Hey friend,

How’s it going? 🌻

So I recently attended Spotlight by Semrush! I have a lot of key takeaways, specifically related to AI and Content Marketing. I would be sharing those in this edition.

Let's go!

BDW....

Takeaway 1: SEO Isn’t Dead — It’s Becoming GEO (Generative Experience Optimization)

One of the most repeated lines at the event was:

That means content today needs to be optimized for two audiences — humans and machines.

It’s not just about ranking on Google anymore. It’s about being understood, summarized, and recommended by AI systems. Your “visibility” now depends on how well machines can interpret your authority — and how real humans validate it through mentions, citations, and engagement.

And honestly, I’ve seen that shift even in my own work.

When I analyze organic performance these days, the posts that perform best aren’t always the keyword-heavy ones. They’re the ones where users stay longer, keep coming back to, and probably talk about us elsewhere.

That’s GEO — content that the internet recognizes as useful, not just optimized.

Takeaway 2: The real metric is influence

In the next few years, Share of Voice, Influential Impressions, and Brand Mentions will matter more than pageviews.

Because AI doesn’t “click” — it references.

The more your brand is cited, discussed, and recommended, the more discoverable it becomes in both human and generative search.

So instead of obsessing over traffic spikes, it’s time to track signals like:

• Who’s mentioning you when your competitors are mentioned
• How often does your brand appear in AI-generated snippets
• How much of your traffic comes from earned citations, not campaigns

I found that powerful — because it reframes “SEO success” as brand authority, not ranking.

Takeaway 3: Visibility = Discovery + Engagement + Value Consumption

One framework that stuck with me was:
​Discovery, Engagement, and Value Consumption.

Being found is just one-third of the work. Being understood and remembered — that’s what builds brands that last.

In content terms:

• Discovery is your SEO and social reach.
• Engagement refers to how people interact — reading, saving, and sharing.
• Value consumption occurs when they come back, subscribe, or take action.

For me, that was a reminder — visibility isn’t about showing up everywhere. It’s about being visible where it compounds.

Takeaway 4: AI won’t replace you — it’ll replace the average

One of my favorite lines from Spotlight:

That’s it. Not the thoughtful, strategic, deeply contextual work — but the repetitive, prompt-fed content that adds nothing new.

I couldn’t agree more. AI has made content creation easy, which means differentiation is now the hardest part.

The future content marketer won’t be the one who prompts better.
It’ll be the one who builds perspective — who knows when to lean on AI for efficiency, and when to rely on human judgment for relevance.

The ones who’ll thrive will use AI to accelerate context, not replace it.

Takeaway 5: Growth loops are the new funnels

Instead of thinking TOFU → MOFU → BOFU, think of marketing as a loop — every user, every campaign, every piece of content feeds the next one.

In other words, your output becomes your next input.

That’s exactly how modern content marketing feels now.
Every piece of data, every organic mention, every user behavior — it’s all feedback for what you create next.

Funnels measure performance. Loops measure progress.

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Onwards and upwards,

Sreyashi

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