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Send us Fan MailAmazon search is changing fast. It's no longer just about keywords. AI shopping tools like Rufus and Alexa are now answering customer questions and shaping buying decisions before shoppers even open a listing.In this Amazon SEO for AI Agents walkthrough, we cover how Answer Engine Optimization, or AEO, works on Amazon, where to place clear answers in your bullet points and crawlable A+ Content, and why intent-based listing optimization matters for sellers. You'll also see how to find the questions Amazon is already surfacing in search and use them to prepare your listings for AI shopping.Get help from My Amazon Guy to grow your Amazon sales. https://bit.ly/4jMZtxu#AmazonSEO #AmazonAEO #AmazonSelling #AmazonListingOptimization #amazonfba Want free resources? Dowload our Free Amazon guides here:Amazon Receiving Delay Guide: https://hubs.ly/Q04cdD4c0Amazon Catalog Spring Cleaning: https://hubs.ly/Q046BVfp0Amazon Proft Margin Defense 2026: https://hubs.ly/Q042trRH0Amazon SEO Toolkit 2026: https://bit.ly/4oC2ClTAmazon Seller Strategy Report 2026: https://bit.ly/3YN1RME2026 Ecommerce Website & SEO Readiness Checklist: https://hubs.ly/Q04btghf0Amazon 2026 PPC guide: https://bit.ly/4lF0OYXTimestamps 00:00 – Introduction to AEO (Artificial Engine Optimization)00:46 – Amazon's Phase 5 SEO approach for AI search01:52 – How to identify "Ask Alexa" questions on your listing02:30 – Two high-potential areas for AI optimization03:02 – Finding AI prompts and search bar questions04:08 – Optimizing bullet points for intent-based answers05:52 – Using crawlable text in A+ content for AI agents06:50 – The power of FAQ sections for AI shopping07:15 – Manual search methods for finding high-relevancy questions08:32 – Start tracking and optimizing for AI today-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Follow us:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28605816/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevenpopemag/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/myamazonguys/Twitter: https://twitter.com/myamazonguySubscribe to the My Amazon Guy podcast: https://podcast.myamazonguy.comApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-amazon-guy/id1501974229Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4A5ASHGGfr6s4wWNQIqyVwSupport the show
In this episode, Rachel Stirling from Identity Digital joins us to explore how search is changing in the age of AI. We discuss the shift from SEO to AEO and GEO, what marketers can do to make sure AI surfaces their content, and why building trust online matters more than ever.
Europe is accelerating its push for digital sovereignty with the launch of EuroOffice, a cloud-based alternative to Microsoft 365 backed by German hosting giant IONOS and other European technology companies. But the launch has sparked controversy, with LibreOffice accusing the project of reinforcing Microsoft's document standards while critics question its roots in a fork of OnlyOffice. Meanwhile, new data suggests Google's AI Overviews are dramatically accelerating the rise of "zero-click" searches. Nearly 69 percent of Google searches now end without users visiting another website, raising concerns for publishers, online merchants and the growing industry of search engine optimization firms now pivoting toward Answer Engine Optimization, or AEO. Meta faces renewed criticism after former Facebook executive Sarah Wynn-Williams was effectively silenced from promoting her memoir Careless People. The dispute raises questions about whistleblower protections, corporate power and the role of a company that controls a significant share of how people communicate and consume news. And finally, a German court may have delivered one of the most important AI rulings to date. Rejecting Google's defence that users understand AI can make mistakes, the judges ruled that people trust AI-generated answers precisely because they expect them to be useful. The decision could have major implications for whether AI companies can be held legally responsible when their systems generate false information. In This Episode 00:00 Europe launches EuroOffice as a Microsoft alternative 02:10 Google AI Overviews drive zero-click searches to record highs 04:15 Meta's campaign against former executive Sarah Wynn-Williams 06:20 German court delivers potentially landmark AI liability ruling Hashtag Trending is hosted by Jim Love and covers the latest developments in AI, cybersecurity, technology policy, enterprise IT and digital business. Subscribe for daily technology news and analysis.
Most rental owners are still chasing the top spot on Google. That used to be the whole game. In this episode, Krista Chapman, founder of Path & Compass, breaks down the biggest shift in local search in years, from SEO to AEO and GEO, and what independent rental operators need to do right now to make sure AI recommends their business instead of their competitor's.
What happens when borrowers stop Googling you and start asking AI who they should trust?In this heartfelt episode of The Fintech Hunting Podcast, Michael Hammond welcomes back industry thought leader, recruiting expert, media partner, taco aficionado, and dear friend Dalila Ramos for a real conversation about the future of visibility, trust, AI, and human connection in mortgage and financial services.Fresh off the Insellerate Experience Summit, Michael and Dalila unpack one of the biggest shifts facing the industry today: buyers, borrowers, lenders, and referral partners are no longer just searching for links. They are asking AI for answers. And if your brand, your expertise, or your company does not show up in those answers, you may become invisible before the conversation ever starts.But this episode is not just about AI.It is about the people behind the posts.The trust behind the transaction.The laughter, faith, friendships, tacos, car rides, conference moments, and real-life connections that technology can support — but never replace.Michael and Dalila explore:How AI search is changing borrower behaviorWhy GEO and AEO matter for loan officers, lenders, and mortgage technology companiesWhy “AI slop” is damaging trust and making brands sound the sameHow to use AI as a tool without losing your voiceWhy video, authenticity, and consistency are now trust signalsHow real relationships are built in the small, unpolished momentsWhy the winners will combine AI-powered visibility with genuine human connectionDalila shares a powerful reminder that the best content often comes from simply showing up as yourself — candid, consistent, imperfect, and human. Michael reinforces why the future belongs to those who can answer real questions clearly, build authority intentionally, and still care deeply about the people they serve.This is a conversation for every loan officer, mortgage executive, fintech founder, recruiter, marketer, and industry leader asking:How do I stay visible in an AI-driven world without losing what makes me human?Watch now and rethink what it really means to be found, trusted, and remembered.###Michael Hammond, Founder & CEO of NexLevel Advisors, is the leading fractional CMO in mortgage and mortgage technology, specializing in AI-powered growth strategy and audience development.
Welcome to the Health Marketing Collective, where strong leadership meets marketing excellence.In today's episode, we dive into the “new gold rush” of health marketing: AI search. Joining us is Vincent Grippi, founder and CEO of Grippi Media, a seasoned expert with over sixteen years of experience crafting digital marketing strategies for both startups and Fortune 500 brands. Featured in AdWeek, Business Insider, Fierce Healthcare, and Marketing Dive, Vincent has become a key thinker on the future of marketing, especially as AI rapidly reshapes the landscape of how consumers find and trust information.As AI-driven search tools become more prevalent, marketers face a barrage of new acronyms, shifting priorities, and a swirl of tools promising the next competitive advantage. But is all this hype justified or is confusion clouding marketers' judgment? Sara Payne and Vincent Grippi discuss the challenges, myths, and real strategies for thriving in the world of AI search, uncovering what businesses should and shouldn't be chasing in the age of rapidly evolving algorithms.Key Takeaways:1. SEO Fundamentals Still Rule Ignore the Hype Around New AcronymsDespite the explosion in AI search tools and terminology, Vincent stresses that marketers don't need to throw out their SEO playbooks. Google has clarified that AEO and GEO are myths; strong, traditional SEO remains the foundation for ranking and discoverability in AI search results (03:02, 06:23). Chasing new acronyms or unproven tools is likely to waste time and resources.2. Chasing Hacks and Tool-Based Shortcuts is Risky (and Costly)Vincent warns against “hacks” like AI-generated spam content or gaming platforms like Reddit, which may yield short-term wins but almost always backfire, leading to plummeting rankings or even platform bans (04:09, 04:41). Many popular tools are simply wrappers built on top of existing AI like ChatGPT and charge steep fees without meaningful results. Marketers should be wary of proprietary “visibility” scores or brand metrics that vary wildly between platforms (16:05).3. Discoverability is the New Visibility: Focus on Meaningful PresenceAI search changes how users access information summaries, replacing ten blue links, and click-through rates on web content are falling fast (20:12). Marketers must go beyond surface-level “visibility” to focus on discoverability: mapping high-value, original content to the specific prompts and research needs of their ideal customer profiles. This means prioritizing non-commodity content, such as unique research, proprietary data, case studies, and expert perspectives (08:46, 12:26).4. Thought Leadership and Digital PR Are More Important Than EverAI search doesn't just reward what's published on your site it pulls in podcasts, videos, ratings, reviews, and third-party features. Sara and Vincent emphasize the necessity of digital PR, proactive reputation management, and strategic media placements to build both authority and trust (23:26, 25:26). Genuine originality and credibility whether in written articles, public speaking, or interviews set brands apart in both the algorithm's eyes and consumers' trust.5. Marketers Must Reframe Success Metrics and Build Trust, Not Just TrafficThe AI search landscape demands new thinking around measurement: instead of obsessing over conversions or clicks, marketers should triangulate traditional SEO metrics with AI visibility, share of voice, and brand sentiment. With fewer referrals from search, ultimate success is about influencing perception, discovering new audience touchpoints, and fostering trust by surfacing reliably credible, compelling information where it matters (19:01, 36:07).Thank you for joining us for this conversation on staying grounded and staying ahead amidst the noise of AI search. Be sure to subscribe for more insights, where strong leadership meets marketing excellence.Learn more about Vincent and the work he does at https://www.grippimedia.com/.Mentioned in this episode:Health Marketing Collective is Powered by InprelaThe Health Marketing Collective is powered by Inprela: a communications firm built for health brands determined to lead, not follow. We partner with marketing innovators who aren't just chasing attention—they're building movements. Connect with the audiences shaping the future of care and lead the conversations that move your market. Ready to rise above the noise? Visit inprela.com. Let's create something that moves the market.Inprela Communications
Send us Fan MailIn this solocast, On Top of PR host Jason Mudd explains why earned media now drives visibility in ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and AI search.Tune in to learn more! Five things you'll learn from this episode:1. Why earned media is the primary driver of visibility in AI-generated search2. How ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude determine which brands to recommend3. What the 2% pitch overlap statistic means for PR and marketing teams4. Why media velocity and recency matter more than one big placement5. What to do right now: three actions to strengthen your brand's AI visibility Quotables“Earned media is what AI trusts.” — @jasonmudd9“The right earned media in the right outlets at the right frequency is the primary lever for brand visibility and AI-generated search. Not one of the levers, it's the primary lever.” — @jasonmudd9“The brands that figure this out first are going to own the narrative inside the AI tools their buyers are already using every day.” — @jasonmudd9“99% of links cited by AI come from unpaid media.” — @jasonmudd9If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to share it with a colleague or friend. You may also support us through Buy Me a Coffee or by leaving us a quick podcast review.Contact info and resources:Jason Mudd on XJason Mudd on LinkedInMuck Rack: Earned media still drives 84% of AI citationsGartner: Predicts 2026: Top Predictions to Inform 2026 Comms Strategiesratethispodcast.com/ontopofpr Additional Resources:Why earned media is so powerful in the age of AI and GEOWhy AI tools now rely on earned mediaHow earned media gets AI to remember your brandAxia's AIVisibility servicesListen to more episodes of the On Top of PR with Jason Mudd podcastFind out more about Axia Public RelationsIf you like this episode, you're going to love this:The PR playbook for getting recommendedEmbedded AI: The future of PR and communication workflowsHow to stay ahead of AI in communication and marketingRecorded: June 06, 2026 Support the showOn Top of PR is produced by Axia Public Relations, named by Forbes as one of America's Best PR Agencies. Axia is an expert PR firm for national brands.On Top of PR is sponsored by ReviewMaxer, the platform for monitoring, improving, and promoting online customer reviews.
In this episode of the CPQ Podcast, Frank Sohn speaks with Godard Abel, co-founder and CEO of G2, about how AI, software reviews, and answer engines are changing the way companies evaluate CPQ and enterprise software. Godard shares G2's key priorities for 2026, including AI transformation, the integration of Gartner Digital Markets, and the growing importance of trusted software review data. With the acquisition of Capterra, Software Advice, and GetApp, G2 now works with more than 6 million reviews and a significantly larger buyer audience. This creates new opportunities for software buyers, CPQ vendors, and AI-driven recommendation engines. The conversation also explores how more CPQ buyers are starting their research journey in tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude instead of relying only on Google searches, analyst reports, or traditional review sites. Godard explains why Answer Engine Optimization, or AEO, is becoming increasingly important and how it relates to SEO. He also discusses how G2 is optimizing content for both human buyers and AI agents. Frank and Godard also talk about the role of AI in CPQ, including where AI can help with research, software comparison, and decision support, and why human judgment remains important for complex CPQ evaluations. Godard also shares G2's plans around AI blueprints, AI-enabled software identification, and the future of cross-system automation. Beyond technology, Godard discusses G2's PEAK values — Performance, Entrepreneurship, Authenticity, and Kindness — as well as Pledge 1%, entrepreneurship, and his personal experience completing the Leadville 100 mountain bike race. This episode is especially relevant for CPQ buyers, CPQ vendors, software evaluators, revenue leaders, and anyone interested in how AI is reshaping enterprise software selection.
Your phone is a broadcast studio and you don't need a traditional podcast to build a brand. I break down why the scheduled, RSS-dependent podcast model is legacy thinking, how I get leads from ChatGPT and Gemini without spending a dollar on ads, and why organic content is still the highest-leverage move in your business.Timestamps:(0:00) Your phone is a broadcast studio. The permission to publish has always existed — what changed is that the audience is there now.(0:43) What even is a "show" anymore? The concept of a scheduled, RSS-dependent podcast is legacy thinking.(1:16) What to ask for when you're a guest on a podcast — or paying for a spot.
