Product-Led SEO in the AI Era with Eli Schwartz
Why building searchable product surfaces beats publishing commodity blog content in the AI era.
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Is traditional SEO dead, what should an early-stage startup actually do?
No, but it has mutated: Google still drives far more volume than all AI assistants combined, while AI answers eat top-of-funnel clicks (up to a 58% CTR drop when an AI Overview appears). Google itself says there is no separate AI index, so helpful, well-structured, crawlable content is the same ticket for rankings and for AI citations. An early-stage startup should run lean, bottom-of-funnel SEO and layer AEO on top, rather than picking one and abandoning the other.
Go deeper
21 resources.
SEO's New Playbook: Survive the AI Shift with Product-Led Growth (webinar replay)
A working-session version of the product-led answer to AI disruption, with Q&A.
Open searchpilot.com →Rethinking SEO in the age of AI, with Eli Schwartz
The Product-Led SEO author explains which parts of SEO still compound for startups and which are now a waste.
Open lennysnewsletter.com →Top SEO myths debunked with real data, with Ethan Smith
Kills the zombie SEO advice that wastes early-stage time, with receipts.
Listen on Spotify open.spotify.com →The Future of Search Is Product-Led with Eli Schwartz
Longer-form discussion of building for mid-funnel search where AI has not eaten demand.
Open marketingspeak.com →Top ways to ensure your content performs well in Google's AI experiences
Google's own words: no special AI requirements, the same quality systems power AI Overviews.
Open developers.google.com →Google's Guide to Optimizing for Generative AI Features on Google Search
The primary-source reference to check every AEO vendor claim against.
Open developers.google.com →Update: AI Overviews Reduce Clicks by 58%
The updated 300k-keyword study quantifying exactly how much informational SEO traffic has evaporated.
Open ahrefs.com →Zero Clicks Does Not Mean Zero Sales
Reframes the panic: influence without clicks still sells, if you market where audiences already are.
Open sparktoro.com →State of AI Search Optimization 2026
The most rigorous independent researcher's annual read on what works now across SEO and AI search.
Open growth-memo.com →Is AI search overhyped?
A contrarian, numbers-first check on AI search hype before you reallocate your whole budget.
Open productledseo.com →SEO Is Dead: 3 Strategies To Win In The Age Of AI Search
A CEO-level summary of the strategic shift, useful for aligning co-founders and investors.
Open forbes.com →Marketers Are Losing Their Minds: 7 Ways Companies Are Optimizing for AI Search
Reported piece on what real companies changed, not what agencies wish you would buy.
Open inc.com →How AI is reshaping SEO: challenges, opportunities, and brand strategies
A balanced trade-press map of what changed in distribution, measurement, and playbooks.
Open searchengineland.com →The Future of Search: LLMs, AI Search & Optimization Strategies
Graphite's data-driven forecast of how search fragments, and where startup effort pays off.
Open graphite.io →How to do SEO right in 2025 (hint: it's not dead)
A GTM investor's synthesis of where mid-funnel search remains a goldmine for startups.
Open thegtmnewsletter.substack.com →State of Search Q3 preview: Google CTRs and zero-click data
The freshest behavioral numbers on what still earns clicks, in two minutes of reading.
Open linkedin.com →Google AI Overviews decrease CTRs by 34.5%, per new study
Independent confirmation of the CTR collapse, useful when you need a second source.
Open emarketer.com →Learn How to Optimize for AI Search Platforms (GEO, AEO, LLMO)
A free, structured roadmap that slots AI search work into a sane overall SEO plan.
Open learningseo.io →SEO Is Dead (For Startups)
A blunt founder take on why 6-12 month keyword bets are wrong for pre-PMF companies.
Open blog.mean.ceo →How Bangalore founders outshone others in SEO and GEO
A view from the Indian startup ecosystem on blending SEO and GEO early.
Open linkedin.com →Terms in this answer
More in Getting Found in AI Search (AEO/GEO)
- Why does it now matter how ChatGPT and Perplexity describe my startup? 17 →
- How do founders get their product recommended by AI assistants? 18 →
- How do I find out what ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini currently say about my startup, and track it over time? 21 →
- How do AI assistants actually choose which sources to cite in an answer? 20 →
- Do Reddit, review sites, and press mentions matter more than my own website for AI visibility? 16 →
- Should I publish comparison pages and 'best X' listicles to win AI recommendations? 18 →
- What technical setup does my site need so AI crawlers can find, read, and cite it? 20 →
- Google now answers with AI Overviews and AI Mode. Does my Google strategy change? 17 →
- How do I measure traffic, signups, and revenue coming from AI search? 17 →
- I sell products online. How do I get into ChatGPT Shopping, Perplexity, and agent-driven commerce? 19 →
- ChatGPT says something wrong or outdated about my startup. How do I fix it? 17 →
Also in Starting Up
The same ground, over in Brand, web & content, our Starting Up track.
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