Podcast Summary

Podcast: SaaS Interviews with CEOs, Startups, Founders
Episode: These are the AI SEO Secrets that Clickup, Airbase, and Freshworks are Using to Win
Date: January 28, 2025
Host: Nathan Latka
Guest: Shyam, Founder of Triple Dart

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the intersection of AI and SEO in 2024, examining how fast-growing SaaS companies like Clickup, Airbase, and Freshworks are leading the charge with new strategies and tools. Shyam, founder of the B2B SaaS growth agency Triple Dart, shares his expertise and the actionable secrets that are defining SEO “2.0” – from navigating Google’s ever-changing algorithms to leveraging programmatic and AI-driven approaches for massive growth.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Shift in SEO Priorities (00:38–07:30)

• SEO in 2023 vs 2024

  • 2023 Focus: Content production was considered the hardest SEO task.
  • 2024 Challenge: The top difficulties have shifted to algorithm changes, link building, and technical SEO due to a spike in Google core updates.

• Impact of AI on SEO

  • 71% see AI as disruptive to SEO in 2024. Only 18% say it isn’t disruptive at all (03:20).
  • Search is moving from classic SERP to Google’s “Search Generative Experience” (SGE), where AI delivers synthesized answers directly.

• Immediate Priorities

  • Optimize websites for mobile-first indexing.
  • Prioritize long-tail, lower search volume “semantic keywords” over broad, high-volume keywords.
  • Leverage rich media (images, visuals) to enhance search presence.
  • “83% of respondents said it is positively impacted. There is no negative impact about this SEO...we can still be confident about whatever the changes that we are making that will impact us in a good way.” — Shyam (06:45)

2. AI SEO Priorities by Role (07:30–10:30)

• For Practitioners

  • Adapting to AI in SEO is a second-level priority.

• For Managers & Leaders

  • AI’s impact on SEO is their top concern.

• Strategic Takeaways

  • Bottom-funnel, high-converting pages remain strong.
  • Top-funnel “informational” pages are seeing declining impressions month over month.
  • “Your brand reputation is now more important than ever. Don’t spam your brand with multiple domains for sending emails...” — Shyam (09:45)

• Content Qualification: EEAT

  • Focus on Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust (EEAT).
  • Hire subject matter experts to produce pillar content for key categories (e.g., fintech, cybersecurity).

3. What is SEO 2.0? (10:30–15:00)

• AI & Automation Integration

  • Use AI for ideation, not direct content creation.
  • Experimentation tools guide real-time SEO adjustments.
  • Leverage linkable asset creation tools (e.g., Replit Copilot) for scalable, free resources.
  • Employ AI agents for website monitoring (“virtual SEO assistants”).
  • Integrate workflow automation with Zapier, MakeApp, and ChatGPT-4 to systematize SEO tasks.

• Outcomes

  • “With SEO 2.0 you can 10x your results with half of the investment and 2x more productive.” — Shyam (14:20)

4. Rare & Cutting-Edge SEO Tools (15:00–22:30)

• Compete.ly AI: Instant competitor battle cards (saves a day of manual analysis).
• SEO AI: Input product details, get tailored keyword lists for user personas.
• Seed Keywords: Expands initial keyword lists further.
• Keyword Insights AI: Clusters hundreds of keywords by funnel stage in minutes.
• Thru.com: Auto-generates detailed briefs for different personas and contexts.
• Junia: Automates large-scale internal linking; critical for sites with 1,000+ pages.
• Surfer SEO: Scores your content versus competitors, with actionable benchmarks.
  • “The goal for our content writers is to basically cross that 88 mark.” — Shyam (18:50)
• Detail.com: One-stop SEO Chrome extension with seven essential auditing tabs.
• SparkToro, Audience.com: Find precise demographic and technographic signals to target and locate key audiences.
• Auto SEO: AI agent for automated SEO management—faster and cheaper for early-stage companies (though Shyam advises against this as a primary long-term solution).

5. New SEO vs Old SEO (22:30–29:00)

• Content Categorization

  • Two keywords buckets:
    • Money Pages: 100–200 “conversion” keywords, each potentially driving 500–1,000 monthly searches.
    • Traffic Pages: Broader traffic-driving keywords for brand visibility.
  • “FAQs, guides, and interviews create more traffic, but landing pages and product pages create more conversions.” (23:30)

• Reverse Approach

  • Start with identifying persona pain points > develop topic ideas > conduct keyword research (instead of vice versa).
  • Use the “Jobs To Be Done” (JTBD) framework to map content to user intent, writing first for bottom-funnel conversion and working up.

