Mallory Russell on Earning AI Mentions and Winning Discovery Beyond SEO

Mallory Russell took Square from one blog to a 40-person content engine that spans editorial, web, social, and organic search. She believes content must be strategic, measured, and linked to every go-to-market move. Big ideas start small, then grow into reports, webinars, and sales assets.She challenges marketers on attribution: "Content is not a channel; it fuels many.” Her team uses Gen AI to reclaim time, keep a living library, slice big pieces into audience-specific clips, and let editors guard quality. Tune in to learn how large content teams really win.👤 About Our Guest: Mallory RussellWith more than fifteen years of leading content for mission-driven brands, Mallory Russell has proved how strategic storytelling drives growth. At Square, she expanded a blog into a 40-person engine spanning editorial, SEO, social, and web, building a culture where every piece starts with audience insight and fuels steady, organic results.Her edge is equal parts vision and process. Award-winning series like "The Bottom Line" and "Running a Restaurant is No Joke" show how she links content, web, and search. She keeps teams ahead of trends, fixes silos, and guards quality as channels keep shifting. Her approach turns sprawling operations into focused work that earns measurable, lasting success.📻 About This Season of the Animalz Podcast: Enterprise Content MarketingThis season on the Animalz Podcast, we’re pulling back the corporate curtain to show you how the largest, most complex B2B SaaS teams actually get content out the door. Our mission: demystify these hidden machines and reveal what it really takes to run content at scale.Hear from content leaders of some of the biggest names in SaaS sharing the systems they've built, the battles they've fought, and the lessons they've learned along the way.⏳ Timestamps• 00:00 – Intro: Solo marketer to enterprise leader• 10:00 – Inheriting and growing Square’s blog• 14:59 – Scaling to a 40-person content team• 15:25 – From SEO to “organic discovery”• 18:46 – Turning “Future of Commerce” into a tent-pole• 23:40 – Pilots first: prove value, then scale• 27:17 – Strategic briefs and cross-team lifts for top-funnel• 39:33 – Rethinking metrics: “content isn’t a channel”• 44:13 – Beyond SEO: new platforms and algorithms• 46:40 – Gen-AI for speed, not volume• 47:06 – Quality over quantity in the AI era• 52:10 – Earning authority in AI-driven search• 53:40 – Connect with Mallory🌐 Mentioned Links & Resources• Square / Block Inc.: The fintech company where Mallory built and led a 40-person organic marketing organization, shaping the enterprise content engine discussed in the episode.• Future of Commerce: Square’s annual tent-pole research report, now a multi-format content platform and cornerstone of their strategy.• The Bottom Line: Square’s branded publication that replaced the original Town Square blog, focusing on actionable insights for business owners.• The Way Up (with Guy Raz): Video-podcast series from Square featuring entrepreneurs’ growth stories, hosted by Guy Raz.• Running a Restaurant Is No Joke (with Eric Wareheim): Comedy-infused content series aimed at restaurant owners, starring Eric Wareheim.• MalloryARussell.com: Mallory’s personal website, featuring her portfolio and information on consulting and fractional work.Connect with Mallory Russell for more insights on building and scaling enterprise content engines via LinkedIn or at her personal site.💡 Enjoyed this conversation? Subscribe to our podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, or head over to Animalz Podcast. You can also follow us on X or LinkedIn.