The Long Game

In this Kitchen Side episode of The Long Game Podcast, the Omniscient team dives into a wide-ranging discussion on trust, research quality, and marketing visibility in an AI-driven world. They start with epistemology—what makes research “good” or “bad”—and reflect on how flawed correlations can mislead marketers. The team then unpacks their recent Winter study on how B2B buyers use LLMs like ChatGPT in the purchase journey, revealing that while LLMs are common early in research, peer feedback and brand transparency are essential in final decisions. They also explore the evolution of SEO into GEO/AEO, discuss organizational roles and feedback loops, and propose new cross-functional models for digital visibility in a world of probabilistic, AI-generated content.

Key Takeaways

• Not All Research Is Trustworthy: Internal/external validity and sample bias can distort marketing data—marketers need stronger research literacy.
• Correlation ≠ Causation: Data trends, especially in AI visibility, often include spurious relationships—interpret with caution.
• LLMs Are Entry Points, Not Final Decision Tools: While many B2B buyers start with AI search, they turn to peers and review sites before converting.
• Transparency Beats Perfection: Buyers trust brands that clearly state who they serve, what they do, and where they fall short.
• GEO Relies on Accuracy: Incorrect or outdated online information can mislead LLMs—fixing this improves visibility and conversions.
• Sentiment and Product Reality Matter: Negative perception from bad UX or old reviews isn’t a marketing problem—it’s a product and comms one.
• AEO Needs Cross-Functional Ownership: Teams like PR, content, SEO, and product marketing must collaborate to influence LLM visibility.
• A New Role May Be Needed: “Digital visibility lead” or a cross-team committee could help unify efforts across brand, SEO, and off-page strategy.

Show Links

• Connect with David Khim on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Connect with Alex Birkett on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Connect with Allie Decker on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Connect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or Twitter

What is Kitchen Side?

One big benefit of running an agency or working at one is you get to see the “kitchen side” of many different businesses; their revenue, their operations, their automations, and their culture.

You understand how things look from the inside and how that differs from the outside.

You understand how the sausage is made. 

As an agency ourselves, we’re working both on growing our clients’ businesses as well as our own. This podcast is one project, but we also blog, make videos, do sales, and have quite a robust portfolio of automations and hacks to run our business.

We want to take you behind the curtain, to the kitchen side of our business, to witness our brainstorms, discussions, and internal dialogues behind the public works that we ship.

Past guests on The Long Game podcast include: Morgan Brown (Shopify), Ryan Law (Animalz), Dan Shure (Evolving SEO), Kaleigh Moore (freelancer), Eric Siu (Clickflow), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), Ryan McReady (Reforge), and many more.

Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:

Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)

Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)

How to Build the Right Data Workflow with Blake Burch (Shipyard)

Data-Driven Thought Leadership with Alicia Johnston (Sprout Social)

Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)

Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:

Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean SEO

Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?

How Do Growth and Content Overlap?

Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:

Twitter: @beomniscient

Linkedin: Be Omniscient

Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

In this episode of The Long Game Podcast, Alex Birkett interviews Noah Greenberg, CEO of Stacker, a content distribution platform that helps brands turn owned content into earned media. They dive into the paradigm shift from SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and how brands can optimize for visibility in AI-powered interfaces like ChatGPT and Gemini. Noah shares how earned media, brand mentions, and distribution at scale are becoming the new backlinks, and how the lines between PR, content, and SEO are blurring. From Google's disappearing traffic to ChatGPT's probabilistic answers, this is a deep dive into the future of organic visibility and media strategy in the AI era.

Key Takeaways

• SEO Is Evolving into GEO: The goal is no longer just ranking on Google—it’s being cited and surfaced in AI-powered responses.
• Earned Media Drives AI Visibility: PR, brand mentions, and syndicated content now influence whether LLMs cite your brand.
• Distribution Increases Surface Area: Publishing content broadly boosts the probability of being included in AI-generated answers.
• PR Is Cool Again: The rise of AI search has revived interest in press releases and third-party citations as visibility tools.
• SEO, Content, and PR Must Merge: Teams need to collaborate across departments to drive brand visibility in AI environments.
• Impact Is Visible—Fast: A single article syndicated through Stacker can be cited in AI search results within 24 hours.
• Measurement Models Are Changing: Traditional KPIs like backlinks and traffic are giving way to visibility, trust, and AI mentions.
• Founders Should Think Like Media Companies: Being the source of truth—and distributing it widely—is key to staying top-of-mind.

