SEO On-Air: Search Everything Optimization

About This Episode

Aaron
You’ve been at this longer than I have. A couple of things have changed from time to time. Like, initially, what was it like? And how has that changed?

Gareth Cunningham
I dipped my toes in around 2004. The fundamentals are still there, but the hoops you have to jump through have completely changed. Back then, SEO was very easy. A thousand social bookmarks could get anyone ranking for pretty much anything they wanted.
We’d regularly outrank big brands—Amazon, eBay, the BBC, even national health institutions and banks. It was wild.

Gareth Cunningham
Then came the core algorithm updates. Penguin went after link spam, penalizing both future actions and past ones—Google was cleaning house in a big way. Panda targeted content quality. From those two updates onward, the landscape of search changed forever. It became much harder.
The upside was the search community itself. It’s tight, smart, and resourceful. Every time there’s a new problem, the community re-engineers a way forward. That’s been my whole journey: if there’s a problem, stop, listen, re-engineer—and you’ll outmaneuver it.

Aaron
I think that’s what people love about SEO: the problem-solving part. Something changes, and you have to figure out how to adapt. Do you see it the same way?

Gareth Cunningham
100%. It’s never been an easy road. When Penguin and Panda first rolled out, a lot of agencies went under because they couldn’t adapt fast enough. They didn’t have the time, the client support, or the flexibility.
It comes down to working with clients who understand that when an industry-wide update hits, it’s not just you—it’s everyone. That shared understanding makes it possible to re-engineer and move forward.

Aaron
Some say AI is killing SEO. I’ve argued it’s actually helping. What’s your take?

Gareth Cunningham
I go back to first principles. The search engine algorithm was never a brand-new concept—Google just executed it better. AI is like a turbo on top of the engine. It makes things more efficient: personalization, predictive models, doing more with less.
AI won’t kill SEO. It’ll enhance it—if you engage with it the right way. The challenge right now is that most people don’t know how to use it effectively. A few trailblazers are showing the way, and eventually AI will become standard operating procedure across marketing.

The fear is real, though. A World Economic Forum report suggested around 72% of people hesitate to adopt AI or automation because they think they’re cutting off the branch they’re sitting on. But if you harness it right, AI won’t disrupt—it’ll empower.

Aaron
We always say “garbage in, garbage out.” If you put junk into AI, you’ll get junk out.
And AI itself won’t take your job—but the person who learns how to use it will.

Gareth Cunningham
Exactly. 100%.

Aaron
So from a practical side, what advice do you have for marketers using AI in SEO or content?

Gareth Cunningham
Think of it as Search Everything Optimization, not just Search Engine Optimization. AI forces us to widen the aperture.

Key focus areas:

• Core Web Vitals and behavioral metrics—it’s all about user experience.

• User intent and relevance—make sure the content truly matches what people are looking for.

• Authority—but earned, not manufactured.

AI can act like your personal data scientist. It can cross-reference datasets, look at seasonality, calculate CPCs, and suggest tactics that would have taken teams weeks to figure out before.

Aaron
So if you understand the tools and have the experience, you’ll be fine even if adoption speeds up. But if you shy away from it, you risk getting left behind.

Gareth Cunningham
Exactly.

Gareth Cunningham
That’s why we’re making sure every department is upskilled. Our CEO, Eric Bertram, emphasizes that AI is a tool for everyone. Adoption should feel empowering, not threatening.

Aaron
So looking ahead—if this episode goes live in about a month—will the DeepSeek buzz die down or keep growing?

Gareth Cunningham
If the claims are true, the AI world has changed forever. It shows you don’t always need massive compute or huge budgets. The DeepSeek team reportedly came from a crypto mining background and built it as a side project. If they launch at a lower price point, it could be a serious challenge to the incumbents.

Aaron
On a lighter note—have you seen the first Iron Man movie? We used a clip from it for a playful AI explainer on our Instagram.

Gareth Cunningham
[laughs] Yeah, I shared that clip internally. It’s like the MacGyver of AI—using plastic forks, a busted webcam, and $6 million to shake the economy.

Aaron
Back to SEO—AI or not, how do you design a truly great search experience?

Gareth Cunningham
Start with user intent and information architecture. Don’t just publish random content and hope it works. For each category, answer the what, how, when, and why.
Bundle all touchpoints—reviews, video, copy—under one umbrella so it mirrors real search behavior.
Balance form and function: it has to look good, but it also has to be fast, accessible, and crisp.
Keep testing—A/B, multivariate—and let data shape UX and content decisions. With a clean tech stack, intent-driven content, and authority signals, you’re in good shape.

Aaron
That was a perfect breakdown—nothing to add.

Gareth Cunningham
Glad it helped.

Aaron
Before we wrap up—any books, podcasts, or resources you’d recommend?

Gareth Cunningham
I learn best through listening and watching. Reading is constant in our jobs already. For AI, I’d recommend Matthew Berman’s YouTube channel—clear, systematic, and easy to digest. It’ll open your eyes to workflows you didn’t know were possible.

Aaron
And last question: do backlinks still have a future?

Gareth Cunningham
Yes, but the role is evolving. Google’s gradually reducing reliance on links and moving toward a semantic experience. But we’re not there yet. Quality over quantity still matters. Honest, guideline-compliant backlinks are valuable; shortcuts are not.

In the long run, links may fade. But until Google openly says “we don’t use links,” they’re still in play. Focus on clean tech, intent-driven content, and natural authority signals.

Aaron
As someone in an agency, I hope backlinks have a long, healthy future. But yes—healthy links only. Quick wins are risky.

Gareth Cunningham
There’s been a bit of a renaissance of gray and black-hat chatter. Google messaging can be vague, and you often have to learn by trial and error. The goalposts keep shifting—that’s why analogies and clarity matter so much when explaining to clients.

Aaron
Maybe six or eight months from now, when things settle, we’ll bring you back for a deeper dive into anchor text, site migrations, and form vs. function.

Gareth Cunningham
Would love that. You could talk for hours on each of those topics.

Aaron
Honestly, I didn’t expect this to run so long, but it was too interesting to cut short. Thanks again—we’ll definitely have you back.

Gareth Cunningham
Happy to. Thanks for having me.

Aaron
Again, thank you so much for coming on the show.