The Search Session

Advanced Web Ranking
  • 3.0 (2)
  • Marketing
  • Updated Weekly

Join international SEO consultant Gianluca Fiorelli as he explores the dynamic world of SEO. In each episode, industry leaders share insights and strategies to help in-house SEOs, agency professionals, and consultants tackle the evolving search landscape.

  1. 9h ago

    Preparing Your Brand for AI Search and Agents | Crystal Carter

    What does AI really know about a brand, and how can businesses make sure it gets the story right? In this episode of The Search Session, Gianluca Fiorelli talks with AI and SEO strategist Crystal Carter about the evolving world of AI and agentic search. They explore how AI systems understand brands, why accurate entity information matters, and what SEOs can do today to prepare for a more agent-driven search landscape. Crystal also shares practical ways to experiment with agentic tools, explains the roles of llms.txt and MCP, and discusses how brands can build stronger visibility in personalized AI search by providing clear evidence that they meet their customers’ needs. A conversation about where AI search is heading—and what brands should be doing now to stay visible. This is the 85th episode of:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_sm3ydVBxdAJ84k2qsH1LkTDbtbdNrGh  Here's what you'll learn in this episode: (00:06) Meet Our Guest: Crystal Carter(04:16) What Are the New Rules of AI Search?(06:58) How Crystal Began Investigating Brand Visibility in AI Search(10:43) Why Training Data Shouldn’t Be Overlooked(17:09) How Entities and Query Fan-Out Organize AI Knowledge(20:43) Keeping Your Brand Salient and Avoiding Entity Confusion(25:53) How Small Businesses Can Start Testing Agentic Opportunities(31:22) What SEOs Misunderstood About llms.txt(35:26) Markdown Files for Gated and Restricted Content(39:17) MCP as an Opportunity for Publishers and B2C Brands(42:15) Personalized AI Search and Knowing Your Customer(49:12) Why Clarity and Simple SEO Fundamentals Still Win 👉 Read the full article and explore additional insights:   https://www.advancedwebranking.com/blog/brand-readiness-ai-search-agents  Where to find Crystal Carter LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystal-carter-digital/ X: https://x.com/CrystalontheWeb Website: http://www.Wix.com   Where to find Gianluca Fiorelli  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gianlucafiorelli/ X: https://x.com/gfiorelli1 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gfiorelli1.bsky.social Website: https://iloveseo.net/  🎙 Listen to The Search Session on your favorite platform: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_sm3ydVBxdAJ84k2qsH1LkTDbtbdNrGh  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FzI5qwHtIndtiibZWiroS  Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-search-session/id1796043201  Made with ❤️by Advanced Web Ranking, the people behind the world's most accurate and longest-standing rank tracker. Get your free 7-day trial and find your true visibility in organic search for any market: https://www.advancedwebranking.com/ Be sure to subscribe for more actionable marketing and SEO tutorials:    / @advancedwebranking

    Preparing Your Brand for AI Search and Agents | Crystal Carter

  2. Oct 5

    The Generalist Renaissance: A Strategic Marketing Approach to AI Search | Emina Demiri-Watson

