Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

Rethinking SEO in the age of AI | Eli Schwartz (SEO advisor, author)

Sep 19, 2024

Eli Schwartz, a leading SEO consultant and author known for shaping global SEO strategies for companies like Coinbase and LinkedIn, shares insights on the transformative impact of AI on SEO. He emphasizes the need for mid-funnel strategies and treating SEO as a product. Eli dispels common SEO myths while discussing Google's evolving role amidst legal challenges. He also highlights the importance of user empathy in content creation, especially with the rising influence of Gen Z search behaviors, and strategies to effectively drive traffic that converts into value.

01:55:07

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Episode guests

Eli Schwartz

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Quick takeaways

AI is transforming SEO strategies, necessitating a shift from traditional long-form content to understanding user intent and engagement.

Companies should reframe SEO as a product-focused approach, integrating product management insights to enhance user experience during search.

The evolution of search behavior emphasizes the need for businesses to adapt their strategies specifically for mid-funnel user engagement.

Common misconceptions about SEO include the belief that it's overly complex and that technical aspects alone can solve visibility issues.

Deep dives

The Impact of AI on SEO

The rise of AI has significantly altered the SEO landscape, leading to a paradigm shift in how content is evaluated and positioned in search results. Previously, long-form content dominated the top spots in search results, but AI-generated answers have disrupted this model, pushing traditional SEO strategies to adapt quickly. Companies need to regard SEO as a product question, focusing on how to create value for users engaging in a self-discovery journey. This approach emphasizes understanding the intent behind user searches to tailor content that meets their needs directly, rather than solely competing for keyword rankings.

step 1: build empathy for what the user would search for

03:12

discovery transforms SEO in the age of AI

01:34

SEO x Product

04:08

Grow Through Practice and Self-Understanding

02:01

Intro

2min

Adapting to Change: SEO in the Age of AI and LLMs

2min

The Evolving Landscape of SEO in the Age of AI

4min

Google's AI Evolution and SEO Strategies

22min

Navigating SEO in the AI Era

25min

Transforming SEO: Content as a Product Solution

2min

Optimizing Traffic for Real Value

4min

Navigating AI in Content Creation

14min

Navigating Google's Market Dominance and SEO Challenges

15min

10.

Navigating SEO in the Age of Gen Z

20min

11.

Embracing Long-Term Thinking: Lessons from Editing Tools and Persistence

2min

12.

Transforming Perception: SEO Success with User Understanding

3min

Eli Schwartz is a leading SEO consultant and the author of Product-Led SEO. He has worked with industry giants like Zapier, Tinder, Coinbase, Quora, LinkedIn, and WordPress to build and execute global SEO strategies that significantly enhanced their organic visibility at scale. In our conversation, Eli shares:

• How AI and LLMs are reshaping the SEO landscape

• Why you should be focused on mid-funnel SEO strategies

• How to determine if SEO is the right approach for your business

• Why SEO should be treated as a product rather than just a marketing tactic

• SEO myths

• The future of search in light of recent legal challenges faced by Google

• Much more

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Brought to you by:

• Pendo—The only all-in-one product experience platform for any type of application

• Brave Search—A smarter way to search

• OneSchema—Import CSV data 10x faster

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Find the transcript and show notes at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/rethinking-seo-in-the-age-of-ai-eli-schwartz

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Where to find Eli Schwartz:

• X: https://x.com/5le

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwartze/

• Website: https://www.elischwartz.co/

• Newsletter: https://www.productledseo.com/

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Where to find Lenny:

• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com

• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/

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In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Eli’s background

(02:10) The impact of AI on SEO strategies

(11:34) Understanding search intent

(15:30) Real-world impact and structured vs. unstructured data

(20:19) Top-of-funnel vs mid-funnel SEO strategies

(22:57) Case studies

(31:29) Steps for getting started with SEO

(35:20) Examples of when not to focus on SEO

(39:17) Evaluating SEO investment

(44:00) Understanding the tradeoffs in marketing channels

(46:23) SEO conversion metrics and expectations

(52:09) Understanding the time horizon of SEO

(59:37) The role of AI in content creation

(01:05:26) AI overviews

(01:07:40) Brand building and SEO

(01:09:51) Programmatic vs. editorial SEO strategies

(01:16:06) Insights from the Google antitrust verdict

(01:20:36) Google’s dominance in search

(01:23:52) The future of SEO and user choice

(01:26:28) SEO myths debunked

(01:36:58) Forecasting SEO success

(01:44:18) The need for SEO expertise

(01:46:26) Lightning round and closing thoughts

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Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.

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Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.

Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

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Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

Rethinking SEO in the age of AI | Eli Schwartz (SEO advisor, author)

Episode guests