11 ways to use AI for SEO (+best practices & challenges)

Forward-looking marketers are already using AI in their SEO workflows. And seeing real results.

By the end of this guide, you'll know exactly how to use AI for SEO. You'll get 11 practical use cases with prompts you can copy, plus the best practices and challenges to know.

What is AI SEO?

AI SEO is the practice of using AI tools to improve and streamline the SEO workflow. You can use AI for tasks like keyword research, content planning, SERP analysis, on-page improvements, and content refreshes.

Tools like ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, and specialized SEO platforms run on large language models (LLMs) and machine learning. They process complex search data in seconds, surfacing trends, opportunities, and optimization decisions that would otherwise take hours of manual work.

Key applications of AI in SEO

AI transforms SEO workflows across four main areas:

• Automation of repetitive tasks: AI handles time-consuming activities like keyword research, meta tag generation, and content audits. This frees up SEO professionals to focus on strategy and creative work.
• Data analysis and insights: AI analyzes search trends, user behavior patterns, and ranking factors across thousands of data points. It surfaces opportunities and risks that are easy to miss in manual analysis.
• Content optimization: AI tools evaluate existing content against top-ranking pages, suggest improvements, and identify gaps. They also strengthen readability, on-page relevance, and semantic coverage in real time.
• Predictive insights: Advanced AI models forecast ranking potential, estimate traffic outcomes, and identify content strategies likely to perform based on historical data and current trends

Where traditional SEO relied on gut instinct and manual testing, AI gives you evidence-based recommendations drawn from millions of search queries and ranking signals. That said, AI works best alongside human expertise, not in place of it. Use it to handle the data and drafts, then apply your own judgment for strategy, accuracy, and brand voice.

How are marketers using AI for SEO?

So how are marketers putting AI to work? In early 2026, we surveyed 100 marketers across B2B and B2C teams about how they're using AI in their SEO workflows.

Here's what we found:

The most popular SEO use case for AI is keyword research, with 60% of marketers saying they use ChatGPT and similar tools to research keywords for their content.

Almost half (48%) of respondents say they use AI to brainstorm content ideas, and 38% use it to create content briefs and outlines.

Other popular use cases include:

• Updating or refreshing existing content (34%)
• Generating page titles and meta descriptions (26%)
• Optimizing content with secondary keywords (24%)

Only about 1 in 5 marketers use AI to draft SEO articles. Whether that reflects concerns about quality, trust, or workflow preference, most teams still rely on humans to write the final piece.

Now, let’s look at how you can use AI for all of the above tasks yourself.

1. Brainstorm content ideas

AI generates content ideas tailored to your audience, products or services, and goals. The more context you give it, the more relevant the output.

Here's a prompt template you can adapt:

"Act as an SEO strategist for a [B2B/B2C] company that sells [product or service]. Generate 10 blog post ideas targeting [target audience]. Focus on [top/middle/bottom]-of-the-funnel topics that would help [awareness/consideration/conversions]. Present them in a [listicle/comparison/how-to] format."

Continuing with our CRM SaaS example, here’s what I got in ChatGPT:

One limitation to keep in mind is that AI tools don't have access to real search data, so they can't tell you whether a topic has search demand, how competitive it is, or how much traffic it could drive.

Use the output as a starting point, then validate your ideas with a keyword research tool before committing to a content plan. 

Further reading: How to Find Content Ideas with Semrush

2. Conduct keyword research

AI tools quickly generate keyword ideas to point you in the right direction during the early stages ofcontent planning.

Here’s a prompt you could use

"Act as an SEO specialist. Generate 20 long-tail keyword ideas that [target audience] might search for when evaluating [product or service]. 

Focus on question-based keywords and purchase-intent terms. 

Include a mix of informational keywords for early-stage research and transactional keywords for buyers who are closer to making a decision."

Here's the output I got using our CRM example:

ChatGPT isn't your only option. Here are three other ways to find keyword ideas:

• Perplexity: Type a question your target audience might search for. It returns AI-generated answers with cited sources. It also shows follow-up questions, which are often strong long-tail keyword ideas to add to your list.

• People Also Ask (PAA): Search your topic on Google and look for the People Also Ask box. These are real questions surfaced by Google's AI, and each one is a potential keyword or FAQ topic worth targeting.