AI in Branding, Part 2: How to Stand Out, Create Content, and Build a Future-Proof Brand Welcome back to Part 2 of our FAQ series! If you missed Part 1 (FAQ #1–#6), be sure to listen first — we covered where branding starts, brand DNA decoding, ROI, and more. In this episode, we tackle FAQ #7–#12. Joanne dives deeper into the most pressing questions about AI in branding and what it truly takes to build an enduring, human-centered brand in the AI Age.
Erik Huberman is a serial entrepreneur, marketing expert, and the founder and CEO of Hawk Media, one of the fastest-growing marketing consultancies in the United States. Since launching Hawk Media in 2014, Erik has helped scale more than 5,000 brands, including household names like Red Bull, Verizon, Casamigos, Funko, and Crocs. In this episode, Erik shares lessons from building and selling companies, scaling a service business without outside funding, acquiring agencies, and adapting to the rapidly changing marketing landscape in the age of AI. On this episode we talk about: How Erik landed a $25,000 consulting project that changed his perspective on value The early days of Hawk Media and the strategy behind building a scalable marketing agency Why most agencies fail and what separates great marketing partners from the rest Using acquisitions to grow a service business and lessons learned from agency M&A The rise of AI optimization (AEO) and what businesses should be doing right now to stay ahead Top 3 Takeaways The value of your work is determined by the outcome it creates, not the amount of time it takes to complete. Sustainable growth comes from mastering proven channels, building systems, and avoiding shortcuts that create unnecessary risk. AI optimization is creating one of the biggest marketing opportunities available today, and businesses that adapt early will have a significant advantage. Notable Quotes "There's a difference between how I value it and how they value it." "If I give you the outcome you need, my fees don't matter." "You have to be exceptional at something." Connect with Erik Huberman: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikhuberman Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erikhuberman X: https://x.com/erikhuberman Website: https://hawkmedia.com Podcast: https://hawktalkpodcast.com A Word from Our Sponsors: - Are you ready to start your own creatorjourney and make it big? Visitwww.fanvue.com today and launch yourcareer! - To learn more about Mode Mobile and its investor community, go to https://invest.modemobile.com/travismakesmoney -Travis Makes Money is made possible by High Level – the All-In-One Sales & Marketing Platform built for agencies, by an agency.Capture leads, nurture them, and close more deals—all from one powerful platform.Get an extended free trial at gohighlevel.com/travis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Here are 12 FAQs (frequently asked questions) about the process of brand building and brand marketing by 10 Plus Brand, Inc. Part 1 of 2 answers the first six questions listed below. In Part 2, the last six. To watch Pt 1 as a video To read the FAQs Please contact us for a customized assessment tailored to your unique situation, whether it is a company brand, a leadership personal brand, or a professional brand. We at 10 Plus Brand have a proprietary process for brand DNA decoding, the foundation upon which content strategy, content creation, video production, website and social media marketing with AEO, GEO, SEO, and SOM are delivered. 1). Where and how to start? 2). Do You Use AI? What can you do that AI cannot? 3). Do you specialize in business branding or personal branding? or Both? 4). What are the measurable outcomes in terms of ROI? 5). How long does brand DNA decoding take? 6). Why is decoding brand DNA necessary? Will it lead to better quality deliverables? Will it lead to cost savings later? In Pt. 2, we will continue with the remaining 6 frequently asked questions and answers: 7). How do you combine human intelligence with AI in brand building? What makes a brand stand out in the AI Age? 8). If my budget does not allow me to go the "whole 10+ yards” of branding, what are the low hanging fruits to start with? 9). How frequently do I need to produce content in order to be recognized by AI and my target audience? 10). How do I generate original, unique content that is different from AI generated slop? Do I need to share all my “secret sauce”? 11). What are the most common misconceptions about becoming a brand? 12). Is brand building for the top players only? - Watch Pt. 2 as a 9-min video - Listen to Pt. 2 as a podcast - Subscribe to our free newsletter, for more thought leadership on AI, branding, executive influence, and the future of customer experience. About Joanne Z. Tan Joanne Z. Tan is a global brand strategist, thought leadership coach, and founder of 10 Plus Brand, Inc. and AIXD.world. She helps founders, CEOs, executives, and organizations build influential, future-ready brands through strategic positioning, AI Experience Design, and authentic storytelling. © Joanne Z. Tan, 2026. All rights reserved.
#361 | In this episode, Matt Carnevale, Head of Community at Exit Five talks with three marketers doing impactful work in AEO. AI search is changing how buyers find products, and most B2B teams are still figuring out where to start. In this session, each marketer shares what's working and wins they've experienced — from earned media and technical audits to homepage fixes and tracking AI visibility. Whether you call it AEO, GEO, LLMO, or EIEIO – this one's for you. This session features guests Matt Dzugan, VP of Data Intelligence at Muckrack, Brett Bernath, Director of Product at Webflow, and Jess Joyce, Founder of Inbound Scope – an SEO and AI Search consultancy.Timestamps(00:00) - - - Why 80% of CMOs say AEO is a top priority — and most don't know where to start (02:48) - - - How Muckrack used original research to get cited in ChatGPT before their product launch (02:50) - - - Why top-of-funnel content is getting eaten by AI — and where to focus instead (02:53) - - - Quick win #3: authority — how to show up in Reddit and third-party platforms (02:56) - - - The sleeper tip: Bing Webmaster Tools is already giving you first-party AI data (03:07) - - - How to handle competitor comparison content without verifiable claims falling flat (03:23) - - - The four-bucket AEO maturity model: content, technical, authority, measurement (03:24) - - - Why your homepage is your worst-performing page for AI discoverability (03:27) - - - Quick win #1: technical hygiene — schema, meta descriptions, and structured data (03:28) - - - How to identify which journalists get cited most by AI in your niche (03:29) - - - Quick win #2: are you actually answering what your customers are asking? (03:34) - - - Why 1 in 3 B2B SaaS sites have technical blockers killing AI discoverability (03:36) - - - Why original research is the single best content type for earning AI citations Join 50,0000 people who get Dave's Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterLearn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/***Brought to you by:Optimizely - A no-code AI platform where autonomous agents execute marketing work across webpages, email, SEO, and campaigns. Learn how to deploy agents on your marketing team at Agents in the Mix. Learn more at optimizely.com/exitfive. Vector - A contact-level ads platform that lets you build audiences from actual people on your site, clicking your ads, and checking out your competitors. Learn more at vector.co, and get their new MCP server by clicking here. Customer.io - An AI powered customer engagement platform that help marketers turn first-party data into engaging customer experiences across email, SMS, and push. Learn more at customer.io/exitfive.Join us in Stowe, Vermont for Drive 2026 - three days away from your desk to learn what's working in B2B marketing from the people who are actually doing it. Grab your ticket at exitfive.com/drive.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more
Wines We're Drinking: Erin: Tomaté Frío by Para Wines, a hibiscus and cinnamon-based tempranillo Jessica: 2023 Para Wines Envino Blanco What happens when a BIPOC wine writer, AI strategist, and astrology enthusiast decides to build the bridge between all three? You get Erin Ortiz, and this is one of those conversations you're going to want to come back to. Erin has been in the wine industry for nearly a decade, writing about BIPOC issues in wine and building a career in account development before founding Brand Arcadia in 2024 to help boutique winemakers and BIPOC brands leverage AI in their digital marketing strategies. She's currently collaborating with Parra Wines on AI video content and building Celestial Somm, an app that pairs wines with astrology transits to make wine more accessible and culturally relevant, prioritizing Latiné-owned and independent brands. This conversation goes deep: we talk about what it really means to use AI as a tool without losing your voice, why the wine industry is falling behind with younger drinkers, how AI is reshaping search and why now is actually the golden moment for niche brands, and the very real racial bias Erin encountered when she first started using AI-generated images. Oh, and we may have had a little debate about AI video, porque I'm not gonna lie, I had some feelings. In This Episode We Cover: [00:04] Wines We're Drinking: Para Wines Tomaté Frío and Envino Blanco [07:00] New Jersey wine shipping laws and how they're hurting independent wineries and BIPOC brands [11:00] Erin's origin story: growing up in Manhattan, the projects, and an unexpected path into wine [18:00] How Erin started writing about BIPOC wine issues and what took her from bartending to brand strategy [24:00] Why AI is a powerful tool for storytellers, and how she used it to build the Para Wines AI video content [27:00] Jessica's honest take on AI photo and video, and why transparency about what is and isn't AI matters [32:00] How AI-generated content around the Iran conflict changed skeptics' minds about visual storytelling [33:00] Why being "weird" and specific is now a competitive advantage in AI-powered search (AEO vs. SEO) [35:00] Gen Z and wine: are they actually not drinking, or are they just not drinking your product? [40:00] The biggest challenge in AI-driven brand strategy: the rules change overnight [41:00] Introducing Celestial Psalm: the app that pairs BIPOC wines with astrology transits [43:00] What a "transit" is, explained through wine terroir and a metaphor about umbrellas [47:00] How the app assigns zodiac personalities to wines instead of winemakers, and why that matters for discovery [50:00] Erin's ethical line: AI amplifies your story, it does not replace it [51:00] AI's racial bias problem in image generation, and how it's (slowly) getting better [53:00] Erin's favorite AI tools, why she left ChatGPT, and a little love for Claude [56:00] What Erin has learned about authentic storytelling from years of wine writing, including the article about ICE raids in Napa Valley she was nervous to publish [59:00] Brand Arcadia's mission: drawing out unique stories, getting BIPOC brands visible in search, and a free audit offer for the first three listeners Connect with Erin Ortiz: Instagram: @BrandArcadia Website: BrandArcadia.com LinkedIn: Erin J. Ortiz Celestial Psalm app: coming soon Connect with Wine & Chisme: Website: wineandchisme.com Instagram: @wineandchisme YouTube: Wine & Chisme Podcast Latiné Wine Brand Directory: wineandchisme.com/directory We're here turning every conversation into a celebration, one glass at a time. Salud!
