In this episode of E-Coffee with Experts, Austin chats with Lily Ray, Vice President, SEO Strategy & Research at Amsive, one of the top voices in SEO and digital marketing, about how search is evolving fast in the age of AI. They dive into why sites like Reddit and Quora are dominating AI results, how Google keeps changing the game, and why trust and authenticity are now the real difference-makers.

Lily explains the risks of cutting corners with AI, the rise of user-generated content, and why personal branding is becoming a must-have advantage for marketers, founders, and agencies.

The conversation also covers practical strategies like query fan-out, how social media and search are blending together, and what the future of SEO might look like worldwide.

Lily shares what she values when building strong SEO teams, why automation should never fully replace human oversight, and how to focus on sustainable growth instead of quick hacks that burn out fast.

If you’re running an agency, leading a marketing team, or just want to get ahead in SEO, this episode will give you fresh insights on what really works in today’s AI-driven search world.

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In this episode, we discuss:

00:00 - 00:45: Welcome & intro with Lily Ray

00:45 - 02:00: How travel and music shaped her view on search

02:00 - 04:20: Why AI loves Reddit and Quora content

04:20 - 06:50: One question leads to many (query fan-out)

06:50 - 09:00: Social media mixing into SEO

09:00 - 11:00: Personal brand power for founders and teams

11:00 - 12:10: How search works differently around the world

12:10 - 14:20: What Lily looks for when hiring SEOs

14:20 - 16:20: Using automation without losing the human touch

16:20 - 18:40: The SEO gold rush and risky AI shortcuts

18:40 - 20:50: Learning from Google’s history to see what’s next

20:50 - 23:00: Spammy tricks people use with AI search

23:00 - 25:30: Why partnerships between SEO, PR, and social matter

25:30 - 27:30: The real edge today: personal branding

27:30 - 28:55: Networking, community, and standing out in SEO

28:55 - 29:40: Lily’s 2025 talks and events

29:40 - 29:54: Wrap-up

 Connect with Lily Ray

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-ray-44755615

http://amsive.com/

http://Lilyray.nyc

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