Jason Dowdell on SEO, AI and Navigating the Future of Search

An Expert Perspective on LLMs, Metadata, and Brand Authenticity

In a recent in-depth interview, we had the privilege of speaking with Jason Dowdell, a seasoned SEO expert with decades of experience in the field. Dowdell shared his invaluable insights on the evolving landscape of SEO, particularly in light of the rise of Large Language Models (LLMs) and their impact on search behavior and brand visibility. His perspectives offer crucial guidance for businesses looking to stay ahead in this dynamic digital environment. A summary is below, and for the full text, click here.

Here are the key takeaways from our discussion:

• LLMs and Metadata Ingestion: Dowdell confirmed that LLMs do ingest metadata, and he also added, “We haven’t done enough experiments to say, ‘Okay, are they including or excluding the meta description?’ Right.” He emphasized that while they follow robot guidelines, complexities arise with JavaScript-rendered schema data, which may be omitted, affecting brand visibility.
• The Enduring Role of Websites: Dowdell stressed the continued importance of a brand’s website, calling the homepage “the doorway to your brand.” He highlighted the necessity of consistent messaging across all channels and the need for an over-delivering website experience, akin to “brick-and-mortar stores that are creating Instagram worthy experiences.”
• Hallucinations and Brand Risk: While acknowledging the potential for LLMs to generate “hallucinations,” Dowdell believes brands are unlikely to be severely damaged by them: “I don’t know that the brands are really going to be scathed by that quite honestly.” He does, however, foresee spammers trying to exploit loopholes, though long-term effects are mitigated by model training cycles.
• Authenticity in Social Media: Dowdell cautioned against posting content solely to be noticed by LLMs. He explained, “If you’re not actually posting content that literally talks about your target audience, what they’re trying to accomplish, how your product and service helps them accomplish that,” it will not be effective. He emphasized the importance of authentic engagement that addresses audience needs and pain points.
• Customer Service and AI Integration: Despite the rise of chatbots, Dowdell emphasized the critical role of human interaction, especially in “Your Money, Your Life” industries. He described using AI to enhance human customer service by indexing call transcripts and proactively addressing customer concerns on web pages. “We want people to have those questions answered immediately,” he stated.

Dowdell’s perspective underscores a shift in SEO thinking. Rather than solely focusing on algorithms, the emphasis is turning towards authentic human communication and understanding customer intent. This shift is about speaking “like a human” and prioritizing clear, consistent messaging that resonates with the target audience. He believes technical SEO is becoming simplified, focusing on essential elements like clear intent, proper headings, and indexable schema data. “The technical aspects of this went from 10,000 elements to 500 elements. And to me, that’s refreshing,” he noted.

He also believes that knowledge graphs are not diminishing, but being amplified, and will influence how LLMs understand and trust brands. This further reinforces the need for a strong, consistent brand identity across all platforms. Ultimately, Dowdell’s vision for the future of SEO is one where genuine engagement, helpful content, and a proactive approach to customer service reign supreme, with AI serving as a tool to enable, rather than replace, human connection.