Will AI Kill Us All? Hype, Risk, and What Marketers Should Do Next

Is your marketing automation platform helping your business grow, or holding it back? In this episode of the Search Engine Journal Podcast, Heather Campbell speaks with Jon Miller, co-founder of Marketo, Engagio, and now Phave, about why traditional marketing automation platforms may no longer meet the needs of modern B2B marketing teams. Miller explains why the traditional lead generation model of capturing, nurturing, scoring, and passing leads to sales doesn't reflect how B2B buying decisions are made today. With complex buying committees, multiple decision-makers, and increasingly fragmented customer journeys, marketers need to rethink how they identify opportunities, measure engagement, and drive growth. The conversation explores how AI-native marketing platforms could move beyond rigid, rules-based workflows to make more intelligent decisions about segmentation, lead scoring, routing, and customer engagement.  In this episode, you'll learn: Why traditional marketing automation platforms may be limiting B2B growth. Why buying groups matter more than individual leads or accounts. How AI reasoning differs from traditional rules-based automation. The warning signs that your marketing technology stack has become too complex. Why marketing leaders should reconsider long-term platform contracts Jon also shares practical advice for CMOs and marketing leaders evaluating their existing technology investments and preparing for the next generation of AI-powered marketing automation. Read the full interview and transcript on Search Engine Journal: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/jon-miller-ai-marketing-automation/596446/ And subscribe to our newsletter for our next podcast guest: www.searchenginejournal.com/subscribe 

How do you run useful marketing experiments when traffic is flat and there's no extra budget? Search Engine Journal Editor-in-Chief Katie Morton speaks with Jonathan Berthold, VP of Revenue at Ziff Davis, about choosing, pitching, and evaluating tests across SEO and paid media. They discuss how to get leadership buy-in by explaining what a test will teach you, why it's safer to start small than change an entire website, and how to decide whether an experiment needs more time or should be stopped. Jonathan also shares where he sees opportunities in bottom-of-funnel content, landing page and funnel optimization, and using AI citation data to find link building opportunities. He explains why search volume alone can miss valuable keywords, especially when a small number of searches comes with strong buying intent. Inside: [00:45] What To Test When Traffic Is Flat And Budget Is Tight [02:44] Getting Leadership Buy-In For Experiments [06:35] Testing Small Before Making Sitewide Changes [07:37] How Long To Run An SEO Experiment [09:00] How To Evaluate Paid Media Tests [10:51] Landing Page And Funnel Tests Marketers Overlook [13:04] Finding Link Opportunities In AI Citation Data [14:29] Why Search Intent Matters More Than Volume Read the full recap of Katie Morton's conversation with Jonathan Berthold on Search Engine Journal: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/flat-traffic-no-budget-what-ziff-davis-jonathan-berthold-tests-first Subscribe to the SEJ newsletter: https://www.searchenginejournal.com/subscribe/

Is artificial intelligence an existential threat, an overhyped promise, or a fundamental shift marketers need to understand now? Search Engine Journal Editor-in-Chief Katie Morton speaks with VIP Contributor Greg Jarboe about the extremes shaping the AI conversation. Katie and Greg discuss why doomsday warnings can be useful, but only when they lead to practical safeguards. They also discuss the misleading promise that AI will effortlessly deliver a technological utopia. Greg explains why marketers must move beyond basic fact-checking to "ground-truth" AI output, challenge its underlying assumptions, collaborate across departmental silos, and prepare for a shift he believes is much bigger than the arrival of another marketing tool. Sign up for our newsletter to get breaking news and insights to help you lead search strategies. SearchEngineJournal.com/Subscribe

