Helping brands get rankings and revenue from Google, LLMs, AI Overviews | CEO of Contact.so | Mentions.so | Kleo.so

I help tech companies turn attention into predictable revenue.I am the CEO and co-founder of: • Contact (Most innovative SEO + AEO Agency in the World) • Kleo (AI tool that helps you create content optimized to go viral, build an audience, and get you customers)• Mentions (Helps you track your visibility and rank in ChatGPT and other LLMs)Across these businesses, we’ve built and scaled multiple bootstrapped, profitable companies, while also helping dozens of teams grow through SEO, LinkedIn, and AI-driven distribution.Most teams have the same problem: they invest in content, rankings, or social, but none of it compounds into a reliable acquisition engineMy work focuses on building distribution systems that actually scale:• Programmatic SEO and AEO that compounds• Organic content and distribution designed to convert, not just get likes• Content that helps you rank and get recommended by ChatGPT and other LLMsI work with tech teams and founders who want predictable growth without hiring massive teams or chasing tactics that stop working in six months.Here on LinkedIn, I share what we’re learning while building and scaling these companies, so other founders can avoid the mistakes that slow growth and waste years.My goal is simple: be the most transparent founder in the world, share everything, and hide nothing (so you can steal all our tactics to grow your own business) If you’re building a real business and care about predictable demand, following me will be useful.☎️GETTING IN TOUCH IS EASY:📞 Schedule a 30-minute free brainstorm and jam session with me here: https://calendly.com/trykleo/30min (Zero pressure, and if you need to reschedule, go right ahead.)

Rob Hoffman

SEO?
“Just add some keywords”
”Get green lights on Yoast”
”Let’s write a blog and rank #1?”
”Can’t we just buy some backlinks?”

But SEO in 2026 is a totally different beast.

Here’s what it actually involves:

- Total Addressable Search Market
- Google Search Console
- “Don’t change URLs”
- Quick win keywords
- Customer research
- Programmatic SEO
- Entity optimization
- LLM optimization
- Keyword Insights
- Topical authority
- Site architecture
- Schema markup
- Core Web Vitals
- Monthly reports
- Log file analysis
- Google updates
- Brand mentions
- Screaming Frog
- Technical audit
- Content decay
- Internal linking
- XML Sitemaps
- Topic clusters
- “llms.txt file?”
- Search intent
- Link building
- “It depends”
- Crawlability
- Canonicals
- Robots.txt
- Digital PR
- Mentions
- Semrush
- E-E-A-T

Just adding keywords or getting green lights on Yoast doesn't get SEO results.

True SEO and holistic marketing does.

PS. Want to see what SEO in 2026 looks like?

Join our first ever LIVE session later today. RSVP here (it’s free): https://lnkd.in/eiF7S-yM

Daily tactics to grow revenue with organic content and AEO / SEO. | My businesses: Contact.so | Mentions.so | Kleo.so (all bootstrapped, all profitable, all growing)

"I don't know how to do SEO in 2026"

Start from level 1 in The New SEO Game:

SEO isn't just Google rankings anymore.

It's now "Search Everywhere Optimization".

Reframe your “New SEO” project as a game, and you'll become addicted to levelling up.

Level 1: Traditional SEO

- Fix technical problems killing your rankings
- Research keywords and target quick wins
- Optimize on-page elements (titles, content)
- Earn quality backlinks through outreach and PR

Level 2: AI Search Optimization

- Format content so AI can parse it easily
- Build pages that AI platforms want to cite
- Structure information for machine consumption
- Test how your brand appears in AI search results

Level 3: Paid Search Visibility

- Run Google Ads for high-intent keywords
- Target competitor terms with YouTube Search Ads
- Capture Bing traffic through Microsoft Ads
- Measure paid performance across every platform

Level 4: LLM Answer SEO

- Produce authoritative content LLMs trust
- Build a knowledge base for AI training data
- Position your brand as the definitive source
- Monitor brand mentions in LLMs with Mentions

Level 5: Brand Authority SEO

- Get unlinked brand mentions across the web
- Feature in industry roundups and expert lists
- Build brand recognition without traditional backlinks
- Track brand mention volume and sentiment

Level 6: Community SEO

- Provide value in relevant Reddit threads
- Share expertise on Quora in your space
- Engage in Slack communities and Discord servers
- Build reputation in industry forums and groups

Level 7: Parasite SEO

- Repurpose content on Medium and LinkedIn Pulse
- Publish beehiiv newsletters to rank in Google
- Guest post on high-authority platforms/websites
- Leverage existing domain authority for quick rankings

Level 8: Platform-Specific SEO

- Optimize for Amazon search if selling products
- Focus on YouTube SEO for video content
- Master TikTok's algorithm for short-form content
- Optimize App Store listings for apps/extensions

Level 9: Topic Domination

- Own conversations across ALL channels
- Create content ecosystems to reinforce each platform
- Become the go-to expert mentioned everywhere
- Monitor and maintain authority across all channels

Completed all levels?

