SEO Rockstars

Guillermo Bravo speaks with Ryan Klein (CEO of Market My Market ) to discuss the radical shift in digital marketing for law firms and professional services. With 14 years in the "legal SEO trenches," Klein explains why the traditional SEO playbook—once focused solely on keywords and high-volume content—is fundamentally breaking in the age of AI. The conversation dives deep into the reality...

In this episode, host Guillermo Bravo interviews Aarti Birdi , founder of CDX , to explore why B2B companies are struggling to maintain authority in an AI-driven landscape. Birdi, who transitioned from a background in genetics to marketing, explains how her "research and content lab" uses lived expertise and emotional resonance to combat the "stiff" corporate jargon that often plag...

Industry pioneer Daron Babin, known in SEO circles as SEGuru, details his career trajectory from a technical producer at NBC to a digital marketing visionary who began practicing SEO in 1994. After a "light bulb" moment at a TV newsroom regarding the power of search intent, Babin co-founded Webmaster Radio (now WMR.FM ) in 2004, scaling it into the premier online network for digital market...

In this powerful return episode of SEO Rockstars, Ben Fisher from Steady Demand reveals the harsh realities every local business owner needs to hear. From massive Google Business Profile suspensions that can wipe out 70% of a company’s revenue overnight to AI (Gemini) wildly misinterpreting reviews and turning positive comments into business-killing negatives, Ben shares hard-won war stories — inc...

In this episode of the SEO Rockstars Podcast , host Guillermo Bravo sits down with Jordan Koene , CEO and Founder of Previsible , to discuss the radical shifts defining search in 2026. Koene introduces the critical concept of "grounding" —the process by which AI models like ChatGPT and Gemini source and cite web content to formulate responses. Moving beyond traditional rankings, Koene expl...

In this episode of the SEO Rockstars Podcast , host Guillermo Bravo catches up with Ivy Boyter , founder of Full Throttle SEO , to break down why the old playbooks are failing in an AI-driven world. Ivy shares her "Search Everywhere Optimization" philosophy, urging brands to stop obsessing over Google alone and start appearing where people actually ask questions—whether that’s on LinkedIn,...

In this episode of the SEO Rockstars podcast, host Guillermo Bravo sits down with industry veteran Jeff Ferguson , CEO of Amplitude Digital , to dismantle the persistent myths haunting the search industry. Ferguson argues that while AI and "zero-click" searches are often treated as "climate change" level threats, they are primarily interface shifts that don't change the foundat...

In this episode of the SEO Rockstars podcast, host Guillermo Bravo sits down with Yoast SEO founder J oost De Valk to discuss his transition from a high-level operator to a passionate investor and founder. Following his full exit from Yoast in 2023, Joost shares his renewed focus on open-source sustainability through Ameliah Capital and his latest venture, Progress Planner , which he describes as...

In this episode of the SEO Rockstars podcast, host Guillermo Bravo reunites with long-time colleague Samer Alkass (Director of Search at Aerosvit) to discuss the complexities of managing SEO across hundreds of locations. They moves beyond basic optimization to focus on structural integrity , emphasizing that a scalable data model and logical URL hierarchy (State > City > Locale) must precede...

Guillermo Bravo sits down with industry veteran Craig Campbell to discuss the evolving landscape of search engine optimization. With over two decades of experience, Campbell emphasizes that while AI is reshaping content creation, the foundational "basics"—link building, authority, and trust signals—remain the essential drivers of success. He shares his "vulture" strategy for acquir...

Growth strategist Eli Schwartz explains why SEO must shift from a technical checklist to a core business driver. He introduces the concept of Product-Led SEO , using examples like Zillow to show how building high-value digital assets—rather than just "programmatic" spam—creates a sustainable competitive moat. Schwartz also addresses the rise of AI in search , noting that personal context a...

In this episode of the SEO Rockstars podcast, Guillermo Bravo talks with Matthew Shterenberg, founder of Deep Roots , to strip away the fluff of modern search marketing and focus on what actually drives the bottom line. Shterenberg argues that for local retail businesses like cannabis dispensaries, the path to a 20-30% increase in new customer sales lies in dominating the "local pack" for...

Jason Barnard's strategy for Brand SEO centers on a critical pivot away from a singular focus on keywords and toward building a strong brand entity. As the founder of Kalicube, he argues that commercial success is found at the bottom of the acquisition funnel, where high-intent, branded searches occur. His methodology emphasizes clearly defining the brand's identity, who it serves, and its...

