Exploring the journey from clicks to conversion

About this episode

This episode discusses the impact of AI on SEO and the importance of evolving strategies for brands in an AI-first landscape.

Performance SEO Unpacked brings together host Ruchi Pardal and Jonathan Richards, Director of AI Search & SEO at Audible (Amazon), known for building human-centered AI discovery systems and shaping LLM-driven search strategy. This episode breaks down how AI is compressing the customer journey and raising the bar for user intent. Jonathan shares why brands can no longer rely on traditional SEO playbooks and how building strong, consistent brand perception across platforms is becoming critical in an AI-first search landscape. They explore the shift from clicks to conversations, why zero-click search is redefining success metrics, and how enterprises need to rethink KPIs beyond rankings and traffic. The conversation also dives into connecting SEO with broader marketing functions like PR, social, and paid to create a unified, scalable strategy. This episode is for SEO leaders and marketers who want to move beyond outdated tactics and build durable visibility in an AI-driven discovery ecosystem. ㅤ 👤 Guest Bio Jonathan Richards is Director, AI Search & SEO at Audible (Amazon), where he focuses on building human-centered discovery systems powered by AI. He brings deep experience across…

People in this episode

Host: Ruchi Pardal

Guest: Jonathan Richards

Topics covered

• AI-driven shifts in customer intent
• Zero-click search
• Brand perception
• Marketing integration
• SEO strategy

Keywords

• AI
• SEO
• customer journey
• zero-click search
• brand perception
• marketing strategy
• KPI

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Audible, Amazon

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