SEO is constantly evolving in 2026.

Stay ahead or get left behind.

PS. Need help levelling up?

Join our first ever SaaS SEO in 2026 LIVE session tomorrow, March 4th. 
RSVP here (it’s free): https://lnkd.in/eiF7S-yM

We analysed 1,000s of AI answers to find out how LinkedIn content can improve your AI visibility.

Semrush found that LinkedIn is the 2nd most cited website in AI answers (behind Reddit).

But their only other insight?

"LinkedIn: A steady rise across all AI platforms"

So we went much deeper with Mentions and analysed 4.8M AI answers and 13.4M citations.

Here are 7 key insights we found:

1. Almost half (42.5%) of all AI prompts we’re tracking cite LinkedIn at least once. Huge reach for a single platform.

2. AI citations of LinkedIn grew by 72% in just 6 months. AI tools are finding and using LinkedIn content more every month.

3. 85% of LinkedIn citations come from Google’s AI products (AI Mode and Overviews). Using LinkedIn for AI visibility is mostly playing a Google game.

4. LinkedIn Pulse articles get 8x more citations than regular LinkedIn posts. Long articles work way better than short posts for AI visibility.

5. LinkedIn Pulse articles are doing two things at once: They help content rank on Google and then get picked up by AI answers.

6. Company pages get cited more often than any other LinkedIn page type. If your company page ranks well, it is cited more consistently by AI.

7. AI loves LinkedIn most when people ask about people, companies, experience, and practical advice.

Here are the types of prompts where AI is most likely to pull from LinkedIn (from highest to lowest):

- Hiring and HR questions (69.17%)
- Real examples and case studies (65.12%)
- “Who is this person or company?” (58.89%)
- Learning and training topics (57.04%)
- Software and tools (56.10%)
- “Why” questions (54.76%)
- “How” questions (49.72%)
- “Best” or “top” lists (48.92%)
- Recommendations (48.59%)
- Reviews and opinions (48.21%)
- Comparisons (47.35%)
- “What” or “which” questions (45.14%)
- Everything else (33.34%)

We’re currently building an AI visibility strategy for beehiiv using these exact insights.

Worth sharing the process in real-time?

Our SEO Agency is trending on X News right now... last time this happened the CEO of Google himself weighed in.

If you haven't seen it yet, Jake Ward published a controversial article yesterday.

It breaks down his AI-powered SEO experiment that will likely redefine how founders think about organic content and SEO in 2026.

So far, the results are insane:

- +466% SEO traffic growth in 60 days
- 13,000+ pages published in just 3 hours
- 50% of those pages aren't even indexed yet

People think SEO is slow. But this proves it could be the fastest growth channel for startups in 2026.

The two biggest takeaways for founders looking to invest in this growth channel:

1. Content today is built like software, not written.
2. People want to interact with content, not read it.

I've talked to dozens of founders over the past weeks, and one thing is clear…

Most know this is a growth channel they can't miss out on, but have no idea where to start.

If that sounds like you, or you’re wondering whether this would work for your site, DM me or book a call (link in comments).

I called my shot last year, then spent 183 days making it happen:

Launched 2 businesses in 4 cities and hit $75k MRR.

I lived out of a suitcase, built in public, experienced setbacks, took massive risks…

But here’s what calling my shot has made painfully clear:

1. Define the shot before you take it

I asked myself: What would the best 6 months of my life look like?

I wrote down the answer. Then showed it to my co-founder, Jake:

"We’ll spend 6 months moving from city to city, meeting interesting people. Launch two businesses and grow them fast. Build in public, and get invited on all the podcasts we've been fans of for years."

And it all came true.

You can't call your shot if you don't have total clarity on what it is. Write it down. Make it specific. Then do it.

2. Go to where the interesting people are

Whatever shot you're calling, you will need people.

I spent 6 months moving from city to city, connecting with unique and talented people.

