How to maintain brand visibility when users can't see search results - Voices of Search // A Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & Content Marketing Podcast

Summary4 min read

Voices of Search Podcast Summary

Episode Title: How to Maintain Brand Visibility When Users Can't See Search Results
Release Date: July 5, 2025
Host: Tyson Stockton
Guest: Jason Lacks, SEO Director at SAP
Podcast Network: I Hear Everything

Introduction

In this insightful episode of the "Voices of Search" podcast, host Tyson Stockton engages in a thought-provoking discussion with Jason Lacks, the SEO Director at SAP. The conversation delves deep into the challenges and strategies associated with maintaining brand visibility in an evolving digital landscape where traditional search results are becoming less visible to users.

Key Topics Discussed

Expanding Beyond Traditional Search
Understanding Emerging Platforms
Brand Perception and Sentiment Analysis
The Role of AI and Tooling in SEO
Avoiding Analysis Paralysis

1. Expanding Beyond Traditional Search

Jason Lacks opens the discussion by emphasizing the importance of diversifying beyond standard search channels to maintain brand visibility.

Jason Lacks [01:02]: "There are some easy ones beyond search, there's shopping, there's the navigational intent through maps and so on. Those are still relevant, still important."

He highlights alternative platforms such as shopping interfaces and navigational tools like maps, which continue to play a crucial role in how users discover brands.

2. Understanding Emerging Platforms

The conversation shifts to the necessity of comprehending the mechanics of new and emerging platforms to strategically position a brand.

Unnamed Expert [01:10]: "Understanding the mechanics of the emerging platforms is really important. How the contrast between what shows up there versus what shows up in search. It's really insightful."

This contrast between different platforms underscores the need for brands to tailor their strategies accordingly, ensuring visibility across various user touchpoints.

3. Brand Perception and Sentiment Analysis

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on the importance of gauging brand perception and sentiment, especially when traditional search rankings no longer provide a complete picture.

Unnamed Expert [01:25]: "We couldn't do by observing search rankings was to actually get direct feedback on the perception of your brand and products. So we can do a lot more research based on different Personas, on brand perception and so on."

By conducting targeted research on different personas and buyer journeys, brands can gain deeper insights into how they are perceived, allowing for more informed content strategies.

4. The Role of AI and Tooling in SEO

The guests discuss the impact of artificial intelligence on SEO, particularly the challenges and opportunities it presents.

Unnamed Expert [02:00]: "I've already seen that, you know, what shows up in ChatGPT, for example, is different than what shows up in search."

This observation highlights the divergence between AI-generated content and traditional search results, prompting the need for new metrics and tools to measure AI's influence on brand visibility.

Unnamed Expert [02:30]: "The tooling. So you know, how to measure AI, different metrics, it's a bit daunting, it's a bit scary."

The complexity of measuring AI-driven metrics without standardized data from emerging platforms presents a significant challenge for SEO professionals.

5. Avoiding Analysis Paralysis

Jason Lacks addresses the common pitfall of "analysis paralysis," where excessive focus on data analysis hinders actionable decision-making.

Jason Lacks [03:00]: "There's a sweet spot of knowing just enough to give you that directional, like, validity and then shifting into action mode rather than just getting stuck in this loop."

He advocates for a balanced approach that prioritizes actionable insights over endless data scrutiny, ensuring that efforts are directed toward implementing effective strategies rather than merely tracking performance metrics.

Unnamed Expert [03:30]: "It's like, why are we observing the feedback and prompts? Because we want to do what? What are we trying to accomplish rather than getting stuck in that loop."

This emphasis on purpose-driven analysis ensures that SEO initiatives remain aligned with broader business objectives.

Additional Insights

The discussion also touches upon the inefficiencies of current web scraping methods and the potential evolution of connection protocols like JSON and JavaScript in the context of SEO.

Unnamed Expert [04:00]: "Scraping websites is really inefficient at one point do those connections evolve? There's a lot of talk about that too."

The rapid evolution of web technologies necessitates continuous adaptation and collaboration with IT teams to optimize SEO strategies effectively.

Conclusion

In wrapping up the episode, Tyson Stockton thanks Jason Lacks for his valuable contributions and provides listeners with information on how to connect with him via LinkedIn or SAP's website. The conversation underscores the dynamic nature of SEO and content marketing, emphasizing the need for adaptability, strategic diversification, and purposeful action in maintaining brand visibility in an increasingly complex digital ecosystem.

Tyson Stockton [04:41]: "Thanks again to Jason Lacks from SAP for joining us... If you haven't subscribed yet and you'd like a daily stream of SEO and content marketing insights, hit the subscribe button..."

