WEBVTT
00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:01.760
You're doing SEO wrong.
00:00:01.840 --> 00:00:10.720
And if your entire SEO strategy is built around getting your website to rank higher on Google, you may be optimizing for a version of search that is rapidly changing.
00:00:10.880 --> 00:00:16.480
Now, before you push back and say, wait a minute, isn't SEO literally search engine optimization?
00:00:16.640 --> 00:00:20.160
Well, yeah, it is, but the problem isn't SEO itself.
00:00:20.399 --> 00:00:25.359
The problem is how we define what success in SEO actually looks like.
00:00:31.600 --> 00:00:34.880
Now for years the goal was relatively simple with SEO.
00:00:35.119 --> 00:00:47.439
Find the right keywords, create a page around those keywords, optimize your title tags, headings, content, and links, build authority, get the page to rank, get the click, and turn that click into a customer.
00:00:47.679 --> 00:00:48.960
And that model worked.
00:00:49.119 --> 00:00:51.359
And in many cases, it still works.
00:00:51.679 --> 00:00:53.840
But search is evolving.
00:00:54.079 --> 00:00:58.880
The way people discover businesses, products, service, and information is changing.
00:00:59.119 --> 00:01:03.119
And that means the way we think about SEO needs to change with it.
00:01:03.359 --> 00:01:08.319
Because today, the question isn't simply how do I get my website to rank?
00:01:08.480 --> 00:01:17.680
The better question is how do I make my brand discoverable, understandable, credible, and recommendable wherever people are searching?
00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:20.079
That is a much bigger question.
00:01:20.239 --> 00:01:23.680
And I believe it represents the next evolution of SEO.
00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:27.760
Okay, so let's start off and talk about the traditional SEO mindset.
00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:31.599
So for a long time, SEO was largely a battle for positions.
00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:34.400
Position one was better than position five.
00:01:34.640 --> 00:01:36.959
Position five was better than being on page two.
00:01:37.280 --> 00:01:42.239
And page two, well, we all know the people used to say about page two, nobody goes there.
00:01:42.480 --> 00:01:45.760
So marketers and brands became obsessed with rankings.
00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:47.680
What's our position for this keyword?
00:01:47.840 --> 00:01:48.480
Did we move up?
00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:49.599
Did we move down?
00:01:49.920 --> 00:01:52.719
Can we get from the number four to number two?
00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:55.120
Can we get into the featured snippet?
00:01:55.280 --> 00:01:57.359
Can we get more organic traffic?
00:01:57.599 --> 00:01:59.760
And those are all legitimate questions.
00:01:59.920 --> 00:02:06.640
But they're increasingly incomplete questions because ranking isn't the same thing as being discovered.
00:02:06.879 --> 00:02:09.599
And traffic isn't the same thing as influence.
00:02:09.840 --> 00:02:11.360
Imagine two companies.
00:02:11.599 --> 00:02:15.360
Company A ranks number one for a handful of keywords.
00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:30.159
Company B doesn't necessarily rank number one for everything, but its brand is consistently mentioned across industry publications, directories, reviews, social media, videos, podcasts, articles, and many, many other trusted sources.
00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:50.319
Now people recognize Company B, they understand what it does, they see the other credible sources talking about them, customers mention it, industry experts reference them, and when somebody asks an AI system for a recommendation, Company B has a much stronger body of evidence surrounding its brand.
00:02:50.639 --> 00:02:54.560
Which company do you think has the stronger long-term position?
00:02:54.879 --> 00:02:56.240
That's the shift.
00:02:56.479 --> 00:03:04.240
We're moving from simply optimizing pages to building brands that can be understood across the entire search ecosystem.
00:03:06.319 --> 00:03:09.039
Now here's where things get really interesting.
00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:12.400
Search doesn't live exclusively on Google anymore.
00:03:12.639 --> 00:03:15.039
People are asking questions in AI tools.
00:03:15.199 --> 00:03:16.960
They're asking Chat GPT.
00:03:17.120 --> 00:03:19.840
They're asking other generative AI systems.
00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:23.280
They're using social platforms to discover products and businesses.
00:03:23.439 --> 00:03:25.520
They're watching YouTube videos to learn.
