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Everything SEO - Making SEO More Accessible, Adaptable, and Achievable for Small Businesses
Want to keep showing up in search this summer without spending every waking hour creating content? Good news: you don't need a complicated SEO strategy to see results.In this episode of Everything SEO, Mckayla pulls back the curtain on her own summer SEO plan and shares exactly what she's doing to maintain visibility while spending most of her summer out of office. From blogging and content repurposing to email marketing and brand-building across platforms, she's breaking down the simple, sustainable strategy she's using to continue growing traffic, building authority, and setting herself up for a strong fall season.Questions answered in this episode:What should your SEO strategy look like during a slower season of business?How can blogging support long-term SEO growth even when you're out of office?Why is content repurposing one of the most effective SEO strategies available?How often should you be publishing content to maintain visibility in search?What are content clusters and why do they matter for SEO?How do internal links help improve rankings and authority?What role do platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, and LinkedIn play in SEO?How does email marketing support your SEO strategy and website traffic?What is referral traffic and why is it important for search visibility?What types of keywords should you target if you want more conversions from SEO?Download the SEO Checklist (FREE!! because ily) and get six simple things you can do to improve your SEO in 15-minutes or less! → Click here to get your checklist!Download Your Free Checklist to Plan, Write, & Publish SEO Blog Posts→ Grab yours here!Check out the Back Pocket SEO Membership → Check it out hereMore Ways to Learn & Connect with Me:Blog: www.thecommamamaco.com/blogInstagram: @commamama.coDon't forget to follow and subscribe to the show to be notified when new episodes are available!
Ask Me Your SEO Questions!SEO isn't something you set once and leave forever. Sometimes the strategy that worked six months ago simply stops moving the needle. In this Beginner's SEO episode, I talk through the key signs it might be time to pivot your SEO strategy, from traffic drops and changing search behaviour to AI Overviews and shifting keyword intent. I'll also walk through how to assess what's actually happening and how to adapt your strategy so you're focusing on what will drive growth next in your small business! Grow your business with SEO by using the exact strategy I use with multimillion dollar companies: The Complete Beginner's SEO Course Is Here Enroll Here!Head to www.theplansuccess.com where you can get started on your SEO journey for free with some great free resources like the beginner's small business starter guide!And if you're not already, follow me over on Instagram for easy SEO tips!Website: theplansuccess.comInstagram - @theplansuccess
In this episode of The Simple and Smart SEO Show, Crystal Waddell revisits part one of her conversation with Andy Holland about performance SEO...the kind of SEO that focuses on sales, revenue, and meaningful business growth instead of vanity traffic.Andy breaks down why chasing massive traffic numbers can be misleading, especially when that traffic does not convert into revenue. He shares how bottom-of-funnel, buyer-intent pages can create real business impact, even when they do not bring huge traffic spikes. The big takeaway? SEO should help brands capture people who are ready to buy — not just attract people who are casually browsing.If you have ever wondered why your traffic is growing but your sales are not, this episode will help you rethink what SEO success should actually look like.Key Takeaways1. Performance SEO is about sales, not trafficAndy explains that performance SEO is focused on helping brands increase turnover and capture sales. Traffic graphs are interesting, but they do not tell the whole story if revenue is not growing.2. Not all traffic is valuableA website can attract hundreds of thousands of visitors and still fail to create meaningful business results. Andy gives the example of content that brings in massive traffic but attracts people who are nowhere near buying the actual product or service.3. Bottom-of-funnel content can be more profitableInstead of focusing only on top-of-funnel informational content, Andy shares how commercially focused pages with high purchase intent can dramatically increase revenue, even with very small traffic gains.4. Organic search helps capture today's buyersSEO works best when it helps your brand show up when people are already in buying mode. Andy compares search to a supermarket aisle: people are browsing, comparing, and deciding what to put in their basket.5. SEO creates small but powerful nudgesAndy describes SEO as a way to create online nudges that influence buyers at the moment they are deciding. Ranking organically gives your brand a chance to be part of that decision without paying for every click.Episode Highlights“Performance SEO is ultimately about turnover.”“Traffic has to be meaningful, not meaningless.”“Go do me a strategy that makes me money, not traffic.”Listener Action ItemsAudit your traffic: Look at your highest-traffic pages and ask: are these visitors likely to buy?Identify buyer-intent pages: Find the pages, products, or services that people visit when they are closer to making a decision.Stop chasing vanity metrics: Measure SEO by revenue, leads, conversions, and business impact — not just clicks.Create better nudges: Improve your product pages, service pages, comparison content, and purchase-intent content so buyers have a reason to choose you.Build SEO around profit: Focus your strategy on pages that support sales, not just pages that look good in a traffic report.Text me your questions or comments!Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us atSupport the showBook a Shopify Store Strategy Call With Crystal!Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!AFFILIATE LINKS:Start your Shopify Store!Get SurferSEO!Metricool (to be everywhere online, you NEED a social media scheduler!)Grid and PixelNote: If you make a purchase using some of my links, I make a little money. But I only ever share products, people, & offers I trust & use myself!
You can create great content, stay consistent, and still feel like your podcast is barely moving the needle in your business. And honestly? That's the part nobody really talks about when it comes to podcast growth.Because the issue usually is not effort. It's strategy.Today's conversation is such a powerful example of what can happen when you stop treating your podcast like content for the sake of content… and start building it like a business asset with a real Podcast SEO Strategy behind it.I'm joined by Lindsay Smith, host of Market This, who had already published more than 100 episodes before realizing her show was no longer aligned with the audience she actually wanted to attract or the business she wanted the podcast to support. Like so many business owners, she was showing up consistently, but the podcast was not creating the visibility, leads, or momentum she knew it could.So we repositioned the show.Through stronger podcast seo, clearer messaging, better podcast marketing strategies, and a more intentional content plan, Lindsay's podcast started charting in the Top 100 Marketing Podcasts in both Canada and the US. Her show became easier to discover through search and AI recommendations, especially for entrepreneurs searching for podcasting for business support and long-term business growth.But honestly, the biggest shift was not just visibility. It was sustainability.Instead of constantly wondering what to post or how to grow, the podcast finally started functioning like a system inside her business. One that supported podcast monetization, attracted aligned listeners, and made content creation feel lighter again.And this is where so many people get stuck. They focus on podcast promotion strategies without realizing the foundation itself is what needs to change.If your podcast feels invisible, exhausting, or disconnected from your actual business goals, this conversation will help you rethink what's possible with the right Podcast SEO Strategy in place.Doors are officially open for PODCASTS THAT CONVERT — the program designed to help coaches, creators, and online business owners build a podcast that drives trust, sales, and sustainable podcast growth without relying on social media algorithms or exhausting launches. Only 5 spots are available in this cohort. Apply now at janditchfield.co/join.If your podcast is getting listens… but not bringing in clients? This is for you! I'm hosting a brand-new FREE 3-day live workshop called From Listener to Lead, where I'm going to show you how to turn your podcast into something that actually helps grow your business.Because most business podcasts are built to “put content out there” — not actually bring in leads or sales.Inside this workshop, I'll show you how to:✨ Help the right people find your podcast✨ Create episodes that build trust and lead to sales✨ Plan your next 10 podcast episodes strategicallySo instead of wondering what to post next… your podcast actually starts working for your business.
In today's world of curated content, polished Instagram feeds, and highlight reels, it's easy for business owners to believe marketing is all about perception.But what happens when perception doesn't match reality?In this episode of The Visibility Podcast, Melissa Rose dives into the powerful difference between perception and truth in marketing, and why both matter if you want to build a trusted, sustainable business.Melissa unpacks how social media creates perception, why Google Business Profile acts as third-party verification, and how your website bridges the gap between what people see and what people actually experience when they work with you.If you are a dance studio owner, local business owner, or service-based entrepreneur trying to improve your visibility, marketing, SEO, and client trust, this episode is packed with practical insight and real talk.Because while social media may get attention… the truth is what gets people to stay.In This Episode: The difference between perception and truth in marketing Why curated social media alone is not enough How Google Business Profile builds trust and credibility Why reviews, photos, and client feedback matter more than ever The role SEO and Google search play in visibility Why business owners are losing clients without realizing it How your website should combine perception AND proof Why visibility is more than just social media marketing The connection between trust, search, and conversion How AI and search behavior are changing local marketing Key Takeaways: Social media creates perception Google Business Profile creates verification Your website bridges the gap between the two Visibility without trust will not convert Reviews are one of the most powerful marketing tools you have Perfect For: Studio Owners Brick-and-Mortar Businesses Local Business Owners Service-Based Entrepreneurs Businesses wanting stronger SEO and local visibility Anyone wanting to improve their Google Business Profile Melissa's Google Business Profile Workshop ✨ Live Workshop + Q&A ✨ On-Demand Training Available ✨ Learn how to optimize your Google presence before fall enrollment seasonKeywords:Google Business Profile, Local SEO, Visibility Marketing, Dance Studio Marketing, Small Business Marketing, Business Visibility, Google Reviews, Local Search, SEO Strategy, Brick and Mortar Visibility, Dance Studio Owner, Marketing Strategy, Service Business Marketing, Website Strategy, Online Reputation, ChatGPT Search, Google Optimization
In this episode of The Long Game Podcast, David Khim sits down with Johann Wrede, Global CMO at UserTesting, to explore how AI is reshaping brand perception, the role of the modern CMO, and why truly customer-centric marketing still comes down to diet and exercise. They discuss why AI has become the new front door to brands — compressing and abstracting how companies are perceived before a human ever visits their site — and how marketers can influence (but never fully control) that narrative. Johann also shares his philosophy on solution marketing over product marketing, the big bets he's making on in-person events, and how he's building agentic marketing workflows to give his team better first drafts without replacing their judgment. Key Takeaways: AI has become the new front door to brands, compressing and abstracting brand identity before a prospect ever reaches your website — and marketers can influence this but not control it. Semantic pre-compression — stripping fluff and using single, precise descriptors — is the most practical way to influence how LLMs represent your brand. Brand consistency across every customer touchpoint (marketing, sales, support, product) is the only durable lever marketers have in an AI-driven world. The CMO's role is not just pipeline — it's stewarding how the market understands the company across the entire customer journey, including post-sale. Solution marketing outperforms product marketing because people spend money to solve problems, not to add tools to their stack. Listening to sales calls is still the most underutilized source of messaging, positioning, and prompt-tracking insight available to marketing teams. Agentic marketing workflows — chaining copywriter, persona, humanizer, and CRO agents — can dramatically improve first-draft quality before a human ever reviews the output. The workplace is shifting from knowledge work to thought work: the value is no longer what you know but how creatively and critically you can think through problems. Show Links Visit UserTesting on Twitter Connect with Johann Wrede on LinkedIn Connect with David Khim on LinkedIn and Twitter Connect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or Twitter Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from: Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO) Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo) How to Build the Right Data Workflow with Blake Burch (Shipyard) Data-Driven Thought Leadership with Alicia Johnston (Sprout Social) Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath) Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency: Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean SEO Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts? How Do Growth and Content Overlap? Connect with Omniscient Digital on social: Twitter: @beomniscient LinkedIn: Be Omniscient Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/
Listen to discover...What It Really Takes to Build a 6-Figure High-Ticket Coaching BusinessThe 5 pillars of a sustainable high-ticket coaching business — and the #1 reason most coaches skip the most important oneDaily, weekly, monthly and quarterly action framework — exactly what to focus on and whenWhat to do when you're showing up consistently and still not making sales (hint: it's not what you think)Why cookie-cutter strategy will always underdeliver — and what personalised astrology-guided business strategy unlocks for you When you book my Cosmic Sales Intensive, You'll walk away with a full, clear, compelling, sales page for your high ticket offer that will attract ready to buy clients and that you can continue to make sales with for years to come. https://withsarahmac.com/cosmic-private-intensive/Support the showFREE SERIES: COSMIC CLIENTS (TRAININGS + WORKBOOKS) https://withsarahmac.com/cosmic-clients/ Join the Cosmic Freedom Lab for Visionary Creators: https://withsarahmac.com/cosmic-freedom-lab/ Say hey on IG: https://www.instagram.com/sarahmacmagic/Buy my mini course: HOW TO RAISE YOUR PRICES USING ASTROLOGY- https://withsarahmac.thrivecart.com/raise-your-prices/Share this episode with your friends!
Have you claimed your Google Business Profile (previously Google My Business)? If not, you might be missing out on free visibility in your local area. As a photographer, that could mean fewer clients finding you.In this episode, I'm joined by Lydia Fine, local SEO expert and photographer, to walk us through the current landscape of Google Business Profiles, what's changed, and exactly what you need to do to make yours work harder for you. Whether you run a studio, do in‑home shoots, or travel for sessions, this episode breaks down the window into local search that many creatives ignore.Find It Quickly00:27 - Meet Lydia Fine02:24 - Importance of Google Business Profiles for Local SEO04:01 - Verification and Privacy Concerns08:00 - Optimizing Your Google Business Profile12:55 - Leveraging Google Business Profile Services17:29 - SEO Strategies and Google Business Profiles20:22 - The Importance of Google My Business21:27 - Adding Photos and Videos to Your Profile24:12 - Managing Reviews and Updating Content25:26 - Exploring Bing Places and SEO Strategies27:16 - Asking for Reviews: Best Practices31:07 - Prominence and Local SEO TipsMentioned in this EpisodeGoogle Business ProfileConnect with LydiaWebsite: apolloandivy.comGrab the Guide: apolloandivy.com/quickfixInstagram: instagram.com/lydia_apolloandivy
In part 2 of the Cosmic Clients Free Training Series I reveal:The Simple Storytelling Framework That WORKS (but ONLY when you USE it!!)The 20-minute content creation process that unlocks consistent, sustainable selling How to use your astrology to identify your most compatible dream client and speak directly to them.The 4 core shifts that separate coaches who fill their offers from those who stay stuckMake sure to check out part 1 if you haven't already, and click the link below to sign up and receive the workbook!When you book my Cosmic Sales Intensive, You'll walk away with a full, clear, compelling, sales page for your high ticket offer that will attract ready to buy clients and that you can continue to make sales with for years to come. https://withsarahmac.com/cosmic-private-intensive/Support the showFREE SERIES: COSMIC CLIENTS (TRAININGS + WORKBOOKS) https://withsarahmac.com/cosmic-clients/ Join the Cosmic Freedom Lab for Visionary Creators: https://withsarahmac.com/cosmic-freedom-lab/ Say hey on IG: https://www.instagram.com/sarahmacmagic/Buy my mini course: HOW TO RAISE YOUR PRICES USING ASTROLOGY- https://withsarahmac.thrivecart.com/raise-your-prices/Share this episode with your friends!
