There’s a lot of talk in the industry about AI and how it helps SEO, how it’s being used in various scenarios, and even the changes we see in SERPs with AI Overviews. 

AI is everywhere at the moment, and we even see most of our everyday tools incorporating artificial intelligence into their offerings, such as AI Writing tools, Automated Keyword research, and alt-text generation, etc. 

But here’s where I stand on it all…

AI should be a tool, not a strategy.

If you rely entirely on AI for SEO, you're missing the finer details that only human expertise can detect.

Nikki Halliwell

Where AI Helps SEO (But Falls Short)

Let’s look at some of the most common areas where I see AI cropping up and even being recommended by others in the industry. 

Keyword Research

AI suggests keywords based on patterns, but it doesn’t know your industry’s nuances or real search intent. You will often get thousands of keywords with no relevance to your business or industry, and the data is often entirely wrong. AI cannot access search volume and similar data and is confidently wrong in most of its outputs. 

Manual research ensures we get high-quality, relevant keywords that are validated by business insights and can be mapped to the necessary intent and business functions. We also have several tools at our disposal to validate the data. 

Content Optimisation and Generation

AI tools analyse NLP and semantic keywords and can speed up mass page title and meta description optimisations. However, they can’t replace human storytelling, brand voice, or strategic messaging. 

Chatbots and LLMs really struggle to add or recommend relevant and useful internal or external links. They also have a known problem with correctly citing sources.

Technical SEO and Site Audits

As you might expect, this is where I have the biggest issue with AI in SEO. 

AI audits may be able to point out specific errors, but they won’t see conflicts in internal linking or UX problems that impact rankings.

An SEO audit is not an export of issues from an SEO tool with no additional context. A tech audit is not a list of URLs attached to an issue or even a checklist with a top-level summary. 

It should be a holistic view of how all aspects of the website are performing and how they may be affecting the ability to perform and compete in organic search results. 

Don’t get me wrong, AI is useful, but it cannot convey how website issues can affect business KPIs and revenue.

No technical SEO audit is complete without context and detailed recommendations on how to address the issues you came across. It is also not a one-size-fits-all approach, so the recommendations need to be tailored to each website and take into consideration unique limitations and blockers that the business may encounter. It may even need to include contingencies and plan B, etc.

With the best will in the world, this is something that LLMs cannot do and should not be used in this way.

Algorithm Updates & SEO Strategy

AI can pretend to react to ranking shifts but can’t make educated recommendations based on previous actions and the upcoming pipeline. As SEOs working closely with our clients, we know how to adapt based on experience, industry insights, and testing.

LLMs are trained on old data, so by the time they suggest what someone should do next in reaction to a drop in performance, the landscape has likely already changed, or they are recommending outdated practices. 

AI vs. SEO: Why Human SEO Still Wins

Does AI Have a Place in SEO?

Yes, within reason. 

I do use LLMs in my daily work, but they don’t do the work for me. They take away some of the repeated tasks, leaving more time for me to do the real-SEO work that my clients pay me to do. 

AI is useful, but SEO isn’t just data—it’s strategy, creativity, insight and expertise.

The best approach is to use AI for efficiency but always rely on manual SEO for accuracy, context, and long-term success.

Be wary of those trying to sell fully-automated solutions or audits, and always speak directly to the person behind the computer screen so you can be sure of who you’re working with. 

Minification is a powerful technique for trimming the fat from code files, such as CSS and JavaScript, to improve page speed and loading times. While minification offers significant performance benefits, it requires precision and expertise to accomplish it effectively.

This post will explore the concept of minification, how we can improve page performance, and considerations before using it.

Why We Need to Simplify Code

Tools such as Page Speed Insights often return recommendations for us to minify HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

This is because site code often contains unnecessary elements such as comments, whitespace, and other redundant characters that can increase file size without adding anything of value to its functionality. Minification lets us strip away these extra elements, resulting in cleaner, more efficient code.

This is important, as smaller file sizes mean less data transmission is needed; therefore, we get faster download speeds and improved page loading times.

By reducing the amount of data transferred between servers and clients, we improve the overall efficiency of our websites.

In short, it is important to minify code where possible so that files load more quickly, allowing web pages to render and become interactive more quickly. 

Who Can Minify Code?

Although there are tools that can help with minification, they tend to only remove whitespace and comments, often leaving other opportunities still on the table.

To do this effectively, simplification requires a detailed understanding of code structure, syntax, and potential implications for functionality.