00:03:25.599 --> 00:03:27.439
They're reading Reddit discussions.
00:03:27.599 --> 00:03:29.840
They're looking at customer reviews.
00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:32.479
They're asking voice assistance questions.
00:03:32.639 --> 00:03:33.840
They're using maps.
00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:36.479
They're searching within marketplaces.
00:03:36.879 --> 00:03:41.680
They're discovering brands through podcasts, newsletters, communities, and social media.
00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:44.639
Search has become fragmented.
00:03:44.879 --> 00:03:48.319
And that's incredibly important for marketers and brands alike.
00:03:48.479 --> 00:03:54.479
Because when search happens across all of these environments, your website is only one piece of the puzzle.
00:03:54.719 --> 00:03:58.080
Think about how someone might discover your business today.
00:03:58.319 --> 00:04:13.680
They might see your brand on LinkedIn, they watch one of your videos, then search your company name, then read your Google reviews, then visit your website, then ask AI about your company, then see your business mentioned in an industry article.
00:04:13.919 --> 00:04:16.399
Then they finally contact you.
00:04:16.560 --> 00:04:20.560
That's not one search, that's an ecosystem of discovery.
00:04:20.720 --> 00:04:24.720
And your brand needs to make sense throughout the entire ecosystem.
00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:30.639
Okay, so now let's talk about the proverbial elephant in the room, and that is AI.
00:04:31.120 --> 00:04:34.800
This is where the SEO conversation gets especially interesting.
00:04:34.959 --> 00:04:41.680
When someone asks an AI system a question, the system isn't necessarily just returning a list of ten blue links.
00:04:41.920 --> 00:04:55.680
It may synthesize information, it may explain a concept, it may compare businesses, it might recommend companies, it might identify experts, it might summarize what multiple sources say about one individual brand.
00:04:55.920 --> 00:04:59.920
And that creates a fundamentally different visibility challenge.
00:05:00.160 --> 00:05:09.439
You don't just want your web page to rank, you want the information ecosystem surrounding your brand to be strong enough that your brand can be accurately understood.
00:05:09.600 --> 00:05:11.759
And that's a different objective.
00:05:12.079 --> 00:05:16.959
AI systems need signals, they need information, they need context, they need evidence.
00:05:17.199 --> 00:05:26.800
They need to understand who you are, what you do, who you serve, where you operate, what you're known for, and why you are credible.
00:05:27.040 --> 00:05:29.279
That means your website matters.
00:05:29.439 --> 00:05:30.959
But so do your reviews.
00:05:31.120 --> 00:05:46.319
Your business profiles matter, your industry mentions matter, backlinks matter, PR matters, social presence matters, original content matters, your expertise matters, consistency matters, your brand entity matters.
00:05:46.480 --> 00:05:51.360
In other words, SEO is becoming much more connected to brand strategy.
00:05:53.519 --> 00:05:56.480
Okay, so here's the model I want you to start thinking about.
00:05:56.639 --> 00:05:59.920
Don't think about SEO as simply ranking pages.
00:06:00.079 --> 00:06:03.199
Think about your SEO as building brand discovery.
00:06:03.360 --> 00:06:06.560
And I'm going to break down brand discovery into four questions.
00:06:06.879 --> 00:06:09.920
First, can people discover you?
00:06:10.160 --> 00:06:11.439
That's your visibility.
00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:14.879
Are you appearing when people search for the problems you solve?
00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:16.399
Are you visible in Google?
00:06:16.560 --> 00:06:17.839
Are you visible in maps?
00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:19.839
Are you visible on social platforms?
00:06:20.079 --> 00:06:22.800
Are you appearing in industry conversations?
00:06:23.120 --> 00:06:26.720
And people finding you when they ask AI for recommendations.
00:06:27.519 --> 00:06:30.240
Second, can people understand you?
00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:33.920
Now this is where a lot of businesses really just fall apart.
00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:36.000
Your website may say one thing.
00:06:36.160 --> 00:06:39.759
Your Google business profile may say something slightly different.
00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:42.800
Your social media might position you differently.
00:06:43.040 --> 00:06:46.240
Your directory listings might use different descriptions.