    Can marketers stay focused when AI search keeps creating new opportunities, pressures, and distractions? In this episode of The Search Session, Gianluca Fiorelli talks with Brighton-based digital marketer Emina Demiri-Watson about navigating the rapidly changing search landscape without losing sight of what matters. They explore how to evaluate AI opportunities, build strong e-commerce foundations, bring SEO and PPC closer together, and use broader marketing thinking to understand audiences and business needs. From agentic search and Merchant Center to competitor comparisons and “too curious to specialize,” Emina shares why curiosity matters—but so does knowing when to test, prioritize, and go back to the fundamentals. This is the 83rd episode of:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_sm3ydVBxdAJ84k2qsH1LkTDbtbdNrGh  Here's what you'll learn in this episode: 00:06 Meet Our Guest: Emina Demiri-Watson04:37 How to Prioritize New AI Search Opportunities10:16 The “Unholy Trinity” of E-commerce Search14:24 Why SEO and PPC Should Co-Own Merchant Center18:17 Designing Faceted Navigation and Rich Media for Users and LLMs27:30 The Generalist Renaissance: Why Broad Marketing Knowledge Matters33:35 Rethinking the Search Session and Brand Recall Without the Click41:15 Why Brands Shouldn’t Fear Head-to-Head Comparisons45:39 Audience Research Beyond Traditional Buyer Personas49:44 From Audience Insights to Jobs to Be Done 👉 Read the full article and explore additional insights:   https://www.advancedwebranking.com/blog/strategic-marketing-for-ai-search Where to find Emina Demiri LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emina-demiri/ X: https://x.com/DemiriE Website: https://www.vixendigital.com/   Where to find Gianluca Fiorelli  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gianlucafiorelli/ X: https://x.com/gfiorelli1 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gfiorelli1.bsky.social Website: https://iloveseo.net/  🎙 Listen to The Search Session on your favorite platform: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_sm3ydVBxdAJ84k2qsH1LkTDbtbdNrGh  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FzI5qwHtIndtiibZWiroS  Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-search-session/id1796043201  Made with ❤️by Advanced Web Ranking, the people behind the world's most accurate and longest-standing rank tracker. Get your free 7-day trial and find your true visibility in organic search for any market: https://www.advancedwebranking.com/ Be sure to subscribe for more actionable marketing and SEO tutorials:    / @advancedwebranking

    The Generalist Renaissance: A Strategic Marketing Approach to AI Search | Emina Demiri-Watson

  3. Sep 28

    Creating News Content That Stands Out in AI and Multimodal Search | Louisa Frahm

    What happens when search stops being about clicks and starts being about stories, formats, and trusted sources? In this episode of The Search Session, Gianluca Fiorelli talks with search and AI consultant Louisa Frahm about the changing relationship between SEO, content, and AI search. They explore how to choose the right format for a story, create evergreen content that remains useful in AI-driven search, and navigate Google’s evolving approach to news, Top Stories, and preferred sources. The conversation also goes inside the newsroom, examining how SEOs and journalists can build trust and collaborate more effectively. Along the way, Louisa and Gianluca discuss what original movies can teach brands about creativity and calculated risks—and why mentorship is always a two-way learning experience. This is the 82nd episode of:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_sm3ydVBxdAJ84k2qsH1LkTDbtbdNrGh  Here's what you'll learn in this episode: (00:07) Meet Our Guest: Louisa Frahm(04:59) Why Multimodal Search Changes the Content Strategy(09:07) What ESPN Taught Us About Content Formats(14:47) Why Simple Content Can Still Be Powerful(18:02) The New Role of Evergreen and Informational Content(24:47) Building Trust Between SEOs and Journalists(31:57) How AI Is Changing News SEO(36:06) Personalization and the Direct Relationship With Audiences(41:57) Why Technical SEO Matters More When Attention Is Scarce(44:43) What Backrooms Teaches Us About Standing Out(54:08) Calculated Risks, Original Ideas, and Information Gain(59:06) What Mentoring Teaches the Mentor 👉 Read the full article and explore additional insights:   https://www.advancedwebranking.com/blog/news-content-ai-multimodal-search  Where to find Louisa Frahm LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisa-frahm-67710922/ X: https://x.com/mizlouisa720 Website: https://www.frahmfocus.com/   Where to find Gianluca Fiorelli  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gianlucafiorelli/ X: https://x.com/gfiorelli1 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gfiorelli1.bsky.social Website: https://iloveseo.net/  🎙 Listen to The Search Session on your favorite platform: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_sm3ydVBxdAJ84k2qsH1LkTDbtbdNrGh  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FzI5qwHtIndtiibZWiroS  Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-search-session/id1796043201  Made with ❤️by Advanced Web Ranking, the people behind the world's most accurate and longest-standing rank tracker. Get your free 7-day trial and find your true visibility in organic search for any market: https://www.advancedwebranking.com/ Be sure to subscribe for more actionable marketing and SEO tutorials:    / @advancedwebranking

    Creating News Content That Stands Out in AI and Multimodal Search | Louisa Frahm

  4. Sep 21

    Inside Personalized AI Search: How Private Data Shapes Brand Discovery | Garrett Sussman