• Google Search Console (GSC) with regex filtering: If your site already gets traffic, GSC shows you the exact queries people use to find you. You can use regex filtering to spot patterns across those queries. Regex is simply a way to search for results matching a pattern rather than a single exact word, so you can uncover entire keyword clusters at once.

That's where dedicated keyword research tools come in.

Validating keywords with Keyword Overview

Enter your keyword ideas into Semrush's Keyword Overview tool and add your domain to validate them with real search data. Alongside search volume and keyword difficulty, it also shows AI-powered, domain-specific metrics like:

• Personal Keyword Difficulty (PKD %): Tells you how difficult it may be for your specific site to rank for a keyword
• Topical Authority: Helps you gauge how strongly your site is positioned around a topic

Using Keyword Magic Tool for comprehensive research

Keyword Magic Tool helps you expand your keyword list into a broader set of relevant opportunities.

Enter a seed term like "CRM software" and the tool generates related keywords organized into topic groups. If you add your domain, you also see AI-powered metrics like PKD% and Potential Traffic to help prioritize the strongest opportunities.

Use the "Questions" filter to find terms that reflect what people want to know, such as "how much does CRM software cost for small business." These keywords work well for FAQ sections, comparison pages, and educational content.

You can also apply “Intent” filters to focus on specific stages of the buyer journey. "Commercial" and "Transactional" keywords signal stronger purchase intent.

Competitive keyword gap analysis

Keyword Gap helps you find keyword opportunities your competitors already rank for but you don’t. Enter your domain and up to four competitors’ domains to compare your visibility side by side.

Use the “Missing” filter to see the keywords where competitors rank and your site doesn’t. These gaps can reveal useful topics to target, especially if they align with your product, features, or audience needs.

For example, if competing CRM brands rank for “AI scheduling assistant” and your site doesn’t, that points to a topic your current content may be missing. If it is relevant to your offering, it could be worth covering more directly.

Once you identify promising terms, you can export them and decide where they fit best, whether that means a new page, an update to an existing page, or supporting content.

Further reading: How to Do Keyword Research in 2026 (6 Ways + Framework)

3. Plan topic clusters

AI helps you plan topic clusters, which are content groups focused on core themes related to your business. Each cluster consists of:

• Pillar page: Targets a broad, high-volume keyword and provides an overview of the topic
• Cluster pages: Supporting pages that target related long-tail keywords and cover specific subtopics in greater detail

Here’s a prompt you can use to generate a topic cluster:

“Act as an SEO strategist. Based on the following list of keywords, create one topic cluster. Identify one pillar page topic and five to seven supporting cluster page topics. Focus on a logical grouping that reflects search intent and supports internal linking. Here’s the keyword list: [keyword list].”

Using our CRM software example, ChatGPT suggested one pillar page and several supporting cluster pages like these:

Review the output carefully before you use it. Look for overlap between page ideas, missing subtopics, or pages that feel too broad or too narrow. 

In this case, the first two cluster pages overlap slightly because both cover pricing and comparison angles. I’d keep both only if one targets general CRM evaluation and the other focuses specifically on budget-friendly options. Otherwise, I’d combine them.

ChatGPT groups ideas well, but it can't validate search demand. For that, you need a dedicated tool.

Semrush’s Keyword Strategy Builder helps you plan topic clusters that are automatically based on real keyword data. Enter up to five seed terms related to your business and click “Create.”

The tool generates topic clusters that include a pillar page and multiple subpages. It also shows metrics like search volume, difficulty, and intent for each page, so you can spot clusters with strong traffic potential and realistic ranking opportunities.

Further reading: Topic Clusters for SEO: What They Are & How to Create Them

4. Perform SERP analyses

AI speeds up SERP analysis by showing you what the top-ranking pages cover, where the gaps are, and what your outline should include.

The easiest way is to use an AI tool with web browsing enabled, which lets it search the web and analyze top-ranking results for you.

Here’s the prompt you can use:

"Act as an SEO strategist. Search Google for [keyword] and analyze the top five ranking pages. 

For each page, summarize the main topics covered, content format, and search intent. Then identify common content gaps, how in-depth the content is, use of visuals, and overall structure. 

Finally, suggest the strongest angle for a new article and generate a blog post outline that fills the gaps and offers more value than what's currently ranking."

