IN-HOUSE SEO MANAGERS: AI Is Changing the Definition of SEO. Is your team evolving for it?
It’s still the same three pillars:
Tech. Content. Citations.
But AI is forcing each pillar to evolve.
✅ Tech SEO now means AI CRAWLER readiness
[1] Most teams still optimize for Google and maybe Bing — both of which handle JavaScript well.
[2] But many AI crawlers aren’t that sophisticated. If you have complicated components with JavaScript capabilities, you should audit them for AI readiness.
[3] Bot-friendliness today requires a level of simplicity most SEO teams haven’t prioritized in years — because they haven’t had to.
NEXT STEP: CONDUCT AN AI READINESS TECH AUDIT.
✅ Content SEO is shifting toward AI SYNTHESIS
[1] It’s no longer about keywords.
[2] Focus on entities and specificity.
[3] AI needs to understand:
- What you sell
- Who it's for
- Why it's a fit for their needs
- Unique details like specs that may be hidden in JS product tour widgets
However,
most SEO teams are still focused on keywords.
Entity coverage hasn't even started.
Creative briefs are missing what AI needs.
NEXT STEP: CONDUCT ENTITY RESEARCH ACROSS ALL YOUR KEYWORD TOPICS AND IDENTIFY CONTENT GAPS.
✅ Citations are no longer just backlinks
[1] AI pulls from sources it trusts — including third-party sites that validate your credibility.
[2] If authoritative sources aren’t naming you, AI has no reason to either.
[3] If authoritative sources are not providing detailed information about your offering, AI lacks reliable signals about your product.
NEXT STEP: AUDIT WHAT AI IS SAYING VS. NOT SAYING ABOUT YOUR BRAND AND PRODUCTS.
🧨 WHAT'S GOING ON WITH MOST IN-HOUSE TEAMS:
Most in-house teams are heads-down, trying to preserve Google traffic.
Proactive work like this? It becomes a side project, a hobby.
That’s where I come in.
Our **AI READINESS PROGRAM** pinpoints where your site structure, content, and cross-functional workflows fall short, without losing focus on current SEO revenue.