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Latest Episodes
Did Google Just End Rank Tracking? w/ Shannon Minkel
Shannon Minkel, Senior Director of Product SEO at Siege Media, joins Ross Hudgens to unpack one of the biggest questions in search right now: did Google just kill rank tracking beyond page two?
They explore what this shift means for SEOs—whether it’s a sign to finally focus on input metrics, how declining referral traffic from ChatGPT impacts strategy, and what Similarweb and Siege Media’s own research reveal about changing engagement rates.
From GA4 benchmarks to the future of AI search, this episode breaks down the data, the rumors, and the real-world implications for anyone navigating SEO in 2025.
Plus: input metrics, lagging indicators, Similarweb’s ChatGPT data, and why Google’s rumored “AI mode” rollout could redefine how we measure success.
0:08 – Why Google’s rank tracking changes matter now
1:14 – Is rank tracking beyond page two dead?
2:36 – The rise of input metrics and controllable KPIs
4:09 – ChatGPT referral traffic declines across Siege, Ahrefs & Profound
6:12 – Similarweb’s data on ChatGPT usage growth vs. declining engagement
8:04 – What lagging indicators like ChatGPT quality mean for SEOs
9:28 – Interpreting GA4 engagement rates and site health signals
11:05 – Google’s rumored AI mode rollout (and roll-back)
13:17 – The future of attribution in a generative search world
15:21 – How SEOs should adapt reporting for execs in 2025
17:43 – Why input metrics may replace old rank-tracking habits
20:05 – What Shannon is watching most closely in AI search
Shannon Minkel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonminkel
GA4 engagement rates → https://www.siegemedia.com/research/ga4-engagement-rates
ChatGPT referral traffic study → https://www.siegemedia.com/strategy/chatgpt-referral-traffic-data
SEJ: https://searchengineland.com/google-search-rank-and-position-tracking-is-a-mess-right-now-461984
Similarweb on ChatGPT growth: https://x.com/Similarweb/status/1965726707832528974
SEMrush: https://www.semrush.com/blog/google-usage-after-chatgpt-adoption/
ChatGPT vs. Google study: https://chatgpt-vs-google.com/
Input Metrics for SEO newsletter: https://newsletter.seomba.com/p/input-metrics-for-seo
Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on
iTunes:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM
Listen on Google:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA
Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on
Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown:
https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: ross@siegemedia.com #seo |
#contentmarketing
Scaling 250,000 Neighborhoods: Enterprise SEO at Apartments.com w/ Zach Chahalis
Zach Chahalis, VP of SEO at Apartments.com, joins Ross Hudgens for a deep dive into the high-stakes world of real estate SEO—where listings change daily, pages balloon into the hundreds of thousands, and competition is cutthroat across every SERP.
They explore how Zach’s team manages SEO at scale, including 75+ site migrations, advanced internal linking via entity modeling, and custom AI agents built to streamline content operations. From avoiding redirect chains to handling rental “orphan pages,” this episode is packed with hard-earned lessons for SEOs working at enterprise scale.
Plus: duplicate content, the future of AI search in real estate, and why your site should never go through a migration before Black Friday.
