SEO Rockstars

Guillermo Bravo speaks with Ryan Klein (CEO of Market My Market) to discuss the radical shift in digital marketing for law firms and professional services. With 14 years in the "legal SEO trenches," Klein explains why the traditional SEO playbook—once focused solely on keywords and high-volume content—is fundamentally breaking in the age of AI.The conversation dives deep into the reality of zero-click searches, where over 50% of users find their answers directly on the search engine results page (SERP) without ever visiting a website. Klein argues that for agencies to survive, they must transition from "ranking-focused" SEO to "outcome-focused" strategies that prioritize lead quality and attribution over vanity metrics.

In this episode, host Guillermo Bravo interviews Aarti Birdi, founder of CDX, to explore why B2B companies are struggling to maintain authority in an AI-driven landscape. Birdi, who transitioned from a background in genetics to marketing, explains how her "research and content lab" uses lived expertise and emotional resonance to combat the "stiff" corporate jargon that often plagues enterprise content.Birdi argues that as organic click-through rates decline, the only way to earn trust and rank on AI overviews is to provide genuine, human-centric insights that automated bots simply cannot replicate.

Industry pioneer Daron Babin, known in SEO circles as SEGuru, details his career trajectory from a technical producer at NBC to a digital marketing visionary who began practicing SEO in 1994. After a "light bulb" moment at a TV newsroom regarding the power of search intent, Babin co-founded Webmaster Radio (now WMR.FM) in 2004, scaling it into the premier online network for digital marketers before eventually selling it. His career is defined by merging high-level media production with search expertise, having launched Cannabis Radio and now focusing on AI-powered automation through The Buzz CRM.

In this powerful return episode of SEO Rockstars, Ben Fisher from Steady Demand reveals the harsh realities every local business owner needs to hear. From massive Google Business Profile suspensions that can wipe out 70% of a company’s revenue overnight to AI (Gemini) wildly misinterpreting reviews and turning positive comments into business-killing negatives,Ben shares hard-won war stories — including a major locksmith brand with 12 locations suspended and a comedy club confused with a church two states away. He breaks down what actually works in 2026: crafting airtight reinstatement narratives, understanding back-end Google signals, avoiding review manipulation traps, and why schema + consistent entity signals matter more than ever as AI Overviews reshape local search.Ben also shares his bold predictions on Gemini’s dominance and warns about the coming AI disruption to the entire SEO industry.

In this episode of the SEO Rockstars Podcast, host Guillermo Bravo sits down with Jordan Koene, CEO and Founder of Previsible, to discuss the radical shifts defining search in 2026.Koene introduces the critical concept of "grounding"—the process by which AI models like ChatGPT and Gemini source and cite web content to formulate responses.Moving beyond traditional rankings, Koene explains why "citations" are the new gold standard for brand authority and warns of "perception drift," where AI models misrepresent brands by clinging to outdated historical data.

In this episode of the SEO Rockstars Podcast, host Guillermo Bravo catches up with Ivy Boyter, founder of Full Throttle SEO, to break down why the old playbooks are failing in an AI-driven world. Ivy shares her "Search Everywhere Optimization" philosophy, urging brands to stop obsessing over Google alone and start appearing where people actually ask questions—whether that’s on LinkedIn, TikTok, or within LLMs like ChatGPT. With a "no-nonsense" approach rooted in her background as a blogger and entrepreneur, she discusses the emerging "trust recession" and why human-first, unique content is the only way to escape the "vanilla" trap of AI-generated filler. 

In this episode of the SEO Rockstars podcast, host Guillermo Bravo sits down with industry veteran Jeff Ferguson, CEO of Amplitude Digital, to dismantle the persistent myths haunting the search industry. Ferguson argues that while AI and "zero-click" searches are often treated as "climate change" level threats, they are primarily interface shifts that don't change the foundational "three buckets" of SEO: content, architecture, and authority. They highlight a major shift in the digital landscape—moving away from the "SEO specialist" as a standalone role toward a more holistic integration where search is simply a tool in a broader marketing arsenal. 

In this episode of the SEO Rockstars podcast, host Guillermo Bravo sits down with Yoast SEO founder Joost De Valk to discuss his transition from a high-level operator to a passionate investor and founder.Following his full exit from Yoast in 2023, Joost shares his renewed focus on open-source sustainability through Ameliah Capital and his latest venture, Progress Planner, which he describes as "Duolingo for websites."They dive deep into the shifting landscape of digital marketing, where de Valk argues that despite the rapid rise of AI and generative engine optimization, the core of success remains "holistic marketing"—prioritizing user experience, brand consistency, and authentic human connection over technical gimmicks and "AI slop."

