Human-First Content Strategy in a Machine-First World | Purna Virji
Welcome back to The Search Session, the show where we dive deep into the evolving world of search marketing—and everything that touches it. I’m your host, Gianluca Fiorelli, and today I’m joined by someone whose work has shaped how we think about marketing in a digital, AI-powered world.
Joining me is none other than Purna Virji, Principal Consultant and Global Program Manager at LinkedIn, former Microsoft leader, and one of the most inspiring voices in digital marketing. We explore everything from building meaningful content in the age of AI, to the difference between outputs and outcomes, to how brands can stay human—even when algorithms are part of the equation.
Purna shares real-world strategies, sharp insights, and even a few laughs (yes, we talk about pizza, Bollywood, and Italian curse words too).
Let’s get into it.
Transcript
Gianluca Fiorelli: Hi everybody, and welcome back to The Search Session, the podcast and video series where we explore the present and future of search marketing—and not just search marketing.
Before introducing today's guest, don’t forget to click the bell below to get notified about new episodes and subscribe to The Search Session on Apple Podcasts and Spotify if you prefer to listen rather than watch me.
Meet Purna Virji
Gianluca Fiorelli: Okay, let’s get to our guest. Welcome, Purna! Hey, how are you doing?
Purna Virji: Oh, I'm super excited to be here. Thank you for having me!
Gianluca Fiorelli: If anyone watching doesn’t know her, Purna is the Principal Consultant and Global Program Manager at LinkedIn. She’s been at LinkedIn for several years, and before that, worked at Microsoft—an increasingly key player in SEO, especially since their collaboration with OpenAI and ChatGPT began.
So, Purna, how are you doing?
Purna Virji: I’m doing great, thank you! Really excited to be here.
Gianluca Fiorelli: So just out of curiosity—what does a Principal Consultant and Global Program Manager at LinkedIn actually do?
Purna Virji: That's a question I get a lot! People are often confused—“Are you a consultant? Do you work at LinkedIn? What is it exactly?” So let me explain.
I’m part of an amazing team of specialists. Our job is to advise LinkedIn members and advertisers on how they can grow their business using LinkedIn and beyond—mainly through smart, engaging content and marketing strategies.
That’s the “consultant” part. The “program manager” part comes in with what I’ve built: global-scale customer education and empowerment initiatives like Innovate with LinkedIn and the LinkedIn Sustainability Summit.
We reach audiences across Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Americas. We aim to answer the top questions our customers have and empower them with resources and insights.
So yes, I’m super busy—but I love it. I get to work with people I admire, respect, and learn from every day.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Wow, that sounds like a really dynamic role. And I imagine it’s especially interesting because you’re not limited to one region—you’re seeing patterns and trends globally. That kind of perspective is so valuable, especially for future projects.
Purna Virji: Exactly. And I’m always inspired by people like you with that same international SEO expertise.
The Fundamentals of Content Marketing in an AI Era
Gianluca Fiorelli: Too kind, too kind! And for those who don’t know—Purna also wrote a wonderful book on content marketing, titled High-Impact Content Marketing.
Let’s start with a basic question, especially given the moment we’re living in. I say “crisis” in the original Greek sense—a moment of change and transition.
So, what’s “old” in content marketing that we should still hold onto? What should we keep, rather than toss aside just because it seems outdated?
Purna Virji: First of all, I didn’t know that “crisis” had that meaning—how fascinating! But yes, when you said we’re living through a crisis, I thought, “Well, I live in America, so... yeah, that tracks.”
Gianluca Fiorelli: [Laughs] That’s a different kind of crisis!
Purna Virji: So yes, there’s the crisis in the current sense—but going back to your original point about crisis as a passageway—isn’t it such an exciting time?
The only real comparison I can think of is when the internet first came onto the scene. Everyone was like, “Oh my gosh, there’s this internet, and websites—things are going to change!” Then we had the big dot-com bubble burst, and eventually, the internet matured into what we have today.
It feels like we’re in a similar moment now with AI. Marketers are again having that moment of awe—“Wow, it’s AI everywhere!” And I do think we’ll eventually go through a similar reckoning, just like with the dot-com era.
But here’s the thing: marketing isn’t new. It’s been around for centuries—thousands of years, even. I read somewhere that the first advertisement could be traced back to a caveman’s cave art. He was promoting or selling something—can’t remember what—but the point is, as long as humans have existed, marketing and advertising have existed too.
At its core, marketing is about connection. It’s about influencing behavior—convincing someone to choose you over anything else. That core goal hasn’t changed. What’s changed are the platforms and the mediums through which we connect.
And that’s the part I think marketers sometimes forget. They get caught up in the hype—panicking over the rise of AI, or thinking it's the magic solution that will do everything for them. But really, the fundamentals of marketing remain the same. They’re rooted in human nature and behavior, and those don’t change.
