Visibility Brief

SEO Is at a Crossroads

In this special episode of The Visibility Brief, recorded live at SEO Week, Rebecca Colwell is joined by Garrett Sussman (Director of Marketing at iPullRank) and Christian Ward (Chief Data Officer at Yext) for a candid reflection on where the industry actually stands today. A year ago, AI search felt like a novelty. New tools, new ideas, and a lot of speculation. Today, the tone has shifted. The excitement hasn’t disappeared – but it’s been replaced by something more grounded: uncertainty, urgency, and a growing realization that the rules are changing faster than most teams can keep up. So what’s actually changed in the last 12 months? And more importantly, what hasn’t? This conversation goes beyond tactics. It’s about how SEO is evolving as a function, why so many teams are still “admiring the problem,” and what it will take to move from understanding AI to actually acting on it. THE EPISODE BREAKS DOWN: * Why the industry feels more mature, but still a bit stuck * The gap between understanding AI’s impact and actually changing strategy or execution * Why technical understanding of AI pipelines matters * Why SEO is positioned to lead…but often doesn’t * Why content strategy is shifting back toward uniqueness and context * Why brands are struggling to define success in AI visibility The tools are evolving. The models are improving. The opportunity is real. But most brands haven’t made the shift yet, and that gap is where the next wave of advantage will be created.

How AI Is Changing the Path from Search to Booking

In this episode of The Visibility Brief, Yext SVP of Marketing Rebecca Colwell is joined by Leah Hutcheon, Founder & CEO of Appointedd, to explore how AI is changing not just how people find brands, but how they move from discovery to action. As AI assistants take on more of the research process, customers are arriving at decisions faster, with more context and more confidence. That means less browsing, fewer clicks, and a much shorter path between “I’m interested” and “I’m ready.” And increasingly, that moment shows up as a booking. So what does it mean when customers commit their time before they ever step into a store or complete a purchase? And how should brands design for a world where intent is signaled earlier and more clearly than ever? Drawing on her experience building 'intent infrastructure' for global retailers, Leah reframes bookings as far more than a calendar slot. They're a signal of intent, a moment of trust, and one of the most valuable opportunities a brand has to create a meaningful experience. THE EPISODE BREAKS DOWN: * Why bookings are becoming a primary conversion signal * Why time is the most valuable signal customers give you * Why most brands underinvest in the booking experience * How leading retailers turn appointments into high-value interactions that drive higher spend * How intent data transforms the customer journey * What shifts when AI agents — not customers — do the browsing If you’re a marketing leader thinking about how AI is reshaping customer behavior, this episode will help you rethink where real intent emerges, how to design for it, and why the moment someone books may matter more than anything that came before.

What SEO Actually Looks Like in an AI-Driven World

In this episode of The Visibility Brief, Yext SVP of Marketing Rebecca Colwell is joined by Leigh McKenzie, Director of Online Visibility at Semrush, to explore how one of marketing’s most established roles is being fundamentally reshaped by AI. For more than two decades, SEO meant understanding Google—how it crawled, how it ranked, and how to win clicks. But that playbook is no longer enough. AI is changing how people search, how answers are delivered, and how brands get discovered. So what does the job of an SEO actually look like now? And how should teams evolve when visibility depends on much more than a website? Drawing on his experience at Semrush, where he's had a front-row seat to the evolution of search, Leigh makes the case that SEO isn't disappearing — it's growing into something bigger, more strategic, and more cross-functional than ever. The episode breaks down: * Why traditional SEO thinking is no longer enough * How consumer behavior is changing the search landscape * Why SEO is becoming a cross-functional discipline * Why your website is only part of the equation * How mass content and quick-win tactics can quietly hurt long-term visibility and trust * What SEO teams should stop, start, and rethink If you’re leading an SEO or marketing team and trying to understand how your role is changing, this episode will help you zoom out, rethink your priorities, and position yourself — and your brand – for what comes next.

Trust and Personalization in the AI Era

In this episode of The Visibility Brief, Yext SVP of Marketing Rebecca Colwell sits down with Bill Simpson, Director of Value Consulting at Yext, to explore a question many marketers are still working through: how far is too far when it comes to personalization? As AI is changes how people interact with technology, customers  are sharing more personal information than ever before — often without realizing it. But why does AI feel so different from traditional search, and what’s making people more willing to open up? At the same time, brands are under pressure to move faster, adopt new tools, and deliver more personalized experiences. But speed introduces risk. From data exposure to inaccurate AI responses, the line between helpful and harmful is thin — and easy to cross. Drawing on his years of experience working with brands, Bill shares insights on how marketers can move forward thoughtfully — balancing innovation with responsibility. THE EPISODE BREAKS DOWN: * How conversational interfaces create a sense of trust * Where personalization starts to feel invasive * Why transparency is the new competitive advantage * The hidden risks in everyday AI workflows * How to safely pilot AI inside your organization * Why human oversight still matters If you’re a marketing leader trying to move quickly with AI while protecting your customers and your brand, this episode will help you understand the real tradeoffs — and how to navigate them with confidence.

Beyond Google and the Traditional Search Box

In this episode of The Visibility Brief, Yext SVP of Marketing Rebecca Colwell is joined by Heather Physioc, Chief Discoverability Officer at VML, for a conversation about how search has expanded far beyond Google — and why brands must rethink what discoverability really means. For years, “search” was shorthand for one thing: Google and the ten blue links. But today, consumers move fluidly between social platforms, retail sites, video search, maps, and AI search depending on what they’re trying to accomplish. So what does it mean to show up consistently when discovery no longer happens in one predictable place? Drawing on her journalism background and years leading cross-channel search strategy, Heather reframes SEO as something broader and more human: the practice of meeting real human needs – wherever and however they surface. THE EPISODE BREAKS DOWN: * Why brands must move beyond optimizing for a single engine * How consumer intent changes depending on context * How LLMs handle complex queries better than traditional search * Why trust is becoming the real competitive edge * How structured data and consistency matter more than ever * How to rethink measurement in a world where discovery is fragmented If you’re a marketing leader navigating a world where search happens everywhere (not just in a browser), this episode will help you rethink how your brand connects with customers across today’s search journey.