The Impact of AI on Society:

  • Joost De Valk believes that AI will have a bigger impact on society than crypto, as it has the potential to create significant changes in terms of productivity, similar to electricity and the steam engine.

The Importance of Branding in SEO:

  • Joost emphasizes the importance of having a recognizable brand in search. He suggests that companies focus on creating a brand story that is easily identifiable and uses words and terms commonly used by their target audience when describing their problems or needs.

Investing in SEO:

  • According to Joost, investing in SEO should start early but does not necessarily require hiring an expensive SEO consultant. It involves creating content that addresses user needs, optimizing the technical aspects of the website, and utilizing a platform like WordPress for better SEO friendliness.

Challenges with Measuring SEO Success:

  • Measuring the effectiveness and success of SEO can be difficult due to limitations imposed by search engines like Google. They provide limited data and do not reveal keywords used by users to find websites. This makes it challenging to attribute results directly to SEO efforts.

Best Practices for Effective SEO Teams:

  • An effective SEO team should work closely with product development teams and content teams. Collaboration with PR and communications teams is also important. For larger companies, dedicated SEO specialists within growth teams can help manage technical aspects and keep track of updates from search engines like Google.

Content Creation with AI Assistance:

  • While AI can be useful for certain tasks such as generating outlines or distilling research quickly, Joost believes that creativity is still crucial for high-quality content. AI assistance can speed up content creation, but adding unique value through human creativity is essential for shareable and valuable content.

Concerns about Wealth Inequality and AI:

  • Joost expresses concerns about wealth inequality exacerbated by technological advancements like AI. He mentions the need for better systems in place to ensure fair distribution of wealth while acknowledging there are no easy solutions yet.

Angel Investing Strategy:

  • In his angel investing, Joost prefers to invest in the pre-seed stage and devotes significant time and involvement with founders. He tends to write relatively larger checks (200k-250k) and aims to be self-sustaining as quickly as possible.

Changes in Development Cycles with AI:

  • Joost believes that AI can speed up development cycles by automating certain tasks, allowing developers to focus on business logic rather than spending excessive time on basic coding aspects. However, he emphasizes the need for processes and understanding of how AI is used to enhance productivity effectively.

Impact of Increasing Content Supply Through AI:

  • The increase in content supply driven by AI may create challenges in discoverability, making it harder to find high-quality content among large volumes of low-quality content. Joost suggests that search engines like Google will likely focus more on factors such as expertise, authority, and trust when surfacing quality content.

Microsoft's Strategy with Bing:

  • Joost mentions being impressed with Microsoft's approach to Bing, particularly its efforts targeting the SEO industry. He suggests this strategy has made others at Google more conscious of areas where they may lag behind.