What worked in the past—things like sparking curiosity—still works today. Humans have always been curious beings. We’ve always wanted to explore, to learn. So, using curiosity to hook someone? It worked a thousand years ago, and it’ll still work now.
We could go much deeper on this, but to keep it simple: let’s take a pragmatic approach. Platforms will come and go. Mediums will change. But at the end of the day, it’s still about understanding people, connecting with them, sparking interest, and inspiring them to want to work with us.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Yeah, yeah, absolutely—I totally agree with you. There are these fundamental principles that are still at the core of every kind of marketing and communication. Curiosity, for sure. And also, communication itself—
Purna Virji: Yep.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Because if you're not able to communicate, then you're not able to persuade.
Purna Virji: Exactly.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Exactly—these are the principles that remain constant. Each channel has its own technical nuances, of course, and those might change over time. But the core drivers—those fundamental principles—are what really power things like SEO, PPC, social media, email marketing… even content marketing as a whole.
When it comes down to it, marketing is marketing. The differences lie in how you execute it through each channel.
Outputs vs. Outcomes: Why Strategy Comes First
Gianluca Fiorelli: And you made a great point in your book about choices—if I remember correctly. There are some concepts that people often get wrong. One of the classics is chasing trends versus staying strategically grounded. That feels especially relevant right now, with so much hype around AI and other innovations.
But there’s another distinction you brought up that really stood out to me: the difference between outputs and outcomes.
Can you elaborate on that a bit more? I think for some people—especially for someone like me, coming from an Italian background—the words sound very similar, and the concepts can get a bit blurred. But there’s actually a big difference between the two.
Purna Virji: Exactly—and honestly, I think this is one of the biggest mistakes marketers are making right now. There’s this mindset of, “I need to improve my SEO rankings, so let me publish 20 blog posts,” or, “I’m doing local SEO, so I need to create the same content for 20 different locations.” It becomes this endless push to churn out more, more, more.
That kind of thinking keeps us on a hamster wheel—just running and running without asking if it’s actually effective. But here’s the thing: would you rather do one thing really, really well and get incredible outcomes, or just throwing spaghetti at a wall.
(And yes, I know I’m saying this to an Italian, but—don’t worry—I’d never actually throw spaghetti at the wall! I won’t even break it before cooking. I promise.)
Instead of running ourselves ragged, we need to slow down and be deliberate. Yes, I understand the anxiety. Algorithms are always changing—search, social, everything. People are turning to TikTok instead of Google. They’re using AI copilots to search. Change is real. But that doesn’t mean we should panic and do everything at once.
We need to focus on outcomes, not just outputs. What’s the actual business impact we’re trying to drive?
One framework I use every single day at work—and it’s been incredibly effective—is something called backward design. It’s originally an instructional design principle, but I’ve adapted it for marketing. The idea is simple: start with the outcome you want to achieve, and then work backward to figure out the behavior change you need, and then determine the content and channels that will support that.
Let me give you an example. Say you and I get hired tomorrow by a fancy-schmancy car company. The business outcome we need to drive is simple: sell more of their latest car model.
Now, we’re marketers, not salespeople—we’re not the ones closing deals. But what can we do? We can influence potential customers to visit a showroom or explore the car online. So, our goal becomes: drive interest and foot traffic to the showroom or increase online car configurations.
From there, we ask: Who are the people most likely to be interested in this car? Is it existing customers with an older model we can encourage to upgrade? People with gas-powered vehicles we can nudge toward electric? Folks looking to switch brands altogether?
Then we go deeper: Where do these people hang out? What do they care about? How can we reach them, and what do they need to hear?
At that point, we can make much more strategic decisions about what to create. Maybe we only need to produce four or five really focused, effective pieces of content—instead of trying to pump out ten thousand mediocre ones and exhausting ourselves.
And when you frame things this way, it becomes so much easier to make the case for budget, for resources, or for buy-in. Whether you’re talking to stakeholders or leadership, you're speaking in terms of impact.
Because let’s be real: if you're an SEO trying to pitch something to a CMO, they’re not going to care about keyword rankings or technical fixes—they’re thinking about the whole marketing mix. They’re going to be asked by the CFO, “How are we making money?” So, we need to explain our work in a way that ties directly back to that outcome.
Anyway—super long answer, Gianluca! I hope that’s okay.
Gianluca Fiorelli: That was a fantastic answer. And something came to mind while you were speaking—it’s definitely connected to what you’re saying: one of the big problems I still see is that many people confuse tactics with strategy.
Purna Virji: Exactly! That’s the perfect way to put it—it’s a tactic, not a strategy. You need to think about your strategy first, and then let the tactics follow.