Google has made a couple of big announcements recently, and they could impact your small business SEO strategy. Let's chat about what's happening, what they're changing, and what they're saying you need to do to remain visible online. First up, Google released its first official guidance on AI optimization. They've also said you don't need to say AEO or GEO; in their eyes, it's all just SEO. You can read their official guidance here - https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/ai-optimization-guideSecond, they're changing the search experience, and most queries will be answered by AI, not via a list of links on the search results page like we're used to. Finally, what does this mean for your small business? It means you need to make sure you're doing SEO, you've adjusted your content strategy to focus on what they call non-commodity content, and you're following SEO best practices to keep your business visible in this new online search experience. If you're already in Simple SEO Content or working with me 1:1, you're fine, everything we're doing is correct and is in alignment with the new guidance. If you're still trying to do this on your own, now is the time to start working together. Join me in Simple SEO Content or work with me one-on-one, and I'll guide you through what you need to do to remain visible so you can generate leads and make money. Support the showRegister now for the free SEO class - https://www.etchedmarketing.com/registration-seo-class My free resources are here- https://www.etchedmarketing.com/freebies Want to work with me 1:1? https://www.etchedmarketing.com/marketing-consulting Join me in Simple SEO Content -https://www.etchedmarketing.com/yes Join Simple Podcast SEO and learn how to grow your show quickly and easily in the self-study podcast SEO program. - https://www.etchedmarketing.com/enroll My favorite marketing tools (affiliate links) Podcast recording and editing - DescriptPodcast hosting - BuzzsproutEmail Marketing - Active CampaignMarketing Website Analytics - Clicky SEO Tool - Ubersuggest Do you have a question you'd like me to answer on the podcast? Ask it here - https://forms.gle/Fbrqpmss6gxUnaMj7
What if the most honest data in marketing is what people type into a search bar at 2 AM? In this episode of the Podfather Podcast, we sit down with Stephan Bajaio, a 20-year veteran of the search industry who has helped giants like FedEx, Comcast, and Siemens navigate the digital landscape. Stephan, a co-founder of a half-billion-dollar SEO company, shares his incredible journey—from surviving a WeWork acquisition to buying his company back before the implosion. We dive deep into the "alphabet soup" of modern marketing (SEO, AEO, GEO, AIO) and why the "O" for optimization is the only thing that truly matters. Stephan also reveals his secrets for LinkedIn networking, the power of genuine recommendations, and why trying to "game" the new AI search models is a fool's errand. Timestamps Timestamp Topic Description 0:00 Welcome & Introduction to Stephan Bajaio 1:16 The LinkedIn Name Pronunciation Hack: A tip for hard-to-say names 2:22 The Power of 80+ LinkedIn Reviews: Quantitative vs. Qualitative validation 4:10 How to Ask for Recommendations: The "Kind Words" script 5:34 Using Reviews as a Career Asset: The 40-page printout that landed a co-founder role 7:03 Reciprocal Reviews vs. Earned Credibility: Why your reputation is on the line 9:22 The "Other" Inbox: Dealing with the aggressive spam of podcast promoters 11:37 Burning Bridges: Why sales aggressiveness ruins potential partnerships 13:40 PodMatch and the Reality of "Mic and a Computer" Podcasts 15:04 Vibe Logic: Stephan's new mission in digital marketing and technical SEO 27:51 The Alphabet Soup of Search: SEO, AEO, GEO, and AIO explained 30:46 The "Couch vs. Sofa" Data Trap: Why your ignorance is someone else's market share 31:58 Web Presence Intelligence (WPI): Placing your bets on the digital roulette table 33:40 The Unpredictability of LLMs: Why the same prompt gives different results 35:56 Personalization in AI: How your search history shapes your future answers 38:05 The 2000 Internet Boom Parallel: Overvaluations and the "Dial-Up" phase of AI 41:32 The Gold Rush Fallacy: Why the money is in the "picks and pans," not the gaming 43:08 Needs-Based Personas: Moving beyond "Paul the Pauper" to real consumer intent 69:16 How to Connect with Stephan: Cutting through the noise in his inbox 69:40 Outro: RoyCoughlan.com and the PodFather Network
Most marketing fails before a single ad is made. Not because the execution is bad, but because teams leap straight to tactics and skip the strategy underneath. Ben Norman calls the result "busy fools": lots of activity, very little impact.Ben, Strategy Director at Principles Agency and host of Marketing Room 101, joins Chris and Will to break down what brand strategy actually is, why so many senior marketers get it wrong, and how to do it properly without drowning in 20-page decks and brand "salad bowls".What you'll learn:The simplest definition of strategy you'll hear, using Ben's "person and product" modelWhy diagnosis comes before strategy, and strategy before tactics (borrowed from the ancient Greeks)The Three Cs framework: customer, company, competition, and why every problem comes back to themThe "bow tie" method for distilling a mountain of insight down to a single wordWhy you should think in alternatives, not competitors (a Snickers competes with doing nothing, not just a KitKat)The McCafé anti-poncery campaign and what makes it a masterclass in positioningWhy "channel neutrality" matters, and why SEO, GEO and AEO are all just "search"How strategic thinking applies to everything from cleaning your house to running the countryPlus Ben serves up his now-famous Menu of Mistakes, including the £70k pitch that got away, the food shoot where he forgot to book the art director and styled it out by pretending he was one, and the Wally the Whale mascot meltdown at Wetherby Racecourse that ruined childhoods and lost punters their bets.The conversation closes with the three things Ben would banish from marketing right now: tiny microphones, people misusing the word "omnichannel", and the damage social media is doing to society.Chapters:0:00 Intro 1:15 Building a podcast with Room 101 4:35 Mini MBA and marketing basics 7:40 What strategy really means 12:35 The Three Cs and the bow tie 17:55 Listening first and field research 21:00 Knowing when insight is enough 24:55 McCafé and anti-poncery positioning 29:10 Strategy thinking in daily life 34:45 False binaries and channel neutrality 39:35 What communications means in practice 42:25 The menu of marketing mistakes 46:30 Wally the Whale mascot meltdown 51:05 The missing art director food shoot 54:40 Three things to banish now 57:35 Social media harm and regulationConnect with Ben Norman on LinkedInSend us Fan Mail Is your strategy still right in 2026? Book a free 15-min no obligation discovery call with our host:
Answer Engine Optimization is reshaping how law firms attract clients in an AI-driven world. Firms that combine AEO with multi-channel visibility — video, podcasts, and social — are generating more qualified leads and cutting ad spend. Read more at https://mach10xmarketing.clientcabin.com/app/info MACH10X City: Southlake Address: 2600 E Southlake Blvd #120, Southlake, TX 76092 Website: https://mach10xmarketing.clientcabin.com/app/info
Welcome to Nerd Alert, a series of special episodes bridging the gap between marketing academia and practitioners. We're breaking down highly involved, complex research into plain language and takeaways any marketer can use. In this episode, Elena and Rob examine how large language models like ChatGPT recommend vendors. They unpack why visibility in AI-generated lists doesn't always mean credibility, and what marketers can do about it. Topics covered:[01:00] "Visibility is Not Equal to Credibility: Self-Promotion Bias in LLM Generated Recommendations"[02:30] Three patterns brands use to game AI rankings[03:50] What ChatGPT admitted when pushed for sources[04:30] Can better prompts fix the problem?[04:50] Takeaways for marketers and brands[05:30] The talent show analogyTo learn more, visit marketingarchitects.com/podcast Resources: Sangra, T. (2026). Visibility is not equal to credibility: Self-promotion bias in LLM-generated recommendations. She Innovates AI Research. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6598718 Get more research-backed marketing strategies by subscribing to The Marketing Architects on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
In this episode: Why the ten blue links era of the internet is ending The shift from search to ask, and what it means for discovery What AI is actually rewarding now (and why volume is no longer the moat) The Interpretation Gap: the silent reason smart founders are being skipped The ChatGPT client story that made this real for Monique What Google announced at I/O and the one line of news nobody is talking about Why smaller, clearer experts are now outranking bigger, vaguer brands The new definition of a brand: retrieval infrastructure, not marketing asset Who wins the next era of the internet, and who quietly disappears Quotes worth pulling: "People stopped searching. They started asking." "AI is not reading your content the way a human fan does. It is trying to categorize you." "A smaller but clearer expert can now beat a bigger but vaguer brand. That has never been true before." "Your brand is not just a marketing asset anymore. It is retrieval infrastructure." "The people who win next are not the loudest. They are the clearest." Next week on the podcast: Monique sits down with Carol Cox, founder of Speaking Your Brand, whose business is already 20 to 25 percent ChatGPT-referred. They get specific about what AI is reading, what women specifically need to protect in this shift, and what becomes more valuable as machines get smarter. Who Knows You is hosted by Monique Bryan, brand authority strategist and built for founders, operators, and experts who are doing real work and ready to be picked for it. Take the AI Visibility Audit to find out where your positioning is breaking down and what to fix: [RUN YOUR AUDIT] Connect with Monique:Before we build, let us talk. https://moniquebryan.com/book/ - Website: moniquebryan.com LinkedIn: Monique Bryan Instagram: @moniquebryan
For more thoughts, clips, and updates, follow Avetis Antaplyan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avetisantaplyanIn this episode of The Tech Leader's Playbook, Avetis Antaplyan sits down with David J. Ebner, founder of Content Workshop, a brand storytelling agency that helps companies blend human creativity with AI-driven marketing systems. David brings a unique background as a classically trained storyteller with a master's degree in creative writing, and he explains how the fundamentals of narrative, character development, dialogue, and emotional connection directly translate into modern brand building.The conversation explores why AI-generated content is creating a “sea of sameness,” how brands lose trust when they waste people's attention, and why storytelling is becoming one of the strongest competitive advantages in an AI-powered world. David breaks down the difference between founder-led content and true brand storytelling, emphasizing that the hero of the story should always be the audience, not the company.Avetis and David also dive into AI adoption, human-in-the-loop workflows, SEO, AEO, GEO, AI Overviews, bot traffic, direct traffic, and how companies can adapt as search behavior rapidly changes. David shares practical ways leaders can protect quality, build brand authority, and use AI without automating mediocrity. The episode closes with thoughtful reflections on leadership, values, emotional connection, hospitality, and making “the lighter decision” when facing difficult choices.TakeawaysAI has made content creation easier, but it has also made most brand content sound generic, predictable, and forgettable.Strong brand storytelling is not about talking more about the company; it is about creating emotional connection and trust with the audience.Founder-led thought leadership works best when it helps the audience solve problems, not when it becomes self-promotional.Leaders should not automate processes with AI until they understand how to do them manually and know what quality looks like.Brand authority still matters in AI search, and backlinks, PR mentions, guest articles, and credible third-party references remain valuable.David's leadership advice is to choose “the lighter decision,” meaning the choice you are least likely to regret long term, even if it carries a cost.Chapters00:00 Why AI Content Is Creating a Sea of Sameness00:49 Introducing David J. Ebner and Content Workshop02:00 Classical Storytelling and Modern Brand Marketing05:04 Why the Founder Should Not Be the Hero14:32 Management vs. Leadership in AI Adoption16:25 The Missing ROI Conversation Around AI22:07 The Human-AI-Human Content Sandwich26:42 Direct Traffic, AI Tools, and Attribution Challenges30:50 SEO, GEO, AEO, and AIO Explained35:31 What Brand Authority Means Now37:41 Human UX vs. Bot UX40:29 Practical Steps to Improve AI Search Visibility42:26 What Happens to Brands That Fail to Adapt44:51 Why Storytelling Still Beats Data Alone47:23 David's Early Aha Moment in Medical Marketing52:06 Book Recommendation: Unreasonable Hospitality54:03 David's Billboard Message for Founders and Leaders56:01 Closing Thoughts and How to Connect with David56:58 Outro and Final ReflectionsDavid Ebner's Social Media Link:https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjebner/David Ebner's Website Link:https://contentworkshop.com/Resources and Links:https://www.hireclout.comhttps://www.podcast.hireclout.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/hirefasthireright
LLM search is only about 1% of the total search market. Google still controls roughly 88%. So why do so many marketer's content strategy sound like it was written by someone in a panic about AI overviews? This week we're resurfacing a conversation with Grace Sharkey of Orderful to reset what SEO actually looks like for logistics in 2026, with a new intro reacting to Google's recent guidance on what does and does not matter.Included in this conversation is a fresh take on what Google just clarified, including what they're saying about llms.txt files, FAQ pages, and schema. Then we roll into the conversation where Grace asks the questions and Blythe walks through Google Search Console, long-tail keywords, the FAQ-page rebuild, and why your recorded sales calls are the most underused content gold mine in your stack.In this episode:Why Google Search Console beats Ahrefs and SEMrush for figuring out what to fix firstHow to sort your queries for the fastest click-through-rate winsThe long-tail paragraph queries LLMs are actually answeringWhy the FAQ page is the easiest piece of SEO work you can ship this quarterWhat Google just said about llms.txt files (spoiler: you do not need one)How to turn recorded sales and onboarding calls into a content engineWhy YouTube case studies beat gated PDF whitepapers for shippersThe "how did you hear about us" form field every high-intent page should haveWatch this episode on YouTubeLinks and resources:Grace Sharkey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grace-sharkey-31940765/Orderful: https://www.orderful.comGoogle Search Console: https://search.google.com/search-consoleAdam Robinson's Air Cover newsletter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/air-cover-7450924377958912000/ SEO expert Gaetanao DiNardi: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7368964829673390084/More logistics marketing and sales content over on Everything is Logistics -----------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!SPI Logistics has been a Day 1 supporter of this podcast which is why we're proud to promote them in every episode. During that time, we've gotten to know the team and their agents to confidently say they are the best home for freight agents in North America for 40 years and counting. Listen to past episodes to hear why.CargoRex is the search engine for the logistics industry—connecting LSPs with the right tools, services, events, and creators to explore, discover, and evolve.Digital Dispatch maximizes and manages your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers.
Send us Fan MailIn a market where a lot of builders are pulling back, Jennifer Cooper is making the case for why that's exactly the wrong move. Jennifer is the founder and CEO of Evolution Marketing and Evolution Design Studios - a fractional marketing consultancy with seasoned teams across the country serving home builders of every size. In this episode, she and Anya Chrisanthon of Anewgo get into the real conversations happening in builder boardrooms right now.The budget conversation nobody wants to have If your growth goals are going up but your marketing budget is staying flat, you're setting yourself up to miss your numbers. Jennifer explains why spend has to match growth - and what it signals when leadership doesn't value what marketing can actually do.AI adoption in the field right now Jennifer isn't scared of AI - she's brought it to the table as a strategic partner. She breaks down what smart teams are actually doing with AI, why she keeps an "invisible chair" for it in every strategy conversation, and how builders can use it to work faster without losing their brand voice.AEO, authority, and the PR comeback AI is looking for authoritative content and third-party validation. Jennifer shares how one of her builders built a PR strategy that AI is now actively sourcing - and why blogs, content, and earned media are more important than ever in the AIO era.The CRM conversation we're still having in 2026 Having a CRM isn't enough. Jennifer explains why most builders have it but aren't using it right - and how to think about your full tech stack from OSC tools to self-touring to visualization.Shoppable model homes: the business case Evolution Design Studios brings a full shoppable model program to builders of any size. Builders save an average of $10,000 or more per model, get a revenue-generating online storefront, and create a stickier digital experience - without handling a single purchase order. Jennifer breaks down exactly how it works and who it's right for.The secret to staying ahead Wake up every day and ask why. Jennifer's advice for marketing leaders navigating one of the most challenging - and most opportunity-rich - moments in the industry.Connect with Jennifer on LinkedIn or at evolutionmarketingco.com.About Anewgo Anewgo is an all-in-one new home sales and marketing platform. We equip builders with AI-ready homebuilder websites, interactive design tools, floorplans, sitemaps, AI Sales Assistants, and data analytics to create personalized buyer journeys. Learn more at anewgo.com or find every episode at anewgo.com/podcast.Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/anewgo-of-new-home-sales/id1602564768
That Solo Life Episode 340: Why Right Now Is Your Moment as a Solo PR Pro Episode Summary In this episode, Karen and Michelle deliver a timely reminder that periods of disruption are not just a challenge for solo PR pros — they are an opening. As larger agencies navigate layoffs and major brands question whether their big agency retainers are actually serving them, seasoned independents are uniquely positioned to step in with what clients need most right now: senior-level expertise, direct access, speed, and no handoff. The co-hosts unpack the case for why this moment calls for a mindset upgrade — from service provider to peer executive — and share two practical, immediately actionable tips for leveling up your business development: auditing your positioning language and optimizing your digital presence for generative AI search (GEO). This is a compact, energizing episode packed with perspective and takeaways. Episode Highlights [01:24] Why the Moment Is Now for Solo PR Pros: Layoffs at larger agencies and growing scrutiny of big agency retainers are creating real openings for solos and small agencies. Karen and Michelle are quick to note this isn't about celebrating anyone's misfortune — but they are clear that cycles of disruption have always created opportunity for senior independent practitioners, and this one is no different. [02:22] The Big Agency Relationship Doesn't Have to Be Either/Or: Karen reframes the conversation: solos aren't necessarily replacing big agencies — they can be the missing piece alongside them. Large brands often benefit from a global agency plus a smaller, more nimble partner focused on different things. Karen has been that partner. If you've played that role, it's a story worth telling explicitly in your business development conversations. [04:43] What Clients Are Actually Looking For Right Now: Michelle identifies the three things decision-makers are prioritizing: consistency (the same senior person, every time), senior access (a peer-to-peer relationship, not an account manager handoff), and speed (no one pivots faster than a solo). These aren't abstract differentiators — they're the exact pain points that drive clients away from large agencies. Build your talking points around them. [06:03] The Peer-to-Business Mindset Shift: One of the most important reframes in the episode: when you go solo, you don't just change your title — you become the executive of your own company. Karen pushes back on the tendency solos have to unconsciously slip into a subservient role with clients, treating them like a boss rather than a business partner. Clients are hiring your expertise and judgment. That's a peer relationship, and you have to own it. [07:43] Business Development Starts with Your Own Positioning: Michelle's practical challenge: go look at your LinkedIn profile, your website, and your email signature right now. Does the language reflect the senior, direct-access, expert-led story you just heard? If not, that's your first business development task. Develop a few clear talking points. Sharpen your elevator pitch. The story you tell about yourself is the foundation of every new client conversation. [08:54] GEO — Generative Engine Optimization — Is Not Optional Anymore: Karen's most tactical tip of the episode: optimize your website and bio for GEO, not just SEO. When potential clients — or their colleagues — ask an AI assistant to recommend a PR firm, your content needs to be the answer. That means writing your website copy in the language of the questions your ideal clients are actually asking. Karen's example: write for the $500M company looking for on-the-ground, senior-led PR support — and put those words on your site. Resources & Additional Information Solo PR Pro membership community: soloprpro.com That Solo Life podcast website: thatsololife.com That Solo Life Episode 329: The New Alphabet of PR from AEO to PESO with Gini Dietrich PR News: Priceline's Christina Bennett on Why GEO Is PR's Moment to Shine Host & Show Info That Solo Life is a podcast created for public relations, communication, and marketing professionals who work as independent and small practitioners. Hosted by Karen Swim, APR, founder of Words For Hire and President of Solo PR Pro, and Michelle Kane, Principal of Voice Matters, the show delivers expert insights, encouragement, and practical advice for solo PR pros navigating today's dynamic professional landscape. Listen to all episodes and catch up on previous conversations at thatsololife.com. Did this episode inspire you? If you found value in this conversation, please take a moment to leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us reach more solo pros just like you! Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode.
