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Semrush Academy

AI Search Operating System

via Semrush Academy

Overview

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AI search is changing how brands get found, but most teams are still pulling in different directions. This course gives SEO and marketing leaders a practical operating system to bring clarity, audit AI visibility, and build a 90-day action plan leadership can actually move forward with.

Syllabus

  • Welcome to the AI Search Operating System
    • Winning in search is a new game with AI. Enter: Semrush's new AI Search Operating System. In this opening lesson, your host Leigh introduces the AI Search OS and what you’ll build by the end. Grab the template and follow along.
  • What’s Changed and How to Tell Leadership
    • SEO isn’t going away, but the way we talk about it needs to change. This lesson breaks down the key shifts and gives you the language to explain it clearly to leadership.
  • The 4 Layers of Brand Visibility
    • AI visibility gets messy fast when different teams are solving different problems. This lesson breaks it down into four layers (discoverability, clarity, authority, and trust), and shows how each one connects to teams, goals, and a CMO-ready plan.
  • Exclusive Offer: Join Us at Spotlight 2026
    • Join us at Spotlight 2026, Semrush’s flagship marketing conference, on October 13 in London. Connect with 1,000+ marketers and learn from 80+ industry leaders through keynotes, hands-on workshops, mastermind sessions, and networking—all focused on winning brand visibility in the age of AI.
  • An AI Search Audit That Gets Buy-In
    • This is where things get real. Learn how to audit your brand across all four layers, spot the gaps, and turn your findings into something leadership can quickly understand and act on.
  • AI Search Action Plan, KPIs and Reporting
    • Take your audit and turn it into a clear plan. In this lesson, you’ll define KPIs, assign ownership, and build a 90-day action plan your team can actually deliver.
  • Expert Advice: Leading Cross-Functionally
    • Join Rita and Leigh for a candid conversation on how the SEO role is expanding beyond the website. You'll learn how to navigate shifting KPIs, tell a stronger story to leadership, and reframe your work from cost to business impact.
  • Conclusion and Next Steps
    • You’ve made it to the end of the course. Congrats! Now it’s time to put your plan into action. When you’re ready, take the exam and see how it all comes together.
  • What's Next After the Four Layers of AI Search
    • You've mapped all four layers — now it's time to go deeper. Explore dedicated courses on each layer, hear from four industry experts, and get ahead of the Agentic Web with Crystal Carter's brand-new course.
  • Would You Recommend This Course?
    • One last thing! If you enjoyed this course (or even if you didn't, we won't take it personally), please give us some feedback so we can keep making even better free content in the future!

Taught by

Leigh McKenzie and Rita Cidre

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