Jes Scholz
@jes-scholz.bsky.social
Marketing consultant | SEO Futurist | Keynote speaker
How will AI search change the role of websites? At the core, it wont.
A website is your brand's digital home. It stores your base facts and relationships. It empowers conversations and conversions. This role is consistent.
A website is your brand's digital home. It stores your base facts and relationships. It empowers conversations and conversions. This role is consistent.
December 2, 2025 at 3:22 AM
How will AI search change the role of websites? At the core, it wont.
A website is your brand's digital home. It stores your base facts and relationships. It empowers conversations and conversions. This role is consistent.
A website is your brand's digital home. It stores your base facts and relationships. It empowers conversations and conversions. This role is consistent.
So you successfully manipulated Reddit. Now what?
I saw a LinkedIn “growth hack” inserting product recommendations into Reddit to gain AI citations.
It wasn’t the post that annoyed me. It was the response. Thousands applauding the “amazing insights”. Without questioning the consequences.
I saw a LinkedIn “growth hack” inserting product recommendations into Reddit to gain AI citations.
It wasn’t the post that annoyed me. It was the response. Thousands applauding the “amazing insights”. Without questioning the consequences.
November 17, 2025 at 6:29 AM
So you successfully manipulated Reddit. Now what?
I saw a LinkedIn “growth hack” inserting product recommendations into Reddit to gain AI citations.
It wasn’t the post that annoyed me. It was the response. Thousands applauding the “amazing insights”. Without questioning the consequences.
I saw a LinkedIn “growth hack” inserting product recommendations into Reddit to gain AI citations.
It wasn’t the post that annoyed me. It was the response. Thousands applauding the “amazing insights”. Without questioning the consequences.
What if your best marketing actions come from complaints?
These expose the moments where expectations and brand promise diverge.
The cause is either execution drift, only fixed by owning it… Or positioning misalignment... e.g. you can't be cheap & top quality.
www.zoomsphere.com/blog/what-if...
These expose the moments where expectations and brand promise diverge.
The cause is either execution drift, only fixed by owning it… Or positioning misalignment... e.g. you can't be cheap & top quality.
www.zoomsphere.com/blog/what-if...
What If Your Best Content Comes From Complaints?
Your most powerful marketing content might be hiding in customer complaints. Discover how to turn negative feedback, refund requests, and one-star reviews into authentic, high-performing content that ...
www.zoomsphere.com
October 29, 2025 at 10:46 PM
What if your best marketing actions come from complaints?
These expose the moments where expectations and brand promise diverge.
The cause is either execution drift, only fixed by owning it… Or positioning misalignment... e.g. you can't be cheap & top quality.
www.zoomsphere.com/blog/what-if...
These expose the moments where expectations and brand promise diverge.
The cause is either execution drift, only fixed by owning it… Or positioning misalignment... e.g. you can't be cheap & top quality.
www.zoomsphere.com/blog/what-if...
Agent behaviour isn’t broken. Your site is.
In ChatGPT Agent Mode, 63% of first clicks bounce.
The most common causes are:
🟣 Bot challenges
🟣 301 redirect to an irrelevant location
🟣 4xx or 5xx status codes
🟣 Registration walls
🟣 Slow load speed
🟣 Landing pages don't satisfy the search intent
In ChatGPT Agent Mode, 63% of first clicks bounce.
The most common causes are:
🟣 Bot challenges
🟣 301 redirect to an irrelevant location
🟣 4xx or 5xx status codes
🟣 Registration walls
🟣 Slow load speed
🟣 Landing pages don't satisfy the search intent
October 15, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Agent behaviour isn’t broken. Your site is.
In ChatGPT Agent Mode, 63% of first clicks bounce.
The most common causes are:
🟣 Bot challenges
🟣 301 redirect to an irrelevant location
🟣 4xx or 5xx status codes
🟣 Registration walls
🟣 Slow load speed
🟣 Landing pages don't satisfy the search intent
In ChatGPT Agent Mode, 63% of first clicks bounce.
The most common causes are:
🟣 Bot challenges
🟣 301 redirect to an irrelevant location
🟣 4xx or 5xx status codes
🟣 Registration walls
🟣 Slow load speed
🟣 Landing pages don't satisfy the search intent
New article drop! An ChatGPT agents case study giving insights from over 100 journeys. Give it a read: searchengineland.com/insights-cha...
When AI agents do the shopping: Insights from 100 conversations with ChatGPT Agent mode
As ChatGPT agents book, buy, and convert for users, SEO must evolve. Make your site agent-readable, accessible, and built to convert.
searchengineland.com
October 8, 2025 at 7:01 PM
New article drop! An ChatGPT agents case study giving insights from over 100 journeys. Give it a read: searchengineland.com/insights-cha...
🧵 In 2025, I never thought I'd be using the same text-based browser I did in 1995. But here we are. Thanks to AI agents.
Agents don't browser like humans. They don't always consume content in the visual browser of Chromium.
In my testing with ChatGPT, 46% of agent visits began in 'reading mode'.
Agents don't browser like humans. They don't always consume content in the visual browser of Chromium.
In my testing with ChatGPT, 46% of agent visits began in 'reading mode'.
October 7, 2025 at 4:53 AM
🧵 In 2025, I never thought I'd be using the same text-based browser I did in 1995. But here we are. Thanks to AI agents.
Agents don't browser like humans. They don't always consume content in the visual browser of Chromium.
In my testing with ChatGPT, 46% of agent visits began in 'reading mode'.
Agents don't browser like humans. They don't always consume content in the visual browser of Chromium.
In my testing with ChatGPT, 46% of agent visits began in 'reading mode'.
Where does AI search sit in context of the wider web?
As an exercise in perspective, I estimated how people use different platforms to search for information in the same way they would on Google.
Credit to Forbes, SEMRush, Sparktoro & DemandSage for the input data.
As an exercise in perspective, I estimated how people use different platforms to search for information in the same way they would on Google.
Credit to Forbes, SEMRush, Sparktoro & DemandSage for the input data.
September 9, 2025 at 3:25 AM
Where does AI search sit in context of the wider web?
As an exercise in perspective, I estimated how people use different platforms to search for information in the same way they would on Google.
Credit to Forbes, SEMRush, Sparktoro & DemandSage for the input data.
As an exercise in perspective, I estimated how people use different platforms to search for information in the same way they would on Google.
Credit to Forbes, SEMRush, Sparktoro & DemandSage for the input data.
Is bot protection costing you tomorrow’s SEO sales?
Brands like Wayfair, Lululemon and Glassdoor are shutting the door on agent-driven conversions, likely without realising it.
A robots.txt allow doesn't guarantee access. Bot protection tools often challenge AI agents, stopping them mid-journey.
Brands like Wayfair, Lululemon and Glassdoor are shutting the door on agent-driven conversions, likely without realising it.
A robots.txt allow doesn't guarantee access. Bot protection tools often challenge AI agents, stopping them mid-journey.
August 11, 2025 at 6:54 AM
Is bot protection costing you tomorrow’s SEO sales?
Brands like Wayfair, Lululemon and Glassdoor are shutting the door on agent-driven conversions, likely without realising it.
A robots.txt allow doesn't guarantee access. Bot protection tools often challenge AI agents, stopping them mid-journey.
Brands like Wayfair, Lululemon and Glassdoor are shutting the door on agent-driven conversions, likely without realising it.
A robots.txt allow doesn't guarantee access. Bot protection tools often challenge AI agents, stopping them mid-journey.
Wrote up my thoughts on crawling in the AI era. The piece covers:
🟣 Why you should allow (most) AI crawlers
🟣 How to win AI citations
🟣 Why indexing will always be essential
🟣 Why crawling is not only about googlebot
What are your thoughts?
🟣 Why you should allow (most) AI crawlers
🟣 How to win AI citations
🟣 Why indexing will always be essential
🟣 Why crawling is not only about googlebot
What are your thoughts?
