“Our content should be worth someone’s time—and money,” says David Ebner, founder & CEO of Content Workshop

In this episode of The Content Cocktail Hour, David J. Ebner, founder & CEO of Content Workshop, returns to chat with Jonathan Gandolf about the evolving expectations for content in a post-AI world. David shares why content should meet a new “threshold of value”—so good people would willingly pay for it—and explains how this mindset influences everything from newsletters to long-form assets. He also unpacks the tension between automation and authenticity, why “moral marketing” matters, and how brands can embrace SEO and backlinks even in a zero-click search environment. If you’re feeling stuck on the AI content hamster wheel, this episode offers a compelling case for slowing down and zigging when everyone else is zagging.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. How to create content that earns attention and trust
2. Why brands should rethink the ROI of SEO and backlinks
3. How to frame content creation as a moral decision, not just a metric



Resources:

Connect with Jonathan Gandolf on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-gandolf/

Explore AudiencePlus: https://audienceplus.com

Connect with David Ebner on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjebner

Visit Content Workshop: https://contentworkshop.com

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(01:06) David’s background and the origin of Content Workshop

(03:27) Ube mocktails and scaling back on drinking

(04:01) Why content should be worth paying for

(06:13) Valuing time and attention in the age of AI

(08:21) The ROI of high-value content

(09:57) Content libraries as recurring revenue assets

(11:21) Real examples of premium content from David’s team

(12:03) Give away the secret sauce

(13:54) Standing out with quality, not just quantity

(15:55) Why marketers must create with morality in mind

(17:22) Who does your content help—and hurt?

(20:54) David’s unpopular opinion: SEO still matters

(22:24) Why backlinks are more important than ever

(24:10) What generative engines reveal about good SEO

(25:20) How to connect with David and Content Workshop