Weclome to the Comsic Clients 3 Part Training Series!This is part ONE where you'll uncover:The Root of Your Strategy Gap: What's Actually Holding You Back From The Clients You Deserve According to Your Chart.The 5 entrepreneur archetypes + the specific strategic barrier standing between each one and a high-ticket offer filled with dream clientsWhich placement in your astrology chart to look at to understand why selling has felt so hard — and what to do about itThe specific shift required to become the version of you who signs dream clients consistentlyTo get your hands on the workbook with prompts for each entrepreneur archetype that will close YOUR unique strategy gap - sign up here:When you book my Cosmic Sales Intensive, You'll walk away with a full, clear, compelling, sales page for your high ticket offer that will attract ready to buy clients and that you can continue to make sales with for years to come. https://withsarahmac.com/cosmic-private-intensive/Support the showFREE SERIES: COSMIC CLIENTS (TRAININGS + WORKBOOKS) https://withsarahmac.com/cosmic-clients/ Join the Cosmic Freedom Lab for Visionary Creators: https://withsarahmac.com/cosmic-freedom-lab/ Say hey on IG: https://www.instagram.com/sarahmacmagic/Buy my mini course: HOW TO RAISE YOUR PRICES USING ASTROLOGY- https://withsarahmac.thrivecart.com/raise-your-prices/Share this episode with your friends!
Podcast SEO strategies are one of the most overlooked pieces of podcast growth for business owners — and in today's episode, I'm breaking down three simple shifts you can make to improve your podcast discoverability, attract more buyer-ready listeners, and turn your podcast into a stronger lead generation tool for your business.Because honestly, most coaches, consultants, and course creators are creating way more content than they actually need to. They're spending hours trying to grow downloads, posting constantly on social media, and creating nurture content that never actually moves listeners toward a buying decision. And most of the time, the issue is not the podcast itself. It's the strategy behind it.So in this episode, I'm walking you through three simple podcast SEO and content strategies that can dramatically improve your podcast marketing strategy and help you start generating more qualified leads from your show.We're talking about why your podcast author line is one of the fastest podcast SEO wins most business owners completely overlook, how to create a podcast content strategy that supports conversions instead of just downloads, and the difference between creating content for an ideal customer avatar versus a buyer-ready listener. We also dive into why podcast discoverability matters more than vanity metrics and how to build a business podcast strategy designed to turn listeners into clients.If you've been wondering why your podcast isn't generating more leads, sales, or clients — even though you're creating consistent content — this episode is going to help you simplify your approach and focus on the strategies that actually move the needle.And honestly, these are some of the exact strategies I'll be teaching inside my free three-day live workshop, From Listener to Lead.Inside the workshop, I'm going to show you how to create a simple podcast SEO strategy that helps your show get discovered by the right people, how to create conversion-focused podcast content, and how to outline your next 10 podcast episodes to attract buyers instead of freebie seekers.You can grab your free seat now at: https://www.janditchfield.co/listenertoleadReplays are available, and yes — there's no Facebook group for this one! If your podcast is getting listens… but not bringing in clients? This is for you! I'm hosting a brand-new FREE 3-day live workshop called From Listener to Lead, where I'm going to show you how to turn your podcast into something that actually helps grow your business.Because most business podcasts are built to “put content out there” — not actually bring in leads or sales.Inside this workshop, I'll show you how to:✨ Help the right people find your podcast✨ Create episodes that build trust and lead to sales✨ Plan your next 10 podcast episodes strategicallySo instead of wondering what to post next… your podcast actually starts working for your business.
Send us Fan MailIn Part 2 of Near Media's conversation with Garrett Sussman, the discussion shifts from AI personalization theory to the real-world impact on local search, SEO, reviews, attribution, and marketing strategy.Garrett joins Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal to explore how Google's growing use of behavioral data, Gmail, Calendar, Maps, reviews, and AI Mode could fundamentally reshape local discovery.The group discusses:AI-driven local recommendationsWhy direct mail showed up in AI ModeThe future of Google Business ProfilesHow marketers should rethink SEO measurementPersona-based AI testingReviews and reputation in AI searchWhether AI will ultimately simplify or complicate marketingThis episode is both a warning and a roadmap for marketers navigating the shift from traditional search to the coming personalized AI-driven discovery.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/
Have you ever felt like your industry's best kept secret? In this episode of the Creative Magic Club podcast, I sit down with career pivot and executive coach, and my client, Elizabeth Ruscitto, who spent 20 years in Silicon Valley and Boston tech leadership managing $100 million in product and building international communities of over 4 million members before burnout pushed her to finally make the leap into entrepreneurship.Elizabeth shares the exact journey that took her from a multi-six-figure corporate career to building a dream coaching business, and why learning to name and own your value is the most powerful career move you can make, whether you're climbing the corporate ladder or launching your own business.In this episode we cover:Elizabeth's secret networking strategy to open doors to high-level relationshipsHer framework for telling your story powerfully to land higher paychecksHow personal branding helps you stand out in today's competitive marketWhy nervous system regulation is essential for any major career transitionHow Elizabeth went from earning $25K to over $300K by learning to articulate her valueThe mindset shifts that help high-achieving women stop playing small and start asking for what they deserveThe work we did together that resulted in a $27k month in her business Her astrology chart and how that translated into her unique success blueprint in businessThis one is for all the high-performers who know they should be earning more and want to gain tangible insights on exactly how to communicate your value with power, by overcoming the mind gremlins that make it feel confusing or out of reach. Connect with Elizabeth Ruscitto:Website: 2122coaching.comInstagram: @2122coachingLinkedIn: Elizabeth RuscittoWhen you book my Cosmic Sales Intensive, You'll walk away with a full, clear, compelling, sales page for your high ticket offer that will attract ready to buy clients and that you can continue to make sales with for years to come. https://withsarahmac.com/cosmic-private-intensive/Support the showLoved this episode?! Let's keep playing together!FREE SERIES: The Easy High Sales Ticket Ecosystem https://withsarahmac.com/the-easy-high-ticket-sales-ecosystem/ Join the Cosmic Freedom Lab for Visionary Creators: https://withsarahmac.com/cosmic-freedom-lab/ Say hey on IG: https://www.instagram.com/sarahmacmagic/Book Your Cosmic Sales Page Intensive: https://withsarahmac.com/cosmic-private-intensive/ Buy my new mini course: HOW TO RAISE YOUR PRICES - https://withsarahmac.thrivecart.com/raise-your-prices/Share this episode with your friends!
In this episode of The Simple and Smart SEO Show, Crystal Waddell welcomes Angela Skane from Network Solutions for a conversation about why SEO needs to move beyond rankings, impressions, and visibility.Angela shares how her background in link building, viral content, and content strategy shaped the way she thinks about SEO today. Her big message? Impressions don't pay the bills. SEO content has to do more than show up — it has to connect with real people and help them take action.Crystal and Angela also dig into what TikTok can teach SEOs about psychology, audience targeting, emotional triggers, and conversion. From TikTok Shop affiliate content to AI-powered personalized search, Angela explains why the future of SEO belongs to marketers who understand both algorithms and human behavior.If you're a creative entrepreneur, Shopify seller, content marketer, or SEO professional trying to understand where search is headed, this conversation will help you rethink how you create content for the people behind the keywords.In this episode, you'll learn:Why SEO visibility is not the same as business resultsHow TikTok reveals what makes people stop, click, share, and buyWhy SEOs need to take more responsibility for conversionHow personalized search and LLMs are changing content strategyWhy writing to rank is not enough in the future of searchHow to speak more directly to your audience through your contentResources mentioned:Network Solutions: https://www.networksolutions.comPodcast Hub: https://SimpleandSmartSEO.com/best-seo-podcastConnect with Crystal: InstagramText me your questions or comments!Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us at Hey, Shopify store owners! (Especially if you're selling on Etsy, too!)Here's a quick question: Are people actually finding your products on Google?If SEO feels confusing, overwhelming, or like something you'll "get to later", this is for you.I'm hosting a free, seven day Shopify SEO challenge that breaks it down into simple, doable steps.No tech headaches, no fluff. Join us atSupport the showBook a Shopify Store Strategy Call With Crystal!Want to follow up on what you've heard? Search the podcast!AFFILIATE LINKS:Start your Shopify Store!Get SurferSEO!Metricool (to be everywhere online, you NEED a social media scheduler!)Grid and PixelNote: If you make a purchase using some of my links, I make a little money. But I only ever share products, people, & offers I trust & use myself!
Thinking about leveraging AI to scale your brand and outperform the competition in 2026? How do you maintain authenticity in an era of AI-generated content saturation? Let's welcome RJ Finnegan of SPI Logistics back to the show to discuss the shift toward modern identity marketing and the importance of brand differentiation! RJ dives into how to utilize advanced AI tools like Gemini and ChatGPT to enhance your content strategy without losing the human touch that builds real customer trust, the importance of niche prospecting and staying consistent in your sales outreach, especially as the transportation industry navigates market shifts! Connect with RJ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rjfinnegan/ / https://www.linkedin.com/company/spilogistics/
Investor Fuel Real Estate Investing Mastermind - Audio Version
In this episode, Keith Sant shares his expertise on leveraging SEO and AI to generate real estate leads, emphasizing long-term strategies and the importance of authentic content. Discover how to turn your website into a deal-making machine and stay ahead in the evolving search landscape. Professional Real Estate Investors - How we can help you: Investor Fuel Mastermind: Learn more about the Investor Fuel Mastermind, including 100% deal financing, massive discounts from vendors and sponsors you're already using, our world class community of over 150 members, and SO much more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/apply Investor Machine Marketing Partnership: Are you looking for consistent, high quality lead generation? Investor Machine is America's #1 lead generation service professional investors. Investor Machine provides true 'white glove' support to help you build the perfect marketing plan, then we'll execute it for you…talking and working together on an ongoing basis to help you hit YOUR goals! Learn more here: http://www.investormachine.com Coaching with Mike Hambright: Interested in 1 on 1 coaching with Mike Hambright? Mike coaches entrepreneurs looking to level up, build coaching or service based businesses (Mike runs multiple 7 and 8 figure a year businesses), building a coaching program and more. Learn more here: https://investorfuel.com/coachingwithmike Attend a Vacation/Mastermind Retreat with Mike Hambright: Interested in joining a "mini-mastermind" with Mike and his private clients on an upcoming "Retreat", either at locations like Cabo San Lucas, Napa, Park City ski trip, Yellowstone, or even at Mike's East Texas "Big H Ranch"? Learn more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/retreat Property Insurance: Join the largest and most investor friendly property insurance provider in 2 minutes. Free to join, and insure all your flips and rentals within minutes! There is NO easier insurance provider on the planet (turn insurance on or off in 1 minute without talking to anyone!), and there's no 15-30% agent mark up through this platform! Register here: https://myinvestorinsurance.com/ New Real Estate Investors - How we can work together: Investor Fuel Club (Coaching and Deal Partner Community): Looking to kickstart your real estate investing career? Join our one of a kind Coaching Community, Investor Fuel Club, where you'll get trained by some of the best real estate investors in America, and partner with them on deals! You don't need $ for deals…we'll partner with you and hold your hand along the way! Learn More here: http://www.investorfuel.com/club —--------------------
Send us Fan MailAre you still relying on Google alone to get found? Wondering why your website traffic is shifting—but your leads aren't? Or why your marketing feels like it's working… but you can't quite track it anymore?If this episode resonates with you, make sure to follow Imperfect Marketing so you don't miss future conversations that break down what's actually working right now.SEO hasn't disappeared—but it has evolved in a big way. In this episode, Kendra talks with Wes Towers about the shift from traditional search engine optimization to what he calls “search everywhere optimization.” Today's buyers aren't just Googling—they're using AI tools, voice search, and multiple platforms to find answers, often before they ever visit your website. That shift means the old playbook—keywords, rankings, and traffic reports—doesn't tell the full story anymore. Instead, it's about building quality content, simplifying your message, and creating trust signals that validate your business when someone is ready to buy. From reviews to website clarity to consistent visibility, this episode breaks down how to stay relevant and competitive in a noisy, fast-changing digital world. This episode will show you: • How SEO is evolving in the age of AI and multi-platform search • A smarter approach to creating content that actually gets found • The role of trust signals (like reviews) in driving conversions • Why simplifying your website can increase leads • How consistency and personality impact your marketing resultsIf you stop chasing rankings and start focusing on clarity, trust, and consistency, you'll create a marketing strategy that not only gets you found—but gets you chosen
I talk about podcast SEO a lot, but in this episode you will get to listen along as I coach one of my listeners through my top THREE podcast SEO strategies for serious growth! Links mentioned in this episode: Explore my coaching options or sign up for a Discovery Call to discuss working together: https://www.podcastingbusiness.school/ Want more strategies for podcast launch, growth, and how to leverage your podcast to get more clients? Get my FREE weekly Podcasting Business School Newsletter every Thursday! https://www.podcastingbusiness.school/news *********************
"If you don't take care of yourself, you can't help other people."In this high-energy conversation, Jon Cheney returns to the podcast to discuss his latest project, Moon Command, a game built entirely through the power of Generative AI. Jon challenges the traditional business dogma of "always charge for your time," arguing instead that in the modern economy, attention is the ultimate currency. Key highlights include:AI as an Equalizer: How Jon used tools like Replit to build apps and games without writing a single line of manual code.The GaryVee Strategy: A deep dive into Day Trading Attention and why "giving it all away" leads to massive inbound success.The "5 Priorities" Hierarchy: A radical approach to management where the job is ranked 5th, behind self, family, beliefs, and hobbies.The Flow State: How music and kayaking fuel professional "sprints" and why you don't have to do everything all at once.AI Game Development, Moon Command, Jon Cheney, Replit, Generative AI, Gary Vaynerchuk, Business Philosophy, Personal Productivity, Flow State, Time Management, Entrepreneurship, Giving Value, SEO Strategy, Software Development, Work-Life Balance, Digital Marketing.
12AM Agency announced the launch of its SEO service for automotive franchises, available starting April 12, 2026. 12AM Agency City: Dallas Address: 1919 McKinney Ave Suite 100 Website: https://12amagency.com Phone: +1 855 603 5723 Email: PR@12AMAgency.com
Most equipment rental companies are optimizing for traffic and keyword rankings — neither of which pays the bills. In this episode, Catherine Michel, VP of Content at JCT Growth, shares how to build a local SEO strategy around revenue, not vanity metrics. She covers why your equipment pages are your most important revenue pages, why operational reality has to drive your marketing strategy, and how AI is reshaping what it takes to show up when a customer needs you most.
In this Kitchen Side episode, Alex Birkett, Allie Decker, and David Khim unpack the increasingly noisy world of AI search (GEO/AEO), including spam tactics, flawed attribution models, and widespread confusion around what actually drives results. They explore why visibility without revenue is a trap, how brand sentiment and off-page signals shape AI outputs, and why trust, positioning, and human validation are becoming more important than ever in B2B buying decisions. Key Takeaways The SEO vs AEO debate is largely unproductive and distracts from creating real business value. Spammy, short-term tactics are resurging in AI search due to a “gold rush” mindset. Many teams optimize for visibility and citations without tying efforts back to revenue or pipeline. Attribution in AI search is messy, and many current tracking methods are fundamentally flawed. Large datasets in AEO research can be used to justify almost any strategy or narrative. Talking directly to customers is still more valuable than inferred data or prompt tracking. There is a growing tension between experience-based judgment and rapid experimentation with AI. AI search compresses information, making brand narrative and sentiment more influential than ever. Visibility is only the first step; positioning and how a brand is described matter more. AI search is increasingly overlapping with online reputation management (ORM). Larger brands face greater risk from sentiment manipulation and lack of narrative control. Off-page signals like reviews, PR, and community discussions heavily influence AI outputs. Review sites and categorization accuracy can significantly impact visibility and positioning. Reddit is becoming influential but requires authentic engagement rather than manipulation. AI-driven discovery is often validated through peer recommendations before purchase decisions. Show Links Connect with David Khim on LinkedIn and Twitter Connect with Alex Birkett on LinkedIn and Twitter Connect with Allie Decker on LinkedIn and Twitter Connect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or Twitter What is Kitchen Side? One big benefit of running an agency or working at one is you get to see the “kitchen side” of many different businesses; their revenue, their operations, their automations, and their culture. You understand how things look from the inside and how that differs from the outside. You understand how the sausage is made. As an agency ourselves, we're working both on growing our clients' businesses as well as our own. This podcast is one project, but we also blog, make videos, do sales, and have quite a robust portfolio of automations and hacks to run our business. We want to take you behind the curtain, to the kitchen side of our business, to witness our brainstorms, discussions, and internal dialogues behind the public works that we ship. Past guests on The Long Game podcast include: Morgan Brown (Shopify), Ryan Law (Animalz), Dan Shure (Evolving SEO), Kaleigh Moore (freelancer), Eric Siu (Clickflow), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), Ryan McReady (Reforge), and many more. Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from: Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO) Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo) How to Build the Right Data Workflow with Blake Burch (Shipyard) Data-Driven Thought Leadership with Alicia Johnston (Sprout Social) Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath) Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency: Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean SEO Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts? How Do Growth and Content Overlap? Connect with Omniscient Digital on social: Twitter: @beomniscient Linkedin: Be Omniscient Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/
What happens to your podcast rankings when you stop posting for 8 weeks? For me, the answer was surprising — my podcast climbed to the top 3% of most popular podcasts without a single new episode published!In this episode, I'm sharing honest lessons from over five years of podcasting, what slow-build evergreen content strategy actually looks like in my coaching business, and how SEO-driven podcast content attracts dream clients into my high ticket offers priced at $5K–$10K+.In this episode you'll discover:Why evergreen content keeps working long after you hit publishHow I doubled my downloads with a slow and steady SEO content strategyHow shifting to audio-only made podcasting sustainable when I got sick for monthsHow podcast content accelerates trust and fast-tracks high ticket sales conversationsWhy your offer positioning and business astrology are the foundation of aligned client attractionThe SEO keyword research tools I use to grow podcast downloadsThis episode is for you if you're a coach, healer, or creative entrepreneur wondering whether starting a podcast is worth it, how to grow a podcast audience organically, or how long-form evergreen content can support high ticket sales without relying solely on social media.When you book my Cosmic Sales Intensive, You'll walk away with a full, clear, compelling, sales page for your high ticket offer that will attract ready to buy clients and that you can continue to make sales with for years to come. https://withsarahmac.com/cosmic-private-intensive/Support the showLoved this episode?! Let's keep playing together!FREE SERIES: The Easy High Sales Ticket Ecosystem https://withsarahmac.com/the-easy-high-ticket-sales-ecosystem/ Join the Cosmic Freedom Lab for Visionary Creators: https://withsarahmac.com/cosmic-freedom-lab/ Say hey on IG: https://www.instagram.com/sarahmacmagic/Book Your Cosmic Sales Page Intensive: https://withsarahmac.com/cosmic-private-intensive/ Buy my new mini course: HOW TO RAISE YOUR PRICES - https://withsarahmac.thrivecart.com/raise-your-prices/Share this episode with your friends!
Send us Fan MailIn Part 2, Steve Wiideman joins Greg Sterling and Mike Blumenthal to cut through the AI hype and explain what's actually working in multi-location SEO today.Despite growing attention on AI tools and “agentic commerce,” the real drivers of visibility are still foundational: intent-driven content, strong review signals, and brand awareness.They also explore how zero-click search is changing attribution, why websites are becoming data sources for AI, and what local search will look like in the next 3–5 years.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/
https://zenrank.coMost healthcare SEO strategies prioritize volume over trust. Discover why that approach backfires and how consistent authority-building drives real visibility. ZenRank City: Folsom Address: 705 Gold Lake Dr Website: https://zenrank.co
Nate Fischer is a technologist and the CTO of Local Optics, a digital marketing and SEO company focused on helping home service businesses dominate their local markets. With a background in software development and search engine optimization, Fischer has built his career at the intersection of data, automation, and performance-driven marketing. Throughout his work, Fischer has helped contractors and service companies rethink how they approach online growth—moving beyond traditional SEO tactics and toward systems that leverage real-world job data, customer interactions, and proof-based content to drive results. His approach emphasizes turning everyday field activity into scalable digital assets that improve rankings, increase visibility, and generate consistent inbound leads. At Local Optics, Fischer has played a key role in developing strategies that integrate CRM data, reviews, and multi-channel marketing into a cohesive growth engine. By focusing on measurable outcomes and long-term infrastructure, he has helped businesses reduce reliance on outdated agency models and take greater control over their marketing performance. Timestamps: 00:00:00 Cold Open 00:00:11 Title Sequence VO 00:00:30 Show Notes VO 00:01:15 Intro Into Interview 01:07:43 Outro FOR MORE GREAT EPISODES: The Mello Millionaire - https://open.spotify.com/show/1jsZaiMgWe0EGaPfLtelDW?si=3de6091af58d41b4 Check Out My Social Media: TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@officialtommymello Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/officialtommymello/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thomasmello/
What if the real secret to business growth is not creativity but competition? I sat down with Chris Dreyer, founder of Rankings.io, who built one of the fastest-growing legal marketing companies by mastering SEO, niche focus, and relentless execution. Chris shares how his early work ethic shaped his path, why he chose the highly competitive personal injury space, and how treating business like a math-based game helped him scale. You will hear how content, reviews, and authority drive Google rankings, why most lawyers misunderstand marketing, and how narrowing your focus can actually expand your results. I believe you will find this useful as Chris shows how discipline, data, and consistency can turn any business into an unstoppable force. Highlights: 00:56 – How early work and family habits built a strong work ethic05:00 – Why taking the hardest job created resilience and grit12:12 – How serving people helped develop communication and confidence24:22 – Why choosing a competitive niche leads to greater success37:08 – What it takes to rank at the top of Google consistently51:16 – How doing free work early builds skill and long-term growth Bottom of Form About the Guest: Chris Dreyer is the CEO and Founder of Rankings.io, the category-defining SEO agency built exclusively to help elite law firms and personal injury lawyers dominate Google's organic search results. Under his leadership, Rankings.io has become synonymous with measurable results, helping attorneys secure life-changing cases through visibility at the exact moment potential clients are searching for help. The company has achieved what few in the legal marketing space ever have, earning a spot on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies for eight consecutive years, proof of both sustained growth and relentless execution. Beyond Rankings, Chris is a builder of platforms and a voice of authority in legal marketing and entrepreneurship. He is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author of Niching Up: The Narrower the Market, the Bigger the Prize, where he details how focus creates outsized impact. He is also a seasoned real estate investor and the host of the Personal Injury Mastermind podcast, where he interviews top attorneys and business leaders shaping the future of law. His influence extends across respected councils and networks, including the Forbes Agency Council, Rolling Stone Culture Council, Business Journals Leadership Trust, Fast Company Executive Board, and Newsweek Expert Forum, cementing his reputation as both a practitioner and thought leader. Chris's path to entrepreneurship has been unconventional yet relentlessly instructive. Once a world-ranked collectible card game competitor, he carried that same strategic mindset into business. After earning a History Education degree, his first professional role was as a detention room supervisor, hardly glamorous, but it provided the unstructured time that sparked his obsession with digital marketing. He began experimenting with affiliate sites and, at his peak, managed more than 100 properties simultaneously. This side hustle soon eclipsed his day job, propelling him into full-time entrepreneurship. When affiliate marketing's golden age waned, Chris pivoted into legal SEO and quickly carved out a niche. Along the way, he also became a top-ranked online poker player, honing skills in risk management and probability that would serve him well in scaling his companies. Today, Chris runs Rankings.io with the same competitive fire he once brought to cards and poker, driven to outthink, outwork, and outlast the competition. His mission is simple: help the best personal injury law firms win more cases, build enduring legacies, and dominate their markets. Ways to connect with Chris**:** website: rankings.io https://x.com/chrisdreyerco https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisdreyerco/ https://www.facebook.com/chrisdreyerco https://www.instagram.com/chrisdreyerco/ About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson 00:04 What if the biggest thing holding you back isn't what's in front of you, but rather what you believe Welcome to unstoppable mindset where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. I'm your host. Michael Hingson, speaker, author and advocate for inclusion and possibilities. This podcast explores how the beliefs we carry shape the way we live, lead and connect with others. Each week, I talk with people who challenge assumptions, face adversity head on and show what's possible when we choose curiosity over fear, together, we focus on mindset resilience and the small shifts that lead to meaningful change. Let's get started. Hi everyone, and welcome to another edition of unstoppable mindset. Today, our guest is Chris Dreyer. Chris, Chris has formed a company called rankings.ai. And I'm going to let him describe what all that is about. And he's done some pretty interesting things with it. It has been on inks top 5000 companies, growing companies for the past eight years. Eight years is a long time, which is pretty cool. So I'm sure he's got lots of adventures and lots of stories to talk about. So Chris, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're glad you're Chris Dreyer 01:35 here. Yeah, thanks for having me, Michael. I'm excited to chat. Michael Hingson 01:39 Well, let's start with kind of the early Chris growing up and all that, and see where we go from there. It sounds Chris Dreyer 01:45 good to me. So yeah, Michael Hingson 01:46 let's go. Why don't you tell us a little bit about Yeah, school and all that stuff. Chris Dreyer 01:51 Okay, yeah, let me, let me, and then you just cut me off at any point, because I can be a long Michael Hingson 01:55 talker the so can I? I Chris Dreyer 01:56 know what you mean. I, I grew up in a very small city, elkville, Illinois, my high school had 100 people in it. I was a graduating class of 28 I grew up, I would say it's kind of weird. My mom and dad, if they heard me say poor, would not love me saying poor, but I we weren't. We were certainly at the bottom of middle class or the upper or poor. I had a lot of chores. I every single weekend, I cleaned a law office with my mom or did something at the farmers market. So and at the time, it wasn't work. It was just what we did as a family, right? I didn't even understand it. We had, we didn't have city water. We had to get a truck and bring in our water, and we had well water, right? And in my family, and that was, that was early on, right? My dad was a milk carrier. My mom was a cook and and ultimately, they did better over the years and made more money. But it started off, it was a lot, a lot of grit, perseverance, working hard. And I like to share that, because my parents work ethic is very strong, very dependable, very consistent. And that's kind of where I got my drive. But that's, that's kind of how I grew up, small, small town, you know, a lot of side hustles with the parents. And once I went to college, I got that, that shock of, oh, here's a whole bunch of go from 100 to, you know, 20,000 Yeah, it's a bit of a shock there. 