The Collective

Peter Thiel moves to Argentina, Uber blows through 2026’s AI budget in 4 months and cannot track any tangible ROI from AI usage, Meta cuts 8k jobs to help fund AI investments and Google’s rich content update.  Lot going on in this one!  But trust us, these are all interconnected and made for a great episode.  Articles mentioned in the podcast: Meta layoffs: https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/techno...

Minted’s founder, Marcus Milione, went on TBPN and broke down how he approached preventing bots from buying all of their sneakers with their recent Saucony collaboration.  Pretty sick technique!  But it might be done after Marcus revealed how they did it. The guys also discuss updates shared from Google’s I/O event where the company shared their thoughts around shifting from “search” to “ask”.  Go...

Google finally responds to the industry with what they call "mythbusting generative AI search: what you don't need to do”.  And we gotta say, it was fantastic! Google breaks down how certain things being pushed right now in the GEO / AEO / AI Search landscape are utter nonsense.  They specifically state you do NOT need to do the following to win in AI search: LLM.TXT and other “special” m...

Steve apparently is a master sourdough bread maker! And we discuss a topic that’s been exploding during the AEO / GEO wave and that is does structured schema make a difference when it comes to AI search visibility?  Does schema help your website gain organic rankings on Google?  Or is it all nonsense and does schema play a minimal role? We discuss!  Want to learn more about us and our services? Re...

We talk about the potential reclassification of marijuana and the potential opportunity for ad agencies. We also discuss the scam that is student loan debt and how our politicians couldn’t care less about normal everyday Americans.  Want to learn more about us and our services? Reach out! Steve: https://collective42.com/ Trevor: https://www.r40collective.com/ #digitalmarketing #ai #aimarketing #pp...

Steve gives an update on how inbound, particularly organic search and AI search, have positively been growing their business.  We talk through how you can structure your site to be AI search friendly aka use those SEO best practices!  Want to learn more about us and our services? Reach out! Steve: https://collective42.com/ Trevor: https://www.r40collective.com/ #digitalmarketing #ai #aimarketing #...

The guys chat about the recent OpenAI acquisition of TBPN and how similar companies like Hubspot acquired My First Million podcast.  In the AI era with an abundance of content and all of these different social media platforms distribution and a real audience seems to be the moat.  We’re likely going to see more and more of these deals in the next couple of years as brands try to figure out their m...

How we use Claude and ChatGPT for paid media and SEO monthly reporting.  Plus, we talk running and training as always!  Want to learn more about us and our services? Reach out! Steve: https://collective42.com/ Trevor: https://www.r40collective.com/ #digitalmarketing #ai #aimarketing #ppc #seo #growthhacking #googleads #searchenginemarketing #sem #ga4 #googleanalytics #growthmarketing #demandgen #p...

Iran war, programmatic SEO combined with AI and we chat about our running blocks docking miles for half marathons.  Covered a lot in this one!  Want to learn more about us and our services? Reach out! Steve: https://collective42.com/ Trevor: https://www.r40collective.com/ #digitalmarketing #ai #aimarketing #ppc #seo #growthhacking #googleads #searchenginemarketing #sem #ga4 #googleanalytics #growt...

We discuss how Reddit impacts AI visibility and how brands are starting to implement a more focused strategy around the platform. And then we also discuss some of the fluff around AI tracking tools and how the conversation is more geared towards a tool’s strength score as opposed to business results.  Want to learn more about us and our services? Reach out! Steve: https://collective42.com/ Trevor:...

We talk about some recent comments the head of advertising at OpenAI made about how they envision the ad platform working. And then we get into AI data from Bing Webmasters.  Not the best data and overall kinda vague, but hey it’s a move in the right direction!  Want to learn more about us and our services? Reach out! Steve: https://collective42.com/ Trevor: https://www.r40collective.com/ #digital...

If you’re doing SEO or paid media for local service businesses this ones for you.  We discuss how Google has recently shifted the way paid vs organic results appear in the Google map pack listings and what this means for businesses. We then end with a few things we’ve done recently to improve productivity and mental clarity. Enjoy! Want to learn more about us and our services? Reach out! Steve: ht...

