The Agency Growth Podcast

**Cold Open (Our Advice to a Redditor // Google Local Service Ads are Changing)**

**Skip the Cold Open at 16:15**

Our agency has been working on two very big things that are fundamentally changing how digital marketing agencies operate. We talked about one of those things in episode 123.

This time, we're tackling server-side tracking -- specifically with Google's "Enhanced Conversions".

The days of accurate paid media reporting are coming to an end with privacy regulations and tech companies blocking the ability to track user actions after engaging with an ad.

This era breathes life into what's known as server-side tracking and attribution. However, no one seems to be talking about it right now.

But we are.

And that's what we're focusing on. We believe server-side tracking is what's going to set the agencies of tomorrow up for success and leave agencies and freelancers behind who are still relying on lead ads, webhooks, and pixels to report conversions to clients.

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Our recommended agency tools:

everbrospodcast.com/recommended-tools/

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As always, if you enjoyed this episode or this podcast in general and want to leave us a review or rating, head over to Apple and let us know what you like! It helps us get found and motivates us to keep producing this free content.

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Want to connect with us? Reach out to us on the everbrospodcast.com website, subscribe to us on YouTube, or connect with us on socials:

YouTube: @agencyu

Twitter/X: @theagency_u

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/agencyu

Facebook: facebook.com/theagencyu

Instagram: @theagencyu

Reddit: r/agency & u/JakeHundley

TikTok: @agency.u

Since the release of Chat GPT 2 years ago, we have seen a surge in AI-related tools and content.

AI allowed creators to pump out content at 1000x the rate they were and at 1/1000th the cost. The content was good, too. Over time, it became detectable just by reading it.

Jon Gillham from Originiality.ai joins us on this episode to talk about the efficacy of AI content detection, when it's applicable, and why it's an important tool as AI content is continually used to pump out massive amounts of content.

We ask Jon what his thoughts are on false positives his tool and other tools spit out and how that affects real people like journalists. We also discuss if there is an over-reliance on these tools to sus out suspected AI content or if these are simply meant to be tools and not the judge and jury.

Check out Originality.ai or find Jon on LinkedIn at:

linkedin.com/in/jon-gillham-80912a14a/

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Our recommended agency tools:

everbrospodcast.com/recommended-tools/

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As always, if you enjoyed this episode or this podcast in general and want to leave us a review or rating, head over to Apple and let us know what you like! It helps us get found and motivates us to keep producing this free content.

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Want to connect with us? Reach out to us on the everbrospodcast.com website, subscribe to us on YouTube, or connect with us on socials:

YouTube: @agencyu

Twitter/X: @theagency_u

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/agencyu

Facebook: facebook.com/theagencyu

Instagram: @theagencyu

Reddit: u/JakeHundley

TikTok: @agency.u

**Skip to the HighLevel discussion at 36:58**

A listener of the podcast has a bone to pick with us (Jake) on our position with High Level.

Josh Kimmes owns a digital marketing agency called Bear North Digital up in Superior, Wisconsin who uses High Level as his agency's primary tech stack.

We grill Josh on his whole agency journey, his business model, and his agency's size. Meanwhile, Josh makes the case for why High Level is the best agency tool on the market.

Find Josh at bearnorthdigital.com or on LinkedIn:

linkedin.com/in/joshuakimmes/

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Our recommended agency tools:

everbrospodcast.com/recommended-tools/

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As always, if you enjoyed this episode or this podcast in general and want to leave us a review or rating, head over to Apple and let us know what you like! It helps us get found and motivates us to keep producing this free content.

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

Want to connect with us? Reach out to us on the everbrospodcast.com website, subscribe to us on YouTube, or connect with us on socials:

YouTube: @agencyu

Twitter/X: @theagency_u

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/agencyu

Facebook: facebook.com/theagencyu

Instagram: @theagencyu

Reddit: u/JakeHundley

TikTok: @agency.u

**Cold Open (Someone told Cody our podcast was bad... to his face)**

**Skip the Cold Open at 25:44**

It's not looking good for the world's most widely used website builder. WordPress' founder, Matt Mullenweg, attacked WP Engine the other week and WP Engine sent Matt a cease and desist.

