The SEO Viability Audit
by Eli Schwartz • Growth Advisor & Author at Product-Led SEO
Eli is a renowned growth advisor specializing in SEO, having guided strategies for major companies like SurveyMonkey, Tinder, WordPress, and Coinbase. He is the author of 'Product-Led SEO' and is known for challenging traditional keyword-centric approaches in favor of strategic, user-centric product development.
🎙️ Episode Context
In this deep dive into the changing landscape of search, Eli Schwartz argues that the rise of AI and LLMs is shifting SEO from a marketing tactic to a product discipline. He explains why traditional 'content mills' are dying, why most SaaS companies waste money on SEO, and how to treat search traffic as a user acquisition channel that requires product thinking rather than just keyword stuffing.
Problem It Solves
Helps startups and B2B companies decide whether to invest in SEO or cut their losses on an unprofitable channel.
Framework Overview
A decision-making framework to determine if SEO is a viable growth channel based on user behavior and business model, rather than assuming 'everyone needs SEO'.
🧠 Framework Structure
Analyze the User Journey: Does the us...
Check for Problem Awareness: Are user...
Calculate True Cost: Sum the cost of ...
Compare Opportunity Cost: Would the s...
When to Use
During annual planning or immediately after raising a Series A/B to determine resource allocation.
Common Mistakes
Assuming SEO is 'free' traffic and failing to account for the significant time and engineering cost required to do it right.
Real World Example
A gardening SaaS company was advised to spend $15k/month on content SEO. Eli analyzed their journey and realized their customers came from trade shows. They shifted the budget to booths ($10k each) which yielded immediate, high-intent leads.
If you can't answer the question about what is it that someone's going to do a search on, then don't do SEO.
— Eli Schwartz