Ep 30: Zero-Click, AI, & the New Search Reality | Navigating Changes in Search Behavior with Dale Bertrand

In this episode of The ChangeOver, Weidert Group’s Chelsea Drusch sits down with SEO expert Dale Bertrand to unpack the seismic shifts AI and zero-click search are bringing to digital marketing.

Dale explains why the old playbook of keyword targeting and technical tricks no longer works — and how today’s search engines, powered by AI, reward content that delivers real value to buyers. Together, Chelsea and Dale explore how marketers can adapt by focusing on topical relevance, audience research, and brand reputation inside generative platforms like ChatGPT.

From reframing traffic declines as higher-quality leads to balancing SEO with “generative engine optimization,” this conversation helps marketers understand what it takes to stay visible when answers, not links, are the new search results.

Whether you’re a strategist rethinking your KPIs, a content creator trying to reach buyers in a zero-click world, or a marketing leader navigating stakeholder expectations, this episode offers clarity, perspective, and practical next steps for thriving in the Age of AI.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:

• 02:17 Dale’s path from software engineering to SEO expert and marketing agency leader
• 04:30 Why topical relevance now matters more than keyword targeting
• 05:49 Why technical SEO “tricks” no longer work
• 07:41 Balancing technical optimization with audience-first content creation
• 13:00 Zero-click search explained, and why AI platforms are “qualifying” your traffic, not stealing it
• 16:42 Traffic down, revenue up: why quality matters more than volume
• 22:10 Why direct attribution was always a dream, and which metrics matter now
• 28:13 The marketer’s choice: metrics monkey or true strategist
• 33:16 The difference between AEO and GEO (or does terminology even matter?)

CONNECT WITH US: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/weidert-group/ Instagram: instagram.com/weidertgroup/ Facebook: facebook.com/weidertgroup X: x.com/WeidertGroup YouTube: youtube.com/@Weidert Website: weidert.com/changeoverpodcast

CONNECT WITH OUR HOST AND GUEST: Chelsea Drusch: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelseadrusch/ Dale Bertrand: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalebertrand/