The Digital Marketing Podcast by Exposure Ninja

Zero-click searches now account for 58.5% of all Google searches — more than doubling since 2022 — creating unprecedented disruption for traditional content marketing whilst opening massive opportunities for forward-thinking product-based businesses.Whilst media companies panic about disappearing traffic and affiliate commissions, smart marketers are quietly turning this shift into their biggest competitive advantage.The fundamental insight: people still need to buy things. They just research differently now.In this episode, I reveal:• Why 58% of searches ending without clicks isn't the death of SEO — it's the evolution of it (and how to position your business as the winner)• The three types of zero-click search that are reshaping customer behaviour — and which one represents your biggest opportunity for capturing high-intent buyers• Real client success stories, including how we helped Zugu Case become the top AI-recommended iPad case and supported a 35% visibility increase for our largest client in just six months• The critical difference between top-funnel searches (where AI dominates) and bottom-funnel searches (where you can still capture sales) — and how to identify which keywords in your industry fall into each category• Your complete three-step optimisation strategy for dominating AI Overviews, from getting featured in AI answers to building third-party authority that influences recommendations• Why traditional content sites are facing extinction whilst product-based businesses can thrive — and the specific tactics that separate winners from losers in the new search landscapeI'll share specific examples of how our clients appear in AI Overviews, the exact content formats that AI tools prefer to cite, and why getting mentioned across high-authority publications is now more valuable than traditional backlinks.As I explain in the episode:"The searcher is still going to make a purchase at the end of the research journey, but we just need to make sure it's your store, your brand, or your product that's being featured when somebody is ready to make that purchase."If you're ready to turn the zero-click "crisis" into your competitive advantage whilst your competitors mourn lost traffic from irrelevant content, this episode provides your complete blueprint for winning in the new search economy.Get the show notes:https://exposureninja.com/podcast/359/Listen to these episodes next:What is AI Search Optimisation (and How To Do It)https://exposureninja.com/podcast/358/How To Rank in Google’s AI Modehttps://exposureninja.com/podcast/357/Copy This 11,000+ Lead Full Funnel Marketing Strategyhttps://exposureninja.com/podcast/355/

Join Rebecca Pilkington, Head of PPC at Exposure Ninja, as she unpacks Google's Creator Partnership Hub, a game-changer for managing YouTube influencer collaborations. Discover how this new tool streamlines workflows and offers deep insights into audience data, previously unattainable. The conversation also dives into the evolving landscape of influencer marketing, the importance of trust in campaigns, and innovative strategies for partnering with smaller influencers to maximize engagement. Perfect for marketers navigating the digital space!

AI Search is on track to surpass traditional search by 2028, presenting a game-changing shift for marketers. Recent research reveals AI Search visitors are significantly more valuable, converting at higher rates. Understanding the evolving landscape is crucial, as reliance on traditional SEO may leave businesses behind. As AI technologies advance, adapting strategies will be essential for success, particularly for smaller businesses eager to compete. You'll learn actionable steps to optimize visibility in this new environment, ensuring your brand leverages AI effectively.

Explore the shift from traditional search engines to AI-driven tools like ChatGPT and its impact on consumer behavior. Discover how to adapt marketing strategies through AI Search Optimization, raising brand authority while maintaining solid SEO practices. Uncover the three-pillar framework driving significant increases in AI mentions, plus the content formats that resonate with AI tools. Learn through real-world success stories of brands dominating results and how strategic placements and positive sentiment management can enhance visibility in a fast-evolving digital landscape.

Rebecca Pilkington, Head of PPC at Exposure Ninja, delves into Google's AI Max for Search, a game-changer in PPC advertising. She shares how brands like L'Oréal have doubled conversions while cutting costs, emphasizing that AI Max enhances human expertise, rather than replaces it. The discussion covers implementation strategies for varying business sizes and the importance of cross-channel integration. With real client insights, Rebecca reveals that effective campaign management requires a symbiotic relationship between AI and human oversight, urging marketers to adapt swiftly.

Google's AI mode is revolutionizing search, making conventional SEO tactics obsolete. The discussion highlights why branded web mentions dramatically improve visibility, supported by new data. It also delves into how AI tools create brand associations and showcases real-life examples like KitKat and The Ordinary. As generic content loses value, marketers are urged to focus on in-depth, tailored strategies. The podcast provides essential insights for adapting marketing approaches to succeed in an AI-driven search landscape.

