{"id":4103,"date":"2025-10-29T07:32:14","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T07:32:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/?p=4103"},"modified":"2025-11-17T11:01:36","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T11:01:36","slug":"gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\/","title":{"rendered":"Gareth Cunningham on the Future of SEO, AI and Backlinks"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In a recent episode of Stan Ventures&#8217; &#8220;SEO ON AIR&#8221; podcast, industry leader, Gareth Cunningham, brings a unique perspective to the SEO industry.<\/p>\n<p>His insights reveal not just how far SEO has come but where it is heading in the age of artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n<p>Starting his SEO journey in 2004, Cunningham has witnessed the industry&#8217;s complete transformation.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;From that point to now, the industry has changed,&#8221; he explains.<\/p>\n<p>But what makes this conversation particularly interesting is not just the historical perspective but the practical strategies about surviving through constant algorithmic.<\/p>\n<p>The controversial topic of AI&#8217;s impact on SEO and the surprising connection between the precision required in commercial diving and search engine optimization.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\"><\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\/#how-did-a-commercial-diver-become-an-seo-expert\" >How Did a Commercial Diver Become an SEO Expert?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\/#what-was-seo-really-like-in-2004\" >What Was SEO Really Like in 2004?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\/#is-ai-really-going-to-kill-seo\" >Is AI Really Going to Kill SEO?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\/#why-does-cunningham-believe-seo-should-become-%e2%80%9csearch-everything-optimization%e2%80%9d\" >Why Does Cunningham Believe SEO Should Become &#8220;Search Everything Optimization&#8221;?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\/#whats-the-future-of-backlinks-in-seo\" >What&#8217;s the Future of Backlinks in SEO?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\/#why-adaptability-will-decide-who-survives\" >Why Adaptability Will Decide Who Survives<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\/#what-questions-should-seo-professionals-be-asking-about-the-future\" >What Questions Should SEO Professionals Be Asking About the Future?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"how-did-a-commercial-diver-become-an-seo-expert\"><\/span><b>How Did a Commercial Diver Become an SEO Expert?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>When Gareth Cunningham started out as a commercial diver in the UK and South Africa, he did not imagine he\u2019d one day be talking about search algorithms.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNine times out of ten, commercial diving was complete darkness and very dangerous work,\u201d he recalled.<\/p>\n<p>But what connects diving to SEO? Attention to detail.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you made a mistake with gas laws, it could kill you. I saw similarities when I moved into SEO. One mistake could hurt rankings or business results. That discipline carried over.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This transition story sets the stage for Gareth\u2019s interest with problem-solving \u2014 something that defines both diving and SEO.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"what-was-seo-really-like-in-2004\"><\/span><b>What Was SEO Really Like in 2004?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>\u201cBack in 2004, SEO was easy,\u201d Gareth admitted. \u201cA thousand social bookmarks could rank any keyword. We even outranked giants like Amazon, eBay and BBC for some terms.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But then came Google\u2019s core updates:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Penguin (links) \u2014 penalized spammy backlinks retrospectively.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\">Panda (content) \u2014 cracked down on thin or low-quality content.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cThese two updates changed the landscape of search forever,\u201d Gareth explained. \u201cAgencies that could not adapt shut down.<\/p>\n<p>But those who re-engineered strategies survived.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So what about now? The fundamentals remain but SEO is no longer about quick hacks \u2014 it is about long-term sustainable strategies.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"is-ai-really-going-to-kill-seo\"><\/span><b>Is AI Really Going to Kill SEO?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>AI has unsettled the SEO community. With tools like ChatGPT, Bard and generative search experiences, some fear search optimization is on its deathbed.<\/p>\n<p>Cunningham does not see it that way.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAI is not killing SEO. It is making it more efficient,\u201d he said. \u201cThink of AI as the turbocharger on an engine. It speeds things up but the engine still has to run.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>AI can already predict user behavior, automate reporting and even generate drafts of content.<\/p>\n<p>But Cunningham warned against over-reliance. <b>\u201cGarbage in, garbage out,\u201d<\/b> he stressed. Poor strategies fed into AI systems will only produce poor results.<\/p>\n<p>He referenced the World Economic Forum\u2019s 2025 Jobs Report, which noted that 72% of workers fear AI automation will replace them.<\/p>\n<p>Cunningham views this differently: \u201cAI won\u2019t take your job. But the person who knows how to use AI will.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In other words, AI is not replacing SEO professionals. It is replacing inefficient workflows.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"why-does-cunningham-believe-seo-should-become-%e2%80%9csearch-everything-optimization%e2%80%9d\"><\/span><b>Why Does Cunningham Believe SEO Should Become &#8220;Search Everything Optimization&#8221;?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Perhaps the most forward-thinking insight from the conversation is Cunningham&#8217;s belief that the traditional SEO acronym is becoming obsolete.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is Search Everything Optimization,\u201d he argued.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMarketers must widen their aperture. It is not about ranking pages only but about optimizing for user intent, experience and accessibility.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So what defines a good search experience? Gareth laid it out clearly:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Core Web Vitals<\/b> \u2013 speed, responsiveness, user experience metrics.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>User Intent Matching<\/b> \u2013 creating content that solves \u201cwhat, how, when, why\u201d questions.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Content Architecture<\/b> \u2013 well-structured landing pages, not random blog dumps.