Dinis Guarda interviews Matt Diamante, a digital marketer and the Founder of HeyTony, a Canada-based boutique growth ad agency, in the latest episode of his YouTube podcast. The two discuss the true meaning of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), the challenges it faces in today’s world, and the opportunities with the advent of the AI era.
Matt Diamante is a digital marketer and a specialist in SEO advertising, integrated marketing, and web design. He established HeyTony, a boutique growth ad agency in 2018 to help clients improve customer acquisition through SEO/SEM, analytics and media buying.
During the interview, he highlights that in the contemporary landscape of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), the fundamental shift from traditional keyword-centric strategies to a more comprehensive approach centered around creating helpful content. This has become increasingly pivotal.
“Everything that we are doing (at HeyTony), the ultimate goal is to help somebody with the answer they are looking for. That’s SEO, literally”, he says.
This transformation, he says, is significantly influenced by the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms into search engine processes. “With a lot of AI content today, back links and useful content is what makes it stand.”
The opportunities and challenges in SEO industry during the current AI revolution
In the AI-driven SEO landscape, user experience signals play a pivotal role in determining a page’s visibility. Metrics such as bounce rate, time spent on page, and click-through rate are key indicators that AI algorithms take into account.
There are about 1.2 billion websites in the world, but over 90% of searches worldwide happen on Google. According to a survey by HubSpot, inbound marketing, using SEO and blogs, is the highest quality source of leads for about 60% of businesses.
Matt explained that AI-driven algorithms are dynamic and subject to constant updates. “We have the opportunity to write content using AI, but we don’t have the necessary technical know-how to make sure that the content is good enough to rank higher”, he said.
Staying abreast of algorithmic changes poses a challenge, as SEO strategies need to be flexible and responsive to ensure sustained visibility.
However, he states that while automation streamlines SEO tasks, from keyword research to performance tracking, it also facilitates predictive analytics, enabling businesses to anticipate user behaviour. Pages that successfully retain user interest and participation are rewarded with higher rankings, aligning with the evolving priorities of AI-driven search engines.
“AI enables people and businesses to understand how to do SEO, and learn and use AI to their advantage as a writing partner. This will enable them to publish much better content more frequently”, he said.
The importance of link building in SEO
Matt tells Dinis that optimising content ensures a positive user experience. Characterised by engaging and relevant material, it not only becomes a user-centric practice but also a strategic SEO imperative.
“While looking for content for clients, look at the top 3 search results, and create a better piece by optimising its heading tags, keywords, and internal linking”, he said.
Emphasising significantly on the process of link-building, he explained that it involves acquiring hyperlinks from other websites to one’s own. This process is integral to enhancing a website’s authority, credibility, and visibility in search engine rankings.
As SEO practices evolved, he said, natural link building, a practice where websites organically link to valuable content, is gaining traction. This necessitates the creation of high-quality, shareable content that naturally attracts backlinks, reflecting the site’s authority and relevance within its niche.
Commenting on an SEO tip for micro and small businesses, he said:
“You don’t need much credibility for the content where keywords don’t compete with big players. Even if the big player notices that you are starting for those particular keywords, they are not going to care, because it’s going to have such a low search volume, compared to their other stuff”,
Effective link building strategies often include the identification of authoritative websites in the same industry or niche and reaching out to them for collaboration or guest posting opportunities. Developing relationships, he says, with other webmasters, participating in industry forums, and creating content that naturally earns backlinks are all essential components of a successful link-building campaign.
Although, he also emphasises that this process requires a delicate balance of strategic outreach, content creation, and fostering organic relationships within the online community. Ultimately, a robust link-building strategy not only contributes to a website’s SEO performance but also establishes it as a credible source within its industry.
With a driving passion to create a relatable content, Pallavi progressed from writing as a freelancer to full-time professional. Science, innovation, technology, economics are very few (but not limiting) fields she zealous about. Reading, writing, and teaching are the other activities she loves to get involved beyond content writing for intelligenthq.com, citiesabc.com, and openbusinesscouncil.org
