Speaker 1: 0:54

Hello and welcome to. Seo is not that hard. I'm your host, ed Dawson, the founder of the SEO intelligence platform, keywordspeakleasercom, where we help you discover the questions people ask online and learn how to optimise your content to build traffic and authority. I've been in SEO and online marketing for over 20 years and I'm here to share the wealth of knowledge, hints and tips I've amassed over that time. Hi, welcome back to SEO is not that hard. It's me here, eddie Dawson, hosting as usual, and today I'm going to be talking about why data is so important nowadays in search, why data is what can set you apart and what can provide you with a moat. And this is so, so important now where we've got the AI generated content flooding the digital space. So that's AI overviews in Google, that is ChatGPT, claude, all the other places where AI is coming in and is starting to overtake content sites. So how do we still produce sites that are going to be valuable for people and are going to win and are going to beat the AI?

Speaker 1: 1:57

So let's first of all part one. Let's think about the power of data and SEO. So why does data win in SEO? Now, the answer is that data is the foundation of everything in modern content, modern SEO. The search engines evolve. They're not just matching keywords anymore, they're analysing content, user behaviour and importantly, importantly the quality and the uniqueness of the content behind a query. And sites that offer unique and current data become more than just another content page. These are what turn into trusted resources. So think about it this way okay, ai can generate generic content based on patterns. We all know that. We've all been to chat GPT. We've all put in produce me content on such and such, and it will produce that content. Put a simple question into google you will get an ai overview. Okay, but what it can't do is replicate a well-maintained database that delivers real, actionable information, especially up-to-date information. So, in an era where content is everywhere, having a unique data set is what can set you apart. So you know.

Speaker 1: 2:56

Part two, data, is your search moat, because it's a double header title. This I couldn't decide on which title to give the podcast, so it's two. So what do I mean by by a moat? Um, in business, a moat is a sustainable competitive advantage that protects your market position. Okay, so in SEO, data can serve as that moat. It shields your site from the floods of generic content that AI is pumping out and it gives the search engines a clear signal that your site offers something truly unique and valuable, and it's something that the AIs cannot replicate.

Speaker 1: 3:31

So let's take an example right my old site, broadbandcouk, still running, still doing really well in new hands. If you don't know my backstory, I sold the site three or four years ago. Now it's a broadband comparison site. Now what it does is it's not just rehashing common information. What they do at broadbandcouk, like other aggregator sites like this, they compile a unique, up-to-date geographic availability data, because broadband isn't available universally. Not all providers, all services are available everywhere. It very much depends on where you live. So that's some unique data in the first instance, and they pair it with a comprehensive database of the broadband providers available and then they match it with the deals these providers offer. Now this combination creates an unmatched resource that's not easily replicated by AI-generated content.

Speaker 1: 4:26

So imagine trying to build a site that completes purely on text. We know that AI can churn out articles, but it can't quickly and accurately gather real-time data about broadband availability and pricing. Okay, sure it can go do some quick searches online. It can do a little bit, but it doesn't have a knowledge base and it can't tap in to those databases in time to be able to come back and give answers, and a service as good as what these sites can that have their own data. That's your moat. It's as good as what these sites can that have their own data. That's your moat. It's this exclusive information that makes your site the go-to place for consumers looking for, in this case, the best broadband deals in their area. And it's the place that the search engines are going to have to surface and reference. And it's the place that the large language models, the AIs, are going to have to reference because they can't give you an up-to-date answer. They can reference some surface answer, but they're going to have to give you point to a resource that gives that update data, like your site.

Speaker 1: 5:22

Now we can further improve the power of this by marrying multiple data sets. If you pair one or more different data sets, you can supercharge your seo. It's not just about having one type of data. It's about combining several data points to create a rich, unique resource. So, for instance, take the broadband example again. One data set might show the geographical availability of different broadband providers or different services, and another might contain detailed information on broadband deals, speeds, pricing and contract terms, and so when you take these two data sets together, you get a powerful tool that lets users compare providers side by side, depending on the local availability and the current deals.

Speaker 1: 5:56

And this marriage of data does two things. It increases relevance. So when you use a search for you know best broadband deals in London, they're not just getting a list of generic articles about broadband in London, they're getting tailored local information and it's up-to-date information as well. And it also builds authority. Search engines love sites that are rich and original, well-maintained data. When you continuously update your database, you signal to google that your site is an authoritative and up-to-date source, and the key here is you know this data isn't static. The more frequently update your data sets in, the more intelligently you pair them, the harder it becomes for competitors or ai to replicate your offering. And then going back, ai.

