Is Technical SEO Dying? + What to Do Instead w/ Eli Schwartz

Ross welcomes Eli Schwartz, author of‬‭ Product-Led‬‭ SEO‬‭ , to unpack the evolving‬ role of SEO in a world shaped by AI, shifting perceptions, and organizational‬ challenges.‬

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Eli dives into why SEO is being deprioritized, what companies are getting wrong,‬ and how product-led SEO is the path forward.‬

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They cover layoffs, agency churn, the role of growth teams, and why most‬ companies‬‭ shouldn’t‬‭ do SEO at all.‬

‭ Show Notes:‬

‭ 00:00 Welcome Back Eli & The Current Pulse on Search‬

‭ 00:53 Marketing Layoffs & Volatility in SEO‬

‭ 02:31 Why SEO Struggles to Defend Its Value‬

‭ 05:49 AI Search vs Traditional SEO — What Actually Changes?‬

‭ 07:58 Are We Just Rebranding SEO?‬

‭ 09:27 Visibility, Links & Human-Like Search Engines‬

‭ 12:50 The Problem With “AI SEO” Hype‬

‭ 14:45 Why Edge Case SEO Will Die Fast‬

‭ 18:19 Why “Technical SEO” Isn’t a Moat Anymore‬

‭ 22:06 The AI Content Misstep: Spam at Scale‬

‭ 24:27 The New SEO: Blending Human + AI + Product‬

‭ 28:11 Your Product Has to Be Good Now — Period‬

‭ 29:20 Revisiting the Book: What Eli Would Update‬

‭ 30:20 The Spicy Take: Most Companies Shouldn’t Do SEO‬

‭ 35:03 How to Evaluate if SEO is Right for You‬

‭ 38:45 The “Tax Preparer” Problem With Agencies‬

‭ 41:06 If You’ve Fired 3 SEO Agencies… It’s You‬

‭ 43:20 The SEO Funnel Needs the Right Org Buy-In‬

‭ 46:01 Growth & Product Titles Are the Key‬

‭ 47:28 The Sales Enablement Side of SEO‬

‭ 50:30 Content Strategy vs Keyword Volume Obsession‬

‭ 51:40 The Non-Apocalypse of AI‬

‭ 55:04 The Real AI Shift Will Be Gradual‬

‭ 56:01 How to Actually Execute Product SEO‬

‭ 59:49 Final Thoughts & Where to Follow Eli‬

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Show Links:‬

Eli’s Newsletter:‬‭ https://www.productledseo.com/‬

Eli’s Book on Amazon:‬‭ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B091D572ZL‬

Eli on LinkedIn:‬‭ https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwartze‬

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