Danika Kimball is a ten-year SEO veteran and a second-time contributor to the 21st Century Tech Blog. She lives in Boise, Idaho and in her free time is a video gamer and podcaster. Her topic today is how artificial intelligence (AI) is rewriting the rules of SEO.
For those unfamiliar with the acronym, SEO stands for “search engine optimization.” SEO involves increasing the visibility of a website for search engines like Google and Bing to find it. SEO tools can be used to:
- Optimize how website pages load
- Identify keywords and rewrite content to improve search results
- Improve meta descriptions and titles
- Help with website structure and sitemaps
The result of using SEO tools is more accessible websites that are search engine-friendly. Now add AI to the mix, and I will let Danika tell you the rest.
E‑commerce has always been a battlefield. Between shifting algorithms and never-ending competition, getting a site to rank seems an uphill battle. It is, however, less about brute force and more about strategy, with link building one of the most potent weapons. With AI, the way to improve website visibility is changing fast as it rewrites the rules of SEO.
Why Traditional Link Building Isn’t Cutting It
Let’s be honest, manual link building is a grind. You spend hours combing through Google results, guessing which sites are worth pitching, only to end up writing emails that go ignored 95% of the time. Sure, it works eventually, but it’s slow, repetitive, and not scalable for most e‑commerce businesses.
Even when you land a few decent links, you’re flying blind. What’s the return-on-investment on that placement? Are those links actually moving the needle, or just sitting there like decorative throw pillows? Without solid data or strategy, it’s a shot in the dark. And that’s no way to build momentum.
More innovative outreach today starts using AI. Modern link-building tools use machine learning and natural language processing to find, evaluate, and rank potential link sources automatically. Instead of hunting down backlinks one by one, you get a prioritized list based on relevance, domain authority, and likelihood of success.
The real kicker? AI can personalize outreach emails. AI tools can analyze prospects, what they write about, how they link, even their social behaviours, and use that to craft outreach messages that don’t feel like they came from a bot. Response rates go up. Ghosting goes down. Your team finally breathes.
Making Anchor Text Work for You
Search engines care about context. They don’t just want to see a link. They want to know that a link placed within a sentence makes sense within the context. That’s why an anchor text (one that is clickable, containing a hyperlink) matters.
AI tools can suggest anchor texts based on how users search, how competitors optimize, and how content trends shift over time. No more guessing whether “best kitchen gadgets” or “affordable cookware” is the better link phrase. AI will provide you with the data to show what works best and makes content more useful and discoverable.
The Automation of Relationship Building
Good link building isn’t just transactional, it’s relational. Building connections takes time, and that’s where AI steps in, automating enough of the process to keep things moving, without losing the personal touch.
AI tools can help track responders, warm leads, and when and who to engage. AI tools can send reminders to follow up or send quick “just checking in” notes. It shouldn’t replace the human factor, but rather help with the logistical side of relationships.
How AI Parses The Data
Once upon a time, the way to build links was a manual process. Measuring success was hit and miss. Now, AI tools can track how a link is performing, how much traffic it’s driving, how it’s affecting rankings, and even whether visitors to a page are converting to customers.
AI tools learn over time. They start to notice patterns such as what kinds of sites perform best, which industries link back fastest, and what content gets shared the most. It’s not just about reacting, it’s about getting smarter every time you launch a site or a new campaign.
Blending AI Into Existing Workflow
The beauty of incorporating AI into SEO strategies is that you don’t need to throw out what you are already doing. The most innovative teams use AI to enhance what they’re already doing. Whether working with a content management system (CMS) to create a website, using a spreadsheet, or a full-scale customer relationship management (CRM) tool, most of these offer plug-ins to integrate AI.
What matters most is the foundation. Before starting to use AI, be crystal clear on the basics. How will you evaluate link sources? What will make good anchor texts? How can you stay relevant in your market niche?
That means understanding foundational e‑commerce link-building tactics that still apply, regardless of how sophisticated the tools are. Once that foundation is strong, AI becomes your unfair advantage.
Pick the Right Tools
There are dozens of AI and SEO automation tools today. Some fit massive enterprise teams. Others are suitable for scrappy solo operators. Figure out what you need most, whether it be prospecting help, analytics, or email automation and look for the tools that solve those specific challenges. Layer on more later.
If you are part of the marketing team in your company, will AI replace you? The answer is no because AI doesn’t define strategy, or exhibit creativity, or human intuition. Instead, it does the grunt work that clears the path for marketers to focus on these critical human skills.
Adding AI to the mix makes link-building less of a grind. Marketers still set the goals and build the relationships. What AI does is make you do your job better, and that’s the kind of upgrade SEO can use.
