How can you bridge the gap between semantic web technologies and AI-driven SEO?
Meet Andrea Volpini, CEO of WordLift—a pioneering voice in structured data and an early adopter of the semantic web. In this inaugural episode of The Search Session, host Gianluca Fiorelli looks at how SEO has evolved from rudimentary content management systems in the mid-’90s to today’s sophisticated search environments powered by large language models (LLMs) and autonomous agents.
Andrea shares the backstory of WordLift, revealing how his work with the Italian parliament on information architecture and open data fueled his passion for machine-readable content. He also offers insights on emerging SEO standards - like LLMs.TXT - and explains why structured data remains a cornerstone of search, even as AI grows more adept at interpreting unstructured information.
But it’s not all tech-talk: in our light-hearted Proust questionnaire, Andrea names his favorite word, unveils his least favorite, and imagines an alternate career in the performing arts. If you’re eager to future-proof your SEO strategy and get a rare peek into the personal side of a true innovator, don’t miss this conversation about where search is headed - and how you can stay ahead of the curve.
Here's what you'll learn in this episode:
(00:00) - Intro to The Search Session with host Gianluca Fiorelli.
(01:05) - Meet Andrea Volpini - CEO of WordLift and pioneer in semantic search.
(01:50) - The Origins of WordLift - How Andrea’s journey led from content management to AI-driven SEO.
(06:24) - Agentic Search: The New SEO Challenge - How AI agents are reshaping search and content strategies.
(12:16) - Introducing LLMs.txt - A new standard for guiding AI bots and language models.
(15:00) - The Need for SEOntology - Standardizing SEO language for AI and interoperability.
(25:45) - Structured Data in the AI Era - Why structured data remains essential despite AI advancements.
(35:00) - Monosemanticity & Clarity in Content - Ensuring precision in AI-driven search.
(42:58) - The Proust Questionnaire - A fun, rapid-fire Q&A with Andrea Volpini.
(47:10) - Closing Thoughts
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Where to find Gianluca Fiorelli
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Where to find Andrea Volpini
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The Search Session 