Kris Jones has been in search since the late 1990s. He built and sold Pepperjam, and now runs the agency LSEO. In this latest episode of the SEJ Podcast, he gives Loren Baker a one-word answer to the biggest question in AI search right now, and everything else we cover comes back to it.   We get into why AI systems have taken over the comparison step that buyers used to do themselves, why the raw material for those answers sits on websites you don't own, and what that means for where your budget actually goes. Kris makes the case that most of this is still fundamental SEO, names the cheapest immediate step most businesses are ignoring, and explains why brand messaging consistency is the new NAP consistency.   We also dig into what happens when AI Overviews get your pricing wrong, how people are really asking these questions, and why sizing your AI budget against today's referral traffic will leave you short. [06:02] — AI Took Over The Comparison Step [07:33] — Why Brand Is The Bridge [13:33] — The Awards Your Competitors Are Applying For [18:32] — Brand Messaging Is The New NAP Consistency [21:23] — When AI Overviews Get Your Pricing Wrong [28:56] — How People Are Actually Asking [37:29] — Beyond ChatGPT And Google

Clicks are down across the open web, but the traffic didn't disappear. It moved. Join Katie Morton (SEJ's editor in chief) and Matt Southern (senior news writer) for the RETURN of the SEJ PODCAST 🎙️ where they break down: Where search traffic is landing now (Google properties, AI Overviews, Reddit, video) What visibility means in an impressions-without-clicks world The KPI shift: conversions, brand recognition, AI citations, qualified leads Where to place content marketing bets, and what to walk away from If you need to prove content value to leadership, this one's for you. To get notified on the next podcast, follow us and subscribe to our newsletter.  Links mentioned: SEJ Pro: our private, human-to-human conversation space where today's marketers make sense of what AI, agents, and algorithm changes actually mean for your brand's visibility, traffic and revenue. Supported, in real time, by the experts you already trust.

We're excited to bring you the SERP's Up podcast on the SEJ Show channel! Join Wix for their landmark 100th episode, as their experts & guests take a deep dive into the world of SERPs. If you're frustrated by how broken the SERPs feel, don't worry…they're getting honest and covering the reasons. In this candid discussion, they're also breaking down what's currently going on with local SEO, the effects of the Google August Update, and of course…they're talking all things AI. Celebrate Wix's 100th episode with this powerhouse panel, as Mordy Oberstein & Crystal Carter of Wix are joined by SERP experts like Kevin Indig, Barry Schwartz, Chima Mmeje and more to let loose on issues search marketers are facing right now. If you haven't experienced a SERPs Up episode before, you should absolutely take a listen to experience the full effect of Mordy and Crystal's banter. The SERP's Up podcast is brought to you by Wix Studio. 

Join us as we look at how your online reputation and local marketing strategies can drive revenue for your business, while avoiding pitfalls along the way. With guest Raj Nijjer of Edge, we'll dive into the revenue impacts that your online reputation can have, and why this reputation building should be crucial in your planning. Join your host Loren Baker, as he and Raj discuss how to avoid wasteful strategies of local marketing and multi-location businesses, plus a couple tips on how a good reputation can help attract and retain top talent. [01:14] - Raj's Background and Journey to Edge. [02:44] - Edge's Concept of Employee-Driven Growth and Its Connection to Google Reviews. [10:34] - How Reviews Contribute to Local SEO. [11:27] - Customer-Facing End: In-Depth Reviews and Personalization. [13:24] - Standing Out in Cutthroat Competition: Franchises and Service Businesses. [14:37] - Motivating Employees and Transparent Recognition Through Reviews. [20:49] - Reputation Management and Injecting Employee Recognition. [45:06] - Employee Retention During Challenges Like The COVID-19 Pandemic. We encourage businesses to amplify positive reviews and learn from the negative reviews. - Raj Nijjer, 5:34 Now not only does the brand win and the business win, but employees can feel great or a person can feel great about the job that they've done. - Raj Nijjer, 9:21 Positive reviews are so important. There's one stat I read on your site…53% of customers won't go to a business rated under four stars. - Loren Baker, 15:21 I think the injection of motivating and recognizing your employees while they're doing this service is something that we're very proud of, because we can see which employees are doing really well. And then you can duplicate that. - Raj Nijjer, 21:44 Our goal is to marry the marketing with operational excellence. You want to hold people accountable, especially if you're rewarding them. - Raj Nijjer, 30:53 I think one thing COVID taught every business owner is employee retention and how hard it's been to find people and when a displacement happens, it really jeopardizes your business if you don't plan it well. So you want to keep your superstars, don't ever lose your superstars. - Raj Nijjer - 41:10 Resources Mentioned: Edge Connect With Raj Nijjer: Raj is Head of Marketing for Edge, an employee-driven growth platform for service brands. Previously, he was the CMO of Refersion (acquired), and held executive marketing roles at Yotpo and Yext (IPO in 2017). Raj also spent over nine years at Godaddy (IPO in 2015) in leadership roles launching innovative product lines with over ten patents issued and leading to a PE buyout and an IPO. Raj is also fractional CMO to early and mid-stage technology startups. Raj received his Bachelors of Science degree in International Management and his MBA from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajnijjer/ Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RajNijjer Connect with Loren Baker: Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker 