The people I met ended up becoming my co-founders, clients, and team members.

Moving cities is your competitive advantage because so few people are willing to do it.

3. Be the first to drink the Kool-Aid

People want to join a mission and get excited about something. So don't be afraid to sell it.

You may never arrive at the original destination, but here's a secret: nobody cares.

Most people just want an excuse to go on an epic adventure.

Dream big, define your vision, then build a team around it.

4. The biggest mistake is moving so slow you don’t make any

Our first CTO quit. And we didn't let it slow us down.

In less than 24 hours we:

Met with a new candidate
Made a handshake deal for equity and comp
Flew him across the world to sleep on our couch

If you make mistakes, good. That means you're moving fast enough.

You can't steer a stationary ship.

5. Be loud and unapologetic

I’ve documented everything we built on platforms like LinkedIn and X.

People told me not to share our numbers and growth strategies publicly. But I did it anyway.

I used Kleo to turn my ideas and stories into posts (like this one) that got attention.

That attention turned into:

- 2 dream podcast appearances
- Incredible talent asking to work with us
- lead flow for all three of our businesses

The most powerful lesson in all this (for business and life)?

When you call your shot…Call it loud.

Life is short. So tell the world exactly what you want, then go get it.

Helping founders make predictable revenue from organic content and rankings on LinkedIn, Google, and LLMs | CEO of Contact.so | Mentions.so | Kleo.so

I run 3 businesses. $400K MRR (total). All growing fast.

Is there some "secret sauce?"

Kind of:

It's called a constraints analysis.

This is the highest leverage skill any Founder can develop.

Before I show you how I do it, remember:

Like any other skill, you build this one through repetition.

Repeat this system every month.

Keep honing your craft.

Hope this helps someone level up their business in 2026.

Watch the full video here: https://lnkd.in/eSjVPsgj

Connor Gillivan

Scaling my 4 B2B companies w/ SEO. Daily posts about the process. 7x Founder (Exit in 2019).

Hey hey! Thanks for stopping by my profile. Here's a quick tl;dr: 

I've been an entrepreneur since 2009. I've scaled multiple businesses to 6, 7, & 8 figures in ARR and I exited one, FreeUp, in 2019. Today, I run a portfolio of companies, teach SEO, and scale B2B and SaaS businesses with SEO.

A little bit more about me:

Over the last decade, I've built 5 businesses to 6, 7, & 8 figures in yearly revenue. 

In 2019, I exited one of them, FreeUp, to The HOTH after 4 years of growth to 40+ team members and $12M+ in ARR.

Today, I'm building a portfolio of 10+ B2B companies. 

→ TrioSEO: SEO growth services for B2B and SaaS businesses. 
→ Outsource School: Teaching business owners how to build affordable teams in the Philippines.
→ EcomBalance: Monthly bookkeeping for eCommerce companies.
→ AccountsBalance: Bookkeeping for agencies, SAAS, and service providers. 
→ ConnorGillivan.com: Teaching SEO & marketing strategies, processes, & know-how. 
→ HG Media: Social media growth agency for LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Youtube, and more.

My business partner is Nathan Hirsch. We met in college and have been working together ever since.

Our mission is to build businesses in areas where we struggled while growing our first companies and we wished there had been better solutions...hiring, outsourcing, bookkeeping, accounting, billing, legal, SEO, growth, etc. 

If you need help growing your business, I'd love to help. Here's how...

TRIOSEO

I'll work with you on keyword research, building an SEO content plan, writing SEO content, and publishing it on your website to drive more organic traffic, leads, and revenue. 

→ Get an SEO Audit here: https://trioseo.com/audit

THE SEO SYSTEM

In this 4 hour video course, I'll teach you the 4 Pillars of SEO and give you my exact SOPs that I've used to scale multiple companies to millions in ARR with SEO. Packed with value and loved by hundreds. 

→ Purchase Access: https://connorgillivan.com/seo

BOOKKEEPING & OUTSOURCING

Need help with your bookkeeping? Or hiring a virtual assistant? I've got you covered. Get a Pricing Quote for our monthly bookkeeping services. And check out the exact Hiring System we've used to build remote teams for our companies.  

→ Go here: https://ecombalance.com and here: https://outsourceschool.com

If you've made it this far, thanks for reading. 

I'm committed every day to making SEO & marketing simpler for millions. 

See you out there!

