BuzzStream Digital PR and Link Building Podcast

Google's Personal Intelligence, ChatGPT memory, and Gmail integrations are quietly reshaping AI search results — and almost nobody is measuring it.

In this episode, Garrett Sussman (iPullRank) breaks down his hands-on experiment seeding fake personas with emails, photos, and personas to see exactly how much personalization skews AI recommendations — and what it means for SEO, digital PR, and content strategy.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro

02:03 – How big is the personalization "slice of the pie"?

04:15 – Is personalization opt-in, or becoming the default?

08:38 – When does the opt-in actually happen?

10:11 – The experiment: building 3 synthetic Gmail personas

13:12 – Photos vs. emails

15:16 – How long does it take content to start influencing AI results?

20:12 – Citations vs. mentions: which one actually matters now?

25:02 – The unopened newsletter email that still got cited

30:47 – Tactics: how brands should actually adapt

34:25 – Did spam or trashed emails get pulled into results?🔗 Learn more about ListIQ:

https://www.buzzstream.com/listiq

🔗 Connect with Garrett Sussman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garrettsussman/

🔗 iPullRank: https://www.ipullrank.com

🔗 SEO Week: https://www.seoweek.com

In this episode of the BuzzStream Podcast, host Vince Nero sits down with Mike Fahey, founder of Fahey Communications and a 15-year newsroom veteran (Boston, Baltimore, four Emmys) turned political press secretary and PR agency owner. Mike breaks down how newsrooms are actually structured, why pitch timing matters more than most PR pros realize, how shrinking newsroom staff is changing what gets covered, and the real strategy behind "newsjacking" a client into the news cycle — plus a few behind-the-scenes stories from campaigns, GMA bookings, and near-misses with the New York Times.Timestamps:0:00 – Intro3:44 – How a newsroom is actually structured10:01 – Building media lists that pay off for years13:46 – TV vs. digital pitching & proof of performance18:21 – Case study: pitching a data/survey story the smart way22:42 – Shrinking newsrooms & the rise of AI pitching risks31:37 – Newsjacking: how to make any brand newsworthy39:07 – Campaign trail stories & working with Steve Laffey45:14 – Final advice & where to find MikeGuest: Mike Fahey, Founder, Fahey Communications: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mifahey/https://www.faheycomm.com/https://www.buzzstream.com/listiq/See the full transcript: https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/newsrooms-with-mike-fahey/👍 Like this episode, subscribe for more, and share it with your PR colleagues.💬 Have a question for Mike? Drop it in the comments — we'll pass it along.

How do you show up in AI answers when there's no keyword to rank for and no click to track?

Vince Nero talks with Dixon Jones — Majestic brand ambassador and CEO of Inlinks and Waikay ("What AI Knows About You") — about measuring and improving how LLMs understand your brand.

They cover topical presence, brand hallucinations, share of voice, and the role of digital PR in the AI era.

⏰ Timestamps:

00:06 — Intro

02:30 — What Waikay means (and why the name matters)

03:08 — Why Waikay didn't copy "rank checking for AI"

05:00 — Knowledge graphs: matching your website to what AI knows

13:51 — Why small, focused brands can still win

15:39 — Keeping your brand message consistent everywhere

21:20 — Why it's so hard to "turn the ship" on legacy AI data

22:05 — Topical presence, explained in depth

26:10 — Bagging prompts into groups and finding coverage gaps

29:00 — The listicle resurgence and why LLMs lean on third parties

30:00 — Why LLMs lack a PageRank-style quality signal

34:26 — Final takeaway: get everyone aligned on one message

🔗 Try Waikay: https://waikay.io

🔗 Inlinks: https://inlinks.com

🔗 Connect with Dixon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dixonjones/

🔗 See the whole post: https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/dixon-jones-podcast/

🔗 Check out List IQ, BuzzStream's AI-powered media list building tool for digital PR: https://www.buzzstream.com/listiq/

Like, subscribe, and drop your questions in the comments.

Kevin Indig — growth advisor and author of the Growth Memo newsletter — joins the Buzzstream Podcast to break down two of his biggest recent findings:

• the "ghost citation" problem
• why proprietary research is becoming one of the most powerful levers in AI search and digital PR.

We cover why AI mentions matter more than citations, how Google Search Console's new AI visibility data actually works, why search rank is still the "skeleton" of AI search, and how brands can use first-party data and newsjacking to win attention in an AI-first world.

⏰Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro

02:28 – What is a "ghost citation"?

04:19 – Google Search Console's new AI visibility data

05:44 – Citations vs. mentions: which matters more?

