How The Digital Stride Uses AI Tools to Improve SEO and AEO

Artificial Intelligence is changing how people search, how businesses get found, and how content is delivered across both traditional search engines and AI-powered answer platforms.

For business owners, that shift creates a genuine opportunity. AI now allows companies to significantly increase visibility not just on Google, but across platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overviews. Users are increasingly getting direct answers without having to click through multiple websites.

At The Digital Stride, we combine proven technical SEO expertise with smart, strategic use of AI tools. The goal isn’t to chase trends, it’s to build a practical, results-driven SEO strategy that keeps our clients visible as search evolves.

In this blog post, we explain how we use AI to improve keyword rankings, strengthen search visibility, and generate measurable commercial growth.

Visit our SEO Services page to learn more about what we offer.

The AI Tools We Use (And Why)

AI supports our process; it doesn't replace expertise. We bring together hands-on SEO knowledge, intelligent machine learning tools, and real performance insights to drive measurable results.

Strong SEO today isn't just about inserting a relevant keyword into a page. It requires:

• Clear understanding of search intent
• Targeting the right keywords based on real search volumes
• Strategic content creation
• Structured content generation that AI systems can interpret
• And consistently publishing high-quality content

When those elements align, you increase organic traffic sustainably.

Our AI-Driven SEO Method

1. Establish Where You Stand

Every project starts with proper analysis. We use leading keyword research tools such as Semrush and Surfer SEO to evaluate:

• Keyword optimisation
• Content depth
• Semantic coverage
• Structure and readability
• Competitor positioning
• Search volumes and keyword difficulty
• Alignment with user search intent

This gives us a clear picture of what’s working, what isn’t, and where the biggest ranking opportunities sit.

It’s the foundation that allows us to confidently use AI to improve keyword rankings rather than resorting to guesswork.

2. Improve and Refine with AI Support

Once we’ve identified the gaps, we use AI tools to properly strengthen the page.

This isn’t about automated content creation or bulk content generation. Everything is reviewed and refined by our experienced SEO team to ensure accuracy, tone and commercial focus.

We use AI support to:

• Expand topic coverage naturally
• Strengthen relevant keyword usage without over-optimising
• Improve formatting and readability
• Improve internal linking
• Add structured data
• Provide technical recommendations
• Improve page performance guidance

The outcome is high-quality content that serves both users and search engines.

3. Reassess, Measure and Scale

Once changes are implemented, we track ranking improvements, visibility growth and organic traffic increases over time.

SEO isn’t a one-off task. It's an ongoing strategy built around refinement and performance data.

Real Example

One recent client saw:

• A primary keyword moved from Position 16 to Position 3 in under two months
• A Semrush SEO score increased from 6.4 to 8.2
• Noticeable growth in targeted organic traffic

That's what happens when expert strategy meets intelligent AI support.

Using SemRush's Writing Assistant

SemRush's Writing Assistant is one of our most practical optimisation tools. It analyses the pages currently ranking in Google and provides real-time guidance based on what's actually performing.

We use it to improve:

• Readability
• Keyword relevance
• Topic coverage
• Tone and clarity
• Alignment with search intent
• Overall SEO scoring

It helps ensure every piece of content creation is based on live ranking data rather than assumptions.

Before optimisation, pages often lack structure or depth. After AI-supported refinement, the improvements in clarity, coverage and quality are clear.

And that's exactly how we use AI to improve keyword rankings properly.

Why This Matters for Users

When content is clearer and more aligned with search intent:

• Users find answers faster
• Trust increases
• Engagement improves
• Organic traffic grows

Better content leads to better rankings. Better rankings lead to better commercial results.

Surfer SEO for Deeper Content Optimisation

Surfer SEO uses machine learning to analyse top-performing pages and identify exactly what competitive content includes.

It helps us refine:

• Semantic topic coverage
• Recommended word count (based on real search volumes and competitor averages)
• Heading structure
• Relevant keyword integration
• Content gaps
• Competitor insights

The result is stronger, more complete content that genuinely answers user queries.

And importantly, it ensures we aren't just targeting keywords, we're satisfying intent.

ChatGPT for Technical SEO

ChatGPT isn’t just a writing assistant. We use it as a technical support tool to improve site performance and structure.

We use it to:

• Generate structured data (JSON-LD)
• Improve meta descriptions
• Identify internal linking opportunities
• Diagnose technical issues
• Support Core Web Vitals improvements

For example, when prompting:

"Create a comprehensive guide on improving LCP, CLS and FID with actionable best practices."

We've used that guidance to improve:

• Largest Contentful Paint
• Cumulative Layout Shift
• Interaction responsiveness

The benefit is faster diagnostics, clearer instructions and smoother collaboration between SEO and development teams.

Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO)

Search is no longer just about rankings. It’s about visibility inside AI-generated answers.

AEO focuses on appearing within:

• ChatGPT
• Gemini
• Perplexity
• Google AI Overviews

While traditional SEO focuses on ranking pages, AEO focuses on being cited.

How AEO Differs from Traditional SEO?

SEO focuses on:

• Ranking pages
• Driving click-through traffic
• Keyword-led optimisation
• Search volumes and competitive positioning

AEO focuses on:

• AI citation visibility
• Structured, conversational content
• Clear explanations
• Search intent matching

Our AEO Approach

To improve AI visibility, we:

• Answer the main question clearly at the start of the sections
• Explain the “what” before the “how”
• Use clean formatting and short paragraphs
• Add structured data
• Use question-based headings
• Strengthen authority signals

AI systems prioritise high-quality, structured, factual, and easy-to-interpret content.

When content meets those standards, platforms are more likely to reference your brand directly.

AI Visibility Tools

Several tools now track how brands appear inside AI systems.

Semrush AI Visibility Tool

Tracks brand mentions in:

• ChatGPT
• Perplexity
• Google AI summaries

Greater visibility builds authority and can support organic traffic growth.

Surfer SEO AI Tracker

Monitors:

• Brand mentions
• Citation frequency
• Visibility trends

These tools help measure how effectively we use AI to improve keyword rankings and broader AI presence.

Ready to Strengthen Your SEO and AEO?

If you want to:

• Improve your SEO strategy
• Increase organic traffic
• Align content with real search intent
• Strengthen authority across both Google and AI platforms

The Digital Stride combines expert-led strategy with practical AI implementation to deliver sustainable growth.

👉 Visit our SEO Services page

👉 Call us or Enquire Now to get started