Growth Newsletter #329

AI-generated content for AEO

Fully AI-generated content does not perform well in AI search — 82% of articles cited by AI models are human-written, so scaling AEO with AI content farms won't work

AI search vs traditional SEO

AI search is a genuine blue ocean where startups can win because the inventory of answer slots is functionally unlimited, unlike zero-sum traditional SEO where three spots define all the value

Cross-functional ownership of AI search

AEO requires cross-functional coordination touching brand, content, PR, partnerships, and product — no single function can own or execute it, unlike traditional SEO which lived in one team

AI Search is a Blue Ocean for Startups, Not a New SEO Race

Unlike traditional SEO where incumbents dominate top-3 positions, AI search produces different answers for different users based on context, making it possible for new companies to win without accumulated domain authority or backlinks — relevance and authenticity matter more than SEO equity.

Conventional wisdom says incumbents always win search; this argues startups can leapfrog incumbents in AI search by being the right answer for specific contexts rather than the most authoritative domain

Your Help Center Is an Underrated AI Search Asset

Most companies treat help center and product documentation as a support cost center, but this content naturally matches the long-tail specific questions users ask AI models, creating high-ROI citation opportunities for startups.

Documentation is universally undervalued as a growth/marketing asset; repositioning it as an AEO lever is non-obvious