The next big thing in SEO is already here.
As an international magazine covering the latest on Content Marketing, SEO and WordPress, we’re always on the lookout for innovations that have the potential to produce real change.
But it’s rare that I get this excited about something.
I’ll fill you in.
While I was doing my regular press sweep looking for news about SEO that is actually newsworthy, I came across this title:
Squirrly 2020 Answers Call from Small Businesses for Affordable SEO Marketing Support with First-Ever Non-Human SEO Consultant
Being the editor that I am, my eyes immediately zoomed in on this part of the headline: First-Ever Non-Human SEO Consultant.
Newsworthy?
Definitely!
So, I was intrigued to learn more. Are these guys for real or is this just something that sounds really good? I needed more details.
For starters, here’s what Florin Muresan, the CEO of Squirrly (the company behind the software) says about their product:
“Squirrly 2020 is basically a software version of a private SEO consultant – without the overwhelming cost that can snuff out a business owner’s passion.
For a flat monthly fee, we help the creators to create and the dreamers to dream. We put advanced digital tools to work for them so they are highly visible online and therefore can sell their products and services.”
In their press release, Squirrly explained that the plugin combines machine learning and cloud services to provide what it says is ” the same guidance that an SEO consultant would offer, yet with greater precision and customization. “
Here are some highlights that tell the story of how the product works to achieve this:
- First, Squirrly’s Cloud Services will analyze your website to reveal priority tasks that need solving. (this is what a traditional SEO consultant will do as well)
- Next, the services and the machine learning will identify actionable steps for boosting Google rankings (again, this is similar to how a human consultant would do things)
- Squirrly’s version of a virtual SEO consultant will also monitor SEO performance, and recommend strategy adjustments when needed (based on data it acquired by analyzing over 600,000 sites)
The job of a traditional SEO consultant is to analyze, review and improve websites, provide expert advice and actionable recommendations to achieve higher Google Rankings, and monitor SEO performance.
This is the core of what an SEO consultant does.
And the software created by Squirrly covers all of it.
200.000 WordPress Users Already Have Access to This
Squirrly SEO: Smart Strategy can now be downloaded by the company’s existing 200,000 WordPress users.
As the company continues to gather data related to user experience and make improvements based on that, more and more customers will have access to it.
So this is happening.
The idea of an SEO consultant that lives inside your WordPress is no longer just an idea. People are already using this technology to advance their SEO efforts.
So far, this technology is only available to WordPress users.
However, this new way of doing SEO by working with a non-human SEO consultant like the one introduced by Squirrly is likely to grow out wings and take off.
Fast.
Here’s why.
A Chance for the Little Guys to Break Through
Human SEO consultants are NOT cheap.
According to Ahrefs, $2,563.20 per month is the most popular monthly retainer rate for SEOs who’ve been in business for 2+ years.
Those who can’t afford to dig deep into their budget to cover those fees are left with two options.
Option 1
Become SEO professionals themselves (in which case they would have to delegate or abandon many of their current responsibilities so they can put in the hours required to learn SEO with no assistance).
Option 2
NOT do SEO, which results in them missing out on a huge opportunity to get customers and grow their business.
Option 1 can compromise businesses’ day-to-day operations.
Option 2 limits a company’s growth – squishing its potential to acquire tremendous visibility online.
Both options suck.
Having a non-human SEO consultant that is almost 100X LESS expensive than the services of traditional consultants finally gives small business owners a viable 3rd option.
One in which they don’t have to stretch their budget or their time thin to get the benefits of doing SEO marketing.
In a broader context, affordable non-human SEO consultants will level the playing field for small and medium-sized businesses when it comes to SEO, allowing them to become more competitive in their space.
Looking forward…
Non-human SEO consultants are already available on the market – at a fraction of how much it would cost to pay for the services of traditional SEO consultants.
The ability to build this kind of a consultant is there (as shown by Squirrly’s software).
The need is definitely there.
And the potential is huge.
That’s why I think non-human SEO consultants are the next big thing in SEO.
What’s your take on this? Would you be curious to test it out yourself? And what are your concerns when it comes to SEO consultants that are software-bound?
Comment below. I’d love to know what you think.
Nice article, April. I’d be interested in using Non-Human SEO consultants and getting similar results that a seasoned pro would. Will keep my eyes peeled to learn more about this advancement. Thank you for the content.