Otherwise, people—myself included, especially earlier in my career—end up doing things backwards. And just to be clear, I’m not judging anyone here.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Of course—everybody does it.
How to balance human-centered content with machine-readability
Gianluca Fiorelli: The answer you gave was absolutely spot on. But it got me thinking—especially now, with the rise of AI.
I’m not just talking about what’s happening today, but looking ahead—maybe one, two, three years from now—when AI becomes more mature. I’m thinking specifically about AI agents, where bots will actually perform tasks for us: things like booking a restaurant, ordering a book on Amazon, or even configuring a car online.
In those cases, we’re not just creating for humans anymore. We're also creating for machines that act on behalf of humans. And that can be a real challenge—especially in SEO—because so much of our job involves communicating through machines. We have to help the machine understand what we’re trying to offer so it can then pass that along to the human.
So how do we strike that balance?
How do we stay focused on real people—our ultimate target audience—while also recognizing that there’s now this digital “middle layer” we can’t ignore?
And how do we explain that to stakeholders—especially those at the very top, like CMOs or CEOs of multinational companies? How do we help them understand that, yes, our goal is to reach and resonate with people, but we also need to pay attention to the machine layer that sits between us and those people?
Because if we don’t, we risk losing visibility entirely.
Purna Virji: Yes, there absolutely has to be a balance. It would be unrealistic to say, “Just create for people and forget about the algorithms.” Of course, there are technical considerations we can’t ignore.
Ultimately, it comes back to a higher-level truth. And as a former SEO, I say this, speaking to myself as much as to anyone else. I’ve worked at a search engine for over five years, and I’ve spent another five at a major social media platform. I understand how algorithms work.
And here’s what we have to remember: at the end of the day, what do algorithms care about?
They care about delivering a great user experience.
Why? Because platforms want people to keep coming back. The more users they retain, the more valuable their platform becomes—and the more money they can make through ads. So if we’re talking about ad-driven platforms especially, their number one priority is making sure users find the value they’re looking for. That’s what keeps engagement high and the business running.
So, what do the algorithms prioritize? Whatever delivers value to people.
This is why we’ve seen things like spammy, low-value content consistently penalized over the past two decades. Whether it's content with high bounce rates, poor click-through rates, or content that people ignore entirely—it doesn't help users, and it doesn't help platforms. So those signals get downgraded.
Instead of chasing the algorithm, which is constantly evolving, we should be focusing on what the algorithm is trying to reward: good content, real value, and a positive user experience.
Now, 10 years ago, things were a lot simpler. There was more of a “one algorithm to rule them all” vibe. You could make tweaks, submit to a few directories, and see results pretty quickly. But today? We're in the age of quantum computing and highly intelligent, AI-driven systems. There’s not just one algorithm anymore—there are many, running simultaneously and interacting in complex ways.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Totally, totally.
Purna Virji: Exactly. There’s no longer a simple formula—no more, “If I do X, I’ll get Y.” Things change too fast. By the time you think you’ve figured out the algorithm, it’s already evolved. So, if you're constantly chasing it, you’re always behind.
That’s why I say: stop chasing the algorithm. Instead, go after what the algorithm is trying to please—which is people.
If you can consistently deliver high-value content and create genuinely good user experiences—things that align exactly with what users are looking for—you will succeed.
Look at social media, for example. If a piece of content gets strong engagement—likes, comments, shares—it gets rewarded with more reach and visibility. Why? Because the algorithm sees it as quality content. It thinks, “People are enjoying this. Let’s show it to more people so they stick around.”
So that’s my biggest piece of advice: in the end, the algorithm will win because there are too many signals and too much complexity for us to fully track or outsmart. But if you focus on serving the same audience the algorithm is designed to serve—real people—you’ll be on the right path.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Yeah. Yes. I mean, ultimately, this is what it comes down to—and it’s also what Google emphasizes when it talks about E-E-A-T. Especially when you’re working with such a broad concept, the challenge is that... well, our job as SEOs often becomes educational.
We have to say, “Okay, these things are great, we should absolutely be doing them.” But then we also need to explain how these things translate to a machine. Take branding, for example. I actually wrote a long post a few months ago about how to translate branding into something a machine can understand—how to make it recognize that you are a brand.
Because you can do amazing branding, but if you’re not able to make it clear—to the machine—that you are this specific entity, say, LinkedIn, then you won’t be recognized as LinkedIn.
So, this isn’t about chasing the algorithm. It’s about showing the value of the work we do. Because machines try to imitate human behavior, and to do that, they have to transform everything into numbers.
Purna Virji: That’s still the reality we live in. Yes, you can create all this great content, but then you’ve also got to make sure it’s actually digested, quote-unquote, by the algorithm.