The search landscape is evolving rapidly, and Google's AI Overviews are redefining how brands achieve organic visibility, creating unprecedented challenges and opportunities for marketing leaders who understand the new rules.While AI Overviews now appear in 17% of UK mobile searches (up from 14% in March), the most significant revelation comes from Ahrefs' analysis of 75,000 brands, which reveals exactly which factors correlate with AI Overview inclusion.The findings challenge decades of SEO conventional wisdom: branded web mentions may now potentially outweigh traditional backlinks by a factor of three.In this episode, we discuss:• The complete correlation hierarchy from Ahrefs' 75,000-brand study — including why branded web mentions score 0.664 correlation while backlink quantity manages only 0.218• Why traditional link-building strategies are becoming obsolete — and what Google's AI systems prioritise instead when evaluating brand authority• The mathematical reality behind brand-first optimisation — including how an unlinked Forbes mention may carry more AI ranking weight than dozens of traditional backlinks• How to measure your current AI visibility using tools like Semrush's AI Toolkit (which you can try via our affiliate link: https://exposure.ninja/ai-toolkit) to benchmark against competitors and identify improvement opportunities• The integration imperative — why successful AI optimisation requires breaking down silos between SEO, PR, content marketing, and social media teamsAs we explain in the episode:"The days of backlinks being more important than unlinked general brand mentions are starting to move behind us"Get the show notes:https://exposureninja.com/podcast/dojo-52/Listen to these episodes next:How Google Changed the Future of SEO at Google I/O 2025https://exposureninja.com/podcast/dojo-51/Are AI Overviews Going to Impact Your Commercial Traffic?https://exposureninja.com/podcast/dojo-48/Copy This 11,000+ Lead Full Funnel Marketing Strategyhttps://exposureninja.com/podcast/355/

Discover how AI is reshaping B2C marketing, turning shoppers into data-driven decision-makers. Learn about innovative quiz-driven strategies that enhance customer engagement, such as Lick Paint's effective color selection tool. Delve into the power of email automation that yields impressive ROI within weeks. Explore the critical balance of customer acquisition costs and lifetime value for sustainable growth. Uncover tactics from leading brands that effectively capitalize on the evolving digital landscape.

The Google I/O 2025 event has revolutionized SEO with its new AI mode, making search results more personalized and user-centric. Key insights reveal how this shift compresses research time, leading to quicker purchase decisions. The podcast highlights the importance of adapting SEO strategies, focusing on high-quality content and brand positioning over traditional keyword matching. Additionally, discussions on AI-driven advertising developments show a transition to topic-focused approaches, urging marketers to evolve in this fast-changing landscape.

Discover how we generated 11,000+ mortgage leads in just 12 months starting from scratch — with a full-funnel marketing strategy that's applicable across any industry.While most agencies jump straight to tactics, our systematic approach began with fundamental audience research and strategic positioning, enabling DSLD Mortgage to transform from complete dependence on their parent company to self-sufficient lead generation.For marketing leaders at established businesses looking to dramatically scale lead generation, this case study reveals:• Why starting with customer research and positioning is non-negotiable — and how our "Branding and Positioning Accelerator" process identifies your most valuable audience segments and their unique buying journeys• How we reduced cost-per-lead from £100 to £30 through audience segmentation — creating separate ad campaigns, landing pages and email sequences for different customer types• The exact website structure that achieved a 3%+ conversion rate and won "Standout B2C Website of the Year" at the UK Digital Excellence Awards• Our counterintuitive approach to "low-quality leads" that transformed supposedly worthless prospects into a continuous revenue streamI'll share how we built a comprehensive SEO campaign that now generates £200,000 worth of PPC-equivalent traffic monthly, primarily from non-branded keywords representing completely new customers.As I explain in the episode:"Instead of treating their entire audience as one homogeneous group, we created separate campaigns for each audience segment. This allowed us to create ads with messaging tailored to each segment's specific needs, direct traffic to landing pages designed for each audience type, and implement segment-specific email follow-up sequences."If you're ready to build a lead generation system that delivers predictable results without relying on guesswork or vanity metrics, this episode provides your blueprint for success — whether you're in mortgages, renewable energy, or any other competitive market.Get the show notes:https://exposureninja.com/podcast/355/Listen to these episodes next:Copy Rocket Mortgage's $5 Billion Marketing Strategyhttps://exposureninja.com/podcast/353/5 Signs It’s Time To Redesign Your Websitehttps://exposureninja.com/podcast/352/A Marketing Leader's Guide to SEO in 2025https://exposureninja.com/podcast/346/