Tanner Stafford
Ponte Vedra
Summary
Enterprise SEO & AI Search Specialist with 3+ years of experience at Cars.com, specializing in entities and embeddings to dominate generative search environments. Expert in GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and AEO strategies designed to pivot from raw traffic to high-intent brand authority and assisted conversions in a Zero-Click landscape. Highly proficient in Semantic Engineering, Speakable Schema, and Technical SEO to ensure LLM retrievability and high-ranking AI Overviews (AIO). Adept at leveraging GA4 and SEMRush to diagnose algorithmic shifts and communicate complex search KPIs to non-technical stakeholders.
Overview
4
4
years of professional experience
Work History
SEO Specialist
Cars.com
06.2022 - Current
- Generative Search Strategy: Spearheaded AEO and GEO initiatives to adapt to AI Overviews and Featured Snippets, shifting performance focus from raw clicks to brand visibility and assisted conversions.
- Technical & Semantic Architecture: Partnered with engineering to implement Speakable Schema and site architecture improvements that optimized crawlability, indexing, and entity recognition
- Local SEO & Entity Management: Scaled Local SEO performance by optimizing over 200 Google Business Profiles, translating complex business objectives into high-intent visibility in key markets.
- Algorithmic Adaptability: Leveraged GA4 and SEMRush to diagnose ranking fluctuations and adapt technical standards to meet Core Web Vitals and evolving search environment requirements.
- Strategic Optimization: Developed advanced content strategies using semantic clusters to improve organic authority and ensure content is retrievable for generative AI results.
Education
BS - Business Administration in Marketing
Georgia Southwestern University
Americus, GA01.2021
Skills
- Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) & AEO
- Entities & Embeddings (Semantic Search)
- LLM Retrievability & Citation Strategy
- Voice Search & Speakable Schema
- Crawlability & Indexing
- Schema Markup (JSON-LD) & Structured Data
- Core Web Vitals & Technical Auditing
- Site Architecture
- Google Analytics 4 (GA4) & GSC
- SEMRush
- Competitor Gap Analysis
- Algorithmic Fluctuation Diagnosis
Timeline
SEO Specialist
Cars.com
06.2022 - Current
BS - Business Administration in Marketing
Georgia Southwestern University