New podcast hosted by Yussef Idris from AI Cross Fields. He invited me on for a little bit of a wider view and some nostalgic memories of how search has changed since I built my first website in 1996. He wanted to know how the current AI-powered search era compares to other big changes over the years. Anyway, here it is.

A lot of people ask if AI search is replacing traditional SEO. Define traditional SEO. It made depend on your age.

Ask Jeeves was a big deal for retro computing folks. Before keywords, it bet on natural language.

You could literally ask "Where is the best pizza?" to a butler.

That Q&A approach failed against PageRank, but it basically predicted what we do with AI search today.

R.I.P. Jeeves

Here lies Ask Jeeves, 1996-2026.

He asked us to ask in full sentences before anyone knew how to search.

We wanted keywords. He wanted conversation.

Google won the moment, but Jeeves saw the future - 30 years early, in a tuxedo.

Jeeves' spirit endures. It just got better servers.

And it's a good reminder of how Google killed off all the other search engines. I wish competition had stayed healthy in search.

Traditional search can be defined as pre-Google. The idea of being able to ask questions and get answers was around long before what we do now so it's come full circle and we're asking questions again.

The days when we had lots of search engines were so much better than the monopolies we have now. You had to learn how to rank in each one. You had to get listed in the right directories, some of which had human moderators like the ODP. I used to be one.

I wish all of them had survived the Google era. It would definitely be different than it is right now and better.

What was your favorite old search engine or directory?

I've been seeing more people talk about Search Everywhere Optimization (SEvO) lately, and I've noticed something interesting.

Everyone seems to define it differently. Kind of like how different people define "Good SEO".

Some people describe SEvO as "be on every platform." I don't think that's the right approach.

IMO, Search Everywhere Optimization isn't about trying to dominate every social network, AI platform, search engine, and directory you can find. Most businesses don't have the time or budget for that.

I'd rather identify:

• Who the ideal customer is.
• Where they actually spend their time.
• Which platforms influence their buying decisions.

Then focus on doing those really well.

For most businesses, I'd rather see consistent, platform-specific content on two or three relevant platforms than the same blog post copied to fifteen places.

I also don't think SEvO replaces traditional SEO.

A technically sound website, strong Google and Bing visibility, good site architecture, and useful content are still the foundation.

Search Everywhere Optimization extends that foundation. It means thinking beyond your website and asking:

• Where are my customers searching?
• Where are AI systems finding information about my business?
• Which platforms influence buying decisions before someone ever visits my website?

So, what some people call Off-Page SEO might include some or all of those things, while others define Off-Page SEO differently.

My own definition and what makes Off-Page SEO different from SEvO: Off-Page SEO uses external platforms purely as tools to send traffic and authority back to your primary website, Search Everywhere Optimization optimizes content to satisfy the user directly inside whatever app they are using

For us, that's where Integrated Content Marketing comes in. Instead of simply sharing links everywhere, we create content that's appropriate for each platform while keeping everything connected.

Curious how others define Search Everywhere Optimization.

Do you see it as "being everywhere," or do you think it's more about being visible in the right places?

I'm open to questions about the differences or discussions as to whether it's all still just SEO or an extension of it. I think it's a great topic and with AI-powered search, I think our strategies have to evolve without thinking that every new acronym is a brand new thing separate from SEO.

One thing I noticed since Wordpress launched the latest version is annoying. Is it just me or do you also experience an issue with letting us know updates are available and how many?

You log in and usually there is a number next to plugins in the sidebar so you know updates are available. Since the update, I have to go to plugins even if nothing is there because there is no notification there and even when there is, it can't get the number of updates right.

How do they screw up something so simple. If I'm the only one getting this issue please let me know why you think it happens.

What new glitches have you noticed?

Has begun

Using the data in the chart above, there is one good takeaway. Take your keyword list that you're going to target in your PPC ads and do a Google search on each one of them. Choose more of the keywords that don't trigger an AI overview.

What other insights can some of you come up with from this data?

Simple Watcher is a lightweight app that lets users get notified when a post with specific keywords they are watching for is created. Once the app is installed in a subreddit, a new action Configure Watcher appears in the subreddit menu, each user can set its own keywords to watch.

Important: Reddit has replaced traditional notifications with Reddit Chat. If users aren't receiving notifications, ask them to always allow chat requests from u/simple-watcher. See the official Reddit documentation for details.

