Jim Yu’s Post

What has the Green Hearted team been reading this week? 👀 Let's dive in! ⤵ SEO & Marketing: 1. Exploring Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): We've been diving into how GEO is revolutionizing SEO with AI. It's all about making content more targeted and relevant. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dcqziXr9 2. Winning at Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): Learning the best strategies to master GEO, blending AI tools with traditional SEO techniques. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gQ-zG2kG 3. Google’s Change of Heart on Third-Party Cookies: Google has halted its plan to phase out third-party cookies. This shift indicates a major change in Google’s approach to user privacy and advertising. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gR5GJe9u 4. AI in Marketing Copy: A Surprising Sales Killer: A recent study found that AI-generated marketing copy can sometimes hurt sales. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/g7EtvDDh Social Media: 1. Threads Hits 200 Million Users: Threads is growing fast, now reaching 200 million users! 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gnVsh4YF Google Ads & AI: 1. Updates to Google Ads in Sensitive Categories Google has updated its policies on ads in regulated and sensitive categories. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gVdFarzW 2. AI Enhances Google Product Discovery Google's new AI-powered tools are making it easier for users to find relevant products. "Search what you can see." 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gitUvuVP What are you reading this week? 🌿 #GreenHearted #Marketing #SEO #SocialMedia #AI #DigitalMarketing #GoogleAds Search Engine Land Search Engine Journal Social Media Today, LLC

As much as 25% of search traffic is going away due to AI! Organizations that rely on organic traffic need to take immediate steps to close the incoming gap in their website traffic 💡 #seo #ai #google

Yesterday brightonSEO Day 2 was filled with/ laughs, hot takes & tons of knowledge. Highlights: Started w/ Voice of Search podcast (Michael King, Martha van Berkel, Jordan Koene & Tyson Stockton). Funny & insightful debates: — SEO is evolving beyond Google (debatable how fast, lol)—niche platforms are rising; tailored experiences matter. — Gen AI complements traditional search but reinforces need for structured data & knowledge graphs. — Growth mindset & curiosity keep us competitive. Beth Nunnington: — Build trust over vanity metrics—Google rewards relevance & value. — Search ecosystem is expanding—optimize for Amazon, YouTube & TikTok, not just Google. — Digital PR bridges branding & SEO, earning authority via relevance. Patrick Reinhart: — Speed is competitive—test, learn, adapt fast. — Automate routine tasks; focus on strategy. — SEO success needs co-wide education & alignment. Carrie Rose: — SERPs are crowded—think beyond Google, optimize for social. — Align w/ trends to create demand earlier. — Build visibility across multiple touchpoints pre-conversion. — People will always think weiners are funny (iykyk) Crystal Carter: — Optimize for static & search-augmented LLMs. — Claim brand entities (Wikipedia, Wikidata) to dominate graphs. — Small brands focus on links; larger brands try custom GPT models. Louisa Frahm: — For news content, use Google Trends to track rising queries and refine content strategy. — Focus on timeliness and regional insights to capture news and evergreen trends. — Stay E-E-A-Ting —build trust and authority through credible, utility-driven content. — Prioritize direct keyword matching for news-related AI opportunities. Julian Hooks: — Regularly update content to keep it fresh — Build trust with high-quality content instead of relying on domain tricks. — Create valuable, shareable content to organically boost authority. Rand Fishkin: — Internet use plateaued—retain & engage audience. — Win zero-click ops (hi Amanda Natividad!) by giving direct answers & value. — Follow your audience w/ referral data—go where they are, not just where they search. Rand’s insights stress meaningful engagement over metrics like traffic. (Also, I trust him—may have seen him getting dinner in my neighborhood.) Ultimately what I most took away from everything was this: SEOs will navigate what’s next: AI overviews, LLMs & more. Winning isn’t chasing trends—it’s KNOWING your audience. ✅ Use data & insights—don’t follow trends blindly. ✅ Find your audience—social, niches, or new tools. ✅ Provide real value—solve problems, and engage meaningfully. Forget metrics for a second—what truly matters to your audience? Let's do that. Let’s get curious instead of afraid. What do you think? P.S. There are also a lot of really cool people in this space and I'm so glad I got to meet and connect with so many of you. Shout out to Maryam M., Wilda Wong, Anthony Caccavale, and Stuart Schisgall, MBA for the time spent and the conversations had.

More in Perplexity success story from VentureBeat As AI-powered search engines like Perplexity and Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) disrupt the traditional search landscape, businesses are grappling with the potential impact on their Search Engine Optimization (#SEO) efforts. However, a new study by BrightEdge suggests that these fears may be overblown. Key Takeaways: 1. 🚀 Perplexity's referral traffic to #brand websites has grown 40% month-over-month since January, indicating the potential for AI-first search engines to capture market share. 2. 📊 60% of Perplexity's citations match the top 10 organic Google results, suggesting that AI-powered search can provide similar and relevant answers to traditional search. 3. 🔍 Credibility and topical expertise will be key for businesses to succeed in the AI-powered search era, as AI engines prioritize authoritative sources. 4. 🌐 Businesses should prepare for a multi-engine search landscape, where they need to optimize for various #AI-powered search platforms to maximize their online visibility and revenue. #Branding #OnlineTraffic #AdTech #SearchEngine

Understand what Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is, how it's revolutionizing digital marketing and key strategies to optimize for AI-driven search. https://lnkd.in/dgbTG-ni #GenerativeEngineOptimization #Generativesearch #newseo #newinseo #seoexpert #seo #google #ai