Show Notes
0:08 – Zach’s role at Apartments.com and SEO in high-competition markets
1:00 – Biggest pitfalls in site migrations: communication and redirect logic
2:00 – Why bad redirect chains are like sending mail to your old address
3:39 – What to expect from traffic drops post-migration
5:06 – The difference between redesigns, CMS moves, and full migrations
7:42 – How entity linking models boost internal linking and relevance
9:55 – The user and SEO value of cross-linking neighborhood/location pages
11:51 – How Zach’s team measures and improves internal page authority
13:17 – Their in-house SEO testing program and what they’ve learned
15:01 – When they ignore positive SEO test results to preserve UX
16:41 – Managing orphaned rental pages and lifecycle SEO logic
19:05 – What they show users when listings go offline
21:24 – When to 404 vs. redirect in real estate or e-commerce
23:37 – Competing in a duplicate content world: data + experience wins
25:56 – Using proprietary data (e.g., 3D tours) to differentiate listings
27:28 – Real estate’s slower exposure to AI Overviews
28:19 – AI as productivity booster: writing, research, and landlord tools
30:46 – How internal teams use AI to speed up editorial content creation
33:50 – Why real estate is less impacted by AI than other verticals
35:59 – Indexing the long tail: 250K+ neighborhoods, 40K city pages
37:55 – Agentic workflows: surfacing internal data to speed up content
40:58 – How AI flags Fair Housing violations before content goes live
42:48 – Building secure, proprietary pipelines for real estate data
44:03 – Where to find Zach online
Show Links
Zach Chahalis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharychahalis
Zach’s website: https://www.zacharychahalis.com
Hyperlocal Content from a National Lens deck: https://speakerdeck.com/zjchahalis/hyperlocal-content-from-a-national-lens
Apartments.com: https://www.apartments.com/ Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on
iTunes:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM
Listen on Google:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA
Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on
Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown:
https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: ross@siegemedia.com #seo |
#contentmarketing
Input Metrics in SEO: Leading Indicators in an AI World
Tom Critchlow, EVP of Audience Growth at Raptive, joins Ross for a deep dive into how input metrics can transform SEO strategy—especially in an era of declining visibility and messy attribution from AI search engines.
They explore how input metrics improve executive reporting, unlock budget, and build cross-functional alignment by shifting focus from vanity outcomes to controllable, operational activities. Tom shares insights from his time at Raptive, lessons from Amazon’s internal frameworks, and practical tips for teams to track quality, not just quantity. If you're navigating SEO in 2025, this episode is your playbook.
Plus: scorecards, dashboards, quality benchmarks, and how input metrics can shape strategic storytelling at every level of an org.
Show Notes
0:08 – Why “getting SEO done” starts with business communication
1:14 – Executive buy-in and the underrated power of input metrics
2:06 – What are controllable input metrics? Lessons from Amazon
3:24 – Why output-only reporting drives blind decision-making
5:06 – Building reports that pair input + output for alignment
7:01 – Input metrics: weekly/monthly rhythm vs quarterly output
9:15 – Goal-setting tension: input vs output metrics for teams
11:24 – Why SEOs need to “make their work legible” to leadership
12:30 – Input metrics as a path to getting more SEO budget
14:20 – The missing business case for many SEO initiatives
15:33 – Raptive case study: measuring behavior change over clicks
18:02 – Building input metrics from scratch: the 9-month reality
19:51 – Amazon’s evolving metrics: controllability over time
21:26 – Mapping input metrics to what actually drives success
22:33 – The danger of metric sprawl—and how to refocus
23:59 – Why some SEO work becomes “invisible” without input metrics
25:13 – Three metrics per person: a practical ceiling
26:51 – How input metrics support pipeline generation in B2B
28:35 – Communicating SEO value to non-executives via unit economics
30:06 – Stop yelling “fix it”—report what’s not getting done
31:22 – Translating editorial quality into spreadsheet metrics
33:06 – Red, yellow, green ≠ strategic clarity—track actual numbers
34:08 – Attribution is broken: input metrics matter more than ever
36:43 – Benchmarking input metrics against competitors
38:03 – Don’t just track AI visibility—track the work you can control
39:02 – Why input metrics aren’t neutral—and why that’s OK
41:01 – Planning cycles: why it takes 6 months to see input adoption
42:15 – Measuring “quality”: content scores, CSATs, and rubrics
44:25 – Why you must operationalize “quality” to get promoted
46:08 – Manual scoring systems and quality baselines
47:13 – Where to find Tom and what he’s working on next
Show Links
Tom Critchlow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomcritchlow
Tom’s blog: http://tomcritchlow.com
Input Metrics for SEO article: https://newsletter.seomba.com/p/input-metrics-for-seo
Raptive: https://raptive.com Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on
iTunes:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM
Listen on Google:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA
Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on
Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown:
https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: ross@siegemedia.com #seo |
#contentmarketing
Future-Proofed E-commerce Content Marketing w/ SearchPilot's Will Critchlow
Ross joins Will Critchlow of SearchPilot for a wide-ranging conversation on the evolving landscape of e-commerce SEO and content strategy in the AI era.