Join us as we explore how to prove that SEO matters to resistant stakeholders and C-suite executives, along with ways to combat the external noise affecting the outlook on SEO efforts. Dan brings his experience as a leading SEO consultant for top companies to this exclusive interview. He and Loren navigate the complexities of the shifting SEO landscape, and how to set realistic expectations in your business.  They also dig into the potential risks and opportunities of AI in search, and what these drastic changes mean moving forward. I think oftentimes in a lot of organizations, everyone's time poor, everyone has their own set of KPIs and objectives moving towards that bigger goal, and oftentimes SEO is trickled through. - Dan Taylor, 1:53 I think through that communication system framework, however you want to go around it or phrase it, it's about getting that shared buy-in. - Dan Taylor, 8:24 We have people planning their budgets and their SEO plans already, but with a little bit of a turbulent economy, sometimes it's a little bit of a question mark. - Loren Baker, 1:18 [00:43] - Dan's background and expertise [01:53] - SEO planning and visibility tips. [03:18] - Recommendations for visibility in SEO. [04:14] - Managing expectations with AI. [07:02] - Addressing SEO performance comparisons. [08:24] - Effective communication for executive buy-in. [11:17] - Combatting SEO Misinterpretations. [15:52] - Personal Touch in Client Interactions. [26:48] - Adapting SEO to Rich Media in Search Results. [32:06] - Adaptations in the travel industry. It's having sincerity and it's actually having a human touch. - Dan Taylor, 14:40 Essentially that kind of battleground which we previously had in search is sort of being lost. Now it's understanding what the impact of that's going to be, whether or not it's going to be a major impact, minor impact, or if the impact overall is going to be redistributive. - Dan Taylor, 18:19 It's about trying to bring in what unique modifiers we can into the actual product pages themselves...So how can we create a differentiator? It was this concept we had called champion products. - Dan Taylor, 21:03 Resources Mentioned: Mirador Local Connect with Dan Taylor: Dan Taylor is a recognized SEO professional, having worked with a number of companies in strategically helping them increase their organic market visibility and overcome technical challenges. Having consulted and worked with companies like Cloudflare, Proton, and China Southern Airlines, Dan has been featured in the leading SEO publications, as well as spoken at a number of SEO and marketing conferences in Europe, North America, the Middle East, and online. Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielrwtaylor/ Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/taylordanrw Connect with Loren Baker: Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker  Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker 

