MarTech Interview with Jon Earnshaw, Chief Product Evangelist at Pi Datametrics

Jon, could you please outline your journey to becoming Chief Product Evangelist at Pi Datametrics and share insights into your career path?

My journey to becoming Chief Product Evangelist at Pi Datametrics has been a fulfilling adventure. Initially, I was an academic, teaching at universities and colleges across the country. With a deep interest in technology, I was captivated by the emergence of the internet. However, my students often questioned whether I had practical experience in the technology and business theories I taught, making me realize the importance of real-world experience.

One day, I came across a job advertisement in the Sunday Times for a technology position based in Oxford, with opportunities to travel to places like California and Berlin. Intrigued, I applied, got the job, and left my secure teaching role to dive into the burgeoning dot-com era. Unfortunately, like many others at that time, the job lasted only about nine months.

Facing a pivotal moment in my career, I decided to pursue my passion for entrepreneurship rather than return to academia. I started as a consultant specializing in usability and accessibility and later worked with e-commerce businesses. Without a marketing budget, I had to learn how Google’s algorithms worked to promote my business, sparking a lifelong journey of collecting data and attempting to reverse-engineer Google’s search algorithms.

After three years of consulting, I co-founded Pi Datametrics, where my role evolved into Chief Product Evangelist. This position has allowed me to combine my passion for teaching with product development, revolutionizing search intelligence solutions for top-tier brands and agencies globally.

With new AI-powered Google search features emerging, how do you foresee the evolution of the SERP landscape? What major changes should stakeholders anticipate?

The introduction of OpenAI’s ChatGPT ignited a generative AI revolution, prompting Google to launch its beta Search Generative Experience (now called the AI Overlay). I knew then, that this was what search was always destined to become. It was destined to become a conversation.

The vast majority of searches are informational, which means search can no longer be just about question and answer. Search is evolving into an interactive dialogue with more comprehensive exploration and discovery journeys through multiple digital doorways.

We can expect a rise in AI-generated answers, which makes perfect sense as users are increasingly seeking more engaging and conversational interactions. AI Search Engines like Perplexity are setting new standards for conversational search, compelling Google to enhance its generative AI capabilities to meet the demand.

The informational search landscape will fundamentally transform into a conversational experience, benefiting users by providing richer and more tailored answers that are arguably closer to intent.

You’ve highlighted this as a pivotal moment for SEO. What factors contribute to this being the greatest opportunity in the field’s history?

Aside from generative AI, there are two important Google updates which paved the way for this pivotal moment in SEO – BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers) and MUM (Multitask Unified Model). BERT and MUM have fundamentally transformed how Google processes its information, enabling it to deal with more conversational, longer-tail and at times, ambiguous search queries. This shift was monumentally important as it meant searchers were able to benefit from more accurate and satisfying answers. This progression leads to a richer, more engaging search experience that ultimately drives higher conversion rates.

How do you anticipate AI-powered features will disrupt traditional SEO strategies that professionals have relied on for years?

For years, SEO professionals have been playing the keyword game, focusing on high-volume, trophy terms like “best blazers” or “gifts for her.” This strategy has worked well in the past, but the landscape has since changed. For the past two decades, SEOs have been obsessed with chasing high-volume keywords, however, this approach has become less relevant. The new currency of performance in SEO is conversation.

This shift encourages SEO professionals to focus on longer-tail queries that better align with user intent. Voice search and conversational AI are driving this change, pushing users towards more natural, question-based interactions. Embracing this shift means moving away from traditional keyword strategies and adapting to a landscape where understanding user intent and providing relevant, conversational content is key to success.

Could you share your personal approach to adapting strategies in response to AI-driven SEO changes? Are there specific tactics or tools you find particularly effective?

Think of AI in search as transforming a straightforward keyword query into a rich conversation. This means that longer, more conversational queries, often via voice search, are becoming the norm. To adapt, we need to shift our SEO strategies to focus on longer-tail, conversational equivalents.

For instance, if your keyword is “best running shoes,” a conversational equivalent might be “What are the best running shoes for marathon training?”.

By building content around conversational equivalents, we can identify and address the gap between current and likely future performance.

What steps should businesses take now to stay competitive amidst the evolving SEO landscape?