They cover how e-commerce brands are adapting content for multimodal search, why digital PR is surging, what still works in a zero-click world, and how Siege’s homepage study reveals surprising traffic shifts from AI engines like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews.
Ross also shares lessons from working with Instacart, thoughts on EEAT, brand building in 2025, and how SEOs can think more like product teams to win long-term. Plus: goal-setting, basketball, and how to build your perfect calendar.
Show Notes
0:08 – Introductions
1:00 – Ross on what e-commerce clients are asking for in 2025
2:12 – High-fidelity content and why it still drives SEO value
3:24 – The digital PR spike—and why it might not be right for every brand
4:17 – Rethinking link building: content that earns links without outreach
5:11 – The shift from link bait to real brand-building campaigns
6:34 – Why measuring content value is still messy
7:28 – Investing in analytics and attribution models that actually work
8:52 – Instacart case study: how it’s still winning in 2025
9:59 – Calculators as a defensible content type against AI overviews
11:15 – Homepage traffic is up 10%—what Siege’s study found
12:56 – Differences in B2B vs B2C AI traffic attribution
14:15 – How AI referrals may go dark: no referrer, just branded visits
15:40 – SearchPilot’s view: aggregating dark and disaggregated traffic sources
17:20 – How LM-driven browsing creates long tail referral lift
18:57 – AI is doing the searching: optimizing for “robot” queries
21:00 – Why retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) matters for e-commerce
22:44 – Digital PR’s role in influencing AI citation engines
23:51 – Siege’s brand mention study: impressions up, but who’s watching?
25:20 – Review volume = the next big SEO edge in e-commerce
26:04 – Instacart’s product reviews may be helping SEO more than you think
27:15 – Human authorship: should you expose expert bylines?
28:52 – Where author signals matter most
30:04 – Real-world reviews are the new long tail content strategy
31:09 – Who’s doing it well?
32:14 – Brand authority, SEO signals, and Siege’s convo with Dr. Pete
33:48 – Building a brand health dashboard (and what to track in 2025)
36:18 – Who owns content? SEO increasingly embedded in product teams
37:40 – Product SEO as a mindset, not just a technical checklist
39:24 – Optimizer mentality, health goals, and personal systems
40:11 – Ross’s “perfect calendar” and how it supports business goals
42:06 – Will on process goals vs outcome goals in business and life
43:44 – Can you be too optimized? Balancing mental health and iteration
45:07 – Long-term vision in a 3-week world
46:00 – Where to find Ross online and what Siege is working on next
Show Links
Will Critchlow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willcritchlow
Homepage Study: https://www.siegemedia.com/strategy/ai-homepage-traffic-increase
SearchPilot: https://www.searchpilot.com/ Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on
iTunes:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM
Listen on Google:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA
Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on
Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown:
https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: ross@siegemedia.com #seo |
#contentmarketing
AEO Playbook: How to Optimize for AI w/ Profound’s Josh Blyskal
Josh Blyskal, AEO Engineer at Profound, joins Ross Hudgens to dive deep into the emerging world of AI-native search optimization—and how brands can win visibility across platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews.
They unpack Profound’s Conversation Explorer, fresh data on generative search intent, and the real-world tactics that drive clicks in the new AI-dominated SERP. From schema tips to 2025 URL hacks and LMS.txt files, this is the tactical roadmap for modern marketers navigating the future of search.
Show Notes
0:08 – Why AI-native visibility is heating up
1:00 – Profound's Series A and platform momentum
2:15 – The moment for AI search is here
4:40 – How Profound built the largest dataset of answer engine queries
7:12 – New ad tech categories marketers aren’t tracking
9:40 – What “generative” search intent actually looks like
11:25 – Tools vs. blogs: what answer engines really cite
13:00 – Why traffic quality from AI sources is insanely high
15:05 – The rise of sponsored AI queries (and what to do about it)
16:50 – How to future-proof your site for ChatGPT + Perplexity
20:00 – Listicles dominate AI search—here’s why
22:30 – What Bing has to do with ChatGPT visibility
24:00 – URL strategies for boosting citations
28:40 – Semantic chunking and structured answers for pickup
31:00 – 2025 SEO hacks: title tags, slugs, and metadata tips
33:45 – Schema markup that actually works (hint: authorship)
36:00 – How freshness impacts AI citation cycles
39:20 – LMS.txt and LMS-fulltext: the new crawl frontier
41:10 – Why answer engines could free up web creativity
43:30 – Commercial landing pages are the future of evergreen visibility
46:00 – Profound’s upcoming launch: actions and content briefs
48:30 – Pricing, access, and how to get started with Profound
Show Links
Josh Blyskal on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-blyskal/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-blyskal/
What content do AI engines like: https://www.xfunnel.ai/blog/what-content-type-ai-engines-like
Profound: https://www.tryprofound.com/
Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on
iTunes:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM
Listen on Google:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA
Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on
Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown:
https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: ross@siegemedia.com #seo |
#contentmarketing
How Asana Scaled to 20M+ International SEO Visits
Chris Kelly, ex-Asana growth lead, joins Ross Hudgens to break down how Asana scaled to 20M+ international SEO visits—and how to do it again in 2025.
They dive into localization strategy, market prioritization, TMS tools, team structures, and how to tie international SEO directly to business outcomes.
Chris also unpacks real-world mistakes, market-specific tactics, and where AI fits into future-proofing global content.
Show Notes
0:08 – How Chris led Asana’s international SEO from 0 to 20M+ visits
2:12 – Aligning SEO with real business outcomes
4:27 – How to prioritize markets and go deep, not wide
6:06 – Why "strategy before scale" matters more than ever
9:09 – Centralized vs. distributed SEO models
10:13 – The localization decision waterfall: MT, native copy, or hybrid?
13:11 – Tiered frameworks for scaling efficiently across regions
16:43 – Localization teams and SEO: why they must integrate
18:05 – Market nuances: Japan vs. Germany
20:18 – The role of user research in international SEO success
22:02 – When to implement a Translation Management System (TMS)
25:33 – Real talk: the true cost of international SEO
28:18 – Mistakes to avoid: budget, ops, and lack of data
33:10 – Building the right international SEO team
35:06 – Communication tips for global collaboration
38:34 – How AI will transform international strategy and QA
42:26 – Will AI erase top-funnel SEO internationally?
Show Links
Chris Kelly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherakelly/ Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on
iTunes:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM
Listen on Google:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA
Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on
Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown:
https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: ross@siegemedia.com #seo |
#contentmarketing
SEO vs GEO vs AEO: Which One Is It? w/ Rand Fishkin
Rand Fishkin joins Ross Hudgens to unpack the latest acronym craze—GEO, AEO, LEO—and why none may be necessary. They explore the origins of SEO, the rise (and fall) of inbound marketing, and how marketers can avoid falling into the trap of trend-chasing. From naming conventions to the real value of brand clarity, this is a conversation for anyone navigating search in the age of AI.
Rand also shares a bold bet on AI’s impact on jobs, reflects on his early days in the “promised land of SEO”—and discusses why “SEO for AI” might be the clearest path forward.
Plus: Cooking games, Snack Bar Studios, and whether creating a new marketing category is ever worth the effort.
Show Notes
0:08 – Why SEO has too many new acronyms
0:44 – The wild origin of SEO in Bend, Oregon
1:29 – Danny Sullivan, Circuit City, and the OG SEO crowd
2:54 – Who coined “zero-click search”?
3:29 – Why naming trends like GEO can hurt clarity
5:00 – Is GEO catching on because A16z backed it?
5:59 – Should we name this shift at all?
