Small Business PR

SEO Isn’t Enough: How to Get Your Small Business Found + Recommended by AI

Your next customer may not find you on Instagram or even traditional Google search. They may ask ChatGPT or another AI tool what to buy—and your brand needs to show up in that answer.

In this episode, I break down SEO, AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) + EEAT in simple terms and share what small product-based businesses can do NOW to become easier for Google and AI to find, understand + recommend.

You’ll learn:

✨ Why AI search is changing how customers discover products
✨ The difference between SEO, AEO + GEO
✨ How to make your product pages easier for AI to understand
✨ Why FAQs can help your products appear in answers
✨ How to use clear product descriptions instead of vague marketing language
✨ Why reviews, press features + a press page build trust with AI
✨ How to optimize your product images for search
✨ Why consistent PR mentions—even from smaller publications, blogs + podcasts—matter for AI visibility

You don’t need to overhaul your entire website or become an SEO expert. Start with your best-selling product, make it clear what it is, who it’s for + why it’s different, and build the trust signals AI is looking for.

Because the brands building authority now have an opportunity to become the brands AI recommends later.

Resources Mentioned:

Join Gloria Chou’s PR Community: Small Biz Pros by Gloria Chou
https://www.facebook.com/groups/428633254951941

Ready to get your small business more visible, credible, and discovered? Watch my FREE PR Secrets Masterclass to learn how to start getting featured without hiring an expensive PR agency:
www.gloriachoupr.com/masterclass

Additional Resources:

Connect with me on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/gloriachoupr/

Send us Fan Mail

What actually happens after you send a journalist a pitch? And what does it take to become the kind of source they come back to again and again?

 With 23+ years of experience as a TV correspondent and journalist, Amy takes us behind the scenes of what journalists are really thinking when your pitch lands in their inbox and what small business owners need to know to stand out.

We’re talking about everything from why journalists don't respond (and what might actually be happening behind the scenes) to the very different timelines for TV, digital, and print media.

Amy also shares timely advice for holiday gift guide pitching, how to become a reliable source journalists trust, and what actually happens after you get booked for a feature.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What’s happening behind the scenes when a journalist doesn’t respond to your pitch
• How to become a reliable, go-to source for journalists
• The pitching timelines and deadlines you need to know for TV vs. digital and print
• Holiday gift guide pitching tips
• What happens after a journalist says YES and books you for a feature
• How to better prepare yourself and your brand for bigger media opportunities

If getting featured on TV, in gift guides, and in major media feels mysterious, this conversation gives you a rare look at the process directly from the journalist’s side of the inbox.

Resources Mentioned:

Join Gloria Chou’s PR Community: Small Biz Pros by Gloria Chou
https://www.facebook.com/groups/428633254951941

Ready to get your small business more visible, credible, and discovered? Watch my FREE PR Secrets Masterclass to learn how to start getting featured without hiring an expensive PR agency:
www.gloriachoupr.com/masterclass

Additional Resources:

Connect with me on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/gloriachoupr/

Send us Fan Mail

What actually makes a journalist choose your product for TV — and what makes them immediately pass?

In this episode, I’m joined by Amy Goodman, a veteran TV journalist with 20+ years of media experience who currently contributes to TODAY.

Amy pulls back the curtain on how products get discovered and selected for major TV segments, what journalists are actually looking for in a pitch, and what small business owners can do to stand out — even if they don’t have a publicist or a huge brand behind them.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

✨ What makes a product stand out to a TV journalist
✨ What journalists actually want to see in your pitch
✨ The pitching mistakes that can lead to an immediate “no”
✨ What makes a founder or brand someone journalists want to work with
✨ How to make your small business more compelling to major media
✨ What separates a good product pitch from one that gets ignored

If you’ve ever dreamed of seeing your product featured on TODAY or primetime TV, this episode gives you a behind-the-scenes look at what it actually takes to get noticed — straight from a journalist who does this every day.