Implementing file minification without careful consideration can lead to unwanted consequences, such as syntax errors or functionality issues.

Streamlining code should only be performed by individuals with experience in optimisation and who thoroughly understand its potential impact on website functionality. These tasks should only be undertaken by seasoned developers and senior technical SEO professionals.

Considerations for Minification and Streamlining Code

Minification is best used carefully and only after conversations with developers, designers, and SEO professionals. Doing so means that the outcome should result in files that better align with the KPIs of all those involved in the wider business while reducing the risk as much as possible.

Strict testing and quality assurance measures are essential for minification. Before deploying minified code to production environments, test it carefully in a staging environment to verify that functionality is unaffected, identify compatibility issues, and address potential performance issues.

Having said that, it is important to strike a balance. 

While minification can offer notable performance benefits, it’s essential to strike a balance between file size reduction and code readability and maintenance.

We need to avoid instances of over-minification, which would compromise the code or introduce errors. Prioritise only the changes that are likely to deliver tangible performance improvements.

If you and your team are unsure whether you can comfortably and confidently do this, the best option is to explore other ways to improve page weight.

The way you organise product categories helps guide users towards a seamless shopping experience. Using separate filters, or indexable facets, within each category is crucial for any large eCommerce store.

As SEOs, we need to recognise that not all categories need to be created the same. Each category may benefit from a unique set of filters tailored to how users search for products within that category.

For example, users searching for electronics may prioritise technical specifications, while those exploring clothing may focus on size, colour, or style preferences.

Recognising and adapting to this search behaviour is essential to optimising the user experience within each category.

Creating Category-Specific Filters

We can set up our categories according to your customers by thoroughly analysing user behaviour. When doing this, identify common search queries, frequently searched attributes, and the order of information users prioritise.

For example, a category for home appliances may be set up to filter by colour and size, but your research will likely reveal that it may benefit from filters like brand, energy efficiency, and capacity.

SEO Considerations for Indexable Facets

Our indexable facets contribute to the overall SEO performance of our websites, but having too many can cause duplication and cannibalisation issues.

The best way to decide which ones we should index or not is often based on data, but I also created this handy workflow to help guide you in the right direction.

The latest rollout of manual actions targeting “site reputation abuse” highlights the importance of attention and proactive measures in safeguarding your website’s integrity.

Let’s delve deeper into the concept of site reputation abuse.

Understanding Site Reputation Abuse

Site reputation abuse occurs when third-party pages are published with minimal oversight or involvement from the first-party site, aiming to manipulate search rankings by leveraging the first-party site’s established ranking signals.

These manipulative tactics, such as coupons or an educational site posting a page with reviews of payday loans, undermine the reputation of search results and damage user trust.

By piggybacking on the authority and trustworthiness of a reputable first-party site, malicious actors seek to artificially boost the visibility of their content in search engine results, thereby gaining undeserved exposure and traffic at the expense of genuine, high-quality content.

Implications of Manual Actions

Sites engaging in site reputation abuse risk incurring manual action penalties from Google, which can result in a loss of visibility, traffic, and trustworthiness. These penalties can have detrimental effects on organic search performance.

Beyond the immediate impact on search rankings, manual actions targeting site reputation can significantly damage a website’s reputation and credibility, potentially leading to a loss of trust among users and stakeholders.

Rebuilding trust and restoring reputation requires concerted efforts to address underlying issues and implement corrective measures, such as improving the quality and relevance of your content, removing harmful and irrelevant third-party content and ensuring compliance with search engine guidelines.

Recovering from Manual Actions

One of the initial steps to mitigate the risk of site reputation abuse is to exclude third-party content from being indexed. Doing so reduces the likelihood of being accused of manipulation and preserves the integrity of your website’s ranking signals.

Establish clear guidelines, review processes, and quality control measures to ensure that only authorised and reputable content is published and to minimise the risk of abusive practices.

Keep these in mind when looking to publish new content, and you shouldn’t be hit by a site reputation manual action.

If you think you’ve been hit by a manual action and want some help to get out of it, I’d love to chat.

Product Detail Pages (PDPs) are where potential customers make decisions that can shape their entire shopping journey. Improving the user experience on these product pages goes beyond showcasing products; it involves addressing customer queries and concerns effectively.

Improving Content on PDPs

One simple yet powerful way I’ve achieved this with my clients is by incorporating a Q&A or a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section directly into the PDPs.

This injects unique and valuable content into the product pages, removes any buying friction, and substantially increases the likelihood of conversions.