00:06:46.480 --> 00:06:49.759
Your content might target a completely different audience.
00:06:50.079 --> 00:06:56.399
Now, if your brand is sending mixed signals, you're making it harder for both humans and machines to understand you.
00:06:57.199 --> 00:07:00.000
Third, can people trust you?
00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:04.160
This is where reputation and authority become incredibly important.
00:07:04.480 --> 00:07:05.759
Do you have reviews?
00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:08.639
Are credible organizations mentioning you?
00:07:09.040 --> 00:07:11.439
Do industry publications reference you?
00:07:11.839 --> 00:07:13.839
Do you demonstrate expertise?
00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:16.000
Do you have original insights?
00:07:16.319 --> 00:07:19.360
Do customers talk about their experiences with you?
00:07:20.079 --> 00:07:23.040
And fourth, can you be recommended?
00:07:23.519 --> 00:07:28.800
Now this is the big one these days, because discovery doesn't stop when someone finds you.
00:07:29.120 --> 00:07:32.800
The real opportunities becoming the obvious answer.
00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:43.600
The brand that gets mentioned, the company that gets recommended, the expert that gets referenced, the business that comes to mind when someone describes a problem you solve.
00:07:43.839 --> 00:07:46.079
That's a different SEO goal.
00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:51.439
Okay, all of this is fine and dandy, but what does this mean with practicality?
00:07:51.759 --> 00:07:54.079
What should you actually do differently?
00:07:54.319 --> 00:07:57.360
First, stop obsessing over individual keywords.
00:07:57.519 --> 00:08:03.360
Now keywords still matter, but keywords should live inside a larger topic and entity strategy.
00:08:03.600 --> 00:08:07.040
So ask yourself, what do we want to be known for?
00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:09.360
What problems do we solve?
00:08:09.600 --> 00:08:12.319
What questions does our audience ask?
00:08:12.639 --> 00:08:16.319
What topics should our brand have authority around?
00:08:16.560 --> 00:08:19.120
Then build content around those areas.
00:08:19.439 --> 00:08:22.639
Second, make your brand information consistent.
00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:29.839
Your name, services, location, descriptions, expertise, leadership, products, categories, your positioning.
00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:33.759
Make sure your brand is clearly represented across the web.
00:08:34.240 --> 00:08:37.759
Third, build authority beyond your own website.
00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:39.519
And this is huge.
00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:49.279
You can publish a hundred articles on your own website, but if nobody credible references your brand, you're missing an important part of the authority equation.
00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:53.039
So look for legitimate opportunities to earn mentions.
00:08:53.360 --> 00:09:03.600
Industry publications, associations, podcasts, interviews, partnerships, local organizations, news coverage, expert contributions.
00:09:04.159 --> 00:09:10.320
Those external signals help establish that your brand exists within a larger ecosystem.
00:09:10.960 --> 00:09:14.960
And fourth, invest in original expertise.
00:09:15.200 --> 00:09:18.159
Now AI can generate you content all day long.
00:09:18.399 --> 00:09:26.960
That means generic content is becoming easier to produce and consequently less separation between you and everybody else.
00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:40.799
Now, your advantage is what AI can't simply invent about your business, your experience, your data, your opinions, your customer insights, your case studies, your internal processes, your unique perspective.
00:09:40.960 --> 00:09:44.159
That's what makes your brand worth referencing.
00:09:46.080 --> 00:09:48.799
Now I want to make something perfectly clear here.
00:09:48.960 --> 00:09:53.279
This doesn't mean your website doesn't matter anymore, because it absolutely does.
00:09:53.519 --> 00:09:56.159
Your website is still your digital headquarters.
00:09:56.320 --> 00:09:58.960
You're not building on somebody else's rented land.
00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:07.440
But if you want to stop thinking about it as the entire SEO strategy, your website should be the authoritative home for your brand's information.
00:10:08.000 --> 00:10:15.679
It should clearly communicate who you are, what you do, who you serve, where you operate, where you're credible, and what makes you different.
00:10:15.919 --> 00:10:22.320
Your website should also connect the dots between your expertise and the problems your customers are trying to solve.
00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:25.519
But then you need to reinforce those signals elsewhere.
00:10:25.759 --> 00:10:37.440
Your Google Business profile, social profiles, industry directories, reviews, press coverage, third-party websites, podcasts, videos, YouTube, LinkedIn, community organizations.
00:10:37.600 --> 00:10:40.799
The goal here really is consistency.
00:10:41.200 --> 00:10:47.200
You want all of these digital touch points to tell the same fundamental story about your brand.
00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:55.440
Because the stronger that ecosystem becomes, the easier it is for both people and machines to understand your brand.
00:10:55.759 --> 00:10:58.639
And this brings us to another major shift.
00:10:58.799 --> 00:11:01.279
We need to rethink how we measure SEO.
00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:09.519
Now rankings still matter, traffic still matters, conversations absolutely matter, but they're no longer the entire picture.
00:11:09.679 --> 00:11:13.840
We also need to start asking, how often is our brand being mentioned?
00:11:14.159 --> 00:11:15.759
Where is it being mentioned?
00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:18.000
Are those mentions positive?
00:11:18.240 --> 00:11:20.799
Are credible sources referencing us?
00:11:21.039 --> 00:11:22.960
Are people searching for our brand?
00:11:23.200 --> 00:11:27.440
Are customers discovering us through non-traditional search experiences?
00:11:27.679 --> 00:11:30.960
Are AI systems recognizing our company correctly?
00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:33.600
Are we appearing in recommendations?
00:11:33.919 --> 00:11:38.320
Are competitors dominating the conversation around topics we should own?
00:11:38.559 --> 00:11:43.519
Those are brand visibility questions, and they're becoming SEO questions.
00:11:43.759 --> 00:11:46.879
Because the ultimate goal isn't to win one keyword.
00:11:47.120 --> 00:11:54.480
The ultimate goal is to build a brand that's consistently discoverable when your audience has a problem you can solve.
00:11:54.720 --> 00:12:02.320
And honestly, I think this is good news for brands and marketers alike, because the old SEO game could become incredibly mechanical.
00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:06.960
Optimize the page, add the keyword, build the link, check the ranking, repeat.
00:12:07.200 --> 00:12:10.480
Now the new environment rewards something much more interesting.
00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:13.840
It rewards businesses that actually know who they are.
00:12:14.080 --> 00:12:28.000
Businesses with expertise, with a point of view, that create useful information, that earn trust, that participate in their industries, that create experiences worth talking about, that become known for something.
00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:32.559
Now, that's not just SEO, that's honestly just good marketing.
00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:38.159
And that's why I believe the future of SEO is going to be much more connected to brand strategy.
00:12:38.480 --> 00:12:44.559
The strongest SEO strategy may ultimately be the one that makes your entire brand easier to understand.
00:12:46.720 --> 00:12:52.559
Okay, so if you're sitting there right now thinking about your SEO strategy, I want you to change one question.
00:12:52.799 --> 00:12:55.840
Don't ask how do we rank higher.
00:12:56.000 --> 00:12:57.440
I want you to ask this.
00:12:57.919 --> 00:13:03.519
How do we become the brand people discover, understand, trust, and recommend?
00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:08.480
That's the bigger opportunity here because search is no longer just a list of websites.
00:13:08.639 --> 00:13:11.039
It's an ecosystem of information.
00:13:11.360 --> 00:13:14.559
And your brand is competing to become part of that ecosystem.
00:13:14.799 --> 00:13:24.559
Google matters, AI matters, your website matters, reviews matter, content matters, reputation matters, your expertise matter, your mentions matter.
00:13:24.720 --> 00:13:31.120
And all of those pieces work together to create something much, much bigger than just a single ranking.
00:13:31.360 --> 00:13:33.679
They create discoverability.
00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:42.960
So yes, keep optimizing your website, keep creating useful content, keep earning quality links, keep improving your technical SEO.
00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:44.399
But don't stop there.
00:13:44.559 --> 00:14:01.440
Build the brand, build the authority, build the reputation, build the ecosystem, because the future of SEO isn't just about ranking, it's about being discovered, being understood, being trusted, and ultimately it's about being recommended.
00:14:01.600 --> 00:14:03.759
And that's a very different game.
00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:01.760
You're doing SEO wrong.