08:24 – How should small brands prioritize this?

11:55 – The "traffic prison" mindset problem

13:28 – Is SEO dead?

15:22 – Why digital PR is more important than ever

17:22 – Proprietary research & the "information gain" study

25:00 – Distribution: proprietary data isn't enough on its own

27:47 – Newsjacking and owning the conversation

31:55 – The two biggest brand mistakes in the AI era

🔗Links:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinindig/

• https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/kevin-indig-2-podcast/
• https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/topical-authority-podcast/
• https://www.growth-memo.com/
• https://www.growth-memo.com/p/why-proprietary-data-is-your-most

• https://www.growth-memo.com/p/the-ghost-citation-problem

🐝

ListIQ: https://www.buzzstream.com/listiq/

Mark Williams-Cook and Jack Chambers-Ward from Candour join the show to dig into what's actually changing in SEO and digital PR right now.

They are not the recycled takes, the mechanics underneath them: how AI query fan-outs actually work, why brand mentions might matter more than links for showing up in AI answers, what Google's core updates are really punishing, and why the agencies that share the most tend to win the most trust.

⏰ Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro & welcom

02:38 – Why extracurriculars matter (diving, boxing, comics, podcasting)

07:55 – How Candour decides what makes the Core Updates newsletter

12:31 – Does digital PR actually help you show up in AI answers?

14:37 – Query fan-outs, token probability, and the new mechanics of visibility

19:42 – What "brand" really means in the AI search era

24:36 – Life running an SEO podcast, and the industry's yearly "themes"

33:37 – How closely should you actually watch core updates?

38:37 – Is Google deprioritizing spam-fighting for AI? Black hat vs. white hat, programmatic SEO fallout

44:19 – Do clients know when they've been cutting corners?

48:26 – Why Candour gives away the "secret sauce"

56:49 – Search Norwich XL, and where to find Mark & Jack

🔗 Candour: https://withcandour.co.uk/

📩 Core Updates newsletter: https://coreupdates.com/

🎙️ Search With Candour podcast:

https://withcandour.co.uk/podcast

📅 SearchNorwichXL — Sept 24, 2026: https://searchnorwich.org/

Full post here: https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/candour-podcast/

Building your own media list for digital PR?

ListIQ pulls journalist emails, bios, and recent articles straight from Google News, so you're not doing that research by hand: https://www.buzzstream.com/listiq/

There's a narrative in PR that sensitive health topics — fertility, hormones, menopause, infant health — are just harder to pitch, full stop.

Irina Karelina, founder of Fungi PR, has spent a decade proving that's not quite right.

In this episode, Irina breaks down how her agency turned a hormone-literacy campaign for Mira into over a billion media impressions and six awards — without ever putting the product at the center of the pitch.

We get into why journalists ignore evergreen problems, the counterintuitive data insight that outperformed the obvious one, and how she navigates the privacy line when pitching real user stories on deeply personal topics.If you work in digital PR, link building, or content marketing and you've ever struggled to make a "boring" or sensitive topic newsworthy, this one's for you.

⏰ Timestamps

00:00 - Intro

04:48 - What actually makes these topics hard to pitch

08:37 - Case study: Carrot Fertility & Evvy's "Equal Research Day"

13:19 - Tactical breakdown: awareness weeks, the hormone tester stunt

14:42 - Quick-turn campaigns: COVID vaccine and GLP-1 drugs

16:53 - Finding trends through social listening

18:48 - The biggest mindset shift

21:14 - Common mistakes PRs make with data pitches

24:19 - Handling sensitive topics without exploiting sources

28:47 - Bridging the gap between PR and marketing teams

30:41 - Building trust with client teams as a freelancer

😀 Connect with Irina Karelina:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karelina/?locale=en-US

• Fungi PR: https://fungipr.com/

🐝 Try ListIQ (AI-powered media list building):https://www.buzzstream.com/listiq/ — get free credits when you sign up

🔗 See the full episode: https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/sensitive-pr-podcast/

🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with digital PR and link building practitioners.

Cyrus Shepard is back on the BuzzStream Podcast to break down his AI Citation Ranking Factors study, a deep dive into dozens of research papers on what actually gets a brand cited by AI.

We talk through why URL accessibility still trips people up, why domain authority barely correlates with AI citations, why llms.txt has zero evidence behind it (yet), and why your "About Us" page might be more important than ever.

⏰ TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 – Intro

2:06 – Citations vs. mentions: which one actually matters?