    What happens when AI search starts using your emails, private context, and digital footprint to decide which brands to recommend? In this episode of The Search Session, Gianluca Fiorelli welcomes back Garrett Sussman to explore how SEO is changing in the age of personalized AI search. Garrett shares insights from his Google Personal Intelligence experiment, including how emails influenced visibility by 40%, and digs into brand sentiment, AI-generated content, GEO, relevance engineering, and the emerging challenges of agentic search. As AI moves beyond traditional rankings and into personalized recommendations, what does it take for brands to stay relevant? Tune in for a sharp look at where SEO is heading—and why the future of search may depend on much more than search engines. This is the 81st episode of:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_sm3ydVBxdAJ84k2qsH1LkTDbtbdNrGh  Here's what you'll learn in this episode: (00:07) Meet Our Guest: Garrett Sussman(02:31) Complexity vs. Complications in Modern Search(09:15) Brand Sentiment Becomes Part of GEO(13:56) Findings from Garrett’s Personalization Experiment(26:57) Why GEO Research Is Still So Volatile(34:22) Is AI Slop Creating an Anti-AI Reaction?(42:34) The Five Pillars of Relevance Engineering(46:42) Filter Bubbles & Algorithmic Editorial Choices 👉 Read the full article and explore additional insights:   https://www.advancedwebranking.com/blog/brand-discovery-in-personalized-ai-search Where to find Garrett Sussman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garrettsussman/ X: https://x.com/garrettsussman Website: https://ipullrank.com/   Where to find Gianluca Fiorelli  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gianlucafiorelli/ X: https://x.com/gfiorelli1 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gfiorelli1.bsky.social Website: https://iloveseo.net/  🎙 Listen to The Search Session on your favorite platform: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_sm3ydVBxdAJ84k2qsH1LkTDbtbdNrGh  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FzI5qwHtIndtiibZWiroS  Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-search-session/id1796043201  Made with ❤️by Advanced Web Ranking, the people behind the world's most accurate and longest-standing rank tracker. Get your free 7-day trial and find your true visibility in organic search for any market: https://www.advancedwebranking.com/ Be sure to subscribe for more actionable marketing and SEO tutorials:    / @advancedwebranking

    Inside Personalized AI Search: How Private Data Shapes Brand Discovery | Garrett Sussman

  5. Sep 14

    Agentic Search Readiness: What Businesses Need to Build Now | Bastian Grimm

    What happens when search stops being something people use and becomes something AI agents use on their behalf? In this episode of The Search Session, Gianluca Fiorelli speaks with digital entrepreneur and keynote speaker Bastian Grimm about what agentic search means for businesses, and what they should be doing about it now. From AI-ready data, evolving protocols, and machine-readable formats to brand recognition, experimentation, and the future of SEO, they explore how AI could reshape websites, search interfaces, publishing models, and the way brands are discovered. Bastian offers a pragmatic view of a rapidly changing landscape: rather than chasing every new standard, businesses should focus on reliable data, strong technical foundations, experimentation, and learning what actually works. This is the 80th episode of:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_sm3ydVBxdAJ84k2qsH1LkTDbtbdNrGh  Here's what you'll learn in this episode: (00:19) Meet Our Guest: Bastian Grimm(04:31) How Do You Give Clients Certainty When Everything Changes?(07:32) The Biggest Misconception About Agentic Search(12:51) How to Audit a Website for Agentic Search(16:18) Markdown and New Formats for Machine Consumption(21:10) Enterprise Risk vs. SMB Agility in AI(24:45) Breaking SEO Out of Its Silo(30:51) Evolving Brand Signals & Trust(37:28) Will Websites Still Exist in the Future?(43:34) Why Publishers Are at Risk and What They Can Do(50:07) What Will the Next Generation of Brand Signals Look Like?(53:38) The Most Important Priority: Organize Your Data 👉 Read the full article and explore additional insights:   https://www.advancedwebranking.com/blog/agentic-search-readiness  Where to find Bastian Grimm LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bastiangrimm/ X: https://x.com/basgr Website: https://bastiangrimm.com/   Where to find Gianluca Fiorelli  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gianlucafiorelli/ X: https://x.com/gfiorelli1 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gfiorelli1.bsky.social Website: https://iloveseo.net/  🎙 Listen to The Search Session on your favorite platform: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_sm3ydVBxdAJ84k2qsH1LkTDbtbdNrGh  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FzI5qwHtIndtiibZWiroS  Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-search-session/id1796043201  Made with ❤️by Advanced Web Ranking, the people behind the world's most accurate and longest-standing rank tracker. Get your free 7-day trial and find your true visibility in organic search for any market: https://www.advancedwebranking.com/ Be sure to subscribe for more actionable marketing and SEO tutorials:    / @advancedwebranking