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Accessibility<\/b> \u2013 serving content across text, video, voice, and multiple devices.<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Testing &amp; Iteration<\/b> \u2013 \u201cA\/B and multivariate testing should be part of your culture.\u201d<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Presentation Matters<\/b> \u2013 \u201cLike a restaurant meal, design and content must look appealing.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In other words, SEO success in 2025 requires more than links and keywords. It is about creating holistic experiences.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"whats-the-future-of-backlinks-in-seo\"><\/span><b>What&#8217;s the Future of Backlinks in SEO?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>One of the episode\u2019s most debated topics was the future of backlinks<b>.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>For decades, backlinks have been the backbone of Google\u2019s ranking system. But are they losing importance?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is still a future for backlinks,\u201d Cunningham said. \u201cBut their importance is being reduced.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He explained that Google is steadily moving toward a semantic, AI-driven search model that prioritizes meaning and context over link volume. In time, links may no longer carry the same weight.<\/p>\n<p>Still, he cautioned against abandoning them now. \u201cQuality over quantity will always win.<\/p>\n<p>Spammy tactics might get you a short-term gain but in the long run, natural, honest backlinks aligned with webmaster guidelines will still matter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps most striking was his prediction: \u201cEventually, I see a decoupling from backlinks altogether. Just as we moved from landline phones to mobile, search will evolve past them.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"why-adaptability-will-decide-who-survives\"><\/span><b>Why Adaptability Will Decide Who Survives<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Throughout the episode, Cunningham returned to one core theme: adaptability. Just as he adapted from diving to digital marketing, agencies must adapt to survive the AI era.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen Penguin and Panda hit, agencies collapsed because they could not re-engineer quickly enough,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe same thing will happen with AI. Those who adapt to it will thrive. Those who resist it will disappear.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He also credited leadership within his own organization for fostering a positive approach to AI.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur CEO made sure people saw AI as a tool, not a threat. That mindset prevents employees from feeling left behind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In other words, success won\u2019t just come from tools or tactics but it will come from culture.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"what-questions-should-seo-professionals-be-asking-about-the-future\"><\/span><b>What Questions Should SEO Professionals Be Asking About the Future?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Based on this comprehensive discussion, several critical questions emerge for SEO professionals navigating the current landscape:<\/p>\n<p><b>Q: Will traditional SEO tactics still work in an AI-driven search environment?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b> <b>A:<\/b> Yes but with evolution. Core principles like technical SEO, user experience and content quality remain vital. The difference? Measurement and execution now demand AI-savvy strategies.<\/p>\n<p><b>Q: How should agencies prepare their teams for AI integration?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b> <b>A:<\/b> Upskill early. Agencies that frame AI as an enhancement, not a threat, keep teams motivated and expand service value. Training is culture-building, not just tech adoption.<\/p>\n<p><b>Q: Is it worth investing in link-building strategies long term?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b> <b>A:<\/b> For now, yes \u2014 quality links still drive authority. But smart SEOs are hedging by building semantic expertise and testing AI-driven ranking factors alongside link-building.<\/p>\n<p><b>Q: What skills will separate successful SEO professionals from those left behind?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b> <b>A:<\/b> Agility and depth. Pros who combine technical expertise with AI fluency, cross-platform thinking and adaptability will outpace those who rely only on old playbooks.<\/p>\n<p><b>Q: How can SEO professionals balance staying current with deep work?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b> <b>A:<\/b> Curate, don\u2019t consume everything. Follow trusted sources, set learning sprints and protect deep work time. Mastery comes from focus, not chasing every headline.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a recent episode of Stan Ventures&#8217; &#8220;SEO ON AIR&#8221; podcast, industry leader, Gareth Cunningham, brings a unique perspective to the SEO industry. His insights reveal not just how far SEO has come but where it is heading in the age of artificial intelligence. Starting his SEO journey in 2004, Cunningham has witnessed the industry&#8217;s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4103","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-seo"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Gareth Cunningham on the Future of SEO, AI and Backlinks - Stan Ventures<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Starting his SEO journey in 2004, Cunningham has witnessed the industry&#039;s complete transformation.\u00a0&quot;From that point to now, the industry has changed,&quot; he explains.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Gareth Cunningham on the Future of SEO, AI and Backlinks - Stan Ventures\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Starting his SEO journey in 2004, Cunningham has witnessed the industry&#039;s complete transformation.\u00a0&quot;From that point to now, the industry has changed,&quot; he explains.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Stan Ventures\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/StanVentures\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-10-29T07:32:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-17T11:01:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Dileep Thekkethil\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@dthekkethil\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@stanventures\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Dileep Thekkethil\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Dileep Thekkethil\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/87d00ff18daf9650e7c925ae4bf86efb\"},\"headline\":\"Gareth Cunningham on the Future of SEO, AI and Backlinks\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-29T07:32:14+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-17T11:01:36+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1131,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"SEO\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\\\/\",\"name\":\"Gareth Cunningham on the Future of SEO, AI and Backlinks - Stan Ventures\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-10-29T07:32:14+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-17T11:01:36+00:00\",\"description\":\"Starting his SEO journey in 2004, Cunningham has witnessed the industry's complete transformation.