Guillermo Bravo speaks with Jeremy Johnson of Quality Roots outlines the critical role of SEO as a top growth channel in the highly regulated cannabis industry, which faces severe restrictions on paid and out-of-home media. Quality Roots employs a dual-focused SEO strategy: a wide-ranging e-commerce focus on high-intent product keywords and a robust local SEO effort to dominate the Maps Pack for f...

Ben Foster of Steady Demand, a Google Business Profile (GBP) product expert, explores the critical role of GBP, which can account for up to 70% of a local business's revenue and is linked to paid media like Local Services Ads. Foster details his journey from web development to specializing in local SEO after the deprecation of Google+. His core philosophy is an "entity-first" strategy,...

Frank Watson, aka "Aussie Webmaster," provided a comprehensive look at the evolution of search, spanning from the pre-engine days of the Yahoo! directory and the inception of Google's PageRank to the current landscape. He stressed that while AI tools like Performance Max (PMax) have revolutionized PPC, human strategy remains essential for specific keyword selection and creating impactf...

Brady Madden offers insights on the relationship between AI, Local SEO, and online reputation. The core message is that while AI, such as Large Language Models (LLMs), is an efficiency tool for tasks like content brainstorming, it requires mandatory human editing to ensure brand voice, accuracy, and "SEO Search Empathy." For local businesses, Google Maps and a fully built-out Google Busine...

Joy Hawkins outlines the critical shifts in local SEO, emphasizing that Google Reviews are the Undisputed #1 Factor. Reviews are now considered "table stakes" for all SEO and ad return on investment (ROI). The core strategy centers on hitting the 10-review threshold for an immediate ranking boost, prioritizing the recency and velocity of new reviews, incentivizing front-line staff to colle...

A deep dive into how the world of search is being fundamentally reshaped by the emergence of ChatGPT and Large Language Models (LLMs), giving rise to the critical new discipline: Generative Engine Optimization, or GEO. Guillermo and Eduardo break down the difference with a simple analogy: SEO is your "pickup line"—it tells Google what you do—while GEO is your "reputation," which te...

Guillermo and Eduardo unveil 3 "Low-Effort, High-Impact" SEO Quick Wins—immediate, foundational steps that promise to shift your digital authority. These aren't technical deep dives; they are simple, high-leverage actions to "start dominating within their space." They reveal a "Gold Standard" for immediately earning customer trust, a non-negotiable step to ensuring your...

We talk about the launch of Nacho Analytics with Mike Roberts, Founder and CEO of SpyFu, a service that lets you learn from and download your competitors’ AdWords and SEO campaign history. Having founded SpyFu in 2006, he led the charge in transforming the way search marketers to craft their strategies in PPC and SEO. Like many creators, Mike obsesses over what makes something work. He applies tha...

Mike Roberts is the Founder and CEO of SpyFu, a service that lets you learn from and download your competitors’ AdWords and SEO campaign history. Mike is an industry-recognized expert in SEO, PPC, and competitive intelligence. Talks about SEO Mistakes You’re Definitely Making Having founded SpyFu in 2006, he led the charge in transforming the way search marketers to craft their strategies in PPC a...

This episode of SEO Rockstars touches on Google now letting you submit URLs for indexing straight from Search, as well as giving you the ability to fact check news. Not only is Google one fo the best search engines but we give you 5 Reasons Why Google is Best Place to Work. Google has been trying to reduced fake Google Maps listings and have by 70% since 2015. Also a tip of the hat to blogging wiz...

Google’s biggest-ever search quality crisis; Why do marketers still struggle with innovative search tactics?  Google Testing Breadcrumb URLs Above Titles on Mobile Search Results. Eric Enge recaps a session from SMX West where audience members were able to ask Google anything.  How to Get Back on Track After a Drop in Rankings. Brand Safety Issues At Google: 'Much Ado About Nothing'  

Harnessing the power of online reviews as Thomas Ballantyne spoke last week at SMX West about the value of online reviews, showing why businesses need to start thinking about them if they aren't already. Plus, a recap of a session on the Definitive Guide to Local Search Ranking Factors.  How Google Chooses “People Also Search For” in Knowledge Panels   Understanding the Quick Answers Box  Ques...