Large language models (LLMs) such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude or Google’s Gemini have changed the way we search, shop and consume content online, but not without an environmental cost.
Behind every AI-powered search result, whether it helps you improve your writing on an email or figuring out what to eat for dinner based on the ingredients in your fridge, are massive data centers that use staggering amounts of electricity to power their generative AI models, leading to increased carbon dioxide emissions and pressure on the electric grid.
So, how can you stay ahead of the curve with AI tools while still embracing sustainable digital practices? The answer might start with something you already control: your website’s SEO strategy.
Fewer Searches = Less Energy Use
A well-optimized site helps your audience find exactly what they need. When your content is easy to discover, clear and well-structured, users will spend less time clicking around or refining their search queries, helping AI systems and search engines exert less effort retrieving and ranking results. This ultimately results in fewer searches, less data transfer and low energy consumption across devices and servers.
Optimized Sites Are Leaner and Greener
Implementing SEO best practices not only will help improve your search rankings but naturally leads to a more sustainable website.
Faster-loading pages means less energy
Compressing images, streamlining code and optimizing your website for mobile minimizes the energy needed to load your site. A faster site also means users are spending less time and data interacting with your content.
Smart crawling saves server resources
A well-structured site helps search engines crawl your content more efficiently, reducing the power needed for indexing and ranking. Our team breaks this down more in depth in our Beginners Guide to Structured Data and how it Impacts SEO.
Better content means fewer wasteful visits
By targeting the right keywords and crafting valuable content, you attract visitors genuinely interested in your offerings. This lowers the number of visitors quickly leaving your site and prevents unnecessary data transfers caused by irrelevant visits.
Reducing the Strain on AI Systems
AI systems rely on vast amounts of content to learn, respond and generate results, including those surfaced in search engines. When your site’s content is outdated, irrelevant or duplicative, not only does it hinder user experience, but it also complicates how AI models interpret and rank your content. This inefficiency contributes to digital waste and expends unnecessary computing power, ultimately reducing your site’s visibility and performance in search results.
Keeping content fresh and purposeful isn’t just a best practice, it’s essential for ensuring AI systems can accurately assess and elevate your content in the evolving search landscape.
A good SEO strategy focuses on quality over quantity. When you target the right keywords and craft valuable content, you attract visitors to your site who are genuinely interested in your content, eventually lowering the number of people quickly clicking off and preventing unnecessary data transfers caused by irrelevant visits.
Ready to Build a Greener Web?
As AI becomes embedded in every aspect of the online experience, every click, query and pageview carries weight. Optimizing your website is just the beginning, using AI tools more responsibly means choosing the right tools for the task, batching actions to reduce server load, writing efficient prompts and cleaning up your data before processing each step helps. All of which are steps that also help lower unnecessary computation and energy use.
By combining SEO with sustainable AI use, together we can work to build greener digital practices that benefit both the planet and your bottom line.
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Alex London is a Paid Media Specialist at Franco. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