If your SaaS product delivers genuine value fast, growth takes care of itself. That's the core thesis Sanjay Sarathy has spent 8+ years proving at Cloudinary, where he oversees a self-service business representing nearly a third of the company's revenue across 11,000+ paying customers in 150+ countries — without feet on the ground in most of them.In this episode, Sanjay breaks down what product-led growth actually looks like when it's executed well: not just free trials and clever onboarding flows, but building such a frictionless, valuable experience that developers naturally tell other developers. He shares why Cloudinary invested in technical support before marketing, how they redefined "activation" to mean real value (not just uploading a file), why discoverability is a non-negotiable pillar of their growth strategy, and how they're now rethinking the developer experience for a world where AI agents and LLMs are writing the code.This is a masterclass in developer-led PLG from someone who has lived it at scale.Key Takeaways4:07 — The Growth Levers Have Changed SEO, outbound, and paid are still valid, but word of mouth (especially in developer communities), AEO, and agentic discoverability have become powerful new growth engines — when they're earned as a byproduct of value, not engineered as a primary goal.8:28 — Why PLG Before Enterprise Cloudinary was built by developers for developers. They started with self-service because that's what their founding team would have wanted. Only after PLG proved itself did enterprise customers come knocking — and it was far easier to layer on security, SLAs, and support than to bolt on a product that developers already loved.13:46 — Great Product Isn't Enough Without Distribution Cloudinary is in 150 countries with no boots on the ground in most of them. SEO, developer relations, and a docs site that functions as a discovery engine are what made global reach possible. Distribution and product must go hand-in-hand.15:36 — Discoverability Is a Strategy, Not a Tactic "Discoverability" is a recurring internal theme at Cloudinary — constantly asking how to ensure the right people, in the right context, can find and experience the product's value.16:03 — The Cannibalization Trap Cloudinary made the mistake of launching a new product without considering its impact on existing products — and cannibalized their own business. They now use a two-track product strategy: "mature" products with full go-to-market support, and "invest" products being validated for product-market fit before scaling.19:24 — Invest in Support Before Marketing One of Cloudinary's earliest and most impactful decisions: invest heavily in technical support first. Happy, successful developers become word-of-mouth advocates. That bet paid off across an entire community.21:06 — Developer Experience in the Age of AI Tooling Developer experience today means meeting developers where they work — VS Code, Cursor, Claude, Windsurf. Cloudinary built a VS Code extension and is working to minimize hallucinations by giving LLMs accurate, context-rich instructions for using Cloudinary correctly.24:03 — Redefining Activation Uploading a file to Cloudinary is not activation. Doing something with that file — transforming it, tagging it, delivering it — is activation. Reframing their metric around genuine value changed how they prioritized onboarding.33:25 — The Seven-Day Activation Window Data shows clearly: if users don't activate within the first 7 days, a second surge doesn't come. Most activation happens in the first 4–5 days. This insight shapes everything about how Cloudinary approaches onboarding urgency.27:01 — Speak Use Cases, Not Features "We have automated image optimization" means nothing. "Your images are 40% lighter and you'll save X on bandwidth" means everything. The language of outcomes and use cases is what drives adoption and expansion.36:39 — Pricing Must Communicate Value Cloudinary's self-service pricing has remained largely flat for years while the product has added enormous capability — intentionally improving the value/price ratio over time. They also offer pay-as-you-go flexibility for seasonal businesses.44:28 — The 90-Day PLG Focus: Build Trust For founders building a PLG motion right now, Sanjay's single most important recommendation: engender trust. Do what you say. Follow up when you say you will. Make your product deliver on its promise. Trust is the flywheel.Tweetable Quotes"We never set out to get word of mouth. We set out to create value. Word of mouth was the byproduct." — Sanjay Sarathy"If your product genuinely helps people win, growth becomes a natural byproduct." — Sanjay Sarathy"Distribution is equally as important as the product itself. You can have a great product and go nowhere." — Sanjay Sarathy"Discoverability isn't a campaign. It's a strategy." — Sanjay Sarathy"Uploading a file isn't activation. Doing something valuable with it is." — Sanjay Sarathy"If a developer doesn't activate in the first seven days, don't expect another surge. It won't come." — Sanjay Sarathy"Stop talking about your features. Start talking in the language of your customer's use cases." — Sanjay Sarathy"We're okay with free users who are actively using the product. They pay us back in word of mouth." — Sanjay Sarathy"In a PLG motion, trust is the flywheel. Without it, everything else breaks down." — Sanjay Sarathy"We fell in love with our own capabilities and forgot that customers don't care. Use cases are what drive adoption." — Sanjay SarathySaaS Leadership Lessons1. Build Distribution Like You Build Product Cloudinary reaches 150+ countries without sales reps in most of them — through SEO, developer relations, documentation, and community. Great products disappear without intentional distribution. Your discoverability strategy is a growth strategy.2. Earn Word of Mouth — Don't Engineer It The moment you prioritize getting word of mouth over generating it as a byproduct of genuine value, you've lost the plot. Build something that makes people win, then step back and let them talk. The data will tell you if it's working.3. Start Narrow, Validate, Then Scale Cloudinary's "invest vs. scale" product framework exists because they once cannibalized their own product line by expanding without rigor. Validate product-market fit in a controlled way before committing the full go-to-market machine. Repeatability before scale.4. Redefine Your Activation Metrics Around Real Value Ask yourself: is the action we're measuring actually a moment of value, or just a moment of presence? Cloudinary stopped counting uploads and started counting transformations. The metric you optimize shapes the product you build.5. Invest in Customer Success Before You Think You Need To Cloudinary prioritized technical support ahead of marketing in their early days. Counter-intuitive — and it was exactly right. Successful users become advocates. That investment compounded for years through word of mouth and developer trust.6. Speak the Language Your Customer Thinks In "Automated image optimization via F-Auto" is internal language. "Your images are 40% lighter and your site is faster" is customer language. The translation layer between what your product does and what your customer achieves is where adoption lives or dies. Build that bridge deliberately.Guest Resourcessanjay@cloudinary.comwww.cloudinary.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjaysarathy/https://x.com/guffnuffEpisode SponsorThe Futureproof Series - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfkXKUPZ5xuOqMPR7_gzGybncTtavyR1NThe Captain's KeysSmall Fish, Big Pond – https://smallfishbigpond.com/ Use the promo code ‘SaaSFuel'Champion Leadership Group – https://championleadership.com/SaaS Fuel ResourcesWebsite - https://championleadership.com/Jeff Mains on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffkmains/Twitter - https://twitter.com/jeffkmainsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/thesaasguy/Instagram - https://instagram.com/jeffkmains
AI isn't just another marketing tool—it's the operating system of modern marketing. In 2026, the businesses that win aren't the ones “using AI”—they're the ones building on it. From answer engines to agentic AI and lightning-fast speed-to-lead, this episode shows you what's changed, what matters now, and how to take action—without getting lost in the hype.
Send us Fan MailTwo episodes ago, a Florida builder went from a 16% ChatGPT citation rate to 72% in a matter of months. This episode answers the question everyone kept asking: how? In this solo follow-up, Anya Chrisanthon - CCO at Anewgo - breaks down Answer Engine Optimization in plain language, no jargon, no tech degree required.SEO vs. AEO SEO gets you found in a list. AEO gets you recommended as the answer. When a buyer asks ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini for a builder like you, AI doesn't return ten options - it picks one or two. If your digital presence doesn't give AI enough specific, consistent, verifiable information to recommend you with confidence, it moves on to a builder whose story it can actually tell.Why most builder websites are invisible to AI right now Vague taglines, generic community descriptions, inconsistent naming across platforms, and missing pricing all create uncertainty for AI. Uncertain AI doesn't recommend you. And with ChatGPT now rolling out ads in the US, the landscape is shifting even faster.What AEO-ready actually looks like Specific community names, locations, and price points. Real buyer descriptions that go beyond demographics. Differentiators that are stated, not implied. Consistency across your website, Google Business profile, social presence, and any third-party coverage. Earned media - reviews, press, industry recognition - because AI gains confidence when your claims are reinforced by sources outside your own website.Three things to do this week (1) Search for yourself the way your ideal buyer would - in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, or Claude. (2) Read your own website like a stranger - could AI accurately describe who you are and who you build for? (3) Get an AEO assessment from Anewgo - email your website URL to beth@anewgo.com, subject line "AEO Assessment."