To stay competitive, businesses must adapt their keyword strategy to include conversational search queries. As these become mainstream, being ‘part of the conversation’ is crucial. Start by tracking the results of conversational queries and analyse how they differ from traditional keywords. Identify who is performing well within your sector with these queries, and study the tactics they use to rank for them. Leveraging SEO tools like Pi Datametrics can provide the granular insights needed to successfully analyze, plan and implement agile SEO strategies like these.

In e-commerce, the difference can be stark: landscapes for conversational queries can be up to 90% different from those for traditional keywords, which means that the businesses that are currently dominating search results will not remain visible if they do not adapt.

As artificially intelligent, voice-enabled personal assistants become more popular, businesses need to ensure their content is optimized for this type of search A good way to do this is to prioritize the acquisition of Answer Cards and utilise the People Also Ask feature. This strategy will help businesses reach users directly in their homes, bypassing traditional browser-based search behaviour.

Which industries or business sectors do you believe will be most impacted by the introduction of AI-powered search features?

The introduction of AI-powered search features is set to revolutionize several industries, but the most immediate and profound impact will likely be on the affiliate marketing sector.

Historically, searching for information online has involved a somewhat tedious process: entering your search query, reviewing multiple sites, and making a decision after several back-and-forth comparisons. Affiliates capitalized on this by providing curated lists and reviews to streamline the process, with a commercial interest behind their recommendations.

However, the emergence of advanced AI tools like Google Gemini and Perplexity has changed the landscape. Users can now quickly generate comprehensive comparisons and detailed insights—like a table of the top five fragrances for men, complete with images, descriptions, pros and cons, and purchasing options—all within seconds, and often without commercial bias.

For affiliate marketers, this shift represents a significant challenge. The convenience of these AI-powered search features means users may bypass traditional affiliate sites for direct, unbiased information. Affiliates need to adapt by exploring new strategies, perhaps focusing on providing unique value beyond what AI tools offer, to remain relevant and effective in this evolving landscape.

What advice would you offer to newcomers entering the SEO field, especially given the rapid pace of change?

For newcomers to SEO, my top advice is to master the fundamentals while staying adaptable to rapid changes. First, focus on the basics of SEO. This means understanding key elements like page theming, title tags, headers, meta descriptions, internal linking, accessibility, architecture and core web vitals. These foundational aspects remain relevant, despite the evolving SEO landscape.

Beyond the basics, immerse yourself in the latest trends and updates. Follow reputable SEO experts and stay informed about algorithm changes, like Google’s Helpful Content update and E-E-A-T principles (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness).

To get ahead, dive into the world of generative AI. Explore how AI is not only transforming search technology but also shifting user search behavior and content consumption. Finally, think beyond Google. Embrace the future of search by exploring innovative tools like custom-built GPT models and alternative search engines like Perplexity. This broader perspective will help you stay ahead in this rapidly changing environment.

Looking ahead 5 to 10 years, what are your predictions for the future of SEO as AI technology continues to advance?

Looking ahead to the next five to ten years, I anticipate a major shift towards voice search and conversational AI as central pillars of the SEO landscape. 2024 will be a pivotal year for this transformation for a few reasons.

Firstly, OpenAI is set to release a significantly improved voice capability this summer, expanding its voice capabilities in a way that makes it seem like you’re talking with a person, not a machine. This marks a major advancement in natural language processing capabilities which will undoubtedly make conversational AI even more integrated into our daily lives.

Secondly, Google’s Gemini is demonstrating that conversational search is far more effective than traditional keyword-based approaches. Its advanced capabilities for understanding user intent mark a significant step forward from the old keyword game.  Finally, Apple’s latest advancements in voice technology (via Apple Assistant), showcased in their recent keynote, highlight the growing importance of voice-enabled interactions. As we become more comfortable with voice assistants on our devices, the use of voice search will naturally increase.

Finally, do you have any closing thoughts or key insights for our audience regarding the future of SEO and optimizing these new opportunities?

As we look to the future of SEO, my key advice is to start preparing for the next wave of search innovation right now. While maintaining a focus on traditional keyword strategies is still important, it’s crucial to also shift your attention to the evolving landscape of longer-tail queries and conversational search.

Begin by examining how your current performance measures, comparing your traditional keyword tactics to new conversational search methods. Identify any gaps between your current SEO efforts and the opportunities presented by these emerging trends. By doing this, you can proactively plan your content strategies to capitalize on new opportunities arising from the future of search. Embrace technologies like generative AI and voice search as tools to enhance your SEO efforts and stay ahead of your competitors.

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