6:37 – Why "SEO for AI" is clearer than new acronyms
8:09 – Organic digital vs SEO vs paid—don’t confuse your client
9:33 – Naming things doesn’t always benefit the person who coined it
10:13 – Why SEO isn’t in decline (despite the narrative)
11:07 – Google is still orders of magnitude bigger than any AI tool
12:34 – Rand bets \$100K AI won’t take half of all jobs
13:39 – “SEO for AI” has 100% clarity, unlike GEO or AEO
14:58 – GEO and AEO should be considered tags under SEO
16:07 – Simplifying your services for buyers: SEO still works
17:11 – SEO can carry baggage—but it’s still foundational
18:20 – Organic growth as the category; SEO as the tactic
19:03 – The Snickers bar analogy for misaligned category tags
20:01 – Why HubSpot had the power to rebrand with inbound marketing
20:54 – Applying lessons from game tagging at Snack Bar Studios
22:16 – Final thoughts: ride the wave if you’re Mars; otherwise, keep it clear
23:07 – Rand’s AI/job displacement bet explained
24:53 – Revisiting his blockchain bet with Dharmesh from 2016
25:21 – What worries Rand more than AI? Government decisions
26:14 – Elon, politics, and the future of tech influence
26:22 – Snack Bar Studios: magical boars and carbonara
26:56 – Sparktoro and “Search Everywhere Optimization”
27:03 – Tagging the cooking game: chill action, story rich, 2D action
27:51 – Geraldine’s writing brings it to life
Show Link
It’s Still SEO (SparkToro Blog):
(https://sparktoro.com/blog/its-still-seo-search-everywhere-optimization/](https://sparktoro.com/blog/its-still-seo-search-everywhere-optimization/)
a16z: GEO Rewrites the Rules of Search:
(https://a16z.com/geo-over-seo/)
Rand’s Game Studio:
(https://snackbarstudio.com/](https://snackbarstudio.com/)
Subscribe today for weekly tips:
(https://bit.ly/3dBM61f](https://bit.ly/3dBM61f)
Listen on iTunes:
(https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174)
Listen on Spotify:
(https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM](https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM)
Listen on Google:
(https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA)
Follow Siege on Twitter:
(http://twitter.com/siegemedia](http://twitter.com/siegemedia)
Follow Ross on Twitter:
(http://twitter.com/rosshudgens](http://twitter.com/rosshudgens)
Directed by Cara Brown:
(https://twitter.com/cararbrown](https://twitter.com/cararbrown)
Email Ross:
(ross@siegemedia.com](mailto:ross@siegemedia.com)
#seo | #contentmarketing
Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on
iTunes:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM
Listen on Google:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA
Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on
Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown:
https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: ross@siegemedia.com #seo |
#contentmarketing
Homepage Traffic is Up 10.7%: Unpacking the AI Effect w/ Drew Page & Ross Hudgens
Ross Hudgens and Drew Page sit down to unpack Siege Media’s latest study on the surprising shift in search behavior caused by AI-powered experiences and large language models (LLMs). The headline? Homepage traffic is up 10.7%—despite a decline in overall site wide clicks.
They dive into the impact of branded search, the difference between B2B and B2C performance, and why your homepage might now be your most important conversion asset. From SEO’s evolving KPIs to strategies for retargeting and improving click-through rates, this conversation is a reality check—and a game plan—for marketers navigating the AI-dominated SERP.
**Plus:** Siege Media’s own numbers, conversion math that makes sense of the doom-and-gloom, and actionable advice to build a brand that stands out in zero-click search results.
Show Notes
0:08 – The optimism vs. pessimism spectrum in AI-driven search
0:42 – Why Ross launched this study in the first place
1:04 – From impressions up, clicks down—what triggered the deeper investigation
1:24 – Should SEO start valuing impressions like PR does?
1:51 – Why homepage clicks matter more than ever
2:29 – Branded search as the silent traffic driver
2:49 – What Siege saw across consumer & fintech sites
3:19 – Homepage impressions up 54%, site wide clicks down 4.8%
4:03 – Why that might be good news: homepage conversion rates
5:05 – B2C trends: more impressions, mixed click behavior
6:07 – B2B trends: homepage clicks up 15%, better revenue alignment
8:19 – Average position declines but branded queries still driving visits
9:36 – Seeing real value in brand mentions from ChatGPT, Perplexity, etc.
