The Six Pieces of Effective Search Experience Optimization

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Search and Discovery are forever changed with the rise of Gen AI. With it, the practice of classical SEO has expanded to a practice of “SXO” or Search Experience Optimization. More background here on SXO as the combined application of SEO, AEO, and GEO with the universal aim to be more helpful to people and their machines.

 

As we’ve built out this evolved practice and approach here at Orchard, we’ve uncovered that the best way to think about SXO is through six different core components – six pieces to the puzzle for an integrated, high-performing SXO deployment:

1. Organic and AI Visibility Measurement
2. Research and Dynamic Prioritization
3. Website-Based Optimizations
4. Off-Site Partner Optimizations
5. New Article and Content Development
6. Social Media Integration

When companies and brands do all six well, the results in organic performance and AI visibility help them leapfrog their competitors.

1. Organic and AI Visibility Measurement

This work includes the initial audit to bring focus to specific challenges and opportunities. Then the focus quickly expands to ongoing tracking, measurement, and reporting to see progress, trends, and flag new actions for continuous improvement.

2. Research and Dynamic Prioritization

Keyword, phrase, mention, and citation research for the brand and key competitors is an ongoing part of this component. Research identifies topics and worthwhile content or content clusters. The “dynamic” part of this process is in activity prioritization. E.g. “what should we do right now to make the biggest impact?” Treat it like software, with a prioritized roadmap across all SXO components and a backlog for the activities to tackle next.

3. Website-Based Optimizations

We firmly believe the website will remain the most critical piece of the digital footprint to anchor the information scraped and regurgitated across the web (or virtual spaces we’ll someday move into). Maintaining a deep, accurate website with fresh content is just as critical today as it was before Gen AI. Perhaps now more than before. Optimizations should range from:

• Content updates and refreshes
• AI-ready formatting and FAQ updates
• Internal linking and topic clustering
• Schema, metadata, and technical SEO enhancements
• E-E-A-T improvements (like authors, credentials, awards, recognition, etc.)
• Localized content enhancements

4. Off-Site Partner Optimizations

Beyond the website, AI Visibility feeds on brand or company “mentions” across the web. Activities in this piece of the puzzle focus on getting the right information to the right places across the web for accurate pickup and increased distribution. The main activities here center around:

• Listing management
• External link-building
• External partner development

5. New Article and Content Development

Purposefully split from #2 above to maintain focus both on current content optimization AND new content development, this SXO component helps fill some of those opportunities identified in research. Content development should include:

• New article creation
• New asset development (like infographics or videos)
• Widgets or tools that fit user needs
• Creating new pages or entirely new experiences

6. Social Media Integration

Social media integration into the SXO framework is just as important as the other components above it. Social media is the most often used media channel in the U.S. Specific preferences change by age and gender, but social media is a front door to your company or brand for many people in today’s media landscape.

Your social media presence needs prioritization. Company profiles should reinforce your position and differentiation, mapping tightly to the language on your website. Profiles should have fresh, relevant content for users that go to that platform with a specific platform experience in mind. They should have robust organic content feeds that use frequency and depth to reinforce how your brand wants to show up in the world.

When all six pieces come together, sustainable Organic and AI Visibility success will follow.