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1230: The Real Reason SEO Isn't Dead (And How to Win With AI) w/ David Black

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Tired of marketing strategies that feel like you're just throwing money at a wall? This episode cuts through the noise with David Black, founder of Ready Set Search. David breaks down his powerful concept of building a "growth engine" for your business, focusing on sustainable, long-term success rather than just short-term wins. You'll learn how to strategically balance the instant gratification of paid ads with the compounding power of modern SEO. David brings a founder's mindset to marketing, sharing practical advice on how to compete with industry giants (even with a small budget) and leverage AI without losing your unique voice. This is a masterclass for any entrepreneur feeling lost in the messy middle of growth.

šŸ’” What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business

  • šŸš€ How to build a ā€œgrowth engineā€ from scratch by focusing on the right marketing mix for your business stage.
  • šŸ¤– Why SEO isn’t dead and the crucial steps you need to take to optimize for the new era of AI search (GEO).
  • šŸ’° The smart way to balance quick wins from paid ads with the compounding, long-term power of organic search.
  • šŸŽÆ How to find and exploit the gaps your giant competitors are ignoring to carve out your own profitable niche.
  • āœļø The right way to use AI as a content creation tool to boost efficiency without getting penalized for spammy content.
  • šŸ“ˆ The key metrics you actually need to track to prove your marketing ROI, from top-of-funnel impressions to bottom-line revenue.
  • 🚫 The power of "negative keywords" to stop wasting ad spend and ensure you’re only attracting high-intent customers.

šŸ“ About David BlackĀ 

David Black is the Founder and CEO of Ready Set Search, a digital marketing agency that helps founders turn early traction into scalable growth. He works with startups and service-based businesses to develop focused search marketing strategies that drive real results. With a founder’s mindset and hands-on growth experience, David helps clients clarify goals, optimize spend, and scale efficiently—without the fluff. He specializes in guiding companies through the ā€œmessy middleā€ of growth, making their marketing work smarter and harder.

šŸŽÆ David’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and EntrepreneursĀ 

ā€œAlways have that hunger to learn… but then know when to make that switch and actually start executing and testing.ā€

šŸ“¢ Memorable Quotes

  • ā€œSEO compounds like a financial institution… the more you keep investing in SEO, the more that you can continually compound your wins and keep seeing more and more traffic and revenue.ā€
  • ā€œWe want to use AI as a tool. We don't want to use it as the only thing… we're trying to focus on that value add, things that are unique that only our business can have.ā€
  • ā€œYou can go into analysis paralysis where you're just constantly learning but never actually executing.ā€

šŸ’” Actionable Takeaways

  • āœ… Audit your current marketing efforts: Are you balancing short-term channels (like paid ads) with long-term investments (like SEO and brand building)?
  • āœ… Identify your competitor's weaknesses: Research where the big players in your industry are failing to serve a specific niche or answer a specific customer question. That's your opening.
  • āœ… Start using AI for workflow efficiency (outlines, research, task management), but commit to always adding your unique expertise, data, or perspective to the final content.

šŸ”— Links & Resources

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