If you're not in the website-building community or manage websites, that's okay -- we'll give you the backstory.

Basically the #1 website builder is going after the #1 website host that hosts that website builder and the fallout is nuclear (pun intended).

There are a couple of things we get wrong in this episode -- like Automattic doesn't own the WordPress Foundation (however, Matt does own both).

Jake actually made a pretty detailed YouTube video covering everything. You can find that here:

https://youtu.be/hi7GaDqpFuQ?si=0pxw52X61C-PoVJ-

In this episode, we weigh in on the whole situation giving our thoughts.

Do you share the same thoughts as us? Let us know.

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Our recommended agency tools:

everbrospodcast.com/recommended-tools/

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As always, if you enjoyed this episode or this podcast in general and want to leave us a review or rating, head over to Apple and let us know what you like! It helps us get found and motivates us to keep producing this free content.

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

Want to connect with us? Reach out to us on the everbrospodcast.com website, subscribe to us on YouTube, or connect with us on socials:

YouTube: @agencyu

Twitter/X: @theagency_u

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/agencyu

Facebook: facebook.com/theagencyu

Instagram: @theagencyu

Reddit: r/agency & u/JakeHundley

TikTok: @agency.u

**Cold Open (AMAZON GIFT CARD CHALLENGE TO LISTENERS / Headlines without Context)**

**Skip the Cold Open at 19:50**

We've had to dive down the email rabbit hole. Exploring SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and SMTP solutions.

Why?

Because our job is to deliver leads to our clients. When someone fills out a form on our client's site, in order for us to properly get credit for that lead, the client needs to be alerted immediately.

However, as 2024 comes to a close, the website and digital marketing space has been plagued by email deliverability issues, which include websites sending lead form submissions.

We reflect on what kind of agency we set out to be and how our continued pursuit of being that hands-off agency has led us down the path of becoming technical email deliverability experts.

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Our recommended agency tools:

everbrospodcast.com/recommended-tools/

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As always, if you enjoyed this episode or this podcast in general and want to leave us a review or rating, head over to Apple and let us know what you like! It helps us get found and motivates us to keep producing this free content.

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

Want to connect with us? Reach out to us on the everbrospodcast.com website, subscribe to us on YouTube, or connect with us on socials:

YouTube: @agencyu

Twitter/X: @theagency_u

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/agencyu

Facebook: facebook.com/theagencyu

Instagram: @theagencyu

Reddit: r/agency & u/JakeHundley

TikTok: @agency.u

**Cold Open (A listener and guest sent us a gift box -- we taste and rank everything in it)**

**Skip the Cold Open at 13:08**

If you don't have a lawyer and don't know how to write agreements for your agency, perhaps hearing how we write ours will help you craft yours.

Because we need to say it, we're not lawyers. Our agreements are not airtight. But they work for us.

We give practical advice for writing your agreements to make sure clients don't take advantage of you as well as helping you set the right expectations for your clients in your agreements.

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Our recommended agency tools:

everbrospodcast.com/recommended-tools/

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As always, if you enjoyed this episode or this podcast in general and want to leave us a review or rating, head over to Apple and let us know what you like! It helps us get found and motivates us to keep producing this free content.

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

Want to connect with us? Reach out to us on the everbrospodcast.com website, follow us on YouTube, or connect with us on socials:

• Twitter/X: @HundleyJake
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jake-hundley/
• Facebook: facebook.com/jake.hundley.1
• Instagram: instagram.com/jakehundley/
• Reddit: u/JakeHundley
• TikTok: @jakehundley

We talk to Andrew Jenkins at Catalyst RVA about his home service agency and how he was able to scale to $15k/mo in recurring profit in under a year.

Does Andrew have a secret to his quick success that we don't know? How long can he sustain that? Does he plan to get any bigger... or can he?

