😻 Maeva Cifuentes

SEO & GEO for B2B SaaS // Coaching for women in service businesses

I run Flying Cat, a B2B SaaS-focused SEO and content consultancy. We specialize in Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and bottom-funnel content strategy, with deep expertise in international SEO when clients need to expand into French, German, Italian, and Spanish markets.

We've worked with ActiveCampaign, Hotjar, Klaviyo, Mixmax, D2L, Leapsome, Ivalua, and CoVet.

After a decade running a translation agency, I built Flying Cat on a simple premise: senior strategists should stay on accounts. No junior handoffs. No templated playbooks. I run the strategy, my team executes. We work directly with marketing leaders who need revenue from search, not just traffic.

📍 I post about SEO, GEO, AI visibility, and building a service business you actually want to run.

WHAT CLIENTS HAVE SAID:

"Flying Cat's approach led to a significant increase in monthly revenue and contributed to our rapid growth." - Rob Hartman, former Creative Director, Operto Guest Technologies

"Together, we were able to increase our yearly organic traffic by 700%. 56% of our traffic was coming through the blog. It was such a smooth partnership and really felt effortless on my side." - Molly Holcutt, Content Manager, Livestorm

"Within two quarters, we were able to drive an additional 80k visits to the website." - Joe Baugnet, Global SEO, ActiveCampaign

I also coach women who run service businesses. If you do excellent work but keep getting treated like a vendor, underpaid, over-explained-to, stuck in execution mode, I can help. My program teaches you how to position yourself as a strategic partner and have the client conversations you've been avoiding.
Follow @purposefulliving.co on Instagram for more on that.

maeva@flyingcatmarketing.com
🌐 @maevaeverywhere

--

Content Marketing • Content Strategy • Content Agency • Content Marketing Agency  •  SEO Agency  •  AEO Agency  •  GEO Agency  •  SEO Consultant  •  AEO Consultant  •  AISEO Consultant

Angel Investor & Marketing Advisor

Investor and shareholder. Also, as fractional Head of Marketing/Marketing Advisor, I'm diversifying Spitche's revenue streams and acquisition channels, focusing on organic inbound growth.

Maeva Cifuentes

As a Colombian woman raised in America, I never felt strong patriotism until I watched Bad Bunny's historic half-time show.


I'm not sentimental. Few performances have moved me to tears.

But what he showed, inter-generational community, friends, family, joy, diversity, and LATINOS... this is America! I shed a tear. Because we've been so deep in disappointment, rage, hate about the state of the country, we forgot what it is that we're fighting for.

That show captured something real for me. Today, 20% of Americans are Hispanic. Here in California, we're the majority. I grew up surrounded by three very different cultures in my own household, in one of the most diverse cities in the country.

That diversity, that joy, that mix... that's the America I know, and that's what I moved back here for. And for the first time, I saw it reflected back on a national stage.

It was always hard for me to explain to people why I wanted to move back to the US, in the state that it's in now. But next time they ask, I'll just show them this show.

Yes Benito.... ya sabes!!!

EDIT: I did not just shed one tear. I watched it again and am unable to stop the tears.

🔥 B2B SaaS GEO & Search Everywhere Optimization // Founder, Flying Cat

"Just checking in!"
You've sent it. I've sent it. We've all sent it.

And it almost never works. Because it signals that you need something from them more than you're offering something to them.

Strategic follow-ups get responses because they add value instead of asking for attention. Swipe through for side-by-side examples.

More executive ways to follow up

People are saying SEO is worth LESS now.

Because it drives less traffic.

I did the research so you don't have to.

Yes, organic traffic is declining.

Ahrefs found AI Overviews reduce clicks by 34.5%.

Seer Interactive shows organic CTR dropped 61% for queries with AI Overviews.

60% of Google searches now end without a click.

And no... most of that traffic is not coming back.

We're heading toward a world where people do their entire buying journey inside AI.

They'll only visit your website at the very end, when they're ready to buy.

That future is coming.

But it's still 1-3 years out.