I’ll cover some of the additional benefits and ways we can do this below.

Addressing Customer Queries

A Q&A or FAQ section provides a dedicated space to address common questions and concerns that potential buyers may have about a specific product.

We can also use user-generated questions and answers to create more unique and relevant content on our websites, which we all know is something search engines value.

The Q&A format also adds diversity to your content strategy, offering a mix of structured information and user-generated insights.

Reducing Friction

Users often hesitate to make a purchase, and it often doesn’t take much to give them a degree of uncertainty. A well-crafted Q&A section directly addresses these uncertainties head-on, reducing friction in the buying process.

When users find answers to their specific questions, they feel more empowered to make informed decisions and nudge them further towards making a purchase.

Crafting an Effective Q&A Section

Now that we understand the benefits, we need to know how to create a Q&A section on our product pages that will be genuinely useful and benefit our target audience. 

We can do this by encouraging users to contribute their questions and answers in a dedicated section. However, in doing this, we need to make sure we have a system to moderate the answers to guarantee we only have high-quality contributions on our PDPs.

We can then curate the Q&A section to emphasise only the most relevant and helpful information.

We’ve previously covered temporarily out-of-stock products, so now I want to discuss how we should handle products that will not be coming back in stock. 

When this happens, we need to consider guiding both users and search engines toward relevant alternatives.

What to do with Out-of-Stock Products

The typical way to handle products that will not be coming back in stock is to use 301 redirects, but that is not always the right approach.

Let’s look at when to redirect and when leaving the URL as a 404 might make the most sense. 

Product Unavailability

When a product is permanently out of stock, it means that the item will not be restocked or made available once again in the future. When this happens, we need an effective strategy to guide users toward similar and currently available products.

Rather than leaving customers with a dead-end or a generic “out of stock” message, using a 301 to redirect them to an alternative product ensures a positive user experience.

Before implementing a 301 redirect, find a closely related product that is in stock and can serve as an alternative. This ensures that users are redirected to a relevant option.

Redirect is Not Always Needed

If a closely related product is not available, the best approach is often to leave the product as a 404.

If you were to use a 301 to an irrelevant product, this could negatively affect the user experience and, therefore, your conversions. Leaving the product as a 404 is a perfectly acceptable approach.

You can also consider using a 410 to indicate that the page is Gone and is not due to return.

Remembering this and knowing how to handle product unavailability appropriately will help ensure the correct setup of your store and should help set you up for success as it grows. 

If you’re looking for help growing your eCommerce store, I can help. Whether it’s a technical website audit or monthly SEO consultancy, I’d love to chat with you in more detail. 

When you have an eCommerce store, it can be common for products to go out of stock, which isn’t always bad. 

Products may become temporarily out of stock, and as store owners, we need to know how to handle this. 

By adopting some of the practices we will discuss today, we can maintain customer satisfaction and contribute to long-term loyalty.

Strategies for Temporarily Out of Stock Products

Products may be out of stock for a while for a variety of reasons. This can be due to stock shortages, high demand or a number of other situations.

Consider the following approaches to navigate the challenges of temporary product unavailability:

Enabling Backorders and Subscriptions

BACKORDERS:

We can offer back orders to allow customers to place orders for products that are currently out of stock.

This pre-order feature informs customers that the product will be shipped once it’s back in stock. It is key to customer retention as it allows customers to express interest in a product even when it’s not immediately available.

SUBSCRIPTIONS:

Another option is to offer back-in-stock subscriptions, allowing customers to receive notifications when the desired product is available again.

This approach keeps customers informed and engaged, creating a sense of anticipation and excitement, especially when customers are notified that the product they were waiting for is back in stock.

This positive experience can lead to repeat business.

Alternative Product Suggestions

It works well if we can provide alternative product suggestions when a particular item is out of stock.

These alternatives should ideally be similar or complementary options so that we can ensure customers find suitable choices to meet their needs.

Enhancing the shopping experience by offering close alternatives shows that we understand our audience and are committed to customer satisfaction, even if the initial product is temporarily unavailable.

Strategies for Product SEO and Visibility

OPTIMISED PRODUCT PAGES:

It is important to ensure we have optimised product pages even when items are out of stock.

This ensures that the pages continue to contribute to rank and bring in website traffic so that customers can easily find them when the product becomes available once more.

STRUCTURED DATA:

As well as using good structured data on our products, we can update them to mark products as out of stock.

Doing so helps search engines understand the status and can potentially be displayed in search results, indicating transparency to potential customers.