03:35 Where'd you go to college? Chris Dreyer 03:36 Yeah, I went to SIU, Southern Illinois University. There in Carbondale, Illinois. I actually live in Carbondale today. And, you know, I went to college. I was always had that entrepreneurial bug, and, but I went to college, it was kind of to make mom and dad happy to get that degree and, but I just knew that I was going to own my own business. And I kind of had that conversation with them out of the gate, but so I was a terrible student. Partied a lot, you know, chase the women, so to speak, and but somehow, ended up with a degree, got a job at a high school as their JV basketball coach, and I started doing internet marketing on the side to make a little extra money because I had some downtime. And by the end of my second year teaching, I was making about four times the amount doing that that I was teaching. So that was kind of my sign, and to go pursue that full time, and that's what I did. That's when I left to do affiliate marketing and digital marketing full time was after Michael Hingson 04:41 that second year, of course. Now the real question is, you were chasing the women? Did any of them 04:44 chase you? Oh yeah, oh yeah. Just Michael Hingson 04:49 want to make sure it's reciprocal here. Yeah, that's that's pretty cool, though. And I was going to ask you, and you sort of answered it, about your workout. Ethic and so on. I find that if people do grow up in an environment where they're working and they appreciate what they do get and the amount of work that they do, and they develop a strong work ethic, or their parents have it, they generally do as well, although sometimes there's some rebellions, but still, ultimately, the right stuff shows through. Chris Dreyer 05:24 Can I tell just a brief story about that? My mom, when I turned 16, it was like, you're getting a job, son, right? And it was not, we had, we were fine without, but it was like, so she took me to this place. It was called Ken's antiques, and they used to do the semi truck deliveries of aluminum, and I used to go to auctions and unload furniture. And I asked her, I was like, Why did you take me there? Well, you know, why didn't you take me to the mall? Why didn't you know to go work at a the buckle or the gap or something, you know, why did you take me? There she goes. Well, I knew if you could, if you could succeed here, you'd be fine anywhere, because it was the hardest job that I could think of. And I was like, Oh, really, thanks, Mom. Like, send me to the to the hardest job that you could think of and see if I could thrive. And I did well there. But that just kind of goes to show you the mindset that my mom had racing me, which also kind of, you know, attached to me as well. Michael Hingson 06:26 Yeah, well, and I can appreciate course, now looking back on it, of course, but I can appreciate what she said, because if you can survive in one place, and you can if it's if it is a tough job and you approach it the right way, then you'll probably be good anywhere, and there you go. Chris Dreyer 06:47 Yep, yep, to her credit, it was a very tough job. It is as still to this day, the hardest job from a physically demanding perspective that I had, but, but yeah, and it was good. It built resilience, you know, kind of helped me get that that put that true grit on and yeah, so that's kind of my background. Michael Hingson 07:08 I never did really work at a job growing up, my brother did. He worked at a restaurant and so on and bus tables and did other things. But I remember, when he got his first job, he went and applied at a at a restaurant, and the owner or manager, I guess probably both said, so, you know, we'll, we'll consider you. Would you do us a favor? There's some weeds out in the in the front, would you go pull those? And he said, within about a half hour, he got the whole place completely cleaned up of weeds. And the boss came out and said, You did all of that. And my brother said, Yeah. And guy said, You're hired. You know, amazing, you know, because my brother didn't even realize, I think at first, that that was really a test, but it was, and of course, he passed, which was cool. That's a great story, but I never got really to do much work. I kind of was more the intellectual guy in the family, and finding jobs would have been a little bit more of a challenge for me. I did do some babysitting, but that was about all I could do. I've been blind my whole life, and a lot of the jobs that were available in Palmdale, where I grew up in Southern California, were not jobs I was going to realistically be able to do anyway, but I could babysit, and that worked out pretty well. Yeah, yeah. So I mainly studied, Chris Dreyer 08:41 love it. So So studied. Can I? Can I do the reverse interview? What's some of your your top motivational books, business books? Because I'm sure you've got some that just pop top of the dome. Well, sort of, kind Michael Hingson 08:55 of, I really have a slightly different idea about that, but I'll tell you, I've read a number of the main books in the whole motivational and and management world. One Minute Manager is a book I appreciate a great deal. And I also like Dale Carnegie books like How to Win Friends and Influence People. But for me, I point out, and even to this day point out that I've learned more about teamwork and trust and leadership from working with eight Guide Dogs for the last 61 years than I ever learned from all the management and leadership books and everything else that's out there, mainly because working with dogs, you have several things that are An issue, first of all, respecting them and the job that they do, knowing that you're really forming a team with a guide dog, where each member of the team has a job to do. So in my case, the dog, and the case of people who use guide dogs, the purpose of the dog is to make sure that we walk safely as. We're walking somewhere, but my job is to know where to go and how to get there, and then I have to learn how to communicate that to the dog, and also be the leader of the pack in the truest sense of the word, which also means that if the dog is upset, or there is any kind of an issue with the dog, I have to figure out what that is, and I have to read what is going on so that I understand that and can then figure out what is occurring and make sure that the dog stays happy so it's you. There's so much to learn about trust, and one of the main things I've learned over the years is while dogs do, I think love unconditionally, unless they're just so badly traumatized by somebody for some reason they don't trust unconditionally. But the difference between dogs and people is that dogs are open to trust a whole lot more than we are. We have just had so many things go on. We read we bought them in the newspapers, we see it on the news and so on. Nobody trusts anyone. The feeling is basically everyone has their own hidden agenda, and so you can't trust anyone. And so there's very little communications today. There's very little real interaction. And people, by definition, don't trust. Dogs are open to trust, and you can earn their trust, and likewise, they get to and can earn your trust, and it is a it is a combination and kind of thing. So what I really learn when I go to get a new guide dog every time is I'm learning how to form a team with this other dog who doesn't speak the same language I do, who doesn't think the way I do. But I have to figure out what this dog does, what this dog is all about, and I'm the one that has to become the leader of the of the team and make things work. So I think that working with a dog is a lot more of a practical experience kind of thing than just reading about whatever there is to read about in books and so on. So that's why I say that. I think I've learned a lot more by working with dogs than I ever got from all the management books in the world, any of the Tony Robbins books, or any Chris Dreyer 12:07 of those. I love, every bit of that I just I was on x the other day, and it was talking about the the new CEO for Starbucks, right? Because the former CEO was McKinsey trained, right, but didn't have any actual experience at the helm. And then they brought back the former CEO of Taco Bell over to Starbucks, and the stock immediately shot up because of the application aspect of it. He had, he had done the job and been in the grind. So it's kind of interesting, kind of corollary there. But yeah, thank you for sharing. I was really intrigued, and I had to jump in and and ask, Michael Hingson 12:45 Oh, fair question, and then this is a conversation, so nothing wrong with asking questions on either side. So it's perfectly fine to to be able to do that well, so what did you do right out of college? Chris Dreyer 12:59 Right out of college, the one thing I'll tell you that I still to this day, I call myself an introvert. I don't think that, you know, introvert, extrovert. I think we have the tendencies at all times to be either one, right? But I think for me, I was more shy, but I built a lot of friends because I played sports and I knew them in college, and then they met, they introduced me to their friends. Because you got to imagine, when I had a class of 28 kids, it's like super small community versus, you know, everybody I'm interacting through their connections and their extended connections. So through college, I'd say the main education thing I got was, I did get a job waiting tables for three years, and so I got a lot of client service training, dealing with people having a ton of conversations through that, through my through my job, and also through my personal relationships with my friends and and other, you know, Students at the University, but so I think that kind of helped, helped me succeed afterwards, but afterwards, really, when I student taught at Heron, they saw my work ethic. They saw a shoe up, that I showed up, that I listened and I took action. So they, they hired me immediately, and I did the same when I was a JV basketball coach. I never missed a practice. Was always on time. Really tried to develop the kids and bring the most out of them, treated the parents well, and so I think that's what I did well, and it kind of put me in the position to have time to learn internet marketing. So I think that's kind of how it all started, Michael Hingson 14:47 when I was getting my teaching credential at UC Irvine, and I also got my master's degree in physics from there. But I student taught at the local high school, at University High School, and I student. Taught two classes. One was a physics class, and it was kind of for they called it dumbbell physics, but you know, it was kids who were sort of interested in science, but really didn't know where they wanted to go. But the other class was algebra one, and I remember one day I was teaching, and one of the students asked a question, and I didn't know the answer to it, and I probably should have, but I didn't. But what I said was, I don't know the answer right off, tell you, what do you mind if I look at it tonight, get you the answer and bring it back tomorrow. And the kid who was an eighth grader, actually accelerated, so it was high school algebra one, but he was from the eighth grade. He said, Sure, so I went home and found the answer in the book, when I should have known that, but anyway, came back in the next day, and even before I could say anything, he said, Mr. Hingson, I went home and got the answer, and I said, Well, come up and write it on the board. And one of the things that I did with with all of my classes when, of course, we had blackboards and all that, back in those days, I would want a student to come up and be the board writer, because they write a lot better than I do. And so we, we had pretty good competitions of people who wanted to write on the board. They all thought it was kind of fun, and I did spread that wealth around, but Marty came up and I said, now you got to explain what you're writing. And he had actually found the answer, which was cool, but my master teacher was also the football coach, and when I first told Marty and the rest of the class, I don't know the answer, but I will get it after class was over, Mr. Redmond said you did something that's absolutely amazing and was absolutely the right thing to do, and most people wouldn't do it. And that was you admitted you didn't know the answer, but you would go get it rather than trying to blow smoke, because these kids can see through that in a second. And he said, So you did the right thing, and I've always felt that's the way to do it. If I don't know the answer, I'll go figure it out, but I will also tell you that I don't know the answer, and you can decide whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, but I think it's a good thing, to be honest, Chris Dreyer 17:22 I couldn't agree more. Michael Hingson 17:25 And so it was fun. And and what the the other part of the story, and I think I've told it a couple times on the podcast, is 10 years later, I was at the Orange County Fairgrounds, and this kid comes up to me, Well, he was, he didn't sound like a kid anymore. And he said, Mr. Hingson, do you know who this is? Deep voice. And I went, No, not right off. And he said, I'm Marty. I'm the guy that was in your algebra class 10 years ago. Nice to be remembered, but, but he he also just remembered what happened. And I think he even said it was so cool that I was honest with him about it, which was, you know, a life lesson anybody should learn. Chris Dreyer 18:09 That's incredible. That's incredible. So Michael Hingson 18:10 it was a lot of fun. Well, so you student taught and so on, but eventually you ended up deciding to go into the entrepreneur world. But you also were a card collector, right? A game collector, yeah. Chris Dreyer 18:25 And in high school, I played this collectible card game. I played a combination of two. I mean, most people are familiar with Magic, The Gathering, but I also played this other game called Legend of five rings. And both, you know, the collectible card games, but they're really math based games based upon advantage and and, you know, you so now it's applicable to today. I can look at any whether it's Pokemon or whatever card game there is. It's, it was very, you know, it's force based, you know, benefits to attack and things like that. It attributes everything. But anyways, I played it competitively, and I was a top I was a world ranked player at one time. I won four state championships or CO days. No one had done that at the time in a two consecutive years, and it was just a top player, and when you get to the top, you become friends with the other top players, and then you talk strategy and and that even takes you to an even higher level. And so I did that, you know, for many years, competed all over the country. It was a great experience. And so, yeah, that in my house. My dad very so he had, he was a civil engineer. He has an engineer degree, but he was traveling. He was on the railroad at all times, and he wanted to stop traveling, so he accepted this job as a mail carrier so he could stay put. And. Yeah, and that's what he did. He retired as a mail carrier, but, you know, a top math expert to the to the point where there would be conversations where you could, like, I couldn't understand him, right? He couldn't understand himself, right? And, and, and there's many conversations in different aspects of this. But when we played games, whether it was Yahtzee or monopoly or whatever, every game, there was a math based lesson to it, like, which dice you rolled for advantage at Yahtzee, which ones to hold after the first roll. Poker games, pitch games, Rummy, every single game it was, it was game theory. It was math on what was the precise the best role, like Monopoly, the best properties and the probability to get an orange property over other properties and and how much you should spend at certain points of the game. And I realized saying that outline that's that that's not normal. Some people just play yatse and roll the dice and they roll what they want, and some people play Monopoly and just buy the properties they want. That was not how games were played in my household, and it was very applicable to poker and to the collectible card games. Michael Hingson 21:22 Yeah. So how often did you want to buy Boardwalk and Park Place? Chris Dreyer 21:28 Not often. But I mean, so there. That was just how I was brought up. And yeah, and it turned into a lot of what I do today. Michael Hingson 21:42 Actually, I always like free parking. We had a thing where any money and and any kind of thing that you had to pay on all went into the free parking pot. So getting free