
Grant Simmons: Entity Optimization, the LLM petri dish & more
From The Unscripted SEO Interview Podcast by Jeremy Rivera
June 1, 2026 · 59 min
About this episode
Grant Simmons discusses his journey in SEO, emphasizing entity optimization and the evolving landscape of search algorithms.
Episode Highlights: Grant Simmons shares his unconventional journey from 1980s programming to becoming a top SEO strategist, emphasizing the importance of foundational practices. Recent SEO trends like entity SEO, entity maps, and Google's evolving understanding layers—comparing Google’s approach to Large Language Models (LLMs)—are discussed. The significance of schema markup: its role in grounding search results, its impact on AI and LLMs, and best practices for implementation. How SEO tools leverage data like Google Search Console and Log File Analysis to refine strategies; discussion on tools like Market Brew, SEO Crawl, and the importance of first-party data. The challenges and opportunities in SEO attribution, reporting, and measuring real impact amidst evolving algorithms and AI influences. The industry’s salivation over new tech like AR, Self-driving cars, and the “beta testing culture” where poor launches are accepted as part of innovation. Grant reflects on his experience at Homes.com, algorithm penalties, and recovery strategies—highlighting the importance of aggressive, foundational SEO efforts. The industry’s shift from “golden age of easy wins” to embracing…
People in this episode
Host: Jeremy Rivera
Guest: Grant Simmons
Topics covered
- entity optimization
- SEO strategies
- schema markup
- AI and LLMs
- SEO tools
- SEO attribution
- user engagement
Keywords
- entity SEO
- schema markup
- Google Search Console
- Log File Analysis
- first-party data
- AI
- LLMs
- SEO tools
- user engagement
- SEO attribution
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Google, Homes.com, Market Brew, SEO Crawl
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