SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
The Essence of SEO as Seen by the Representative Since 2004
The Representative has been involved in SEO since around 2004, when the term first began to spread in Japan. Over that time, search algorithms have changed dramatically. Yet one thing has remained constant.
That is the principle: “The site that provides the most honest and helpful answer to a user’s needs will ultimately be rewarded.”
SEO is not a technique for improving rankings. It is a process of communicating your trustworthiness accurately to search engines.
The Two Pillars of SEO
① Technical SEO (The Technical Foundation)
Technical optimization that enables Google’s crawlers to accurately navigate your site and index its content. This includes:
- Structured data (Schema.org) for semantic markup
- Page load speed improvements (Core Web Vitals)
- Mobile optimization and internal link structure
- Sitemap and robots.txt configuration for crawl efficiency
② Content & E-E-A-T (Content Credibility)
The four evaluation criteria Google prioritizes:
- Experience — Is the information based on firsthand experience?
- Expertise — Does the author have deep knowledge in the field?
- Authoritativeness — Is the author recognized within the industry?
- Trustworthiness — Can the source be trusted?
In the AI era, these four criteria have become more important than ever — because AI evaluates content by the same standards.
How SEO Has Changed in the AI Era
Since 2023, Google has introduced SGE (Search Generative Experience), fundamentally changing how search works. The traditional “list of blue links” is shifting toward AI-generated direct answers.
This is not the end of SEO. Rather, building a solid SEO foundation while adding the perspective of AIO (AI Optimization) is becoming the new standard.
At our lab, we research and practice a step-by-step optimization approach that starts with SEO and progresses through AIO, AEO, and AIEO.
Related Research Reports
WEB AI Optimization Lab | Representative
Involved in SEO since 2004, researching web optimization for the AI era with over 20 years of hands-on experience.