Business
In this episode of E-Coffee with Experts, host Ranmay chats with Sara Kavanagh, Director of SEO at Candidsky, about how AI is reshaping SEO, and why most marketers are using it wrong. Sara shares her journey from content to SEO leadership and gives a behind-the-scenes look at how her agency blends paid media, digital PR, and organic strategy to help brands grow.
She doesn’t hold back on what’s really happening with AI in SEO. From Google's constant updates to Bing’s quiet comeback, Sara explains why content quality and expertise matter more than ever. She reveals how long-tail keywords are driving LLM-based search, and why companies must now answer buyer-specific questions in detail. No more hiding pricing or vague service pages, Google wants clear, helpful, conversion-driven content.
Sara also dives into how her team collaborates across paid and SEO, something many agencies struggle with, and why CRO and UX are now just as critical as ranking.
You’ll also hear what business owners often get wrong: assuming that traffic = sales. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t. Especially if your site experience or offer isn’t strong.
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In this episode, we discuss:
00:00 - 00:43: Meet Sara Kavanagh and intro to the episode
00:43 - 01:34: From childhood dreams to SEO career journey
01:34 - 02:19: What CandidSky does and their agency culture
02:19 - 03:21: How Sara transitioned from content to SEO leadership
03:21 - 04:40: How AI is changing SEO and forcing accountability
04:40 - 05:33: Smart ways CandidSky uses AI in SEO
05:33 - 06:16: Why AI-written content can hurt your rankings
06:16 - 07:10: Long-tail search is back, here’s what’s changed
07:10 - 08:00: Searchers now want ultra-specific answers
08:00 - 08:47: Don’t hide pricing or details, SEO demands transparency
08:47 - 09:45: Why SEOs should pay attention to Bing and Gemini
09:45 - 11:15: SEO and paid media: how they work together at CandidSky
11:15 - 12:35: Most agencies fail because teams don’t collaborate
12:35 - 13:31: Avoiding ad budget waste in the AI-driven search era
13:31 - 14:15: Big myth founders believe: SEO = instant conversions
14:15 - 15:20: UX, UI, and CRO are critical for actual sales
15:20 - 16:17: Enterprise vs startup SEO: how clients differ
16:17 - 17:20: When clients control too much, SEO suffers
17:20 - 18:12: Sara’s rapid fire: search history, trips, career reflection
18:12 - 19:11: Final thoughts and where to connect with Sara
Connect with Sara Kavanagh
https://www.linkedin.com/in/srkavanagh/
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