    Agentic Search Readiness: What Businesses Need to Build Now | Bastian Grimm

  6. Sep 7

    Tackling Technical Debt, Query Drift, and Site Architecture for AI Search | Grant Simmons

    Is your SEO agency practicing what it preaches to clients? In this episode of The Search Session, Gianluca Fiorelli talks with SEO consultant Grant Simmons about what it takes to stay visible and relevant as search evolves. They explore agency positioning, technical SEO for AI search, site architecture, internal linking, knowledge graphs, programmatic SEO, and the growing challenge of query drift. Grant also breaks down what GEO gets wrong, why technical foundations still matter to LLM visibility, and how to scale content without sacrificing quality or topical focus. A practical, no-fluff conversation about building sites and SEO strategies that search engines, LLMs, and users can actually understand. This is the 79th episode of:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_sm3ydVBxdAJ84k2qsH1LkTDbtbdNrGh  Here's what you'll learn in this episode: 00:06 Meet Our Guest: Grant Simmons04:24 Why Agencies Struggle to Adapt and Pitch Value12:28 JavaScript, Site Speed, and the Technical Debt Problem17:50 Site Architecture and Strategic Internal Linking21:48 Knowledge Graphs vs. Databases for Search & LLMs26:56 Programmatic SEO: Scale Without Losing Value30:48 Creating Architectural Taxonomies for User Experience34:38 Communicating with Clarity: Marketing Copy vs. LLM Understanding39:37 Using Entity Maps to Strip Away Ambiguity42:46 Diagnosing and Resolving Query Drift49:06 Debunking AI Search Myths and Pet Peeves51:22 Maintaining Passion Across 25+ Years in SEO 👉 Read the full article and explore additional insights:   https://www.advancedwebranking.com/blog/technical-debt-query-drift-site-architecture-for-ai-search  Where to find Grant Simmons LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simmonet/ X: https://x.com/simmonet Website: https://www.grantsimmons.com/   Where to find Gianluca Fiorelli  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gianlucafiorelli/ X: https://x.com/gfiorelli1 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gfiorelli1.bsky.social Website: https://iloveseo.net/  🎙 Listen to The Search Session on your favorite platform: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_sm3ydVBxdAJ84k2qsH1LkTDbtbdNrGh  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FzI5qwHtIndtiibZWiroS  Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-search-session/id1796043201  Made with ❤️by Advanced Web Ranking, the people behind the world's most accurate and longest-standing rank tracker. Get your free 7-day trial and find your true visibility in organic search for any market: https://www.advancedwebranking.com/ Be sure to subscribe for more actionable marketing and SEO tutorials:    / @advancedwebranking

    Tackling Technical Debt, Query Drift, and Site Architecture for AI Search | Grant Simmons

  7. Aug 31

    The Semantic Data Layer: Building a Brand AI Can Understand | Martha van Berkel and Mark van Berkel

