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 of Product-Led SEO, shares his insights on the evolution of SEO in the AI era. He discusses how businesses must adapt their strategies for keyword research, emphasizing mid-funnel tactics and understanding user intent. Eli highlights the need to treat SEO as a product while debunking common myths. He also explores the impact of recent legal challenges on Google's dominance and how younger generations are shifting away from traditional search engines toward social media for information.

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

SEO x Product

04:08

discovery transforms SEO in the age of AI

01:34

Master the Art of Selling to Elevate Growth Advisory

02:05

Intro

2min

Adapting SEO Strategies in the Age of AI

2min

SEO in the Age of AI

7min

Navigating SEO in the Age of AI

19min

Revolutionizing SEO with AI Insights

25min

Transforming SEO Content into Problem-Solving Products

2min

Maximizing Conversion: Beyond Traffic Numbers

4min

Navigating AI in Content Creation and SEO

14min

Navigating Google’s Search Engine Monopoly

15min

10.

Navigating the New Search Landscape

20min

11.

Embracing Growth and Long-Term Thinking

2min

12.

Understanding SEO through User Intent and Branding

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