Category: SEO

For years, businesses played the game of SEO (Search Engine Optimization). They worked hard to make their “book” have the brightest cover and the biggest title so that when you walked down the aisle, you would pick their book first.

Now, there is a Librarian (AI) standing at the front desk. Instead of walking through the aisles, people just shout a question at the Librarian: “How do I stop a fiberglass tank from leaking?”

If your business isn’t the one the Librarian quotes, you’ve become invisible. This is where AEO comes in.

For most of our manufacturing and home services partners, the strategy for local growth has followed a proven playbook: build high-performance local landing pages with hyper-local introductions, tailored H1s, and clear geo-relevance signals.

That foundation was essential — and it worked. But as of the February 5th Google Core Update, the standard has moved.

It’s official: Apple has selected Google Gemini to power the revamped, AI-driven Siri. While this partnership was teased back in June 2024, the full integration is expected to launch this spring.

As analyst Dan Ives noted, this is the moment the market has been waiting for. It’s a major validation for Google as a foundation model and a massive stepping stone for Apple’s 2026 AI strategy.

But what does this actually mean for your business?

If you’ve been watching your website analytics lately and wondering why your click-through rates are dropping despite maintaining good search rankings, you’re not alone. The digital landscape has undergone a seismic shift, and artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing how people discover and consume information online.

I was incredibly fortunate to attend Spotlight’s conference this year. The one-day event was a jam-packed accelerator, and the room was absolutely buzzing with energy. We had speakers from OpenAI, Indeed, OnBrand, and many more lending their expertise as we dove deep into search and digital marketing. There were some key takeaways I knew I needed to record, not just for myself, but to share with our clients at Holland Adhaus and anyone navigating the complexities of modern SEO and content strategy.

Keyword-stuffing and link-farming are so 2010. When it comes to search engine optimization, the core goal remains the same: getting found by your target audience. However, the methods, technologies, and user behaviors driving SEO success have undergone a revolutionary transformation.