I just got back from SXSW in Austin — and I spent most of my time in AI talks. One that stuck with me was called “Beyond Proof of Concept” by Richard Socher, founder of You.com. It wasn’t flashy or futuristic. It was grounded. Real. And it confirmed something I’ve been feeling for a while now:
AI isn’t here to replace us — it’s here to enhance us.
The question is: Are we willing to start using it?
We Don’t Need to Know It All
One of the biggest takeaways for me was this: you don’t need to be an expert in AI to start using it.
The tools are already good enough that you don’t need a PhD to understand them. What matters is getting your hands dirty — five minutes a day, here and there.
- Ask it a question instead of Googling
- Have a voice chat with ChatGPT on mobile
- Try writing a piece of content or doing research with AI
Small steps lead to big confidence. I’m learning this myself. The more I use it, the more I see its potential in areas I hadn’t considered.
What This Means for Web & SEO
At YEG Digital, we’ve been using ChatGPT and Perplexity for writing and research. But this talk challenged me to go further.
We can use AI to:
- Build better reports
- Create faster, cleaner presentations
- Support sales and customer service
- Automate repeatable tasks
- Scale content creation without sacrificing quality
But here’s the catch: you need a system — not just a model.
Throwing an AI tool at a problem isn’t enough. It needs to integrate into your workflow and actually solve a real need.
AI vs. Ads: A Quiet Battle That Affects Us All
Something Richard said really made me think: There’s a quiet tension between AI assistants and ad-based businesses.
Search engines (like Google) make money by keeping you scrolling. AI tools, on the other hand, just give you the answer. Fast.
That shift could upend the web as we know it.
If AI does all the work, how do you show up as the solution it recommends?
I don’t have a perfect answer yet. But I believe this: The future of SEO won’t just be about rankings — it’ll be about creating rich, meaningful content that AI can actually understand and trust.
Not fluff. Not filler. But actual value.
What I’m Taking Back to YEG Digital
Here’s what I’m planning to do differently:
- Use AI more intentionally in daily work — and encourage my team to do the same
- Share learnings internally — so we can grow together and build on each other’s discoveries
- Think bigger than just blog posts or emails — and explore reports, systems, and smart automations
- Create content for humans and machines — because our next “visitor” might not have a pulse
Final Thought: Start Small. Stay Curious.
If AI still feels overwhelming, I get it. I’m right there with you.
But you don’t have to dive in headfirst. Just start. Play. Ask it for help. Let it teach you something. And then slowly, over time, figure out how it fits into your world.
The goal isn’t to master it.
It’s to work with it — and let it help us do better work, faster.