Show Links

• Connect with Noah Greenberg on LinkedIn
• Connect with Alex Birkett on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Connect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or Twitter

Past guests on The Long Game podcast include: Morgan Brown (Shopify), Ryan Law (Animalz), Dan Shure (Evolving SEO), Kaleigh Moore (freelancer), Eric Siu (Clickflow), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), Ryan McReady (Reforge), and many more.

Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:

Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)

Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)

How to Build the Right Data Workflow with Blake Burch (Shipyard)

Data-Driven Thought Leadership with Alicia Johnston (Sprout Social)

Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)

Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:

Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean SEO

Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?

How Do Growth and Content Overlap?

Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:

Twitter: @beomniscient

Linkedin: Be Omniscient

Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

In this Kitchen Side episode of The Long Game Podcast, the Omniscient Digital team explores the tension between moving fast and making smart decisions. Speed is often praised in startups and growth environments, but it can lead to thrashing, burnout, and wasted effort when misapplied. Through reflections on agency work, in-house roles, and working with clients, they examine how to balance urgency with focus, and how strategic patience—paired with tactical speed—can create real momentum. They also share real-world SEO and AI examples of teams pivoting too fast, chasing trends, and missing out on compounding gains due to lack of prioritization, alignment, or decisiveness.

Key Takeaways

• Speed ≠ Thrashing: Speed is powerful—but not when it means jumping between tactics without a long-term direction.
• Experimentation Requires Discipline: The best teams move quickly within a defined portfolio of experiments, not across constant strategic shifts.
• AI and SEO Demand New Timelines: Understanding how long it takes to see results from AI Overviews or SEO changes is critical for smart investment.
• Strategic Decisions Need Time: Channel or strategy-level shifts should have space to breathe—tactical pivots can happen faster.
• Avoid Becoming the Bottleneck: Leadership speed often comes down to fast approvals, trust, and timely delegation.
• Portfolio Thinking Beats All-In Bets: High-performing orgs allocate some resources to R&D and experimentation while maintaining core execution.
• Alignment Enables Flow: Teams that communicate clearly and early across departments unlock faster execution and reduce friction.

Show Links

• Connect with David Khim on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Connect with Alex Birkett on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Connect with Allie Decker on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Connect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or Twitter

What is Kitchen Side?

One big benefit of running an agency or working at one is you get to see the “kitchen side” of many different businesses; their revenue, their operations, their automations, and their culture.

You understand how things look from the inside and how that differs from the outside.

You understand how the sausage is made. 

As an agency ourselves, we’re working both on growing our clients’ businesses as well as our own. This podcast is one project, but we also blog, make videos, do sales, and have quite a robust portfolio of automations and hacks to run our business.

We want to take you behind the curtain, to the kitchen side of our business, to witness our brainstorms, discussions, and internal dialogues behind the public works that we ship.

Past guests on The Long Game podcast include: Morgan Brown (Shopify), Ryan Law (Animalz), Dan Shure (Evolving SEO), Kaleigh Moore (freelancer), Eric Siu (Clickflow), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), Ryan McReady (Reforge), and many more.

Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:

Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)

Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)

How to Build the Right Data Workflow with Blake Burch (Shipyard)

Data-Driven Thought Leadership with Alicia Johnston (Sprout Social)

Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)

Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:

Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean SEO

Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?

How Do Growth and Content Overlap?

Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:

Twitter: @beomniscient

Linkedin: Be Omniscient

Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

In this episode of The Long Game Podcast, Alex Birkett speaks with Nick Lafferty (Head of Marketing) and Josh Blyskal (AI Strategist) from Profound, an AI visibility platform focused on answer engine optimization (AEO). They explore the shift from SEO to AEO, where brands must optimize for AI-driven search experiences across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews. The conversation covers why agility is the new moat, how brand mentions and structured content shape AI visibility, and how both startups and incumbents can compete. Nick and Josh share tactical approaches—from Wikipedia and affiliate strategies to structured HTML tables—that improve citations in AI-generated answers. The discussion underscores the rising importance of PR, off-site visibility, and concise, high-utility content in the AI search era.

