ASQ Section 0511 August 2026 Meeting Announcement

Wednesday, 12 August 2026

When AI Search Becomes the Company's Front Door:
From SEO to AEO and the New Risks to Information Quality

presented by Karla Lawson

Vice President, Digital Presence at Stanley Martin Homes

Short Description:

AI-powered search is rapidly replacing traditional search as the primary interface between organizations and their audiences. As this shift occurs, control over content, messaging, and accuracy is moving from owned channels (websites) to AI-generated answers. This session explores how the transition from traditional search engine optimization (SEO) to Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) introduces new quality risks, governance challenges, and opportunities for organizations to maintain trust and accuracy at scale

Speaker's Background:

Karla Lawson is Vice President, Digital Presence, at Stanley Martin Homes. With 15+ years of experience leading digital transformation at companies including Infor, Pantheon, Capital One, Freddie Mac, and BSI, she has built a track record of turning enterprise digital ecosystems into measurable growth engines, including a 200% lift in organic visibility through AI-driven search, a 35% increase in conversion through Digital Experience Platform (DXP) modernization, and 107% Year-over-Year (YoY) traffic growth through integrated content, SEO, and conversion rate optimization (CRO).

Karla's current focus is the rapid shift from traditional search to AI-mediated discovery, and the implications that shift carries for content quality, brand citation, and information governance. As LLMs and answer engines become the primary front door to enterprise brands, the disciplines of SEO, content strategy, and quality assurance are converging in new and unfamiliar ways. She speaks with industry audiences on how digital and quality leaders can adapt their practices for a world where the answer, not the link, is the destination.

Karla holds an MA in International Commerce and Policy and a BA in International Studies from George Mason University, with additional study at Jonkoping International Business School in Sweden.

Presentation Materials:

When AI Search Becomes the Company's Front Door PDF PPTX

Optional Preparatory Review (OPR) (0.05 RU)

The OPR is an educational add-on to the main Meeting that you may complete if you so choose.

Completing and certifying its completion grants you an additional 0.05 RU credits on top of the RU credit you will earn by attending the 8/12/2026 Meeting, for a total of up to 0.2 RU!

How to complete and certify the completion of the OPR: Link

Webinar Link / Meeting Instructions:

7:00pm — 8:30pm – Section Meeting Information
Joining by a direct link:
Meeting link: https://asq.webex.com/asq/j.php?MTID=md7b51d35a3b8efcb35d04e7efb115ad1
Joining by meeting information (requires entering the password):
Web address: https://asq.webex.com/asq
Meeting number: 2556 788 1959
Password: MnNJGYiP686
Joining by phone (you will have to identify yourself by name when you have joined):
Phone number: 1-408-792-6300 Call-in number (US/Canada)
Access code: 2556 788 1959

6:00pm — 7:00pm – Section Leadership Committee meeting
Joining by a direct link:
Meeting link: https://asq.webex.com/asq/j.php?MTID=mf9eacfe383eb679d2189a2bc3466debf
Joining by meeting information (requires entering the password):
Web address: https://asq.webex.com/asq
Meeting number: 2558 731 5440
Password: vcXvNJjF372
Joining by phone (you will have to identify yourself by name when you have joined):
Phone number: 1-408-792-6300 Call-in number (US/Canada)
Access code: 2558 731 5440

Reservations:

There is no charge to attend. To register, please use our on line reservation form which can be used up to the day of the meeting. If your plans change, please contact dba26@asq0511.org, and let us know.

Next Meeting:

9 Sep 2026 — Report from the 2026 World Conference on Quality and Improvement by Maria Habib

Call for Speakers!!!

Would you or someone you know like to speak at a future ASQ meeting? We're always looking for volunteers. Be creative! Exercise your public presentation skills! Earn recertification credits! Get a free dinner! Please contact programs26@asq0511.org.

About Us:

ASQ Section 0511 is a geographic community in Northern Virginia that lives intertwined with the network of ASQ Divisions and technical communities specializing in specific quality domains and supporting ASQ Certifications in their domains. Its members have tremendous cumulative experience across multiple industries, companies, and government agencies. Any single one of you in our ASQ Section is a formidable source of takes, opinions, and lessons on a number of Quality Matters.