Last Updated on April 19, 2026 by Aimee Jurenka
Let’s not sugarcoat it; the internet has been flipped. AI didn’t quietly sneak in the back door. It kicked it down and changed the locks. Search as we knew it? That old script doesn’t run anymore.
So no, I’m not just doing “SEO” these days. That label feels like a MySpace profile in a world full of sentient interfaces. Cute, nostalgic, but not where the magic’s happening.
SEO Got Me Here, But I’m Not Staying Put
I still love the bones of SEO. Technical audits, crawl maps, intent-matched content are foundational. But clinging to the term like it still explains what I actually do? That feels dishonest. Lazy, even.
I’m building strategies for an internet that talks back. That thinks. That doesn’t just serve up links it serves up answers, summaries, vibes.
So yeah, I’m stepping into AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), GEO (Generative Experience Optimization), and AI Search. Because if the game changes and I don’t change how I play? I’m not a strategist. I’m a fossil.
New Labels, New Thinking
Renaming what I do isn’t just marketing spin. It’s a mental purge. A clean wipe of assumptions that don’t serve me or my clients anymore.
This is me dragging old-school funnels to the recycle bin and making room for questions like:
- What happens when the “search engine” is now delivering hyper-personalized results?
- What does a CTA look like when the user never leaves the AI SERP (is that what we are calling the conversations we are having with AI?) until purchase?
- How do I create content that can’t be summarized into a two-sentence AI reply?
I don’t have all the answers. But I am obsessed with asking better questions.
Clients Deserve More Than SEO Theater
Bosslings – I see you. You want to know that your strategist isn’t just phoning it in with decade-old checklists and keyword spreadsheets. You want someone who’s watching the horizon, building systems that flex, and not afraid to blow things up if that’s what the future demands.
This shift in language tells you:
- I see the patterns behind the chaos
- I know what’s happening under the hood of AI-first search
- I’m building for six months from now, not just next Monday
I’m not selling peace of mind. I’m selling momentum.
This Shift? It’s Rocket Fuel
I’m not changing my title because it’s trendy. I’m changing it because it unlocks something in me.
This moment, where the rules are fluid and the possibilities are stupidly exciting, is exactly where I want to be. I want to break things. Rebuild them. Get weird. Get smart. Follow the strange sparks.
Every day, I wake up hyped to fall into a research rabbit hole and surface with a new theory, a new tool, a new way to move smarter.
And if calling myself an AI Search strategist, or AEO/GEO hybrid, or whatever the hell this role is turning into, gives me the fire to show up and make things better? Then hell yes, I’m leaning into it.
TL;DR: This Ain’t Just SEO Anymore
It’s bigger. Weirder. More alive.
So no, I’m not done with SEO. But I’m done pretending it’s the whole story.