🎯 Is SEO Dead? Ryan Birch on AI Marketing, Ads & the Future of Digital Strategy

Is SEO dead in 2025—or simply evolving? In this episode, Ryan Birch, founder of Toby Group and a seasoned fractional CMO, shares real-world insights into how marketers, creators, and professionals can adapt to the new landscape shaped by AI in marketing, GA4 conversion tracking, and the balance between paid ads vs organic growth.If you’ve ever wondered why your campaigns plateau, why your conversion tracking doesn’t align with results, or how to finally make digital advertising profitable, this conversation has the answers. Ryan’s “inputs vs outcomes” framework helps businesses shift from wasted spend to measurable growth. He explains how audience mapping and micro conversions can make ads work smarter, and why white-label advertising is one of the most underused strategies in 2025.This podcast episode is designed to meet your search intent:Looking for proof that SEO still matters? You’ll learn how reviews, PR, and brand signals impact discoverability.Trying to figure out if you should spend more on ads? Ryan explains when to flip the switch and when to hold back.Struggling with GA4? You’ll hear how tracking fixes alone can double results.Wondering how to use AI in marketing without falling into spam? Ryan shares how to use AI for smarter audience research.Ryan Birch brings expertise that bridges what business owners, content creators, and professionals want (growth, visibility, conversions) with what they need (tracking accuracy, audience clarity, strategic ad spend). By the end, you’ll walk away with wisdom to improve your marketing outcomes today.Timestamps (23:37)00:00 Intro — Who is Ryan Birch & Toby Group01:00 What a fractional CMO does (and why businesses need one)02:15 White-label advertising explained03:20 GA4 conversion tracking fixes — the #1 issue04:30 “You can’t use ads to solve a marketing problem”05:15 Inputs vs outcomes framework06:30 AI in marketing — friend or foe?07:45 Audience-first strategy with AI08:30 Organic vs paid — when to turn on ads09:45 Four common ad mistakes (tracking, audience, messaging, optimization)12:30 YouTube Promote — subs vs sales14:10 Micro conversions: testing budgets & small wins16:30 Time-poor pros: why outsourcing works19:00 Reviews, websites, LinkedIn: simple wins that matter21:00 The future of SEO — reviews, PR, branding > blog spam22:30 Where to find Ryan#IsSEODead #DigitalMarketing #AIMarketing #GA4 #ConversionTracking #YouTubePromotion #MarketingStrategy #FractionalCMO #PaidAdsVsOrganicTo check out the YouTube (video podcast), visit: https://www.youtube.com/@drchrisloomdphdDisclaimer: Not advice. Educational purposes only. Not an endorsement for or against. Results not vetted. Views of the guests do not represent those of the host or show.  Click here to join PodMatch (the "AirBNB" of Podcasting): https://www.joinpodmatch.com/drchrisloomdphdWe couldn’t do it without the support of our listeners. To help support the show:CashApp- https://cash.app/$drchrisloomdphdVenmo- https://account.venmo.com/u/Chris-Loo-4Spotify- https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/christopher-loo/supportBuy Me a Coffee- https://www.buymeacoffee.com/chrisJxClick here to purchase my books on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2PaQn4pFollow our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/chL1357Follow us on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/drchrisloomdphdFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thereal_drchrislooFollow the podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NkM6US7cjsiAYTBjWGdx6?si=1da9d0a17be14d18Subscribe to our Substack newsletter: https://substack.com/@drchrisloomdphd1Subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6992935013231071233Subscribe to our email list: https://financial-freedom-podcast-with-dr-loo.kit.com/Thank you to all of our sponsors and advertisers that help support the show!Financial Freedom for Physicians, Copyright 2025