Podcast Summary:

Voices of Search // A Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & Content Marketing Podcast
Episode: Strategy for Managing Stakeholders with the Shifts in the Search Industry
Date: October 18, 2025
Host: Tyson Stockton
Guest(s): AJ Girgic (Bodify), Sam

Main Theme & Episode Purpose

This episode dives into strategic approaches for managing internal stakeholders as the search industry rapidly changes, especially with the rise of AI and large language models (LLMs). The conversation offers actionable advice for SEO leaders working in large organizations, focusing on how to position SEO and content teams as proactive, adaptive, and indispensable amid technological disruption.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Navigating Technological Shifts: The Role of "Grounding" in SEO

• AJ Girgic explains the concept of "grounding" with LLMs:
  • LLMs are effective only when provided with proper context, or "grounding."
  • Many e-commerce and traditional search queries require grounding to accurately serve user intent.
• Strategic Implication for Retail Brands:
  • Estimate what percentage of your queries need grounding (most will).
  • Focus on ensuring your content is the context LLMs use—i.e., prioritize indexing and ranking in traditional search, as this data powers AI-driven results.

"There's a concept with LLMs called grounding, and if you're not familiar with it, it's fancy way of saying that LLMs kind of suck if they don't have a lot of context and they need grounding or context to make good decisions." – AJ Girgic, (01:01)

2. The Changing Nature of Search: AI as the "Customer"

• Next Generation of Search:
  • AI/agents act on behalf of users, performing "query fan out" (anticipating and searching multiple intent-based queries).
  • The critical moment becomes when the agent retrieves information—brands need to be indexed and ranked to be seen.
• Practical SEO Focus:
  • Don't get distracted chasing rankings for their own sake; instead, optimize for crawlability, rendering, and indexing—these remain foundational, even as user interfaces change.

"AI is your customer. AI is going to do the querying for her. AI is going to pull the Google result. AI is going to do the summarization and then pass back to her recommendations. So you win or lose at that moment of was I visible? Was I indexed? Did I rank?" – AJ Girgic, (02:47)

3. Managing Stakeholder Expectations Amid Change

• Be Proactive and Transparent:
  • Educate internal stakeholders about the nature of these shifts and the team's approach.
  • Reassure leadership that the fundamentals remain unchanged, despite new technologies and buzzwords.
  • Emphasize "the game's still the same" to build confidence and avoid a panic mindset.

"There’s an awareness and an understanding. You have elements of education, you have elements of also just establishing that reassurance that, one, you and your team's ahead of this, and two, the game's still the same... it's not a sense of, hey, let's panic." – Sam, (04:16)

4. Recommendations for SEO Leaders

• Focus on queries that require grounding/context—these are likely the most valuable and susceptible to AI-driven changes.
• Ensure technical SEO basics remain robust (crawling, rendering, indexing).
• Align SEO strategy with evolving search paradigms but stay rooted in repeatable fundamentals for consistent performance.
• Foster open communication and education with internal stakeholders to maintain trust during periods of change.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On LLMs and context:
  "LLMs kind of suck if they don't have a lot of context and they need grounding or context to make good decisions." – AJ Girgic, (01:04)
• On AI search dynamics:
  "The critical moment becomes when the agent retrieves information—brands need to be indexed and ranked to be seen." – AJ Girgic, (02:47)
• On leadership and expectation-setting:
  "You have elements of education, you have elements of also just establishing that reassurance that...the game's still the same." – Sam, (04:16)

Timeline of Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:43 | Introduction to scenario: managing stakeholders as SEO Director | | 01:01 | AJ explains "grounding" in LLMs and its SEO implications | | 02:47 | How AI/agents alter search, and why indexing still matters | | 04:16 | Discussion on proactive stakeholder management and communication |

Conclusion

This episode underscores the critical need for SEO leaders to double down on foundational practices (crawling, indexing, ranking), especially as AI-driven search becomes more prevalent. By understanding where context is essential, focusing on being visible to both search engines and AI agents, and maintaining open, confidence-building communication with stakeholders, organizations can weather ongoing industry disruption without losing their competitive edge.