Beyond the Blue Links

How Search Everywhere Optimisation is

Redefining Digital Discovery

Mert Erkal

Founder, Stradiji

Search 'n Stuff Antalya Digital Marketing Conference 2025

X: @searchandstuff

IG: @searchnstuff

#SearchandStuff

#SearchandStuffAntalya

Who I Am?

Mert Erkal, Founder of Stradiji (est. 2010)

Digital Marketing Notes

(since 2020)

300+ issues with video reviews

SEOs Diners Club newsletter

AI + Human Vision = A Better Future

Panel: "AI in 2025 - SEO KPIs"

Services & Expertise

SEO Consultancy

International markets & organic visibility

Conversion Optimization

Turning traffic into meaningful actions

AI Optimization

Visibility in AI-powered search results

Remote SEO Training

Empowering teams with expertise

Web Analytics & Ads

Data-driven decision making

AI-Human Hybrid Approach

Our Three-Step Process

1

AI Research & Analysis

Data gathering, trend identification

2

Human Strategic Direction

Creative insights, brand alignment

3

Optimized Final Content

Perfect blend of AI efficiency & human creativity

Performance Comparison

The Search Paradigm Shift

PAST

Users searched for links

PRESENT

Users seek direct answers

Success = Clicks & Traffic

Success = Visibility & Authority

Blue links dominated

AI summaries & direct answers

The Central Dilemma:

More questions than ever, fewer clicks to websites

The New Search Ecosystem

SEO

Ranking in search results

Drives website traffic

Focus: Keywords & technical health

GEO

Citations in AI answers

Builds brand authority

Focus: Factual accuracy & depth

AEO

Direct answers in snippets

Increases brand visibility

Focus: Clear Q&A format

AEO: The Future of Brand Visibility

800M+

Weekly active users on AI search tools

Key Technological Drivers:

Personalization & memory features

Increased query volume

Context engineering capabilities

AI Search Trends (2023-2025)

Next-Gen Content Strategy

Dual-Audience Approach

For AI "Agents"

Detailed & comprehensive

Structured data markup

Factually accurate

Long-tail Q&A format

For Human Visitors

Conversion-focused

Clear messaging

Strong calls-to-action

Emotionally engaging

Implementation: Intent-focused content, structured data, scannable format, direct question answering

Strategic Adaptation for AI Search Era

SEO transformed, not dead

Combine traditional SEO with GEO and AEO

Focus shift: Clicks → Visibility

Brand authority across all search surfaces

Action Plan

1

Audit current visibility

2

Implement structured data

3

Create dual-purpose content

4

Adopt new success metrics

"Success in the AI search era requires a holistic approach that spans the entire search ecosystem."

Evolution of Search Results

2000s

Simple blue links

2010s

Knowledge panels & featured snippets

2020s

Rich results & visual search

2025

AI-generated summaries & direct answers

"From being a gateway to information to becoming the destination for information itself."

Multi-Platform Search World

YouTube

Second largest search engine

TikTok

41% of Gen Z search here first

Amazon

Dominates product search

Reddit

Authentic opinions, niche info

Emerging Search Modalities

Voice Search

Conversational content

Q&A formats

Natural language

Visual Search

Image optimization

Alt text

Visual content

AI-Powered Search

Structured data

Comprehensive info

Factual accuracy

Expert Insights

Rand Fishkin

SparkToro Founder

"Search Everywhere" concept

"Brands need to be discoverable wherever their audience is searching, not just on Google."

Mike King

iPullRank Founder

Relevance engineering

"Context optimization ensures AI systems understand not just keywords, but broader meaning."

Wil Reynolds

Seer Interactive Founder

New KPIs for GenAI era

"We need new metrics when visibility doesn't always translate to clicks."

New Skills Required

Technical Skills

Structured data implementation

API integration

Content Skills

Dual-audience content creation

AI-friendly formatting

Analytical Skills

Cross-platform measurement

New visibility metrics

Strategic Thinking

Holistic search ecosystem

Context engineering

Practical Strategies

Google

Structured data implementation

Featured snippet optimization

E-E-A-T content focus

YouTube

Keyword-rich titles & descriptions

Engagement metrics optimization

Timestamp chapters

TikTok

Trending sounds & hashtags

Keyword-rich captions

First 3 seconds hook

Amazon

Product listing optimization

Backend keywords strategy

A+ content with rich media

Instagram Indexing

July 10, 2025

Google now indexes Instagram posts

Public, professional accounts (18+)

41% of Gen Z use social as search

Optimization Strategies

Descriptive captions with keywords

Strategic hashtag usage

Alt text for images

New Measurement Approaches

Beyond Rankings & Traffic

Visibility across platforms

Brand mentions in AI responses

Featured snippet appearances

Engagement metrics

Focus on the entire user journey:

Awareness

Consideration

Conversion

Key Takeaways

Search is evolving beyond blue links

Success requires visibility across platforms

Adapt for both AI and humans

Focus on authority, not just traffic

Connect With Me

mert@stradiji.com

stradiji.com/en

seosdinersclub.beehiiv.com

"AI + Human Vision = A Better Future"

@merterkal

merterkal

@mert.erkal