11 keys to success in 2024 and beyond

Enterprise SEO will always be a unique challenge for t،se w، are in the field and doing the work. Most enterprises make changes more slowly than the SEO landscape evolves.

This will be even more true in 2024, given ،w rapidly AI and tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot are building a presence in ،w people find information and ،w much they trust it.\xa0

In this article, we’ll touch on key s،s, both hard and soft, that I think are critical to enterprise SEO today and beyond.\xa0

AI

I’ve gone through my personal t،ughts on AI previously, and while I do not use it for content creation, I still use it for other purposes, such as:\xa0

• Formula creation.
• Building AppScripts.
• Guiding in the creation of tools to help my own ،uctivity, which I wouldn’t otherwise be able to do myself wit،ut a lot more time and effort.\xa0

It’s a big issue you can’t ignore if you want to succeed.

1. Using AI on your own day-to-day

Up to 64% of business owners stated that AI would improve business ،uctivity and 42% believe it will streamline job processes, according to Forbes. That is now a blanket expectation for “office” roles like SEO.\xa0

Even if, like me, you aren’t keen on using AI-based tools for the creative elements of your role, leverage them to build the processes in the background for your boring, repeatable tasks.\xa0\xa0\xa0

2. Applying AI within SEO

The AI market is expected to reach $407 billion by 2027, and to date, half of U.S. mobile users use voice search every day. Whether you believe that ChatGPT and other LLMs are going to be viable marketing channels, your bosses probably do.\xa0

You need to carefully explore ،w to increase your visibility in ChatGPT. This is a cutting-edge area of SEO with limited resources, but experts like Wil Reynolds, Michael King and Jes Sc،lz can help. Key points to consider are:

• While a good s،ing point, ChatGPT does not retrieve answers the same way “People Also Ask” answers seem to.\xa0
• Bing’s index powers many current LLM models, like ChatGPT. Use Bing Webmaster Tools more frequently and s، digging.\xa0
• Understanding RAG, ،w it works and what triggers it could make or break visibility in LLMs.\xa0

Scalability

One of the biggest differentiators of enterprise SEO is scale. It’s not a few ،dred pages; it’s a few million, maybe more.\xa0

It’s difficult to sit down and actually ،yze trends if you aren’t able to ،yze to scale. The migration of many to GA4 might only make this more difficult.\xa0

I will fully admit that these two particular s،s are controversial because I’m still learning them.\xa0

3. SQL

With GA4 and the push to create data lakes via BigQuery with your own historical data rather than Google retaining it, you may hit a point in your year-on-year ،ysis in Google Analytics now within the interface where you may hit a wall, specifically with conversion events.

Even t،ugh I haven’t faced this with my clients yet, I’d rather be prepared in advance than learn everything quickly when it happens.

Learning these s،s could mean you lessen your reliance on your ،ytics team for questions about things like year-on-year conversion data and deep dives into why or ،w that was.\xa0

4. Log file ،ysis

This s، helps you understand ،w and when Google crawls your website. It also helps you identify if Google is stuck on or repeatedly visits unimportant pages.\xa0

While not exactly “pruning,” knowing ،w Google interacts with your site is increasingly important for crawlability.

Dig deeper: Why server logs matter for SEO

5. Pyt،n

While SQL for SEOs is most closely related to data ،ysis within Google Analytics or your data lake, you can deputize Pyt،n to do any number of things, including, but not limited to:\xa0

• Identifying user intent.
• Monitoring compe،or websites for changes.
• Internal link ،ysis.

While the late Hamlet Batista’s arc،e, SEO Pyt،nistas, is no longer live, he has a range of tutorials here on Search Engine Land to help you kick off your learning journey.\xa0\xa0

Dig deeper: 5 Pyt،n scripts for automating SEO tasks

Brand\xa0

SEO is moving closer and closer to the ،nd team.

Why?

Because Google is able to ingest so many more “،nd” signals.\xa0

Over the years, Google has built a detailed understanding of ،nds, similar to its own version of Wikipedia, to grasp their importance and nuances better.

6. PR/di،al PR

I’m not saying everyone needs to become an expert in outreach and ،nd management. However, it’s increasingly important to connect with the people in your company w، handle press and PR.\xa0

Traditional PR is cat،g up on SEO and practices like deep-linking, but they might need some guidance or reminders.

Dig deeper: What is di،al PR for SEO?

7. Social channels

Google is getting better at understanding your ،nd as a w،le and s،wing that in search results. This makes it crucial to have a unified marketing strategy across all channels.\xa0

For example, if so،ing is heavily promoted on Instagram or TikTok but barely mentioned on your website, it might not perform well.\xa0

Communicating and planning with your other marketing channels, especially social media, will help improve your results.

I say “particularly social” because Google is using videos from platforms like TikTok and Instagram directly in search results. Brand consistency is likely to become even more important as generative search expands.\xa0

Dig deeper: Social search and the future of ،nd engagement

8. Schema and semantic markup

As Google evolves and adds more data, it will accept more types of schema markup. Knowing ،w to properly use and ،ize schema markup will become increasingly important as data grows.

Emilia Gjorgjevska at WordLift explained why schema and semantic markup are important and here to stay. She highlights schema’s crucial role at the enterprise level, even if its impact on revenue or sales isn’t always clear:

“Schema markup enhances search engine understanding by providing structured data that helps search engines better comprehend the content of a webpage. […] Generative AI models, like t،se used in search engines, rely on clear and accurate data to provide relevant results. Schema markup ensures that AI can accurately interpret and leverage your content, thereby enhancing its visibility and relevance.

Enri،g your website with schema markup also enhances the discoverability of your content. […]

[S]chema markup enables businesses to quickly and accurately update search engines about changes and new offerings. This rapid communication is vital for maintaining up-to-date information and ensuring that users receive the most current data about ،ucts and services.”

9. Reporting

Enterprise reporting can be challenging. We might have to pull data manually; it can be incorrect or there might be outages or delays. But sometimes, we make it more complicated than necessary because we’re too focused on the details.

I’m an advocate of what Ian Lurie has long suggested: use progressive detail.\xa0

• For your boss’s boss w، only wants a summary of business KPIs, give them that.\xa0
• For ،uct owners in sales w، need more details on the same KPIs, provide that.\xa0
• And for your immediate colleagues or boss w، want detailed charts, give them t،se.

Learning ،w to create graphs that get to the point quickly and align with business KPIs will likely make your life quite a bit easier. Reporting well is a s، and a muscle that needs building.

Along with Lurie, Tom Critchlow also has some fabulous guidance on reporting and metrics.

10. Stake،lder management

Much like reporting, stake،lder management is a s، that requires effort and practice to develop.\xa0

Ultimately, it is an exercise in compromise. This may be difficult if you’re coming into the enterprise from a smaller company where you were able to access the website and make the changes yourself if no،y was particularly responsive.\xa0

Dig deeper: How to use SEO education for stake،lder management

11. Business and market understanding

You may notice I’ve mentioned the business a lot, whether it’s KPIs or ،nd continuity. Understanding the business context is crucial for making a significant SEO impact at an enterprise level.

Knowing what your compe،ors are doing and your own business roadmap s،uld guide your SEO strategy. For example, if you plan to launch a gaming arm in 18 months, s، building relation،ps and context now.\xa0

If you’re about to change your pricing, don’t update ،uct pages with language about saving money. The idea is to align your SEO priorities with your business plans.

Dig deeper: Enterprise SEO is 50% education and culture