Marketing Speak®

The marketing game has fundamentally changed. While most businesses still chase website clicks, AI is forming opinions about your brand before anyone visits your site. In my latest Marketing Speak episode, Dixon Jones (CEO of InLinks and former Global Brand Ambassador for Majestic) reveals why traditional SEO metrics are becoming obsolete. Dixon, who's earned the Queen's Award for Enterprise and UK Search Personality of the Year, shares how large language models make purchasing recommendations based on entity knowledge, not keyword rankings. Here's the reality: When someone asks ChatGPT or Claude for business recommendations, the decision happens in the AI response - not after clicking your website. Dixon's new tool audits what AI actually knows about your business versus competitors, revealing critical gaps that could cost you customers. Tune in! The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at marketingspeak.com/520.

What if putting yourself first actually grew your business instead of hurting it? Sagi Shrieber, first designer at Fiverr and SimilarWeb, scaled his design agency to seven figures while working LESS hours. His secret? The "Nine to Twelve Rule" - blocking 9 AM to 12 PM daily for personal time before any client meetings. The counterintuitive result: Higher productivity, better client relationships, and sustainable growth without burnout. In our latest Marketing Speak episode, Sagi reveals why most entrepreneurs have it backwards and shares his exact framework for setting boundaries that actually increase revenue. 🎧 Listen now! The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at marketingspeak.com/519.

Danny Iny, founder of Mirasee and a Harvard Business Review contributor, shares insights on leveraging AI for business growth. He argues that many entrepreneurs misuse AI, missing huge opportunities. By treating AI as a strategic partner rather than just a tool, you can amplify your unique perspective. He also emphasizes the importance of adaptability in uncertain times and how a positive mindset amid technology can foster innovation. Iny advocates for thoughtful AI use to enhance communication, especially during challenging interactions.

AI is reshaping how content gets discovered, and many publishers are watching their traffic disappear. But here's what most don't realize: Google Discover now accounts for 65% of publisher traffic with CTRs 4x higher than traditional search. John Shehata, founder of NewzDash and former global audience growth leader at Condé Nast (60+ brands), reveals the survival strategies publishers need right now. From query fan-out optimization to AI summarization buttons that actually increase engagement, John breaks down what's working in this new landscape. Sites blaming AI for traffic decline often had deeper content and branding issues long before AI arrived. Smart publishers are pivoting to owned audience channels and passage-based optimization. Listen to episode 517 of Marketing Speak to discover the frameworks that help content creators thrive as AI reshapes discovery and consumption. The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at marketingspeak.com/517.

🚀 Most authors waste thousands chasing vanity metrics like Amazon "Best Seller" tags. In this Marketing Speak episode, Alex Strathdee takes a different approach—helping authors get their books into the right hands to generate leads, build authority, and drive real business growth. With 1,000+ nonfiction books marketed, Alex shares why giving away free copies can sometimes be your smartest move—and how to use Amazon & Meta ads strategically to scale. 🎧 Listen now to learn how to turn your book into a lead-gen engine! The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at marketingspeak.com/516.

💡 "Don't try to be like Apple unless you have Apple's brand authority" - Greg Merrilees This insight from Episode 515 explains why so many premium service websites fail to convert. Greg Merrilees, founder of Studio1 Design, just walked us through a case study that every business owner needs to hear. We transformed Quintessa (a high-end cosmetic surgery center) from a sparse, "clean" website into a conversion powerhouse. Key breakthrough: When you have a high-ticket service, your brand MUST match that price point. Clean minimalism often reads as cheap or untrustworthy. The strategic redesign included: ✅ Real team photos (not stock imagery) ✅ Social proof above the fold ✅ Strategic content organization ✅ Conversion-optimized user journeys Result: Traffic doubled, keyword rankings soared, and lead quality improved dramatically. Ready to stop leaving money on the table with an under-performing website? 🎧 Listen to the full teardown on Marketing Speak! The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at marketingspeak.com/515.

Dustin Riechmann, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Seven Figure Leap, discusses leveraging human connection to thrive in business. He shares his intriguing journey from traffic engineer to successful business coach, emphasizing the power of podcast guesting for building relationships. Dustin reveals unique strategies like using AI to enhance creativity, non-dominant hand writing for insights, and even praying before AI sessions. He highlights how community and shared values serve as a safeguard against AI, making a compelling case for relationship-driven marketing.

Lauren Pawell, a fractional CMO with a diverse background ranging from ballet to medical sales, shares her insights on AI-driven marketing. She discusses the urgent need for marketers to embrace AI, warning that those who don’t risk losing clients. Traditional social media is dead, replaced by 'interest media' driven by user engagement. Lauren shares tips on transforming interviews into viral content and explains why AI outputs should be just the starting point. She emphasizes that small teams can now outperform those with hefty budgets by leveraging innovation.

🎯 Your website is never finished. It's your silent sales machine working 24/7. Greg Merrilees just shared the blueprint that took Firefly Legal from outdated to industry-leading in our latest Marketing Speak deep dive. Here's what most service businesses get wrong: They treat their website like a digital brochure instead of a conversion-focused sales tool. Greg's systematic approach fixes this with strategic questioning, authentic branding, and conversion funnels that actually work. The proof? Organic traffic skyrocketing, keyword rankings climbing, and lead generation hitting all-time highs. This Marketing Speak episode is packed with actionable insights for any service business ready to level up! The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at marketingspeak.com/512.

🎯 What if the ONE thing blocking your business growth isn't what you think it is? Israel Duran went from a child who couldn't speak without stuttering to empowering thousands of entrepreneurs worldwide. In our latest Marketing Speak episode, he reveals his "Beach of Abundance" model that identifies the critical business leaks preventing exponential growth. His insight? Most entrepreneurs keep trying new containers (strategies) without fixing the holes. They chase shiny objects instead of identifying their linchpin leak - whether it's branding, marketing, sales, operations, or mindset. Key takeaways from our conversation: ✅ The 4 C's of content creation that separate you from the noise ✅ Why building your own platform trumps social media dependency ✅ How to leverage existing viral content for rapid growth ✅ The spiritual partnership that transformed his entire approach to business Ready to identify your business leak? Listen to Episode 511 now. The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at marketingspeak.com/511.