There are certain things that tend to work. For example, on social media, if a post gets a lot of engagement—real, meaningful comments—it usually performs better because it reaches more people. Posting when your audience is most likely to be online helps too. You’ll typically get more clicks right when the post goes live.
So it’s about presenting things in a way that the platforms—and the algorithms—can understand. SEO is more important than ever now, in fact. Because we’re not just thinking about Google anymore. There’s also Microsoft with OpenAI and Copilot.
So if someone is doing a search through Copilot in a Word doc, for example... how do you make sure that your content shows up there?
Gianluca Fiorelli: Something else that comes to mind, which is really ramping up now, I remember, 10 years ago—yes, it's already been 10 years—when we were both speaking at MozCon, and even back then we were talking about how Google and search engines in general were personalizing search results. Then came the personalization of social media streams, timelines, and so on.
Now, we’re seeing that push for personalization going even further.
People often think it’s easier to personalize on social media—it feels more natural there, with gated communities and echo chambers. But the same is happening in search engines, too. Both Bing and Google are personalizing results. And even ChatGPT has memory. It remembers what you've asked before, so it personalizes based on your question history, not just your search history.
Building Memorable Brands in a Personalized, No-Click World
Gianluca Fiorelli: So, if you had to give a couple of suggestions, how can a brand become memorable in this landscape? In social media streams, in SERPs filled with thousands of SERP features, where platforms try to keep users on the page? Or in tools like ChatGPT or Perplexity, where yes, there are links, but they’re not always very prominent?
How can a brand make itself memorable even without a click—so that people eventually start searching for you directly?
You’ve spoken to so many customers at LinkedIn—what have you seen that works? What are the right approaches to tackle this and explain it to people?
Purna Virji: Isn’t that the multi-billion-dollar question?
Gianluca Fiorelli: I know—I don’t like to make things easy!
Purna Virji: No, I’m really glad we’re talking about this. Some of it, of course, we can only speculate—like how exactly an AI agent will choose content—but rather than guess, I think it’s smarter to look at what’s consistently worked over the years.
At the end of the day, for something to be memorable, a human has to remember it. So, if we go back to the fundamentals—what hasn’t changed—we can find patterns to work with.
There’s a lot of research to support this. The LinkedIn B2B Institute shares some great studies, and the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute has done a ton of academic work in this space. So what I’m sharing isn’t just my opinion—it’s backed by data.
When it comes to memorability, one of the most important factors—especially today—is emotion. Now, that doesn’t mean you have to make someone cry or laugh hysterically. It can be as simple as, “Oh, I like this,” or “That’s interesting,” or “I trust this brand.” Emotional response doesn’t have to be dramatic—it just has to be real.
And there are so many ways to build that into your content and creative, whether it's for social media or other platforms. Remember, we’re not living in siloed environments anymore. People move across platforms all day long—Google, LinkedIn, TikTok, Reddit. And these AI agents? They follow that behavior. That’s why it's so important to have a presence wherever your audience spends their time.
So if you're trying to reach me, for example, you'd want to show up on LinkedIn, on TikTok, maybe Reddit—and then, of course, Bing, Google, or Copilot, because those are the tools I personally use most.
And again—emotion works. Humor, in particular, performs really well on LinkedIn. And it doesn’t have to be expensive to create.
One of my favorite examples is this restaurant in Toronto called Butter Chicken Factory. Their TikTok content is hilarious—it’s just the restaurant owner and staff making quick, funny videos, like 15 to 20 seconds long. They’re super memorable. I actually follow them, and every time I see a new video, I get excited. And honestly, next time I’m in Toronto, I want to eat there—just to meet the people who made me laugh!
And this works in B2B too. Take Microsoft Copilot—they share user stories or mini product demos, but in really funny, relatable ways. One example was around the holidays. They posted something like: “You're going home for the holidays... how do you explain your job to your family?” Then they had a Copilot-generated explanation for, say, a social media manager trying to explain what they do to their banker dad—who probably thinks they just play on their phone all day. It’s clever, funny, and makes the product feel human and approachable.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Well, speaking of things that always seem to work—humor is definitely one of them. And that’s something Microsoft has always done quite well. They’ve often used humor, even self-deprecating humor, to present their products. It’s an ironic, lighthearted tone that really resonates.
Compare that to Apple, which usually takes a very different approach. And we could go deeper here, maybe even talk about brand archetypes.
Apple, for instance, often embodies the wizard archetype. It positions its products as magical objects—tools that will solve your problems in elegant, almost mysterious ways. Meanwhile, Google… I’m not entirely sure which archetype fits best, but maybe it’s the cool nerd—the guy or girl who seamlessly uses technology in their daily life. Smart, approachable, and quietly brilliant.
