Voices of Search Podcast

Episode: Mastering AI Search with Topical Authority and Links

Date: September 15, 2025
Host: Tyson Stockton
Guest: Daniel Hurwitz, SEO Lead at Informatica

Overview

This episode dives into advanced strategies for mastering SEO in the age of AI-driven search. Host Tyson Stockton and guest Daniel Hurwitz explore the challenges and opportunities of building topical authority and implementing effective linking at the enterprise level. They examine how the proliferation of AI tools, evolving user behavior, and the fragmentation of search channels are reshaping the way SEO professionals approach content, measurement, and organizational collaboration.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Enterprise SEO Challenges in the AI Era

• Cross-functional collaboration is critical:
  Daniel emphasizes that at the enterprise level, SEO results hinge on building strong relationships across development, product, and other teams.
  • "You're only as good as the people you know working with development teams, product teams, everyone across the board." (01:59 - Daniel)
• Overcoming operational inertia:
  Much of the complexity is less about what needs to be done and more about getting buy-in and implementing strategies across the organization.
  • "How do you build support, buy-in? How do you get those supporting functions to be executing on your vision?" (02:40 - Tyson)
• SEO roles are evolving:
  Simply optimizing meta descriptions or title tags is no longer sufficient in the AI era.
  • "Fixing your meta descriptions and title tags is not enough anymore." (03:19 - Daniel)

2. Redefining Topical Authority in a Fragmented Search Landscape

• Content spans multiple platforms:
  Topical authority now goes beyond owning search results on the brand's website; it extends to platforms like YouTube, Reddit, and others where people discover and evaluate brands.
  • "It's not going to just be your website anymore... Search is just so fragmented now." (04:10 - Daniel)
• New off-site priorities:
  Companies must strategically optimize presence on channels most relevant to their audience (e.g., YouTube for B2B).
  • "YouTube is big for us because we're an enterprise data management company." (07:10 - Daniel)
  • Monitoring sentiment in channels like Reddit is an emerging tactic.

3. Establishing and Measuring Topical Authority

• Audit existing content:
  Start with Google Search Console to analyze both click and impression data, identifying less obvious opportunities.
  • "Maybe I don't have a ton of...clicks on this topic but like am I getting impressions?" (05:31 - Daniel)
• Pair data insights with SME expertise:
  Combining first-party data with subject-matter expertise drives better decisions for new content and optimization efforts.

4. Maximizing What’s Already in Motion (Enterprise Tactics)

• Leverage ongoing organizational activities:
  Repurposing CEO media appearances or existing PR initiatives can provide "low-hanging fruit."
  • "You have these other activities that may be already going on and then you have that piece of like, okay, how do I maximize these things that are already in motion?" (08:15 - Tyson)
• Cross-functional awareness enables SEO:
  Daniel underscores that being the only SEO in a large organization requires proactive relationship building to seize these opportunities.
  • "If I don't advocate for myself and my goals and make the relationships to make that happen, then nothing gets done." (09:23 - Daniel)

5. AI’s Impact on Search Behavior and Measurement

• Impressions vs. clicks:
  AI Overviews and personalized search results mean more impressions but fewer clicks to websites.
  • "Clicks are down and impressions are up. So what does that really mean?" (12:03 - Daniel)
  • "Even if you’re number one in AI overview, clicks are down year over year..." (14:54 - Daniel)
• Moving beyond keyword-based KPIs:
  Visibility and branded search volumes are becoming important proxies as direct attribution gets harder.
• Parallel to traditional marketing:
  SEO is reverting to some broader visibility tactics akin to TV or billboard impressions.

6. Strategy Shift: Building For The Middle and Bottom of Funnel

• Fewer opportunities at the top of funnel:
  AI tools satisfy many general queries, so content should target more specific, intent-driven questions.
  • "We're there to influence the purchase decision...not just to, you know, educate on the super high level." (14:54 - Daniel)
• The "Subaru" Effect:
  Developing content that aligns with future purchase triggers and buyer journeys can influence decision-making long before a branded search.

7. Opportunities for Niche and Smaller Brands

• Guerrilla marketing in AI-driven SERPs:
  The current transition phase provides new, more level playing fields for brands that can capitalize on specific, conversational, or "for you" queries.
  • "It's probably the biggest opportunity for especially smaller brands since TikTok..." (20:48 - Daniel)
• Diversity in results:
  Personalized and conversational search inputs foster greater result variation, opening doors for lesser-known brands.

8. How AI is Actually Used in Content Workflows

• Human-first, AI-assisted content:
  For highly technical audiences, Informatica still relies on expert-driven content, using AI primarily for analysis and pattern recognition.
  • "We still do human created content...But we've definitely explored using AI." (23:24 - Daniel)
• AI for topical mapping and gap identification:
  AI helps sift through Search Console data to find content gaps and untapped opportunities more efficiently than manual review.
  • "Where AI excels the most is pattern recognition." (25:11 - Daniel)

9. Advice for New SEO Professionals Adopting AI

• Start small with internal linking:
  Use AI tools like Claude to identify and create internal linking opportunities—a manageable entry point with significant SEO value.
  • "If I just was to do one thing with AI to get started, that's probably what I would do." (29:15 - Daniel)
• Build simple workflows:
  Learn to automate data gathering and pattern recognition tasks before jumping into fully automated content creation.

Notable Quotes

• "At the enterprise level, SEO is all about cross functional relationships. You're only as good as the people you know..."
  — Daniel Hurwitz (01:59)

• "Fixing your meta descriptions and title tags is not enough anymore."
  — Daniel Hurwitz (03:19)

• "It's not going to just be your website anymore... Search is just so fragmented now and there's so many different places that people can get that information. So it's like, how do you show up everywhere? That's the real challenge today."
  — Daniel Hurwitz (04:10)

• "Clicks are down and impressions are up. So what does that really mean?"
  — Daniel Hurwitz (12:03)

• "We're there to influence the purchase decision...it's like every website is almost like a publication or an encyclopedia..."
  — Daniel Hurwitz (14:54)

• "Impressions are up, clicks are down—sometimes there's nothing else you could do from an SEO perspective."
  — Daniel Hurwitz (14:54)

• "To me, that [AI for pattern recognition] feels like a really comfortable starting point rather than being like I'm going to automate my entire content production..."
  — Tyson Stockton (26:33)

• "Internal linking is one of those things where I think it often gets overlooked because it's kind of tedious...it's not just for humans, but for search engines, AI crawlers as well."
  — Daniel Hurwitz (28:03)

Key Segment Timestamps

• Enterprise SEO and Cross-Functional Challenges: 01:20 – 03:41
• Redefining Topical Authority & Content Channels: 04:10 – 05:31
• Off-Site SEO and Channel Prioritization: 06:34 – 09:23
• Impact of AI Search and Evolving Measurement: 09:45 – 14:54
• Marketing Parallels & Brand Building: 15:00 – 20:48
• Opportunities for Small Brands & Diversity in Results: 20:48 – 22:30
• AI in Content Workflows & Best Practices: 23:24 – 26:54
• Advice for New SEOs Adopting AI: 27:38 – 29:15

Episode Takeaways

• Enterprise SEO now hinges on relationship-building, orchestration, and leveraging existing organizational activity.
• Topical authority has moved beyond website content—social, video, forums, and digital PR are all in play.
• AI’s impact on search means SEOs must shift focus from chasing keywords and clicks to maximizing impressions, brand demand, and mid-funnel influence.
• AI’s real power is in large-scale data analysis and identifying patterns—use it to find content gaps and internal linking opportunities rather than replacing human insight.
• New entrants and niche brands should see the current AI-induced search landscape as a window for guerrilla-style innovation and visibility.

This episode provides a comprehensive look at how SEO strategists can thrive by embracing both technological tools and organizational awareness, fundamentally revising the way topical authority and enterprise search success are built and maintained in an AI-driven world.