Navigating The SEO Landscape In The AI Era: Simon Schnieders, Founder and CEO of Blue Array, In Conversation With Dinis Guarda

Dinis Guarda interviews Simon Schnieders, an SEO expert and Founder and CEO of Blue Array, one of the UK’s most popular & largest specialist SEO agencies, in the latest episode of his YouTube podcast. The two discuss the foundation principles of SEO strategies and its future with emergent technologies, especially AI. The podcast is powered by openbusinesscouncil.org and citiesabc.com.

Rise in digital marketing and the insurgence in internet users projects that the global SEO (Search Engine Optimization) market size is expected to reach USD 122.11 billion in 2028 and register a CAGR of 9.6% over the forecast period.

The future of SEO with AI

As Artificial Intelligence evolves with the advancements in technology, especially in the area of conversational AI, it is enabling more sophisticated and nuanced analysis of user behaviour, allowing search engines to understand context, user intent, and deliver more accurate and personalised search results.

AI-driven tools facilitate automated data analysis, providing valuable insights for refining SEO strategies and staying ahead of algorithmic changes. As Simon Schnieders, CEO of Blue Array, emphasised in the interview: “Automation tools are only useful if they enhance human efficiency or assist them in their everyday work.”

He pointed towards the current trajectory of innovation in the field of “search generative experience” that integrates advanced technologies, like AI, and user-centric innovations.

It involves leveraging artificial intelligence, machine learning, and contextual understanding to anticipate and fulfil user intent. A search generative experience goes beyond traditional keyword matching, incorporating predictive elements that strive to comprehend the user’s context and deliver results that align with their preferences and behaviour, thereby taking them on a journey of experiences.

“There are certain elements of AI that we can utilise and leverage to help us to better jobs. But, we’re fairly rigorous about the way we test these tools”, he said.

A leader in the SEO industry

During the interview, Dinis explored Blue Array’s impact on it and how Simon’s company is adapting to new trends in the industry. In fact, Simon Schnieders’s Blue Array offers SEO services, digital PR and training for clients of all sizes and industries. He even told Dinis that the primary goal of Blue Array SEO is to improve a website’s organic (non-paid) traffic by ensuring it appears prominently in search engine results for relevant queries, while offering the most digitally available tools in the market.

This, he says, the company achieves by aligning a website with search engine algorithms and user intent. By doing this, SEO not only increases visibility but also enhances the user experience, ultimately contributing to the long-term success and credibility of a website on the internet.

“SEO is something that can build your business around. It’s sustainable as long as it’s done in the right way. That’s what we do at Blue Array: to build those sustainable SEO strategies in the right way.”

Blue Array is a B Corp, prioritising social and environmental responsibility alongside financial success. By voluntarily meeting high standards of overall social and environmental performance, transparency, and legal accountability, it aims to redefine success in business beyond just financial gains, emphasising a commitment to sustainable and ethical business practices.

“Becoming a B-corp is an incredibly exhaustive process. For us, it is important that we are able to reflect externally the kind of business we are internally. I personally believe that if you focus on your people and look after them, sales and profitability follow as a natural consequence of that”, said Simon.

The concept of consulgency

“Consulgency” refers to a hybrid approach to service delivery that combines the expertise of a consultancy with the hands-on execution capabilities of an agency. Trademarked by Blue Array, Consulgency embodies a collaborative model where strategic advice and practical implementation are seamlessly integrated, aiming to provide clients with a comprehensive and effective solution.

Simon explains:

“We are in a business of relationships, where clients get to work with a multitude of different people. So, while they are still in contact with a single point, they are supported in all sorts of ways.

So, you’ve got that one to one relationship that you expect to have with a consultant, the Subject Matter Expert, but behind them you’ve got the scale of an agency that delivers on your needs.”

This approach recognizes the evolving needs of businesses seeking not only strategic insights but also a partner capable of executing and delivering tangible results.