parking was always fun. Oh yeah, but yeah, I hear what you're saying. I love monopoly and love to even play it against the computer, which was always a kind of a neat thing to do, but played Monopoly against other members of my family. Some we actually made a Well, we took a regular Monopoly board, and I think my father outlined the entire board and all the squares using elmer's glue so that we had raised lines for me to look at. Then we also did things to mark the paper money so I could tell what bills I had and and so on, and even Braille the cards. And I still have that game to this day, very neat, which is kind of cool, but monopoly spun. Chris Dreyer 22:36 Yeah, there's a lot of games that you know, there's no winner. You take my wife wants to play Scrabble all the time, and I'm like, there's just not a winner in Scrabble. Because if I challenge you on a word, and I'm right, you're wrong. You're mad if I beat you, you know, and then if I lose, it's not fulfilling for me. That's one of those games. There's no winner. Michael Hingson 23:02 I have a friend who plays Scrabble with his mother all the time, and and he, I think he loses more than he wins, but he's always proud when he beats her. And he's almost 60, so you know, she's, she's older than he is, but they, they play and have a lot of fun with Scrabble. Chris Dreyer 23:21 That's incredible. That's Michael Hingson 23:22 great. Yeah, it is kind of cool. But anyway, so you eventually decided to go off and go into the entrepreneurial world, and you started your company, or went well, when did you actually start the company? Chris Dreyer 23:37 Started the company officially in 2013 it was attorney rankings.org, that was the original name. Now it's rankings.io, I worked at a few agencies previously, while I was also doing the affiliate marketing, and kind of got to see the agency world of providing, you know, the professional services space. And after working at a few agencies. Thought that I could do it right. I got the confidence from the competence, and that's when I launched it. 2013 we've always been focused on legal. The difference today is primarily, we're focused on a sub niche of legal for personal injury law. And, you know, we work with other practice areas, criminal defense, family law, etc. But really personal injury is the is 85% of our business. Michael Hingson 24:27 So what is it that rankings.io? Does, Chris Dreyer 24:31 yeah, we do digital marketing. We do search engine optimization now, AI search, we do pay per click paid social web design. A lot of performance marketing, I would say more performance, less creative and branding. And that's what we do. We work with the top, the biggest pi firms, personal injury law firms in the country. We're in chiefs, I think every state we work with about. 250 law firms across the country. Michael Hingson 25:03 What made you decide to focus on law in the beginning? Chris Dreyer 25:09 Yeah, I'll say a few reasons. One, I had an experience working with attorneys, and I liked working with them. So there was the like component when I worked at an agency, I had a few firms that would I spoke with, and I enjoyed it. The second thing was, if I'm being honest, the status like I wanted to tell my parents that I did marketing for lawyers, and not just, you know, any industry. And then the other thing is, is I'm very, very, very competitive, and I kept seeing and hearing these reports about more and more attorneys going to law school and and just all this competition for legal and the thing that I differ you hear a lot of coaches and mentors. They'll say, hey, go to the blue ocean. You know, everyone's read the blue ocean book, or, you know, Peter thiel's zero to one, and everyone thinks so, go where there's no competition. And I'm like, That's fine if you're Elon or Peter Thiel or Zuckerberg creating something new, but if you're going into an existing category, you want to go where there is competition, because it demands expertise, and that's the way that I've looked at it. Like, you take the agency perspective, I don't want to go to, you know, lawn care, SEO like, do they really want to do search engine optimization? Do they really have a ton of competition? Maybe that's not a great example. But you get my point where, if you go into the city, there's a ton of personal injury law firms, but there's only a few that can rank at the top. And there's, they're all trying to gather cases from one another, so they want an expert to help them, you know, get that visibility. And that's, that's the mindset that Michael Hingson 26:58 went into it. What strikes me is interesting, though, is that with all of that, you bring a very competitive level to what you do. And I'm not sure that I find that a lot of people necessarily even do that, so you consider even search engine optimization to be a very competitive thing, I don't want to say sport, but you consider it all about competition, and you want to really bring the best and the most significant aspects of it to what you do. And that clearly has to show up when you're talking about Inc ranking you in the top companies for eight years in a row. Chris Dreyer 27:47 Yeah, it's very status orientation. You know, that's why I like working with trial attorneys. There's a winner and loser in court, and there's only one top position in Google or on these llms, and it's, who's gonna win, who's the best? Yeah, and it's right there for everyone. Here's here's the tally. Everyone can see who's the best. And I've always loved that. I think I heard a podcast recently by John Morgan. He's the founder of Morgan, Morgan, right? Of course. And you know, he's always a character and funny to listen to, but, yeah, he talks about being insatiable. Like, how did you grow this? He's like, Well, I'm insatiable. I I want to continue to grow. And for me, it's, it's the exact same thing. It's like, I'm insatiable. We hit a milestone. I want the next milestone. It is the game that I'm playing. I am playing like my hobby is my business. I enjoy it. I look forward to a Monday. It rewards me mentally. I enjoy the people I work with. And that's that's how we're at you know, Inc, 5008 years in a row, we'll definitely be on the ninth year next year, due to our growth this year. And it's that's just, that's just how I treat it. It's just a big game. And, you know, like any game, you play Sim City, whatever, you get a little bit more money, you get a little bit more buildings, right? You do a little bit better, you hire more talent, you expand your capabilities, and you just, if you don't stop, you're going to Michael Hingson 29:22 continue to grow. But it's a game in the mathematical sense, and it's it's a game in the the productive sense of what you're trying to do is, isn't the game just, although you obviously have to have fun in what you do, otherwise you wouldn't enjoy doing it. But it's a game in the mathematical sense of the word, oh, 100% Chris Dreyer 29:44 and so many people don't understand what I'm about to say. But like, every move that you make is a move based upon leverage in some capacity, yeah, and you take, because our time is all limited. You take. I'll give you some examples, like from a from a distribution perspective, hosting my podcast or being on your podcast is going to have more listeners than if I go speak on stage, if I go speak on stage now that that has its own benefits of authority and and different you know, belly to belly relationships from a trust perspective, but from a distribution perspective, I would be better off doing more podcasts than I would speaking on stage, sure. So there's an advantage there, right? And then there's also advantages through pricing arbitrage, and it's if, if I hire labor and talent in in the Midwest, and I pay them above average fees and salaries, and I pay my employees well, but compare that to New York or California. And I think some people, you know, these are things that they don't talk about, but when you start to look at leverage closely, it's everywhere. Capital, economies of scale, if I you know, there's leverage based upon my my buying power in certain areas, and that's what I look for. It's an interesting way to make decisions. Is based upon that leverage component. Michael Hingson 31:20 Do you think that that works in other kinds of arenas, other than just what you do? Chris Dreyer 31:27 Oh, I won 1,000% yes, yeah. It works in you could see it. You know, the closest would be, closest arena would be sports. There's so many, whether it's the salary caps or the talent of one person's labor based, you know, what they can do from a utilization or capacity versus another one's people talk about it on the business side of like, you know, You have one software programmer is worth, potentially 1,000x another one just because of that individual's capabilities. So it's literally everywhere, and it's also dissecting different scenarios into fractional leverage. So I'll take give you a different way of thinking about this. Is like, you take a an SEO specialist, a top tier SEO specialist might be 100 200 grand, right, technician, right? But you you break down their capabilities into the smaller parts. You know someone that just writes, someone that just does the title tags and the website, and someone that just does the links and that, like you can assemble, that individuals that that superstars talent through the FRAC breaking it down from a fractional perspective. It's just a big game of puzzles and how you get there and you look at like what your competitors are doing and how you can, I wouldn't say, exploit in a negative way, but, but what I mean is how you can take advantage in a positive way to to help your business succeed, right? Michael Hingson 33:15 Well, do you so if, if you're playing a game like football, of course, everybody, every team, wants to crush the other team, and it's all about winning and beating the heck out of the other guy. Is that really the way you view it, in terms of the game, as you play it, and do you enjoy being able to just crush the competition? Or is it a different mindset than that? Chris Dreyer 33:42 That's a really good question, because I am an abundance mindset. I don't think everything is a zero sum game. It's, I'll tell you something super nerdy. I was talking to my chief of staff the other day that he's we're big gamers, big nerds. And he, we were talking about Warhammer 40k and the dwarves in that game have a book of grudges. So anybody that that goes against the dwarves, they they're listed in the book of grudges, right? Yeah. And it's like all the dwarves are trying to, you know, right? This wrong. And I kind of look like that. I'm like, treat people respect like, you know, abundance zero, you know, like, abundance mentality. Do the referral thing until it's like, okay, you've done X, Y and Z, and I could give you examples of x, y, z, and it's like, okay, well, you're not my friend. You're not my ally, so now you are a true competitor by all since you know, by all definitions, right? That's how I've treated it. Michael Hingson 34:48 And so it isn't the joy of just beating everybody in sight. No, which is different, which is cool, because certainly. I would, I would also bet, though, that you have people who are competitors, but they're not unfriendly, so you can absolutely, yeah, you can develop Chris Dreyer 35:10 working relationships. Rattle off, and we have great conversations. We're friends, and people are surprised when they see us, and we're friendly, and it's like, no, it's like, we have families, we have life. We want to do good work. We want to and it's so you can absolutely have that too. Yeah. Michael Hingson 35:27 Why did you decide to specifically choose personal injury Chris Dreyer 35:33 for me? And it's this is turning into the math conversation. But really, I looked at our revenue, and it was like over 70% of our revenue. Was from less than 50% of our clientele. And it was a clear directional signal to pursue this area. And that's it was the math like, these are our best clients. They pay the most, they stay the longest we could do the best work. Also the PI space is the Super Bowl. Is the major leagues. In the legal arena, it's, it's very difficult to rank. There's a lot of competition versus, you know, I get a family law attorney. I don't care what market you're in, Los Angeles, it's like a sneeze to get them the number one or two? Yeah, it's and I like that. I like the competition. I like having to work at it and be creative and think about different things to try to obtain that top position. Michael Hingson 36:33 Yeah, well, so I would, I would presume that John Morgan's happy with you. Chris Dreyer 36:40 I, you know, I had Dan Morgan as a keynote for my 2024 conference, his son. And I haven't personally talked to John. I think he's well, he says he's retired, but he's not really retired, yeah, right. The I couldn't work with Morgan and Morgan, I can have a great relationship with them, but I can't work with them because they're in every market, and my I would, they would be my only client, so that's why, but certainly have a great relationship. I've got a text relationship with Dan, but yeah, they, I think they do everything in house. Michael Hingson 37:20 Anyways, you don't want to be the consularity for Morgan and Morgan, in other words, Chris Dreyer 37:25 your only client, right, right? That would put a lot of risk on the old client concentration problem, Michael Hingson 37:33 and it would, but still. So what does it mean for a law firm to dominate Google's organic search. And I guess the other question is, why is that the legal battleground that personal injury lawyers can't really ignore? Chris Dreyer 37:53 There's, there's so much here. Okay, where do I go? That's a lot of take. You take any channel, broadcast television has been the main vehicle for channel for distribution. It's the lowest CPMs cost per 1000. The distribution is very wide, because an individual doesn't know typically, when they're going to be in an accident, right? So you got to have a lot of reach and touch a lot of individuals. There's also radio and billboards. But typically, even if they watch you on television or hear you on the radio or what have you, they still convert. They go to Google to make that conversion that go to the website. Typically, it's not always and and things are changing due to these llms and the native experiences on platform. But even today, it's still the final destination before they contact a firm. So it's really important that you show up at the top of Google to capture all of those opportunities that you've advertised for in other mediums. Michael Hingson 39:09 How do you do that? Chris Dreyer 39:12 Well, so you know, I'll say, I'll try to simplify for the audience. Let's just keep it really, think of like a Venn diagram of, you know, the three circles overlaying and you've got the middle. You have to do all three. The first one is you have to have excellent content. You have to have, you know, if you're an auto accident attorney, you have to have content about auto accidents. You have to have, you know, you have to have content that targets phrases and words that consumers will search for, right? It starts with the content. It has to be thematically and topically relevant. Has to be excellent content. The second component would be related to. Views. You got to get Google reviews to show up on in the LSA, the local services ads location, you have to get reviews to show up in Google Map Pack. You need reviews now on Yelp to show up on and be discovered on these different llms, particularly a chat GPT. And just due to how okay for the SEO nerds listening, let me explain, because typically when you get reviews on Yelp and when you get reviews or recommendations on Facebook, they aggregate that information to other sites, which is then the listicles that form the basis of discovery for these llms. So you got to have a review background. So content reviews and then links. Google, the way that they differentiated, again, way against lo AOL was they use links as a categorization method. So if you're trying to win an election, you want to get as many votes as possible. If you're trying to win the first page of Google, you want to get as many high quality links as possible. High quality being authoritative, relevant, trustworthy, you know, sites that get a lot of traffic, so you need great