Best,
Connor

Email: Connor@ConnorGillivan.com

Founder and Owner

ConnorGillivan.com is the home to my personal brand where I make SEO simpler for millions. It hosts my weekly newsletter, The Savvy SEO, and my SEO course, The SEO System. Come learn SEO from my 10+ years of experience scaling my own companies to 6, 7, and 8 figures with an exit in 2019.

My ChatGPT Ranking Cheat Sheet:

(How I rank my business on ChatGPT for traffic & leads)

Founder: "How do I rank on ChatGPT?" 
Me: "It boils down to AUTHORITY & PRESENCE. Let me explain:"

ChatGPT and LLMs rely on the Internet to make "inferences" to your questions. 

If you ask it, "What's the best B2B SEO service online?", it's going to scour the Internet for data specific to that topic. 

Then it compiles that data, parses it, and spits out their best judgement. 

Here's a WINNING Strategy to Follow: 

#1: Prompt Research

- Brainstorm a list of prompts your ICP is asking ChatGPT. 
- Ask ChatGPT to come up with similar prompts. 
- Search them and see what's provided. 

#2: Results Analysis 

- Analyze the answers and who's being mentioned. 
- Search similar queries on Google & see what's ranking. 
- Find content ideas & "best of lists" to get added to. 

#3: Create Content

- Create new Service pages & blog content. 
- "Steal" from competitors ranking top of ChatGPT & Google.
- Replicate content they have, but make it your own & better. 
- Publish the content on social media & tag your brand. 

#4: Build Authority 

- Reach out to "best of lists" & pitch to get yourself included. 
- Write your own "best of lists" to get them ranking on Google.
- Build high DR backlinks to create "authority" for your brand. 

#5: Track Results

- Every 2-4 weeks, search the prompts on ChatGPT again. 
- Take note of changes to the results & look for your brand. 
- Repeat for 3-6 months until you're ranking on ChatGPT.

Ranking on LLMs & ChatGPT comes back to SEO. 

You won't "magically" rank on ChatGPT w/out content & authority. 

I dare you to try. 

---

What you think? 

♻️ REPOST if you found this useful. 

P.S. I talk about AI's impact on SEO & marketing every week. Follow me for more.

Connor  Gillivan

I scale companies w/ SEO & content. Book a call & let's talk SEO. 7x Founder (Exit in 2019).

My ChatGPT Cheat Sheet for SEO Backlinks:

(How I use ChatGPT to help in building backlinks.) 

I've found that ChatGPT is best for ideation. 

When you're stuck, it helps you through. 

- Ideas for better HARO answers
- Processes to analyze competition
- Backlink strategies I didn't know
- Email templates for outreach
- Local backlink ideas to build
- Digital PR story inspiration

Building backlinks isn't easy. 

ChatGPT doesn't do it for you. 

But man is it a great sparring partner. 

Don't underestimate it. 

& find ways to incorporate it. 

It'll feel weird at first, but then you'll love it. 

---

You agree with me? 

Repost ♻️ if you think it will help others.

P.S. I drop a weekly newsletter every Sunday. Tomorrow, I'm sharing insights on building an SEO strategy. Grab a copy: https://lnkd.in/gs3iPKMA

My Proven SEO Keyword Research Cheat Sheet:

(7 steps to DOMINATE keyword research in 2026)

1/ Brainstorm like your ICP
2/ Analyze KD & Volume
3/ Look at "Suggested" Keywords 
4/ Steal from your competitors
5/ Shortlist 100+ Keywords
6/ Label Intent & Prioritize
7/ Repeat Quarterly

---

Keyword research is the backbone of your SEO. 

It will make or break whether you rank top of Google. 

AND whether you'll rank in ChatGPT and LLMs.

Don't overlook it bc you don't know how. 

Follow my proven SOP & start dominating.

---

Find this helpful? 

♻️ REPOST so others can learn too. 

P.S. My company, TrioSEO, will take keyword research off your plate. And form an unbreakable SEO strategy. Download my SEO eBook to learn more: https://lnkd.in/gJ8pJ7dz

My Technical SEO Checklist to Rank on Google & LLMs (no tech skills needed):  

Technical SEO is just “making it easy for bots to crawl, understand, and trust your site.”

If you can click around in WordPress, Wix, Webflow, or Shopify, you can do 80% of it.