Discover why traditional search is dropping 25% in 2026 and how GEO, SEO, and AEO work together to make AI systems cite your brand. Learn the concrete steps to build entity authority and dominate AI-driven search. Business Startup Support City: Memphis Address: 2323 Madison Avenue Website: https://businessstartupsupport.com/
#356 | Dave sits down with Brett Domeny, product lead at Webflow focused on AEO, to talk about what it actually takes to show up in AI search. Brett breaks down Webflow's AEO maturity model — four core areas that actually matter: content, technical structure, authority, and measurement — and why most of AEO is just good SEO done right. They get into how LLM crawlers work and what your site needs to do to be discoverable, why Reddit and community platforms have outsized influence on AI citations, and how to measure whether any of it is working.Check out Webflow's free AEO assessment here.Timestamps(00:00) - - Intro and Brett's background (02:00) - - The state of search and why CMOs are worried (04:00) - - Webflow's AEO maturity model (05:30) - - Why AEO is an evolution of SEO, not a replacement (06:30) - - Technical: how LLM crawlers work (16:00) - - Content: optimize for questions, not keywords (19:00) - - Does authentic content still win in an AI world? (26:00) - - Measurement: the three-bucket framework (30:00) - - How accurate are the prompt visibility tools? (37:00) - - How to show your boss AEO is working (40:00) - - Authority: why Reddit has outsized influence on AI citations (43:00) - - Why Brett has stayed at Webflow for six years
In this episode, Jason Cass interviews Patrick Murakami, a forward-thinking insurance agency owner, about his journey from corporate to entrepreneurship, innovative marketing strategies, and the future of AI in the insurance industry. They explore how to leverage social media, AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT, and build scalable, sellable agencies. Key Topics: Patrick's decade at Progressive and pitching VoIP technology to corporate The USAA phone call that pushed Patrick to go independent Growing a $5 million agency on $260 in total ad spend through Facebook Why introducing clients to custom GPTs is still an uphill battle AEO and GEO: how AI searchability differs from traditional SEO Backlink networks and AI-searchable directories as a ranking strategy Using AI to build SOPs as the smartest entry point for most agents Why SOPs directly affect agency valuation and exit readiness Targeting the military PCS market and expanding to 25 states Patrick's book The Human Advantage and building the trust stack alongside the tech stack Reach out to: Patrick Murakami Jason Cass Visit Website: NexAgency Claude AI Obsidian Note-taking App Agency Intelligence Manual Agency Intelligence Produced by PodSquad.fm
Your SEO traffic is up. Your pipeline is flat. Something broke, and it's not your team — it's the entire model most B2B marketers were trained on. The buyers who used to find you on Google are now getting their shortlists from ChatGPT, and if you're not in that conversation, you're invisible at the exact moment it matters most.In this episode, Josh and Ross sit down with Hadassah Pegado Dalisay, Head of Content Strategy, SEO, and AEO at Outreach — the agentic AI platform for revenue teams — who has spent over a decade watching the search game change and finally break. Hadassah makes a case that will sting a little: the old keyword-volume playbook didn't just stop working, it actively made you worse at the thing that actually matters — being the trusted answer when a buyer asks an AI what to buy. Her fix isn't to abandon SEO. It's to collapse the wall between SEO, content strategy, and revenue intelligence into something that actually earns attention.We also cover:•Why mining your own sales transcripts is the most underrated content research method in B2B — and how Outreach does it at scale every quarter•The difference between signal-driven and keyword-driven content strategy, and why the companies chasing volume right now are building a liability, not an asset•How to make the case inside your org that AI visibility isn't a marketing metric — it's a pipeline metric
Send us Fan MailAmazon is changing its shopping platform with new AI features, including the end of the 'Rufus' AI. The company is bringing in 'Alexa for Shopping', an ai assistant that will improve the experience on its app and website. This move is set to really change consumer online shopping habits by 2026 and 2027, as amazon alexa and other artificial intelligence systems become more integrated.Read Amazon's Alexa for Shopping announcement:https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/alexa-for-shopping-ai-assistantRead Amazon's About You personalization update:https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/amazon-about-you-personalization-preferencesAmazon AI search is changing buyer paths now, get a clear seller action plan before Alexa starts choosing your competitors: https://bit.ly/4jMZtxuWant free resources? Dowload our Free Amazon guides here:Amazon Receiving Delay Guide: https://hubs.ly/Q04cdD4c0Amazon Catalog Spring Cleaning: https://hubs.ly/Q046BVfp0Amazon Proft Margin Defense 2026: https://hubs.ly/Q042trRH0Amazon SEO Toolkit 2026: https://bit.ly/4oC2ClTAmazon Seller Strategy Report 2026: https://bit.ly/3YN1RME2026 Ecommerce Website & SEO Readiness Checklist: https://hubs.ly/Q04btghf0Amazon 2026 PPC guide: https://bit.ly/4lF0OYXTimestamps0:00 Amazon AI shopping changes for 2026 and beyond0:11 Rufus name is being removed0:34 Why Amazon is moving Rufus into Alexa1:07 Alexa for Shopping combines Rufus and Alexa Plus1:42 Amazon Dash and early voice shopping history2:14 What Alexa for Shopping changes for consumers and sellers2:23 Amazon's new shopping assistant features explained2:52 Amazon About You and personal shopping preferences3:18 Why sellers may face new AI search problems3:43 Amazon search shifts from SEO to AEO and intent3:49 Audience targeting and segmentation become more important4:21 Amazon's bigger push toward agentic AI shopping4:45 Alexa recommendations and personalized offers5:03 How Amazon may pair products with shoppers faster5:24 Future videos on Amazon AEO and AI intent5:37 Final call to like and subscribe-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Follow us:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28605816/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevenpopemag/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/myamazonguys/Twitter: https://twitter.com/myamazonguySubscribe to the My Amazon Guy podcast: https://podcast.myamazonguy.comApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-amazon-guy/id1501974229Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4A5ASHGGfr6s4wWNQIqyVwSupport the show
Your dream client is on the couch, ready to hire, and instead of Googling, she asks ChatGPT for “the best” person to solve her problem. If your name never appears, it may have nothing to do with your skill and everything to do with visibility in AI search. We break down what it takes to get recommended in a world where Google Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude, and other answer engines are shaping buying decisions.I'm joined by search strategist Julia Bocchese of Julia Renee Consulting to unpack AEO (answer engine optimization) and GEO (generative engine optimization) in a practical way.Send us Fan MailSupport the showShow Notes Apply to be featured on My Weekly Marketing!Take the Marketing Clarity Quiz and get instant insights on your marketing strategy.
Marki Lemons Ryhal reveals how discipline, AI, focus, education, and service can help professionals build more income, protect their peace, and create a legacy that reaches far beyond business success.See article: https://www.unitedstatesrealestateinvestor.com/build-the-life-business-and-legacy-you-were-born-for-with-marki-lemons-ryhal/(00:00) - Introduction to The REI Agent Podcast and Marki Lemons Ryhal(00:52) - Marki Opens with Advocacy, Travel, and Homeownership Rights(01:03) - How Marki Does It All with Calendar Discipline(01:31) - From a Legendary Chicago Barbecue Family to Real Estate(01:41) - Lawsuit, Single Motherhood, and Real Estate as a Lifeline(02:39) - Marki's Son Becomes Part of the Real Estate Legacy(02:51) - Why Her Son Wanted to Become a Broker at Age Seven(03:53) - Raising a Child Inside the Real Estate Business(04:46) - The Biggest Gap New Agents Face After Licensing(05:44) - The MLS Dues Wake-Up Call That Changed Everything(07:53) - Why Real Estate Education Became Marki's Lifelong Mission(08:23) - What the Licensing Exam Does Not Teach Agents(10:22) - Starting as a Loan Originator with a Real Marketing Plan(11:18) - Building a Database and Treating Real Estate Like a Business(12:56) - SEO, AEO, GEO, Press Releases, Newsletters, and Repurposed Content(13:59) - Early Social Media, MySpace, Craigslist, and SlideShare Marketing(14:49) - Chicago House Music and the MySpace Question(15:27) - Marki's Early Adoption of ChatGPT and AI(16:00) - Using AI Automation to Buy Back Time for Pilates and Life(18:08) - Prayer, Landmark, Law of Attraction, Brain.fm, Learning, and Service(19:00) - RPR, Esri Data, and Neighborhood-Specific Strategy(19:27) - NotebookLM, Zip Code Prompts, and Free AI Tools for Agents(20:51) - Buyer Representation, Value, and the New Agent Conversation(21:36) - RPAC, Advocacy, and Protecting Private Homeownership Rights(22:37) - Local, State, and National Leadership in Real Estate(24:33) - Why Volunteering Requires Business Understanding First(25:01) - The Financial Cost and Purpose Behind Industry Volunteerism(25:57) - How Associations Fight Added Costs for Homeowners(27:07) - The $25,000 RPAC Conversation and Union Dues Comparison(30:47) - James B. Lemons Way, Barbecue Legacy, and Generational Impact(31:52) - Excellence, Technology, and Serving the Next Generation(33:16) - Scholarships, Sorority Sisters, and Being the Product of the Village(35:02) - Fulfillment, Sleep, Joy, and Being in a Healthy Place(35:54) - Using NotebookLM for Bylaws, Strategy Plans, and Accountability(39:47) - Marki's Favorite Book, The One Thing(40:27) - Focus, Niches, Zip Codes, and the Power of Owning One Lane(42:24) - Where to Find Marki Lemons Online(42:57) - The MySpace Joke and Final Thank You(43:13) - Closing Message from The REI Agent Podcast(43:25) - Final Entertainment and Advice DisclaimerContact Marki Lemons Ryhalhttps://www.markilemons.com/https://www.facebook.com/markilemons/https://www.instagram.com/markilemons/https://www.linkedin.com/in/markilemons/https://www.youtube.com/@AIforRealpreneurs Marki Lemons Ryhal's story is a powerful reminder that success is not just about doing more. It is about doing the right things with discipline, focus, service, and purpose. When professionals protect their calendar, embrace education, use AI wisely, and choose one lane to own, they can build more than income. They can build peace, impact, and a legacy that serves the next generation. To learn more and keep building the life you want, visit https://reiagent.comIs success destroying your peace? Most pros grind until they break. Download The Investor's Life Balance Sheet: A Holistic Wealth Audit to see if you are building a legacy or heading for burnout. Presented by The REI Agent Podcast & United States Real Estate Investor® https://sendfox.com/lp/m4jrl
https://youtu.be/aQyHwoGfy50 Max Kryzhanovskiy, President and CEO of MOS Creative, is driven by a desire to set an example for his children and show what's possible through technology, persistence, and innovation. As the leader of a tech-forward agency that builds websites, apps, and AI-enabled platforms, Max helps businesses move from idea to execution by creating digital products that solve real problems and scale over time. We explore Max's MVP Framework — Define the problem, Determine target market, Prototype the product, Build the MVP, Test and obtain feedback, Iterate — a practical approach for transforming ideas into scalable digital products. Max explains why founders should avoid overbuilding too early, how AI is accelerating prototyping and development, and why businesses must balance automation with authentic human connection. — Drive Growth Using AI Agents with Max Kryzhanovskiy Good day, dear listeners. Steve Preda here with the Management Blueprint Podcast, and my guest today is Max Kryzhanovskiy, the President and CEO of MOS Creative, a company that builds websites and apps that drive growth. They were also the first company in Baltimore to launch a mobile site. Welcome to the show, Max. Thank you for having me. Let me ask you this—what is a mobile site? Is it a mobile phone site, or is it something different? I mean, now it probably doesn't matter as much anymore, because everybody obviously has a website that works on a smartphone screen—or a responsive websites. But before mobile websites came out—or I should say, when smartphones first came out—we had to adjust for smaller screens. We were all used to bigger screens on a computer, and then once we started having different screen sizes come out before responsive, we were the first company to have a mobile website in Baltimore. And we actually built a web application specifically to create them ourselves, and then also went to market to offer it to other clients as well. So a mobile website is just like it sounds, a website that’s specifically designed for mobile. That’s cool. So it sounds like you are very much a tech-forward company, and you are at the edge of technology. And as we were logging on, you said that you would be recording this on your phone because you actually have AI agents running on your computer. Does that mean you have AI agents as part of your team? What kind of agents do you have? Is it still an experiment, or is it already in execution mode? It's in execution mode, but we're always experimenting. We like to think we're ahead of the curve, but with AI, we're all experimenting to a certain extent, right? Something new comes out, we try it out, see if it works, and see how it can be applied to your business—what kind of outcomes it can give you. So I'm all about AI. It's amazing. It's an amazing tool. But I think AI is becoming a lot more than we thought it was going to be—and also a lot less at the same time. Meaning, when AI launched—for example, when ChatGPT came out to the broader market—I mean, obviously AI had been around for a while—but when ChatGPT launched its chatbot platform publicly, we were amazed by how much work it could done. So it went from zero to a hundred. “Oh my God, it can do all of this,” right? But now, for example, with the more recent models—4.5, 5.0—the improvements are much smaller. It's not a hundred percent or a thousand percent better anymore. Now it's maybe five or ten percent better, but the cost keeps increasing. I just read somewhere that even Claude said Claude Code won't be included much longer as part of the regular plan. So now it's only in the $200 higher-tier plan, plus you have to buy additional tokens. So it's really becoming more like, “Hey, yeah, we can do this for you—but you're going to end up paying something similar to what you'd pay a team.” At first, it was more like, “Let's get into the market. Let's get a lot of people interested.” But now, obviously, they have a lot of money behind them—investors, VCs, public market pressure—and they need to bring in revenue. So I think things are going to change very soon. AI is going to become a lot more expensive because the infrastructure and resources it requires are expensive. So eventually, those costs are going to be passed on to users. Yeah. And I noticed that ChatGPT started to do some ads as well. They’re probably going to go that direction, and who knows what that’s going to bring. But that's not our topic today. Today, it's about something else—frameworks. But before I go to the framework question, I'd like to ask you: what is your personal “why,” and how are you manifesting it at MOS Creative? Well, I'm a family man, so my “why” is to see my kids grow up to be amazing human beings—and hopefully to show them a great example of what can be accomplished in sports and in business. So my “why” is also to be a good person. Success can mean different things to different people, but for me, I love the hunt to get to a certain level of success. And then it's kind of like—us as humans, or at least a lot of people—we reach a certain level of success and we don't really celebrate it. It's more like, “Okay, let's get to the next level.” So my “why” is to show my kids that anything is possible if they really want it. Why I got into this space—it was exciting. You could see how quickly technology was moving, the kind of innovation that was possible, and it excited me. So that was one of the main reasons I got into technology. But the other reason was because I was in a different business, and we created technology that helped us grow. And I thought, “Oh wow, this is a completely different way to scale a business.” So technology became the direction we took. Yeah, I love it. I think inspiring our kids is a huge driver for many people, and it totally makes sense. Technology is exciting. I'd like to switch gears here and ask my other common question on this podcast, because this podcast is all about frameworks—business frameworks—how we can help listeners understand things, simplify things, and see different perspectives. So my question to you is: what is your favorite shortcut to success—or framework? And I don't mean “shortcut” in a negative sense, but rather a framework that allows you to understand things differently, make decisions, serve clients, and create valuable outcomes. Whatever it is—something that has worked for you, and is simple enough that you can explain it to listeners in three to five steps. Well, I believe in always being open to learning. It's not specifically a framework—it's more of a mindset: understanding that we don't know everything, especially now, with how quickly things are changing. I mean, a lot of people say that AI is going to make humanity a little dumber than we are. But actually, I learn a lot from it as well. If I'm doing something and I think, “Oh, this is a great way to speed up the process,” then I use it. So let's say, for example, a client asks me a question. There are different ways to approach it. If I already know the answer because I have specific experience with it, I can answer it, right? That doesn't always mean the answer is going to be correct. I can research it, or I can get an answer from AI and then verify it through research and experience to make sure the outcome is actually what it says it's going to be. The learning part is making sure you're always open to figuring out whether the steps you've taken before are the right steps—or whether they can be optimized. I'm a big believer that everything can be optimized, especially now. There's almost no question that can't be answered quickly. Maybe there are some