Richard Hill, CEO at eComOne, joins E-Coffee with Experts to break down how SEO is evolving in the age of AI search. Richard started selling computer components online 25 years ago, grew that business to over 12 million pounds a year, then built eCom One into a 30-person agency focused on mid-market ecommerce brands.
In this episode, Richard shares the systems and frameworks (like his agency’s “Catalyst Framework”) that let his team scale delivery without losing quality, why community and podcasting became a real lead-generation channel, and how AI tools like Claude have changed the speed of SEO research and data work.
The core of the conversation is AI search visibility: how brands get cited inside ChatGPT, Claude, and AI Overviews, why entity stacking and third-party validation matter more than ever, and why “SEO is dead” is one of the biggest pieces of misinformation in marketing right now. Richard also explains why tracking AI citation share, not just keyword rankings, will define the next few years of ecommerce marketing.
If you run an ecommerce brand or agency and want to understand how search behavior is shifting across Google, AI chatbots, and everywhere in between, this episode is packed with practical takeaways.
Takeaways:
- SEO isn't dead, it's expanding into visibility across all AI platforms.
- Track AI citation share alongside keyword rankings going forward.
- Entity stacking and third-party mentions boost brand presence in LLMs.
- Systemized frameworks let agencies scale delivery without sacrificing quality.
- Podcasting and events built eCom One's strongest client relationships.
- Revenue and profit matter more than vanity SEO metrics.
- AI tools cut days of data work down to hours.
- Ask customers directly how they found you for real attribution.