1/ Make sure Google can index you

- Google “site:yourdomain.com” and see pages show up
- In Google Search Console, check Indexing → Pages for errors
- If pages aren’t showing, they may be “noindexed” accidentally

2/ Submit your sitemap

- In your SEO plugin, find your sitemap URL (usually /sitemap.xml)
- Add it in Search Console → Sitemaps
- This helps Google find new pages faster

3/ Fix broken pages and redirects

- Install a broken link checker plugin or use a free crawler tool
- Redirect old URLs to the closest matching new page
- Don’t leave 404s for money pages or top traffic posts

4/ Get your titles + meta descriptions under control

- Every important page needs a unique title tag
- Include the main keyword, keep it readable
- Write a meta description that matches search intent

5/ Make your site fast enough

- Run PageSpeed Insights on your homepage + a blog post
- Compress images (biggest easy win)
- Use caching and remove bloated plugins/apps

6/ Make your site mobile-friendly

- Check your pages on your phone
- Fix text that’s too small and buttons too close
- Make sure menus and forms work cleanly

7/ Clean up your URL structure

- Use short, clear URLs: /service-name/ not /p=123/
- Avoid dates unless news-based content
- Keep one “canonical” version (no duplicates)

8/ Add internal links like a librarian

- Link from related posts → your main money pages
- Add 3–5 internal links on every new post
- Use descriptive anchor text, not “click here”

9/ Add basic schema (no coding)

- Turn on FAQ schema for FAQs (only if visible on page)
- Use Organization/Website schema via your SEO plugin
- This helps search engines + LLMs understand entities

10/ Make your pages easy for LLMs to extract

- Use clear headings (H2s that match questions people ask)
- Add a quick TL;DR and definitions near the top
- Use bullet lists, steps, and short sections

---

Most people overthink technical SEO.

You don’t need perfection, you need clean basics.

Speed, indexability, and clarity beat fancy tricks.

Do this once, then maintain monthly.

Technical SEO is reputation insurance for your site.

---

Whatcha think?

Repost ♻️ to help others learn too.

P.S. Do you want more LEADS from your SEO? I have the solution. Read the entire SOP here: https://lnkd.in/gJ8pJ7dz

Top 21 SEO Creators Helping You Rank on ChatGPT & LLMs:

1. Aleyda Solís
2. Jake Ward 
3. Anna York 
4. Louis Smith 
5. Lily Ray 
6. Sarvesh Shrivastava 
7. Artur Perrella Glukhovskyy
8. Steven Schneider 
9. Connor  Gillivan 
10. Ume Laila 
11. Britney Muller
12. Tom Winter 
13. Amanpreet Singh 
14. Liam Quirk 
15. Nick Zviadadze 
16. Jairo Guerrero 
17. Fery Kaszoni 
18. Nick Eubanks 
19. Brodie Clark
20. Neil Patel
21. Rob Hoffman 

---

You learning from this squad yet?

♻️ REPOST if you're interested in what GEO is becoming. 

P.S. GEO is rapidly evolving. SEO is becoming more about LEADS than traffic. Read my "SEO Lead Magnet Project" ebook here: https://lnkd.in/gJ8pJ7dz

P.P.S. Want to chat about your GEO w/ me? Book a call: https://lnkd.in/gYccSVY8

SEO teams don’t have a data problem.

They have a decision-speed problem.

Most teams sit on incredible data.

They just can’t access it fast enough when it matters.

Board asks:
“Why did traffic drop?”

CMO asks:
“Where are competitors gaining ground?”

Content team asks:
“What should we build next?”

And someone has to go:
“Give me 30 minutes.”

That’s the old workflow.

Semrush MCP inside Semrush One quietly changes this.

Instead of navigating dashboards,
you prompt the question directly.

Here’s how I think about it.

1. Stop navigating and start asking
→ “Show me keywords competitors rank for that we don’t”
→ “Find pages that lost positions in the last 30 days”

2. MCP pulls structured Semrush data
→ Live keyword datasets
→ Position changes
→ Competitive domain gaps

3. Get analysis-ready outputs
→ Tables, rankings, clear comparisons
→ Turn answers into action immediately
→ Adjust content briefs, update internal pages

The shift is subtle but important.

SEO used to be:
Pull data → Analyze → Decide.

Now it’s:
Ask → Decide.

That compression matters at scale.

Especially for agencies.
Especially for in-house teams reporting up.
Especially when time-to-decision is a competitive advantage.

Semrush didn’t just add another feature.

They reduced friction between question and insight.
And in SEO, speed compounds.

Start with Semrush MCP with Semrush One here: https://bit.ly/4kr4jlM

♻️ Repost if you think SEO tools should help you think faster, not click more.