Puppy joins the pod! We discuss Apple’s announcement integrating with Google’s Gemini to power Siri. And we do a deep dive into how Google with search, chrome, android, YouTube and AI Overviews along with their Apple/Siri announcement has created a continuous loop where Google is still king. If you’re running paid search campaigns on Google, we think this episode will give you some confidence to c...

We reflect on their podcast journey, discussing our goals, marketing strategies, and the importance of content creation.  We also chat about the potential of live streaming on social platforms like Twitter for promoting the podcast, similar to TBPN podcast. Then, we end with some lifestyle choices, health, and the growing interest in self-reliance and prepping. Enjoy! Want to learn more about us a...

Trev & Steve discuss how difficult it can be to be an effective consultant.  More specifically, as agency owners hiring contractors, they discuss how difficult it is to find someone who’s both great with production work & a subject matter expert while also knowing how to speak to clients.  They talk about what makes a really solid consultant and how to develop long term relationships with...

Trev & Steve discuss the Google update that has the whole SEO community in a fit.  This is called the &num=100 update and it impacted everyone’s Search Console impression data along with all of the SEO tracking tools.  Essentially, overnight websites saw impression volume fall off a cliff because of this update. The guys give a detailed overview of the update, what it impacts and how they...

In this episode, Trevor and Steve discuss the recent developments in the Google antitrust lawsuit, the implications of AI on Google's business strategy, and the evolving landscape of search engine usage. They explore the impact of AI tools on traditional search behavior, the importance of brand bidding, and the future of SEO in the context of AI optimization. Additionally, they touch on invest...

Trev & Steve discuss how some states have passed legislation where state residents have their energy bills increasing due to AI Data centers.  They discuss how this could turn into major backlash in coming months and how this potentially impacts the longer term view of AI. Want to learn more about us and our services? Reach out! Steve: https://collective42.com/ Trevor: https://www.r40collectiv...

Trev & Steve discuss the latest updates from Google, particularly focusing on the impact of AI on user engagement and website traffic. They explore Google's revenue growth, the introduction of AI mode features, and the importance of understanding log files to analyze AI activity. The discussion also covers the implications of AI Max in Google Ads and how businesses can navigate these chang...

Google hides 85% of your search terms data? OpenAI’s Operator can do tasks on your business’s behalf?  Steve & Trev break down both of these topics on this week's episode!  Want to learn more about us and our services? Reach out! Steve: https://collective42.com/ Trevor: https://www.r40collective.com/ #digitalmarketing #ai #aimarketing #ppc #seo #growthhacking #googleads #searchenginemarket...

Real simple one - we talk all things paid search by reviewing an analysis Trev did on keyword match types.  The guys talk about how important it is to lean into broad match keywords in Google search campaigns because that’s the game Google wants you to play. They also discuss the importance of 1st party conversion data and how connecting directly to a CRM with a milestone is critical when it comes...

Trev returns! In this episode, the guys discuss the importance of speed in responding to prospective clients and their general approach to initial discussions.  They emphasize the importance of getting to know what your prospect is trying to accomplish, if you’re the right fit to deliver on their goals and making sure they’re a culture fit for your organization. The guys discuss how shitty clients...

Leon joins Steve to share his journey in SEO since 2015, focusing on testing, experimentation, and what’s working right now. They dive into keyword strategies, code bloat reduction, AI’s growing impact, and why content and backlinks still matter—especially for scaling e-commerce sites. Want to connect with Leon? https://www.seo.science/ Want to learn more about us and our services? Reach out! Stev...

Are you sick and tired of hearing about Generative AI and how different it is than traditional SEO?  If so, this is the episode for you. In this episode we had Christian Hustle, founder of Woobound Marketing, joined Steve to discuss the evolving landscape of SEO in the age of AI.  In this convo, they discuss the importance of content creation, the challenges of tracking and reporting in an AI-driv...

This episode has a couple funny experiences recently with AI and how it muddies up cold out reach.   But, the big news is Google’s AI Mode announcement!  The company released their AI Mode experience which looks like an LLM you’re used to with the bland text based experience and not the typical Google Search Results Pages with a ton of blue links. If you think about it, Google generated one of the...