provides value to readers. 

Google’s stance on AI-generated content focuses on quality and E-E-A-T principles (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) rather than the production method. They emphasize providing meaningful information and demonstrating genuine human insight.

2. Is SEO still relevant with AI?

SEO remains highly relevant even as AI technology advances, and understanding the use and impact of AI and SEO together is crucial for strong online visibility and consistent website traffic.

The emergence of AI-powered search engines has led to the concept of generative engine optimization, where content is tailored not just for traditional search algorithms but also for AI-driven search experiences. 

This evolution requires adapting SEO strategies to focus on providing comprehensive, high-quality content that addresses user intent across various AI-powered platforms.

3. Is there an AI tool for SEO?

Yes, there are several AI SEO tools available today that help with different aspects of search optimization. 

Chatsonic’s SEO AI agent stands out as an all-in-one platform for SEO and content creation. It offers features like real-time data connections with major SEO tools like Ahrefs, automated workflow management, and a natural language interface. 

Chatsonic’s AI agent can perform tasks such as semantic keyword research, content optimization, technical SEO audits, and provide visual analytics, making it a comprehensive solution for modern SEO practitioners.

4. Can I use AI content for SEO?

Yes, you can use AI for creating SEO content, but it’s important to edit and enhance the output with human expertise. When using AI in SEO content creation, focus on making the content valuable, unique, and aligned with your brand voice. 

The key to successful SEO and AI content is maintaining quality while using AI as a helpful tool rather than a complete replacement for human writers.

Saloni Kohli

Content Strategist

Saloni Kohli, content strategist at Writesonic, brings creativity and strategy to SEO content optimization and marketing. Known for her deep understanding and experience of SEO and content marketing in the B2B SaaS industry, she's passionate about boosting brand visibility and conversions.