10:16 – Siege’s internal data: 30% homepage traffic lift, no pipeline drop
12:20 – Conversion math: homepage 3%, sitewide 1%
13:25 – The net positive: more conversions despite fewer visits
14:06 – Why you should optimize your homepage now
14:58 – Brand building, storytelling, and digital PR
15:46 – Homepage CTR and pricing page visibility wins
16:37 – Retargeting strategies for branded homepage traffic
17:00 – If you didn’t build a brand, this won’t help
17:44 – Aligning SEO with PPC to defend the SERP
18:25 – Communicating the impact to leadership
19:12 – Content quality still wins, even in LLMs
19:35 – Creating a brand health dashboard
20:22 – Final thoughts: conversion is the key metric, not traffic
Show Links
Full Study: https://www.siegemedia.com/strategy/ai-homepage-traffic-increase Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on
iTunes:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM
Listen on Google:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA
Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on
Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown:
https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: ross@siegemedia.com #seo |
#contentmarketing
Adapting to the Brand-First SEO Era w/ Kevin Indig
Ross sits down with Kevin Indig, growth advisor and SEO strategist, to break down his groundbreaking UX study on Google’s AI Overviews—and what it reveals about the fast-changing landscape of search. From disappearing clicks to trust-first decision-making, Kevin shares how the rise of AI is reshaping everything from user behavior to what actually drives conversions.
They dig into why CTR is no longer the north star metric, how age and device impact search habits, and why today’s SEO teams need to think far beyond blue links. Whether it’s surfacing trust signals, building brand awareness across platforms, or adapting to zero-click journeys, this conversation is packed with practical takeaways for future-proofing your organic strategy.
Plus: the rise of interactive content, the power of review mining, and why mediocre AI content won’t cut it in 2025.
Show Notes:
0:07 – Welcoming Kevin back and discussing the shift to AI Overview dominance
1:18 – Top 3 takeaways from Kevin’s study
4:42 – Why younger users love AIOs—and older users don’t trust them
5:37 – How brand strength is driving revenue despite declining CTRs
7:42 – Why results vary dramatically by industry (SaaS, e-comm, publishers)
9:20 – Mobile users scroll more—what that means for engagement
13:00 – Trust signals that matter: bylines, bios, disclosures & authority
16:14 – Riskier queries = higher skepticism. Assigning a “risk score” to search terms
19:18 – Why your SEO strategy must include Reddit, YouTube & non-Google channels
23:27 – New team structures: why SEOs must align with social, paid & brand
28:08 – Creating a brand health dashboard: tracking reach beyond Google
31:27 – Leveraging your existing customer base to create high-converting content
34:45 – How review mining and transcripts unlock real user needs
38:09 – AI-generated content: when it works, when it fails, and why “mediocre is invisible”
40:09 – Turning blog content into interactive tools for higher ROI and defensibility
43:34 – Mission statement generator: the surprising success story
46:43 – Final advice for SEOs in 2025: speed, adaptability, and user-first everything
Show Links:
Kevin’s UX Study on Google’s AI Overviews: [https://www.growth-memo.com/p/the-first-ever-ux-study-of-googles]
Ramp’s Mission Statement Generator: [https://www.ramp.com/mission-statement-generator](https://www.ramp.com/mission-statement-generator)
Optiversal – Turning reviews into content: [https://www.optiversal.com](https://www.optiversal.com) Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on
iTunes:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM
Listen on Google:
https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA
Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on
Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown:
https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: ross@siegemedia.com #seo |
#contentmarketing
Bio of Content and Conversation: SEO Tips from Siege Media
"Content and Conversation: SEO Tips from Siege Media" is a podcast hosted by Siege Media and its founder, Ross Hudgens. The podcast focuses on providing practical insights and strategies to help improve content marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and other related topics.
Drawing on their experience and success in helping clients achieve significant increases in website traffic, Siege Media delves into the details of what drives content to rank higher in search engine results and how to encourage content sharing. Listeners can expect discussions on various aspects of content marketing, SEO tactics, email outreach strategies, Reddit marketing, and more.
The podcast aims to equip marketers, content creators, and SEO enthusiasts with actionable tips and techniques to enhance their online presence and drive organic traffic to their websites. By sharing their expertise and real-world examples, Siege Media provides valuable insights that can help listeners improve their content's visibility and engagement.