In this episode of the SEO Rockstars podcast, host Guillermo Bravo reunites with long-time colleague Samer Alkass (Director of Search at Aerosvit) to discuss the complexities of managing SEO across hundreds of locations. They moves beyond basic optimization to focus on structural integrity, emphasizing that a scalable data model and logical URL hierarchy (State > City > Locale) must precede design and content. Samer shares expert insights on leveraging automation and AI to handle enterprise-level volume without losing brand uniqueness, while highlighting the importance of balancing new customer acquisition with sophisticated retention strategies. 

Guillermo Bravo sits down with industry veteran Craig Campbell to discuss the evolving landscape of search engine optimization. With over two decades of experience, Campbell emphasizes that while AI is reshaping content creation, the foundational "basics"—link building, authority, and trust signals—remain the essential drivers of success. He shares his "vulture" strategy for acquiring and flipping undervalued websites, cautions against the common pitfalls of impatience and under-investment, and explains how he applies his marketing expertise to diverse niches like e-commerce and high-value sports trading cards.

Growth strategist Eli Schwartz explains why SEO must shift from a technical checklist to a core business driver. He introduces the concept of Product-Led SEO, using examples like Zillow to show how building high-value digital assets—rather than just "programmatic" spam—creates a sustainable competitive moat. Schwartz also addresses the rise of AI in search, noting that personal context and AI Overviews make foundational SEO more critical than ever. He concludes with advice for SEO leaders: earn executive trust by aligning every search effort with revenue and lead generation rather than just traffic metrics.

In this episode of the SEO Rockstars podcast, Guillermo Bravo talks with Matthew Shterenberg, founder of Deep Roots, to strip away the fluff of modern search marketing and focus on what actually drives the bottom line. Shterenberg argues that for local retail businesses like cannabis dispensaries, the path to a 20-30% increase in new customer sales lies in dominating the "local pack" for high-intent "near me" searches rather than getting lost in educational content. He emphasizes a "back-to-basics" approach for 2026: streamlining tech stacks to avoid over-engineered sites, maintaining a rigorous system for consistent Google reviews, and balancing transactional "money pages" with focused informational content.

Jason Barnard's strategy for Brand SEO centers on a critical pivot away from a singular focus on keywords and toward building a strong brand entity. As the founder of Kalicube, he argues that commercial success is found at the bottom of the acquisition funnel, where high-intent, branded searches occur. His methodology emphasizes clearly defining the brand's identity, who it serves, and its unique credibility. For future-proofing against AI and Large Language Models (LLMs), he stresses the necessity of establishing the brand's website as the "entity home," ensuring message consistency across all digital footprints, actively seeking third-party corroboration, and making all offline activities visible to search machines.

Guillermo Bravo speaks with Jeremy Johnson of Quality Roots outlines the critical role of SEO as a top growth channel in the highly regulated cannabis industry, which faces severe restrictions on paid and out-of-home media. Quality Roots employs a dual-focused SEO strategy: a wide-ranging e-commerce focus on high-intent product keywords and a robust local SEO effort to dominate the Maps Pack for foot traffic. Johnson details advanced tactics like a universal URL structure to combat product cannibalization and long-range targeting of consumers in surrounding states.

Ben Foster of Steady Demand, a Google Business Profile (GBP) product expert, explores the critical role of GBP, which can account for up to 70% of a local business's revenue and is linked to paid media like Local Services Ads. Foster details his journey from web development to specializing in local SEO after the deprecation of Google+. His core philosophy is an "entity-first" strategy, which means providing the database (Google/AI) with the correct semantic and contextual information about a business. Ben also shares a four-step strategy for managing a business's entity association, which involves actively searching for brand reviews, analyzing the sentiment overview, identifying negative citations, and using "positive and negative reinforcement" (feedback) to effectively retrain the Large Language Models (LLMs) that interpret a brand's holistic image. 

