Had a great conversation with James Schramko recently about something that's been bothering me.
Everyone's rushing to optimize for AI while their basic SEO is falling apart.
It's like building a second floor when your foundation has cracks. Sure, you might get some quick wins, but the whole thing could collapse.
The Reality Nobody Wants to Hear
AI platforms pull their information from somewhere. And that somewhere is often the same content that ranks in search engines.
If Google can't understand what you offer, neither can ChatGPT or Claude.
Think about it: when Perplexity gives an answer about "best Shopify SEO tools," where do you think that information comes from? The same websites that rank for those terms in search.
Your SEO work feeds the AI machine. Abandon it, and you're invisible in both places.
What We're Seeing at SEOLeverage
Our clients who've been investing in SEO are automatically getting better visibility in ChatGPT responses. No extra work needed.
Meanwhile, businesses that jumped ship to focus only on AI optimization? They're scrambling to rebuild what they lost.
The smart money isn't choosing between SEO and AI. It's doing both, with SEO as the foundation.
Zero-Click Searches Aren't The Enemy
James brought up an interesting point about zero-click searches. More people get their answers directly in search results or AI responses without clicking through.
That sounds bad for traffic, right?
Not necessarily.
Every time your brand appears in those results – even without a click – you're building recognition. A user might not click today, but when they're ready to buy, they remember seeing your name five times in their research.
That's why structured content matters more than ever. Clear headlines, proper schema markup, and context-rich articles increase your chances of being featured, whether someone clicks or not.
The Platform Game Has Changed
Reddit threads now show up in AI responses. Forum discussions influence what ChatGPT recommends. Listicles that mention your product get referenced by Perplexity.
If you're not in these conversations, you don't exist for AI systems.
We're telling our clients to get their brand mentioned everywhere relevant. Not spammy link building – actual participation in discussions where their expertise adds value.
The 80/20 Rule Still Applies
Every two weeks at SEOLeverage, we identify the 20% of activities that will drive 80% of results for our clients.
Right now, that 20% includes:
- Fixing technical SEO issues that block crawling
- Creating content that answers specific questions clearly
- Getting mentioned in industry discussions and lists
- Building brand signals across platforms
The businesses that win aren't trying to do everything. They're doing the right things consistently.
My Take After Working in Both Worlds
I've been deep in AI optimization for months. Testing, measuring, adjusting. (My daughters think I talk to ChatGPT more than to them – they might be right.)
Here's what I know: AI visibility without SEO foundation is a house of cards.
But SEO without considering AI is leaving money on the table.
You need both. Period.
What Should You Do Right Now?
Start with an audit. Where does your SEO actually stand? Are your title tags clear? Does your content structure make sense? Can search engines understand what you offer?
Fix those basics first.
Then layer in AI optimization. Make sure your content provides the context AI systems need. Structure your information so it's easy to extract and reference.
Don't abandon what works to chase what's new. Build on your foundation instead.
The companies succeeding right now aren't the ones making dramatic pivots. They're the ones steadily improving both their SEO and AI presence, treating them as complementary rather than competing strategies.
Want to hear the full conversation? James and I go deeper into specific tactics and real examples from our client work. [Link]
Need help figuring out your SEO-to-AI strategy? That's exactly what we do at SEOLeverage.com. We'll show you the 20% that actually moves the needle.