Key Takeaways

Diversify Visibility Channels: Beyond traditional search, leverage shopping platforms and navigational tools to enhance brand presence.
Adapt to Emerging Platforms: Stay informed about new platforms and understand their unique mechanics to tailor SEO strategies effectively.
Focus on Brand Perception: Use persona-based research to gain insights into brand sentiment and inform content strategies.
Embrace AI Challenges: Develop new metrics and tools to measure AI's impact on search and visibility, despite the lack of standardized data.
Avoid Over-Analysis: Strike a balance between data analysis and actionable implementation to prevent stagnation and maintain strategic momentum.

This episode of "Voices of Search" offers a comprehensive exploration of the evolving challenges in maintaining brand visibility amidst decreasing traditional search visibility. Through expert insights and practical advice, listeners gain valuable strategies to navigate the complex landscape of modern SEO and content marketing.

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Transcript6 lines

[00:00]
Tyson Stockton
The Voices of Search Podcast is a proud member of the I Hear Everything Podcast network. Looking to launch or scale your podcast, I Hear Everything delivers podcast production, growth and monetization solutions that transform your words into profit. Ready to give your brand a voice? Then visit iheareverything.com welcome to the Voices of Search Podcast. A member of the I Hear Everything Podcast network, ready to expedite your company's organic growth efforts. Sit back, relax, and get ready for your daily dose of search engine optimization wisdom. Here's today's host of the Voices of Search podcast, Tyson Stockton.
[00:43]
Jason Lacks
Last one we got is game plan. So for this one, you're the SEO director at an enterprise organization. No far stretch. And what's your game plan for maintaining brand visibility when users can't see search results?
[01:03]
Unnamed Expert
There are some easy ones beyond search, there's shopping, there's the navigational intent through maps and so on. Those are still relevant, still important. And your visibility, discover and so on. But then understanding the mechanics of the emerging platforms is really important. How the contrast between what shows up there versus what shows up in search. It's really insightful. But one thing we couldn't do by observing search rankings was to actually get direct feedback on the perception of your brand and products. So we can do a lot more research based on different Personas, on brand perception and so on in different buyer journeys and learn from that to inform a content strategy in ways we couldn't do it before. Really identifying where perception is good, sentiment is poor, work against that, and so on. I've already seen that, you know, what shows up in ChatGPT, for example, is different than what shows up in search. And that's just something fascinating in its own right. So that's, that's the starting point. The other thing too is the, the tooling. So you know, how to measure AI, different metrics, it's, it's a bit daunting, it's a bit scary. I mean, it would be great if the emerging platform started advertising because then they would have to start providing some data. But that's not in the cards yet. So we'll see. We might get something from Google, but in the meantime, it's just, you know, take a step back and see, okay, how do we get into this, what do we have accessible and work towards that and you know, hedge, hedge against where things are going.
[02:41]
Jason Lacks
That's such a good call out. And it's been like top of mind for me. It's like you have all these shifts and to me it's like it really is pushing us to reevaluate how we're looking at KPI's performance, tracking all these things. And it's like, I've gotten into these debates of like, at which point do you have a diminishing return on the value of following this? Because it's on one hand you need to know where you stand or where your competitors stand. But then again, if you focus too much on that, how much are you taking away from that time and effort that goes into actual tactics, actual things that you're implementing? It's like to me, there's a sweet spot of knowing just enough to give you that directional, like, validity and then shifting into action mode rather than just getting in this kind of, I don't know, like time vacuum of. Just because you could spend an entire day just on performance. And at the end of the day it's like, yeah, you're going to know performance really well, but what are you doing with that? Or how much time do you have left to do something with that?
[03:55]
Unnamed Expert
The analysis paralysis. Yeah, it's like, why are we observing the feedback and prompts? Because we want to do what? What are we trying to accomplish rather than getting stuck in that loop? I think one other thing I forgot to mention was MCP model context protocol. I mean that's this whole websites again, it's scraping websites is really inefficient at one point do those connections evolve? And there's a lot of talk about that too. And it's. I mean, I'm lucky I sit next to an IT team where I am, which with a name like JSON, makes it a little bit difficult. Everybody's saying JSON all the time. JavaScript anyways. But in any case, there's the way things connect. It can be really interesting too, but we'll see how those evolve. So.
[04:42]
Jason Lacks
Excellent. Well, with that, that's going to wrap up this episode of the Voice of Search podcast. Thanks again to Jason Lacks from SAP for joining us. If you'd like to get in contact with Jason, you can find a link to his LinkedIn profile in the show Notes or go on over and check out his company's website@SAP.com if you haven't subscribed yet and you'd like a daily stream of SEO and content marketing insights, hit the subscribe button in your podcast or on YouTube and we'll be back in your feed in the following days. That's all for today. Thanks for checking out the Voice of Search and we look forward to seeing you in the next episode.