ANALYSIS PERFORMANCE:

If we implement all of the above, we can regularly monitor the performance of backorders and subscriptions and how this contributes to sales and revenue.

These strategies can help store owners to have better management and control over our products if they should go temporarily out of stock.

When optimising page speed, work on the page templates rather than individual pages. By focusing on the core templates, you can implement improvements at scale, ensuring a consistent boost in page speed across various pages.

This approach enables easier collaboration and support from stakeholders who recognise the overarching impact on user satisfaction and business objectives.

The Power of Page Templates

Targeting page templates for optimisation means addressing the root structure that influences multiple pages.

Instead of changing one page at a time, we can implement fixes across a range of URLs that are built using the same design templates.

This centralised approach to optimising site speed allows for efficiency and consistency in implementing your improvements.

Scalability of Improvements

Ensuring that improvements are applied uniformly across pages sharing a common template means that we create a consistent and streamlined user experience. 

This is significant as it allows us to reinforce more positive interactions that our audience has across the entire website.

Stakeholder Buy-In

Collaboration becomes more seamless when stakeholders recognise that site speed fixes made to page templates benefit the entire website.

When stakeholders see the positive impact across a range of URLs that use the same template, they are much more likely to buy into further optimisation work and support you even more with your next set of recommendations. 

Deciding which Templates to Focus on

When you’re faced with a large website, you need to know which templates you should begin with. 

Begin by identifying the core page templates that are the basis for your website’s content. This may include a homepage, product pages, category pages, etc.

Next, we can conduct a comprehensive site speed audit of each identified template, analysing elements contributing to load time, such as images, scripts, and server responses.

Utilise performance testing tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, or GTmetrix to identify specific areas for improvement within your page templates. From there, we should be able to see which of your templates is the slowest loading. I would typically focus on improving that template first.

Monitoring Pages and Improving Performance

After sharing your template-specific recommendations with stakeholders, I suggest implementing a system for continuously monitoring page speed metrics, especially for the optimised templates.

Regularly assess the impact of your changes and refine your chosen strategies based on ongoing performance and changes to Google algorithms.

This monitoring approach ensures efficiency at scale and produces a more collaborative atmosphere. This way, stakeholders tend to quickly rally around the shared goal of delivering a seamless and fast user experience on their website.

HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS)

HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) is a web security policy that helps protect websites against man-in-the-middle attacks such as protocol downgrade attacks and cookie hijacking.

One notable aspect we will discuss today is its impact on user browsers, particularly in enforcing secure connections. Let’s delve into how browsers like Chrome automatically handle HSTS and ensure secure connections using 307 temporary redirects.

Understanding HSTS

HSTS is a security feature that allows a website to declare to web browsers that it should only be accessed over a secure, encrypted connection.

This is typically accomplished by sending a special HTTP header instructing the browser to communicate with the server only using HTTPS, even if the user attempts to access the site via an unsecured HTTP connection.

Automatic Redirection with 307 Status Code

When a website implements this security policy and a user attempts to access it via an HTTP URL, modern browsers take proactive measures to ensure a secure connection.

In the case of Chrome and some other browsers, this involves automatically inserting a 307 temporary redirect.

1. When users visit a site that utilises HTTP Strict Transport Security, their browser remembers this information.
2. The browser intervenes if the user later tries to access the same site via an insecure HTTP URL.
3. Instead of allowing the connection over HTTP, it automatically inserts a 307 temporary redirect, steering the user towards the secure HTTPS version of the site.

Benefits of HSTS Implementation

By automatically redirecting users to the secure version of the site, HSTS helps prevent potential security vulnerabilities.

Users are seamlessly redirected to the secure version of the site without having to manually adjust URLs. This contributes to a smoother and more secure browsing experience.

HSTS protects against certain types of attacks, such as SSL-stripping attacks, by ensuring that communication between the user’s browser and the server remains encrypted.

Implementing HSTS Responsibly

While HSTS is a robust security measure, it needs to be implemented carefully. When doing this, we need to consider:

• Appropriate Duration: When setting the duration for HSTS headers, consider the longevity of your site and any potential changes.
  • Setting a reasonable and appropriate duration helps balance security with flexibility; a value such as 10368000 seconds (120 days) is often seen as being too short.
  • I generally recommend setting the max-age to a high value, like 31536000 (12 months) or 63072000 (24 months).
• Proper Configuration: Ensure that your server is correctly configured to send HSTS headers and that the implementation aligns with your site’s security needs.