Right now, SEO is still your biggest traffic source.

Google search volume actually increased 21.6% last year.

I've seen conflicting data on how much rankings matter for AI citations.

One study says 92% of AI Overview citations come from pages already ranking in the top 10.

Another from BrightEdge says it's closer to 54% — and in e-commerce, only 22.9%.

Whichever number is true, I keep coming back to the same question:

If your traffic is tanking, is it actually because of AI?

Or is it because you're losing rankings?

Those are two very different problems. 

One requires a new strategy.

The other requires fixing your current one.

I see a LOT of websites blame AI when they're actually just losing traffic from SEO issues. Check yourself!

If your SEO says it's AI... ask for rankings status. The signal that AI is the issue is maintained or improved rankings with lost traffic.

The future of search is about getting recommended to the right people at the right time.

It's about being cited as the expert source.

It's about positive sentiment and accurate information about your brand.
SEO builds the foundation for all of it.

Strong rankings feed AI citations.

Quality content feeds AI recommendations.

Brand authority feeds AI trust signals.

The traffic game is shrinking.

The influence game is just getting started.

Save this if you're building for where search is going, not just where it's been.

Drop a 🔥 if you've already started shifting your strategy.

Every time you say 'it depends,' your client trusts you a little less.


When you hedge, qualify, and present options without a clear recommendation, you think you're being thorough. You're actually making them feel less safe. 

They came to you because they don't know the answer. If you seem unsure, they have nothing to anchor to.

Leaders with conviction create certainty for the people around them. When someone seems convinced they've chosen the best course of action, the people following them absorb that belief. Mirror neurons do this automatically. We relax when the person guiding us seems sure. We tense up when they don't.

This is why clients override your recommendations. This is why they second-guess your work. They're not doing it because you're wrong. They're doing it because you didn't seem certain, so they couldn't let go of their own doubt.

You don't have to be absolutely sure. You might be wrong. That's fine. Conviction isn't about being right every time. It's about being clear on what the data is telling you right now and making a recommendation based on that.

"Based on what I'm seeing, I'd go with A. Here's why. B and C are options if you want to prioritize X instead, but A gives us the best shot at Y."

"My recommendation is X. I've seen this work in similar situations, and the data supports it."

"If your goal is still Z, then I'd do X."

You can offer options. You can leave room for their input. But they should never have to guess what you actually think they should do.

If you've ever refreshed your inbox six times waiting for a client to respond, this one's for you.


Checking in "just to make sure you got my email." Over-explaining your reasoning so they won't think you made a bad call. Reading into a short reply and spiraling about whether they're upset. Saying yes to something that crossed a boundary because the idea of them being disappointed felt unbearable.

These patterns probably feel familiar outside of work too.
Anxious attachment doesn't stay in your dating life. It follows you into your client relationships. The same part of you that used to overanalyze a text is now overanalyzing a Slack message. The same part that tried to be the "cool, low-maintenance girlfriend" is now being the "easy, flexible contractor."

And it's costing you.

You over-deliver to feel secure. You undercharge because asking for more feels like risking the relationship. You tolerate scope creep because setting a boundary might make them leave. You make yourself smaller, more accommodating, more available than you actually want to be.

The work isn't just learning better business practices. It's recognizing that your nervous system is running the same script it always has, just in a different context.

Clients can feel when you need their approval more than they need your expertise. That energy shifts the power dynamic whether you want it to or not.

Security in client relationships doesn't come from being indispensable or easy to work with. It comes from trusting that you'll be okay if they leave.

I audited a brand's French market presence. Perplexity recommended their competitor 9 out of 10 times.

They rank #1 on Google for their main keyword.

Doesn't matter.

Here's why:

They rank for "what is [solution category]."

But that's not what people ask AI.

People ask AI "what's the best tool for [specific problem]."

Totally different query.

Totally different content strategy.

When purchase intent is high, AI doesn't pull from your educational blog post.

It pulls from content about the solutions, from all over the web.

Your website, yes, but also...