In this must-listen episode, join us for a sit-down with John Brown from Google's Trust & Safety team. With his rich background in building ad networks and more, John offers exclusive insights into Google's efforts to educate publishers globally. Discover critical differences between publisher policies and demand restrictions, explore the evolving role of UGC, and learn about Google's initiatives to support publishers. As you navigate the complexities of policy compliance, you won't want to miss John's expert perspective, honed through years of leadership and mentorship in this realm. We don't want to misinform folks or trick folks or anything like that. We provide clear narratives around the policies, why do we create it? Where does it fit within the ecosystem? - John Brown 03:46 Really, it's the ease of use for the user because everything that's in the website, or mostly everything that's in the website without some editorializing, it is things that could be found elsewhere on external Google pages. - John Brown, 08:01 That was the number one concern going into this is not just to launch and then leave alone, but to launch and iterate and make sure it's fresh. - John Brown, 09:44 I learned early on at Google, traveling globally and speaking on stage globally, that different users across the world consume information differently. So we can't just have a help center with text and localize it and hope that people understand. - John Brown, 13:30 [00:00] - Introduction to John Brown, Google's Policy Transparency Lead. [01:57] - Significance of John Brown's role in ecosystem health. [02:45] - Overview of transparency.google's key features. [09:44] - Keeping transparency.google current in the digital landscape. [23:02] - Google's Fair Policy Appeals process: Google highlights fairness and transparency in the policy appeal process. [37:28] - Google's dedication to a mission-driven nature of trust and safety teams. Resources Mentioned:  Google Transparency Center Make sure you meet people who need the information, and give them the information that they want to consume in their format that they most prefer. - John Brown, 16:29 There's a dedication there. There's a mission that you probably don't find in other parts of organizations just because other teams, not just within Google, but elsewhere. It's quarter to quarter revenue, things like that, trust and safety. - John Brown, 37:28 Connect with John Brown: John is part of the Trust & Safety team at Google, and leads a team that is focused on educate publisher partners globally on policies, enforcement actions, and best practices to remain policy compliant.  Prior to Google, John built two Ad Networks, has served on two IAB working groups, managed qualitative data for over 90 ad networks, and has mentored dozens of startups through his Techstars accelerator affiliation. Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbrown74/ Connect with Amanda Zantal-Wiener: Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Amanda_ZW Connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandazantalwiener/

We're diving into insights from over 16,000 ecommerce businesses, showing the trends that shaped PPC advertising in 2023, and how to use them to move forward into 2024.   In this insightful interview with Jacques van der Wilt, he and Loren examine highlights from DataFeedWatch's powerful Multichannel Marketing Report. They take a look at which PPC strategies stood out the most and which channels provided the best return, along with big changes coming next year.   Using these insights, they also explore the most common challenges in ecommerce PPC campaigns, and what leading brands are doing to succeed right now.   We looked into the feeds of 15 to 20,000 online stores in all of those countries, and that means that's such an incredible volume that what we see basically is an almost exact picture of what is happening in ecommerce advertising. - Jacques van der Wilt, 2:20   Obviously Google is still the largest channel. Almost every retailer is using that. However, we can see that social is beginning to eat their lunch. - Jacques van der Wilt, 6:06   I think Amazon has a big influence on everything. They're probably market leader in ecommerce, so their impact must have been big. Yet I think that it's not primarily driven by Amazon. - Jacques van der Wilt, 11:59   [0:00] About Jacques van der Wilt [2:11] DataFeedWatch's Multichannel Marketing Report [6:06] Marketing channel trends [9:14] Growth of TikTok [13:42] The 3 largest barriers to PPC growth in 2024 [16:58] Other challenges retailers are facing [21:40] Best tactics for PPC practioners to use in 2024 [25:02] Challenges for retailers with large inventories   Resources Mentioned: Multichannel Marketing Report 2023: https://www.datafeedwatch.com/multichannel-marketing-report  DataFeedWatch homepage:  https://www.datafeedwatch.com/  Creating or modifying images with AI is super easy. Imagine you're unhappy with your images as a retailer, but you have images for 10,000 products. It's horrible. So you can do that much quicker. It's a big time saver. - Jacques van der Wilt, 16:02 Connect with Jacques van der Wilt: Jacques is a shopping feeds industry leader, start-up mentor, and entrepreneur. He's the founder of DataFeedWatch (acquired by Cart.com in 2022): a leading global feed management and optimization company that helps online merchants optimize their product listings on more than 2000 shopping channels in over 60 countries. Before founding DataFeedWatch, Jacques held leadership positions in the US and Europe. He is also a seasoned guest speaker at industry events and a mentor at Startup Bootcamp. Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanderwilt/ Connect with Loren Baker: Follow him on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lorenbaker  Connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenbaker