u/svlease0h1

We've been thinking about this a lot lately.

a saas website can rank for hundreds of keywords and still struggle to get real leads.

at the same time, a page with 500 visitors can sometimes bring in more customers than a page with 50,000 visitors.

so what should we actually care about?

is it still: rankings → traffic → customers

or : getting found → building trust → getting customers

here's what we're curious about:

would you rather have:

A) 100k organic visitors every month with a 0.5% conversion rate

or

B) 10k organic visitors every month with a 5% conversion rate?

for saas, what has actually brought you more customers?

• blog posts
• comparison pages
• free tools
• backlinks
• reddit and communities
• product pages
• branded searches
• referrals
• something else

we'd especially like to hear from people who have seen this firsthand.

what changed your revenue, not just your traffic?

because at the end of the day, more traffic doesn't always mean more business.

A site can be doing well for years, then one Google update hits and traffic drops 30%, 50%, or even more.

The frustrating part is that sometimes nothing obvious changed.

• No major technical issues.
• No big content changes.
• No manual action.

Meanwhile, another site with weaker content starts ranking higher.

So I want to ask people here:

What do you think Google is actually rewarding after these updates?

• Better content?
• Backlinks?
• Brand authority?
• User behavior?
• Something else?

And if your site was affected by a recent Google update, what changed for you?

Traffic up, traffic down, or basically the same?

Would be interesting to compare real experiences instead of guessing what Google is doing.

I had one page I was sure was going to do well.

We spent weeks on it. Better content, better structure, proper keyword research, decent internal linking... the whole thing.

I kept checking Search Console expecting it to slowly climb.

It never really did.

A few months later, I was cleaning up some old content and found a blog post we hadn't touched in almost two years. It wasn't completely dead, but it wasn't doing much either.

Instead of writing another article, I spent maybe an hour updating it.

Nothing major:

• removed outdated info
• answered a few questions people were searching for
• added a handful of internal links
• changed the title a bit

That was literally it.

A few weeks later, that old page started picking up impressions. Then clicks. It eventually overtook the page we had spent weeks creating.

I still can't explain exactly why.

Maybe Google already trusted that URL. Maybe the internal links helped more than I expected. Maybe it already had enough authority and just needed a refresh.

Now, whenever someone on the team suggests writing a brand-new article, the first thing we ask is:

Do we already have a page that deserves another shot?

It's saved us a lot of time, and honestly, we've had better results doing that than pumping out new content.

Has anyone else had an old page randomly come back to life after a small update? I'm curious what actually made the difference in your case.

I think SEO is quietly changing.

for years, the goal was simple:

→ rank on page 1
→ get clicks
→ convert traffic

but now, someone can search for a product, tool, or company on ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, or Google AI Overviews and never click a traditional search result.

the interesting part?

getting mentioned by AI isn't the same as ranking #1 on Google.

an AI system might cite your website because:

• your content clearly answers a specific question
• multiple trusted sites mention your brand
• your data is easy to understand and verify
• your content has strong topical depth
• your brand is recognized across different sources

AI citation growth" becoming a new SEO KPI?

instead of only tracking:

→ rankings
→ organic traffic
→ backlinks

should we also track:

→ how often AI tools mention our brand
→ which sources they cite
→ which questions trigger our citations
→ which competitors get cited instead of us

I've been thinking about this as AI citation growth.

the goal isn't just to rank higher.

it's to become a source that AI systems trust enough to reference.

curious what the SEO community thinks:

Are AI citations actually the next evolution of SEO, or are we just giving a new name to good old-fashioned authority and content optimization?

and if you're already tracking AI visibility, what metrics are you using?

We've spent years optimizing for:

• google rankings
• featured snippets
• backlinks
• keyword density
• technical seo

but now we're also trying to get mentioned by chatgpt, perplexity, gemini, claude, and google ai overviews.

and honestly, i'm starting to wonder if we're optimizing for the wrong thing.

a page can rank #1 on google and still get almost no click if the user gets the answer directly from an ai result.

so here's the question:

should we stop thinking about "ranking #1" and start thinking about "being the source ai systems trust"?

what seems to matter more in 2026?

1. backlinks and authority
2. topical coverage
3. original data and research
4. brand mentions across the web
5. being cited by ai search tools
6. something else entirely

i'd love to hear what you're actually seeing from your own websites.

have you noticed traffic or rankings changing because of ai search?

and the bigger question:

if you were starting an seo strategy from zero today, what would you do differently?

I've been testing ChatGPT against Google for a few weeks, and one thing keeps surprising me.

Some companies don't even rank near the top on Google for their main keywords.

But ChatGPT brings them up again and again.

At first, I thought it was a fluke.

Then I started noticing the same pattern.

The brands that kept showing up seemed to have:

• people talking about them on Reddit
• YouTube videos mentioning them
• reviews on different websites
• comparison articles
• lots of discussions online

On the other hand, I saw some websites with better Google rankings that almost never got mentioned.

So now I'm wondering...

Are we spending too much time trying to rank on Google and not enough time getting people to actually talk about our brand?

Has anyone else noticed this?

If you've tested it yourself, what made the biggest difference?

• backlinks?
• Reddit discussions?
• reviews?
• brand mentions?
• something else?

I'd rather hear real examples than guesses.

I'm curious whether others are seeing the same thing or if I've just had a weird set of results.

Most AI advice is about prompting.

I found that the bigger improvement came from treating Claude like a long-term project instead of starting from scratch every chat.

Here's the setup I'm using:

1. One main Project
Everything goes into a single project instead of scattering chats everywhere.

2. Feed it real writing
I uploaded blog posts, docs, emails, and notes so it learned how I actually write instead of trying to describe my style.

3. Document my writing rules
I keep simple markdown files for things like:

• preferred tone
• words to avoid
• formatting habits
• things I always include

4. Connect the tools I already use
Email, notes, docs, and other daily tools.

5. Save reusable workflows
Instead of writing prompts over and over, I created repeatable workflows for recurring tasks.

6. Write down decision frameworks
Not just what to do, but how I make decisions.

7. Create reusable Skills
Anything I do more than twice becomes a reusable skill.

8. Keep Memory enabled
Small improvement on day one.
Huge improvement after dozens of conversations.

9. Maintain a feedback file
Every time Claude makes the same mistake, I don't just correct it in chat.
I add the correction to a markdown file so it doesn't keep happening.

10. Update everything regularly
My writing and workflows change, so the project gets updated too.

The biggest surprise wasn't better writing.

It was getting consistent answers because Claude had context instead of starting with a blank slate every time.

Curious how other builders are doing this.

Do you keep one giant Project, or separate Projects for different areas like coding, writing, research, and business?

I've been noticing something over the last year, and i'm curious if agencies and marketers are seeing the same thing.

we've had pages with:

• better content
• stronger internal linking
• cleaner technical seo
• faster websites
• more relevant backlinks

and yet they still struggle to outrank huge brands with average content.

it feels like google is putting more weight on trust and brand recognition than ever before.

clients still ask:
"why aren't we #1? our content is better."

the hard answer is that sometimes "better" isn't enough anymore.

today it seems like seo is becoming a mix of:

• brand authority
• mentions across the web
• creator visibility
• community engagement
• pr
• and then traditional seo.

if that's true, agencies need to rethink how they sell seo.

maybe we're no longer just optimizing pages.
maybe we're building brands that happen to rank.

Question for everyone here:

if you launched two identical websites today with the same content and backlinks, but one had a recognized brand behind it and the other didn't...

do you think google would rank them the same after 12 months?

or has seo officially become a brand-first channel?

would love to hear what everyone's seeing across different industries.

Every week I see the same advice:

• Publish more content.
• Build backlinks.
• Optimize for AI search.
• Improve Core Web Vitals.

But I'm more interested in the things that aren't all over LinkedIn or YouTube.

What's one tactic you've personally tested in 2026 that actually moved rankings?

It doesn't have to be some secret hack. Even a small change that made you think, "Why isn't everyone doing this?"

I'll start:

We've seen better results from refreshing old pages with new search intent than publishing brand-new articles. In several cases, updating structure, FAQs, and internal links beat writing 2–3 new posts.

Curious what everyone else is seeing.

What's working for you right now?

Over the last few weeks, we analyzed 50 citations across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Claude.

A few patterns stood out:

1. 42% of citations came from pages that weren't ranking #1 in Google.
2. Several AI-cited pages had fewer backlinks than competitors.
3. Pages with direct answers, statistics, and clear formatting appeared far more often than pages with higher domain authority.
4. Many citations came from niche blogs and industry resources rather than large publishers.

This made us wonder:

Are we overestimating the importance of traditional SEO signals for AI visibility?

Google rankings still matter.

But AI search seems to reward something slightly different:

• Direct answers
• Original data
• Clear structure
• Topical depth
• Entity recognition
• Citation-worthy content

The biggest takeaway:

We're moving from a world where ranking was the goal to a world where being cited may become equally important.

For those actively tracking AI search:

What's the most surprising thing you've discovered about AI citations so far?

Have you seen pages getting cited that would never rank in the top 3 of Google?

I came across this Reddit marketing funnel and it got me thinking about how different Reddit is from every other platform.

Most marketers treat Reddit like Facebook, LinkedIn, or X.

They drop links.

They promote products.

They disappear.

Then they wonder why they get downvoted into oblivion.

The funnel in this image highlights something many brands still miss:

✅ Build credibility first
✅ Find the right communities
✅ Share value before promotion
✅ Get early engagement
✅ Measure what actually works

What stood out to me is Step 1.

Most marketing channels reward content.

Reddit rewards reputation.

I've seen accounts with massive budgets fail because they had zero community trust.

I've also seen individuals with no budget generate thousands of visits simply by consistently helping people.

A few things I've noticed working lately:

• Sharing original data instead of opinions
• Answering questions instead of pitching products
• Posting case studies with real numbers
• Being active in smaller niche subreddits
• Joining discussions before ever mentioning your company

The interesting part is that AI search tools are increasingly pulling answers from Reddit threads.

So a great Reddit comment today can potentially influence traffic months later.

My question:

What's been your biggest Reddit marketing win (or failure)?

• A post that unexpectedly blew up?
• A campaign that got destroyed by the community?
• A subreddit that consistently drives leads?
• Something that worked 2 years ago but doesn't work anymore?

Curious to hear real experiences because Reddit seems to be one of the few places where traditional marketing playbooks often fail.

Let's compare notes. 👇

I’ll start.

A few years ago, we spent way too much time trying to make ads look perfect.

Fancy creatives. Long strategy decks. Endless A/B tests on tiny details.

But the biggest wins came from something much simpler:

Matching the ad message to what people were already thinking.

When the offer, problem, and timing aligned, even average-looking ads performed well.

When they didn’t, no amount of creative magic could save the campaign.

Now I’m curious:

What’s the biggest lesson you've learned from running ads in the last few years?

Could be:

• Facebook/Meta Ads
• Google Ads
• LinkedIn Ads
• TikTok Ads
• YouTube Ads
• Any paid acquisition channel

What's the one thing that changed how you think about advertising?

Interested to hear both wins and expensive mistakes.

Sometimes the comments teach more than most marketing courses.

We’ve been testing something interesting across a few US-focused sites recently.

Hot take: it feels like Google is rewarding real discussions more than polished SEO articles now.

A few things we noticed in the last 60–90 days:

• Reddit threads ranking above DR80 blogs
• AI Overviews reducing clicks on informational posts
• Smaller niche sites beating huge publishers with more “human” content
• Pages with actual opinions/case studies outperforming generic “ultimate guides”
• Brand mentions on Reddit/X/forums helping rankings more than some backlinks

What’s weird is… some of our “best optimized” pages are losing traffic, while messy pages with:

• screenshots
• founder opinions
• community comments
• comparison tables
• actual experiences

…are gaining visibility.

