Host: Jeremy Rivera - Founder, SEO Arcade
Guest: Melissa Popp - Founder, Rickety Roo | @poppupwriter
Episode Length: 60 minutes

Episode Overview

In this deep-dive conversation, Jeremy Rivera and Melissa Popp explore the seismic shifts happening in SEO and digital marketing. From AI overviews decimating organic click-through rates to the fundamental question of whether SEO as we know it still exists, this episode tackles the industry's biggest challenges and opportunities.

Key Discussion Points:

• Why SEO was just "Google reverse engineering" from 2010-2021
• The impact of AI overviews on organic traffic (down to 1% CTR)
• How to adapt SEO strategies for LLMs and multi-platform search
• The death of top-funnel content and what replaces it
• Why the industry needs a value proposition beyond Google rankings

Best Quotes from This Episode

"We should be more in the ecosystem... our value could be so much more than Google. Why are we tying ourselves to Google?" - Melissa Popp

"From 2010 to 2021 SEO was merely reverse engineering Google. That was it. That was our job. We can't ignore other methods or other ways that search occurs." - Jeremy Rivera

"Chat GPT is now your most popular and least knowledgeable customer representative." - Referenced insight from Mike Buckby

"I question whether we actually see the death of the top of the funnel... we relied so much on top of the funnel to drive people in and guide them to the right place on our websites." - Melissa Popp

Key Takeaways & Action Items

✅ For SEO Professionals

• Expand beyond Google optimization - Start incorporating LLM visibility strategies into your workflows
• Learn automation tools - If you're not using tools like N8n for workflow automation, you're falling behind
• Shift metrics focus - Move from clicks/impressions to user capture and email acquisition
• Test LLM strategies - Start experimenting with content approaches for different AI platforms