Crawling for AI search: Balancing access, control, and visibility
Crawling has always shaped visibility – but AI search raises the stakes. Learn how to stay seen without losing control.
searchengineland.com
August 6, 2025 at 6:49 AM
Wrote up my thoughts on crawling in the AI era. The piece covers:
🟣 Why you should allow (most) AI crawlers
🟣 How to win AI citations
🟣 Why indexing will always be essential
🟣 Why crawling is not only about googlebot
What are your thoughts?
🟣 Why you should allow (most) AI crawlers
🟣 How to win AI citations
🟣 Why indexing will always be essential
🟣 Why crawling is not only about googlebot
What are your thoughts?
Perplexity Comet & ChatGPT agent browsers are at the SEO frontier. Brands don't care, but should.
For years, Google mined Chrome data to inform visibility. AI companies want the same edge.
Under the guise of speeding up tasks & easing cognitive load, we're being pushed toward agentic browsing.
For years, Google mined Chrome data to inform visibility. AI companies want the same edge.
Under the guise of speeding up tasks & easing cognitive load, we're being pushed toward agentic browsing.
August 4, 2025 at 3:21 AM
Perplexity Comet & ChatGPT agent browsers are at the SEO frontier. Brands don't care, but should.
For years, Google mined Chrome data to inform visibility. AI companies want the same edge.
Under the guise of speeding up tasks & easing cognitive load, we're being pushed toward agentic browsing.
For years, Google mined Chrome data to inform visibility. AI companies want the same edge.
Under the guise of speeding up tasks & easing cognitive load, we're being pushed toward agentic browsing.
Google alone won't future-proof your SEO.
We all know the tea. ChatGPT now pulls from Google’s index when Bing’s falls short. That doesn't mean you can retreat into a Google-only mindset.
SEO isn't Google vs Bing. Effective SEO goes beyond both. It's about corpus optimisation.
We all know the tea. ChatGPT now pulls from Google’s index when Bing’s falls short. That doesn't mean you can retreat into a Google-only mindset.
SEO isn't Google vs Bing. Effective SEO goes beyond both. It's about corpus optimisation.
August 1, 2025 at 3:38 AM
Google alone won't future-proof your SEO.
We all know the tea. ChatGPT now pulls from Google’s index when Bing’s falls short. That doesn't mean you can retreat into a Google-only mindset.
SEO isn't Google vs Bing. Effective SEO goes beyond both. It's about corpus optimisation.
We all know the tea. ChatGPT now pulls from Google’s index when Bing’s falls short. That doesn't mean you can retreat into a Google-only mindset.
SEO isn't Google vs Bing. Effective SEO goes beyond both. It's about corpus optimisation.
Logging in to an account is becoming a security drill 😤
🟢 Enter email & password
🟡 Pass Captcha
🟠 Get authenticator code
🔴 Finally get inside, only to be logged out for "inactivity" after a short period of time
Authentication should not be an endurance sport.
🟢 Enter email & password
🟡 Pass Captcha
🟠 Get authenticator code
🔴 Finally get inside, only to be logged out for "inactivity" after a short period of time
Authentication should not be an endurance sport.
July 30, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Logging in to an account is becoming a security drill 😤
🟢 Enter email & password
🟡 Pass Captcha
🟠 Get authenticator code
🔴 Finally get inside, only to be logged out for "inactivity" after a short period of time
Authentication should not be an endurance sport.
🟢 Enter email & password
🟡 Pass Captcha
🟠 Get authenticator code
🔴 Finally get inside, only to be logged out for "inactivity" after a short period of time
Authentication should not be an endurance sport.
5 Twitter tips for SEOs
Done well, social posting is a low-effort way to boost visibility on search surfaces, drive engagement and earn some extra sessions.
Done well, social posting is a low-effort way to boost visibility on search surfaces, drive engagement and earn some extra sessions.
July 28, 2025 at 6:27 AM
5 Twitter tips for SEOs
Done well, social posting is a low-effort way to boost visibility on search surfaces, drive engagement and earn some extra sessions.
