Voices of Search // A Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & Content Marketing Podcast Blue Links Are Dead...Now What?
Jan 5, 2026
Josh Blyskal, Head of AI Strategy at Profound, dives into the seismic shifts in SEO as AI technologies surge. He emphasizes the need for marketers to transition to generative engine optimization, highlighting the role of context in driving AI citations. Josh unveils the significance of fan-out queries and how they simplify complex prompts into actionable terms. He discusses personalized prompt modifications, the integration of structured data for better visibility, and predicts a future where commerce relies on connector-driven models over traditional web scraping.
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Context Replaces Content As King
- Answer engines favor context over traditional SEO signals; providing digestible context to models is critical.
- Josh Blyskal says "context is king" for AI discovery and will dictate success this year.
Refresh Content Based On Freshness Needs
- Refresh content based on how time-sensitive the topic and query fanouts are.
- Update frequently for high-freshness categories like tech and monthly offers, and less often for long-tail static topics.
Sources Act As Classes Of Information
- Domains like Wikipedia and Reddit represent classes of information, not just domains.
- Wikipedia supplies factual legitimacy while UGC sources supply cultural sentiment that models use.