The Season We Stop and What It Taught Us About the SEO Industry

What happens when you hit pause for months in a fast-moving industry like SEO… and come back to a completely different game? In this comeback episode of SEO Kwentuhan, Gab and Gelo share what really happened during their quiet season and the unexpected lessons they uncovered about today’s SEO landscape.From AI taking over workflows to traffic drops, changing client expectations, and why branding now matters more than rankings, this episode is packed with honest insights. If you’ve ever felt like you’re falling behind or unsure how to stay relevant in the AI era, this conversation will give you a clearer perspective—and a reason to keep going. ️Transcript Summary:00:00 - 00:33 Gab opens the comeback episode of SEO Kwentuhan. Gelo explains that after months of silence, they want to talk about why they stopped recording and what that season taught them about SEO, especially in today’s AI-driven landscape.00:33 - 03:23 Gab shares that he became busy improving his agency, handling trainings, client work, and their fitness challenge, while also prioritizing rest on weekends. He also mentions spending time building their new home and sourcing materials personally.Gelo says personal matters, the holidays, new client strategy work, and stepping back from social media also contributed to the pause.03:23 - 06:58 Gab admits he worried that no one would still listen after such a long break and that they might fall behind in the fast-changing SEO industry.Gelo reassures him, sharing that the podcast still brought in consulting opportunities. Both reflect on how listeners and community members continued to remember and value the show.06:58 - 10:25 Gab says the pause reminded him to focus on what is already on his plate, especially the business, which improved significantly during that time.Gelo says one key realization is that the busiest and most experienced SEO practitioners are often too busy doing the work to constantly produce content or courses. He also highlights how much AI now handles in SEO workflows, making adaptation necessary.10:25 - 13:51 Gab says he now focuses less on execution and more on strategy, client acquisition, and retention, while also taking his health more seriously.Gelo says he relies less on Ahrefs and more on Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools, especially as those tools become more useful in the AI era.13:52 - 17:50 Gab explains that while SEO fundamentals remain the same, they have added newer tactics such as Reddit optimization, broader query research, and work that can help with AI citations.Gelo says he now sends more regular updates to clients and even leads, including SEO news translated into practical business impact using AI.17:50 - 24:54 Gab says the biggest shift he noticed is that organic traffic has dropped in many industries because of AI Overviews, though conversions have often stayed more stable. He also notes that “AI optimization” is now a strong selling point for clients.Both discuss how AI-generated content is flooding the web, which makes authenticity and human input more important.24:55 - 30:43 Gelo says SEO fundamentals still matter, but branding is becoming even more important because search results are more crowded and AI makes it easier for anyone to launch websites quickly.Gab agrees and says SEO is no longer just about ranking for a keyword. It now has to support a stronger brand and a better customer journey.30:43 - 35:55 Gab says SEO is now both more competitive and more open. AI makes it easier for newcomers to offer SEO-related work, but real expertise and results still matter.Gelo adds that since SEO is often one of the first services cut when budgets get tight, professionals need to show value beyond traffic, such as leads, signups, and revenue impact.35:55 - 42:52 Gab says if he were starting again, he would still use AI but would not rely on it too much for strategy. He would focus on creativity, human understanding, and firsthand experience.Gelo says he would start by following the right people, learning how they think, testing ideas, and building his own system instead of depending too much on AI alone.42:52 - 48:41 Both agree that AI has lowered the barrier to entry in SEO, but long-term success still depends on learning, decision-making, communication, and delivering real results.They close by thanking listeners, joking about their fears of being forgotten, and announcing that SEO Kwentuhan is back.Let's connect and make this community shine!theseodad.orgseoworkout.com