For years, technical SEO has powered search performance from behind the scenes. Most business leaders only noticed it when something broke. But now, as AI search becomes mainstream, those same technical foundations are becoming important in a new way.

So, what does that mean for marketers? Is AI creating an entirely new set of technical requirements — or simply rewarding the brands that have been getting the fundamentals right all along?

In this episode of The Visibility Brief, Rebecca Colwell (SVP of Marketing, Yext) sits down with Mark Stroud (Global SEO Lead, Specsavers) to explore why one of the most overlooked disciplines in marketing is suddenly getting some overdue attention.

Drawing on more than 20 years of SEO experience and leading global search strategy across 2,000 Specsavers locations, Mark explains why technical SEO is having "a moment," how AI is changing the conversation around visibility and conversion, and why it’s time for marketers to double down on the basics.

This episode breaks down:

How AI is improving SEO workflows behind the scenes
Which technical signals matter most right now
Why SEO fundamentals are still the foundation for search and AI engines
The biggest misconceptions about AI optimization
Which SEO metrics marketers should (and shouldn't) measure

If you're a marketer trying to make sense of AI's impact on search, this episode offers a practical perspective on what's actually changing, what's staying the same, and where marketers should focus their attention next.