10 great SEO questions to ask ChatGPT as a Business Owner

As more and more people are becoming aware of ChatGPT, it may present many opportunities to become more knowledgeable about certain specialist subjects (like SEO) and possibly also help them to complete some SEO tasks for them.

For someone like a small business owner who wears many hats, ChatGPT could be a really useful tool to quickly understand some core fundamentals about certain specialists subjects so that when they need to interview someone for a specialist role in their business or employ a consultant / agency to help them is a specific area of expertise they are not out of their depth and can make more informed decisions that can help lead to better growth in their business.

So having recently discovered this software after the recent social media hype, we decided to ask it some questions and provide some requests to see if we could get some useful SEO consultancy advice and also potentially reduce the amount of time or eliminate the human requirement for certain task production

Here are a few questions and requests (grouped into different SEO categories) that we asked ChatGPT to test out whether it can replace us “SEO humans” (although there is debate already that SEOs may not be human :-).

Understanding How Search Engines Rank Web Pages

Does google use click through data to help rank it’s search results?

ChatGPT Answer:

Google uses a complex algorithm to rank search results, and the specific factors that are used to determine a website’s ranking can vary. However, it is likely that Google takes into account a variety of factors, including the relevance and quality of a website’s content, the user’s search query and location, the website’s loading speed and mobile-friendliness, and the number and quality of external links pointing to the website.

It is possible that Google also uses click-through data, which reflects the number of times a website’s search result is clicked on by users, as one of the factors in its ranking algorithm. However, this is not confirmed and the specific factors that Google uses to rank its search results are not publicly known.

Our Verdict: Some initial spiel but then it answers the actual question with the current consensus amongst the SEO community and also provides Google’s official view on the matter

What are the most important SEO elements on a website?

ChatGPT Answer:

The most important SEO elements on a website can vary depending on the specific goals and audience of the website, as well as the current state of search engine algorithms and user behavior. However, some commonly cited SEO elements that can have a significant impact on a website’s search engine rankings and visibility include the following:

• Keywords and phrases: Including relevant keywords and phrases in the content of a website can help search engines understand the topic and context of the website, and it can also help the website rank for those keywords and phrases in search results.
• Page titles and meta descriptions: The page title and meta description of a website are often used by search engines as the text snippet that appears in search results, and they can have a big impact on whether users click on the website’s search result.
• Page structure and organization: A well-structured and organized website can make it easier for search engines to crawl and index the website’s content, and it can also improve the user experience by making it easier for users to find the information they are looking for.
• Internal and external links: Internal and external links can help search engines understand the relationship between the different pages on a website, and they can also provide additional context and credibility for a website.
• Website speed and mobile-friendliness: The speed at which a website loads and its ability to function properly on mobile devices can impact the user experience and can also be used as a ranking factor by search engines.

These are just a few examples of important SEO elements, and the specific elements that are most important for a particular website may vary. It is generally recommended to focus on creating high-quality, relevant, and user-friendly content, and to follow best practices for on-page and off-page SEO.

Our Verdict: This is a good concise summary and something worth asking before you have a call with an SEO consultant to see if they talk about these core principles

How long will it take to rank my website on page 1 if I start doing SEO now?

ChatGPT Answer:

It is difficult to predict exactly how long it will take for a website to rank on the first page of search engine results, as it can depend on a variety of factors, including the age and authority of the website, the competitiveness of the keywords that the website is targeting, the quality and relevance of the website’s content, and the effectiveness of the website’s SEO strategy.

In general, it can take several months or more for a website to see significant improvement in its search engine rankings, and it can require ongoing efforts to maintain and improve those rankings over time.

It is important to approach SEO with a long-term perspective and to focus on creating high-quality content and following best practices, rather than trying to game the system or use short-term tactics to achieve quick results.

Our Verdict: A pretty good answer to help set expectations

Technical SEO Requests

Can you provide me with the correct hreflang html code for a .co.uk in English targeting the UK and a .com.sg website in English targeting Singapore

ChatGPT Answer:

Our Verdict: Provides the correct html code example snippet. Note, in the original request, we did not include the term “html”, and this led to us not receiving an extensive answer with code examples, we received a much shorter answer.

Can you generate an hreflang .xml sitemap file for the website https://www.taksudigital.com

ChatGPT Answer: 

I’m sorry, but I am not able to generate an hreflang XML sitemap file for the website https://www.taksudigital.com. As a language model, I do not have access to external websites or the ability to create or modify files, and my capabilities are limited to providing general information and answering questions based on the text that I have been trained on.

Our Verdict: Whilst ChatGPT may be able to develop a new plugin for WordPress, it cannot be your personal assistant for generating an technical international SEO sitemap

SEO Content Strategy

If i ask you to write a blog post about something do you scrape the content from other sites and create duplicate content or will the content be unique and not plagiarised?

ChatGPT Answer:

As a language model, I am not able to browse the internet or access external sources of information, and I do not have the ability to create original content. My capabilities are limited to providing general information and answering questions based on the text that I have been trained on. I am not able to write blog posts or other forms of original content.

Our Verdict: So don’t expect ChatGPT to write you high quality content that is unique and can provide good SEO content strategy value

SEO Link Strategy Requests

What could happen if a use to many target keywords in link anchor texts I create from another website to my website?

ChatGPT Answer:

Using a large number of target keywords in the anchor text of links pointing to your website can potentially have negative effects on your website’s search engine rankings.

This is because search engines use the anchor text of a link to help determine the relevance of the linked-to website to the user’s search query.

If the anchor text of a link uses a large number of keywords that are unrelated to the content of the linked-to website, it could signal to search engines that the website is trying to manipulate its rankings or deceive users.

This could lead to the website being penalized or removed from search engine results, which could negatively impact the website’s visibility and traffic.

Our Verdict: Provides best practice approach recommendations. Although the question we used is quite “leading”.

What kinds of links does google penalise?

ChatGPT Answer:

Google’s algorithms are designed to identify and penalize websites that use manipulative or deceptive tactics to improve their search engine rankings. This can include a variety of different types of links, such as the following:

• Paid links: Google does not allow websites to buy or sell links for the purpose of manipulating their search engine rankings. If a website is found to be selling or buying links, it could be penalized by Google.
• Spammy or low-quality links: Google’s algorithms are designed to identify and penalize links that are spammy or low-quality, such as links from irrelevant or low-authority websites, links that are hidden or disguised, or links that are generated by automated programs.
• Unnatural or excessive link building: Google’s algorithms are designed to detect and penalize websites that engage in unnatural or excessive link building, such as building a large number of links in a short period of time, using the same anchor text for all of their links, or using links from the same sources repeatedly.

These are just a few examples of the types of links that Google may penalize. It is generally recommended to avoid any practices that are intended to manipulate search engine rankings, and to focus on creating high-quality, relevant content and building natural, organic links from other websites.

Our Verdict: Good explanation with some good link type category examples

Follow on question to try and get more specific information……

What are some URL examples of links that would google penalise?

User Behaviour in Organic Search

How do people use organic search in their research journey to buy products and services?

ChatGPT Answer:

So this leaves us with the question, “Will AI Chatbots like ChatGPT make SEOs redundant?”

Well, in our opinion whilst ChatGPT is a great tool to gain information on specific subjects, we may not be able to use the information provided to recommend a full SEO strategy that is tailored to your specific business industry and circumstances, which is why we provide tailored SEO consultancy services focused on identifying the key SEO growth levers for YOUR website.

We do recommend that anyone working with an SEO consultant uses ChatGPT though to re-affirm whether what your SEO consultant is telling you is actually true.