search engine optimization

also referred to as: seo

18 statements across 8 episodes · 7 bullish · 3 bearish · 8 people on the record · first statement Jun 23, 2017 by Gustaf Alströmer · across every show →

Everything said about search engine optimization, oldest first

Jun 23, 2017 neutral
Insight
Alströmer: Most companies achieve massive scale by mastering just one platform
“Most companies that go really, really large, they do it on figuring out one platform. So they are really good at online marketing, they're really good at SEO, they're really good at reality, or the Facebook platform, or something like that. It's rare that you …”
Gustaf Alströmer Jun 23, 2017 ▶ 18:24 Scaling Growth | Gustaf Alstromer, YC Partner (formerly Airbnb) & Ed Baker (formerly Uber) · Y Combinator
Aug 30, 2018 neutral
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Flexport acquired its first customers via Google AdWords and SEO
“The earliest customers for Flexport we got via Google AdWords and SEO and just signups and people just finding us on the internet, signing up for the service.”
Ryan Petersen Aug 30, 2018 ▶ 16:45 Ryan Petersen on Building Flexport, a Modern Freight Forwarder · Y Combinator
Sep 19, 2018 neutral
Insight
Mañalac: PR provides early visibility and SEO, not scalable user acquisition
“As I mentioned, it's not a scalable user acquisition, but it can get you some early adopting users, it can give you, ah, you know, your investors or potential employees a heads up that you exist, and it can help with SEO.”
Kat Mañalac Sep 19, 2018 ▶ 19:23 PR + Content for Growth by Kat Mañalac and Craig Cannon · Y Combinator
Sep 19, 2018 negative
Insight
Cannon: Early startups should host blogs on their own site, not Medium
“People connect with other humans, and so you, like having that little extra touch is nice, but I would say overall like you're gonna want it on your own site for SEO. Yeah, I like, I kind of disagree with people putting stuff on Medium and stuff early on.”
Craig Cannon Sep 19, 2018 ▶ 40:53 PR + Content for Growth by Kat Mañalac and Craig Cannon · Y Combinator
Sep 19, 2018 positive
Insight
Cannon: Text interviews are a low-effort content cheat code for startups
“Text interviews are like a total cheat code for young companies, because they require way less production than video or audio. The internet really likes it for like SEO, for scraping and it makes the person look really smart.”
Craig Cannon Sep 19, 2018 ▶ 16:44 PR + Content for Growth by Kat Mañalac and Craig Cannon · Y Combinator
Sep 27, 2018
Insight
Schwartz: Many candidates with SEO resumes do not actually understand SEO
“Looking at a resume, I've looked at many resumes of people that have done SEO, and I've discovered they don't really know anything about SEO. They've just done SEO. When you talk to someone that would be good in this seat, And that doesn't even have to be as s…”
Eli Schwartz Sep 27, 2018 ▶ 43:06 SEO Advice from SurveyMonkey Director of SEO and Growth, Eli Schwartz · Y Combinator
Sep 27, 2018 neutral
Insight
Schwartz: International SEO is untapped because US products lack global relevance
“So international is the untapped opportunity in SEO, but it will probably remain untapped for a long time because the products and services most American centric or English centric websites offer aren't necessarily relevant for a global audience.”
Eli Schwartz Sep 27, 2018 ▶ 31:43 SEO Advice from SurveyMonkey Director of SEO and Growth, Eli Schwartz · Y Combinator
Sep 27, 2018 positive
Insight
Schwartz: Full crawlability and zero orphan pages are critical
“So for the most important thing when it comes to SEO and making sure that your site is somewhat optimized for SEO is that the site is fully crawlable. So no orphan pages.”
Eli Schwartz Sep 27, 2018 ▶ 4:28 SEO Advice from SurveyMonkey Director of SEO and Growth, Eli Schwartz · Y Combinator
Sep 27, 2018 neutral
Insight
Schwartz: Learning SEO requires practical experimentation over formal courses
“So no courses to take really. It's a creative pursuit. You have to, you know, start drawing art in order to be an artist.”
Eli Schwartz Sep 27, 2018 ▶ 50:11 SEO Advice from SurveyMonkey Director of SEO and Growth, Eli Schwartz · Y Combinator
Sep 27, 2018
Insight
Schwartz: Plan SEO before choosing an e-commerce platform
“In any e-commerce company thinking about SEO, they should have thought about SEO before they chose their e-commerce platform.”
Eli Schwartz Sep 27, 2018 ▶ 2:16 SEO Advice from SurveyMonkey Director of SEO and Growth, Eli Schwartz · Y Combinator
Sep 27, 2018 positive
Opinion
Schwartz: GDPR is one of the best things for SEO recently
“I think GDPR is one of the greatest things that has ever happened to SEO in the last five years.”
Eli Schwartz Sep 27, 2018 ▶ 39:31 SEO Advice from SurveyMonkey Director of SEO and Growth, Eli Schwartz · Y Combinator
Sep 27, 2018 negative
Insight
Schwartz: Never build site features purely for web crawlers
“There's nothing you should be doing that's just for crawlers. It should all be for users.”
Eli Schwartz Sep 27, 2018 ▶ 8:02 SEO Advice from SurveyMonkey Director of SEO and Growth, Eli Schwartz · Y Combinator
May 8, 2019 bullish
Opinion
Halligan: SEO remains the most underrated marketing strategy
“SEO is such this, like, vague, murky term. Brian Halligan: It's the most underrated marketing thing there is. Kevin Hale: Still? Brian Halligan: Yes.”
Brian Halligan May 8, 2019 ▶ 15:42 HubSpot CEO and Cofounder Brian Halligan with Wufoo Cofounder Kevin Hale · Y Combinator
May 8, 2019 bullish
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Halligan: HubSpot generates 10 million visitors monthly via SEO
“We get ten million visitors a month through SEO.”
Brian Halligan May 8, 2019 ▶ 15:49 HubSpot CEO and Cofounder Brian Halligan with Wufoo Cofounder Kevin Hale · Y Combinator
Aug 15, 2019 positive
Assertion Partly supported
Alströmer: Pinterest acquires new users primarily via Google SEO
“If you think of Pinterest, SEO is the re, the real way how Pinterest is going. You type something in on Google, there already exists a Pinterest board for that, and you land on that Pinterest board. That's how they acquire new users.”
Gustaf Alströmer Aug 15, 2019 ▶ 25:34 Gustaf Alströmer - Growth for Startups · Y Combinator
Aug 15, 2019
Insight
Alströmer: SEO-driven startups must eventually match Pinterest and TripAdvisor
“If you are going to rely on search engine optimization to grow you're going to have to Be as good as a Pinterest or a TripAdvisor. Eventually. Not right away, but eventually. Because, ah, it's so competitive to win in this, like, large world of SEO.”
Gustaf Alströmer Aug 15, 2019 ▶ 30:51 Gustaf Alströmer - Growth for Startups · Y Combinator
Jun 27, 2025 positive
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Green: Advertising and SEO disciplines will enter generative AI interfaces
“There's a reason to believe that both of those types of disciplines will find their way into our new interfaces.”
Kirsten Green Jun 27, 2025 ▶ 24:59 Legendary Consumer VC Predicts The Future Of AI Products · Y Combinator
Jul 11, 2025 bearish
Prediction Not checkable as stated
Srinivas: SEO-gaming websites will definitely have a harder time
“But those who are trying to game the SEO system and trying to get traffic, I think they're definitely going to have a harder time.”
Aravind Srinivas Jul 11, 2025 ▶ 39:12 Aravind Srinivas: Perplexity's Race to Build Agentic Search · Y Combinator
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