The Collective

Are you sick and tired of hearing about Generative AI and how different it is than traditional SEO?  If so, this is the episode for you.

In this episode we had Christian Hustle, founder of Woobound Marketing, joined Steve to discuss the evolving landscape of SEO in the age of AI. 

In this convo, they discuss the importance of content creation, the challenges of tracking and reporting in an AI-driven world, and the need for a human touch in digital marketing.  Analytics these days are a nightmare, but we’re in it together! 

They also share their thoughts on the future of link building, the role of digital PR and how platforms like LinkedIn can be significant in maintaining consistency in content production.

Want to learn more about Christian Hustle?  Here’s his agency’s website:

https://woobound.com/

Want to learn more about us and our services? Reach out!

Steve:

https://collective42.com/

Trevor:

https://www.r40collective.com/

#digitalmarketing #ai #aimarketing #ppc #seo #growthhacking #googleads #searchenginemarketing #sem #ga4 #googleanalytics #growthmarketing #demandgen #pmax #performancemax #gtm #tagmanager #marketingagencies #chatgpt #claude #perplexity #llms #openai #aimode #aimax

This episode has a couple funny experiences recently with AI and how it muddies up cold out reach.  

But, the big news is Google’s AI Mode announcement!  The company released their AI Mode experience which looks like an LLM you’re used to with the bland text based experience and not the typical Google Search Results Pages with a ton of blue links.

If you think about it, Google generated one of the most profitable, money printing businesses of all time with their blue link results page…. And now that might be changing forever.

You still have the option to use Classic Google Search with blue links AND testing their AI Mode.  This is a massive shift for Google and you have to give them credit for being their size and still rapidly innovating.

They also announced expansion of AI Overviews and that we will be able to buy ad inventory in both Overviews and AI Mode.  I think this eases a lot of search marketer’s minds! 

Want to learn more about us and our services? Reach out!

Steve:

https://collective42.com/

Trevor:

https://www.r40collective.com/

#digitalmarketing #ai #aimarketing #ppc #seo #growthhacking #googleads #searchenginemarketing #sem #ga4 #googleanalytics #growthmarketing #demandgen #pmax #performancemax #gtm #tagmanager #marketingagencies #chatgpt #claude #perplexity #llms #openai

Trev & Steve discuss the challenges Google faces in promoting its products like Gemini, the implications of AI in advertising, and the ongoing issues with customer service in the ad industry.  If you’ve worked in Google Ads and used their support team, you know what challenges we are talking about!

The guys then explore integrations of e-commerce platforms into LLMs with Perplexities recent announcement of their partnership with PayPal and the overwhelming number of updates in digital marketing, emphasizing the need to discern valuable changes from mere noise. 

The conversation also touches on the evolution of content marketing, particularly the decline of traditional blogs and the importance of maintaining a strong brand reputation amidst the changing landscape.

Anyone who is pitching “Generative AI SEO” is selling snake oil! Lol.

Want to learn more about us and our services? Reach out!

Steve:

https://collective42.com/

Trevor:

https://www.r40collective.com/

#digitalmarketing #ai #aimarketing #ppc #seo #growthhacking #googleads #searchenginemarketing #sem #ga4 #googleanalytics #growthmarketing #demandgen #pmax #performancemax #gtm #tagmanager #marketingagencies #chatgpt #claude #perplexity #llms #openai

Trev & Steve discuss the challenges and realities of agency life, the perception of time in relation to productivity, and the evolving landscape of search engines and advertising in the age of AI. 

They explore the implications of AI on job performance, branding ethics, and the future of Google search amidst increasing competition. The conversation also touches on the societal impact of AI and the balance between digital and analog experiences.

If you run an agency, work in one or do a lot of freelance consulting type work you can absolutely relate to this episode. 

Want to learn more about us and our services? Reach out!

Steve:

https://collective42.com/

Trevor:

https://www.r40collective.com/

#digitalmarketing #ai #aimarketing #ppc #seo #growthhacking #googleads #searchenginemarketing #sem #ga4 #googleanalytics #growthmarketing #demandgen #pmax #performancemax #gtm #tagmanager #marketingagencies #chatgpt #claude #perplexity #llms #openai

Trev & Steve go down the rabbit hole of exploring the evolving landscape of digital marketing, particularly focusing on the impact of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT on lead generation and SEO. 

Steve had a couple legit leads pull through his site that were influenced by ChatGPT queries where C42 ranked well in those LLM sessions.  He then had a conversation with ChatGPT about ranking factors for websites and presented the weighted factors in these results.  Turns out ranking in LLMs stem from best practice SEO tactics that have been established for years. 

Essentially if you have a business or consult for other businesses and want to better understand how sites rank in LLMs and how we’re approaching this, this is the episode for you. 

Want to learn more about us and our services? Reach out!

Steve:

https://collective42.com/

Trevor:

https://www.r40collective.com/

#digitalmarketing #ai #aimarketing #ppc #seo #growthhacking #googleads #searchenginemarketing #sem #ga4 #googleanalytics #growthmarketing #demandgen #pmax #performancemax #gtm #tagmanager #marketingagencies #chatgpt #claude #perplexity #llms #openai

Trev got married so Steve & Ricardo held it down!

The guys mainly discuss the challenges of attribution in e-commerce, particularly after the introduction of iOS 14 and they chat about the evolution of attribution tools & mention a few new SEO tools. 