P.S. I'm Connor Gillivan. Follow me for daily SEO tips & SOPs.

(Thanks to Semrush for teaming up w/ me on this post)

How to win the modern SEO game

My ChatGPT Cheat Sheet for Digital Marketing (40 Free Prompts):

Prompts to apply TODAY for your marketing:

1/ Content Marketing Strategy
2/ Social Media Marketing
3/ SEO & Web Traffic
4/ Email Marketing
5/ PPC Advertising
6/ Analytics & Reporting
7/ Marketing Automation
8/ Content Personalization

---

Digital marketing isn’t a guessing game...it’s a system.

Smart marketers don’t work harder, they work smarter.

This cheat sheet is your shortcut to great results.

Master these prompts, dominate your strategy.

Start marketing like it's 2026. 

---

What would you add? 

Repost ♻️ to help others work smarter too. 

P.S. I am Connor Gillivan. Follow me for SEO, Marketing, & AI advice.

The Anatomy of a Winning SEO Campaign: 

No, it's not just "blogging". 

In 2026, it's comprehensive. 

1/ Technical SEO

First, you set a foundation for success.

- Optimize speed
- Robots.txt
- Mobile optimized
- Modern UX + design
- URL structure
- Use of CDN
- HTTPS set up
- Schema markup
- Redirect rules

2/ Link Building

Second, you build trust w/ Google. 

- Partnerships
- Custom outreach
- HARO + Featured
- Podcasts
- Guest articles
- Digital PR
- 30+ DR
- 1,000+ traffic
- 10+ backlinks/mo
- Linkable assets
- Directories
- Expert Quotes
- Anchor text

3/ SEO Content

Third, you write content to attract your ICP. 

- Keyword research
- BoFu vs MoFu vs ToFu
- 90 Day Content Plans
- Specialized Writers
- SERP Research
- Competitor Analysis
- In-depth Outlines
- Editing + Optimization
- Internal linking
- CTAs in content
- Images + Videos
- Infographics
- Monthly analytics
- Keyword tracking
- Content upgrades
- Measuring RoT
- Calculators + Tools
- Easy to read + nav

---

Are you winning in SEO? 

♻️ REPOST if this made you think.

👋  Speak with me about your SEO: https://lnkd.in/gYccSVY8

What is EEAT? Is it still important for SEO in 2026? 

Yes, more important than ever. Let me explain: 

E = Expertise
• Google wants subject-matter experts, not surface-level summaries.
• LLMs reference creators with deep topical footprints.
• If you can’t prove expertise, search engines will sniff it out.

E = Experience
• First-hand stories, real examples, behind-the-scenes details.
• AI can’t fake lived experience (yet). Humans still win.
• Google and ChatGPT both trust content tied to real operators.

A = Authoritativeness
• Backlinks, mentions, citations, and recognition in your niche.
• The more others reference you, the more LLMs surface you.
• Authority compounds. It's a MUST in today's search.

T = Trustworthiness
• Clean design, transparent authorship, sources, accuracy.
• Google penalizes low-trust pages. It's just a fact.
• LLMs reduce hallucinations by leaning on trusted publishers.

Why It Matters More in 2026:
• AI writing flooded the internet with low-quality noise.
• Google shifts ranking weight to real expertise signals.
• ChatGPT & other LLMs cite brands & creators they trust most.
• Your E-E-A-T becomes your competitive moat.

---

AI didn’t kill SEO...it raised the bar.

Real operators stand out more than ever.

E-E-A-T is your brand identity online.

Invest in it now. It's KEY to search success.

---

Agree or disagree?

Repost ♻️+ Follow me for daily takes on SEO & GEO

P.S. I drive SEO traffic and leads for fast-growing brands. Steal my SOP on how I do it: https://lnkd.in/gJ8pJ7dz

10 AI courses every founder should take (all free):

(Full credit to Matt Gray on this one. I hit SAVE immediately & had to share!) 

1. AI Essentials - Harvard Introduction

Start here if you're completely new.

Covers the fundamentals without overwhelming technical jargon.

You'll understand what AI can and can't do for your business.

Most founders skip this and make expensive mistakes.

2. ChatGPT Mastery - Advanced Prompting

Beyond basic prompts.

Learn the frameworks that turn AI from a toy into a business weapon.

I use the techniques from this course to generate $100,000+ monthly with AI content.

3. Google AI Magic - Business Applications

How Google thinks about AI implementation.