Reddit threads.

G2 and Capterra reviews.

YouTube comparisons.

Industry publications.

My clients competitor was all over those sources in the French market.

My client had been focusing on high-volume TOFU content... which is notoriously NOT about the product/solution.

The higher the purchase intent, the more AI pulls from third-party sources like review sites and forums.

So they built a content engine for informational queries.

But AI recommendations run on a completely different engine: reputation and third-party validation.

Things that I might do if I were looking to grow this more:

→ Audit where you show up (or don't) when AI answers buying questions in your category
→ Build presence on the platforms AI actually pulls from: Reddit, YouTube, review sites, niche forums
→ Earn mentions in publications your buyers trust
→ Stop measuring success by rankings alone

You can dominate Google and still be invisible when it matters most.

What have you done to get recommended more?

marketing, content & SEO // Tettra 🐟

Most content & SEO teams are stuck running old playbooks in a world that’s changed overnight.

I help them adapt fast.

I’m Content & SEO Lead at AirOps, where we build AI workflows for content marketers and SEO teams.

If you lead a content team, you’ve probably asked:
– How do we scale with less?
– What metrics actually matter now for AI search?
– Can AI help us move faster without lowering quality?

That’s exactly what we’re solving.

I publish insights from the frontlines of AI + content:

- Host of the Growth Leader Webinar Series featuring SEO leaders like Kevin Indig, Eli Schwartz, Crystal Carter, and more
- Author of The State of Content Teams
- Former content lead at ClickUp, Toptal and several startups

My work is for modern marketing leaders who care about scale, structure, and staying ahead.

👉 Follow me for breakdowns on AI + content, workflows, AEO, and AI search.

Josh Spilker

It's so great to see an idea turn into reality and then go beyond what you expect. 

That's happened over the past year when a simple idea around 10x'ing content engineering became a movement at AirOps and in the SEO/content community

• Hundreds taking courses & cohorts about AirOps and content engineering
• Content workflows that once took days are automated hours
• Job title changes & promotions
• Real pipeline
• and...billboards? 

So many folks brought it to life and are running w/ it at AirOps and beyond

Check out the post & join the movement: https://lnkd.in/eTQHUgQU

Content & SEO @ AirOps | Ex-ClickUp / Toptal | Webinar Host

How can you repurpose webinars? 

In at least 6 ways + a few more that aren't listed here

I'll be talking about this along with Dave Gerhardt who will break down how Exit Five 
- creates a content flywheel with their content 
- re-uses ideas across social, events, community, newsletters and more
- what brands need to do to get this flywheel going

This happens on Wednesday 2/11

Jump in and join us: https://lnkd.in/eNb844XC

What is content engineering? 👀

Super fun to break it down w/ Alex Birkett from Omniscient Digital

Learn about: 
- what is content engineering
- changes in the writing / creative process
- why I still like print magazines

https://lnkd.in/eDYjg_2i

Open video: What is Content Engineering? Interview with Josh Spilker @ AirOps on youtube.com

What is Content Engineering? Interview with Josh Spilker @ AirOps

Everyone is debating Super Bowl commercials this morning

But the only ads I’m thinking about today are these AirOps customer ads of Connor Beaulieu from LegalZoom & Vivian Hoang from Webflow

San Francisco is looking so good with champs like these plastered around the city.

And they were also amazing webinar guests showing off how they use AirOps

Find those recaps and let me know if you see these around SF

Comparison listicles dead? 💀
Alt brand posts dead? 💀

I don't think the form will ever die, but it'll evolve. 

You need to weave in case studies, testimonials, real user reviews.

Steve's opinion below is a good take

- Your product won't be the best at everything, recognize its best use cases
- FAQs, pricing, and reviews will help it stand out

BTW lists still crush in LLM citations & mentions. They're still an important part in your arsenal

🧠 AI SEO for B2B Brands ‣ join ainotebook.com & seonotebook.com 27k+ subs. Follow if you love AI & SEO.

SEOs: "Google just killed GEO listicles."

