How to Build a Winning SEO Team in 2026

Why It Matters

AI‑driven search now determines brand discovery; adapting SEO teams ensures continued visibility, traffic, and competitive advantage.

Key Takeaways

• AI mentions appear in 96% of SEO job postings.
• Track AI visibility metrics like citations and sentiment.
• Write content sections that stand alone for AI extraction.
• Coordinate SEO with PR, CS, and community for brand consistency.
• Use build‑borrow‑buy framework to acquire new AI‑focused skills.

Summary

The video explains how to build a winning SEO team for 2026, emphasizing that AI is now inseparable from search strategy. With 96% of recent SEO job ads referencing AI, marketers must shift from traditional keyword‑centric tactics to a broader AI‑visibility mindset.

Key insights include adding AI‑visibility metrics—such as how often an AI cites your content and the sentiment of those mentions—to existing dashboards, restructuring content so each paragraph can answer a query in isolation, and extending SEO responsibilities to monitor brand signals on review sites, forums, and social platforms. Tools like SEMrush’s AI Visibility Toolkit already exist to help capture these new data points.

The presenter cites concrete examples: a trail‑running shoe guide rewritten to be self‑contained for AI extraction, and a reported split of effort where roughly 70% of AI‑related work is built internally, 20% borrowed from consultants or agencies, and 10% filled by new hires. He also highlights the quote, “Your brand either shows up in those answers or it does not,” underscoring the urgency.

Implications are clear: SEO teams must adopt a build‑borrow‑buy framework, foster cross‑functional coordination with PR, customer success, and community teams, and continuously reassess skill gaps each quarter. Those who do will maintain visibility in AI‑driven search results, protect brand reputation, and sustain organic traffic in an evolving digital landscape.

Original Description

AI has changed how people search – and your SEO team needs to keep up. In this video, Rita breaks down the 3 skills every SEO team needs right now and gives you a practical framework (build, borrow, or buy) for getting those skills onto your team.

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0:00 - Introduction

0:14 - Why AI Changes Everything for SEO Teams

1:16 - Part 1: The 3 Skills Your SEO Team Needs

1:59 - Skill 1: AI Performance Tracking

3:00 - Skill 2: Writing for AI Extraction

4:25 - Skill 3: Managing Brand Presence Beyond Your Website

5:37 - Recap: The 3 Core Skills

5:49 - Part 2: Getting These Skills on Your Team

6:03 - The Build, Borrow, or Buy Framework

6:30 - Build: Training Your Existing Team

7:23 - Borrow: Freelancers, Consultants & Agencies

8:13 - Buy: Hiring New Talent

8:53 - The 70/20/10 Split

9:36 - What to Do This Week

🔗 Mentioned in this video:

https://www.semrush.com/blog/ai-visibility-tracking-for-small-teams/

https://www.semrush.com/blog/make-ai-your-creative-superpower/

https://www.semrush.com/blog/what-are-the-best-ways-to-monitor-ai-brand-mentions/