Hey Reader,

Let’s start 2026 with something that might be uncomfortable, but needs to be said.

Most businesses don’t actually have an SEO strategy. What they have is a collection of tasks they’ve picked up over time — a few blog posts here, some keywords chosen years ago, a report from an agency that looked impressive but never turned into action. Somewhere along the way, an SEO audit was done, saved to a folder, and quietly forgotten.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not behind — you’re normal. But in today’s search landscape, “normal” isn’t enough anymore.

As AI becomes more deeply embedded in search, the gaps in fragmented strategies are getting exposed faster. Search engines are no longer just crawling pages; they’re evaluating clarity, consistency, and confidence across your entire digital presence. When those signals don’t line up, visibility suffers — not because your business isn’t good, but because your strategy isn’t clear.

This is where most SEO audits fail.

What Should You Gain From An Audit, If Done Properly?

An audit is supposed to give you clarity. It should tell you what’s working, what’s holding you back, and what deserves attention right now. Instead, most audits overwhelm business owners with long lists of technical issues, disconnected recommendations, and zero prioritization. They create noise, not momentum.

And when SEO feels noisy, people stop touching it. That’s a problem — especially now.

Over the past few months, we’ve talked a lot about how AI is reshaping search. One theme keeps coming up: AI rewards clarity. Not volume. Not hacks. Not trends. Clear structure. Clear intent. Clear authority. AI systems cross-check your website the same way humans do — by looking at whether your site is technically sound, whether your content actually answers real questions, and whether your signals across the web make sense together.

If your SEO strategy is scattered, AI doesn’t connect the dots for you. It skips you. This is why auditing your current strategy isn’t optional anymore. But the way you audit matters more than ever. A useful audit doesn’t start with a checklist. It starts with questions. Is your website strong enough to support the visibility you want? Do your pages clearly communicate what you do and who you help? Does your content align with how people actually search today — not how they searched three years ago? And most importantly, is any of this helping generate leads, or just traffic?

If your audit doesn’t help you answer those questions, it’s not a strategy tool. It’s just information.

I see the same pattern over and over again. Business owners know something isn’t working, but they don’t know where to focus. So they tweak content, chase the next trend, or add more “SEO tasks” without ever stepping back to look at the full system. Websites, SEO, content, and AI visibility are no longer separate projects. They’re one ecosystem — and ecosystems need intentional check-ins, not reactive fixes.

If you want to take a smarter first step on your own, here’s a simple way to start gaining clarity without drowning in data.

This won’t replace professional insight, but it will help you see your site more objectively, surface gaps you may have missed, and understand where your attention is best spent. And right now, clarity beats guessing every time.

If this process opens up bigger questions, that’s a good thing. Some business owners want to better understand how AI visibility works — that’s why I created the Guide to Ranking in the AI Overview. Others realize their content lives mostly on social and want it to contribute to search, which is exactly what the Instagram Content Ranking in Google guide helps with. And for those who want clarity fast, a 30-Minute SEO 1-on-1 Strategy Call can cut through months of second-guessing and provide a clear path forward.

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Guide to Ranking in the AI Overview ​Get the guide →​

Instagram Content Ranking in Google ​Start ranking →​

30-Minute SEO 1-on-1 Strategy Call ​Let's chat →​

Different tools. Same goal: fewer blind spots and more consistent leads.

If your strategy feels scattered, that’s not a failure. It’s a signal.

Because SEO doesn’t fail businesses. Lack of clarity does.

Pause. Audit. Realign.