Covers practical applications for search, advertising, and customer insights.

Perfect for understanding AI's role in marketing and operations.

4. Microsoft AI Basics - Enterprise Perspective

Learn from the company that invested $10 billion in OpenAI.

Focuses on business integration and scaling challenges.

Essential for founders planning enterprise-level AI implementation.

5. Prompt Engineering Pro - Technical Deep Dive

The advanced course that separates amateurs from pros.

Learn to craft prompts that consistently produce business-grade results.

6. Machine Learning by Harvard - Strategic Foundation

Don't just use AI - understand how it works.

Helps you make intelligent decisions about custom AI development and vendor selection.

7. Language Models by LangChain - Development Framework

For founders considering custom AI applications.

Teaches you to evaluate technical partnerships and development costs.

8. Generative AI by Microsoft - Creative Applications

How to use AI for content, design, and creative problem-solving.

Perfect for personal brand builders and content entrepreneurs.

9. AWS AI Foundations - Infrastructure Understanding

Learn the technical infrastructure behind AI applications.

Helps you make smart decisions about hosting, scaling, and costs.

10. AI for Everyone - Strategic Overview

The big picture course that ties everything together.

How AI fits into business strategy, team building, and competitive positioning.

__

Enjoy this? ♻️ Repost it to your network and follow Matt Gray for more.

Want to learn how to future-proof your founder brand with AI systems?

Get my free AI course that shows you the systems that helped me scale my businesses with AI automation: https://lnkd.in/g9MPKpyv

AI won't replace SEO. But you MUST learn how to use it. Here's 5 AI + SEO examples: 

1/ AI for Keyword Research

- Use AI to expand seed keywords into 100+ variations.
- Identify high, medium, and low intent faster.
- Validate with tools like Ahrefs and Google Keyword Planner.
- Resource: https://lnkd.in/gJGyj_2g

2/ AI for Content Outlines

- Analyze top ranking pages in seconds.
- Generate H1s, H2s, FAQs, and “People Also Ask” ideas.
- Build drafts that align with search intent.
- Resource: https://lnkd.in/gKdQx2Bc

3/ AI for Keyword Clustering

- Group related keywords into topic clusters fast.
- Identify pillar pages and supporting blog content.
- Build stronger internal linking structures.
- Resource: https://lnkd.in/guYp-aDT

4/ AI for Optimization

- Refresh posts ranking 5–20.
- Add missing entities, FAQs, and internal links.
- Improve CTR with better titles and meta descriptions.
- Resource: https://lnkd.in/gkFJKdzb

5/ AI for Repurposing

- Turn blogs into LinkedIn posts, threads, emails.
- Extract snippets for short form content.
- Multiply distribution without rewriting from scratch.
- Resource: https://lnkd.in/gyT5-ui6

---

I still don't recommend using AI to write your content. 

But I absolutely encourage you to use it for other areas of SEO. 

AI tooling is becoming too smart to ignore. 

If you're not using AI somewhere in SEO, you're showing your age. 

Adjust to the times and level up with AI. 

---

Find this useful?

Repost ♻️ to help others learn too.

P.S. Want my guide on using AI to create SEO Lead Magnets? Download it here: https://lnkd.in/gJ8pJ7dz

My SEO Internal Linking Strategy:

Most websites treat internal linking like an afterthought.

That's not the way to gain likeness w/ Google & ChatGPT. 

1/ Map Your Topical Hubs
• Create 3–5 core hubs around your main offers.
• Each hub gets 10–20 supporting articles.
• Google sees topical authority. ChatGPT sees depth.

2/ Use 1 Clear Primary Link Per Post
• Every article should push authority to ONE key page.
• No guessing. No clutter. Decide and link.
• Helps Google and LLMs understand hierarchy.

3/ Add 3–5 Contextual Links Naturally
• Place them inside the content, not just at the bottom.
• Anchor text should match search intent, not exact-match spam.
• LLMs use these connections to learn how concepts relate.

4/ Link “Up, Down, and Across”
• Up = link to your hub page.
• Down = link to deep, niche articles.
• Across = link between related articles.
• Google crawls deeper. ChatGPT builds a knowledge graph.

5/ Refresh Links Every 6 Months
• Update old posts with new internal links to fresh content.
• Keeps your whole site “alive” in Google’s eyes.
• LLMs benefit from a fully connected content ecosystem.

