Content Marketing in The Age of AI

The Guest

Rachel Hernandez is the Director of Marketing at Next Net Media, the largest global network of trusted media outlets, link partners, and global news websites. She has nearly a decade of content marketing experience and currently oversees in-house teams and a vast network of over 700 freelancers, and shes here today to talk about content marketing in the age of AI

Content Marketing in The Age of AI

The interview begins with Rachel explaining how AI has changed the production of content, while also explaining the unchanging nature of generating resonance with audiences through content.

“People have been regurgitating and frankensteining content for ever,” says Rachel. “It’s just more tempting and easier, but the results are usually mediocre without a human firmly in the loop. If you spend enough time with this stuff, you can see purely AI-generated content a mile away. The thing that’s not changing is the emotional resonance and connection that real good solid marketing can have with a user audience. Whether it’s AI or not, it’s still about connection.”

AI’s Impact on SEO

We then move on to discuss the evolving landscape of digital marketing, specifically the impact of AI on SEO. Rachel explains that AI is not currently making SEO better, but she believes it will eventually.

“In the short term, I don’t think AI has improved SEO, but it might in the long term,” says Rachel. “Google has had to react quickly to this, and haven’t done themselves any favors. They came out first with the helpful content update; then it comes out they can’t detect AI content. Then the second update rolls out talking about usefulness; one of the signals they look at is volume of content uploading, which signals a search engine-only site. But, real sites with real content have been de-indexed because of this. Google is not manually reviewing content; it can’t. But with search generative experience (SGE) rolling out, Google has been changing it’s SERP presentation. SGE is going to take it further, users might not have to leave the SERP to get an answer. I think it will be good when it rolls out, but there’s still work to be done.”

Adapting to New Challenges in Search

The interview pivots to Rachel talking about the challenges people are facing in adapting to the new era of search. Rachel suggests that optimizing for search engines should focus on creating useful content, rather than trying to manipulate the system. She also highlights the need to reconsider key performance indicators to better gauge the success of content in SEO, as traffic increases don't necessarily translate into increased ROI.

Emphasizing Engagement in Content Marketing 

When we switch to discussing the importance of content marketing and it’s impact, Rachel emphasizes that the aim should not only be about optimizing for search but also about building brand affinity and engaging users. She explains that she measures the success of marketing by looking at engagement metrics, such as comments, shares, click-through rates, and open rates. 

To hear how Rachel approaches the strategic creation of content, how she manages a large network of freelancers, why focusing on the audience will never go out of style, and if she prefers Taylor Swift or Lana Del Rey, listen to the full interview at the links provided on this page. 

The Links

Rachel on LinkedIn
Next Net Media
SEO Discount on The Hoth

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