Key Takeaways

• AEO Defined: Answer engine optimization is about making your brand the chosen answer in AI-driven search experiences.
• User Experience Wins: Search is converging with chat—people want answers, not links—so engines prioritize utility and ease.
• Agility as a Moat: Speed and adaptability matter more than long-term content calendars in today’s volatile AI search space.
• Brand Mentions Beat Keywords: AI models lean heavily on off-site mentions (Reddit, Wikipedia, affiliates) as trust signals.
• Structured Content Boosts Citations: Bullet points, HTML tables, and concise formatting make content “citation-friendly” for AI.
• Startups vs. Incumbents: Incumbents benefit from brand equity, but startups can flank them by acting faster and publishing niche, high-utility content.
• PR Is Back: Media coverage and Wikipedia presence play a critical role in being cited by AI engines.

Show Links

• Visit Profound on Linkedin and X
• Connect with Nick Lafferty  on LinkedIn
• Connect with Josh Blyskal on LinkedIn
• Connect with Alex Birkett on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Connect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or Twitter

Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:

Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)

Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)

How to Build the Right Data Workflow with Blake Burch (Shipyard)

Data-Driven Thought Leadership with Alicia Johnston (Sprout Social)

Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)

Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:

Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean SEO

Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?

How Do Growth and Content Overlap?

Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:

Twitter: @beomniscient

Linkedin: Be Omniscient

Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

In this episode of The Long Game Podcast, David Ly Khim interviews Michael Walrath, CEO and Chairman of Yext. Known for building and exiting multiple companies—including RightMedia and Moat—Michael shares how Yext evolved from a local lead-gen platform to a digital presence powerhouse. He dives deep into the fragmentation of search, the shift toward generative engines, and the rise of “agentic” AI-powered experiences. With candid reflections on strategy pivots and digital transformation, Michael urges marketers to rethink discoverability, measurement, and structured content in an era where your next customer might not be human, but an AI assistant making decisions on their behalf.

Key Takeaways

• Yext’s Strategic Pivots: The company evolved from call-based lead gen to local visibility, to enterprise search—each requiring bold but risky reinvention.
• Google Dominance Has Peaked: With 92%+ of search traffic once flowing through Google, that landscape is now fragmenting due to LLMs and AI agents.
• Structured Data Drives Discovery: Clean, contextualized data remains a marketer’s best lever for visibility—whether on Google or in LLM-powered engines.
• Brand Visibility Beats SEO Rankings: As AI agents answer more queries, brands must optimize for visibility across platforms, not just search engine results pages.
• The Agentic Web Is Coming: AI assistants with memory and context will handle more decision-making—marketers must build for both humans and machines.
• AI Shifts Are Already Here: Yext observed traffic shifts 6+ quarters ago—marketers should act now, not wait, to influence AI results.
• Reframing Attribution: Zero-click answers and agentic transactions require a shift from traditional web metrics to outcome-focused measurement.

Show Links

• Visit Visit Yext on Linkedin and X
• Connect with Michael Walrath on LinkedIn
• Connect with David Khim on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Connect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or Twitter

Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:

Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)

Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)

How to Build the Right Data Workflow with Blake Burch (Shipyard)

Data-Driven Thought Leadership with Alicia Johnston (Sprout Social)

Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)

Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:

Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean SEO

Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?

How Do Growth and Content Overlap?

Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:

Twitter: @beomniscient

Linkedin: Be Omniscient

Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

In this episode of The Long Game Podcast, Alex Burkett interviews Logan Freeman, Global Head of SEO at ManyChat. Together they explore the evolving landscape of SEO in the AI era, particularly the rise of GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and how it’s changing everything from keyword strategy to attribution modeling. Logan shares tactical approaches for optimizing content for LLMs (large language models), including using FAQ schemas, focusing on off-page visibility, and thinking like a product marketer. They discuss how brand mentions are now more powerful than backlinks, why traditional SEO tools fall short for GEO, and how Logan approaches measurement when attribution is nearly impossible. The episode also explores LLM perception, off-site trust-building, and creative ways SEOs can future-proof their strategies by merging content, digital PR, and product