00:00:01.840 --> 00:00:10.720
And if your entire SEO strategy is built around getting your website to rank higher on Google, you may be optimizing for a version of search that is rapidly changing.
00:00:10.880 --> 00:00:16.480
Now, before you push back and say, wait a minute, isn't SEO literally search engine optimization?
00:00:16.640 --> 00:00:20.160
Well, yeah, it is, but the problem isn't SEO itself.
00:00:20.399 --> 00:00:25.359
The problem is how we define what success in SEO actually looks like.
00:00:31.600 --> 00:00:34.880
Now for years the goal was relatively simple with SEO.
00:00:35.119 --> 00:00:47.439
Find the right keywords, create a page around those keywords, optimize your title tags, headings, content, and links, build authority, get the page to rank, get the click, and turn that click into a customer.
00:00:47.679 --> 00:00:48.960
And that model worked.
00:00:49.119 --> 00:00:51.359
And in many cases, it still works.
00:00:51.679 --> 00:00:53.840
But search is evolving.
00:00:54.079 --> 00:00:58.880
The way people discover businesses, products, service, and information is changing.
00:00:59.119 --> 00:01:03.119
And that means the way we think about SEO needs to change with it.
00:01:03.359 --> 00:01:08.319
Because today, the question isn't simply how do I get my website to rank?
00:01:08.480 --> 00:01:17.680
The better question is how do I make my brand discoverable, understandable, credible, and recommendable wherever people are searching?
00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:20.079
That is a much bigger question.
00:01:20.239 --> 00:01:23.680
And I believe it represents the next evolution of SEO.
00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:27.760
Okay, so let's start off and talk about the traditional SEO mindset.
00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:31.599
So for a long time, SEO was largely a battle for positions.
00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:34.400
Position one was better than position five.
00:01:34.640 --> 00:01:36.959
Position five was better than being on page two.
00:01:37.280 --> 00:01:42.239
And page two, well, we all know the people used to say about page two, nobody goes there.
00:01:42.480 --> 00:01:45.760
So marketers and brands became obsessed with rankings.
00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:47.680
What's our position for this keyword?
00:01:47.840 --> 00:01:48.480
Did we move up?
00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:49.599
Did we move down?
00:01:49.920 --> 00:01:52.719
Can we get from the number four to number two?
00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:55.120
Can we get into the featured snippet?
00:01:55.280 --> 00:01:57.359
Can we get more organic traffic?
00:01:57.599 --> 00:01:59.760
And those are all legitimate questions.
00:01:59.920 --> 00:02:06.640
But they're increasingly incomplete questions because ranking isn't the same thing as being discovered.
00:02:06.879 --> 00:02:09.599
And traffic isn't the same thing as influence.
00:02:09.840 --> 00:02:11.360
Imagine two companies.
00:02:11.599 --> 00:02:15.360
Company A ranks number one for a handful of keywords.
00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:30.159
Company B doesn't necessarily rank number one for everything, but its brand is consistently mentioned across industry publications, directories, reviews, social media, videos, podcasts, articles, and many, many other trusted sources.
00:02:30.400 --> 00:02:50.319
Now people recognize Company B, they understand what it does, they see the other credible sources talking about them, customers mention it, industry experts reference them, and when somebody asks an AI system for a recommendation, Company B has a much stronger body of evidence surrounding its brand.
00:02:50.639 --> 00:02:54.560
Which company do you think has the stronger long-term position?
00:02:54.879 --> 00:02:56.240
That's the shift.
00:02:56.479 --> 00:03:04.240
We're moving from simply optimizing pages to building brands that can be understood across the entire search ecosystem.
00:03:06.319 --> 00:03:09.039
Now here's where things get really interesting.
00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:12.400
Search doesn't live exclusively on Google anymore.
00:03:12.639 --> 00:03:15.039
People are asking questions in AI tools.
00:03:15.199 --> 00:03:16.960
They're asking Chat GPT.
00:03:17.120 --> 00:03:19.840
They're asking other generative AI systems.
00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:23.280
They're using social platforms to discover products and businesses.
00:03:23.439 --> 00:03:25.520
They're watching YouTube videos to learn.
