We’re Bringing The SEJ Newsroom To You, Live [Free Event] via @sejournal, @hethr_campbell

TL;DR: Master AI Search Visibility with SEJ Live

On March 11, 2026, Search Engine Journal Live offers a free event for entrepreneurs and marketers to tackle AI-driven SEO challenges with industry experts.

• Learn from leaders like Loren Baker and Emily Popson addressing AI trends and evolving search metrics.
• Discover how Answer Engines affect user behavior and SEO strategies.
• Engage in live Q&A for tailored solutions to your AI search visibility hurdles.

Take Action: Reserve your spot here and align your strategy for AI-first search dynamics.

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Check out other fresh news that you might like:

How Researchers Reverse-Engineered LLMs For A Ranking Experiment via @sejournal, @martinibuster

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The Search Engine Journal’s (SEJ) latest initiative invites marketing professionals to dive into the world of AI-powered search strategies and navigate the challenges posed by shifting consumer behaviors. On March 11, 2026, SEJ is hosting a live, dynamic event titled SEJ Live, a free opportunity designed to arm marketers, founders, CMOs, and innovators with actionable insights to master AI search visibility. And here’s the kicker , it’s not just another webinar. You’ll have direct access to seasoned SEO experts, interactive Q&A sessions, and the chance to collaborate in real time.

What Can Founders Expect from SEJ Live?

Running a startup or operating as a solo founder is no easy feat, especially when navigating the blurred lines between AI advancements and consumer search patterns. This event steps in when marketing books fail to address how generative AI and search engines shift user habits drastically. Founders struggling to measure their visibility through AI-focused SEO tools have a brilliant opportunity at this event.

Why SEJ Live Is a Must-Attend

• Sessions led by SEO pioneers like Loren Baker, Shelley Walsh, and Matt Southern , with expertise spanning business models, content strategy, and emerging AI trends.
• A keynote by Emily Popson, VP of Marketing at CallRail, specifically addressing the shift in SEO KPIs necessary to thrive in AI-optimized environments.
• A thought-provoking exploration of Answer Engines led by Forrester Analyst Nikhil Lai, dissecting why they should be on every founder’s strategic radar.
• Live Q&A to address your burning questions and collaborate with peers navigating similar challenges.

Let me be blunt: If you’re still measuring success with outdated KPI frameworks, you’re playing in an obsolete game. As someone who’s built startups like CADChain and Fe/male Switch , entirely riding digital tools and game mechanics , missteps in visibility metrics could cost dreams. SEJ Live promises to clarify which metrics actually matter for AI search engines, giving founders the tools to reorient their SEO roadmaps.

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What Topics Will Be Addressed?

The event spans three robust sessions, each tailored to modern marketing challenges and AI-driven solutions:

• Session 1: Newsroom Panel , SEJ leaders delve deep into 2025’s AI trends, offering practical recommendations for marketers adjusting their strategies or preparing for Q2 2026.
• Session 2: Evolved Metrics , Here, Emily Popson breaks down modern SEO KPIs. Understand how AI redefines traffic discovery and conversion tracking.
• Session 3: Answer Engines Deep Dive , Forrester’s Nikhil Lai dissects how generative AI could render traditional long-tail keywords obsolete and what founders should do to counterbalance the trend.

How to Avoid Common Mistakes in AI Search Visibility

• Don’t use old metrics like organic impressions or bounce rates as standalone success proxies. AI changes discovery behaviors radically.
• Avoid generic content optimizations that fail to address answer engine preferences.
• Stop assuming first-page visibility guarantees conversions. Behavioral shifts in AI need behavior-targeted adaptations.
• Ignoring collaborative Q&A spaces like SEJ Live could stunt learning curves significantly.

Actionable Tips From Violetta Bonenkamp

As a founder operating in both deeptech and edupreneurship, I know adapting your mindset is crucial in AI-dominated industries. Here’s my advice:

• Rethink KPIs: Founders often stick to cliched metrics like CTR or social shares. Disrupt this framework. AI visibility metrics are about content integrity, relevance in answer engines, and conversational alignment via Google’s SERP.
• Raise Questions: During SEJ Live, tap into the live Q&A feature for specific guidance on metrics gaps or AI strategy misalignments.
• Experiment Faster: Never assume first attempts are fail-safe. Treat marketing experiments as small bets with fast feedback loops.
• Leverage AI Responsibly: Tools need human feedback loops. Automation without direction leads to generic strategies, especially in SEO.

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Next Steps for Founders and Marketers

The most competitive founders are obsessive learners. To keep your advantage:

1. Register for SEJ Live and secure your spot.
2. Prepare live Q&A topics ahead of time. What are your biggest AI search-related hurdles?
3. Review your current SEO strategy. Audit which frameworks address AI visibility versus legacy models and adjust.
4. Network aggressively during the event. The live audience will likely contain potential collaborators or advisors.
5. Reflect on how AI affects your own customer discovery journey. Craft messaging hooks aligned with emerging consumer patterns.

SEJ Live promises answers for those brave enough to ask bold questions. For founders like myself, events like these have been game-changing to recalibrate startup narratives amid overwhelming technological shifts. The question is: Are you ready to rethink, relearn, and realign?

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FAQ on SEJ Live and AI-Powered SEO Strategies

What is SEJ Live all about?

SEJ Live is a free, virtual event happening on March 11, 2026, enabling marketers to master AI-driven SEO strategies through sessions by industry experts and live Q&A. Discover SEO for Startups in 2026.

Who should attend SEJ Live?

Founders, CMOs, and digital marketers seeking to adapt to AI-driven shifts in search visibility metrics should attend. Learn actionable strategies from industry pioneers during dynamic sessions. Discover the Female Entrepreneur Playbook.

Why are outdated SEO metrics problematic?

Legacy KPIs like impressions and bounce rates fail to address AI-focused search behaviors. Replaced by modern metrics emphasizing AI-adapted visibility and conversions, accurate measurement drives success. Explore AI SEO insights for startups.

What topics does SEJ Live cover?

The event features sessions on evolving AI trends, updated KPIs for marketers, and the rise of Answer Engines as strategic necessities. Discover AI Automations for Startups.

How can startups benefit from generative AI in SEO?

Generative AI shifts search patterns and dilutes traditional keyword importance. Startups can recalibrate strategies using AI-driven tools to enhance content relevance. Explore the Bootstrapping Startup Playbook.

What are the must-watch sessions during SEJ Live?

Session highlights include Emily Popson's keynote on AI SEO KPIs, Nikhil Lai’s exploration of Answer Engines, and SEJ leaders discussing industry trends. Learn about AI SEO advancements.

Why is Answer Engine optimization crucial?

Answer Engines redefine search behavior, replacing traditional keywords. Founders should rethink their SEO strategies to align with AI-first search frameworks. Check out SEO for Startups guidance.

How does SEJ Live support peer collaboration?

Attendees can engage during sessions with Q&A, share strategies, and collaborate on common AI SEO challenges, a unique opportunity to build connections within the startup ecosystem. Discover the European Startup Playbook.

What actionable advice does SEJ provide?

SEJ experts recommend disruptive KPI frameworks focused on AI visibility, precise content alignment with consumer behaviors, and rapid experimentation in marketing initiatives. Learn about Prompting For Startups.

How can founders prepare for SEJ Live?

Reflect on current SEO strategies, identify gaps in AI-driven KPIs, and prepare specific questions for live Q&A to ensure actionable feedback. Discover Google Analytics for Startups.

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About the Author

Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.

Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).

She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the “gamepreneurship” methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.

For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the point of view of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.