7:03 – Ranking factor #1: URL accessibility

9:00 – Search rank and "fan-out" rank explained

11:15 – Query answer match and intent format match

13:00 – The truth about llms.txt

16:29 – Writing for AI vs. writing for people

19:46 – The "skyscraper" reversal and Gemini's citation budget

22:07 – Why your About Us page matters more than ever

25:16 – Domain authority barely correlates with AI citations

27:41 – Will Google crack down on mention spam?

29:30 – Trust as the new SEO currency

32:42 – Cyrus's elevator pitch for showing up in AI

🔗 LINKS:

• Read Cyrus's full study on Zyppy Signal: https://signal.zyppy.com/p/ai-citation-ranking-factors

• Check out ListIQ, BuzzStream's media list building tool: https://www.buzzstream.com/listiq

• Connect with Cyrus on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyrusshepard/

• See the full post: https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/ai-citation-ranking-factors-podcast/

If you found this useful, subscribe for more conversations on SEO, digital PR, and AI search — and drop any questions for Cyrus in the comments; we'll get them answered.

There's a lot of noise right now about how to show up in AI search. Listicles, prompt injection widgets, fake expert commentary — a lot of it is working.

For now.

Lily Ray (VP of SEO Strategy at Amsiv, named #1 most influential SEO expert by USA Today) has spent years doing recovery work for sites burned by past algorithm updates.

That gives her a very different take than most.

In this episode:

00:00 – Intro

02:24 – How Lily thinks about Google announcements and GEO advice

06:30 – Does LLMs.txt actually matter?

09:47 – What E-E-A-T really is (and isn't)

12:34 – How closely to follow the Search Quality Rater Guidelines

15:14 – The riskiest tactics people are doing right now

18:57 – Fake experts, fake personas, and the listicle problem

22:00 – Is there a silver bullet for AI search visibility?

25:21 – Is digital PR heading for a Penguin-style crackdown?

28:39 – How to build lasting AI visibility the right way

Find Lily:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-ray-44755615/
• Substack: https://lilyraynyc.substack.com/

Links mentioned:

• Google Search Quality Rater Guidelines: https://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/hsw-sqrg.pdf
• ListIQ: www.buzzstream.com/listiq/

In this episode, SEO veteran Kevin Gibbons (founder of Resignal) and digital PR expert Darren Kingman (founder of Root Digital) share why they joined forces and how SEO and digital PR work better together.

Discover practical insights on tying campaigns to products, proving ROI through revenue, building link reputation, and avoiding vanity metrics in the modern search landscape.

⏰ Chapters

[00:00] Introduction

[01:24] Why Resignal Expanded Into Digital PR

[05:46] Why Root Digital Joined Forces

[06:45] The Synergy Between SEO and Digital PR

[09:17] Surveying Clients: Why Digital PR Was the Fit

[11:17] Links for Links' Sake vs. Brand-Led PR

[14:54] Should Campaigns Be Tied to Specific Products?

[17:28] Commercial Angle, PR Hook & SEO Value

[18:43] Vanity Metrics and Client Pushback

[20:57] The Paris Syndrome Campaign: A Case Study

[23:07] Drawing the Through-Line From PR to Rankings

[27:36] Why Revenue Is the KPI

[32:02] The "1,000 Links a Month" Problem

[34:11] When a Brand Doesn't Need Links

[38:50] Merging Two Agencies: Navigating Differences

[44:47] Where to Find Kevin & Darren

🔗 Links

Resignal - https://resignal.com

Root Digital - https://rootdigital.co.uk

ListIQ Media List Builder - https://buzzstream.com/listiq

International digital PR is something I don't have much experience with, so this was a fun one to record.

I sat down with Libby Windle and Eirini Theodoridou of Connective3 to dig into what it actually takes to run digital PR across borders.

We talk building a team, ideating for different markets, and pitching to journalists who all work differently depending on where they are.

We also get into why native speakers are non-negotiable, why the city-index campaign is running out of road, what content lands in Europe versus the US, and how to keep up with trends across a dozen different media landscapes.🔗 Links and resources

Check out Connective3: https://connective3.com/

Connect with Libby and Erini on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/eirinitheodoridou/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/libby-windle-9497b486/

Try List IQ, our AI-powered media list building tool:

https://www.buzzstream.com/listiq/

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Intro

02:16 – How Connective3 got into international PR

08:09 – Building a team with native experts

12:19 – Ideating & pitching for different markets

16:54 – The tactical differences between countries

25:30 – Starting from scratch: team & content strategy

33:32 – Are city-index campaigns played out?

39:18 – Where to expand first from the UK

43:45 – Keeping up with trends across markets

48:53 – Final advice for going international

Like, subscribe, and share with your colleagues 🙏