Find out more as we sit down and chat with Andrew over the next hour and a half.

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Our recommended agency tools:

everbrospodcast.com/recommended-tools/

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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As always, if you enjoyed this episode or this podcast in general and want to leave us a review or rating, head over to Apple and let us know what you like! It helps us get found and motivates us to keep producing this free content.

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

Want to connect with us? Reach out to us on the everbrospodcast.com website, follow us on YouTube, or connect with us on socials:

YouTube: @everbros

Twitter/X: @theagency_u

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/agencyu

Facebook: facebook.com/theagencyu

Instagram: @theagencyu

Reddit: u/JakeHundley

TikTok: @agency.u

For the first time in over 2 years of doing this podcast, we're covering mental health. Specifically our own experiences with it as agency owners.

We're covering both perspectives of coming into agency ownership with pre-existing mental health issues as well as developed ones from the natural stressors that come with operating an agency and business in general.

We both deal with our own very separate issues. It's not just depression. It's anxiety, imposter syndrome, body dysmorphia, anger, and more.

If you're struggling with something, perhaps hearing our own story and struggles will help in some way.

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Our recommended agency tools:

everbrospodcast.com/recommended-tools/

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

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As always, if you enjoyed this episode or this podcast in general and want to leave us a review or rating, head over to Apple and let us know what you like! It helps us get found and motivates us to keep producing this free content.

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

Want to connect with us? Reach out to us on the everbrospodcast.com website, follow us on YouTube, or connect with us on socials:

• Twitter/X: @HundleyJake
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jake-hundley/
• Facebook: facebook.com/jake.hundley.1
• Instagram: instagram.com/jakehundley/
• Reddit: u/JakeHundley
• TikTok: @jakehundley

**Skip the fun stuff and get to the meat of the episode at 21:26**

The number one problem agencies seem to struggle with is getting clients. They often blame competition or not having a good enough value prop. But that's rarely actually the case.

Lacking basic business, marketing, and sales fundamentals is what's killing agencies and causing them to spin their wheels.

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Our recommended agency tools:

everbrospodcast.com/recommended-tools/

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

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As always, if you enjoyed this episode or this podcast in general and want to leave us a review or rating, head over to Apple and let us know what you like! It helps us get found and motivates us to keep producing this free content.

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

Want to connect with us? Reach out to us on the everbrospodcast.com website, follow us on YouTube, or connect with us on socials:

• Twitter/X: @HundleyJake
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jake-hundley/
• Facebook: facebook.com/jake.hundley.1
• Instagram: instagram.com/jakehundley/
• Reddit: u/JakeHundley
• TikTok: @jakehundley

We're joined by Lindsay Halsey of Pathfinder SEO. Lindsay also owns her own SEO and PPC agency with her partner, Lori Calcott, called Webshine.

Pathfinder SEO is a tool developed by Lindsay and Lori, to not only use in their own agency, but also help other agency owners learn the fundamentals of SEO as well as create standardized SEO processes and procedural SEO documentation.

Get 30% off your first 3 months with code: EVERBROS

pathfinderseo.com

SEO is one of the hardest things to productize, package, and scale as an agency especially if you're not a niche agency.

Lindsay gives us tips on how to package and productize SEO services so you can increase your recurring revenue, close more web design projects, and build long-term relationships with your customers.

You can reach out to Linsday directly at [email protected] and at [email protected].

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Our recommended agency tools:

everbrospodcast.com/recommended-tools/

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

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As always, if you enjoyed this episode or this podcast in general and want to leave us a review or rating, head over to Apple and let us know what you like! It helps us get found and motivates us to keep producing this free content.

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

Want to connect with us? Reach out to us on the everbrospodcast.com website, follow us on YouTube, or connect with Jake on socials:

YouTube: @everbros

Twitter/X: @HundleyJake

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jake-hundley/

Facebook: facebook.com/jake.hundley.1

Instagram: instagram.com/jakehundley/

Reddit: u/JakeHundley

TikTok: @jakehundley