6. Offsite SEO & Link Building in 2024 (29:00–34:30)

• Faster Rankings via 3rd-party Platforms

  • Rapid indexing is often easier on Medium, Reddit, Quora due to their high domain authority.

• Domain Authority vs Topical Authority

  • For Domain Authority: Invest in digital PR (e.g., get listed on Forbes, Entrepreneur).
  • For Topical Authority: Build free, useful tools (calculators, estimators) to attract natural backlinks.

• Tool-Driven Link Building Examples

  • ESOP Pool Size Calculator: Delivered 30 reputable backlinks in 2.5 months.
  • Social Media Free Tools (Client Example): 160 backlinks in under 3 months.

7. Programmatic SEO for B2B SaaS (34:30–end)

• Definition & Strategy

  • Programmatic SEO: Launching 100+ optimized pages rapidly using templates, databases, and keyword combinations.
  • Myths debunked:
    • Not spam if each page delivers specific, contextual value.
    • Doesn’t require AI, but AI boosts scalability.
    • Converts well when context and intent are tightly matched.

• Where it Works Best

  • Localization (state/city/zip-based pages)
  • Jobs To Be Done, industry/niche targeting, feature comparison pages

• Workflow:

  • Find keyword patterns > build a page template > set up a database > create AI prompts > publish.
  • Tools: Byword AI, WithdraDeem for non-devs wanting easy backend setup.

• Indexing Expectations

  • “Programmatic SEO: 1–3 months for indexing; 1–6 months for impressions; 1–9 months for rankings; 1–12 months for traffic and conversions.” (47:15)

• Case Studies

  • Multiplier (Payroll): Built “country encyclopedias” with work permit and employment pages—drove major SEO lift.
  • ByteDance – Lark (Project Mgmt): 500+ template pages for massive longtail coverage.
  • SentinelOne: 1,000+ “ransomware” pages, netting 10,000+ visits.
  • Freight Forwarding Client: 400 calculator pages, 5,000+ traffic.
  • Triple Dart Case: #1–2 SEO rankings for “B2B SaaS SEO agency” across US states by simply templating and varying location names.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “In 2024, technical SEO is becoming important, right? And also link building and algorithm changes.” — Shyam (02:30)
• “You shouldn’t use AI to create content—that will penalize or impact in a wrong way. Use AI to find ideas.” — Shyam (12:10)
• “Your brand’s reputation is now vital—don’t spam it with multiple domains. Focus on quality over hacks.” — Shyam (09:45)
• “With SEO 2.0, you can 10x your results with half of the investment.” — Shyam (14:20)
• “Programmatic SEO is not spam if you maintain context and intent on each page.” — Shyam (38:30)
• “Get domain authority with digital PR, get topical authority with free tools.” — Shyam (31:30)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:38 – Episode/guest introduction; landscape on AI + SEO
• 02:30 – 2023 vs 2024 SEO priorities
• 06:45 – Survey data: Marketers’ perception of AI’s impact on SEO
• 09:45 – Brand reputation and content qualification (EEAT)
• 12:10 – What is “SEO 2.0”? AI-assisted processes and tools
• 15:00 – Overview of under-the-radar AI SEO tools
• 18:50 – Surfer SEO grading process detailed
• 22:30 – “New SEO” vs legacy approach: classification and frameworks
• 29:00 – Offsite SEO and new backlink strategies for 2024
• 31:30 – Building authority via digital PR and free tool creation
• 34:30 – Programmatic SEO in B2B SaaS: process, myths, and best-fit cases
• 47:15 – How long it takes to see results from programmatic SEO
• Last 8 min – Case studies: Multiplier, ByteDance Lark, SentinelOne, Freight Forwarding Client, and Triple Dart’s own site

Takeaways for SaaS Founders & Marketers

• SEO is more technical and context-driven now: invest in long-tail strategies, expert-driven content, and cutting-edge tools.
• AI shines in ideation, clustering, automation—not pure content generation.
• Free, value-driven tools (calculators, templates) outperform classic content for winning backlinks and topical authority.
• Programmatic SEO can be a game-changer for scale, especially for mature SaaS brands with rich data and localization needs.

For more tactical details and tool recommendations, connect directly with Shyam or explore Triple Dart’s resources.