00:03:25.599 --> 00:03:27.439
They're reading Reddit discussions.
00:03:27.599 --> 00:03:29.840
They're looking at customer reviews.
00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:32.479
They're asking voice assistance questions.
00:03:32.639 --> 00:03:33.840
They're using maps.
00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:36.479
They're searching within marketplaces.
00:03:36.879 --> 00:03:41.680
They're discovering brands through podcasts, newsletters, communities, and social media.
00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:44.639
Search has become fragmented.
00:03:44.879 --> 00:03:48.319
And that's incredibly important for marketers and brands alike.
00:03:48.479 --> 00:03:54.479
Because when search happens across all of these environments, your website is only one piece of the puzzle.
00:03:54.719 --> 00:03:58.080
Think about how someone might discover your business today.
00:03:58.319 --> 00:04:13.680
They might see your brand on LinkedIn, they watch one of your videos, then search your company name, then read your Google reviews, then visit your website, then ask AI about your company, then see your business mentioned in an industry article.
00:04:13.919 --> 00:04:16.399
Then they finally contact you.
00:04:16.560 --> 00:04:20.560
That's not one search, that's an ecosystem of discovery.
00:04:20.720 --> 00:04:24.720
And your brand needs to make sense throughout the entire ecosystem.
00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:30.639
Okay, so now let's talk about the proverbial elephant in the room, and that is AI.
00:04:31.120 --> 00:04:34.800
This is where the SEO conversation gets especially interesting.
00:04:34.959 --> 00:04:41.680
When someone asks an AI system a question, the system isn't necessarily just returning a list of ten blue links.
00:04:41.920 --> 00:04:55.680
It may synthesize information, it may explain a concept, it may compare businesses, it might recommend companies, it might identify experts, it might summarize what multiple sources say about one individual brand.
00:04:55.920 --> 00:04:59.920
And that creates a fundamentally different visibility challenge.
00:05:00.160 --> 00:05:09.439
You don't just want your web page to rank, you want the information ecosystem surrounding your brand to be strong enough that your brand can be accurately understood.
00:05:09.600 --> 00:05:11.759
And that's a different objective.
00:05:12.079 --> 00:05:16.959
AI systems need signals, they need information, they need context, they need evidence.
00:05:17.199 --> 00:05:26.800
They need to understand who you are, what you do, who you serve, where you operate, what you're known for, and why you are credible.
00:05:27.040 --> 00:05:29.279
That means your website matters.
00:05:29.439 --> 00:05:30.959
But so do your reviews.
00:05:31.120 --> 00:05:46.319
Your business profiles matter, your industry mentions matter, backlinks matter, PR matters, social presence matters, original content matters, your expertise matters, consistency matters, your brand entity matters.
00:05:46.480 --> 00:05:51.360
In other words, SEO is becoming much more connected to brand strategy.
00:05:53.519 --> 00:05:56.480
Okay, so here's the model I want you to start thinking about.
00:05:56.639 --> 00:05:59.920
Don't think about SEO as simply ranking pages.
00:06:00.079 --> 00:06:03.199
Think about your SEO as building brand discovery.
00:06:03.360 --> 00:06:06.560
And I'm going to break down brand discovery into four questions.
00:06:06.879 --> 00:06:09.920
First, can people discover you?
00:06:10.160 --> 00:06:11.439
That's your visibility.
00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:14.879
Are you appearing when people search for the problems you solve?
00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:16.399
Are you visible in Google?
00:06:16.560 --> 00:06:17.839
Are you visible in maps?
00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:19.839
Are you visible on social platforms?
00:06:20.079 --> 00:06:22.800
Are you appearing in industry conversations?
00:06:23.120 --> 00:06:26.720
And people finding you when they ask AI for recommendations.
00:06:27.519 --> 00:06:30.240
Second, can people understand you?
00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:33.920
Now this is where a lot of businesses really just fall apart.
00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:36.000
Your website may say one thing.
00:06:36.160 --> 00:06:39.759
Your Google business profile may say something slightly different.
00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:42.800
Your social media might position you differently.
00:06:43.040 --> 00:06:46.240
Your directory listings might use different descriptions.
00:06:46.480 --> 00:06:49.759
Your content might target a completely different audience.