Frank Watson, aka "Aussie Webmaster," provided a comprehensive look at the evolution of search, spanning from the pre-engine days of the Yahoo! directory and the inception of Google's PageRank to the current landscape. He stressed that while AI tools like Performance Max (PMax) have revolutionized PPC, human strategy remains essential for specific keyword selection and creating impactful Calls-to-Action. Watson firmly believes SEO is not dead and advocated for "engaging knowledgeably with the algorithm" rather than manipulation. He also highlighted the significant challenge of declining user trust in search results and the urgent need for a "Compliance AI Tool" in highly regulated fields.

Brady Madden offers insights on the relationship between AI, Local SEO, and online reputation. The core message is that while AI, such as Large Language Models (LLMs), is an efficiency tool for tasks like content brainstorming, it requires mandatory human editing to ensure brand voice, accuracy, and "SEO Search Empathy." For local businesses, Google Maps and a fully built-out Google Business Profile (GBP) remain the most critical platforms. However, to rank in AI recommendations, the focus is shifting to off-page SEO signals, including brand mentions, sentiment on platforms like Reddit, and local community activities. Above all, reputation is paramount, as LLMs scrape reviews from all sources to ensure they recommend the most honest and trustworthy service providers, making consistent service quality and high-velocity, high-quality reviews vital for search visibility.

Joy Hawkins outlines the critical shifts in local SEO, emphasizing that Google Reviews are the Undisputed #1 Factor. Reviews are now considered "table stakes" for all SEO and ad return on investment (ROI). The core strategy centers on hitting the 10-review threshold for an immediate ranking boost, prioritizing the recency and velocity of new reviews, incentivizing front-line staff to collect them, and encouraging customers to include keywords in their feedback.Beyond reviews, On-Page SEO remains foundational, as the website is a core asset. It requires dedicated pages for every single service to clearly signal offerings to Google, for example, creating separate pages for "Ant Control" and "Wasp Removal" instead of a single page for "Pest Control." Conversely, many old strategies are now deprecated. Citations are considered "almost not important at all," and backlinks are largely ineffective for moving local pack rankings; businesses should focus their time on only a dozen high-traffic directories.

A deep dive into how the world of search is being fundamentally reshaped by the emergence of ChatGPT and Large Language Models (LLMs), giving rise to the critical new discipline: Generative Engine Optimization, or GEO. Guillermo and Eduardo break down the difference with a simple analogy: SEO is your "pickup line"—it tells Google what you do—while GEO is your "reputation," which teaches AI why your brand is trustworthy enough to be recommended. 

Guillermo and Eduardo unveil 3 "Low-Effort, High-Impact" SEO Quick Wins—immediate, foundational steps that promise to shift your digital authority. These aren't technical deep dives; they are simple, high-leverage actions to "start dominating within their space."They reveal a "Gold Standard" for immediately earning customer trust, a non-negotiable step to ensuring your business is found and always current, and a mandatory rule for flawless synchronization across the entire web. Discover the three secrets to earning trust and establishing a powerful, consistent presence that Google—and your customers—can believe in, without a heavy technical lift.

We talk about the launch of Nacho Analytics with Mike Roberts, Founder and CEO of SpyFu, a service that lets you learn from and download your competitors’ AdWords and SEO campaign history. Having founded SpyFu in 2006, he led the charge in transforming the way search marketers to craft their strategies in PPC and SEO. Like many creators, Mike obsesses over what makes something work. He applies that thinking to search marketing, pulling apart the data to learn why some advertisers are more successful so that everyone can learn from the wisdom of the market.We also hear from Moss Pauly. Head of Warrior Forum. which is the world's largest Internet marketing community with over 1 million of the world's top internet marketers.

Mike Roberts is the Founder and CEO of SpyFu, a service that lets you learn from and download your competitors’ AdWords and SEO campaign history. Mike is an industry-recognized expert in SEO, PPC, and competitive intelligence.Talks about SEO Mistakes You’re Definitely MakingHaving founded SpyFu in 2006, he led the charge in transforming the way search marketers to craft their strategies in PPC and SEO. Like many creators, Mike obsesses over what makes something work. He applies that thinking to search marketing, pulling apart the data to learn why some advertisers are more successful so that everyone can learn from the wisdom of the market.

This episode of SEO Rockstars touches on Google now letting you submit URLs for indexing straight from Search, as well as giving you the ability to fact check news. Not only is Google one fo the best search engines but we give you 5 Reasons Why Google is Best Place to Work. Google has been trying to reduced fake Google Maps listings and have by 70% since 2015. Also a tip of the hat to blogging wizard for The Definitive Guide To Getting Google Sitelinks.

Google’s biggest-ever search quality crisis; Why do marketers still struggle with innovative search tactics?  Google Testing Breadcrumb URLs Above Titles on Mobile Search Results. Eric Enge recaps a session from SMX West where audience members were able to ask Google anything.  How to Get Back on Track After a Drop in Rankings. Brand Safety Issues At Google: 'Much Ado About Nothing'  

Harnessing the power of online reviews as Thomas Ballantyne spoke last week at SMX West about the value of online reviews, showing why businesses need to start thinking about them if they aren't already.Plus, a recap of a session on the Definitive Guide to Local Search Ranking Factors. How Google Chooses “People Also Search For” in Knowledge Panels  Understanding the Quick Answers Box Questions to Assess SEO Candidates' Knowledge 

Hijacking Google’s SEO guide search rankings ; Google ‘related picks’ now showing under some top stories carousels; How competitors can ruin your rankings, and how to make sure they don't  . The correlation between ranking factors — like views, comments and shares — with YouTube rankings.  

Chris Boggs welcomes International SEO Consultant Aleyda Solis. She talks to us about how she got started from Marketing to SEO. Also, they talk AMP webpages and how you really can't discount them. Later she informs us on migration to https and how important it will be here in 2017. Also, when moving forward when you buy a certificate make sure its for multiple domains, and look at different SSL certificates. She also explains that if you move to https, you should also move to http2 to make your site even faster.

In this episode Chris and Frank talk about the Google algorithm change that effects how sites are rank. They also touch on navigation structure on mobile websites, and how the "Near Me" feature in search engines are becoming a mobile-driven phenomenon. Plus they break down Google's  new Penguin Algorithm update.

Matt Cutts Hearts His Google+ Followers; Google Adds Category Filters to Organic Search .What can we learn from the winners and losers of organic search in 2016?  Top Google Winners and Losers in 2016; Google Won't Tell Webmasters Which Links They Do Not Count For Spam Reasons.

Chris Boggs and Frank Watson, talk about The Ultimate SEO Google hack  as described in a recent SEMRush blog post. The post explains " If you're doing all the right things but still not getting the traffic you deserve from Google then it's time to discover the ultimate SEO Google hack."  Plus, what are successful marketers are doing with their content to make it top notch, and analyzing Featured Snippets and the confusion behind what they are. And a few tactics on how to get your content on these important Featured Snippets!

Search's Role In Combating Fake News? Google AMP carousels are multiplying!  Google Update Brewing? Chatter Tools Point To Algorithm Update; Don’t let a spotty connection stop you from searching  ; Google: Use Nofollow When Linking To Bad Site ; Google: How to Handle Near Identical Product Pages for Search 

Chris and  Frank discuss Locating PPC Ads in SERPs; Defining Google Search Analytics and from Moz Doubling Down on Search; A NEW New Google. 

Google has been getting some heat around various anti semitic and racist sites ranking well in their search results. Frank and Chris explain. Plus, a New Search Results Evaluation Model from Google; Google: There Is No One Recipe For Search Rankings Success; Expert Predictions on 2017 Social Media Trends and more. 

Referrer spam wrecking Google Analytics data. Google Search Console expands reports for property sets. Google Acquires Eye Tracking Startup Eyefluence and its Technology. Stop Looking at Keyword Search Volume (And Look Here Instead).

Talking Content, Links, Tech and Analytics as Chris and Frank discuss: Google’s machine learning now writes featured snippets descriptions. Google Returns Porn For Sexy Black Mom But Not For Sexy White Mom. 10 Ways Content Marketing and Sales Teams Can Work Together. Google: Giving Charity Donations In Exchange For A Link, Is A Paid Link.

Google Tweaking Top Stories Algorithm To Filter Out Fake News? Man sues Google for $750,000 over defamatory search results. SEO without SERPs with Google Assistant, Home and Amazon Echo. Google Removing “Content Keywords” from Search Console. Ranking Events in Google Search Results.

Unannounced Google Search Update; Everything We Know About the Google Mobile-first Index. No Changes to Mobile Friendly Criteria or Ranking Boost With Mobile First Indexing. Bing Search Will Not Do Mobile First Search Index.  How to prepare your business for Google’s mobile-first index.

Chris and Fank welcome Moss Pauly who runs the Warrior Forum, which is the world's largest Internet marketing community with over 1 million of the world's top internet marketers. Moss offers insight on  SEO, SEM, conversion optimisation, AB testing, EDM marketing and more.

Chris and Frank share what they call a good direct article that offers some essential help for ecommerce seo newbies. Plus how page quality and engagement is important to good SEO . Plus, Google: We Have A Bunch Of Original Source Detection Algorithms and No Need To Disavow Blogroll Or Sitewide Links and There Is No Penguin Boost

Chris Boggs and Frank Watson delve into three different guides published on Search Engine Journal. They include the Three Pillars of SEO: Authority, Relevance, and Trust; How to Do Keyword Research and a Complete Guide to Panda, Penguin, and Hummingbird. 

55% of searchers don’t know which links in the SERPs are PPC ads.New Google help document defines Search Analytics impressions, position and clicksThematic Modeling Using Related Words in Documents and Anchor TextHow and Why to Raise Organic SEO CTRsSEO and the CMO: Communication and board room metrics that matterPopular 404 to 301 WordPress Plugin Injecting Cloaked Spam Links for Search Engines

Bing Testing Site Name Only With No URL in Search Results; Frank Watson on  So You Want to Do International Marketing; What are Google's quality updates (aka Phantom updates), and how can you recover?Video SEO Tips to Improve RankingsTest points to likely influence of click-through rate on search rankings

Moz is Doubling Down on Search; Making Sense of Google's Updates in Local Search; Wake Up, SEOs – the NEW New Google is Here;10 Question-Based Keywords that Drive Tons of High-Quality Traffic ; 4 Experts on the State of SEO for Ecommerce Sites ;Ecommerce blogging: five proven reasons why it should be part of your SEO strategy 

Frank Watson and David Harry discuss:No more arguing about what Google means by positions in the Google Search Analytics report. Google has defined the multitude of metrics and cases in a help document.Google officially throttling Keyword Planner data for low spending AdWords accountsGoogle app now delivering restaurant reviews best-of lists for local searches5 Big Challenges One Niche Faces in GoogleThree Pillars of SEO: Authority, Relevance, and TrustThematic Modeling Using Related Words in Documents and Anchor Text

Chris Boggs and Frank Watson discuss markup and structured data, and give us the buzz on everything Google including their new interface, removal of older content, cut backs on incentives for Local Guides, and more. The two also touch on a few Google myths revolving around penalties that have recently been debunked.

Is Google Trying to Kill SEO ? The Anatomy of a SERP ; Micro-Moments: How Consumers Rely  on Mobile to Meet Their Needs; Don’t Make All Content QA For Google’s Featured Snippets; Gated vs Ungated Content- Which is the Best Option? After 10 Years, Local SEO Guide Relaunches  Website So It Can Get Links.

Google is manipulating Autocomplete search results to help improve Hillary Clinton’s online reputation. How Google May Map A Query To An Entity For Suggestions. Competitive threats to Google, and what they mean for you.. Two tried and true methods to make social media impact SEO.Key On-Page SEO Factors That Search Engines Users Love.

Frank and Chris discuss 2016 Internet Trends; Using Moz Content for Mining Local Link Opportunities; Google Still Working on Separate Mobile Search Index Plus, Google tests new look for “people also search for” feature as Google has been caught testing a new interface again in the mobile search results. This one is around the "people also search for" search feature. Webcology's own Dave Davies explores the technical aspects he reviews when conducting an audit. Plus, Google: Migrating To A Keyword-TLD Won't Improve Rankingsand How To Build Amazing Personalized Influencer Marketing Campaigns.

Using SEM and SEO for Acquisition of Ecommerce Sites; Rich Cards:  The new evolution stage of Google SERPs; Google: You Can Ignore Links from Scraper Sites ; 8 SEO Facts Most Marketing Agencies Don’t Tell You; New Google Test: Third Party Reviews in Search Results; The future of voice-related SEO for local business. 

Google Must Face Claims on Search Removals Google Must Face Claims on Search Removals and another Is Search Dead article as Frank Watson and Chris Boggs discuss these stories plus: Google Search Console now lets you group your sites together with property setsSplit Testing Titles and H1s: Do They Still have an SEO Impact?Google’s “People Also Ask” (Related Questions): What Are They, and Why You Should Care  Google’s 1st Amendment defense to search censorship fails in court    Why Google’s monopoly abuse case in Europe will run and run    Investigators raid Google Paris HQ in tax evasion inquiry