SEO isn’t dead yet — insert Monty Python reference here — but it is a totally different game than it was even a year or two ago.
Kyle Denhoff and Aja Frost talked to Lily Ray, VP of SEO Strategy & Research at Amsive, about what’s shifted, what you need to change, and how on earth you’re going to measure it.
I’ve got a few takeaways for you below, and the whole episode is on Spotify for your listening pleasure (and it’s just under 14 minutes! I love a podcast that appreciates brevity).
Field Notes
Takeaways:
1. Your brand messaging needs to be crystal clear across every single thing it touches. LLMs are pulling info from your LinkedIn bio, YouTube description, and website. If your messaging is vague or inconsistent, you're invisible. Define your messaging and make sure your copy on every owned channel is clear and consistent.
Recommended reading: My colleague Curt del Principe talked to Amanda Sellers, who’s the head of HubSpot’s EN blog strategy. Here’s how she got AI to tell the truth about us.
2. Off-site presence is now table stakes for AEO. LinkedIn, Reddit, niche forums — LLMs weight authentic community mentions heavily. You need to monitor where your brand is being talked about and contribute genuinely to those conversations.
Recommended reading: HubSpot’s Tina Lavery is our lead product marketer for AEO tools, and she shares how an underused LinkedIn feature can give you a leg up with LLMs.
3. Track visibility and share of voice as primary AEO metrics. Google isn't giving us AI Overviews breakout data yet, so define your own measurement framework: are you appearing in AI answers at all, and how does your brand look alongside competitors?
Recommended reading: My colleague Jay Fuchs did a bunch of original research on how B2B buyers actually use AI search. It can help give you a starting point for defining your metrics.
