SEO tactic people think involves AI but it really doesn’t

Summary

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Podcast Summary: "SEO tactic people think involves AI but it really doesn’t"

Voices of Search // A Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & Content Marketing Podcast
Host: Jordan Cooney
Guest: Jon Vantine, Director of SEO at GoodRx
Date: January 29, 2026

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Overview

In this episode, host Jordan Cooney speaks with Jon Vantine, Director of SEO at GoodRx, about commonly misunderstood SEO strategies, particularly the role of AI in internal linking. Jon shares insights from his extensive experience leading SEO and generative search initiatives, highlighting why some effective tactics are not as high-tech as many think, and emphasizing the importance of foundational SEO practices in an AI-dominated landscape.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Misconception: AI as a Silver Bullet for SEO

• Jon’s Perspective: A widely misunderstood tactic is the belief that internal linking is primarily an AI-driven activity—and that AI is required to optimize this area.
  • Jon points out that, unlike some advanced SEO topics, the fundamentals of internal linking remain rooted in traditional, user-first web practices, not sophisticated AI.
• Search Bots are Still Basic (01:23–01:32)
  • Jon emphasizes, “These crawlers are very basic and not as sophisticated as even googlebot.”
    (Jon Vantine, 01:23)
  • This highlights that many new and emerging search engines, including those powered by generative AI, have limitations compared to Google’s established crawling systems.

The Enduring Importance of Internal Linking

• Doubling Down on Internal Linking (03:00–03:37)
  • Jon advises focusing on simplifying the pathways from the homepage to critical pages. The goal is to ensure that the most important website content is readily discoverable both for users and basic crawlers.
• Tactical Recommendations:
  • Introducing expanded, dynamically generated link modules.
  • Utilizing accordion-style FAQs with embedded links to guide both users and crawlers.
  • Reiterates the principle: if a user wouldn’t find a link useful, neither will a search engine.
  • Quote:
    • “We might need to double down on internal linking and just making it very, very simple for them to go from the homepage to all the most important pages on the site. [...] It needs to be useful to the user in order to resonate at all with a search engine.”
      (Jon Vantine, 03:00–03:37)

Back to Basics: User-First SEO in the Generative Search Era

• Notable Philosophy:
  • “Some of this generative search stuff necessitates a back to basics approach.”
    (Jon Vantine, 03:25)
  • Despite the buzz around AI, success often revolves around foundational SEO principles—making it easy for both humans and crawlers to discover content.

Utility Over Gimmicks

• Jon cautions against adding internal links or modules that users would never actually use or click on, as these hold little to no value in the eyes of modern search engines or users.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Crawlers and AI:
  • “These crawlers are very basic and not as sophisticated as even googlebot.”
    (Jon Vantine, 01:23)
• On Internal Linking Strategy:
  • “We might need to double down on internal linking and just making it very, very simple for them to go from the homepage to all the most important pages on the site.”
    (Jon Vantine, 03:00)
• On User Experience:
  • “It needs to be useful to the user in order to resonate at all with a search engine.”
    (Jon Vantine, 03:34)

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Important Segments with Timestamps

• Core discussion on crawler limitations and AI misconception: 01:23–01:32
• Actionable ideas for internal linking and practical advice: 03:00–03:37

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Conclusion

This episode dispels the myth that internal linking optimization relies on AI and reaffirms the power of user-centric, foundational SEO. Jon Vantine encourages listeners to focus on making websites discoverable and navigable in simple, practical ways—not just for users, but across all types of crawlers, old and new.

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For more on this topic or to reach out to Jon Vantine, visit:

• Jon Vantine’s LinkedIn (as mentioned in show notes)
• GoodRx website

“The answers are always in the data.”

Transcript

[A]

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, Jordan Cooney.

[B]

I'm Jordan Cooney and joining me today is Jon Vantine, Director of SEO at GoodRx. Jon has spent over 7 years building a world class cross functional generative Search Task force and editorial frameworks that that has powered discovery throughout Google, ChatGPT and beyond. Today, John shares the system signals and stories from technical migrations to content refreshes that are reshaping how he thinks about AI. All right, let's jump into our second question here. What's one tactic you've used that might evolve as AI unfolds this year?

[C]

Again, back to the point around these crawlers being very basic and not being as sophisticated as even googlebot.

[D]

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[C]

I think we might need to double down on internal linking and just making it very, very simple for them to go from the homepage to all the most important pages on the site. And so then what might look like expanded, like dynamic link modules. It might look like accordion style, like FAQs with more links in them, things like that. Nothing that a user would never use or click on. Like I think it needs to be, it needs to be useful to the user in order to resonate at all with a search engine. But again, I think some of this generative search stuff necessitates a back to basics approach and making it very easy for these sites, for these crawlers to make it through your site and find all your stuff.

[B]

Love it. And that wraps up this episode of the Voices of Search podcast. A huge thank you to John Vantine, director of SEO at GoodRx, for joining us. If you'd like to contact John, you can find a link to his LinkedIn profile in our show notes or or on the voicesofsearch.com you can also visit his company website goodrx.com if you haven't subscribed yet and would like a daily stream of SEO content marketing knowledge in your podcast feed, hit the subscribe button in your podcast app or on YouTube and we'll be back in your feed each week. Okay, that's all for today, but until next time, remember the answers are always in the data.

[E]

Sam.