SEO in the Age of AI: Insights from Eli Schwartz

Key Themes

• Significant shift in SEO with the rise of AI-generated content.
• Importance of understanding user journey.
• SEO should be viewed as a product, requiring collaboration between product teams and marketers.
• Effective SEO strategies must focus on answering user questions.

Introduction to Eli Schwartz

• Growth advisor specializing in SEO.
• Has worked with companies like Quora, Coinbase, Tinder, LinkedIn, and others to develop their SEO strategies.
• Author of "Product-Led SEO."
• Focus on analyzing changes in SEO due to LLM chatbots and AI integrations in search results.

The Changing Landscape of SEO

• Traditional SEO focused on long-form content and keywords.
• AI answers integrated into search results are changing the game.
• Google has rolled out new features to integrate AI responses, making traditional SEO strategies less effective.
• Companies need to pivot their thinking and adapt their SEO strategies.

Effective SEO Strategies

1. Understand User Intent

• Identify what users are searching for and how they navigate their self-discovery journey.
• Create content that answers users' questions directly.

2. Focus on Mid-Funnel Opportunities

• Shift from top-of-funnel strategies to mid-funnel conversion strategies.
• Use AI-generated answers to guide users into deeper searches (e.g., booking travel).

3. Brand and Positioning

• Companies must position themselves effectively to attract users searching for solutions.
• Building a recognizable brand will help drive SEO success.

4. Collaboration Between Product and Marketing

• Product managers should be involved in SEO discussions to align product features with user needs.
• Collaboration ensures that the product truly meets user demands and expectations.

Importance of SEO as a Product

• Treat SEO as part of the overall product strategy.
• Engage with users and gather feedback to iterate on SEO strategies.

Myths About SEO

1. SEO is a Dark Art

• SEO is not a mystery; it can be understood and deployed effectively with the right approach.

2. Link Building is the Key to Success

• Focus on building a brand rather than just links.
• Links should come naturally from quality content that users find helpful.

3. Technical SEO is the Solution

• Technical SEO fixes alone cannot solve content quality issues.
• Focus on creating valuable content for users instead.

The Role of AI in SEO

• AI should be used as a tool to enhance content creation, not replace it entirely.
• AI can help generate insights, but human oversight is crucial to ensure quality and relevance.

Conclusion

• Companies need to adapt to the new SEO landscape shaped by AI and user expectations.
• Understanding user journeys and focusing on mid-funnel strategies will drive better results in SEO.

Notable Quotes

• "If you can't answer the question about what is it that someone's going to do a search on, then don't do SEO."
• "SEO should be viewed as a product, and product managers need to think about how to position it for users."
• "There's no way that it won't be impacting search."

Additional Resources

• Book: "Product-Led SEO" by Eli Schwartz.
• Website: Product Led SEO for newsletter subscriptions and insights.