------------------------------------------

💜 Ready to stop guessing and start getting featured? Join the Get Featured Accelerator — my step-by-step PR program that gives you the tools, media opportunities, journalist access, and support to pitch yourself and get your business seen: https://www.getfeaturedaccelerator.com/

🎥 Watch the #1 PR Secrets Masterclass: https://www.gloriachoupr.com/masterclass

📣 Join Gloria Chou’s Small Biz PR Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/428633254951941

📲 Follow Gloria on Instagram for PR tips, media opportunities + behind-the-scenes: https://www.instagram.com/gloriachoupr/

Send us Fan Mail

Want to get your product featured in a holiday gift guide, shopping roundup, or product recommendation article?

In this episode, Gloria Chou sits down with shopping editor and journalist Emily Cieslak to break down what actually makes a product pitch stand out — and what causes journalists to immediately pass.

Emily shares the journalist’s perspective on pitching products for shopping guides, including how to prepare before you pitch, what editors are really looking for, the mistakes small business founders make most often, and how to build genuine relationships with journalists before and after hitting send.

If you’re a product founder preparing for holiday gift guide season — or you want more earned media coverage for your brand throughout the year — this episode will help you understand how shopping editors think and how to make your pitches easier to say yes to.

Topics We Discuss in This Episode:

•  How to pitch your product for gift guides and shopping guides
•  What shopping editors actually look for in product pitches 
•  How to prepare your brand before reaching out to journalists 
•  What separates a strong product pitch from one that gets ignored 
•  Common pitching mistakes product founders make 
•  How to build relationships with journalists without being pushy 
•  What to do before and after sending your pitch 
•  How small businesses can increase their chances of earning media coverage 

Ready to Get Featured?

Want to stop guessing which journalists to pitch and start getting your products in front of the right media opportunities?

Join Gloria inside the Get Featured Accelerator, where product founders get access to current PR opportunities, AI-powered pitching tools, journalist insights, and the support to turn media visibility into an ongoing system for their business.

👉 Learn more about the Get Featured Accelerator:
https://www.getfeaturedaccelerator.com/

Free Resources

🎁 Get current PR opportunities + learn how to pitch your product:
gloriachoupr.com/masterclass

💜 Join Gloria’s Small Business PR Community:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/428633254951941

📲 Follow Gloria on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/gloriachoupr/

Send us Fan Mail

Want to get your product featured in holiday gift guides, product roundups, and online magazines — without paying for ads or hiring a PR agency?

In this episode of the Small Business PR Podcast, PR expert Gloria Chou breaks down how small businesses and product-based founders can pitch journalists and get their products considered for gift guides and shopping roundups. You'll learn when to start pitching for Q4 and the holidays, how to choose the right product and seasonal angle, and why your pitch should focus on relevance rather than sounding like a product catalog. 

Gloria also explains the difference between pitching print and digital publications, why September is an important time to prepare your holiday PR strategy, and why opportunities can continue into October, November, and even December for last-minute gift guides. 

In this episode, you'll learn:

•  How to get your product featured in gift guides and product roundups 
•  When to pitch holiday gift guides and Q4 media 
•  How to create a timely, seasonal product angle 
•  Whether you need to send journalists free product samples 
•  How to use product photos, videos, and demos in your PR outreach 
•  How to research the right journalists before pitching 
•  Why digital media features can help generate backlinks, website traffic, and search visibility  

Whether you sell on Shopify, Etsy, Amazon, or your own ecommerce website, this episode will help you build a smarter holiday PR strategy and confidently pitch your products to journalists, editors, and shopping writers.

Want to get your products featured in holiday gift guides + discovered by more shoppers and AI?

Join my FREE Live Holiday Gift Guide Masterclass on September 14, 15, or 16. I’ll show you how to get your products in front of magazine editors, into holiday gift guides, and discovered by more shoppers + AI — without posting every day or pouring more money into ads.

🎁 Join the FREE live masterclass:
👉 Save your spot here

💬 Join my Small Biz PR Facebook Group for weekly PR tips, media opportunities, gift guide opportunities, and AI visibility strategies.

📩 DM “PITCH” on Instagram to get my free pitching guide:
Follow Gloria Chou PR on Instagram

🤝 Connect with me on LinkedIn:
Gloria Chou on LinkedIn

Send us Fan Mail

Want to get your product featured in holiday gift guides, product roundups, and online publications?

