The landscape of web development and SEO is evolving at breakneck speed, and few understand this better than the leaders who are actively shaping that future. In a recent episode of my AI SEO Insighter podcast, I had the privilege of sitting down with Itai Sadan, CEO and co-founder of Duda, who is based in Louisville, Colorado, alongside my business partner, Daniel Burns, COO of Boulder SEO Marketing.
What emerged from our conversation was a fascinating glimpse into how AI is not just changing what we build, but fundamentally transforming how agencies operate, how websites perform, and how businesses connect with their customers in an AI-driven search landscape.
[Watch the full podcast interview below]
From Mobile-First to Agency-First: Duda’s Strategic Evolution
Here’s something that immediately caught my attention about Duda’s journey—and it’s a lesson every business owner should understand. Back in 2010, when Duda started as “Duda Mobile,” they were solving the immediate problem of mobile optimization. But what separated them from the pack wasn’t just their technical solution; it was their willingness to make a bold strategic pivot.
“We realized that about 50% of our users were agencies,” Itai explained during our conversation. “Most platforms were very SMB focused, not thinking about the agency ecosystem—the multiple people involved, the content creators, web designers, QA teams. We decided to become an agency-first company.”
This decision to narrow their focus rather than try to be everything to everyone is exactly what I teach my clients about Micro SEO Strategies℠. Whether you’re optimizing for search or building a platform, success comes from precision targeting, not broad appeal.
The AI Revolution in Web Development: Beyond Simple Automation
What excites me about Duda’s current direction is how they’re approaching AI integration. This isn’t about replacing human expertise—it’s about amplifying it. Sound familiar? That’s precisely the philosophy behind our human-driven, AI-assisted approach at Boulder SEO Marketing.
During our discussion, Itai shared some groundbreaking capabilities that Duda has recently launched:
AI-Powered Content Generation That Actually Makes Sense
“You can upload an unstructured Google doc or Word doc from your client conversation into Duda, and it will generate a complete website based on that,” Itai demonstrated. This isn’t generic template filling—this is AI that understands context, business type, and client needs.
However, what impressed me most is that they’re not just automating content creation. They’re automating the entire research process. The AI studies thousands of similar business websites to recommend navigation structures, content frameworks, and even design elements specific to each industry.
The Model Context Protocol: A Game-Changer for Agency Efficiency
One feature that genuinely excited Daniel and me was Duda’s new Model Context Protocol (MCP) integration. Imagine this workflow:
- You go into Claude (or eventually ChatGPT) and say, “Create a website for my veterinarian client.”
- The AI creates the site structure
- You ask, “What are the top 10 trends in veterinary medicine?”
- The AI researchers’ current trends
- You say, “Write a blog post about one of these trends, add an image, and publish it to the blog.”
- The entire process happens in minutes.
This level of integration between AI platforms and website management represents the future that Daniel and I have been building toward with our BSM Copilot and our proprietary AI agents.
Why Website Speed and Core Web Vitals Matter More Than Ever
Daniel brought up a crucial point during our conversation that ties directly into our SEO strategy: “We’ve been so stuck with traditional CMSs that we’ve had our hands tied on Core Web Vitals performance.”
Complex data backed Itai’s response: “Duda just broke 85% on Core Web Vitals performance, which is higher than any other CMS platform out there.”
Here’s why this matters for your business: Google’s AI Overviews and other generative AI platforms prioritize fast-loading, well-structured content. If your website platform can’t deliver that performance automatically, you’re fighting an uphill battle, no matter how good your SEO strategy is.
The New Reality: Social Media is Now Part of Your SEO Real Estate
During our conversation, we touched on something I’ve been watching closely—the convergence of social media and traditional search. As I mentioned in my recent Friday SEO Tips, Google started indexing Instagram posts directly in search results as of July 2025.
When someone searches for “SEO agency Boulder,” they don’t just see our website. They see our LinkedIn company page, our Facebook presence, and individual social posts ranking on page one. We’ve been applying our Micro SEO methodology to social media optimization, and the results speak for themselves.
This is where Duda’s recent acquisition of Planable proves to be a strategically brilliant move. They’re not just building websites—they’re building comprehensive digital marketing ecosystems.
The Agency Evolution: What Success Looks Like in 2025
One question I posed to Itai gets to the heart of where our industry is heading: “What does the successful future-proofed agency look like?”
His answer aligns perfectly with what we’re seeing at Boulder SEO Marketing: “The digital landscape is becoming more complex. SMBs are less likely to succeed without expert help. You have to figure out Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Grok—the list goes on.”