\u00a0\\\"From that point to now, the industry has changed,\\\" he explains.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Gareth Cunningham on the Future of SEO, AI and Backlinks\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/\",\"name\":\"Stan Ventures\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Stan Ventures\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/Stan-Ventures.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/06\\\/Stan-Ventures.webp\",\"width\":2001,\"height\":801,\"caption\":\"Stan Ventures\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/StanVentures\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/stanventures\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/87d00ff18daf9650e7c925ae4bf86efb\",\"name\":\"Dileep Thekkethil\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/911bd385b9da54d4a69f19f536a6419e576244371bd6e7d96f06c583dd402fa9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/911bd385b9da54d4a69f19f536a6419e576244371bd6e7d96f06c583dd402fa9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/911bd385b9da54d4a69f19f536a6419e576244371bd6e7d96f06c583dd402fa9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Dileep Thekkethil\"},\"description\":\"Dileep Thekkethil is the Director of Marketing at Stan Ventures, where he applies over 15 years of SEO and digital marketing expertise to drive growth and authority. A former journalist with six years of experience, he combines strategic storytelling with technical know-how to help brands navigate the shift toward AI-driven search and generative engines. Dileep is a strong advocate for Google\u2019s EEAT standards, regularly sharing real-world use cases and scenarios to demystify complex marketing trends. He is an avid gardener of tropical fruits, a motor enthusiast, and a dedicated caretaker of his pair of cockatiels.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/stanventures.com\\\/news\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/dileep-pradeep-3705aa53\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/dthekkethil\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stanventures.com\\\/news\\\/author\\\/admin_7mxgn8tx\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Gareth Cunningham on the Future of SEO, AI and Backlinks - Stan Ventures","description":"Starting his SEO journey in 2004, Cunningham has witnessed the industry's complete transformation.\u00a0\"From that point to now, the industry has changed,\" he explains.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Gareth Cunningham on the Future of SEO, AI and Backlinks - Stan Ventures","og_description":"Starting his SEO journey in 2004, Cunningham has witnessed the industry's complete transformation.\u00a0\"From that point to now, the industry has changed,\" he explains.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\/","og_site_name":"Stan Ventures","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/StanVentures\/","article_published_time":"2025-10-29T07:32:14+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-11-17T11:01:36+00:00","author":"Dileep Thekkethil","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@dthekkethil","twitter_site":"@stanventures","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Dileep Thekkethil","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\/"},"author":{"name":"Dileep Thekkethil","@id":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/87d00ff18daf9650e7c925ae4bf86efb"},"headline":"Gareth Cunningham on the Future of SEO, AI and Backlinks","datePublished":"2025-10-29T07:32:14+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-17T11:01:36+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\/"},"wordCount":1131,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/#organization"},"articleSection":["SEO"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\/","url":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\/","name":"Gareth Cunningham on the Future of SEO, AI and Backlinks - Stan Ventures","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-10-29T07:32:14+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-17T11:01:36+00:00","description":"Starting his SEO journey in 2004, Cunningham has witnessed the industry's complete transformation.\u00a0\"From that point to now, the industry has changed,\" he explains.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/gareth-cunningham-on-the-future-of-seo-ai-and-backlinks-4103\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Gareth Cunningham on the Future of SEO, AI and Backlinks"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/","name":"Stan Ventures","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/#organization","name":"Stan Ventures","url":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Stan-Ventures.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Stan-Ventures.webp","width":2001,"height":801,"caption":"Stan Ventures"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/StanVentures\/","https:\/\/x.com\/stanventures"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/87d00ff18daf9650e7c925ae4bf86efb","name":"Dileep Thekkethil","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/911bd385b9da54d4a69f19f536a6419e576244371bd6e7d96f06c583dd402fa9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/911bd385b9da54d4a69f19f536a6419e576244371bd6e7d96f06c583dd402fa9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/911bd385b9da54d4a69f19f536a6419e576244371bd6e7d96f06c583dd402fa9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Dileep Thekkethil"},"description":"Dileep Thekkethil is the Director of Marketing at Stan Ventures, where he applies over 15 years of SEO and digital marketing expertise to drive growth and authority. A former journalist with six years of experience, he combines strategic storytelling with technical know-how to help brands navigate the shift toward AI-driven search and generative engines. Dileep is a strong advocate for Google\u2019s EEAT standards, regularly sharing real-world use cases and scenarios to demystify complex marketing trends. He is an avid gardener of tropical fruits, a motor enthusiast, and a dedicated caretaker of his pair of cockatiels.","sameAs":["https:\/\/stanventures.com\/news","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/dileep-pradeep-3705aa53\/","https:\/\/x.com\/dthekkethil"],"url":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/author\/admin_7mxgn8tx\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4103"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4103\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5801,"href":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4103\/revisions\/5801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}