Top SEO myths debunked with real data | Ethan Smith (Graphite)
Tue Feb 03 2026
Is SEO actually dying, or are you just listening to the wrong people?
While the media claims that AI is causing a 25% traffic collapse, data from 40,000 of the largest websites in the U.S. tells a completely different story.
In this episode, Ethan Smith (CEO of Graphite) joins Tim Soulo to perform SEO Necromancy — resurrecting search from the dead by debunking the biggest myths in the industry.
Ethan is widely regarded as the leading expert on Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), having built growth engines for brands like Instagram, Robinhood, and BetterUp. He doesn’t just share opinions; he shares data-backed insights from his recent study on how search behavior is actually shifting.
You’ll hear why the rise of ChatGPT isn’t the Google killer everyone predicted, how small websites are actually gaining traffic in the AI era, and the exact strategy you need to ensure your brand is cited by LLMs.
Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:
00:00 - Intro
01:00 - Why AI isn’t actually killing the web
04:49 - Measuring the real traffic drop
07:31 - The winners and losers of the AI traffic shift
13:24 - How AI behaviors are expanding the search pie
18:18 - Cleaning up outdated and inaccurate citations
23:28 - Why SEO and AEO are the same thing
27:09 - Why your AI tracking is biased
38:33 - Mining sales calls and Reddit for high-intent prompts
41:29 - How to win the RAG citation game
47:29 - Why being #15 in citations is better than #15 in Google
51:04 - ChatGPT vs Gemini vs Perplexity: where to focus first?
Where to find Ethan:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanls/
Website: https://graphite.io/
Where to find Tim:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timsoulo/
X: @timsoulo
Website: https://www.timsoulo.com/
More
Is SEO actually dying, or are you just listening to the wrong people? While the media claims that AI is causing a 25% traffic collapse, data from 40,000 of the largest websites in the U.S. tells a completely different story. In this episode, Ethan Smith (CEO of Graphite) joins Tim Soulo to perform SEO Necromancy — resurrecting search from the dead by debunking the biggest myths in the industry. Ethan is widely regarded as the leading expert on Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), having built growth engines for brands like Instagram, Robinhood, and BetterUp. He doesn’t just share opinions; he shares data-backed insights from his recent study on how search behavior is actually shifting. You’ll hear why the rise of ChatGPT isn’t the Google killer everyone predicted, how small websites are actually gaining traffic in the AI era, and the exact strategy you need to ensure your brand is cited by LLMs. Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode: 00:00 - Intro 01:00 - Why AI isn’t actually killing the web 04:49 - Measuring the real traffic drop 07:31 - The winners and losers of the AI traffic shift 13:24 - How AI behaviors are expanding the search pie 18:18 - Cleaning up outdated and inaccurate citations 23:28 - Why SEO and AEO are the same thing 27:09 - Why your AI tracking is biased 38:33 - Mining sales calls and Reddit for high-intent prompts 41:29 - How to win the RAG citation game 47:29 - Why being #15 in citations is better than #15 in Google 51:04 - ChatGPT vs Gemini vs Perplexity: where to focus first? Where to find Ethan: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanls/ Website: https://graphite.io/ Where to find Tim: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timsoulo/ X: @timsoulo Website: https://www.timsoulo.com/