This complexity isn’t going away. If anything, it’s accelerating. That’s why agencies that embrace AI tools while maintaining human expertise are positioned to dominate their markets.
The Boulder SEO Marketing Approach: Why Platform Choice Matters
Daniel shared an insight during our discussion that illustrates why we’re increasingly interested in platforms like Duda: “Today, the expectation is that websites are built with SEO engineered into the DNA of the CMS, not as an afterthought.”
At Boulder SEO Marketing, we’ve always advocated for choosing technology that supports your strategic objectives. Whether we’re implementing our Micro SEO Strategies℠ or deploying our BSM Copilot for content research, the underlying platform needs to enable excellence, not hinder it.
Here’s what I tell Colorado businesses looking for that competitive edge: your website platform is either helping you rank better or holding you back. There’s no middle ground in today’s AI-driven search environment.
Privacy and Security in the AI Era: The Responsible Approach
One concern I raised with Itai was the issue of data privacy in an AI-integrated world. His response demonstrated the thoughtful approach that separates serious platforms from rushed AI implementations:
“We have a security review process for any AI tool we want to use. Our chief security officer has to approve it. The content generation happens mostly on the client side, so AI platforms don’t have access to the backend where sensitive information is kept.”
This mirrors our approach at Boulder SEO Marketing. We’re aggressive adopters of AI technology, but we’re equally committed to protecting our clients’ data and maintaining the highest standards of security.
Looking Ahead: The Convergence of AI, SEO, and Web Development
What excites me most about conversations like this one with Itai is seeing how the boundaries between SEO, web development, and AI strategy are dissolving. We’re moving toward an integrated approach where:
- Website platforms automatically optimize for Core Web Vitals
- AI agents handle routine content creation while humans focus on strategy
- Social media, search engines, and AI platforms all factor into visibility planning
- Real-time data drives immediate optimization decisions
This is precisely why we developed our Micro SEO Strategies℠ methodology. Instead of treating SEO as a separate discipline, we integrate it into every aspect of digital presence—from initial platform selection to ongoing AI-assisted content optimization.
The Colorado Advantage: Why Local Expertise Matters
During our recording at Duda’s Louisville office, I was reminded why having local expertise matters so much. Whether you’re a Denver startup, a Boulder tech company, or a Colorado Springs manufacturer, understanding the local market dynamics while leveraging cutting-edge technology creates a decisive competitive advantage.
That’s been our approach since I started Boulder SEO Marketing over 14 years ago. We combine deep local market knowledge with the most advanced AI and SEO techniques available. That’s why we can help clients rank #1 for competitive keywords in under a month using our AI-enhanced methodology.
What This Means for Your Business
If you’re a business owner or marketing decision-maker, here are the key takeaways from our conversation with Itai:
Choose platforms that enhance rather than limit your capabilities. Whether you’re building a new website or evaluating your current platform, prioritize solutions that integrate AI thoughtfully and support advanced SEO requirements.
Embrace AI without abandoning human expertise. The most successful approaches combine AI efficiency with human strategic thinking. That’s true whether you’re choosing a website platform or an SEO strategy.
Think ecosystem, not just website. Your digital presence encompasses your website, social media, local listings, and how you are represented in AI-generated responses. Plan accordingly.
Speed and performance are non-negotiable. In an AI-driven search environment, technical excellence serves as the foundation upon which everything else is built.
Ready to Future-Proof Your Digital Presence?
The conversation with Itai reinforced something I’ve been telling Colorado businesses for months: we’re in the middle of the most significant shift in digital marketing since Google’s early days. The companies that adapt quickly will dominate their markets. Those who wait will be left behind.
At Boulder SEO Marketing, we’re already implementing these AI-driven strategies for our clients. Our Micro SEO Strategies℠ methodology, combined with our proprietary BSM Copilot AI agent, is delivering results that seemed impossible just two years ago.
Whether you need a comprehensive AI SEO strategy, website optimization that moves the needle, or local search domination across Colorado, we’re here to help. We’re not just keeping up with the changes—we’re leading them.
Want to see how these AI-powered strategies can transform your business? Schedule a consultation with our team and let’s discuss how to position your company for success in the AI-driven future.
Watch the complete podcast interview above to hear the full conversation with Duda CEO Itai Sadan, and subscribe to the AI SEO Insider podcast for more insights from industry leaders who are shaping the future of digital marketing.
