Adapting to the Brand-First SEO Era w/ Kevin Indig

Ross sits down with Kevin Indig, growth advisor and SEO strategist, to break down his groundbreaking UX study on Google’s AI Overviews—and what it reveals about the fast-changing landscape of search. From disappearing clicks to trust-first decision-making, Kevin shares how the rise of AI is reshaping everything from user behavior to what actually drives conversions. They dig into why CTR is no longer the north star metric, how age and device impact search habits, and why today’s SEO teams need to think far beyond blue links. Whether it’s surfacing trust signals, building brand awareness across platforms, or adapting to zero-click journeys, this conversation is packed with practical takeaways for future-proofing your organic strategy. Plus: the rise of interactive content, the power of review mining, and why mediocre AI content won’t cut it in 2025. Show Notes: 0:07 – Welcoming Kevin back and discussing the shift to AI Overview dominance 1:18 – Top 3 takeaways from Kevin’s study 4:42 – Why younger users love AIOs—and older users don’t trust them 5:37 – How brand strength is driving revenue despite declining CTRs 7:42 – Why results vary dramatically by industry (SaaS, e-comm, publishers) 9:20 – Mobile users scroll more—what that means for engagement 13:00 – Trust signals that matter: bylines, bios, disclosures & authority 16:14 – Riskier queries = higher skepticism. Assigning a “risk score” to search terms 19:18 – Why your SEO strategy must include Reddit, YouTube & non-Google channels 23:27 – New team structures: why SEOs must align with social, paid & brand 28:08 – Creating a brand health dashboard: tracking reach beyond Google 31:27 – Leveraging your existing customer base to create high-converting content 34:45 – How review mining and transcripts unlock real user needs 38:09 – AI-generated content: when it works, when it fails, and why “mediocre is invisible” 40:09 – Turning blog content into interactive tools for higher ROI and defensibility 43:34 – Mission statement generator: the surprising success story 46:43 – Final advice for SEOs in 2025: speed, adaptability, and user-first everything Show Links: Kevin’s UX Study on Google’s AI Overviews: [https://www.growth-memo.com/p/the-first-ever-ux-study-of-googles] Ramp’s Mission Statement Generator: [https://www.ramp.com/mission-statement-generator](https://www.ramp.com/mission-statement-generator) Optiversal – Turning reviews into content: [https://www.optiversal.com](https://www.optiversal.com) Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown: https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: [email protected] #seo | #contentmarketing