Done well, social posting is a low-effort way to boost visibility on search surfaces, drive engagement and earn some extra sessions.
Let's talk business incentives in the battle of Search David vs Goliath.
For the Goliath Google, more searches means more money. Every query is another revenue opportunity. It monetises discovery. It personalises to serve ads.
For the Goliath Google, more searches means more money. Every query is another revenue opportunity. It monetises discovery. It personalises to serve ads.
July 21, 2025 at 6:10 AM
Let's talk business incentives in the battle of Search David vs Goliath.
For the Goliath Google, more searches means more money. Every query is another revenue opportunity. It monetises discovery. It personalises to serve ads.
For the Goliath Google, more searches means more money. Every query is another revenue opportunity. It monetises discovery. It personalises to serve ads.
Clickbait titles without real value are like online dating profile pictures…
They get the clicks, but the bounce rate is brutal.
They get the clicks, but the bounce rate is brutal.
July 20, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Clickbait titles without real value are like online dating profile pictures…
They get the clicks, but the bounce rate is brutal.
They get the clicks, but the bounce rate is brutal.
🧵 Sometimes the easiest way to disappear online is to do nothing at all.
A certain CDN has taken it upon itself to “protect” domains by blocking AI crawlers by default. Causing instant invisibility on a whole swath of search surfaces.
But only on their free plan.
A certain CDN has taken it upon itself to “protect” domains by blocking AI crawlers by default. Causing instant invisibility on a whole swath of search surfaces.
But only on their free plan.
July 11, 2025 at 1:49 PM
🧵 Sometimes the easiest way to disappear online is to do nothing at all.
A certain CDN has taken it upon itself to “protect” domains by blocking AI crawlers by default. Causing instant invisibility on a whole swath of search surfaces.
But only on their free plan.
A certain CDN has taken it upon itself to “protect” domains by blocking AI crawlers by default. Causing instant invisibility on a whole swath of search surfaces.
But only on their free plan.
New video interview drop where I take issue with domain authority, talk about entity optimisation and, of cause, discuss AI search. Check it out: www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3Hd...
Jes Scholz: The Biggest Lie About Domain Authority
YouTube video by Digital Web Solutions
www.youtube.com
July 11, 2025 at 8:20 AM
New video interview drop where I take issue with domain authority, talk about entity optimisation and, of cause, discuss AI search. Check it out: www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3Hd...
LLMs.txt is not an official standard. It's not widely adopted. No indexing platform checks it by default.
Might it be useful someday? Maybe.
But don't waste a sprint on it yet. Focus on what matters now for AI visibility, not a hypothetical future that is unlikely to eventuate.
Might it be useful someday? Maybe.
But don't waste a sprint on it yet. Focus on what matters now for AI visibility, not a hypothetical future that is unlikely to eventuate.
July 8, 2025 at 9:29 AM
LLMs.txt is not an official standard. It's not widely adopted. No indexing platform checks it by default.
Might it be useful someday? Maybe.
But don't waste a sprint on it yet. Focus on what matters now for AI visibility, not a hypothetical future that is unlikely to eventuate.
Might it be useful someday? Maybe.
But don't waste a sprint on it yet. Focus on what matters now for AI visibility, not a hypothetical future that is unlikely to eventuate.
Did you know Google actually has two Google AI Modes?
One in Chrome and another in the Google App. The surface a user selects drastically affects which sources get cited.
Check out this travel example.
When optimising for AI visibility, check both faces of Google.
One in Chrome and another in the Google App. The surface a user selects drastically affects which sources get cited.
Check out this travel example.
When optimising for AI visibility, check both faces of Google.
July 7, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Did you know Google actually has two Google AI Modes?
One in Chrome and another in the Google App. The surface a user selects drastically affects which sources get cited.
Check out this travel example.
When optimising for AI visibility, check both faces of Google.
One in Chrome and another in the Google App. The surface a user selects drastically affects which sources get cited.
Check out this travel example.
When optimising for AI visibility, check both faces of Google.