content, lot of reviews and links. That is the very 8020, high end summer summary of of how to rank in Google search and on the llms, yeah. Michael Hingson 41:24 Well, and how does LinkedIn fit into what you do? Chris Dreyer 41:29 LinkedIn is a bit different. I you know LinkedIn more B to B platform. I think if you're a business attorney or a B to B firm, it's an excellent channel. I use it from a distribution perspective. I get a lot of reach. I get a lot of followers on there. A lot of attorneys congregate on there. And it's a great, you know, channel for recruiting talent, and it's cited frequently if you have some type of reputation perspective that you want to control around your name. LinkedIn typically ranks in one of the top three positions for your name if you have your profile set up properly. So yeah, it's, it's, it's got great distribution from a leverage perspective, and, you know, has other applications as well. Michael Hingson 42:15 If you were starting a law firm today, or you were advising someone who's starting a law firm, how would you deal with and start their marketing efforts? How would you organize marketing for them? Chris Dreyer 42:28 Yeah, in the beginning I would, I would do almost all performance marketing. I would not do. I would do very little with brands, because you need to get on your your cash acceleration cycle is very poor. From a PI perspective. I'm always thinking from an injury law firm perspective, because, you know, if you get an auto accident case by the time they get treatment and go through the whole process, you know, it could be 12 to 18 months before you get paid. So you know, I would think about performance marketing, Facebook ads, Google ads, LSA, SEO, a lot of the ads platforms that are, you know, very performance driven. That would be the majority of my investment. Facebook ads. So in a vacuum, you know, different markets are, there's different channels that are more effective. But in a vacuum, I would say today, right now, Facebook ads would be the best platform, the best channel for that, Michael Hingson 43:29 because so many, because it has such a high volume of viewers, or what Chris Dreyer 43:34 they're well, it's just the cost per lead. The amount that you pay on that platform to reach your target prospect is going to be cheaper than say, you go to Google ads and you're paying $600 a click for a phrase, or, you know, it's just now, there's, again, this is in a vacuum. There's very effective Google Ad strategies you can get, you know, creative with performance, Max campaigns and and different strategies. But I would say just in general, Facebook ads out of the gate would be one that I would start with, and I would start the SEO early, just because it takes time to develop. Michael Hingson 44:14 Yeah, well, that makes sense, and it does take a long time, and I think a lot of people don't necessarily understand how all of that works, but it's still something that they should, should deal with Chris Dreyer 44:28 1,000% and, you know, it's, it's a game of, it's a long game, but it, you know, even SEO can be on a shorter time horizon, if, if You're, like, if you target Car Accident Lawyer in that phrase and that segment, then sure, yeah, 12 to 18 months is, you know, you know, even two years before you start to get some visibility. But you target dog bites, you target, you know, some other case types that aren't as competitive like you can get traction sooner. Michael Hingson 45:00 Hmm, well, and that kind of brings up the question you You talk a lot about, and you wrote a book about niche. Why is it that going into like a smaller niche can yield sort of a greater opportunity, or by narrowing focus, you're creating bigger opportunities? Why is that? So? Chris Dreyer 45:22 What comes top of mind? Some of the biggest, the most important reason is it all centers around this word focus. When you focus in a single area, you become better. Well, because you were better, you can you can at your you can charge more because you're worth it. The other thing is, is when you focus on a single area, you you can create, create repeatable processes, and everything is not bespoke when it comes in. So you can set up your internal productization of a certain area. You it makes training easier by immersion. So there's a lot of benefits, even even the perception aspect of it, right? So when you think of like, who's better, a generalist versus a brain surgeon, you think a brain surgeon is a specialist. And you think, Well, who do you think, just offhand, whose fees would be higher? Well, you think the brain surgeon would would charge higher fees. And so from a perception perspective, and when you're thinking about trust, the that's the other one, right? You would think from a trust perspective, they would be more qualified because they're in this certain area. So, and when we're trying to convert someone in sales, it's always a conversation based upon trust. So those are some of the main advantages, the one heavy, heavy disadvantage. Disadvantage is Tam, total addressable market. It's you focus on personal injury. You're at 50, 60,000 firms. You focus on all law firms. United States, you're at 400,000 law firms. So there's trade offs for you know, there's pros and cons on both sides well Michael Hingson 47:03 and and that makes sense, but there is a lot of merit to the to the whole concept of specializing, and you've proven it with what you do, and you continue to be pretty successful about it. And then that makes a lot of sense, but you also do something else that I think is interesting. You've written a book, niching up, you've got a podcast, you have other things that you do, and, of course, just the company itself, but you put all of that together, and all of that not only has to help your brand, but it makes you more visible in the marketplace overall. Don't you think? Chris Dreyer 47:42 Yeah, it certainly does, and it is our flywheel, right? It's somebody that's on my podcast could be a potential quote in my book, and I have a personal injury lawyer marketing book, right? And there's quotes from the pod. I have now a quarterly magazine that goes out. We could cherry pick a couple episodes, you know, to include in the magazine. We have retreats that are quarterly. They're, they're in person that, because we have a community, they're easier to to fill. We have a yearly event for personal injury law firms called, you know, Pim con. So it's all this, this flywheel that kind of compounds over time due to the community aspect, Michael Hingson 48:25 but people obviously react well to it, because you continue to be successful. Chris Dreyer 48:32 Yeah, and I think the biggest thing for me is I am I am not the the expert. I am bringing on the experts in their field, the people that are eating their own dog food, so to speak, right? They're practicing what they preach. It is, I can orchestrate a great conversation because I know the space and can ask very specific questions based upon my knowledge. But I'm bringing on, you know, Dan Morgan's on the pod. I've had, let's see Morris Bart. You know, I've had frank Azar in Colorado. I've had the biggest of the big pi attorneys on sharing what works for them, which, which is very valuable, because it's not, you know, some, you know, a consultant or me or whoever, speaking about like, Oh, this is how you can grow a law firm. It's no this is the owner of a law firm explaining how he or she is growing their law firm right, Michael Hingson 49:31 and providing that advice for other people, which also helps you gain trust, which is pretty cool. What's the best way for an attorney who wants to stand out to truly build authority in the market? Chris Dreyer 49:50 Well, if you're if you're b Look, okay, so there's a couple types of firms. If you're a trial attorney and you want to get peer referrals, I would say. See, I would say start a podcast would be one of the best ways, you know, interview your peer, interview other attorneys around the country, talk shop, you know, speak at C les. You know, do the those types of aspects it, you know, a podcast. I'm not saying it's not good for B to C, but it's, it has to be a different type of podcast. So I think, I think B to B, if you're a litigation attorney, a podcast would be great if it's B to C. That's, that's tricky. I think I think probably social media in some capacity, but really it's just sharing your knowledge on a platform and being consistent. Michael Hingson 50:51 Yeah, consistency counts for a lot, and it is something you can you can show is being relevant in almost any kind of business. I mean, look at McDonald's. One thing you can generally tell about McDonald's is that their quarter pounder is going to taste the same everywhere, and it's going to be the same and, and, and companies and people can learn a lot by seeing a company that truly develops that level of trust, 51:24 yeah, couldn't agree more. Michael Hingson 51:26 And that's pretty important to do, to be able to get someone who is going to earn that trust by vigorously working to earn that trust. And so there's something to be said for that, needless to say, so you've built a very large company. What would you say are some of the pivotal moments that sort of helped shape your trajectory? I know you've talked about some things, but what, what kind of really, are the things that stand out that really helped you create all of that? Chris Dreyer 52:00 I think in the beginning, I did a lot of free work, and had to prove my work, prove my abilities. I think so many people just want to charge a lot out of the gate. And I think there's when you do things for people, they're more willing to reciprocate. And it from an application perspective, it makes you better. So I did a lot of free work early, a ton of free work. I took a lot of jobs or contracts that maybe not, maybe for certain, that I wouldn't take today, that were just not perfect, but like they were my opportunities that I didn't, you know, let them pass by. I think hiring the right people, having super high standards is incredibly important, people that share your values. In the beginning, I used to, every time I heard a speech or taught speech speaker talk about culture values, I used to kind of roll my eyes and say I just didn't get to get to work, right? But now I know it's more important than ever that they share my values, right? Because they're important to me, and that's how you move forward. And I think the other one, if I had to say, the bigger I get, the more important good data, is to make decisions like, if I just don't have good data, it's very difficult. I'm just guessing and and the better the data, the better decisions well. Michael Hingson 53:32 So the the other thing that comes to mind when you talked about doing a lot of free work and jobs that you wouldn't necessarily take today, I don't know how much it really entered into your mindset, but think of all the knowledge you gathered by doing that that you might not have ever gotten. Yeah. Chris Dreyer 53:49 I mean, that's true, and a lot of other people wouldn't have done those jobs, so that's kind of some unique perspectives. Michael Hingson 53:56 Yeah, I when I hired sales people, one of the first things I always told them was, you're coming into this be a student for at least the first year. Don't hesitate to ask questions of your customers, because they're not if you gain their trust at all. They're not in it to see you fail. They want you to succeed, but they want to be able to trust you. And so there's a lot to be said for being a student, asking questions and learning from that. I agree. I agree, which makes a lot of sense. What's the biggest misconception that lawyers typically have about marketing? Chris Dreyer 54:33 They underestimate how many dollars and what it takes for someone to actually be memorable or build a brand. I talked to, I heard Alex hermosi talking recently about, you know, no one really knew who Jennifer Lawrence was before the mockingbird movie, and they spent $50 million on advertising for that movie. And then, oh, suddenly, everyone knows who she is. But it took $50 million To do so. I think a lot of times people think they oversaturate a channel when they haven't even scratched the possibilities or the capabilities of a particular channel. Michael Hingson 55:10 How do you help lawyers break through that misconception? I agree with what you're saying. I hear it a lot, in so many ways, but how do you break through that and get them to understand the value. Chris Dreyer 55:22 It's a dance, yeah, you know, I try to get them to look at the blended cost to acquire a case, as opposed to, you know, the CAC to LTV ratio, versus trying to pinpoint each individual channel and but it is try to try to solve with data and proof over, you know, guesses, but or promises, but it is always a song and dance. Michael Hingson 55:52 The data and proof is out there. If people can learn to look for it, it's, it's, the reality is, mostly it's not a guess, but you have to know where to look or learn how to find the data to be able to get the answers that you need to demonstrate that marketing is just as valuable as anything else. I mean, there's so many strong lessons about marketing. We talked about Morgan and Morgan, but think about it, he's out there doing TV commercials all the time, and I'm sure that that's helping his company. He and Ultima continuing to to grow, and now they got the boys all in it. And the reality is they've demonstrated that they understand something about what marketing is all about. I remember back a long time ago when it was taboo for lawyers to even advertise. And then a couple of companies out here started to do it. And finally, people realized there's a lot of value in marketing. Chris Dreyer 56:50 Absolutely. And Michael, I should have said this in advance. I've got a I got a hard stop, I got a I got a hat, I got a client call here in two minutes. Michael Hingson 56:59 Well, then let me just ask, is there anything else that you want to add? Or how can people reach out to you if they'd like to do that? Chris Dreyer 57:06 Well, first of all, I really enjoyed our conversation, so thank you for having me. Yeah, you know, for anybody that has a question or wants to connect with me, the best way to get in touch with me is by email. I'm an inbox zero guy. It's Chris, C, H, R, i s@rankings.io I'm most active on LinkedIn. You'll just do a search for Chris Dreyer, and you'll find me cool. Michael Hingson 57:29 Well, I want to thank you for being here, and I want to thank all of you for tuning in today, wherever you are, I'd love to hear from you. Love your thoughts on the podcast. Give us an email at Michael h i at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, i, b, e.com, also, you can listen to any of our podcasts. They're all available. And you can find us at Michael hingson.com/podcast and you can see and hear all the episodes that you want from there. Please give us a five star review and great rating wherever you're listening and watching us, we value it a lot. And if you know anyone who you think might be able to be a good guest, love to hear from you. Chris, you as well. If you know anybody else who you think ought to be a guest, I'd love to definitely get your help to bring them on, because we're looking for all the people who want to come on and show that we're all more unstoppable than we think. But again, I want to just thank you for being here today. Chris Dreyer 58:20 Thank you, Michael. I really enjoyed it. Michael Hingson 58:26 Thank you for being here with me on unstoppable mindset. I hope today's conversation left you with a fresh perspective, a new insight, or at least something worth thinking about if you're ready to go deeper into the ideas that shape how we see ourselves and others. I have a free gift for you. Head over to Michael hingson.com and download my free ebook, blinded by fear. It explores the invisible beliefs that hold us back and shows you how to reframe them so you can move forward with clarity and confidence. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast, leave a review and share this show with someone who can use a reminder that growth starts with mindset. When people think differently, we all move forward together. Thanks again for listening, keep learning, keep questioning and keep choosing to live with an unstoppable mindset you.
Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Imperfect Marketing, Kendra Corman sits down with SEO expert Kyle Bailey to explore how artificial intelligence is changing the search landscape—and what businesses should really focus on to stay visible online.Kyle shares his journey from growing up around construction trades to building an SEO agency focused on helping home service businesses succeed online. Along the way, the conversation dives into the realities of modern SEO, the myths around AI replacing search, and why understanding your customer still matters more than any algorithm update. The Evolution of SEO in the Age of AIAI tools like ChatGPT are changing how people search for information—but they haven't replaced traditional search engines.Kyle explains:Why Google still has a major advantage because it can crawl and understand websites more effectivelyHow AI platforms currently rely on signals like reviews and third-party sources (Yelp, Google Reviews, etc.)Why businesses need to expand their reputation across multiple platforms—not just GoogleThe risks of “gaming the system” with SEO shortcuts that create short-term gains but long-term damage The takeaway? Solid SEO fundamentals still matter—and probably always will.The Right Way to Approach SEO StrategyOne of the biggest mistakes businesses make is chasing SEO “cheat codes.”Kyle describes the smarter approach:80% solid SEO fundamentals20% experimentation with new tacticsThis balance allows businesses to stay competitive without risking their entire marketing strategy on short-lived hacks. If you put all your effort into shortcuts, you may see quick wins—but you'll likely lose everything when algorithms update.Does Blogging Still Matter for SEO?The answer, like many things in marketing, is: it depends.Blogging isn't just about stuffing keywords anymore. Instead, it should help customers make better decisions.Effective blog content should:Address customers' biggest fears about working with your businessExplain how your process prevents common problemsEducate buyers so they feel confident choosing youDemonstrate expertise through real-world examplesWhen content answers real questions, it improves both the customer experience and your search visibility. Why Your Website Strategy Matters More Than EverMany businesses try to save money by piecing together website tools or building sites themselves using drag-and-drop builders.Kyle explains why this can create problems:DIY website builders often lack advanced SEO capabilitiesBusinesses may not truly own their domains or dataPiecemeal marketing strategies lead to inconsistent resultsA holistic approach—website, content, reviews, and SEO—creates stronger long-term growthIn other words, your website shouldn't just exist. It should function as the foundation of your entire marketing strategy. The Most Important Marketing LessonAt the end of the episode, Kyle shares a powerful question every business should ask:“If you c Looking to leverage AI? Want better results? Want to think about what you want to leverage?Check and see how I am using it for FREE on YouTube. From "Holy cow, it can do that?" to "Wait, how does this work again?" – I've got all your AI curiosities covered. It's the perfect after-podcast snack for your tech-hungry brain. Watch here
Send us Fan MailAre you tired of "SEO Strategies" that bring traffic but zero bookings? In this episode, Kyle Sattler and Paul Olsen from Soo Good join us to vent the Secret on what it actually takes to scale a Home Services Business 10x in a single year.We aren't just talking about keywords. We're diving into the psychology of the algorithm, the "Speed to Lead" reality, and why your business might be failing despite a #1 ranking. In this episode, you'll learn:
Phone calls can potentially represent more than 50% of a local business's total conversions, yet most SEO reporting completely misses them. In this Office Hours episode, Danny sits down with Optidge SEO Manager, Dorit Sasson, to break down call tracking for SEO and how most companies have a major attribution blind spot from one of the oldest lead sources: the phone call!They walk through how Dynamic Number Insertion works, explain the three main call scenarios that matter for organic search, and share real advice on optimizing your website and Google Business Profile to drive real outcomes.An Optidge Office Hours Episode: Our Office Hours episodes are your go-to for details, case studies, how-to's, and advice on specific marketing topics. Join our fellow Optidge team members, and sometimes even 1:1 teachings from Danny himself, in these shorter, marketing-focused episodes every few weeks. Get ready to get marketing!Episode Highlights: Dorit shares why phone calls represent 10-80% of total conversions for most local businesses, yet get completely ignored in traditional SEO reportingThe discussion details how Dynamic Number Insertion works technically and why you need one tracking number for every 20 visits to maintain attribution accuracyDorit explains the three distinct call scenarios from Google search and why separating Google Business Profile calls from pure organic website calls changes optimization strategyUsing a real-world example from Heartlinks ABA, Dorit shares the story of how a parent researching autism symptoms landed on an article, called for services, and revealed content gaps through the conversationOne key strategy Dorit and her team have been using lately is listening to call recordings as a way to transform isolated SEO work into human-centered strategy by letting you walk through actual user journeysEpisode Links: • Learn more about Optidge SEO services • Listen to Dorit's previous episode (Episode 102) • Connect with Optidge on LinkedIn• Connect with Dorit on LinkedIn• Check out Optidge's Practical Guide to Call Tracking for SEO Send us Fan MailFollow The Digital Marketing Mentor:Website and Blog: thedmmentor.comInstagram: @thedmmentorLinkedin: @thedmmentorYouTube: @thedmmentorInterested in Digital Marketing Services, Careers, or Courses? Check out more from the TDMM Family:Optidge.com - Full Service Digital Marketing Agency specializing in SEO, PPC, Paid Social, and Lead Generation efforts for established B2C and B2B businesses and organizations.ODEOacademy.com - Digital Marketing online education and course platform. ODEO gives you solid digital marketing knowledge to launch/boost your career or understand your business's digital marketing strategy.
Ignite Digital Marketing Podcast | Marketing Growth Tips | Alex Membrillo
Healthcare SEO is changing fast as AI reshapes how patients search and how answers appear in Google. In this episode of Ignite, Ashley Petrochenko, Cardinal's VP of Brand Marketing sits down with John Vantine, SEO Director at GoodRx, who helped scale organic traffic from 4 million to 12 million monthly sessions. With more than 20 years of SEO experience, John explains how the rise of AI search and generative answers is forcing healthcare marketers to rethink traditional SEO playbooks. Instead of chasing massive content libraries, the future belongs to brands that focus on trust, intent, and content that actually serves the patient journey. In this episode, you'll learn: • Why publishing thousands of pages is no longer a winning healthcare SEO strategy • How AI search and Google's evolving results are changing patient discovery • The role of user experience and trust signals in modern healthcare rankings • How to build a focused content strategy that drives real business impact If healthcare SEO is part of your growth strategy, this episode will change how you think about content, search, and patient discovery in the AI era. RELATED RESOURCES Connect with John - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnvantine/ 2026 Healthcare Marketing Trends: The New Rules Redefining Growth - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-marketing-trends-2026/ Optimizing for AI Search: A New Era in Healthcare Marketing - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/optimizing-for-ai-search-a-new-era-in-healthcare-marketing/ How a Primary Care Provider Futureproofed Their SEO in an AI-Driven Search World - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/search-content-strategy-ai-landscape/ How to Avoid Keyword Cannibalization Between Paid Search & SEO - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/avoid-keyword-cannibalization-between-paid-search-seo/
Free Life Agents: A Podcast for Real Estate Agents Who Want to Develop a Passive Income Lifestyle
Phil Ganz is the founder of Next Wave Mortgage based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. With over $1 billion in personally closed loans, he's a veteran mortgage originator serving residential clients across the East Coast and Colorado. He offers nationwide lending solutions for real estate investors, providing DSCR (business-purpose) loans in all 50 states. Phil specializes in helping clients build wealth through real estate—whether first-time homebuyers using FHA/Fannie Mae or seasoned investors scaling their portfolios—and is passionate about modernizing the mortgage industry through digital media, SEO and podcasting.In this episode we discuss a powerful secret SEO strategy that real estate agents can leverage to become number one in their market. Phil shares proven data and statistics behind this tactic, explains how to implement it effectively and offers insights into winning and becoming more fulfilled in both life and business.You Can Find Phil @:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/askthemortgageexpert/Text: 617-529-9317
Favour Obasi-ike, MBA, MS hosts a two-part live session from the Marketing Club on Clubhouse, joined by Brian (digital marketing), Liverpool (social media), Angelique (commercial lending startup), and others. The conversation covers how to build product and service pages that rank on search engines, the three stages of buyer awareness (problem aware, solution aware, product aware), why 82% of websites worldwide are outdated, the four types of media (owned, paid, shared, earned), how Google Reviews impact rankings, and tools like Nudgify, Switchy.io, and SEMrush for building brand awareness online.Key TakeawaysBuild from the ground up, not the roof down. Your website needs keyword-rich URL slugs, proper H1-H6 heading structure, and semantic keywords before any social media push.Three stages of buyer awareness drive every sale. Problem aware (they search Google), solution aware (they land on your page), product aware (they recognize your brand as the answer).82% of 1.9 billion websites have not been updated in 6 months. Update your website daily to signal the algorithm that your business is active.Use the CNN model. Never give the full story on social media. Drive people to your website for the complete content, just like major news outlets do.Google Reviews are a major ranking factor. Keep them fresh, avoid all five-star reviews (looks moderated), and embed them on your site using tools like Nudgeify.Master the four types of media. Owned (your content), Paid (ads), Shared (social platforms), and Earned (press/features). Start with owned media and build toward earned.Memorable Quotes"You don't build a house from the roof down. You build from the ground up." — Favour [07:30]"82% of 1.9 billion websites have not been updated in the last six months." — Favour [101:03]"If CNN gave you the full story on Instagram, would you go to their website? No." — Favour [118:24]"SEO is not a one-size-fits-all. It's not a cookie cutter machine." — Favour [71:17]"The better the connection, the better the frequency. The better the frequency, the better the energy." — Favour [119:14]FAQsShould I focus on products or services for my website?Both need dedicated keyword-rich pages. Each product or service should have its own page with text, video, images, pricing, and FAQ so search engines can index them individually.How often should I update my website?Daily if possible. Even once a week puts you ahead of the 82% of websites that go six months without an update. Every update signals the algorithm that your business is active.What tools were recommended?Nudgify (social proof popups), Switchy.io (UTM codes, link shortening, pixel tracking — $39 on AppSumo), SEMrush (keyword research), and Google Business Profile for reviews.How do I build brand awareness from scratch?Start with owned media on your website. Answer the questions your audience is searching for. Then distribute to social media, collect emails, and build toward earned media like press features.Book SEO Services? Save These Quick Links for Later>> Book SEO Services with Favour Obasi-ike>> Visit Work and PLAY Entertainment website to learn about our digital marketing services>> Join our exclusive SEO Marketing community>> Read SEO Articles>> Subscribe to the We Don't PLAY Podcast>> Purchase Flaev Beatz Beats Online>> Favour Obasi-ike Quick Links>> Start Recording your Podcast with Riverside Today | Sign Up with My Affiliate Link HereSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Send a textIn this archive episode of the Near Memo podcast, Darren Shaw of Whitespark joins Mike Blumenthal, Greg Sterling, and David Mihm to discuss the influential Local Search Ranking Factors study.The panel breaks down how the survey works, what has changed in local search, and how the rise of AI interfaces like ChatGPT and Gemini could reshape how businesses are discovered online.They explore:Why review volume and recency drive rankingsHow behavioral signals may outweigh traditional SEO factorsWhether links are becoming less importantWhy Google's behavioral data advantage mattersThe role of expert lists and third-party citations in AI searchThis episode offers a snapshot of local search at a moment of major transition that still resonates 6 months later.Subscribe to our newsletters and other content at https://www.nearmedia.co/subscribe/
If your website isn't bringing in new leads and you feel like you constantly have to be showing up on Instagram to market your services… this episode is for you.Because the truth is, your business shouldn't rely on you being online 24/7 in order to attract new clients.When you have a strong website that's set up with the right SEO strategy, it can continue bringing in leads even when you're not posting, not creating content, and not actively marketing.I'm sharing some of the biggest insights I've learned from working with clients 1:1 for website redesigns, SEO audits, and optimizing their websites so they rank higher in Google searches.In this episode, we're diving into: • How strong SEO allows your website to bring in clients even when you're not posting on social media • How to make SEO feel simple and more sustainable • The most fundamental shift you need to make to rank higher in search results • The most common website homepage mistakes that I see (and how to fix them) so you get more leads • The key sections every homepage should include if you want it to convert cold leads into new inquiriesIf you want your website to consistently bring in new inquiries from Google -- you need a strong & sustainable SEO strategy.And if you want help creating your own SEO strategy, you can learn more about booking a customized SEO audit here: www.heykristamarie.com/seo
Imagine spending or investing $0.02 per click with 619+ Global Million Pinterest Users? The Pinterest Playbook for Business Growth is here!Favour Obasi-ike, MBA, MS, host of the We Don't PLAY!™️ Podcast and Pinterest-certified SEO strategist, leads a live Clubhouse session breaking down the difference between Pinterest marketing (organic) and Pinterest advertising (paid).Joined by John, Dr. Cynthia, and Ramyar, Favour shares real client case studies, including one that jumped from 54M to 154M Google image impressions in three months using Pinterest.He reveals why Pinterest is a visual search engine with 619 million monthly active users, 96% unbranded searches, and 3x higher shopping ad conversions.Key TakeawaysPinterest is a visual search engine, not social media. Users arrive early in their planning phase, making them high-intent buyers.96% of Pinterest searches are unbranded. Your content reaches people who have never heard of you but are searching for your solution.Pin shelf life crushes Instagram. A pin lasts 3.5 to 5 months; add a blog link and it extends to 24 months vs. Instagram's 72 hours.Pinterest indirectly boosts Google rankings. One client went from 54M to 154M Google image impressions in three months via Pinterest.Use Pinterest to A/B test creatives for free. Post five graphics organically for 14 days, then run paid ads only on the top performers.Separate personal and business accounts. Use your domain email for business to claim 100% content ownership via Pinterest's hub.Memorable Quotes"Pinterest is a visual search engine. Drop the P and it's interest. Pinterest has a taste bud of interest and keywords." — Favour Obasi-ike [18:34]"85% of weekly users purchase from pins, and 45% of US Pinterest households earn over $150K a year." — Favour Obasi-ike [27:14]"Pinterest is the least skipped platform for ads. You may not even know what a Pinterest ad looks like." — Favour Obasi-ike [28:11]"Content is king and context is queen. Build the two together and the value increases." — Favour Obasi-ike [40:14]"Build a brand that your website is proud of." — Favour Obasi-ike [92:02]FAQsQ: What is the difference between Pinterest marketing and Pinterest advertising?A: Pinterest marketing is organic: consistently publishing through a claimed website, RSS feed, and Pinterest tag. Pinterest advertising is paid: targeted ads by zip code, interest, and device for quick visibility.Q: How does Pinterest help my Google rankings?A: Your website images appear in Google Images and Bing Images via Pinterest, acting as a backlink and image traffic source that compounds domain authority.Q: Can I target locally on Pinterest?A: Yes. Pinterest allows ad targeting by zip code, making it powerful for local businesses.Q: What is the best way to test ad creatives cheaply?A: Post five creatives organically for 14 days, rank by impressions, then run paid A/B tests only on the top two winners.