So yes, we’re actually talking about branded personas.
Brand Identity, Emotion & Consistency Across Channels
Gianluca Fiorelli: And maybe when we talk about memorability, it’s really about consistency. That’s the key. Because what often happens—even with large enterprises—is that they develop a strong brand persona, but then they fail to maintain it across different channels.
And when that consistency is missing, people don’t connect. They can’t recognize the brand, or worse—they feel like the brand is contradicting itself. And that breaks trust.
Purna Virji: Oh my gosh, you’re so right. I actually saw a stat about this—I’ll send it to you later because I don’t remember the exact number—but a large percentage of people misattribute creative work to the wrong brand.
Think about it: if you watched five different shampoo commercials back-to-back, would you really be able to tell which brand was which? They all feel so similar. So yes, emotion matters, but consistent branding and a strong, recognizable persona are just as important.
Even small branding elements make a huge difference. If you have brand colors, use them everywhere. You want someone to glance for two seconds and immediately think, “Oh, that’s from that brand.”
A great example is Ernst & Young (EY)—they use those little yellow triangles consistently across their creative. It’s subtle but instantly recognizable.
Another way to build memorability is with brand characters. Think of Moz with Roger Mozbot, or Duolingo with Duo, their green owl mascot, who’s basically a viral sensation at this point. People love him.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Right—and even Microsoft had a character that’s still remembered today. That little paperclip from Office—Clippy. It’s funny because it actually feels more on-brand now than it did back when they launched it!
Purna Virji: It’s amazing, right? Brand mascots, brand colors—these are what we call unique brand assets. Whether it’s a color, a jingle, a sound, or a slogan, these elements help make a brand instantly recognizable.
Take Nike, for example—“Just Do It” has been their slogan for decades. Or Microsoft Teams—the sound of a Teams call ringing is so distinctive. The moment you hear it, you know exactly what it is. That kind of distinctive audio branding can be really powerful.
Having these kinds of assets—whether visual, verbal, or auditory—is another great way to build memorability. But just as important is consistent messaging.
And here’s the thing: we, as marketers, get tired of our messaging way before the audience ever does. We see it every day, across every channel. But the audience doesn’t.
Think about it—Mastercard has used “Priceless” for years. De Beers coined “A diamond is forever” nearly a hundred years ago, and they’re still using it. These brands understand the power of sticking with a message.
Consistency across channels, across the entire marketing mix—that’s what really helps a brand stick in people’s minds.
A great example of this today is Surreal, the UK-based cereal brand. They’re hilarious, they’ve got bold branding, and they’re super consistent. Same tone, same colors, same vibe—no matter where you see them.
So yeah, there’s a lot we can do when it comes to building and reinforcing a memorable brand.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Because too often, companies make the mistake of not sharing it with everyone working on the brand. The tone of voice, visual identity, stylistic guidelines, how to respond in different situations—all of that should be part of the internal knowledge base.
This is also why the smartest SEOs usually recommend that when you're creating AI-generated content—well, it's not that AI content is bad in itself, but it becomes pretty useless if you don’t train it properly.
You need to feed it your brand Bible. Real examples of things you've written in the past and present—written by real people. And then, of course, once you get an output from the AI, you have to review it. You need to edit, refine, maybe even push the AI to revise and reason again.
That’s what using AI as a tool really means. Not just letting it spit out content and calling it a day but making it part of a creative, strategic process.
How Purna Virji Leverages AI in Her Daily Workflow
And just out of curiosity, how do you use AI in your day-to-day work? Or how does LinkedIn, more broadly, integrate AI? I mean, LinkedIn is part of Microsoft, so I imagine there’s a lot of Copilot in the mix, as you were hinting at before.
But I’m curious—how are you using AI as a tool to actually make your work easier? For example, when it comes to analyzing all the data you get from working with customers around the world?
Purna Virji: So many things! But first, let me take a step back and share an analogy I really like when it comes to AI.
Think of AI like makeup—or a mask.
If you use AI like makeup—say, a little red lipstick—it enhances what’s already there. It brings out your natural voice, your message, your personality. But if you use it like a mask—something to completely hide behind and generate content in a very impersonal, generic way—then people don’t really get to see you. And that disconnect can hurt your brand.
There’s actually a simple three-step formula for building trust:
Know → Like → Trust.
People need to know you first. Then, they can like you. And only then do they trust you. And we know from research that trusted brands are the ones that get chosen more often.
So yes, use AI, but exactly as you said, Gianluca: feed it your tone, your brand voice, your actual examples. Make sure it still feels like you so that people are connecting with a real identity, not an impersonal mask.
As for how we use AI—both on LinkedIn and personally—there are several ways.