In this episode, PR coach Gloria Chou breaks down how small business owners and product-based brands can pitch journalists and land organic PR features without a PR agency or industry connections.

You’ll learn:

• The different types of gift guides your products can fit into, from price and recipient to lifestyle, occasion, and product category

• How to use Perplexity and AI to uncover relevant gift guide angles, consumer trends, and the products most likely to get featured

• How to choose the right products or SKUs to pitch instead of overwhelming journalists with your entire catalog

• Where to find journalists actively looking for products and expert sources

• What to include in a product PR pitch, including samples, shipping information, pricing, photos, affiliate links, and where your product is sold

• When to pitch print vs. digital holiday gift guides and why it may not be too late to get featured

• How organic PR features can help your brand become more visible and recommended across Google and AI search platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Claude

Whether you sell on Etsy, Amazon, your own website, or in retail stores, you’ll walk away knowing how to make your products easier for journalists to discover, feature, and recommend.

Want to get your products featured in gift guides, roundups, and the media?

In my free PR & AI Visibility Masterclass, I’ll show you how to find the right PR angles, pitch journalists, and earn organic media features without hiring a PR agency — so your business can get discovered in Google and AI search and become a brand AI recommends.

🎓 Watch the free masterclass:
👉 https://www.gloriachoupr.com/masterclass

💬 Join my Small Biz PR Facebook Group for weekly PR tips, media opportunities, gift guide opportunities, and AI visibility strategies.

📩 DM "PITCH" on Instagram to get my free pitching guide:
https://www.instagram.com/gloriachoupr

🤝 Connect with me on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gloriaychou

Send us Fan Mail

How do you prepare your product-based business for Q4 before the holiday rush begins? In this episode, Gloria Chou talks with Jacqueline Snyder, founder of The Product Boss, about using slower months to audit your bestsellers, identify your hero products, simplify your offers, and build a sales and launch plan before the busiest shopping season. They also discuss why physical products still have an advantage in an AI-driven world and how PR and consistent visibility can help your brand stand out.  

You’ll learn how to simplify what you sell, decide what to promote, plan ahead for holiday sales, and build a product brand people remember and buy from.

That description is short enough for podcast platforms while giving Google and AI engines very clear entities/topics: Q4, product-based business, holiday sales, hero products, PR, AI, The Product Boss, Jacqueline Snyder, and Gloria Chou.

Want your business to become the one AI recommends?
In my free AI Visibility Masterclass, I'll show you how small business owners are using PR, media features, and credibility signals to increase their AI visibility, earn press without hiring a PR agency, and get discovered by customers at the exact moment they're ready to buy.

🎓 Watch the free masterclass:
👉 https://www.gloriachoupr.com/masterclass

💬 Join my Small Biz PR Facebook Group for weekly PR tips, media opportunities, and AI visibility strategies.

📩 DM "PITCH" on Instagram to get my free pitching guide:
https://www.instagram.com/gloriachoupr

🤝 Connect with me on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gloriaychou

Send us Fan Mail

Want to get your product into retail stores but don’t know how to find buyers, pitch them, or prove your brand is retail-ready?

In this episode of Small Business PR, Gloria Chou sits down with Alli Ball, founder of Food Biz Wiz, who has helped more than 3,500 CPG brands get onto retail shelves and generate over $1 billion in revenue.

Alli breaks down exactly what retail buyers are looking for—and why getting the first purchase order is only the beginning.

You’ll learn:

• The 5 Ps retail buyers evaluate: product, pricing, placement, purchasing, and promotion
• How to find retail buyers without paying for outdated buyer lists
• How to use AI tools like Perplexity and Claude to research potential retailers and buyer contacts
• What to include in a retail buyer pitch (and what makes buyers ignore you)
• Why small brands should start with local and regional retailers before trying to land national chains
• The pricing mistake that can prevent your brand from scaling
• How to drive sales once your product actually hits retail shelves
• Why every buyer pitch needs a specific call to action
• How often to follow up—and why Alli recommends following up until you get a yes or no

Whether you’re a CPG founder, product-based business, or small brand trying to get into retail stores, this episode gives you a practical roadmap for finding buyers, pitching your product, getting onto shelves, and turning that first retail placement into repeat orders.