Key Takeaways

• SEO vs. GEO: Traditional SEO focuses on keywords, while GEO requires optimizing for hyper-personalized, conversational queries used in LLMs.
• LLM Perception Is Real: How AI models “perceive” your brand based on off-site mentions can limit (or expand) your visibility in AI answers.
• Brand Mentions > Backlinks: In the world of AI search, brand visibility across trusted platforms outweighs classic SEO signals like links.
• SEO as Product Marketing: SEOs must deeply understand users and position content like a PMM would—focused on problems, personas, and differentiation.
• Dark Attribution Is Growing: Most traffic influenced by LLMs doesn’t click through—making measurement harder and more reliant on referral glimpses and qualitative insights.
• Go Beyond On-Page Optimization: Embedding schema, FAQs, and latent questions can increase the odds of being cited in LLMs.
• Get Creative with PR: To influence LLM results, you may need broad digital and traditional PR campaigns that shift how your brand is referenced across the web.

Show Links

• Visit Manychat
• Connect with Logan Freedman on LinkedIn
• Connect with Alex Birkett on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Connect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or Twitter

Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:

Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)

Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)

How to Build the Right Data Workflow with Blake Burch (Shipyard)

Data-Driven Thought Leadership with Alicia Johnston (Sprout Social)

Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)

Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:

Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean SEO

Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?

How Do Growth and Content Overlap?

Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:

Twitter: @beomniscient

Linkedin: Be Omniscient

Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

In this Kitchen Side episode of The Long Game Podcast, the Omniscient Digital team reflects on one key question: “What should we automate?” The discussion unfolds into a broader examination of agency culture, strategic thinking, and the nuanced costs of automation. They share personal experiments—from HARO email parsing to multi-agent PR systems—and debate the tradeoffs between saving time and losing essential context, mentorship, and learning. The team also explores how AI tools can be both empowering and distracting, and why automation shouldn't come at the expense of human development, team connection, or communication that builds trust. It's a thoughtful, candid look at what AI can't (and shouldn't) replace.

Key Takeaways

• Automation Isn’t All or Nothing: Not everything needs full automation—sometimes it's just about streamlining small, repeatable parts of a process.
• Human Touchpoints Still Matter: Automated communication can lack the warmth, accountability, and nuance of a genuine human message.
• AI Can Undermine Learning Opportunities: Over-automation risks removing hands-on work that builds junior talent and deep strategic expertise.
• Remote Culture Needs In-Person Balance: Offsites help rebuild alignment, context, and emotional connection that remote work alone can't deliver.
• Effort Signals Care: Taking the “harder” route—whether writing by hand or reviewing raw data—can demonstrate thoughtfulness and create deeper understanding.
• Small Talk Has Strategic Value: Informal conversation often reveals insights and context that structured meetings miss.
• AI Is Best as an Assistant, Not a Replacement: Tools like Fireflies or ChatGPT are useful for transcription and ideation, but real clarity comes from processing ideas manually.

Show Links

• Connect with David Khim on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Connect with Alex Birkett on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Connect with Allie Decker on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Connect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or Twitter

What is Kitchen Side?

One big benefit of running an agency or working at one is you get to see the “kitchen side” of many different businesses; their revenue, their operations, their automations, and their culture.

You understand how things look from the inside and how that differs from the outside.

You understand how the sausage is made.

As an agency ourselves, we’re working both on growing our clients’ businesses as well as our own. This podcast is one project, but we also blog, make videos, do sales, and have quite a robust portfolio of automations and hacks to run our business.

We want to take you behind the curtain, to the kitchen side of our business, to witness our brainstorms, discussions, and internal dialogues behind the public works that we ship.

Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:

Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)

Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)

How to Build the Right Data Workflow with Blake Burch (Shipyard)

Data-Driven Thought Leadership with Alicia Johnston (Sprout Social)

Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)

Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:

Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean SEO

Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?

How Do Growth and Content Overlap?

Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:

Twitter: @beomniscient

Linkedin: Be Omniscient

Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

In this Kitchen Side episode of The Long Game Podcast, Alex Birkett and David Ly Khim reflect on the parallels between craftsmanship in daily life and high-quality marketing in the age of AI. They critique the growing dominance of low-effort, mass-generated content and advocate for a return to thoughtful creation—whether that’s cooking a meal, writing a note by hand, or building content that stands out in generative search. The duo also dives deep into GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), sharing a powerful framework: Be the source. Be cited in the source. Or replace the source. They discuss the shift toward brand gravity, proprietary data, and becoming the trusted name in your category—especially as AI models increasingly shape what content gets surfaced.

Key Takeaways

• Craftsmanship Over Convenience: Great content is like a well-made meal—it takes intention, care, and can't be rushed or fully outsourced to AI.
• Be the Source, Be Cited, or Replace the Source: To win in GEO, you must create original content, appear in authoritative lists, or become the reference itself.
• Brand Gravity Is the New SEO Moat: Off-page presence, media saturation, and citations across the web influence your LLM visibility more than keywords alone.
• Proprietary Data Creates Value: Unique product data, micro case studies, and original research can't be easily replicated—and LLMs favor that originality.
• SEO Is Converging with GEO: While traditional SEO and LLM optimization are currently distinct, the two are quickly merging into one organic growth strategy.
• AI Is a Thought Partner—With Limits: LLMs can help challenge assumptions, but they’re persuasive by nature—use them with discernment.
• Effort Signals Intent: In a noisy content landscape, showing effort is a competitive advantage that builds trust and emotional resonance.

Show Links

• Connect with David Khim on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Connect with Alex Birkett on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Connect with Allie Decker on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Connect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or Twitter

What is Kitchen Side?

One big benefit of running an agency or working at one is you get to see the “kitchen side” of many different businesses; their revenue, their operations, their automations, and their culture.

You understand how things look from the inside and how that differs from the outside.

You understand how the sausage is made. 

As an agency ourselves, we’re working both on growing our clients’ businesses as well as our own. This podcast is one project, but we also blog, make videos, do sales, and have quite a robust portfolio of automations and hacks to run our business.

We want to take you behind the curtain, to the kitchen side of our business, to witness our brainstorms, discussions, and internal dialogues behind the public works that we ship.

Past guests on The Long Game podcast include: Morgan Brown (Shopify), Ryan Law (Animalz), Dan Shure (Evolving SEO), Kaleigh Moore (freelancer), Eric Siu (Clickflow), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), Ryan McReady (Reforge), and many more.

Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:

Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)

Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)

How to Build the Right Data Workflow with Blake Burch (Shipyard)

Data-Driven Thought Leadership with Alicia Johnston (Sprout Social)

Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)

Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:

Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean SEO

Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?

How Do Growth and Content Overlap?

Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:

Twitter: @beomniscient

Linkedin: Be Omniscient

Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here:

https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

In this episode of The Long Game Podcast, David Khim interviews Erik Episcopo, SEO Manager at Wiz, one of the fastest-growing cloud security companies (recently acquired by Google). Erik shares his unconventional career path, from answering a Craigslist ad while in Taiwan to building high-scale SEO programs at CrowdStrike and Wiz. They discuss what it takes to be a “super IC,” how AI is reshaping SEO workflows and strategy, and the importance of staying curious and adaptable in a shifting landscape. From experimenting with AI-assisted content to managing massive content refresh cycles, Erik offers a thoughtful, energetic view into what modern growth-focused SEO looks like.

Key Takeaways

• From Craigslist to Cloud Security: Erik began his SEO journey in Taiwan via Craigslist, building scrappy resume content—and now runs enterprise SEO at Wiz.
• What Makes a Super IC: Top individual contributors creatively solve problems, leverage AI, and own results without waiting for permission.
• Hiring for AI Fluency: Erik looks for candidates with real-world AI experiments, not just philosophical opinions on LLMs and content automation.
• SEO Workflows at Scale: At Wiz, Erik scaled content from day one—launching engines, refreshing content, and coordinating localization at speed.
• Early Career Lessons from Link Building: Writing hundreds of persona-based HARO pitches helped Erik master storytelling, resourcefulness, and outreach.
• The Value of Scrappiness: A past filled with “gray hat” tactics taught Erik the limits of SEO and how to think like a growth-minded marketer.
• Learning > Stagnation: A guiding principle for Erik is: if you're not learning or growing, it's time to move—and that's fueled his career pivots.