00:06:50.079 --> 00:06:56.399
Now, if your brand is sending mixed signals, you're making it harder for both humans and machines to understand you.
00:06:57.199 --> 00:07:00.000
Third, can people trust you?
00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:04.160
This is where reputation and authority become incredibly important.
00:07:04.480 --> 00:07:05.759
Do you have reviews?
00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:08.639
Are credible organizations mentioning you?
00:07:09.040 --> 00:07:11.439
Do industry publications reference you?
00:07:11.839 --> 00:07:13.839
Do you demonstrate expertise?
00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:16.000
Do you have original insights?
00:07:16.319 --> 00:07:19.360
Do customers talk about their experiences with you?
00:07:20.079 --> 00:07:23.040
And fourth, can you be recommended?
00:07:23.519 --> 00:07:28.800
Now this is the big one these days, because discovery doesn't stop when someone finds you.
00:07:29.120 --> 00:07:32.800
The real opportunities becoming the obvious answer.
00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:43.600
The brand that gets mentioned, the company that gets recommended, the expert that gets referenced, the business that comes to mind when someone describes a problem you solve.
00:07:43.839 --> 00:07:46.079
That's a different SEO goal.
00:07:46.319 --> 00:07:51.439
Okay, all of this is fine and dandy, but what does this mean with practicality?
00:07:51.759 --> 00:07:54.079
What should you actually do differently?
00:07:54.319 --> 00:07:57.360
First, stop obsessing over individual keywords.
00:07:57.519 --> 00:08:03.360
Now keywords still matter, but keywords should live inside a larger topic and entity strategy.
00:08:03.600 --> 00:08:07.040
So ask yourself, what do we want to be known for?
00:08:07.279 --> 00:08:09.360
What problems do we solve?
00:08:09.600 --> 00:08:12.319
What questions does our audience ask?
00:08:12.639 --> 00:08:16.319
What topics should our brand have authority around?
00:08:16.560 --> 00:08:19.120
Then build content around those areas.
00:08:19.439 --> 00:08:22.639
Second, make your brand information consistent.
00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:29.839
Your name, services, location, descriptions, expertise, leadership, products, categories, your positioning.
00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:33.759
Make sure your brand is clearly represented across the web.
00:08:34.240 --> 00:08:37.759
Third, build authority beyond your own website.
00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:39.519
And this is huge.
00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:49.279
You can publish a hundred articles on your own website, but if nobody credible references your brand, you're missing an important part of the authority equation.
00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:53.039
So look for legitimate opportunities to earn mentions.
00:08:53.360 --> 00:09:03.600
Industry publications, associations, podcasts, interviews, partnerships, local organizations, news coverage, expert contributions.
00:09:04.159 --> 00:09:10.320
Those external signals help establish that your brand exists within a larger ecosystem.
00:09:10.960 --> 00:09:14.960
And fourth, invest in original expertise.
00:09:15.200 --> 00:09:18.159
Now AI can generate you content all day long.
00:09:18.399 --> 00:09:26.960
That means generic content is becoming easier to produce and consequently less separation between you and everybody else.
00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:40.799
Now, your advantage is what AI can't simply invent about your business, your experience, your data, your opinions, your customer insights, your case studies, your internal processes, your unique perspective.
00:09:40.960 --> 00:09:44.159
That's what makes your brand worth referencing.
00:09:46.080 --> 00:09:48.799
Now I want to make something perfectly clear here.
00:09:48.960 --> 00:09:53.279
This doesn't mean your website doesn't matter anymore, because it absolutely does.
00:09:53.519 --> 00:09:56.159
Your website is still your digital headquarters.
00:09:56.320 --> 00:09:58.960
You're not building on somebody else's rented land.
00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:07.440
But if you want to stop thinking about it as the entire SEO strategy, your website should be the authoritative home for your brand's information.
00:10:08.000 --> 00:10:15.679
It should clearly communicate who you are, what you do, who you serve, where you operate, where you're credible, and what makes you different.
00:10:15.919 --> 00:10:22.320
Your website should also connect the dots between your expertise and the problems your customers are trying to solve.
00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:25.519
But then you need to reinforce those signals elsewhere.