For our CRM software example, ChatGPT identified a mostly commercial SERP dominated by comparison pages, product roundups, and vendor-led content.

I'd treat this as a starting point rather than a final answer. AI-generated analyses can miss nuances, misread intent, or overlook details specific to your site and audience.

If you want more control over which pages get analyzed, you can collect the URLs yourself and use this prompt instead:

“Act as an SEO strategist. I’m targeting the keyword [keyword]. Here are the top-ranking pages:

[URL 1]
[URL 2]
[URL 3]
[URL 4]
[URL 5]

Analyze these pages and provide the following:

• A summary of the main topics and subtopics each page covers
• Common questions or angles that are addressed
• Notable content gaps or underrepresented perspectives
• Average word count and how in-depth the content is
• Use of visuals (e.g., charts, screenshots, videos)
• Readability and structure (e.g., headings, bullet points)

Then, generate a blog post outline that fills in the gaps and offers more value and clarity than the existing content.”

Open the ranking pages individually to confirm the search intent, content depth, structure, and use of visuals before finalizing your outline.

You can also use Keyword Overview’s “SERP Analysis” section to quickly check top-ranking pages and SERP features like AI Overviews or featured snippets.

Further reading: What Is a SERP Analysis & How Can You Do One?

5. Create content with AI

AI turns an outline into a draft faster, but the quality of the draft depends on the instructions you give it.

At a minimum, your prompt should explain the topic, audience, tone, structure, and any important keywords or points to include.

Here’s a prompt you can adapt and use:

“Act as a [B2B/B2C] content writer with experience in [industry or niche]. Write a [blog post/article/guide] titled [working title]. The audience is [target audience].

Use a [tone] tone and a [style] style. Incorporate the following keywords naturally throughout the piece: [keyword 1], [keyword 2], [keyword 3].

Follow this structure:

Intro: [what the intro should do]

Section 1: [what to cover]

Section 2: [what to cover]

Section 3: [what to cover]

Conclusion: [what the conclusion should do]”

You can also draft one section at a time instead of generating the whole draft at once. This gives you more control and makes it easier to refine the output as you go.

For example, you can use this follow-up:

“Now let’s focus on the introduction. Keep it under [word count], use simple language, and make it engaging for [target audience].”

The output is a rough draft, not a finished article. AI can make up facts, flatten your voice, or repeat generic phrasing, so always edit for accuracy, clarity, and originality.

If you want a more structured workflow, use Semrush’s AI Article Generator. It combines AI-assisted writing with Semrush data on keywords, search intent, competitors, and optimization.

Open the tool, enter your topic, and click “Generate article.”

Next, configure your settings. 

It automatically populates fields like the title, keywords, word count, audience location, and brand voice based on your topic, though you can adjust them.

Also, check “SEO booster” to strengthen the draft with competitive search data.

Once the draft is ready, review it in the built-in editor. Adjust the title tag, meta description, and any other elements, then refine the content as needed.

To further improve SEO or AI search visibility, type "Optimize for Google" or "Optimize for AI search" in the chat, and the tool generates specific recommendations to review and apply.

Further reading: How to Use AI for a Content Strategy That Drives Results

6. Generate FAQs

You can use AI to generate FAQ sections by identifying the questions your audience asks and drafting concise answers for each one.

This helps you target question-based keywords and improves your chances of appearing in features like People Also Ask, featured snippets, and AI-generated answers. 

Start with real questions your audience is already asking.

You can find those questions in Google’s People Also Ask results or by using Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool and applying the “Questions” filter to your main topic.

Once you have a list of real questions, use AI to draft short answers and identify any important questions your article still doesn’t answer.

Here’s an example prompt:

“Act as an SEO strategist. I’m writing a blog post titled [title]. The primary keyword is [primary keyword]. The audience is [target audience].

Here are real questions my audience is asking:

[question 1]
[question 2]
[question 3]
[question 4]

Write concise answers for each question in a helpful, conversational tone. Keep each answer to two to three sentences. Then identify any important questions this article still does not answer.

Here is my article: [paste your draft or URL]”

Here’s what I got using our CRM example:

Once your FAQs are ready, use AI to generate FAQ schema markup. This is code that helps search engines and AI systems understand your content structure, improving how your page is interpreted across both traditional and AI search.