deep philosophical questions—but for the most part, especially in business, work, or even life, you can get answers very quickly. For example, I had a kind of vertigo-type feeling, and I was wondering what exactly it was. I entered specific prompts into ChatGPT, and it actually broke things down really well for me. Then I went to a doctor. First, I checked with a friend of mine who's a nurse, and she said, “This is probably what you have.” And she started asking me questions. I thought, “This is funny—these are exactly the same questions ChatGPT asked me.” And her husband said, “You know what? That proves that medicine is basically a set of questions. As you answer one question, it leads to the next.” So it's like a dynamic questionnaire. And by the time I got to the doctor, I already had a good idea of what it potentially was, and I knew what questions to ask so I could understand the next steps to fix it. Yeah. So what I'm saying is there’s always a way to improve. I'm a big believer in that. It doesn't matter what you're doing, because in this age, everything moves very fast—regardless of the business you're in. That's true. It's interesting that you say ChatGPT can answer any question. It's true—sometimes it hallucinates, but it still gives you an answer. Yesterday, I went to a presentation, and the president of Great Game of Business talked about this. He said, “Today, the answer is everywhere. So it's not a lack of answers—it's a lack of good questions.” So what we really have to come up with are good questions to ask. That's the bigger challenge now—not finding the answer. And I thought that was a really interesting insight. I agree. It's the same thing, right? It relates to prompts as well. If you have a good prompt, you're going to get a better answer. If you ask a good question, you're going to get a better answer. So yeah, I agree with you. Listen, AI isn't a complete solution, but it's a huge help—especially if you're just starting out. Yeah. So what drives your business? Is it technology? Is it trends? Is it something else? What drives it? It's kind of a mix between technology and growth marketing. What that means is we work with clients all the way from ideation to scaling. We've also had several clients successfully exit. So clients come to us and say, “I have an idea. How do I take it to the next step?” Obviously now, there are AI builders and AI platforms that can help take a high-level idea and turn it into some kind of prototype—or at least a basic flow. But ideally, we work with clients from the idea stage all the way through design, development, launch, and driving traffic to the product. So the perfect client fits into that category. They might have an idea for a web application, mobile application, or software product. They come to us and they're not really sure what the next steps are—or they've done some research For example, I spoke to a prospective client the other day. She worked with a developer who tried to build the product using an AI builder. For some reason, something didn't work out, and now she's back at square one. So now we have to review what she actually wants to build, determine the best approach, and figure out what phase one, phase two, and phase three should look like. So that's kind of how we work. For our clients, it's not just, “Let us develop it for you.” It's also about the creative side, the messaging, and the user experience. It's about making sure that when someone downloads the app—or visits the website or web application—it serves its purpose. It's a problem-solving product. It needs to solve a problem so users keep coming back again and again. And then we help grow it to new audiences. That's when it starts to scale and become exponential. Does that make sense? Yeah. So I’m wondering, you work from the idea forward, or you work from the outcome backwards? What’s the approach? That's a great question. Not everyone knows the outcome right away. When someone has both an idea and a clear outcome, it works better, right? Because then you can help them get to that outcome. But overall, the outcomes are usually very high-level. You know: “I want to build this web application or software because I'm targeting this audience.” Okay—but what does that really mean? What problem are you solving? To be honest with you, ninety percent of people don't really know what problems they should be solving at the initial stage. So, talking about frameworks, we work with them to define which problems they should solve first. Because most startups—or even profitable companies trying to add new technology into their workflow or business—often don't know what one or two problems they should solve for the MVP before going all in. Yeah. Okay, so step one is to define the problem. What's step two? Make sure you have the right audience for that problem. That's a big issue. A lot of times, people try to serve everyone. You don't want to go too broad, and you don't want to go too narrow. If you go too narrow, you're going to hit a ceiling before you even go to market. So you determine the audience for the problem you're trying to solve, right? Correct. And then what's the next step? Once you determine the audience and define the problem, the next best step is to create some kind of prototype and actually take it to that audience to test for product-market fit. Meaning: get feedback. Again, it doesn't have to be a fully working product. But go to that audience and get feedback like: “Yes, this solves my problem,” and “Yes, I would pay for it.” Or even better—for them to actually exchange some money to join a waitlist or gain access to an early version of the product, so they can test it and provide feedback. That's the best-case scenario. Because once you have that input, it becomes much easier to make adjustments. It doesn't matter whether those adjustments are in the design or in the actual working product—you're refining it for that niche audience. Yeah, that makes sense. So you design the prototype or minimum viable product, then you test it and get feedback. Then what do you do? Well, I want to clarify something. Designing a prototype and having a minimum viable product can be two separate things. Okay. You can design a prototype. Again, it can be designed in Figma, using an AI builder, or even just as a workflow or user flow. Obviously now, things are a little different because you can build prototypes much faster. That doesn't mean they're going to be production-ready. But a minimum viable product is usually focused on solving one or two specific problems for that market. It's a problem-solving product that actually works—meaning it's much closer to being production-ready. Yeah. So those are two separate things. There's a very big difference between them. Yeah, because now you have vibe coding, and with tools like Lovable—or whatever platform you're using—you can create a prototype quickly. But it's not necessarily going to work, and then you still have to build the actual working product. Correct. Yes, I agree. Then you test it, expose it to the target market, and gather feedback. And then what do you do? Do you iterate? What's the next step? You iterate, yeah. So at that point, ideally, you have product-market fit, you've received great feedback from users, and—best-case scenario—they've even paid you some money. Then you either expand on what has already been built, or you go all in: invest more money into it and start building a production-ready product. And once you have that, you may realize that you also need to improve the user interface. That happens a lot—especially if you vibe-coded it. The output usually isn't the best when it comes to user interface design or user experience. So you may need to redesign the interface, properly develop it, and then take a production-ready application to market. And then it goes back into the cycle of iteration. Meaning, you keep gathering feedback. This is why I often recommend not adding too many features in the beginning. Focus on one or two core features—one or two main user flows within those features. That's it. Forget about everything else. Yeah. And then you can add features later. You can always add features later. Most of the time, if you add too many features in the beginning, you'll probably end up cutting at least 40% of them because people just won't use them. And I'm not talking about core features like sign-up, sign-in, forgot password, onboarding, authentication—that kind of stuff. Obviously, you need those. But you still have to figure out who your audience is. Do you need SMS login? Do you need email login? Do you need both? Do you need social logins? You have to make sure you clearly understand your audience—but you don't need everything all at once. You may eventually need all of it, but not in the beginning. Yeah, that's true. So you've worked with other businesses, which means you're primarily a business-to-business agency, right? Business-to-business, business-to-government—we've also built business-to-consumer apps as well. But usually, our client is a business-to-business. Yeah. So here's my question: In B2B, how do you gain people's trust so they'll even engage with your product? I understand there's a funnel—but how do you get businesses into the top of that funnel? How do you create that initial trust so they engage? What does it take? Many things. Content helps, obviously. Creating content like this, creating videos—I create videos on a regular basis talking about what's out there, what's possible, what's good, what's bad. Kind of the everyday life of an agency, and the type of work we do. We also post projects on different directories and platforms. A lot of previous clients come back to us, and we get many client referrals. We rank pretty well for SEO and AEO, so a lot of people find us through ChatGPT. Especially because that's one of the services we offer. People find us when searching for things like “best app developers” or “best website designers” in our specific area. We're not targeting nationwide rankings—that's much harder and a much longer-term strategy. But in our area—Maryland, Howard County, Columbia—we rank very high. And what does it take to rank high in AEO—in AI search? It's the same approach we take to rank in Google. Google obviously owns Gemini, and now there's Google AI Overview. It's really a real-estate play. If you have a website that's properly structured for Google—with some adjustments for semantic search, like adding question-and-answer content to every page, especially product and service pages—you improve your chances significantly. You also need a properly configured robots.txt file with clear descriptions, so when search crawlers reach your site, they can immediately understand the structure and know where to go. When you see sources cited in AI search, that's exactly what those systems are reading from your site. You also need the right technical setup: Your website has to be fast. You need proper H1, H2, and H3 structure across the site. So overall, it's about having a properly structured website. If you follow strong SEO fundamentals, with additional improvements specifically for AEO and GEO—because now it's not just SEO anymore, it's SEO, AEO, and GEO—you'll usually appear in ChatGPT, Google AI Overview, Gemini, Perplexity, and other AI search tools. And your Google Business Profile and Google Maps listing are properly optimized—which has changed a lot recently on Google's side as well—you'll also show up more often in local AI search results. So isn't it true that AI search looks for different kinds of signals than traditional SEO? I've heard, for example, that backlinks are less important in AI search than they used to be. They're not as important for AI search, but backlinks still carry a lot of weight. Again, you have to think about this as two separate systems, right? There's Google Search—with Google AI Overview and featured snippets—and then there's Google Maps. You don't need a website just to appear on Google Maps. You mainly need a properly optimized Google Business Profile. And you can still show up in AI search that way. Having a website does help, because it sends another signal to Google, but it's not as critical. The most important thing—and I'll answer your question for both cases—is consistency and structure. For Google Maps, if you have a properly maintained Google Business Profile with constant updates—blog posts, videos, photos, and business updates—that teaches Google AI what your business does. So you want updated product pages, images, descriptions, and location details if you're location-based. All of that educates Google, which helps you rank higher on Google Maps. And like I said, Google Maps ranks very well in AI search. Now, if you also have a website, that's even better. And on your website, it helps to embed your Google Map as well, because that reinforces another signal from Google Maps. For example, some of our clients have multiple locations, so we include Google Maps with all their locations on the site—and that helps. Then you also create location pages, just like you create product pages or service pages. Google—and AI systems in general—don't really rank entire websites. They rank individual pages. That's why top-of-funnel content is usually blog posts or educational content answering someone's problem. Then that written or video content leads users to a service page or product page. That's basically how it works. Does that make sense? Yeah, that's very interesting. So if I want to increase my AI ranking… one of my clients told me that if your clients post about you on Reddit, that can be really powerful and help drive AI search visibility. Is that true? Reddit and Quora are very powerful. Very powerful. They rank very high. Listen, I'll give you a simple example that anybody can use. If you go to Quora or Reddit and look at the questions people are asking—for example, let's say you search for “app development”—you can filter by questions and literally see what people are asking. If you answer those questions in a natural way, related to your service or product, and include a backlink—not in a salesy way, but naturally—that's a very strong backlink. And speaking of backlinks: they're still relevant. Maybe they don't carry as much weight as they used to, but they're still very valuable. Because when Google or AI systems evaluate content—and when you search in ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini and see sources—those sources are essentially citations and backlinks. So if your website has strong citations and is properly structured, it absolutely helps you get discovered. You just need to make sure everything is set up correctly so Google—or any other search system—understands what your content means. But yes, to answer your question directly: Reddit and Quora are excellent for visibility because they're high-authority websites with massive traffic and very strong domain ratings. Yeah. That’s great. So Google Maps, Reddit, Quora, they are big drivers. That’s great. Huge drivers. I mean, listen, there are many others—but social media has become huge over the past two years. Before, if you made a Reel on Instagram, you wouldn't be able to find it through Google search. But in the past couple of years, they opened that up. Why do you think they did that? Because they understand the value of content. Just like YouTube—where you can find videos through specific keywords—they want Instagram videos to be discoverable through Google Search and AI search. And then those searches lead people back to their platform. If someone who isn't already an Instagram user discovers content they like—a creator they like—they may sign up for Instagram because of it. So yeah, all of this ties back to backlinks and discoverability. It's really about how you use those backlinks. I mean, YouTube has been a huge driver for people looking for answers or trying to learn almost anything. So yeah, that's kind of how it works. It's one big spiderweb. Yes. It’s interesting. So basically, the more content I have and the more content other people post about me in credible sites, whether it’s Reddit, Quora, YouTube, social media, and they all point to my website or web pages, then the more it’s going to be discoverable by AI. That’s kinda makes sense. You're definitely going to become more discoverable. But again, if it's just “Steve Preda,” that alone may not be valuable unless someone is specifically searching for your name. Now, if people are responding to or discussing how to apply a specific framework—and someone is searching for that framework that relates to your content—then it becomes relevant. Does that make sense? Yeah. Yeah, understand. Yeah. Absolutely. Let me ask you this. If you could have a magic wand and fix one thing inside your company in the next 12 months, what would that be? That’s an interesting question. I don’t know. I think I'd be very interested in applying more AI agents so they can help drive the business and support more growth. Overall, I just want healthy growth—making sure we're happy with the work we're doing, and that our clients are happy with the work we deliver. Because that leads to better outcomes, longer-term relationships, and healthier growth for the company. I mean, my ultimate goal at some point is probably to grow the company and eventually sell it. If we're happy with what we're doing, and our clients are happy with the work we're delivering, I think that growth will happen organically. Yeah. And what do you need to make the company sellable in your perspective? Having strong, scalable systems—and AI is going to help with a lot of that. So do you believe that a company with only AI employees—at the extreme—could still become a very valuable company? No, I'm not saying we should rely only on AI, and I'm definitely not planning to let go of any employees. What I'm saying is that AI can help with certain smaller tasks that sometimes get missed or forgotten. That's a perfect fit for AI. For example, even during conversations—if a project manager is handling several clients at once—we usually need updates on what was discussed. Yes, AI can record the conversation, but more importantly: what are the actionable next steps? And from those action items, what has already been completed, and what still needs to be done? Those are the kinds of things AI agents can help with—tasks that don't necessarily require a human. That way, time isn't wasted and can instead be used more effectively to make sure things are getting done and that we're reaching the outcome you mentioned earlier. What is your opinion about controlling AI agents? What is the level of risk? Not just about someone maybe doing a prompt injection and kind of hijacking your agents, but losing control of the agents in terms of complexity. So do you see a risk there that someone could kind of unleash these agents and somehow not be able to control them, or the quality of their work? Could they not control that? Or something