How to build a winning SEO team for the AI search era

Executive overview

AI-powered search has changed how people discover brands. Showing up in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AI Overviews now matters as much as ranking on Google.

Most SEO teams still measure the wrong things and structure content for human readers, not AI extraction. Three skill gaps are responsible for most of the miss.

Closing those gaps — through training, outside help, or hiring — is the only way to stay competitive as AI reshapes search.

The three skills your SEO team needs now

• AI visibility tracking: measure how often AI platforms cite your content and whether brand mentions are positive or negative
• Traditional metrics (rankings, CTR) don't show whether you appear in AI-generated answers
• Tools like Semrush's AI Visibility Toolkit exist; assign ownership to whoever already handles SEO reporting — it's a new layer, not a new role
• Writing for AI extraction: each content section must stand alone without needing surrounding context
• AI pulls isolated paragraphs, not full articles — if a section depends on what came before it, AI skips it
• Reframe openings to include the full context: "When choosing a trail running shoe, prioritize aggressive tread, ankle support, and water resistance" beats "Keep the same factors in mind as for road shoes"
• Offsite brand presence: AI pulls from G2, Reddit, news articles, and industry blogs — not just your website
• Sparse, outdated, or negative offsite mentions degrade the information AI has about your brand
• SEO must coordinate with PR, customer success, and community teams to keep the full web footprint consistent

The build, borrow, buy framework

• Build (train existing team): almost always the right starting point — your team already knows the brand, audience, and workflows
• Extensions of existing roles: analysts add AI metrics, writers restructure content, off-page team expands beyond links
• Training takes months to compound; start with one or two skills closest to current strengths
• Borrow (freelancers, consultants, agencies): use when you need a specific skill faster than you can develop it internally
• Example: bring a consultant to build your AI visibility tracking system, train your analysts, then step away
• Example: use a content agency to restructure 500 pages while your writers stay on new work
• Goal is to fill a gap and transition ownership in-house, not to permanently outsource
• Buy (hire): right when the skill is both specialized and strategic, and needs a full-time owner
• Hire for a specific outcome (e.g. "build and own the AI performance dashboard"), not a vague title
• Look for candidates already experimenting with AI optimization and visibility tracking

Putting it into practice

• Most teams land near a 70/20/10 split: 70% built internally, 20% borrowed, 10% hired
• The split should shift over time — skills borrowed today should move in-house as they mature
• Review the mix every quarter: where are you still leaning on outside help, and does that still make sense?
• This week: map the three skills against your current team, identify gaps, and decide build/borrow/buy for each