Speaker 1: 6:33

Ai is the elephant in the room, isn't it? Nowadays, with the rise of AI-generated content, many people are wondering if human-driven SEO still has an edge. Okay, and the answer is a resounding yes, if you build a strategy around unique, valuable data. Ai can excel at creating content that's generic and it follows patterns from existing data. What it struggles with is originality when it comes to real-time data, localized data or highly specialized data. This is where your unique data mode comes into play. When a website continuously feeds unique, reliable data into its content, likes the real-time broadband availability data or updated pricing data, it creates a dynamic resource that ai simply can't mimic. You know you couldn't ai couldn't do this by itself. You couldn't. It hasn't got access to these levels of data, okay, so it can't just do this straight out of the box, and this is um. This not only helps you with your organic rankings, but it's also going to put you in those rankings where there aren't ai overviews, where, if people are using ChatGPT, it's got to find an external resource to refer people to, and this will also build trust with users, who know that they can rely on your information, because it's something that they can't get anywhere else.

Speaker 1: 7:49

If you want to do this, how do you go about building and maintaining a data moat? So, first of of all, you've got to invest in data acquisition. Okay, you've got to identify the key data sets that are relevant to your niche. So, for broadband sites, like I've said, that's geographic coverage, that's pricing that speeds, that promotional deals you need to look for reliable data sources and you might need to partner with people for exclusive data so you might be able to go to this provider and say can I have availability information for things in your area. You might need to build that you know to find part of all the people who've got information that you can pair together, or you've got to go out there and build it yourself, okay.

Speaker 1: 8:24

Secondly, you want to automate the data updates. Okay, the very best of these sites to use apis or data scraping tools, where you know where it's legal, where they've got permission, and to keep their data fresh. And the more up-to-date the data, the more valuable your site becomes, and these regular updates ensure your site remains accurate. It also means you can scale it, because it's really hard to scale lots of these things without having automated data sources, and it's what will make you trusted over time. We keep going back to that trusting, don't we? You want to integrate multiple data sources. So, as I said again, merging geographic data with pricing, performance data that's what makes a site like broadbandcouk so valuable and use visualization tools to make the data as accessible as possible to people. People have charts, graphs, interactive maps anything that enhances that user engagement.

Speaker 1: 9:15

You want to ensure data quality. Quality matters more than quantity. Focus on accuracy and reliability. Okay, because if your data is verified and well-organized, people are going to trust it. If you've got poor data or inaccurate data, then people are going to start to question it and not trust it so much, and that's when you're going to lose out. Finally, you need to communicate your data's value. Okay, you've got to highlight your unique data in your content, in your marketing materials. Let the people reading know why your information is trustworthy, why it's valuable and what's out there, and put in with it. Use your case studies, testimonials, clear comparisons, all these things to showcase how your data-driven content and insights help people make better decisions.

Speaker 1: 9:56

So, just summing up you know, in today's competitive digital landscape, especially with AI, data is your search mode. It's the secret source that will differentiate your site from the endless streams of generic content produced by AI. If you can use unique, up-to-date data, like the kind you see in the broadband aggregation sites, the broadband comparison sites, the loan comparison sites, car insurance, anyway, where there's unique data that needs to be up to date, flight information, holidays, all these things where you can pull together data sets that aren't available elsewhere, as a whole, you might. Some of this data might be available in some places and not others. It's bringing stuff together that can be really powerful and remember, ai can generate content at scale, but it can't replace the trust and authority that comes from a really good, powerful data-driven resource. So that's why I think if you're really differentiating yourself in a way that AI can't beat you, you need to think about how you can build data and data sets and pairings of data sets to build something that AI just can't beat. Right? That's it for today. I hope you found it useful and remember, you know, until next time, keep optimizing, stay curious. Remember, seo is not that hard when you understand the basics. Thanks for listening. It means a lot to me.

Speaker 1: 11:19

This is where I get to remind you where you can connect with me and my SEO tools and services. You can find links to all the links I mention here in the show notes. Just remember, with all these places where I use my name, that Ed is spelled with two Ds. You can find me on LinkedIn and Blue Sky. Just search for Ed Dawson on both.

Speaker 1: 11:41

You can record a voice question to get answer on the podcast. The link is in the show notes. You can try our seo intelligence platform keywords people use at keywords people usecom, where we can help you discover the questions and keywords people asking online. Post those questions and keywords into related groups so you know what content you need to build topical authority. And, finally, connect your google search console account for your sites so we can crawl and understand your actual content, find what keywords you rank for and then help you optimize, continually refine your content and targeted, personalized advice to keep your traffic growing. If you're interested in learning more about me personally or looking for dedicated consulting advice, then visit wwweddawsoncom. Bye for now and see you in the next episode of SEO is Not that Hard.