changes and the agents get impacted—maybe a software update or something like that? Is this a thing, or is that not a concern? I think there should definitely always be guardrails. For example, right now we're building a platform with AI to gather RFPs, review them, score them, and actually create outputs—like the structure of the RFP. But before they get submitted, an actual person reviews them. I think there should always be final approval by a human—unless it becomes such a perfect system. I mean, it's software, right? At a certain point, can something go wrong? Yes. Especially with updates—unless you own the full process from beginning to end. Yeah, I think there's always a risk, but there's always a risk with software. There should definitely be some guardrails, no doubt about it. I don't think it should be the last step before a human approves it and actually—for this RFP example—submits the response to whatever platform. I think a human should always review and approve it to make sure everything is working properly. But I think you can save a lot of time. For example, instead of us doing two or three RFPs a month, we can do ten or fifteen. I mean, the quality isn't really changing. It's structure. It's answering what they're asking for. So if it fits the criteria we're looking for, we still spend time reviewing it. I mean, we got an RFP the other day that was 150 pages. It would probably take two days just to read it. And at a certain point, you're like, “You know what? This isn't a good fit.” So it saves time. It just creates more efficiency. But there should definitely be guardrails and structure for sure, and a human should be involved in the loop. That I agree with you on. Okay. It's a big topic. One of the thoughts is that at some point AI is talking to AI. Like in hiring—you see these big recruiting companies using AI to filter resumes, and then applicants use AI to write resumes that fit what the filters are looking for. And at some point, the authenticity or credibility of those resumes begins to fade because it's all prearranged. So then the whole purpose of filtering employees starts to diminish. Do you think this kind of thing might happen with RFPs too? Maybe. Very possible. I wouldn't be surprised if it's not happening already. Yeah, I mean, it's definitely very possible. There are already several platforms that find RFPs. They work a little differently. We're building specifically for our own purpose. I do want to document the process to kind of show, “Hey, here's what can be done.” But yeah, it's very possible, for sure. Listen, if you're relying on a regular process to get a job, then you're probably not going to get the job. There are a lot more people looking for work right now. I don't know if you heard about Microsoft—and I think Tesla too—but companies are letting people go left and right. Microsoft is offering long-term employees buyouts. And by long-term employees, I mean people who are probably older and maybe not as knowledgeable or experienced with AI. It's like, “Hey, let us buy you out so you can retire a little earlier.” So this is happening. If you're going through the same regular hiring process as everyone else, you're competing against 500 or 1,000 other people for the same job. Obviously, it's an employer's market right now, not an employee's market. If you're trying to get a job, it shouldn't just be through the regular process. It should be through people you know. Networking is going to have even more value. Personal connections matter, and people knowing, “Hey, this person actually spoke to me the right way.” You should also know how to use AI, because that's going to give you an edge in getting a job. But actually speaking to someone should happen through networking and connections. Yeah, that's my feeling too—that human interaction is actually going to increase dramatically in value. Because authenticity… that's really the only way to verify authenticity: being face-to-face with someone, a real physical person. That's fascinating. Yeah. But I'll tell you—like I said, I post videos on a regular basis. My mom asked me the other day, “Max, are you using AI, or is it really you?” I said, “No, it's really me. It's not AI.” So it's funny because AI is getting so good that you're not always sure what's real anymore. And even with RFPs—it's not just about submitting proposals or resumes. Personal and human connection is going to become more valuable than ever. If I personally knew every buyer putting out an RFP, I'd rather talk to them directly, one hundred percent. Because it becomes a completely different process. Yeah, that's spot on. Love it. So, great information. I love the framework: define the problem, determine the audience, create a prototype, build the MVP, test it, and then iterate. That's how you build a digital product—whether it's a website or an app. So if you're out there looking for a solution, Max Kryzhanovskiy and MOS Creative may have the solution for you. So if people would like to connect with Max Kryzhanovskiy and MOS Creative, where can they reach you? People can reach us through our website: www.moscreative.com. They can also find me on LinkedIn under Max Kryzhanovskiy or MOS Creative. They can fill out a form on our website or email us at info@moscreative.com. Fantastic. So if you want an AI-driven platform, definitely reach out to Max. So Max, thank you for coming and sharing your ideas. And I love that you have such a strong vision for AI and that you're actively experimenting within your company, which means your clients will benefit from that as well. And if you enjoyed this conversation, then stay tuned, because every week a successful entrepreneur comes on the show and shares their ideas and frameworks. So thanks for coming, Max—and thank you for listening. Thank you. Important Links: Max's LinkedIn Max's website Max's email: info@moscreative.com
Recorded live at SocialNext: Ottawa 2026, Daniel Francavilla, brand and content strategist and founder of The Good Growth Company, joins host Alex to explore what it really takes to build trust in the nonprofit and public sector space.The Good Growth Company supports nonprofits, social purpose organizations, and governments with training and facilitation across marketing, communications, leadership, and fundraising. Daniel also teaches at OCAD University and George Brown College.Daniel breaks down why a brand-first approach matters more than ever, how misinformation and AI are reshaping the way organizations need to think about their reputation, what dignity-first storytelling actually looks like in practice, and why retention beats constant acquisition every time.Because in a world full of AI-generated content and eroding trust, the organizations that show the real people behind their work will always stand out.Thanks to our Editors, Producers, and Guest Host from Phantom Productions and WebMarketers.This episode was recorded live at the Ottawa Conference and Events Centre during SocialNext: Ottawa 2026, Canada's leading conference dedicated to nonprofit and public sector marketers.SocialNext is part of the SocialNext series, Canada's leading platform for marketing conferences, media, and community.
Tyler Hoff from Hemp Aware joins Pathmonk Presents to explain how hemp and cannabis brands can grow by narrowing their focus, sharpening their messaging, and building stronger customer journeys. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience in hemp marketing, branding, sales, and education, Tyler shares how Hemp Aware helps companies solve positioning and conversion challenges through strategy, systems, and educational support. The conversation also highlights the role of organic SEO, AEO, live events, cold outreach, and websites as conversion hubs across every funnel stage. For founders and marketers, this episode offers practical lessons on growth, differentiation, lead generation, and purpose-driven brand building in a complex industry.
This episode provides practical advice on advanced SEO, AI engine optimization (AEO), answer engine optimization, technical website optimization, schema, and retention strategies for anyone looking to improve digital marketing visibility in the age of AI. Learn how to harness evolving platforms, implement the latest best practices, and create resilient, audience-focused web ecosystems.In this insightful episode, Favour Obasi-ike, MBA, MS dives deep into the evolution of SEO—comparing the foundations of "old" Search Engine Optimization with the demands and opportunities of "new" Search Everywhere Optimization.Listeners will uncover essential strategies for optimizing content across today's rapidly shifting digital environments, including website best practices, AI integrations, and the importance of technical SEO fundamentals.Favour explains how staying updated and proactive is vital, as algorithm changes and the rise of AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and others are reshaping the discovery and ranking of digital content. Favour also takes questions from the community, responding with real-world examples and tactical advice.Whether you're a business owner, marketer, content creator, or SEO professional, this episode offers actionable guidance for adapting to future-focused SEO. Listeners will learn why website speed, schema markup, secure protocols, and precise keyword versus prompt usage matter more than ever.Favour also discusses why attention and retention are the new KPIs, plus the growing importance of authority, expertise, and trust—in both human and AI-powered search.Who Is This For?Digital marketersBusiness owners and entrepreneursSEO professionalsContent creators and website managersAnyone seeking to future-proof their digital presenceReady to Rank? Book Your SEO & Web Dev Services Today
Get the Winning AEO Playbook: https://clickhubspot.com/oksd Ep. 424 “I can't go a single second without someone asking me what the heck answer engine optimization is.” Kipp and Kieran have Beeri Amiel (Product at HubSpot and founder of XFunnel) and Aja Frost (Sr. Director of Global Growth and Paid at HubSpot) dive into the launch and demo of HubSpot's brand new AEO tool, built to track your visibility in answer engines and help you win the next evolution of search. Learn more on building your AEO strategy, measuring share of voice and sentiment, and using actionable insights to drive results your boss will love. Mentions Aja Frost https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajafrost/ Beeri Amiel https://www.linkedin.com/in/beeri-amiel/ HubSpot AEO Portal https://clickhubspot.com/aeo Dell https://www.dell.com/en-us HP https://www.hp.com/us-en/home.html Lenovo https://www.lenovo.com/ Get our guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/customgpt Resource [Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip We're on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGtXqPiNV8YC0GMUzY-EUFg Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@matgpod Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain! Don't forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934 If you love this show, please leave us a 5-Star Review https://link.chtbl.com/h9_sjBKH and share your favorite episodes with friends. We really appreciate your support. Host Links: Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat ‘Marketing Against The Grain' is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Produced by Darren Clarke.
About this episode Emma Grede has been a billion-dollar consumer brand operator for almost a decade. She co-founded Good American with Khloé Kardashian. She's a founding partner of SKIMS, currently valued at $5 billion. She sits on the Obama Foundation board. She's on the Forbes list of America's Richest Self-Made Women. And until April 14, 2026 - per WWD - she was, quote, "for the most part, an enigma." Two weeks later, she's everywhere. This isn't a hot-take episode. This is a strategic breakdown of what Emma Grede actually did - the four moves, the engineered soundbites, the year of infrastructure she built before the launch - and why most accomplished women won't run the same play. Plus a real-time announcement: Monique is writing her first book and searching for the right literary agent, in public, on this podcast. What you'll learn The four moves Emma Grede executed in 14 days (and why each one is reproducible at smaller scale). Why "I'd be more worried if nobody was talking" is the most important sentence of the entire book tour. The trade between being quotable and being safe - and why softening your take is what's keeping you uncirculated. Why most accomplished women won't run this play, even when they have the receipts to. And the smaller version of the play you can run starting this week. Chapters 00:00 - Cold open: the woman everyone's talking about 01:30 - Who Emma Grede was six months ago 04:30 - What she did in 14 days 08:00 - The four moves (infrastructure, soundbite, discourse, consistency) 12:00 - Why Team Emma on the three-hour mom take 14:00 - Why your audience won't do it 16:00 - The smaller version - and the book announcement 18:30 - Close + CTA Memorable quotes "The book is not the story. The book is the artifact." "Emma Grede let herself be misunderstood on purpose. She held an opinion strong enough to travel. That is the trade." "I am tired of people telling mothers how to do anything." "The fight is the marketing. The conversation is the distribution. Emma Grede understood that her job was not to win the debate. Her job was to be the debate." "I'm not waiting until I have a deal to tell you this. The visibility of the search is part of the strategy." Resources mentioned The free AI Visibility Audit. Ten minutes, no call - see exactly where your authority is leaking and which layer to fix first. [link] Start With Yourself: A New Vision for Work and Life by Emma Grede. Aspire with Emma Grede podcast. Are you a literary agent (or do you know one)? Monique is writing her first book and is in the process of finding the right literary agent. If you'd like to connect or make an introduction: hello@moniquebryan.com About Monique Bryan Monique Bryan is a senior brand strategist who helps established founders become the person AI and people recommend. Her work focuses on the gap between credibility and recognition - why good operators stay invisible and how to close it through positioning, not output. She is the creator of the Juicy Brand Method, the Authority Stack, and Founder AI Studio. Who Knows You is her podcast on authority, AI discovery, and what it takes to become the default answer in your space. If this episode landed Share it with one woman in your network who's been quietly hiding. That's how the show grows, and how the conversation reaches the people it needs to. Who Knows You is hosted by Monique Bryan, brand authority strategist for founders and experts who are done being the best-kept secret in their industry. Take the Authority Leak Audit to find out where your positioning is breaking down and what to fix: [ACCESS IT HERE ] Connect with Monique: Website: moniquebryan.com LinkedIn: Monique Bryan Instagram: @moniquebryan
“People don't buy from logos—they buy from people.” – Rachel GogosIn this week's episode, Carol Schultz sits down with Rachel Gogos, founder and director of strategy at brandiD, to unpack what it really takes to stand out in a world where nearly every business feels interchangeable. From AI-generated websites and generic branding to personal positioning and founder-led marketing, Rachel explains why businesses that feel human are winning trust while “commodity brands” are getting ignored.Rachel breaks down why so many companies fail to connect online despite spending money on websites, SEO, and content. She explains why founders themselves are often the biggest differentiator in a business, why audiences are becoming increasingly skeptical of AI-generated content, and how businesses can build stronger relationships by making customers feel seen instead of constantly talking about themselves. Carol and Rachel also discuss the growing importance of authenticity, messaging clarity, customer psychology, and why businesses must stop relying on shortcuts if they want long-term growth.The conversation also explores personal branding myths, why introverts can still build powerful brands, how LinkedIn differs from other platforms, and why consistency across websites, podcasts, social media, PR, and messaging is essential for modern businesses trying to survive in crowded markets.TakeawaysThe founder is often the strongest differentiator in a business.Customers increasingly want authentic, human brands.AI-generated branding can feel emotionally empty and mechanical.Businesses fail when they focus too much on themselves instead of customer pain points.Personal branding is not just for extroverts or influencers.Strong messaging starts with understanding the customer first.Websites alone don't generate growth—marketing and positioning matter.Consistency across platforms builds stronger trust and authority.Many businesses abandon marketing strategies too early.SEO, copywriting, and brand positioning all work together as one ecosystem.Founder-led content performs especially well on platforms like LinkedIn.Differentiation comes from understanding what competitors are missing.Chapters00:00 Intro: Standing out in a commodity-driven world02:35 Why founders are the biggest differentiator03:37 Rachel Gogos on building brandiD and helping businesses grow online04:29 Why outdated websites and weak messaging hurt brands05:19 Budget mistakes businesses make early on06:29 The problem with AI-generated websites and branding07:50 Why authentic brands build stronger trust08:12 Why founders should become the face of the business10:38 Branding mistakes companies make too early11:07 Why customer-focused messaging matters11:28 The danger of constantly changing marketing strategies12:37 Why audiences are getting tired of AI-generated content13:39 Rachel's entrepreneurial journey and starting brandiD15:36 Personal branding vs. business branding16:26 Why people buy from people17:45 Combining founder branding with company branding19:29 Building a full marketing ecosystem around a website21:58 Word-of-mouth, Google, and personal branding as growth channels23:25 Why many industries are becoming commoditized25:53 Carol's SEO and AEO growth strategy experience28:02 Finding the right talent in SEO and marketing31:38 Separating your business from competitors32:40 How a cigar brand successfully differentiated itself35:15 Building brand trust through consistency and communityConnect With Host Carol SchultzFind more information about our host Carol Schultz and her company at Vertical Elevation, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram.Want to be our next guest expert? Email cat.gloria@verticalelevation.com with your information.And of course, click "follow" to stay up-to-date on new episodes and leave an honest review/rating letting us know what you thought!