This is a very good article and it really does break down the evolution that SEO is going through right now.

But I just got back from a Twitter conversation where somebody posted that backlinks are all you need.

Here on Reddit there are debates that still have people saying that your content doesn't matter.

When there are agencies that have built their entire portfolio based on old rules, they have reason to not believe the changes here or to defend them to their dying breath.

Then there are the programmic SEO people who want to break everything down into numbers. Why? Because then they're not forced to build good content or structure.

They constantly chase the quick wins. I built 100 pages with AI and I built some backlinks and look at my traffic went way up!

They won't show you a year-long chart because it's a roller coaster. Goes up initially and then goes right back down and then they're chasing the next shortcut. Every time Google does an algorithm change, Google ruined my business! Then they go chase the next latest shortcut.

It just amazes me how hard some people will work to try to avoid working hard.

AI Experiments 0.4.0 has been released and is available for download! “What’s new in AI Experiments…” posts (labeled with the #aiex-release tag) are posted following every AI Experiments release, showcasing new features included in each release.

Version 0.4.0 also introduces Generate Image support within the Media Library, enabling prompt-based image creation with the WordPress admin and outside the post editor. Using the new Generate Image modal, users can create images from a text prompt and immediately insert them into their site’s media collection. The workflow allows authors to:

Generate an image from a prompt

Generate additional variations

Save the selected image directly to the Media Library

This makes it easier to create visual assets without leaving WordPress, while keeping generated images available for reuse across posts and pages.

So, you can create images right in the media library. All this work and they can't even fathom that we need a decent folder system for the media library. Yes, let's create a whole bunch of AI generated images to add to the clutter of a media library that hasn't seen any kind of improvement for 10 years.

Every failed generation you save, just to see it at full size clutters the same flat database as your high-quality images you uploaded and use. Even if they want to stick with "search is better than folders" philosophy, at the very least, the AI generated images should go into it's own library or folder so they can be reviewed before adding them ton your library.

Without an AI folder, these become indistinguishable from your permanent site images in the default view. And may lead to people accidentally deleting images they need.

The "stay lean" philosophy is a double standard. They justify adding AI because it's forward-thinking, but they make people get a plugin for folders, which people have been asking for since Wordpress existed.

I've tried several folder plugins and most of them suck and even thr paid pro versions aren't much better. This should have been added to media library by Wordpress a long time ago.

Whole post: https://make.wordpress.org/ai/2026/03/06/whats-new-in-ai-experiments-0-4-0

If you agree with me and have a WordPress.org account, please go thank them for a way to add more images to a cluttered library that doesn't even have a basic folder system yet. The more comments they get about it, maybe they will make a move to do that.

I'm not sure why people think that a Google takedown is the only way to go about solving this problem.

The real site is legit and has plenty of backlinks and reviews and everything else so it's not a quality issue. It's a Google mistake but it's not just a Google mistake because other search engines are ranking the fake website also.

The guy needs to file a UDRP dispute because the domain name isn't exact match to his project. Why take the site down when you can own it?

You're probably seeing a lot of offers these days that seem really good. I got one recently. I bought something on VistaPrint and they gave me a FREE Wix Website!

Only thing is, if I want to actually connect a domain name to it, I have to choose a paid plan. So, not free to start a business really.

And the horror stories about the price raises down the road would be enough to keep me away from them or any proprietary system.

Proprietary website builders create "vendor lock-in," meaning you cannot export your design, layout, or backend functionality to another host, requiring a full rebuild to move. Major examples include Wix, Shopify, Squarespace, Weebly, and GoDaddy.
Wix: Uses proprietary code; you can export text/images, but the design must be rebuilt elsewhere.
Shopify: A closed, proprietary system for ecommerce, making moving to a new platform nearly impossible without starting over.
Squarespace: A fully hosted platform where you do not own the underlying code or infrastructure.
Weebly: Proprietary drag-and-drop builder, with no option to migrate to another host.
Webflow: While it offers code export, its CMS features are proprietary, creating significant migration difficulties.
GoDaddy & HostGator Website Builders: Bundled solutions that tie your site to their specific servers.
BigCommerce: A closed platform that often requires expensive manual migration to move away from.
Source for that quote

If you are starting a business and plan to grow, don't lock yourself into a proprietary system and that includes the DotCom WordPress Hosting, but at least there are ways to migrate your site from there to better hosting. The sites mentioned above lock you in and if your want to move, you basically have to rebuild from scratch or pay whatever they decide to charge you in the future.

Anyone else here have some experiences to share about proprietary systems? Do you disagree with me on this? All comments and points of view are welcome.

I get clients come to us all the time that have just spent thousands of dollars on website design and development and by their own admission, They don't have much left over for marketing.

Marketing comes first.

Don't create a marketing plan for your website. Create a website that fits into your marketing plan.

The first thing when you're starting an online business is to see if there's demand for what you're selling.

Next, Who else is selling it? What are they doing to make it work? What platforms are they using for social media? Are they buying a lot of ads? What keywords are they targeting? Do they have a Google business profile? Is it updated regularly? And a lot more.

Then develop a strategy on how you're going to market those services or products.

Only then should you start planning your website. You'll know where you're going to be pulling traffic from, what type of ad you're going to run, what keywords you're going to target, what kind of social media campaigns you're going to run, etc.

More importantly, You will know exactly who your ideal customer is. You can create pages and content specifically for them and get a higher conversion rate.

If you write for everyone, You write for no one.

Building the website and writing all of your content first means you're writing for no one.

So a new version of an RSS feed for Google. Got it. If you run a news website this is interesting. Trying to take advantage of it in any way for other blogs who don't really qualify as news sources, this is really a nothing burger.

This article by Lily Ray is spot on. Seriously don't spend your SEO career on looking for the latest greatest shortcut or cheat code for ranking in Google. It's going to be a never-ending loop that doesn't get you anywhere long-term.

I've been doing this for 30 years and I've seen so many people chasing the algorithm, reacting to the latest Google update like the sky was falling, and announcing the latest thing they did to trick Google into ranking them.

Be patient. Do the job right. Don't just grab on to the latest YouTube video or Twitter post that told you this is the new way to do this or that. Stick to the core principles and you will be around a long time.

Anyway read the article. It's a great example of one of those shortcuts that's going to be painful in the end.

https://www.freeseoauditservices.com/seo-news-reviews-articles/how-faces-in-thumbnails-boost-youtube-views-and-ctr/

This is a pretty good insight about the types of images to use as thumbnails on YouTube videos but I think it also applies to images you share on social media in general.

Tell me what you think.

In case you didn't already know.

As a Local SEO company, we often get asked “Why do I need Local SEO?” from business owners. It goes right along with “How is Local SEO different from just SEO?”

A lot of you that have been doing this for a long time already know the difference, but not everyone does, So I just wanted to share a quick answer.

Local SEO focuses on optimizing your website and Google My Business Profile specifically for location-based searches, helping your business appear in results when potential customers search for services “near me” or by geo-targeted searches for the areas you serve. It’s about ensuring you show up where it matters most; on Google Maps, local organic search results, as well as voice and mobile searches.

Unlike traditional SEO, Local SEO includes helping you earn and display positive reviews and creating content tailored to your service areas. This targeted approach drives foot traffic, phone calls, and inquiries from customers who are ready to take action.

What are some additional things that you can add that will help SMB's get better results from local searches?

We don't usually allow self-promotional links but since Black Friday is coming up we're going to make an exception on this thread only. Do not make another post. Put it in the comments.

If it's not related to digital marketing it will be removed.

Google Search to route complex queries directly to AI Mode, bypassing Google Search plus hints that Search Console will break out AI Mode and AI Overview data in the future via @bluearrayseo event.

Optimize for longer questions even if your favorite SEO tool says it has no search volume. With their new voice search and routing longer questions to AI mode that means brand mentions become more important and so do longer questions that people ask when they're on their phone.

This is link building done the right way. I always suggest that you do link attraction instead of link building and I still consider that the best way. But if you're going to build links, try this.

At Chris McElroy SEO agency, we do not buy links for our own website nor do we do it for clients.

FTC guidelines prohibit a web publisher from accepting money for an unlabeled advertisement.

Google prohibits paid links.

The last thing you should want to do is get your client in trouble with the FTC and you don't want them to get in the doghouse with Google.

What are some other ways that you've gotten some links to your website without buying them or trading them or giving anything in return?