HolderComm AI Transformation, Digital Strategy & Creative Services

Tracing AI’s path from search relevance to enterprise transformation

By Eric Holder, HolderComm AI Transformation Consultant

Understanding Search as a Prelude to AI
Like many in the fast-moving field of AI transformation, I didn’t begin in AI research—I began by understanding how people search and how machines interpret their intent. In 2015, Google’s RankBrain update disrupted the search landscape and upended my core business. As the founder of a successful SEO agency with more than a decade of traction, I had been on the front lines—helping brands grow through performance marketing and organic discovery. But RankBrain marked a clear evolution: search was shifting from keyword matching to contextual understanding, from intent detection to intent anticipation. Where others saw disruption, I saw a directive—to adapt, experiment and reimagine what strategic marketing could mean in an AI-driven era.

AI and Content Strategy Converge
By then, SEO was no longer just about backlinks and metadata—it had become a discipline centered on user behavior, semantic relevance and predictive engagement. I began integrating AI-powered signals into content strategy, site architecture and UX optimization—translating search algorithm shifts into actionable strategies for clients in fintech, proptech and legal. That intersection of AI and content laid the foundation for my broader strategic philosophy.

Enterprise Experience and the Coming Data Boom
Before that, I spent six years as creative partner and strategic content director for LSI (later acquired by Avago/Broadcom), where I led content production and go-to-market strategy for global partners including IBM, Intel and Dell. That experience gave me a front-row seat to how infrastructure providers were scaling for the coming data explosion—the same data that would later fuel machine learning and AI adoption. It also strengthened my command of enterprise marketing, shaping high-impact technical narratives across complex partner ecosystems.

Cloud Strategy and the End of AI’s “Honeymoon”
Around that same time, I expanded into content strategy through a long-term contract with Virtustream (EMC/Dell), a provider of enterprise-class cloud solutions. My work supported go-to-market initiatives, including contributions to Forrester’s Cloud Trends 2018, which marked another inflection point: “AI’s honeymoon is over.” Hype was giving way to real-world complexity—governance, data readiness and implementation had become urgent priorities. While continuing to lead SEO strategy, I saw firsthand how enterprise transformation demanded both AI literacy and operational clarity.

Thought Leadership and Enterprise AI Adoption
That dual track continued. At Cloudreach (Atos), I led full-funnel digital strategy for one of the world’s top cloud consultancies. My team owned SEO, editorial and user experience for the Cloud Trends 2021 report with IDC, which we launched at AWS re:Invent. I also produced more than 25 episodes of the Cloudbusting podcast, featuring senior executives from Google, AWS and Microsoft in conversations about operational transformation. Before that, as a strategist for Ivanti, an IT automation company, I developed content assets explaining how neural networks enabled real-time anomaly detection and automated ticket resolution. I wasn’t just tracking AI adoption—I was shaping how enterprise organizations communicated and implemented it.

Operational Strategy with AI at the Core
By this point, my responsibilities had expanded well beyond content production. I was architecting messaging systems, designing conversion frameworks and aligning CX storytelling with partner ecosystems and sales motions. AI insights—once used primarily in search strategy—had become central to how I helped clients scale go-to-market programs, unify brand voice and elevate the buyer experience.

Entering the AI Startup Space
Building on a decade of entrepreneurial experience, I brought that strategic lens into the AI startup world. I joined Turn.AI, an HR tech platform applying document intelligence and AI automation to hiring and workforce operations. As director of marketing and strategy, I led go-to-market planning, UX/UI, SEO and sales enablement, while also collaborating with product and engineering on RAG pipelines, OCR workflows and content classification. I helped translate emerging AI capabilities into clear business value—positioning the platform to solve real-world problems around recruitment, compliance and operational efficiency.

Deep Tech, Governance and Global Standards
My AI immersion deepened further at VERSES AI, a deep tech company where I served as director of communications and head of marketing operations. Working closely with the CEO and chief scientist—whom Wired called “the genius neuroscientist who wants to transform AI”—I helped translate complex innovations into language investors, regulators and developers could act on. I co-produced a 75-page report on AI governance and interoperability for the Spatial Web Foundation, contributed to global standards development and oversaw thought leadership on AI ethics, regulation and autonomous systems. I also led native content campaigns with MIT Technology Review, The New York Times, Financial Times and Axios. To support these efforts, I developed webinar series, scripted executive briefings and led communications at events including Davos—where I briefed our team on conversations with Meta’s Yann LeCun and Web founder Sir Tim Berners-Lee.

Generative AI and Infrastructure Strategy
That trajectory led to a fractional role as VP of brand and communications for Invisible Technologies, an AI training company supporting OpenAI, Google and AWS. There, I deepened my hands-on understanding of generative AI tooling—working with prompt engineering, RAG pipelines, knowledge bases and human-in-the-loop (HITL) systems. I developed executive thought leadership content for the CEO, including Applied AI: A Practical Approach to Harnessing the Power of AI for Your Business, and helped position the company at the forefront of applied AI infrastructure.

AI as a Service and Future Work
Since then, I’ve worked across industries in hybrid leadership roles—serving as a fractional VP, director of AI strategy and executive thought partner for companies integrating AI into workflows, products and communications. At Vsbl, where I now serve as head of AI strategy, I collaborate with founders, developers and enterprise teams to turn AI ambition into operational capability—designing intelligent agents, RAG pipelines, knowledge orchestration layers and governance frameworks.

In parallel, I’ve launched two AI-as-a-service ventures—TheKnowledgeBase.ai and TheKnowledgeBot.ai—built to help organizations transform static content into intelligent systems. These platforms deliver applied AI through retrieval workflows, knowledge infrastructure and HITL design, powering both internal and customer-facing automation.

Closing the Loop
To support the broader business community, I’ve authored How AI is Revolutionizing Content Marketing, Marketing with AI-Powered Digital Transformation and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): How B2B SaaS and E-Commerce Brands Win in the AI Discovery Era. Through these and other resources, I continue to share practical insights on building AI-first systems that create real business value.

My mission remains the same: help companies harness AI not as hype, but as a practical, ethical advantage. I started by helping people find what they were looking for—now I help organizations define who they are, where they’re going and how AI can help them get there.