Feels like Google’s AI systems are trying to figure out:

“Would a real human trust this answer?”

instead of:

“Did this page follow classic SEO rules?”

Even Google is pushing more community/forum content into AI results now.

And multiple SEO discussions on Reddit are reporting the same shift:

• AI Overviews hurting informational clicks
• Reddit/forum discussions gaining visibility
• Brand/entity mentions becoming stronger signals

One thing we tested that surprisingly worked:

Instead of publishing another “SEO tips” article…

we created:

• mini industry studies
• controversial takes
• comparison posts
• opinion-based content
• community discussion bait

Those pages got:

• more branded searches
• more engagement
• more natural mentions
• better rankings over time

Curious what others in the US market are seeing right now.

What’s actually moving rankings for you in 2026?

• Topical authority?
• Brand searches?
• UX?
• Reddit mentions?
• Community engagement?
• AI citation optimization?
• Parasite SEO?
• Video content?

At this point, SEO feels half strategy, half survival mode 😅

Would love to hear what’s actually working for US SEO teams right now.

I’ve seen people get responses from:

• typo callouts
• dog photos in signatures
• “sent from my iPhone”
• and even subject lines with just “quick one”

Cold email feels less like marketing now… and more like psychology.

Drop your funniest or most unexpected win below 👇

Google just quietly changed how SEO teams work.

Not because rankings disappeared.
Because “search volume” stopped being the main signal.

We’re seeing pages with lower volume keywords bring more pipeline than the big obvious terms everyone fights over.

Why?

Because AI summaries, Reddit threads, and community answers are filtering out weak intent searches before people even click.

The traffic that still reaches websites is way more intentional now.

A few things we’ve noticed lately:

• comparison keywords are converting harder than informational ones
• branded search is becoming a trust signal, not just navigation
• Reddit mentions are influencing clicks more than DR scores in some niches
• people trust screenshots and real examples over polished SEO copy
• best tools pages without firsthand experience feel dead instantly

Honestly feels like SEO is slowly merging with product marketing and community building.

The weird part?
A lot of companies still think publishing 50 AI blogs a month is a strategy.

Curious what others are seeing right now.

What’s one SEO tactic that worked insanely well 2 years ago but feels almost useless today?

A founder I know went all in on LinkedIn last year. Posted daily. Clean hooks, polished carousels, even hired a ghostwriter. On paper, everything improved. Impressions doubled. Engagement went up. But leads? Almost zero. So like everyone else, he blamed the algorithm, the niche, the timing. The usual excuses. But when we actually looked at what he was posting, the problem was obvious. Nothing he said was real. It was all optimized for reach, not truth. Safe takes. Recycled ideas. The kind of content that gets likes from other creators but completely ignored by actual buyers. So we changed one thing. Instead of posting what performs on LinkedIn, he started posting what was actually happening inside his business. Missed targets. Deals that fell through. Pricing mistakes. Campaigns that flopped and why. What he got wrong. What he’d do differently. Engagement dropped a bit. Fewer likes. But the quality shifted hard. People started replying with context. Asking real questions. Sharing their own problems. Within 6 weeks, he closed 3 deals directly from comments and DMs. No lead magnets. No funnels. No hacks. Just clarity.

Here’s the part most people don’t want to hear. LinkedIn right now is crowded with people building content brands, not actual businesses. They’re optimizing for impressions the same way big companies chase vanity metrics. It looks good for a while. Until it doesn’t. Because attention without trust doesn’t convert. And trust doesn’t come from polished content. It comes from earned perspective. The people actually winning on LinkedIn right now aren’t the best writers or the most consistent posters. They’re the ones closest to the problem. Operators. Builders. People still in the trenches. The dynamic is simple. Just like small focused companies beat big brands by obsessing over the product, small creators are beating “LinkedIn influencers” by obsessing over truth. If your LinkedIn isn’t driving anything meaningful, stop tweaking hooks, stop overthinking formats, stop chasing trends. Ask a better question. Are you actually saying something that only you can say, or are you just repackaging what already works? That gap is exactly where most people lose.