6/ Prioritize High-Intent Pages
• Link aggressively to service pages, comparison posts, and category pages.
• Drives conversions and strengthens the pages you actually want ranking.
• ChatGPT tends to surface pages that have clear depth and strong relationships.

---

Internal links are your quietest SEO power move.

Few people do them consistently.

They compound over years, not weeks.

The more connected your site is, the harder it is to beat.

---

What did I miss?

Repost ♻️ to help others master internal linking as well. 

P.S. Want to turn more SEO traffic into real leads? Download my SEO Lead Magnet SOP ebook: https://lnkd.in/gJ8pJ7dz

Which is best? SEO vs Ads vs Email:

Let's break each down...

SEO:

- Cost effective long term
- Drives organic traffic
- Depends on Google
- Higher conversions
- Long term investment
- Helps rank on ChatGPT
- In a phase of transformation

Ads:

- Costs for every click
- Paid traffic in search 
- Paid traffic from social
- Pay until you stop
- High CRO potential
- Targeting is unique
- Works then doesn't

Email Marketing:

- Low cost, high ROI
- Turns traffic to leads
- Turns leads to revenue
- Full control over it
- Fast acting (if done right)
- Takes time to build list
- Fighting w/ lots of noise

---

I'd rank them:

1) SEO
2) Ads
3) Email

SEO still takes the crown. 

When done right, it drives leads for years. 

I used to be an ads "hater", but that's changed. 

I now get 100s of leads from it every month. 

It's a great complement to SEO for instant leads. 

Then email nurtures & warms leads up. 

It's very much a symbiotic relationship..

....when you execute it properly. 

---

What's your favorite? Post it below. 

♻️ REPOST to encourage this conversation. 

P.S. Follow me + slap my 🔔 for daily Marketing tips & advice.

Your competitors are ranking on ChatGPT.

You're not and you don't even know why.

Most founders have zero clue who's winning in AI search results.

No visibility into which prompts matter. 

No idea what content is getting cited.

Semrush One is built for this shift.

It unifies traditional SEO + AI search visibility in one place.

And the AI Visibility Toolkit shows where AI platforms mention your competitors, but not you.

Here’s my competitor gap workflow for AI search:

1/ Start in Competitor Research
→ Benchmark visibility vs your actual AI competitors
→ Filter by platform (ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Overviews, Google AI Mode)

2/ Find topic gaps first
→ Use the Topics & Prompts section
→ Apply the Missing filter to see where competitors appear and you don’t

3/ Drop to prompt-level gaps
→ Switch to Prompt view
→ Pull the exact questions users ask where you’re absent

4/ Identify citation gaps
→ Open the Sources tab
→ Use Missing to find domains cited for competitors but not you

5/ Track the fixes
→ Add the highest-value prompts to Prompt Tracking
→ Watch daily movement after updates

This is the shift.

Not “rank higher.”

Get mentioned where AI is answering.

The brands winning in AI search aren't doing anything magical. 

They have structured content, clear answers, and authority. 

The brands losing don't even know what prompts to track.

I use Semrush One to run this process. 

It tracks AI visibility, prompt mentions, competitor gaps, and sentiment across LLMs. 

All in one dashboard alongside traditional SEO. 

It's become essential for how I do competitive analysis in 2026.

Try Semrush one for Free here: https://bit.ly/473eyr0

---

What you think? 

♻️ Repost if you think this can help someone stay ahead of AI search.

P.S. I talk about AI's impact on SEO & marketing every week. Follow me for more.  

#Semrushpartner

This cold email is satisfying on multiple levels.

Not because of the copy.

Because of the proof.

Here is the context:

Warmy sent me this email.

It landed in my primary inbox.

Not promotions. Not spam. Primary.

That is their entire product in action.

Think about that for a second.

The email itself is the case study.

No PDF needed. No testimonial screenshot.

Just open your inbox and see it working.

Here is what makes this smart:
1/ The value prop is proven before you read it.
2/ The messaging is simple and direct.
3/ It reframes what cold email can be.

Cold email has a bad reputation for a reason.

Most of it is noise that never gets seen.

Warmy makes sure yours actually arrives.

This is one of the smartest product demos I have seen. No call needed.

♻️ Repost if this made you rethink your cold email setup.

P.S. Check out Warmy
here: https://lnkd.in/gheuYKEc

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The Battle

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Connor Gillivan

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taplio

The Battle

Rob Hoffman

Connor Gillivan

Followers

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Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Rob Hoffman's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreRob Hoffman's LinkedIn Performance