00:10:25.759 --> 00:10:37.440
Your Google Business profile, social profiles, industry directories, reviews, press coverage, third-party websites, podcasts, videos, YouTube, LinkedIn, community organizations.
00:10:37.600 --> 00:10:40.799
The goal here really is consistency.
00:10:41.200 --> 00:10:47.200
You want all of these digital touch points to tell the same fundamental story about your brand.
00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:55.440
Because the stronger that ecosystem becomes, the easier it is for both people and machines to understand your brand.
00:10:55.759 --> 00:10:58.639
And this brings us to another major shift.
00:10:58.799 --> 00:11:01.279
We need to rethink how we measure SEO.
00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:09.519
Now rankings still matter, traffic still matters, conversations absolutely matter, but they're no longer the entire picture.
00:11:09.679 --> 00:11:13.840
We also need to start asking, how often is our brand being mentioned?
00:11:14.159 --> 00:11:15.759
Where is it being mentioned?
00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:18.000
Are those mentions positive?
00:11:18.240 --> 00:11:20.799
Are credible sources referencing us?
00:11:21.039 --> 00:11:22.960
Are people searching for our brand?
00:11:23.200 --> 00:11:27.440
Are customers discovering us through non-traditional search experiences?
00:11:27.679 --> 00:11:30.960
Are AI systems recognizing our company correctly?
00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:33.600
Are we appearing in recommendations?
00:11:33.919 --> 00:11:38.320
Are competitors dominating the conversation around topics we should own?
00:11:38.559 --> 00:11:43.519
Those are brand visibility questions, and they're becoming SEO questions.
00:11:43.759 --> 00:11:46.879
Because the ultimate goal isn't to win one keyword.
00:11:47.120 --> 00:11:54.480
The ultimate goal is to build a brand that's consistently discoverable when your audience has a problem you can solve.
00:11:54.720 --> 00:12:02.320
And honestly, I think this is good news for brands and marketers alike, because the old SEO game could become incredibly mechanical.
00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:06.960
Optimize the page, add the keyword, build the link, check the ranking, repeat.
00:12:07.200 --> 00:12:10.480
Now the new environment rewards something much more interesting.
00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:13.840
It rewards businesses that actually know who they are.
00:12:14.080 --> 00:12:28.000
Businesses with expertise, with a point of view, that create useful information, that earn trust, that participate in their industries, that create experiences worth talking about, that become known for something.
00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:32.559
Now, that's not just SEO, that's honestly just good marketing.
00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:38.159
And that's why I believe the future of SEO is going to be much more connected to brand strategy.
00:12:38.480 --> 00:12:44.559
The strongest SEO strategy may ultimately be the one that makes your entire brand easier to understand.
00:12:46.720 --> 00:12:52.559
Okay, so if you're sitting there right now thinking about your SEO strategy, I want you to change one question.
00:12:52.799 --> 00:12:55.840
Don't ask how do we rank higher.
00:12:56.000 --> 00:12:57.440
I want you to ask this.
00:12:57.919 --> 00:13:03.519
How do we become the brand people discover, understand, trust, and recommend?
00:13:03.759 --> 00:13:08.480
That's the bigger opportunity here because search is no longer just a list of websites.
00:13:08.639 --> 00:13:11.039
It's an ecosystem of information.
00:13:11.360 --> 00:13:14.559
And your brand is competing to become part of that ecosystem.
00:13:14.799 --> 00:13:24.559
Google matters, AI matters, your website matters, reviews matter, content matters, reputation matters, your expertise matter, your mentions matter.
00:13:24.720 --> 00:13:31.120
And all of those pieces work together to create something much, much bigger than just a single ranking.
00:13:31.360 --> 00:13:33.679
They create discoverability.
00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:42.960
So yes, keep optimizing your website, keep creating useful content, keep earning quality links, keep improving your technical SEO.
00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:44.399
But don't stop there.
00:13:44.559 --> 00:14:01.440
Build the brand, build the authority, build the reputation, build the ecosystem, because the future of SEO isn't just about ranking, it's about being discovered, being understood, being trusted, and ultimately it's about being recommended.
00:14:01.600 --> 00:14:03.759
And that's a very different game.