On LinkedIn, we’re trying to make it really easy for users to create content and campaigns, especially for small businesses or time-strapped marketers. One of our tools is called Accelerate. It’s an AI-powered campaign builder. You just input a URL, and it handles a lot of the heavy lifting for you—great for testing ideas or launching something quickly. And the results have been impressive.
For content creation, there are built-in AI tools that can help when the words just aren’t wording, you know? You have an idea, but you're struggling to articulate it. You can write a rough version, and AI will polish it for you directly in LinkedIn. You can also use it to generate images to pair with your posts—which is helpful, since posts with visuals tend to perform better than plain text.
Even better than images? Video. And we’ve made it easy to add AI-generated captions automatically. That’s especially important because a large percentage of LinkedIn users—at one point, it was around 80%—watch videos with the sound off. So captions are a must.
Now, on a more personal level—yes, I love using Copilot. At the start of the year, I gathered all these different trend reports and fed them into Copilot. Then I’d ask it questions like, “What do you think is emerging across these?” or “Which direction looks most promising?” It was so helpful in synthesizing and exploring ideas.
Honestly, the possibilities are endless—we’re just getting started.
There’s a quote I love (not mine, sadly!) from a professor of AI at Wharton. He said:
“This is the worst AI is ever going to be.”
And it’s so true. It’s getting better at lightning speed. Every single day. And I’m so excited to see where it goes next.
Reassuring the Next Generation: AI Won’t Take Your Job
Gianluca Fiorelli: Well, I’m excited too—but let’s be honest, a lot of people are also scared. Right? There’s that big fear: “Am I going to lose my job?”
So what do we say to our friends—or to the younger generation just starting out in digital marketing—who are genuinely worried about AI replacing them? Maybe the fear is a bit dramatic, but still very real.
How do you respond to that? What do you say to help them see that, maybe, AI isn’t here to steal their job, but actually to improve it?
Because even I have moments of worry. We all do. So how do you think about it? How do you personally reassure yourself—and others—that AI can be more of an answer than a threat?
Purna Virji: What I always go back to is this: when the calculator was first invented, a lot of accountants panicked. “That’s it. My job is gone.” But as we now know... that didn’t happen.
The same thing has played out throughout history—whether during the Industrial Revolution or with the rise of computers. Yes, some tasks become more efficient. But time and time again, new roles and different jobs are created.
So no, I don’t think AI is going to steal your job and leave you jobless. I think it’s going to open up new opportunities and different kinds of roles that didn’t exist before.
If we just look at history, that’s always been the pattern. So don’t panic—don’t be like those accountants when calculators first showed up.
Because guess what? We still need accountants.
Gianluca Fiorelli: And we still need calculators, too.
Purna Virji: We definitely still need calculators—because, good gosh, I mean, look at us! Technology has totally changed the way we operate. I don’t remember phone numbers anymore. I don’t do math in my head—I just grab my phone and use the calculator.
So the same logic applies to AI. I always say: think about the skills AI doesn’t do well—things like creativity, empathy, storytelling—and focus on those. But at the same time, learn AI. Embrace it. Get comfortable with it. That’s exactly what I tell my son, who’s Gen Z.
AI is just going to become another language we all speak. Mobile phones didn’t kill desktop computers—we still use both. TV didn’t kill the radio. These things don’t die, they just get used in different ways. We keep adding tools to the toolbox.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Yes, totally. I actually use AI for a lot of different tasks, especially when dealing with large amounts of data. It helps me analyze things more efficiently. But honestly, that’s not even the most interesting part for me.
What I love most is using AI in a more exploratory, creative way. Like, when I have an idea I want to develop, I’ll start by prompting the model—asking it to give me a brief overview or summary on the topic using deep search tools or research models. That gives me a solid foundation to read and reflect on.
But then, I take it further by applying a kind of Socratic method. I start asking questions—not just to get straight answers but to test and refine my thinking. Sometimes, I know I want to say something, but I’m not sure how to frame it or how to fact-check what I believe. So, I push the model to think more laterally.
Because if you don’t actively stimulate it, AI will often default to the simplest, most direct answer. But if you keep asking deeper, more challenging questions, you can get it to explore different angles and help you refine your ideas.
Honestly, I’ve even crashed the model a couple of times—got it stuck in loops—because I kept pushing it to rethink or reframe its answers. But for me, that’s what makes AI so interesting. It becomes a thinking partner—a way to explore ideas and clarify your own position. Of course, you still have to fact-check everything, but as a brainstorming companion, especially when working solo, it’s incredibly useful.
Purna Virji: That’s genius. I love that approach. I’m definitely going to try that. You’re so right—it’s like having a brainstorming buddy, only it’s you... with access to everything.
Gianluca Fiorelli: And you know, especially when you’re working alone, it’s great to have that kind of tool. You don’t always want to bother your friends by asking them every random or half-formed question. But with AI, you can.