    Can AI really understand a brand - or is it still getting confused by conflicting information? In this episode of The Search Session, Gianluca Fiorelli sits down with semantic SEO and structured data strategists Martha van Berkel and Mark van Berkel to explore how AI is reshaping semantic search, structured data, and the web. The conversation goes beyond the buzzwords to unpack knowledge graphs, Schema.org, entity management, data governance, schema drift, NLWeb, MCP, and what it takes to build an agent-ready, machine-understandable brand. Because as search becomes more AI-driven, being visible isn’t enough. AI needs to understand what a brand actually is. This is the 78th episode of:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_sm3ydVBxdAJ84k2qsH1LkTDbtbdNrGh  Here's what you'll learn in this episode: (00:06) Meet Our Guests: Martha van Berkel and Mark van Berkel(04:44) A New Business Case for Structured Data(08:11) The Growing Sophistication of Semantic Search(15:30) Disambiguation, Identifiers, and Identity on the Web(20:28) Data Governance at Enterprise Scale(24:55) Emerging Standards: WebMCP, MCP, NLWeb and Agent Discovery(33:15) How AI Systems Actually Use Structured Data(40:41) Optimizing for Agents: ARIA, SKOS, and Actionability(46:37) Balancing Creative Tone with Machine Clarity(51:07) Working Together as Co-Founders and a Couple    👉 Read the full article and explore additional insights:   https://www.advancedwebranking.com/blog/semantic-data-layer-brand-ai-understand  Where to find Martha van Berkel LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/martha-van-berkel X: https://x.com/marthavanberkel Website: https://www.schemaapp.com/  Where to find Mark van Berkel LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markvanberkel/ X: https://x.com/vberkel Website: https://www.schemaapp.com/   Where to find Gianluca Fiorelli  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gianlucafiorelli/ X: https://x.com/gfiorelli1 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gfiorelli1.bsky.social Website: https://iloveseo.net/  🎙 Listen to The Search Session on your favorite platform: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_sm3ydVBxdAJ84k2qsH1LkTDbtbdNrGh  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FzI5qwHtIndtiibZWiroS  Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-search-session/id1796043201  Made with ❤️by Advanced Web Ranking, the people behind the world's most accurate and longest-standing rank tracker. Get your free 7-day trial and find your true visibility in organic search for any market: https://www.advancedwebranking.com/ Be sure to subscribe for more actionable marketing and SEO tutorials:    / @advancedwebranking

    The Semantic Data Layer: Building a Brand AI Can Understand | Martha van Berkel and Mark van Berkel

  8. Aug 24

    The Creative Side of B2B Marketing | Lee Odden

    What makes B2B marketing truly creative in an age of AI search? On this episode of The Search Session, Gianluca Fiorelli talks with B2B marketing strategist Lee Odden about creativity beyond content production - from understanding complex buyer information journeys to building trust through creators, influencers, executives, and internal experts.The conversation explores why audience understanding will outlast AI visibility tactics, how B2B brands can turn expertise into influence, why informational content still matters, and how prioritization can turn SEO recommendations into real business impact. A practical conversation about making B2B marketing more creative, credible, and useful. This is the 77th episode of: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_sm3ydVBxdAJ84k2qsH1LkTDbtbdNrGh Here's what you'll learn in this episode: (00:06) Meet Our Guest: Lee Odden(02:00) Creativity in B2B Goes Beyond Written Content(07:46) Audience Intelligence & Tailoring Content to Stakeholders(11:06) AI Search Optimization vs. Sustainable Information Journeys(15:36) How to Slow Down the AI Optimization Race(19:33) Prioritization in SMB vs. Enterprise B2B(22:56) Connecting B2B Marketing to the Creator Economy(27:40) A B2B Influencer Campaign That Generated 5,000+ Registrations(30:17) How to Find the Right B2B Influencers(36:47) Building Influence From Within the Company(41:34) When Creativity Means Hijacking the Conversation(44:21) Does B2B Still Need Informational Content?(52:29) Returning to the Game: Lee Odden’s Marketing Comeback 👉 Read the full article and explore additional insights: https://www.advancedwebranking.com/blog/creativity-in-b2b-marketing Where to find Lee Odden LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leeodden/ X: https://x.com/leeoddenWebsite: https://www.toprankmarketing.com/ Where to find Gianluca Fiorelli Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gianlucafiorelli/ X: https://x.com/gfiorelli1 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gfiorelli1.bsky.social Website: https://iloveseo.net/ 🎙 Listen to The Search Session on your favorite platform: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_sm3ydVBxdAJ84k2qsH1LkTDbtbdNrGh Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1FzI5qwHtIndtiibZWiroS Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-search-session/id1796043201 Made with ❤️by Advanced Web Ranking, the people behind the world's most accurate and longest-standing rank tracker. Get your free 7-day trial and find your true visibility in organic search for any market: https://www.advancedwebranking.com/ Be sure to subscribe for more actionable marketing and SEO tutorials: / @advancedwebranking

    The Creative Side of B2B Marketing | Lee Odden
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out of 5
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About

Join international SEO consultant Gianluca Fiorelli as he explores the dynamic world of SEO. In each episode, industry leaders share insights and strategies to help in-house SEOs, agency professionals, and consultants tackle the evolving search landscape.

Information

  • Creator
    Advanced Web Ranking
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    84
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Advanced Web Ranking
  • Show Website
    The Search Session

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