Show Links

• Visit Wiz and its Cloud Native Application Protection Platforms page
• Connect with Erik Episcopo on LinkedIn
• Connect with David Khim on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Connect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or Twitter

Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:

Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)

Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)

How to Build the Right Data Workflow with Blake Burch (Shipyard)

Data-Driven Thought Leadership with Alicia Johnston (Sprout Social)

Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)

Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:

Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean SEO

Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?

How Do Growth and Content Overlap?

Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:

Twitter: @beomniscient

Linkedin: Be Omniscient

Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/

In this Kitchen Side episode of The Long Game Podcast, the Omniscient Digital team dives into Google's new “AI Mode” for search and the broader implications of generative AI across content marketing and SEO. They explore the shift toward conversational, zero-click search experiences, the erosion of attribution data, and how marketers need to adapt in a world where AI Overviews and LLMs are changing how users discover information. With insights on content visibility, LLM optimization, brand mentions, measurement challenges, and even some “gray hat” strategies, this episode captures the tension between innovation and uncertainty in the age of AI-enhanced search.

Key Takeaways

• Google’s AI Mode Redefines Search: The new Gemini-powered interface transforms Google into a conversational AI assistant, bypassing traditional search paths.
• Attribution is Getting Murkier: AI Mode and zero-click searches are making it harder to track SEO performance and justify investment.
• Brand Mentions Beat Backlinks: LLMs prioritize citations and visibility across platforms more than technical SEO or link-building.
• SEO is Shifting from Keywords to Visibility: Context, off-site presence, and how content is referenced matter more than keyword density.
• Marketers Need First-Principles Thinking: Foundational tactics still apply—like voice of customer and content structure—but need reframing for the AI era.
• Creative “Gray Hat” Tactics Exist: Ideas like editing Wikipedia, acquiring cited domains, or seeding Reddit threads can boost LLM citations.
• Measurement Will Require New Playbooks: Marketers must blend traditional analytics with self-reported attribution and qualitative feedback.

Show Links

• Connect with David Khim on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Connect with Alex Birkett on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Connect with Allie Decker on LinkedIn and Twitter
• Connect with Omniscient Digital on LinkedIn or Twitter

What is Kitchen Side?

One big benefit of running an agency or working at one is you get to see the “kitchen side” of many different businesses; their revenue, their operations, their automations, and their culture.

You understand how things look from the inside and how that differs from the outside.

You understand how the sausage is made. 

As an agency ourselves, we’re working both on growing our clients’ businesses as well as our own. This podcast is one project, but we also blog, make videos, do sales, and have quite a robust portfolio of automations and hacks to run our business.

We want to take you behind the curtain, to the kitchen side of our business, to witness our brainstorms, discussions, and internal dialogues behind the public works that we ship.

Past guests on The Long Game podcast include: Morgan Brown (Shopify), Ryan Law (Animalz), Dan Shure (Evolving SEO), Kaleigh Moore (freelancer), Eric Siu (Clickflow), Peep Laja (CXL), Chelsea Castle (Chili Piper), Tracey Wallace (Klaviyo), Tim Soulo (Ahrefs), Ryan McReady (Reforge), and many more.

Some interviews you might enjoy and learn from:

Actionable Tips and Secrets to SEO Strategy with Dan Shure (Evolving SEO)

Building Competitive Marketing Content with Sam Chapman (Aprimo)

How to Build the Right Data Workflow with Blake Burch (Shipyard)

Data-Driven Thought Leadership with Alicia Johnston (Sprout Social)

Purpose-Driven Leadership & Building a Content Team with Ty Magnin (UiPath)

Also, check out our Kitchen Side series where we take you behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made at our agency:

Blue Ocean vs Red Ocean SEO

Should You Hire Writers or Subject Matter Experts?

How Do Growth and Content Overlap?

Connect with Omniscient Digital on social:

Twitter: @beomniscient

Linkedin: Be Omniscient

Listen to more episodes of The Long Game podcast here: https://beomniscient.com/podcast/