Marketecture: Get Smart. Fast. Episode 120: Michael Walrath on Yext, Yahoo, and AI. Plus the AdLand acquisition and Google’s cookie reversal.
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Apr 25, 2025 
Michael Walrath, CEO of Yext and founder of Right Media, dives into the expanding role of structured data in an AI-driven world. He highlights the challenges businesses face in managing local visibility and adapting to the evolving landscape of digital marketing. The discussion also covers Google's postponed cookie phase-out, scrutinizing its ripple effects on ad tech. Additionally, they explore the historical stagnation at Yahoo compared to current innovations and the regulatory hurdles affecting advertising strategies.
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Adland.tv Revival Story
- Ari Paparo shares how he purchased and revived Adland.tv, a long-standing archive of global ads, to keep it free and accessible.
- The site’s original curator shut it down due to personal issues, causing concern, but Ari’s acquisition brought it back live and vibrant.
Yext's Local Data Evolution
- Yext evolves from fixing addresses to managing all location-relevant data for businesses with local footprints.
- Structured, accurate data is crucial as mobile and geo-aware directories explode, complicating visibility and consumer local queries.
AI Disrupts Search & Marketing
- AI-driven search is shifting consumer behavior from traditional search engines dominated by Google to diverse AI-powered question-answering systems.
- Marketers must focus on structured, schema-rich content to ensure visibility across AI and future search agents.