Why Your SEO Efforts Might Be Stalling
If you’ve been pouring your heart and soul into SEO lately, only to see your traffic flatline or even dip, you’re not alone. There’s a growing feeling that the old playbook just isn’t cutting it anymore, and Shelley Walsh’s recent piece sharing insights from industry pioneer Dixon Jones confirms exactly why.
The Problem: Google Is an Answer Engine
Jones’s core argument, which I find incredibly compelling, is that we’ve been playing the wrong game. For years, our focus has been on keywords and clicks. But with Google’s AI getting smarter and answering user questions directly on the search results page, those clicks are starting to vanish. Google is becoming an answer engine, not a discovery engine.
The Solution: Stop Chasing Keywords, Start Building Entities
So, what’s the new strategy? Jones argues that we need to stop chasing individual keywords and start building our brands into recognized “entities.” The goal is no longer just to rank for a term, but to become such a trusted authority in your field that Google’s AI *chooses* to cite you as the source for its answers.
A Fundamental Shift to E-E-A-T and Brand Authority
This is a massive shift. It means we have to focus on building genuine E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust). Our job is now to build a brand so strong that it’s mentioned everywhere—on social media, in the press, and on other high-authority sites. We need to become the undeniable expert. This changes the focus from short-term traffic wins to long-term brand building, ensuring your business is the one that search engines and customers turn to first. But what does that look like in practice?
Shelley Walsh’s report breaks down the entire concept beautifully, and it’s essential reading for anyone planning their marketing strategy for the coming years. You can dive into the specifics by reading more about Dixon Jones’s analysis of why traditional SEO isn’t working.