Jen and Ryan chat with de Novo's Digital Strategy Lead, Ally Machala, about navigating search—and the acronyms that come with it. They chat about how search has evolved from traditional SEO toward AI-driven discovery through AEO and GEO, and what brands and businesses need to do to stay visible. They also cover a clever campaign from Goldfish that brought some lighthearted fun to tax season. The conversation doesn't end here! Find us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, sign up for our newsletter, or check out previous episodes of Think Fresh!
Send us Fan MailWhy AI Is Recommending Some Builders and Ignoring Others: The Case StudyA regional home builder in a competitive Florida market was being cited by ChatGPT 16% of the time when buyers asked real questions like "who are the best new home builders in this area?" A few months later, after a focused initiative with Anewgo, that number was 72%. Same builder. Same market. Same competitors.In this solo episode, Anya Chrisanthon - CCO at Anewgo and host of the Anewgo of New Home Sales podcast - breaks down exactly what was measured, what changed, and what it means for builders and marketers who are paying attention to where buyer search behavior is heading.What Anewgo Tracked Anewgo ran 50 real buyer-intent questions through ChatGPT and Gemini and measured three things: mentions (how often the builder was named at all), citations (how often their website was used as a trusted source), and top recommendations (how often they appeared in the top spots). Citations matter most. A mention means AI knows you exist. A citation means AI trusts you enough to point a buyer directly to your content. Those are not the same thing.The Results On ChatGPT, the citation rate jumped from 16% to 72% - a 56 percentage point increase. The number one ranking rate went from 7% to 36%. Top three ranking rate went from 16% to 59%. On Gemini, citation rate went from 25% to 63%. And during the same period, average website engagement time nearly doubled - from 51 seconds to just under two minutes - because the content wasn't just AI-friendly. It was genuinely useful to real buyers.The Philosophy The goal was never to trick AI or game the system. Anyone telling you they can game AI recommendation engines is not someone you should trust with your marketing budget. The goal was to make this builder genuinely easier for AI to understand, verify, and confidently recommend - through content that answers real buyer questions and clarity about what the builder actually offers and who they build for.Why Most Builder Websites Are Invisible to AI Right Now Most builder websites were built for two audiences: human visitors and Google. AI reads your website differently than either. It is trying to build a mental model of your business - who you are, who you build for, where you build, what makes you different. Vague taglines, generic community descriptions, and inconsistent information across your digital presence create uncertainty for AI. And uncertain AI does not recommend you. It moves on.Three Things to Do This Week:(1) Search for yourself the way a buyer would - open ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini and ask for a builder like you in your market with specific criteria. See what comes up. (2) Read your own website like a stranger - is your brand story specific and consistent? Could AI accurately summarize your communities and differentiators to a buyer? (3) Get an AEO assessment from Anewgo - email your website URL to beth@anewgo.com with subject line "AEO Assessment." No obligation. Beth will reach out with the report and a time to walk through the results together.Next episode: a deeper dive into AEO itself - what it is, what good AEO looks like in practice, and the broader framework for thinking about this for your business.About Anewgo Anewgo is an all-in-one new home sales and marketing platform. We equip builders with AI-ready homebuilder websites, interactive design tools, floorplans, sitemaps, AI Sales Assistants, and data analytics to create personalized buyer journeys. Learn more at
Shop Talk Las Vegas always delivers. The energy, the speed meetings, the creative themes. This year, Isaac Morey hit the floor with a camera and came back with a compilation of sharp, focused conversations from some of the most interesting people at the show. These interviews are a great example of what Content Cucumber's conference video service produces for brands. Show up with a booth, leave with months of marketing-ready content.00:26 Nicolas Bailliache, eStreamly06:13 Amit Patel, MyFitnessPal11:17 Vincent Declercq and Ward Van Laer, Dalton13:24 Zach Bricker, Supermetrics19:38 Tarun Chandrasekhar, Syndigo24:12 Jay El-Kaake, Osello26:47 Anshuman Jaiswal, OnePintAI29:00 Jason Grunberg, Forter34:44 Aditya Jain, PassionfruitHere's a quick look at who Isaac talked to and what stood out.Nicolas Bailliache, Co-Founder of e-StreamlyVideo commerce drives over 20% of all e-commerce in Asia, but the US sits around 1%. Nico makes the case that brands need to connect video directly to checkout, especially on their own channels, as a retention play in a world where 80% of internet consumption is already video.Amit Patel, Chief Revenue Officer at MyFitnessPalMyFitnessPal is launching its own ads business, giving brands a way to reach 5.7 million monthly active users who log in five times a day. For CPG, retail, and health and wellness brands, that kind of engaged, habit-driven audience is hard to find anywhere else.Vincent Declercq and Ward Van Laer, Co-Founders of DaltonDalton uses AI to remove the friction from A/B testing and CRO. You connect your shop, get test ideas generated automatically, and Dalton shifts traffic toward winning variations on its own. The self-improving web shop concept is a compelling pitch for brands that know they need to test more but never find the time.Zach Bricker, SupermetricsSupermetrics released new research showing that 89% of executives are pushing for AI adoption, yet the people using AI daily feel their companies lack a real strategy. The stat that only 8% of e-commerce professionals say they're adopting AI was a surprise, and the takeaway is clear. AI won't fix marketing problems without a solid data foundation and a plan.Tarun Chandrasekhar, SyndigoSindigo powers product content from creation to syndication to performance measurement. The agentic commerce angle is fascinating. For a hundred-plus years, brands influenced shoppers through ads designed for human eyeballs. AI agents don't care about visuals. They care about complete, contextual product data. That shift changes the entire game for product content strategy.Jay El-Kaake, OselloOsello automates marketplace listings on platforms like Nordstrom, Macy's, and Target using AI agents. No rules to configure, no spreadsheet templates. Connect your Shopify store and the agents handle everything. Jay's hot take landed well too. If a company has been claiming they do AI for longer than a year, the models they started with are already outdated.Anshuman Jaiswal, Founder of OnePint.aiThe number one mistake in inventory management? Everything floating around in Excel and Google Sheets. OnePint replaces those manual processes with AI-powered demand forecasting, replenishment, and allocation for mid-market brands.Jason Grunberg, CMO at ForterForter uses a massive identity data network to prevent fraud, optimize payments, and protect the customer experience. The insight that everyday consumers now use tools like ChatGPT to fabricate product damage claims is a wake-up call for any merchant thinking fraud prevention is only about stopping professional attackers.Aditya Jain, Co-Founder of Passion FruitPassion Fruit helps brands win search across both SEO and AEO. Adi's biggest observation is that too many companies treat SEO and AEO as completely separate activities when the data and strategy overlap significantly. One of their clients grew revenue 10x after connecting at Shop Talk the previous year.These Interviews Didn't Happen by AccidentEvery conversation Isaac recorded at Shop Talk was planned, filmed with professional gear, and edited into marketing-ready content. That's what Content Cucumber's conference video service does for brands.You're already spending serious money to exhibit. Booth, travel, hotel, swag, team time. We help you leave with more than badge scans.We show up at your booth, film sharp guided interviews, capture B-roll of the full event experience, and deliver polished video assets. By the time you're home, your content is already working. One three-day conference becomes three months of marketing.No scripts. No awkward teleprompter reads. Just real people talking about what they know, captured by a team with 30+ years in e-commerce and hundreds of interviews recorded.Book Your Live Event Content →
#352 | Dave sits down with Uzair Dada, CEO of Iron Horse, to talk about why most B2B companies are overcomplicating their marketing and what to do instead. Uzair breaks down his three-part growth framework — get discovered, get chosen, close — and explains why most companies are wasting the majority of their ad budget targeting the wrong audience entirely. He also gets into how to actually show up in AI search, why brand vs. demand is a false choice marketers invented to argue about, and how he blocks every Friday afternoon to build with AI. Then they get into what AI adoption really looks like inside enterprise companies, and why taste and judgment are becoming the only true differentiators left.Check out Webflow's free AEO assessment here. Timestamps(00:00) - - Intro (03:17) - - Running the same agency for 26 years and why AI makes it exciting again (06:19) - - Why Uzair blocks Friday afternoons from 2-7 to build with AI (11:13) - - How a personal prep tool became a company-wide account dossier app (15:34) - - The leadership meeting habit that drove AI adoption across the org (17:35) - - Are marketers going away? The case for taste and judgment (25:02) - - Why brand vs. demand is a false choice (26:29) - - Get discovered, get chosen, close: a simpler B2B growth framework (28:03) - - The company targeting a million people when their real audience was 20,000 (34:52) - - The real bottleneck to AI in enterprise isn't the tech, it's governance (41:46) - - AEO: start with your Gong call transcripts, not a new tool (44:28) - - Why the second query matters more than the first in AI search
Six weeks ago, I went silent. No episodes. No posts. No noise. I was fighting cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsil and tongue. Two rounds of chemo. Thirty rounds of radiation. And a whole lot of time to think. Today, I'm back. And I'm not just picking up where I left off — I'm coming back with new clarity, new energy, and some powerful insights I can't wait to share with you. In this episode: What the last 6 weeks looked like (the real version, not the polished one) A huge thank-you to the guest hosts who kept this show alive while I was down What I've been studying about AI, marketing, and visibility is about to change the game for mortgage professionals HubSpot's new AEO tool and why "Answer Engine Optimization" should be on every LO's radar right now A tease of a pivotal change coming soon to Mortgage Marketing Radio and MMI This is a personal one. It's also one of the most important episodes I've ever recorded. If you've ever been knocked down and had to figure out how to get back up — this one's for you. Episode Resources: Hubspot AEO Tool: https://www.hubspot.com/products/aeo Connect with Geoff: Instagram: @GeoffZimpfer LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/geoffzimpfer YouTube: Subscribe to Mortgage Marketing Radio
Every business has principles that should never move. It also has practices that need to die right now. Most entrepreneurs confuse the two. They change their values when they should change their methods, or they cling to methods when the market has already moved on. In this episode, Jimmy Nicholas and Dr. Dustin Burleson dig into how to tell the difference, featuring: The Logo Test: go to your website, swap your logo with a competitor's, and see if anything changes. If it does not, you have a problem. The EB White Principle: AI makes everything 10x easier, 10x faster, 10x cheaper. It does not make it 10x better. Better thinking does. The $75,000 Core Values Story: Dustin spent years and tens of thousands of dollars with consultants discovering his core values. Today, AI can facilitate that process in minutes. The method changed. The principle never will. The MARS Rocket Test (Vern Harnish): put your entire team on a rocket to Mars. You do not know what business you will run when you land. What would still be true about your company? Whatever survives that test is a core value. Everything else is a habit. PLAUD and AI Coaching: how a recording device captures sales and treatment coordinator presentations and AI immediately generates customized follow-up messages based on each prospect's or patient's specific fears, hopes, and objections. AEO vs SEO: 60% of searches now end in zero clicks. If you are not visible in ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, you are invisible to a growing segment of your market. Download the free Preserve or Kill Framework and The 3 Shifts Scorecard at WealthyMomentumPodcast.com. Next month: Where Your Next Dollar Is Hiding. It is already inside your business. You just cannot see it yet. Get additional resources, scorecards, and working frameworks at WealthyMomentumPodcast.comSubscribe on YouTube: YouTube.com/@WealthyEntrepreneurHQLearn more: WealthyEntrepreneur.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
We are joined by two folks from Neuroaigent: Bob Skinner, and Justin Coleman to have a conversation about where AI is actually delivering ROI right now. Topics include the “it’s just a macro” debate, the manufacturing brain drain crisis, agentic AI and what agents actually are, getting found inside AI tools (AEO vs. SEO), the token bill nobody warned enterprises about, and who’s liable when AI gets it wrong. We also get into Neuroaigent’s air-gapped private knowledge layer, the ClawCon competition where seven AI agents awarded a $50K investment with zero human involvement, AGI vs. domain-specific intelligence, and a live on-air moment where Claude confidently hallucinated a co-host named Doug Muth.
Start a free trial of HubSpot's new AEO tool: https://clickhubspot.com/wdlc Ep. 420 In AI search,, relevancy matters more than authority. Kipp, Kieran, Beeri Amiel (Product at HubSpot and founder of XFunnel), and guest Sam Parr (Host of My First Million) dive into how AI-driven answer engines are disrupting traditional SEO and what marketers must do to adapt. Learn more on how AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is changing the rules of search, why citation and content relevance matter more than authority, and what tools and tactics you can implement to succeed in the new era of AI search. Mentions Sam Parr https://www.linkedin.com/in/parrsam My First Million https://www.mfmpod.com/ Hampton https://joinhampton.com/ The Hustle https://thehustle.co/ Beeri Amiel https://www.linkedin.com/in/beeri-amiel XFunnel https://www.xfunnel.ai/ HubSpot AEO Portal https://clickhubspot.com/aeo Ahrefs https://ahrefs.com/ Google Search Console https://search.google.com/search-console/about Get our guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/customgpt Resource [Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip We're on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGtXqPiNV8YC0GMUzY-EUFg Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@matgpod Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain! Don't forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934 If you love this show, please leave us a 5-Star Review https://link.chtbl.com/h9_sjBKH and share your favorite episodes with friends. We really appreciate your support. Host Links: Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat ‘Marketing Against The Grain' is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Produced by Darren Clarke.
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