SEO is changing fast. With AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity becoming part of how people discover information, is traditional SEO still enough?

In this episode of E-Coffee with Experts, Ranmay chats with Alistair Knight, Founder and CEO of Zionova, about what’s really changing in search, and how SEOs and agencies can adapt.

Alistair shares the unconventional path that led him into SEO, from running an iPhone repair business in college to working with enterprise brands like IG Group and Brussels Investments, before eventually starting his own agency, Zionova.

One of the biggest themes of the conversation is authority. Alistair explains why he believes technical and on-page SEO are no longer the whole game, and why things like link building, digital PR, brand mentions, and visibility on platforms such as Reddit, LinkedIn, and Medium are becoming increasingly important — especially when it comes to getting picked up and cited by AI.

They also talk about the things that often get overlooked in SEO, from making reports actually useful for the business to the lessons Alistair learned from running his own affiliate site, Helping Principles. He shares some practical ways to create content that has a better chance of appearing in AI search, including schema, direct-answer content, and data-driven content that naturally earns links.

And beyond SEO, Alistair gets into the personal side of building a business, including the mindset and daily habits that have helped shape his approach to entrepreneurship.

If you’re working in SEO, trying to understand GEO and AEO, or thinking about building an agency of your own, this conversation offers a practical look at where search is going, and how you can stay ahead of it.

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In this episode, we discuss:

00:00 - 02:28: Introduction

02:28 - 03:40: Alistair's Journey Into SEO

03:40 - 04:50: Why He Took The Entrepreneurial Leap

04:50 - 06:45: Biggest Lessons From His Career

06:45 - 09:10: Keeping SEO Focused On Revenue

09:10 - 11:25: What Running His Own Site Taught Him

11:25 - 13:00: SEO Tactics Losing Value With AI Overviews

13:00 - 14:20: Getting Content Referenced By AI Tools

14:20 - 17:25: How Link Building And Digital PR Have Changed

17:25 - 17:45: Favorite AI Platform

17:45 - 21:00: Rapid Fire Round

21:00 - 21:12: Closing Thoughts

 Connect with Alistair Knight

 https://www.linkedin.com/in/alistair-knight-859ba529b/

 http://zionova.co.uk/

 FOLLOW US

Website: https://www.digitalwebsolutions.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/digiwebsol

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dws_global

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digital-web-solutions./