The AI Easy Button Myth: Shortcut or Setback for SEO?

In this episode of the International Web Effectiveness Podcast, hosts Bill Scully and Bill Hunt are joined by guests Nick LeRoy and Jason Kilgore for a candid panel discussion on The AI Easy Button Myth: Shortcut or Setback for SEO?

Building on Nick’s article Dear C-Suite: Stop Betting Your Future on the AI Shortcut, the conversation challenges the belief that AI can instantly replace people and processes in SEO. The group explores what leaders miss when they chase shortcuts, the risks of losing institutional knowledge, and how “race to the bottom” thinking erodes competitive advantage.

Together, they discuss how AI can be a powerful accelerator—but only when paired with human expertise, intuition, and strategic context. The episode also covers how to reframe the CEO conversation, measure AI’s real ROI, and protect long-term value in an era of rapid AI adoption.

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Hosts: Bill Hunt and Bill Scully

Full show notes: https://internationalwebmastery.com/international-web-effectiveness-podcast/ai-easy-button-myth/

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Guests:

⁠Nick LeRoy – Creator of the popular #SEOForLunch newsletter, read by thousands of marketers each week, and founder of SEOJobs.com and PPCJobs.com, two niche job boards serving the digital marketing community.

Jason Kilgore – Associate Director of SEO (Legal Division) at Internet Brands and Managing Member of Contractor Near You, LLC. With nearly 30 years of experience at companies like Dell, Apple, Thomson Reuters, and Internet Brands, Jason brings deep expertise in technology and content strategy. Recently, his team was a finalist in the 2024 Search Engine Land Awards for Best In-House SEO Initiative.

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Referenced Articles & Resources:

Dear C-Suite: Stop Betting Your Future on the AI Shortcut

https://www.seoforlunch.com/p/ai-shortcut

SEO in 2025 is a Team Sport

https://internationalwebmastery.com/international-web-effectiveness-podcast/episode-24-seo-in-2025-is-a-team-sport/

Bill Hunt’s series on Web Effectiveness in Search (Search Engine Journal)

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/author/bill-hunt/

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