Here's a prompt to generate it:

"Generate FAQ schema markup in JSON-LD format for the following questions and answers: [paste your FAQ questions and answers here]."

Add this code to the <head> section of your page. WordPress users can do this with a plugin like Yoast or RankMath. For other CMSes, your developer can add it directly. Then run the page through Google's Rich Results Test to confirm it's implemented correctly.

Further reading: Using Semrush to Find Popular Questions About Your Product/Industry

7. Optimize content for topical coverage

Optimizing for topical coverage ensures your content addresses the key subtopics, questions, and angles related to your target keyword. 

This helps search engines and AI systems understand the full depth of your page. It also improves your chances of ranking across multiple related terms and appearing in AI-generated answers.

You can use AI to review your draft and identify missing subtopics, weak sections, or ideas that need more depth.

Here’s an example prompt:

"Act as an SEO editor. I'm writing a blog post targeting the keyword [primary keyword]. The audience is [target audience].

Review my draft and do the following:

• Identify any important subtopics, angles, or questions that are missing or underdeveloped
• Flag any sections that are too thin or could be expanded
• Suggest semantically related terms and topics I should cover to make this content more comprehensive

Here is my draft: [paste your draft]"

Treat the output as an editorial checklist. Add the subtopics that genuinely serve your reader and skip the ones that don’t fit your angle.

For real-time guidance as you write, use Semrush's SEO Writing Assistant. It compares your content against top-ranking competitors and scores it based on SEO, semantic keyword coverage, readability, tone of voice, and originality.

You can either paste the draft directly into the editor or import content from a live URL.

Enter your target keyword, and the tool will analyze the top 10 ranking pages to establish benchmarks.

As you revise the draft, you’ll see live recommendations in the sidebar.

The tool also suggests semantically related keywords you can weave into the draft. Include the ones that strengthen the article and skip any that feel forced.

You’ll also see readability scores, tone of voice consistency, and an originality check to confirm the content isn’t too similar to existing pages.

Together, these recommendations show you where the draft is thin, off-tone, or missing topical depth, so you can strengthen it.

Further reading: What is Topical Authority? (+ How to Build It)

8. Generate title tags and meta descriptions

A strong title tag (the HTML headline shown in search results) and meta description (the summary displayed below it) can improve how your page appears in search results and increase the chances of users clicking through.

AI generates multiple title tags and meta descriptions in seconds.

Here’s an example prompt you can use to generate title tags:

“Act as an SEO copywriter. Write five SEO-friendly title tag options for a [page type] about [topic].

The primary keyword is [primary keyword]. Include it in each title.

Make sure each title is under 60 characters and designed to spark curiosity or highlight a benefit.”

Here's what I got for our CRM example:

You can use a similar prompt for meta descriptions:

"Act as an SEO copywriter. Generate five meta description options for a [page type] targeting the keyword [primary keyword].

Each description should include the target keyword, run between 105 and 160 characters, and clearly describe the content while encouraging users to click."

Here’s what that output looked like:

Once you have a few options, pick the one that's clearest, most specific, and most compelling.

Then use Semrush’s free Google SERP Simulator to preview how your title tag and meta description may appear in search results.

Further reading: Optimizing Page Title and Meta Description via Semrush

9. Improve internal linking

Internal linking helps search engines understand your site structure, distributes link authority across your pages, and makes it easier for users to navigate your content.

A good internal link uses descriptive anchor text that tells both the reader and search engine what the linked page is about. For example:

Generic anchor text like "click here" or "read more" doesn't give any context about the destination page.

AI finds opportunities to add descriptive links throughout your content.

Paste in your draft and provide your blog URL, then ask the tool to identify where you could add links to existing content.

Here's an example prompt:

"Act as an SEO editor. I'm drafting a blog post titled “[your post title].” The audience is [target audience].

Below is the draft. Suggest five internal linking opportunities to existing content from our blog ([your blog URL]). For each, provide the recommended anchor text and the target URL. Prioritize pages that offer related or deeper insights on the topic.

[draft text]"

Here’s what I got for our CRM example:

You can also flip this around and ask AI to find opportunities to link to a newly published post from your existing content.

Here's a prompt for that:

"Act as an SEO strategist. We just published a new blog post titled “[your post title]” (URL: [blog post URL]).