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Favour Obasi-ike, MBA, MS breaks down the critical difference between content marketing and context marketing for SEO. Using relatable analogies, from buying a home to purchasing an iPhone, Favour explains why content alone is not enough. Content is what you create; context is the meaning, story, and connection behind it. He introduces the WEBLAST acronym (Website, Email, Podcast, LinkedIn, Ads, AI, SEO) as a seven-pillar framework for building a competitive online presence and shares how AI tools can be trained with your brand voice to save time and drive real partnerships.Book SEO Services? Save These Quick Links for Later>> Book SEO Services with Favour Obasi-ike>> Visit Work and PLAY Entertainment website to learn about our digital marketing services>> Join our exclusive SEO Marketing community>> Read SEO Articles>> Subscribe to the We Don't PLAY Podcast>> Purchase Flaev Beatz Beats Online>> Favour Obasi-ike Quick Links>> Start Recording your Podcast with Riverside Today | Sign Up with My Affiliate Link HereKey TakeawaysContent is the "what"; context is the "why." Content gets you seen. Context gets you understood, remembered, and chosen.SEO is intentional, not guesswork. Throwing random keywords no longer works. Structure, readability, and sentimental value drive rankings.Three pillars of context marketing: Readability (humans understand it), SEO (bots can crawl it), and sentimental value (it resonates emotionally).The WEBLAST framework: Website, Email, Podcast, LinkedIn, Ads, AI, and SEO, seven tools that, used together in a progressive cycle, produce measurable growth within 30 days.AI should be trained on your brand. Feed your intellectual property into AI to get responses that sound like you, not generic prompts.Pre-purchase vs. post-purchase context: Before the sale, show up everywhere (YouTube, Google, Pinterest). After the sale, deepen the relationship (email, Zoom, Slack).Memorable Quotes"SEO is intentional. It's not guesswork. We don't do that in 2024, and we're not doing that for 2025 either." — Favour Obasi-ike [03:45]"The website is the content. The pages are the context." — Favour Obasi-ike [07:09]"If I say 'my pleasure,' I don't have to say the brand name to tell you who I'm talking about. That's context." — Favour Obasi-ike [07:54]"Content is free right now. AI is going to give me that content. But context? That's what makes you different." — Favour Obasi-ike [44:05]"Feedback is the best currency." — Favour Obasi-ike [40:49]"You're not prompting ChatGPT, you're prompting yourself." — Favour Obasi-ike [32:36]FAQsQ: What is the difference between content marketing and context marketing?A: Content marketing is the material you produce, the blog, video, or post. Context marketing is the meaning, relevance, and story wrapped around that content so your audience truly understands and connects with your message.Q: Why is context more important than content for SEO?A: Search engines now prioritize user intent and experience. Context ensures your content is readable, emotionally resonant, and structured so both humans and bots can interpret it, which directly improves rankings.Q: What is the WEBLAST framework?A: WEBLAST stands for Website, Email, Podcast, LinkedIn, Ads, AI, and SEO. It is a seven-pillar system for building a strong, competitive online presence when used in a consistent, progressive cycle.Q: How can AI help with context marketing?A: By training AI with your brand's intellectual property, tone, and goals, it becomes a personalized assistant that drafts emails, proposals, and responses in your voice, saving significant time.From seo strategies to ai marketing techniques to pinterest seo to podcast monetization to email marketing for beginners to ai seo tools, this episode id for you.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Sometimes the best career opportunities come from the most unexpected places. For Shiri Silkin, that meant an arranged date that didn't work out, but led to her first SEO job without a single interview.In this episode, Danny sits down with Shiri, an ODEO Academy alum who went from teaching music and working in primary schools to becoming an SEO strategist. She shares what it's really like to learn digital marketing from scratch: the moment everything finally clicked, why she's already referred eight people to ODEO Academy, and the advice she'd give anyone considering a similar path. If you're exploring digital marketing for the first time or curious what these journeys actually look like, this conversation is worth your time.Episode Highlights: Shiri shares her story, which is grounded, specific, and unexpectedly funny, featuring a first SEO job that arrived through an arranged date and a prospective mother-in-law-to-be who instead became her boss in her first SEO gig. She shares why digital marketing appealed to someone from a teaching and music background: versatility, remote flexibility, and constant learning opportunitiesShiri explains that at first, ODEO Academy uncovered the reality of the learning curve: feeling overwhelmed at the start, then experiencing the "lightbulb moment" when foundational concepts suddenly clickShe provides insight to what an entry-level SEO role actually looks like day-to-day: competitor research, content optimization, keyword analysis, and gradual strategic ownershipShiri reveals that she's recommended eight people to ODEO Academy since completing the program as she attributes the course to her foundational understanding of SEO and digital marketing, and the reason for her newfound confidence in her new career path.Episode Links: Learn more about Odeo Academy: https://odeoacademy.com/ The Spring cohort of ODEO Academy's Digital Fundamentals Career Course launches April 26, 2026. Enroll today!Read through other ODEO Academy stories here.Send a textFollow The Digital Marketing Mentor: Website and Blog: thedmmentor.com Instagram: @thedmmentor Linkedin: @thedmmentor YouTube: @thedmmentor Interested in Digital Marketing Services, Careers, or Courses? Check out more from the TDMM Family: Optidge.com - Full Service Digital Marketing Agency specializing in SEO, PPC, Paid Social, and Lead Generation efforts for established B2C and B2B businesses and organizations. ODEOacademy.com - Digital Marketing online education and course platform. ODEO gives you solid digital marketing knowledge to launch/boost your career or understand your business's digital marketing strategy.
Welcome to the Resourceful Designer podcast! I'm Mark Des Cotes, and I'm here to help you, as a graphic or web designer, grow your business by making your website truly visible to clients who are searching for your exact services. Over the years, I've seen too many talented designers go unnoticed online simply because their SEO strategies weren't cutting it. In this episode, I'm breaking down the actionable SEO tactics that actually work for solo designers and small studios, without needing a huge marketing budget or waiting months to see results. We'll dive into local SEO and why your Google My Business profile is more important than you probably think, the power of dedicated landing pages for each service you offer, the impact of client reviews and testimonials on your search rankings, making sure your website is mobile-friendly and lightning fast, and finally, how to create content that not only ranks well but also truly resonates with your ideal clients. Whether you're new to SEO or looking for advanced strategies to get ahead in 2026 and beyond, this episode is packed with practical steps you can start implementing today. Stay tuned, because by the end, you'll know exactly how to make your design business discoverable online and stand out against the competition.
In this insightful episode of the We Don't PLAY!™️ Podcast, host Favour Obasi-ike, MBA, MS demystifies the critical evolution of search in the age of artificial intelligence, focusing on a concept she terms "AI SEO 101." The central theme revolves around the distinction and strategic importance of closing both prompt gaps and keyword gaps to secure valuable brand citations. While traditional SEO has focused on optimizing for short, fragmented keywords (e.g., "best travel deals"), the rise of conversational AI assistants like ChatGPT and Perplexity has given birth to the prompt—a longer, full-sentence query (e.g., "What are the best international travel deals for a family of four in summer 2026?").Favour argues that many businesses are unprepared for this shift, leaving a "prompt gap" in their content strategy. While they may have content targeting keywords, they lack the in-depth, conversational, and authoritative answers that AI models seek when responding to user prompts. The ultimate goal for any brand is to become a direct brand citation in an AI-generated answer, a feat achieved only by providing comprehensive, well-supported information. As Favour compellingly states, the answers provided by AI are sourced directly from the content available on the web: "Where are those responses AI is getting coming from in the first place? They're coming from your website."The core of the strategy lies in recognizing that your website is the foundational pillar of your digital presence. To bridge the prompt gap, Favour advocates for a robust pillar-cluster content model. This involves creating a main "pillar" page that exhaustively answers a primary customer question, supported by numerous "cluster" pages that explore related sub-topics in detail. This creates a dense, interconnected web of expertise that signals authority to search engines and AI alike. The episode emphasizes a shift from merely creating blogs to creating comprehensive resource hubs, complete with FAQs, multimedia content, and evidence-backed claims, much like a digital research paper.Favour provides a clear action plan: identify the core questions your audience is asking, build out content that answers them conversationally and in-depth, and structure this content logically on your website. She also touches on the technical side, noting that URLs should remain concise and keyword-focused, while the content on the page should be rich and prompt-focused. Ultimately, the episode is a powerful call to action for businesses to stop dwelling on information and start implementing a forward-thinking content strategy. By treating your website as a definitive library of answers, you can close the gaps in your SEO strategy and ensure your brand not only survives but thrives in the new era of AI-powered search.Key TakeawaysPrompts vs. Keywords: A prompt is a conversational, full-sentence question (10-25 words) posed to an AI, whereas a keyword is a short, fragmented search query (2-5 words) used in traditional search engines.The Goal is Brand Citation: In the new landscape of AI search, the primary objective is to have your brand and website cited directly as the authoritative source in an AI-generated answer.Your Website is the Foundation: All digital roads lead back to your website. It is the most critical asset for building authority and providing the in-depth answers that AI models are looking for.Close the Prompt Gap with Conversational Content: To appear in AI search results, you must create content that directly and comprehensively answers the full questions your audience is asking, not just targets keywords.Adopt a Pillar-Cluster Model: For each major question your audience has, create one main "pillar" page with a complete answer and support it with multiple "cluster" pages that cover related sub-topics. This builds a powerful web of expertise.Content as a Resource Hub: Think of your content less like a series of blog posts and more like a library of research. Support your answers with data, evidence, multimedia, and links to other authoritative sources to build trust and credibility.Action Over Acronyms: While understanding terms like AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is useful, the focus should be on the practical implementation of creating high-quality, question-answering content.Memorable Quotes"A prompt is keywords in confirmation of the context that has been started by conversation.""You can't say a brand without connecting a website.""Where are those responses AI is getting coming from in the first place? They're coming from your website.""Don't be in a place where you're dwelling on information and not taking action on implementation.""15% of new searches every day out of at least 8.5 billion searches a day are new, including yours.""You don't put a prompt in your URL, you put a keyword in your URL.""You're not just creating blogs, you're creating calls to action."Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)What is the main difference between a prompt and a keyword? A prompt is a long, conversational question asked to an AI, while a keyword is a short, fragmented phrase used in a traditional search bar. Your content strategy needs to address both.Why are brand citations important in AI SEO? A brand citation is when an AI search tool names your website as the source of its information. It positions your brand as a trusted authority, driving traffic and credibility.Is blogging still relevant in 2026? Yes, absolutely. However, the format has evolved. Modern blogging should focus on creating in-depth, conversational articles that function as answers to user prompts, effectively turning your blog into a resource hub or "audio blog."How do I start closing the prompt gap on my website? Begin by identifying the most common and important questions your customers ask. Then, create comprehensive content (like a detailed FAQ page or a pillar article) that answers these questions thoroughly and links to supporting cluster pages.What is the pillar-cluster model? It's a content strategy where you create one major "pillar" page that covers a broad topic in-depth. You then create multiple "cluster" pages that address specific sub-topics related to the pillar, with all cluster pages linking back to the main pillar page. This structure organizes your content and signals deep expertise to search engines.Timestamps[00:00] Introduction: AI SEO 101 - Prompt Gaps vs. Keyword Gaps.[01:35] Defining a "Prompt": A conversational query of 10-25 words.[02:48] Defining a "Keyword": Traditional short, medium, and long-tail search terms.[05:52] The Central Role of Your Website in Brand Citations.[06:34] How Search Engines Match Pages to Queries.[07:17] Core Concept: A prompt is "keywords in conversation."[08:03] The Solution: Closing the gap with conversational, FAQ-style content.[09:43] Strategy Deep Dive: The Pillar-Cluster content model (1 Pillar + 9 Clusters).[15:02] Where AI Gets Its Answers: Your website is the source for LLMs.[16:02] Building Authority: Go beyond facts and support claims with experience and evidence.[19:00] Your website is the common thread in all customer interactions.[20:44] Technical SEO Tip: Use keywords in your URLs, not long prompts.[22:36] Market Opportunity: 15% of the 8.5 billion daily searches are entirely new.[23:38] Content with Purpose: Your content should create calls to action, not just exist as a blog.[24:14] Closing Remarks & How to Connect.[25:12] Podcast Outro.Book SEO Services | Quick Links for Social Business>> Book SEO Services with Favour Obasi-ike>> Visit Work and PLAY Entertainment website to learn about our digital marketing services>> Join our exclusive SEO Marketing community>> Read SEO Articles>> Subscribe to the We Don't PLAY Podcast>> Purchase Flaev Beatz Beats Online>> Favour Obasi-ike Quick LinksSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
At SocialPacific 2025 in North Vancouver, Warren Thompson, Co-Founder and Director at Olo Metrics, sits down with guest host Rachel Thexton to demystify marketing data.Warren explains why most teams don't have a data problem, they have a clarity problem. Instead of obsessing over every metric in the funnel, he shares how focusing on a few “North Star” KPIs can simplify decision-making and drive real growth.From performance marketing and SEO to AI's impact on emerging marketers, this conversation explores how technical skill, strategic thinking, and creative craft must now work together, not in silos.Clearer metrics. Smarter decisions. Stronger teams.Recorded live at SocialPacific 2025 in North Vancouver. Produced by TAKT.
As content creators we should ALL be getting clients via a web SEO strategy....but most of us aren't! In this episode I invited my Pod Pal Jess Freeman from The Ordinary Business podcast onto the show to help us set up our web SEO strategy! Links mentioned in this episode: Connect with Jess: https://jesscreatives.com/ https://theordinarybusiness.com/ Explore my coaching options or sign up for a Discovery Call to discuss working together: https://www.podcastingbusiness.school/ Want more strategies for podcast launch, growth, and how to leverage your podcast to get more clients? Get my FREE weekly Podcasting Business School Newsletter every Thursday! https://www.podcastingbusiness.school/news *********************
I;m guessing that about 95% of all active podcasters are missing out on the most powerful growth lever: Organic Discovery/SEO within audio podcast player apps like Apple Podcast and Spotify. In this episode I will deliver my 2026 podcast SEO manifesto with a COMPLETE strategy to help you optimize for this growth lever and see dramatic podcast growth this year. Links mentioned in this episode: Explore my coaching options or sign up for a Discovery Call to discuss working together: https://www.podcastingbusiness.school/ A great program for growth minded podcasters to start with is my Podcast Growth Bootcamp: https://www.podcastingbusiness.school/podcast-growth-bootcamp You can also check out my Podcasting Business School Group Coaching if you need a little more hands on support from me: https://www.podcastingbusiness.school/services *********************