Connect with Alli Ball:
Instagram: @foodbizwiz
DM her “rebuttal” for her 100 Buyer No’s guide.

Want your business to become the one AI recommends?
In my free AI Visibility Masterclass, I'll show you how small business owners are using PR, media features, and credibility signals to increase their AI visibility, earn press without hiring a PR agency, and get discovered by customers at the exact moment they're ready to buy.

🎓 Watch the free masterclass:
👉 https://www.gloriachoupr.com/masterclass

💬 Join my Small Biz PR Facebook Group for weekly PR tips, media opportunities, and AI visibility strategies.

📩 DM "PITCH" on Instagram to get my free pitching guide:
https://www.instagram.com/gloriachoupr

🤝 Connect with me on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gloriaychou

Send us Fan Mail

How much of the way you run your business is shaped by patterns you learned long before becoming an entrepreneur?

In this deeply personal episode, we explore the connection between personal healing, psychedelic experiences, entrepreneurship, leadership, and self-awareness. The conversation looks at how unresolved fear, scarcity, trauma, and expectations around success can influence the way entrepreneurs make decisions, build relationships, lead, and grow their businesses. 

You’ll learn:

•  How personal healing can impact the way you lead and run your business
•  Why old patterns around scarcity, fear, control, and success can follow us into entrepreneurship 
•  How psychedelic experiences can create space for self-reflection and greater awareness
•  Why self-love, surrender, and gratitude are recurring themes in the healing journey 
•  How cultural expectations and traditional ideas of masculinity and success can shape identity 
•  The importance of nervous system regulation, breathwork, and daily practices
•  How changing yourself can create ripple effects across your relationships, family, leadership, and business 

This is an honest conversation about doing the inner work behind entrepreneurship—and what can happen when personal growth changes not only how you see yourself, but how you show up in your life and business.

Disclaimer: This episode shares personal experiences and reflections only. It is not medical advice or a recommendation to use psychedelics.

Send us Fan Mail

How do products actually get featured in magazines year-round—not just during the holidays?

In this episode, Gloria sits down with Ruby McAuliffe Ford-Dunker, freelance journalist whose work has appeared in Vogue, ELLE, Marie Claire, Refinery29, Who What Wear, Brides, and more, to break down how founders can use trends, seasonality, and timely angles to land editorial coverage.

Ruby shares exactly how editors and freelance writers decide what's newsworthy, where they spot emerging trends, and why you don't need a celebrity endorsement or thousands of followers to get featured.

In this episode, you'll learn:

•  How to identify trends before they're saturated 
•  When to pitch seasonal stories (and when it's already too late) 
•  The difference between long-lead and short-lead editors 
•  Where journalists actually find story ideas 
•  Whether affiliate links are required for magazine features 
•  How to approach product samples—especially for high-ticket items 
•  The right way (and right time) to follow up on your pitch 
•  Subject line tips that help your email get opened 
•  Why small businesses have just as much opportunity to be featured as big brands 

Whether you're launching a beauty brand, fashion label, home product, or lifestyle business, this episode will help you think like an editor and pitch stories that feel relevant all year long.

Connect with Ruby:
Instagram: @rubymcauliffe

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another founder who's ready to earn more press. 


Ready to get your products featured in magazines?

In my free PR Masterclass, I'll show you how small business owners land press in outlets like Vogue, Forbes, and Real Simple—without hiring a PR agency or having a big following.

🎓 Watch the free masterclass:
👉 https://www.gloriachoupr.com/masterclass

💬 Join my Small Biz PR Facebook Group for weekly PR tips, media opportunities, and AI visibility strategies.

📩 DM "PITCH" on Instagram to get my free pitching guide:
https://www.instagram.com/gloriachoupr

🤝 Connect with me on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gloriaychou

Send us Fan Mail