Our client's listicle: 19.1K clicks and still moving up and to the right 📈

Same idea. Same self-promotion. Completely different outcome.

Here's what happened:

Lily Ray just broke the story on her Substack. Google mass-penalized "best X" listicles in January. 30-50% visibility losses across major brands.

These listicles worked for years. Brands ranking themselves #1 in their own blog posts. Google rewarded it.

Then Glen Allsopp's December research proved they were dominating ChatGPT citations too. 43.8% of all sources.

But some companies have been too aggressive. 100, 200, 300+ templated versions. "Best [X] Software 2026" published January 3rd. Mass-generated. Date-freshened monthly.

Google intervened.

But here's what nobody's talking about:

The companies doing this authentically? Still standing.

I dug into what the survivors are doing differently:

1. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀: Not just "here's our pick." Actual columns for pricing, features, ease of use. Lets readers decide.

2. 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗼𝗿𝘆-𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘀: Instead of "we're #1 at everything," they give competitors wins where deserved. "Best for research." "Best free option." "Best for enterprise."

3. 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Our article had a "Cons" section for our own product. "Not built for post-signature contract management." That's not weakness. That's credibility.

4. 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀: Genuine strengths and weaknesses for every option. Readers can tell the difference.

5. 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀: Photo. Title. Date. Not anonymous content mill output.

6. 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗵 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁: FAQs. Use cases by industry. Pricing methodology. The listicle is the skeleton. Substance sustained rankings.

The penalized sites? Templated pages stamped across hundreds of keywords. No tables. No human element. No author.

Google didn't build an algorithm to check if your #1 pick matches your own brand. And frankly, there might not be better results to show if they did that.

They went after a classic signal instead: 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗲. Hundreds of templated pages. Same structure. No substance.

There are a few more things we do for clients that I can't share here.

But what's above? That's working right now.

This is the cycle. Every time.
Tactic works: 
→ mass adoption 
→ quality collapse 
→ Google intervenes 
→ only the authentic survived

Google didn't kill the tactic.

They killed the people who industrialized it without the substance.

The play was never "publish 200 listicles."

The play was "be worth recommending."

P.S. If your site got hit and you want help with recovery, 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 (click the link next to my name above) and get your bottom-funnel traffic back.

What are the 10 bottom funnel / revenue producing pages that you should publish in the next ~60 days? 

Lashay Lewis has become a master of the bottom funnel and she's going to share it all w/ us at AirOps

When? 
2/25 at 12pm ET

5/5 would highly recommend: https://lnkd.in/eu7U4cBj

How to structure your content for answer engine optimization (AEO)

- Put answers directly under clear headings. That simple move increases the odds you’ll get extracted and cited in AI Search.

- Keep paragraphs short and focused. It makes it dramatically easier for answer engines to summarize your content accurately.

- Use lists, tables, and FAQs to clarify structure — not to decorate the page. Structure drives reuse.

- Cut redundant sections. When you repeat yourself, you dilute extractability and make it harder for AI to know which answer to trust.

- Featured snippet formats still win, especially when you lead with the answer and then expand. That structure translates cleanly into AEO.

TL;DR Put answers directly under clear headings. That simple move increases the odds you’ll get extracted and cited in AI Search. Keep paragraphs shor

Open article: Answer Engine Optimization (AEO): How Should You Structure Your Content to Get Cited?  by Josh Spilker • 10 min read

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO): How Should You Structure Your Content to Get Cited?

Every content, SEO & marketing team has a mix of personalities driving the work. 

Some are obsessed:
- with speed
- with craft
- with technical perfection
- with revenue attribution (gotta love them)

At AirOps, we just launched a quick quiz that maps your marketing style to a player archetype. 

I'm the heart (?)...which is honestly a bit surprising, but tracks

Which one are you? 

Take it and drop your results 👉 airops.com/win

check it out!

Daughter to ChatGPT: "create a realistic image of a pig riding a rollercoaster in a party hat"

Daughter: "That turned out well."

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The Battle

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