Most Businesses Are Doing SEO Wrong — Here’s How to Fix It (w/ Jesse Ringer)

In this episode, host Reed Hansen, Chief Growth Officer at MarketSurge, sits down with Jesse Ringer, founder and CEO of Method and Metric — a creative, data-driven SEO agency helping brands grow through strategy, ethics, and innovation.Jesse’s not your average SEO guy. With over a decade of experience transforming how businesses think about search, he’s known for turning complex algorithms into simple, actionable growth strategies that actually move the needle.Together, Reed and Jesse unpack:💡 Why most businesses are wasting their SEO efforts📊 How to think about search like a strategist, not a spammer🤖 What AI is really changing (and what still matters most)📈 How to track SEO success using metrics that drive real growth🌐 Why SEO today is more accessible than ever for small businesses🔥 Episode Highlights00:00 – Welcome to Inside Marketing with MarketSurge02:15 – Jesse’s journey from copywriting to SEO (and how data built his confidence)06:40 – The “Mad Men” effect: What Don Draper would be doing in 202508:10 – The democratization of technology and data13:00 – The biggest misconceptions about SEO in 202517:45 – How AI is reshaping search and how to adapt22:30 – What metrics actually matter (and which ones to ignore)29:10 – The accessibility of SEO for small and medium-sized businesses36:20 – Why the SEO community is one of the most collaborative in marketing40:00 – How to connect with Jesse and Method and Metric🧠 Key TakeawaysSEO isn’t just about rankings — it’s about results and relevance.AI won’t replace SEO, but it’s reshaping how we think about visibility and content.The best metrics go beyond traffic — think revenue, conversions, and engagement.Small businesses have more SEO power than ever with modern tools and strategy.Data doesn’t kill creativity — it fuels it.🔗 Connect with Jesse Ringer🌐 Website: https://methodandmetric.com💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesseringer/?originalSubdomain=ca💬 BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/jringer604.bsky.social🚀 Connect with MarketSurge🌐 Website: https://marketsurge.io🎯 Book a Strategy Call: https://link.marketsurge.io/widget/bookings/15minutevalueorfreecoffee🎙️ Podcast: https://marketsurge.transistor.fm/📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100035121171654💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsurgeio🐦 X / Twitter: https://x.com/marketsurging🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@marketsurge-q7q