You can throw out the “stupidest” question about some idea you’re playing with, and the AI will still reason through it with you. And sometimes, that idea turns out not to be stupid at all. You might discover a new way to explain something—or a new angle you hadn’t considered.
So yes, I really recommend using it that way.
Why Today’s Users Are Harder to Reach Than Ever Before
Gianluca Fiorelli: Now, going back to your fantastic book—a big part of it is dedicated to behavioral science and how important it is to study and understand the behavior of your audience in order to market to them effectively.
So I’m curious: what’s the biggest change in user behavior you’re seeing right now? Especially when it comes to how people search for solutions—whether that’s through search engines, AI tools, or on brand websites?
Purna Virji: I think the biggest change—and something we really need to pay attention to as marketers, no matter our discipline—is this: people’s filtering ability has become incredibly strong.
What AI has done is lower the barrier to entry. Now, anyone can be a content creator. It’s so easy to record, edit, polish—all from your phone. So we’re seeing a massive influx of content from everywhere—from people of all ages, backgrounds, and corners of the world.
The platforms that already felt competitive ten years ago? They’re now infinitely more competitive.
Just look at LinkedIn—it recently hit over a billion members, and that number keeps growing. So, with so much content being produced and pushed out constantly, people have developed almost an internal “algorithm” for filtering. A kind of human spam filter.
And here’s the thing—it takes zero effort to ignore something now. You can scroll past without thinking. You don’t have to stop, you don’t have to engage. So the bar for attention has gotten much, much higher.
That’s why we, as marketers, need to be really thoughtful and intentional with the content we create.
This is especially true for the younger generation—Gen Z. They grew up with the internet. They have this phone side-view in their heads.
Gianluca Fiorelli: And Generation Alpha? Even more so.
Purna Virji: A hundred thousand percent agree. We’ve just got to raise the bar—and raise our standards. Those shortcuts might work in the moment, but they’re not going to hold up long-term.
Things get caught so much faster now. Lazy shortcuts, inauthentic content—it all gets filtered out.
And trust me, I get it. I mean, if I could get an AI bot to go to the dentist for me so I never have to deal with a cavity, I would! But AI’s not there yet. And if I skip the appointment, sure, I’ll be happy in the moment, but the cavity won’t go away. It’ll turn into a root canal—and nobody wants that.
So yeah, short-term hacks might feel good, but they don’t pay off in the long run.
Measuring What Matters in a Fragmented Marketing Landscape
Gianluca Fiorelli: Exactly—and even when we do implement great strategies, with all the right inputs, and we know we’re doing smart, thoughtful marketing… the challenge is often measurement.
Because now, measuring results has become so much more complex.
So how do we simplify it? What kind of metrics do you think really matter today? What should we focus on as our “canary in the coal mine”—the indicators that tell us, “Yes, this is good marketing,” or “No, something isn’t working”?
Purna Virji: That’s such a great question—because measurement has become way more complicated. With media mix modeling, limited budgets, and so many options for where to put your dollars, it’s no longer as simple as it used to be.
For the longest time, we relied on last-click attribution. Google Analytics would show that all the conversions came from Google Ads, so everyone just funneled money there. But then, brands would turn off their other channels—and suddenly realize that, without those supporting touchpoints, the entire funnel became less effective.
I do think there’s a lot of potential for AI to help with attribution in the future. But for now, I like to simplify things using a framework I talk about in my book. I call it the Four R’s—a basic line-of-sight model for measuring impact:
Reach – Are you actually getting your content out there? Are you reaching the right people, at the right scale?
Reaction – Are they engaging with it? Are you seeing clicks, likes, comments, shares—any indication that they find it valuable?
Response – Are they taking action beyond the engagement? Are they sharing it with others, booking a visit, signing up, showing signs of behavior change?
Revenue – Finally, is your work driving the business impact you’re aiming for?
These four R’s help you move from early leading indicators to bottom-line results. Because if you don’t track that “canary in the coal mine”—those signals along the way—you risk waiting months before realizing something is or isn’t working.
Another thing I always advise: give your efforts enough time.
We actually ran a study at LinkedIn where we asked B2B marketers:
What’s your average sales cycle? Most answered somewhere between 6 to 9 months.
Then we asked: How soon do you check your campaign performance?
And about 75% said: within the first two weeks.
That’s way too soon.
It’s like making ice cream, putting it in the freezer, and checking it 10 minutes later—then deciding your recipe must be wrong because it’s still liquid. No! You just didn’t give it enough time to freeze.
So yes—measure smartly, choose the right metrics, and make sure your measurement timeline matches your actual business cycle. Otherwise, you risk cutting things off before they’ve even had a chance to work.
