Stash + Exa: Deep Research Tasks Without the Rabbit Holes

Research is supposed to make you smarter. Instead, it usually makes you... overwhelmed.

You start with a simple question: "What's the current state of SEO for SaaS companies?" Two hours later, you have 47 browser tabs open, three conflicting articles bookmarked, and honestly less clarity than when you started.

The problem isn't finding information—Google's great at that. The problem is making sense of everything you find and turning it into something actionable.

That's exactly what Stash + Exa solves.

The Deep Research Problem

Traditional research workflows are broken:

1. Google search → Open 15 tabs that look relevant
2. Skim articles → Bookmark the good ones (maybe)
3. Take scattered notes → In three different apps because you forgot where you started
4. Try to synthesize → Stare at notes wondering how they all fit together
5. Give up → Either write something half-baked or abandon the project

Result: Tons of effort, minimal insight. And good luck finding those notes when you need them three months from now.

How Exa + Stash Changes Research

Exa is a next-generation search engine built for deep research. Combined with Stash's organizational AI, you get a research workflow that actually builds knowledge instead of just collecting links.

Here's How It Works:

1. Frame Your Research Question

Instead of random Googling, start with a clear question in Stash:

• "What are the emerging SEO strategies for B2B SaaS in 2025?"
• "How are competitors positioning their pricing pages?"
• "What's the current thinking on product-led growth for enterprise software?"

Be specific. The better your question, the better Exa can search.

2. Exa Finds the Deep Cuts

Exa doesn't just surface the most popular articles. It finds:

• Technical deep-dives from niche blogs
• Academic research and case studies
• Founder insights from lesser-known sources
• Recent discussions (not just old, high-traffic pages)

This is stuff Google wouldn't surface until page 3 or 4 of results—if at all.

3. Stash Organizes Everything Automatically

Here's where it gets powerful. As Exa pulls in search results, Stash:

• Categorizes findings by theme (technical SEO vs. content strategy vs. link building)
• Extracts key insights from each source
• Identifies patterns across multiple articles
• Creates a structured research doc with sources cited
• Highlights contradictions so you know where experts disagree

No manual note-taking. No trying to remember which article said what. Just organized, synthesized research ready to use.

Real Example: Competitive SEO Research

Let's say you're researching how competitors approach SEO content.

Your Exa + Stash workflow:

1. Ask: "Find examples of successful SEO content strategies in the project management software space"
2. Exa searches across blogs, case studies, and marketing breakdowns
3. Stash imports 20+ relevant sources and automatically creates:

Your Research Output:

• Overview: Common patterns in successful strategies
• Tactics by category:
  • Keyword targeting approaches (5 examples)
  • Content formats that rank (listicles, guides, comparisons)
  • Internal linking strategies (3 case studies)
• Competitor breakdown: What Asana, Monday, ClickUp are doing differently
• Actionable takeaways: 7 things you should try based on what's working

Time invested: 20 minutes framing questions and reviewing output What you got: A comprehensive research brief that would've taken 4+ hours manually

Why This Works So Much Better

Exa finds what Google misses. Less SEO-optimized clickbait, more actual substance.

Stash prevents information overload. It organizes as you go, so you're never drowning in tabs and bookmarks.

Pattern recognition happens automatically. Stash identifies themes across sources that you'd miss reading one article at a time.

Everything stays searchable. Need that insight six months from now? It's in your Stash workspace, not lost in a browser bookmark folder.

Research becomes reusable. Build a knowledge base on topics you care about. Each research session adds to your understanding instead of starting from scratch.

Beyond SEO: Other Research Use Cases

This workflow works for any deep research task:

• Product strategy: Research how competitors position features and pricing
• Content marketing: Find emerging topics and content gaps in your niche
• Hiring: Research salary benchmarks and benefits packages
• Academic work: Literature reviews and theoretical frameworks
• Market analysis: Industry trends and emerging technologies
• Learning: Build comprehensive knowledge bases on topics you're studying

Basically: if you need to go deep on a topic and actually understand it (not just skim headlines), this is your stack.

Getting Started

1. Identify a research topic you've been putting off because it feels overwhelming
2. Frame 2-3 specific questions about that topic
3. Use Exa to search for high-quality sources
4. Let Stash organize and synthesize everything into a usable format
5. Actually use the research instead of letting it rot in bookmarks

Research doesn't have to mean rabbit holes and information overload. Done right, it means building real understanding fast.

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Ready to research smarter, not harder? Try Stash with Exa and see what deep research should actually feel like.