AI Sites Get Smacked: Google’s August Spam Update, AInvest’s Crash & How to Actually Win SEO

About this video

• Video Title: AI Sites Get Smacked: Google’s August Spam Update, AInvest’s Crash & How to Actually Win SEO
• Channel: Edward Sturm
• Speakers: Edward Sturm, Gagan Gotra
• Duration: 01:36:29

Overview

This video discusses the recent Google August Spam Update, its impact on AI-generated content sites like AInvest, and strategies for SEO success. The conversation covers current SEO trends, the role of AI in content creation and its potential for spam, user-generated content, e-commerce SEO, image optimization, and the evolving landscape of search engine optimization.

Key takeaways

• Google's August Spam Update: The update is causing volatility, but sites focusing on specific niches are seeing more visibility in Google Discover.
• AI-Generated Content: While AI can be used to create content, using it to manufacture spam at scale is a violation of Google's policies, leading to penalties. The focus is shifting from content quality to the technique used for content generation.
• AInvest Case Study: The AI-generated content site AInvest experienced a massive surge in traffic followed by a significant drop, highlighting the risks of relying solely on AI-generated content at scale.
• SEO is Content Optimization: The core of SEO is optimizing content (text, images, videos) rather than just technical fixes.
• User-Generated Content (UGC): Platforms like Reddit and TikTok are successfully leveraging UGC. Reddit's approach of aggregating posts and comments showed initial ranking success, while TikTok's branded discover pages are also gaining traction.
• Parasite SEO: Strategies involving high-authority domains or subfolders can be used for quick gains, but they carry risks and are against Google's policies (site reputation abuse).
• Black Hat Tactics: While some black hat tactics exist, the long-term approach to SEO is recommended for sustainable results.
• E-commerce & Image Optimization: E-commerce presents a significant opportunity. Proper Google Merchant Center setup and high-quality, contextually relevant images are crucial for conversions and SEO.
• Helpful Content Update (HCU): The HCU's impact is debated, with theories suggesting it might be more of a domain-level devaluation or editorial decision rather than solely content-based, especially for smaller publishers.
• Future of SEO: Despite volatility and the rise of AI, SEO is not dead but evolving. Publishers are advised to diversify, potentially creating products to monetize their content and fund their operations, rather than solely relying on traffic.