Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur | Start and Grow Your Own Business 1230: The Real Reason SEO Isn't Dead (And How to Win With AI) w/ David Black
Tired of marketing strategies that feel like you're just throwing money at a wall? This episode cuts through the noise with David Black, founder of Ready Set Search. David breaks down his powerful concept of building a "growth engine" for your business, focusing on sustainable, long-term success rather than just short-term wins. You'll learn how to strategically balance the instant gratification of paid ads with the compounding power of modern SEO. David brings a founder's mindset to marketing, sharing practical advice on how to compete with industry giants (even with a small budget) and leverage AI without losing your unique voice. This is a masterclass for any entrepreneur feeling lost in the messy middle of growth.
💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business
- 🚀 How to build a “growth engine” from scratch by focusing on the right marketing mix for your business stage.
- 🤖 Why SEO isn’t dead and the crucial steps you need to take to optimize for the new era of AI search (GEO).
- 💰 The smart way to balance quick wins from paid ads with the compounding, long-term power of organic search.
- 🎯 How to find and exploit the gaps your giant competitors are ignoring to carve out your own profitable niche.
- ✍️ The right way to use AI as a content creation tool to boost efficiency without getting penalized for spammy content.
- 📈 The key metrics you actually need to track to prove your marketing ROI, from top-of-funnel impressions to bottom-line revenue.
- 🚫 The power of "negative keywords" to stop wasting ad spend and ensure you’re only attracting high-intent customers.
📝 About David Black
David Black is the Founder and CEO of Ready Set Search, a digital marketing agency that helps founders turn early traction into scalable growth. He works with startups and service-based businesses to develop focused search marketing strategies that drive real results. With a founder’s mindset and hands-on growth experience, David helps clients clarify goals, optimize spend, and scale efficiently—without the fluff. He specializes in guiding companies through the “messy middle” of growth, making their marketing work smarter and harder.
🎯 David’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs
“Always have that hunger to learn… but then know when to make that switch and actually start executing and testing.”
📢 Memorable Quotes
- “SEO compounds like a financial institution… the more you keep investing in SEO, the more that you can continually compound your wins and keep seeing more and more traffic and revenue.”
- “We want to use AI as a tool. We don't want to use it as the only thing… we're trying to focus on that value add, things that are unique that only our business can have.”
- “You can go into analysis paralysis where you're just constantly learning but never actually executing.”
💡 Actionable Takeaways
- ✅ Audit your current marketing efforts: Are you balancing short-term channels (like paid ads) with long-term investments (like SEO and brand building)?
- ✅ Identify your competitor's weaknesses: Research where the big players in your industry are failing to serve a specific niche or answer a specific customer question. That's your opening.
- ✅ Start using AI for workflow efficiency (outlines, research, task management), but commit to always adding your unique expertise, data, or perspective to the final content.
🔗 Links & Resources