Conversation then shifts to the cultural differences in communication, especially the dominance of WhatsApp in Brazil. The discussion also touches on the effectiveness of cold emails in reaching potential clients and the global impact of WhatsApp as a communication tool. 

In total, Ricardo & Steve discuss various themes surrounding social media dynamics, business communication, the implications of monopolies in tech, and the evolving landscape of digital marketing. And they tie the impact of platforms like WhatsApp and Google on communication, the challenges posed by companies like Temu in e-commerce, and the complexities of attribution in digital marketing. 

The convo ends with the guy’s thoughts on the future of AI agents in marketing and the need for businesses to adapt their strategies accordingly.

Want to learn more about us and our services? Reach out!

Steve:

https://collective42.com/

Trevor:

https://www.r40collective.com/

#digitalmarketing #ai #aimarketing #ppc #seo #growthhacking #googleads #searchenginemarketing #sem #ga4 #googleanalytics #growthmarketing #demandgen #pmax #performancemax #gtm #tagmanager #marketingagencies #chatgpt #claude #perplexity #llms #openai

Steve & Trev chat about the transformative impact of AI on personal finance, content creation, and marketing. 

Steve shares an interesting story of a specific use case of AI tools like ChatGPT for personal decision-making with a home investment decision. 

They then discuss the competitive advantages of Google's Gemini, and the evolving landscape of brand loyalty and engagement metrics. 

The dialogue highlights the complexities of attribution in the age of AI and how marketers and SEOs might want to consider reporting on the success of their SEO a bit differently.

Want to learn more about us and our services? Reach out!

Steve:

https://collective42.com/

Trevor:

https://www.r40collective.com/

#digitalmarketing #ai #aimarketing #ppc #seo #growthhacking #googleads #searchenginemarketing #sem #ga4 #googleanalytics #growthmarketing #demandgen #pmax #performancemax #gtm #tagmanager #marketingagencies #chatgpt #claude #perplexity #llms #openai

In today’s pod Trev & Steve discuss various topics related to health, fitness, and productivity. 

They chat about Trevor's first half marathon he ran in Philadelphia and then delve into the benefits of running and exercise on mental clarity. 

The discussion transitions to the use of technology in training, including wearables like Garmin watches, and the benefits of mouth taping for better breathing. They also explore the advantages of creatine supplementation for recovery and mental acuity. 

The conversation shifts to productivity hacks, emphasizing the importance of protecting one's time, especially in a remote work environment. They conclude with thoughts on social media detox and the concept of future looking backwards planning to enhance productivity.

Want to learn more about us and our services? Reach out!

Steve:

https://collective42.com/

Trevor:

https://www.r40collective.com/

#digitalmarketing #ai #aimarketing #ppc #seo #growthhacking #googleads #searchenginemarketing #sem #ga4 #googleanalytics #growthmarketing #demandgen #pmax #performancemax #gtm #tagmanager #marketingagencies #chatgpt #claude #perplexity #llms #openai

In this episode Trev is joined by a friend and business owner, Nick Flamini.  Nick is the founder & CEO of Sales Tycoons (https://mysalestycoons.com/) which is a fractional sales organization that helps businesses grow.

Sales Tycoons works on a pay per closed deal business model where their sales team only gets paid when their client earns a sale.  This means Nick takes on 100% of the risk because he is paying his employees salary and benefits and is compensated purely on the success of his sales team to deliver for his clients.

Trev & Nick discussed a ton of topics from what the business model is, how Nick approaches hiring, how Sales Tycoons approach go-to-market strategies and how Nick approaches growing the business.

If you are a business owner, especially in the agency world, or thinking about starting one, I think this is a fantastic peek behind the scenes of what life looks like as a founder and operator. 

We covered a TON of topics in this one:

• Sales Tycoons business model & how they earn commission from their clients

• Unique interview process to find killer salesmen

• What it’s like being an entrepreneur and what got Nick to leave his 6 figure salary job to start Sales Tycoons

• Brief Alex Hormozi story

• Nick’s thoughts on AI and how their business thinks about AI

• Nick’s approach to developing business and how Sales Tycoons use a combination of organic social media content, active direct message & email outreach along with paid ads

• What is go-to-market strategy and how Sales Tycoons thinks about go-to-market for their clients

Want to learn more about us and our services? Reach out!

Steve:

https://collective42.com/

Trevor:

https://www.r40collective.com/

#digitalmarketing #ai #aimarketing #ppc #seo #growthhacking #googleads #searchenginemarketing #sem #ga4 #googleanalytics #growthmarketing #demandgen #pmax #performancemax #gtm #tagmanager #marketingagencies #chatgpt #claude #perplexity #llms #openai

Trev & Steve discuss their experiences with content creation, the impact of algorithms on viewership, and the challenges of navigating political and economic changes in the marketing landscape.  They discuss the general trends they’ve seen within organic views from YouTube Shorts, to YouTube and Spotify and how they’ve been approaching growing the podcast. 

They then explore the evolving role of AI in marketing and search, and reflect on the implications of AI advancements for the future of digital marketing and consumer behavior.

Want to learn more about us and our services? Reach out!

Steve:

https://collective42.com/

Trevor:

https://www.r40collective.com/

#digitalmarketing #ai #aimarketing #ppc #seo #growthhacking #googleads #searchenginemarketing #sem #ga4 #googleanalytics #growthmarketing #demandgen #pmax #performancemax #gtm #tagmanager #marketingagencies #chatgpt #claude #perplexity #llms #openai