Ep 247: AI Is Replacing SEO: Here’s What Small Businesses Must Do

AI Is Replacing SEO: Here’s What Small Businesses Must Do

The Digital Slice Podcast is brought to you by The Friedman Group, LLC

Your customers are changing how they search, and getting clicks may no longer be the best measure of whether your business is being found.

Join Brad Friedman and Karl-Gustav Kallasmaa as they explore how AI is reshaping search engine optimization, what makes a website useful to AI agents, and which practical tactics can help your small business earn visibility and revenue in the new search landscape.

Karl-Gustav Kallasmaa is a builder at the intersection of search, AI, and diplomacy. He takes an engineering-focused approach to helping businesses understand and improve how their brands appear in AI-generated search answers.

Through Attensira, Karl-Gustav helps companies track their visibility in AI search, identify improvements for landing pages, and create content designed to rank for the questions their customers and AI agents are asking.

In this Episode:

Karl-Gustav explains why people increasingly expect AI systems to research and summarize information for them.
Karl-Gustav outlines three fundamentals businesses must understand to appear in AI-generated search results.
Karl-Gustav shares why traditional Google visibility still matters to AI search.
Karl-Gustav discusses how deeper, high-quality content can answer the specific questions AI agents investigate.
Karl-Gustav explains why technical SEO fundamentals such as HTTPS, speed, and working links remain essential.
Karl-Gustav challenges business owners to measure revenue and conversions rather than obsessing over declining clicks.

Quotes from this Episode:

[00:01:01] “They now expect the system to do it for them, and because of that you're no longer optimizing for humans, like, directly.” – Karl-Gustav Kallasmaa
[00:03:21] “So fundamentally, you as a business owner, you have to, like, know three things.” – Karl-Gustav Kallasmaa
[00:05:27] “So yes, at first, like, make sure that agent can find you and truly understand your website, and then make sure that you can be found.” – Karl-Gustav Kallasmaa
[00:06:00] “But like just refreshing Search Console, like that shouldn't be your whole day.” – Karl-Gustav Kallasmaa
[00:07:28] “Don't write low-quality stuff, go deeper on a topic.” – Karl-Gustav Kallasmaa
[00:17:20] “Google somehow is able to, discover these, link farms, and then they will start penalizing you.” – Karl-Gustav Kallasmaa

Today's Guest:

Karl-Gustav Kallasmaa:

Website: https://kallasmaa.com/
Company: Attensira
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kallasmaa/
GitHub: https://github.com/KGKallasmaa
X: https://x.com/kallasmaa

Connect with Brad

Brad Friedman

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You can also call the office at 720.248.8185 or email brad@friedmansocialmedia.com.

Books

“Brad Friedman on Digital Marketing,” by Brad Friedman
“The Small Business Owner's Guide To Inbound Marketing,” by Brad Friedman
“100 Livestreaming & Digital Media Predictions,” by Ross Brand with a chapter by Brad Friedman

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