Blue Links Are Dead...Now What?

The discussion centers on the shift from traditional SEO to Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and the importance of context in AI search. Josh Blyskal, head of AI strategy and research at Profound, emphasizes that "context is king" and marketers must provide answer engines with digestible information. The discussion highlights the increasing importance of UGC from sources like Reddit and factual data from Wikipedia in shaping AI responses. Blyskal introduces the concept of "query fanout," where LLMs simplify complex prompts into shorter, authoritative queries, which should guide content strategy. He also notes that 47% of AI conversations now feature unprompted product recommendations, underscoring the shift of search from a means to an end.