Review the content available at [your blog URL] and identify five relevant opportunities to link to this new post. For each, provide the source URL, the recommended anchor text, and a sentence-level suggestion for where the link could be inserted."

Here’s what I got:

Before applying any suggestions, verify every URL manually. AI tools typically only browse a handful of pages, so they may suggest links to pages that don't exist or aren't relevant. 

Always confirm the URL is live, the anchor text is natural, and the destination page genuinely adds value for the reader.

Further reading: 9 Common Internal Linking Mistakes (& How to Fix Them)

10. Refresh existing content

Refreshing existing pages updates content that's outdated, losing rankings, or falling behind competitors.

AI tools analyze your existing content and surface ways to update it. Here's a prompt:

“Act as an SEO editor. Review the blog post at [URL].

The target keyword is [keyword], and the audience is [brief description].

Compare the content against the following top-ranking competitor pages:

[Competitor URL 1]
[Competitor URL 2]
[Competitor URL 3]

Identify any:

• Outdated or missing information
• New trends, tools, or data that should be added
• Content gaps compared to competitors
• Opportunities to differentiate this post from what’s already ranking (e.g., tone, examples, depth, unique POV)”

This will give you a list of updates to review and apply.

Here’s what ChatGPT recommended for our CRM example:

When deciding which URLs to analyze, prioritize low-hanging fruit, such as pages already ranking on page two of search results and important pages that have dropped in rankings in the last 90 days.

You can identify both using Semrush’s Position Tracking tool:

In the “Overview” tab, use the “Top positions & changes” drop-down filter and select “#11-20” to see content ranking on the second page of search results.

Or hover over “Top 100” and select “Declined.” Then, set the date filter to “Past 90 days” to see pages that have dropped in rankings over the last 90 days.

Further reading: Content Optimization: 15 Tactics to Boost SEO & AI Visibility

11. Optimize your content for AI search

Optimizing your content for AI search improves your chances of being cited in AI-generated answers on platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews.

You can use AI to review your content for three key factors that influence AI search visibility:

• Structure: Clear headings, concise answers, and FAQ schema markup make it easier for AI systems to identify what each section is about and extract relevant passages
• E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) signals: Author credentials, cited sources, firsthand examples, and transparent methodology indicate content quality and trustworthiness, which AI systems factor into citations
• Passage-level relevance: AI systems pull specific passages rather than whole pages. Sections that contain a clear, self-contained answer to one question are more likely to be extracted and cited.

Here's a prompt you can use:

“Act as an AI search optimization editor. Review the content below and suggest improvements that would make it easier for AI systems to extract, understand, and cite.

Focus on:

• Sections that don't contain a clear, self-contained answer to a specific question
• Headings that are vague or don't reflect the content beneath them
• Missing E-E-A-T signals, such as author credentials, cited sources, firsthand examples, or methodology transparency
• FAQ opportunities where a question-and-answer format would make the content clearer
• Passages that are too long, too vague, or too dependent on the surrounding context to be extracted independently
• Any structural or formatting changes that would make individual sections easier to read and cite

Here is the draft: [paste draft or URL]”

You'll get a prioritized list of content improvements you can work through section by section.

Here's what I got for our CRM software example:

As you implement these changes, use Semrush's AI Visibility Toolkit to track results.

Open the Visibility Overview, enter your domain, and check your AI Visibility Score. From there, monitor your Mentions, Citations, and distribution across LLMs over time to see whether your content is getting picked up more frequently across AI platforms.

For a deeper look at AI SEO optimization to improve your visibility in AI search results, check out our guides on how to rank in AI search and how to optimize content for AI search.

AI SEO challenges and best practices

AI can make SEO work faster, but it can also introduce errors, generic content, and weak decisions if you rely on it too heavily. 

Here are the most common challenges to watch for, and the best practices that help.

Common challenges with AI SEO

Best practices for effective AI SEO

Streamline your SEO work with AI

AI accelerates every stage of the SEO workflow, from keyword research and content ideation to SERP analysis and optimization. Used well, it frees you to focus on strategy and quality instead of execution.

Semrush's AI-powered tools cover the full SEO workflow in one place. The SEO Toolkit handles everything from keyword research to technical audits to content generation, and the AI Visibility Toolkit tracks how your brand appears in AI-generated answers across platforms.

Semrush One bundles all of these tools into a single plan. Try it free for seven days.