AEO Is Here: Why Your Website Isn't Built for Humans Anymore

In this episode, Chris and Bauer welcome their very first podcast guest - Mark Mansfield, SVP of Sales & Growth at NexNet and a 20+ year veteran of revenue strategy and partnerships across MarTech, AdTech, and AI-driven solutions. This conversation gets into the topic that’s reshaping the entire marketing landscape: agentic search, or AEO (Agentic Engine Optimization). Mark breaks down why AI agents are fundamentally changing how consumers find information and make decisions - and why that shift matters far more than most businesses realize. Mark walks through what this means in practical terms: websites built for human browsing are giving way to a web built for AI consumption, funnels are collapsing as agents complete entire transactions on a consumer's behalf, and businesses need to get sharply specific about what they want to be found for rather than trying to rank for everything. For agency owners and operators, Mark sees real opportunity: independent agencies that pick a lane, build genuine expertise, and get vocal about it are well-positioned to outmaneuver larger companies. His advice is consistent throughout - stop optimizing for outdated funnel logic, get specific about what you want to be known for, and start building trust with AI systems now, because getting ahead on this now, matters.More from Mark Mansfield:Connect with Mark on LinkedInNextNet.ai More from The Brick Wall:⁠MediaThesis.com ⁠Subscribe on ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠Follow us on LinkedIn