I’m old enough now to remember the early days of personalization where it was cool to put Your Name on an email. Now, don’t I sound like I’m talking to you directly? I mean…you are reading this post and if I said “Hey Jane, this post is for you…” you would be like “Great, but my name isn’t Jane and now I’m not going to read the rest of the post because you, Sir, are not speaking to me at all. You are pandering to me and that makes me mad (or sad or frustrated)”. Yeah, I get it, I would totally feel the same way…so what’s the solution? In the world of search engine marketing, it’s about being relevant in the context of the search(es) that our target customers are pursuing. And in the world of SEO specifically, that has manifested to a very complicated set of algorithms for returning results that mean something to you, the user, that is relevant and fresh. If you are searching for a movie to watch in the theatres, the search engines will recommend the closest theaters to your location that are showing that movie. “Yeah, Erik, we know all this already, so what’s the point?” The point is that the game has changed in SEO and the AI driven algorithm’s is delivering hyper-personalized results to individuals versus somewhat-personalized results to groups. And…more importantly…we, as marketers, are unable to keep up with that level of personalization on our own. So we need a framework to help us address this challenge. Recently Tim M. Curtis, DCMP and I had a conversation with Gregory B. from SearchTides who says “What we're seeing right now is we're seeing the next journey, which is eventually I am going to get something that is hyper-personalized to me. And the reason why it looks like a disaster right now a lot of times is because it's basically the beta version. But the eventual version is I'm going to get something super specific to me.” But Greg…what do we do about it? “Well, that means I'm going to need to be more specific and stand for something and have an identity and be different than the 10 other things that are similar to me in terms of the business that we're performing.” Greg thinks that  “The businesses of the future that will do well are the ones that will be just customer-driven…They're just like, we're only doing things that are best for the customer. I think that's the ethos that will win tomorrow.” Listen in to Episode 69 https://lnkd.in/gFqmq3SR and learn more from Greg on how we need to approach marketing to our customers in this new environment. _____________________________________________________________________

Lately there are so much buzz on AI on different applications. It prompt me to write a blog explores how AI-powered keyword research is transforming SEO strategies, giving businesses a competitive edge. I delve into AI tools that automate keyword discovery, optimize content creation, and streamline SEO processes. In this blog, I am discussing on: 1. The role of AI in modern SEO and its impact on search engine algorithms. 2. How AI transforms keyword research by predicting trends and identifying user intent. 2. Essential AI tools to craft an AI-enhanced content strategy. 3. Overcoming challenges like over-optimization and maintaining brand voice with AI. Unlock the full potential of AI-driven strategies in SEO! The article talks about how to maximize your ROI by integrating cutting-edge AI tools into your digital marketing efforts. Read the full blog here for a deep dive into AI-driven SEO strategies: https://lnkd.in/g7b3QkGE

I spoke with Hanna Stechenko, PandaDoc’s former SEO manager and the current head of SEO at Pieces for Developers, to shed light on how companies can adapt to the ongoing shift in search behavior, with more people choosing generative AI tools over Google. Here’s what she shared: 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 “I recommend following industry leaders, what they say, experiments they make, and drawing your own conclusions. Content from the likes of Ahrefs and Graphite is a great starting point. LinkedIn posts are also a goldmine for insights. Rand Fishkin is one of my go-to sources for fresh updates on what’s happening in the industry.” 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲  “Too often, we end up creating content that is just self-promotion, but customers discovering us organically need trust first. Why would they buy from us right away if they’ve never heard of us? TOFU and MOFU content should educate, solve problems and guide — not sell. Kind of obvious, right? But very few teams actually do it. Consistently delivering valuable content builds trust, authority and deeper engagement over time.” 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗔𝗜 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 “Tracking traffic from AI tools will provide valuable insights into how your content strategy aligns with evolving search patterns. Lead with data, not assumptions. Checking page referrers in Looker Studio is a good place to start. There’s also a free dashboard where you can track your performance in LLMs and AI, check the comments for the link (thanks for sharing, Aubrey Yung).” 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱’𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 “Build your reputation online, focus on socials and explore other channels. We’ve seen numerous examples of lists like "Best SEO Tools" or "Top Tools for Developers" featuring companies with strong brand awareness — names everyone recognizes.” 𝗖𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 “𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆” 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 “Create a dedicated section (like a glossary or an "Ask an Expert" page) to address common ‘what-is’ search queries. This not only drives traffic but also helps build internal linking, which can funnel users deeper into your content.” What did we miss? 🔔 If you found this content helpful, follow Hanna and me for more updates.

🌟 Missed BrightonSEO? Catch up on Google Trends, AI Impact, and SEO Must-Knows🌟 This time last week, I was lucky enough to attend some great #brightonseo sessions. So, I put together a bit of summary blog of my favourite bits, along with some quotes, pics, and a very wonky video of John Mueller. 🔍 Some Highlights: AI Integration: Google's AI is increasingly woven into search, merging traditional results with AI-generated content.  Zero-click Searches: As the world shifts towards a zero-click environment, SEOs need to rethink visibility metrics and adapt strategies to maintain relevance. Evergreen Content: Maintaining authority and relevance with evergreen content is more critical than ever. PPC & Performance Max: Google's Performance Max is evolving, offering new tools for transparency and control. Aligning PPC strategies with business goals is key to proving campaign value. 👉 Read the full blog here: https://lnkd.in/ea95Vbni #DigitalMarketing #SEO Many thanks to: Luca Tagliaferro, Ed Coles, Chris Meabe, Duncan Colman,Aaron Rudman-Hawkins, Sebastian Dziubek, Julien Deneuville, Imogen G., Emily Schaffer, Eoin Cahill