Sorry to burst the bubble, but ChatGPT is not doing "real-time retrieval".
I've lost count of how many times this week I’ve read that ChatGPT or AI Mode is "retrieving information from the internet in real time with RAG”.
It’s not.
What’s actually happening is far more familiar.
I've lost count of how many times this week I’ve read that ChatGPT or AI Mode is "retrieving information from the internet in real time with RAG”.
It’s not.
What’s actually happening is far more familiar.
June 2, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Sorry to burst the bubble, but ChatGPT is not doing "real-time retrieval".
I've lost count of how many times this week I’ve read that ChatGPT or AI Mode is "retrieving information from the internet in real time with RAG”.
It’s not.
What’s actually happening is far more familiar.
I've lost count of how many times this week I’ve read that ChatGPT or AI Mode is "retrieving information from the internet in real time with RAG”.
It’s not.
What’s actually happening is far more familiar.
The number of articles beginning with "In today's digital age..." on what are supposed to be reputable SEO industry publications is appalling.
June 1, 2025 at 7:14 AM
The number of articles beginning with "In today's digital age..." on what are supposed to be reputable SEO industry publications is appalling.
Google: Our new AI tools in Gemini are fire. No-one (read OpenAI) is better than us at AI-ing your life.
Also Google...
Also Google...
May 28, 2025 at 3:12 AM
Google: Our new AI tools in Gemini are fire. No-one (read OpenAI) is better than us at AI-ing your life.
Also Google...
Also Google...
AI Mode is here. Now what?
🟣 Indexing isn't about URLs, focus on content chunks
🟣 Stop chasing sessions, focus on topically relevant brand visibility
🟣 Forget the funnel, focus on category entry points
Follow these 3 principles & your SEO will be flexible enough to success on any surface.
🟣 Indexing isn't about URLs, focus on content chunks
🟣 Stop chasing sessions, focus on topically relevant brand visibility
🟣 Forget the funnel, focus on category entry points
Follow these 3 principles & your SEO will be flexible enough to success on any surface.
May 21, 2025 at 5:41 AM
AI Mode is here. Now what?
🟣 Indexing isn't about URLs, focus on content chunks
🟣 Stop chasing sessions, focus on topically relevant brand visibility
🟣 Forget the funnel, focus on category entry points
Follow these 3 principles & your SEO will be flexible enough to success on any surface.
🟣 Indexing isn't about URLs, focus on content chunks
🟣 Stop chasing sessions, focus on topically relevant brand visibility
🟣 Forget the funnel, focus on category entry points
Follow these 3 principles & your SEO will be flexible enough to success on any surface.
In the wave of new SEO AI tooling, one critical element is often missing.
Multi-lingual and non-US regional coverage.
Take AI prompt tracking tools, for example.
Multi-lingual and non-US regional coverage.
Take AI prompt tracking tools, for example.
May 19, 2025 at 11:48 AM
In the wave of new SEO AI tooling, one critical element is often missing.
Multi-lingual and non-US regional coverage.
Take AI prompt tracking tools, for example.
Multi-lingual and non-US regional coverage.
Take AI prompt tracking tools, for example.
Live mode in Gemini & ChatGPT is another nail in the coffin for “traffic” as an SEO KPI.
Alexa taught us that voice assistants are great… for playing music, turning on lights, and knowing today's weather. Not much more.
Voice search never delivered on the promised utility. Until now.
Alexa taught us that voice assistants are great… for playing music, turning on lights, and knowing today's weather. Not much more.
Voice search never delivered on the promised utility. Until now.
May 12, 2025 at 2:19 AM
Live mode in Gemini & ChatGPT is another nail in the coffin for “traffic” as an SEO KPI.
Alexa taught us that voice assistants are great… for playing music, turning on lights, and knowing today's weather. Not much more.
Voice search never delivered on the promised utility. Until now.
Alexa taught us that voice assistants are great… for playing music, turning on lights, and knowing today's weather. Not much more.
Voice search never delivered on the promised utility. Until now.