The AI Signals

What this episode covers

In this episode, Rustam Irani explores how AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity are fundamentally changing how prospective students research colleges and programs. He breaks down why traditional website traffic may be declining while enrollment quality improves, and explains the four critical metrics institutions must track to understand their visibility in AI-generated search results. Rustam also shares the foundational SEO and authority-building principles that still matter in the age of LLMs, along with practical insight into how schools can improve their presence, sentiment, and share of voice in AI-driven discovery experiences. Resources Mentioned * RGI AEO Dashboard - https://aeo.rgiconsulting.net/leadsquared/ Timestamps * 00:00 – 01:23 — How prospective students are using AI tools to research colleges and programs before ever visiting a school website * 01:24 – 03:05 — The four core metrics schools must track in AI search: visibility, share of voice, citation rate, and sentiment * 03:06 – 05:32 — Why some schools are seeing lower inquiry volume but higher application and enrollment quality * 05:33 – 06:50 — The SEO and authority fundamentals that still matter in the LLM era * 06:51 – 08:14 — The new kinds of nuanced student questions appearing inside AI search tools * 08:15 – 10:22 — How AI visibility dashboards and citation analysis help schools identify content opportunities * 10:23 – 11:56 — The importance of reputation, transparency, partnerships, and consistent messaging in AI-generated results * 11:57 – 15:12 — Why schools don't need massive budgets to compete in AI search—and what they actually need instead