Gianluca Fiorelli: That’s a very cool and valuable recommendation—especially from my own experience working in B2B. Sometimes, you find yourself thinking, “Okay, this is a huge product. It’s expensive to produce. There’s tons of bureaucracy, legal reviews, negotiation... it’s a long process.”
So why are we pretending that we’ll see instant results?
Instead, it’s much more effective to track those micro-conversions in between. That helps reassure the client that, yes, we’re moving in the right direction—even if the final sale will take time.
Rapid-Fire Questions: Pizza, Mumbai, Snoring & Kaizen
Gianluca Fiorelli: Okay, I would love to keep going, but I know we’ve probably hit the limit of our listeners' attention spans—especially if we’re thinking of Generation Alpha! Let’s try not to keep them too long... they’ve probably got other things to do.
But before we close, I have just a few final questions. I ask these at the end of every Search Session episode. They’re quick, fun, and designed to help our audience get to know you a little better.
So I’ll ask you to answer with the first thing that comes to mind. Ready?
First question: What’s your absolute favorite food—the one you always say yes to when you see it?
Purna Virji: Oh, pizza.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Oh, thank you! Okay, next question: If you were to win the Powerball or Mega Millions, where would you love to retire with your family?
Purna Virji: Oh, that’s such a hard question! If I won millions, I think I’d buy the most beautiful houses in a few places. Definitely one in India, one in Italy—and then maybe one or two more somewhere else. I love variety, so I wouldn’t want to stay in just one place. I like the idea of rotating between four or five different locations. But for sure, India and Italy are on my list.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Yes, of course! And since India is so big, just out of curiosity—not a test—which part of India are you from?
Purna Virji: Mumbai.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Ooh, Bollywood!
Purna Virji: Exactly! It’s the financial capital, but also home to Bollywood. It’s an island city, and I still say, there’s no place like Mumbai. It’s the maximum city.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Alright, back to the questions! What is your least favorite sound or noise?
Purna Virji: The sound of people chewing. Wait—no, actually, scratch that. Snoring! I hate snoring. My poor husband knows if he’s snoring, he gets kicked out of the bedroom. He knows he will get evicted if he snores. It just annoys me!
Gianluca Fiorelli: [Laughs] And what’s the last book you loved reading?
Purna Virji: Ooh, good one! The last book I really enjoyed was a business book called The Spirit of Kaizen. It’s based on the Japanese concept of Kaizen, which is all about continuous improvement—just getting 1% better every day.
It really resonated with me because I’ve found that, like a lot of people, I often try to make these big, sweeping changes. I’ll go all in for a couple of weeks, and then… I burn out and give up. But this idea of small, steady progress—of constantly learning and growing—it’s super motivating. Those little improvements compound into big results over time.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Cool, cool. Alright—next one: What is your least favorite color?
Purna Virji: Yellow. Weird, right? I love green, but I just don’t like yellow.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Why? What do you associate with yellow?
Purna Virji: Nothing specific—it’s just... too bright and loud. Although, to be fair, there are some shades I don’t mind, like pale yellow. But yeah, it was just the first color that came to mind.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Fair enough! Okay, time to have a little fun: What’s your favorite curse word?
Purna Virji: My favorite curse word? Well... I remember my favorite moment related to curse words! It was that night at the BrightonSEO after-party when you and Gianpaolo taught me every single Italian curse word. It was the best lesson ever!
Gianluca Fiorelli: [Laughs] Yes, yes, that was a legendary night.
Purna Virji: I still think about that—it was so funny!
Gianluca Fiorelli: Let’s just say… I’ll leave it to our listeners to discover those for themselves. They don’t quite translate well in video or podcast format—they’re very physical, very expressive.
Alright, Purna—thank you. It was such a pleasure spending this hour with you. Everything you shared was truly insightful, and I know our listeners and viewers will find it just as inspiring.
And to those of you watching or listening—don’t forget to click subscribe and hit the notification bell so you won’t miss any upcoming episodes.
Thank you again!
Purna Virji: This was so much fun—thank you!
Gianluca Fiorelli: Take care!
Podcast Host
Gianluca Fiorelli
With almost 20 years of experience in web marketing, Gianluca Fiorelli is a Strategic and International SEO Consultant who helps businesses improve their visibility and performance on organic search. Gianluca collaborated with clients from various industries and regions, such as Glassdoor, Idealista, Rastreator.com, Outsystems, Chess.com, SIXT Ride, Vegetables by Bayer, Visit California, Gamepix, James Edition and many others.
A very active member of the SEO community, Gianluca daily shares his insights and best practices on SEO, content, Search marketing strategy and the evolution of Search on social media channels such as X, Bluesky and LinkedIn and through the blog on his website: IloveSEO.net.
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