SEO in the Age of AI: What Still Works and What Doesn't With Tim Soulo [Ep.203]

Everyone is rushing to "optimize for AI." Most are doing it wrong. In this episode, Tim Soulo, the Chief Marketing Officer at Ahrefs, cuts through the noise around AEO and GEO and explains why business owners are massively overcomplicating what visibility really means today. While AI-powered search feels new and unpredictable, Tim argues that the same core SEO principles still apply. Create genuinely useful content for your audience, and the algorithms tend to follow. We dive into how traditional SEO compares to AEO and GEO, and where AI actually changes the game. Tim breaks down how large language models decide what to surface and answers a question many founders are asking right now: how much should you realistically invest in boosting AI visibility before the returns flatten out? Tim explains why creating content purely for AI is a mistake, and how updating existing content, improving clarity, and leveraging social media can increase AI visibility without risking long-term trust. He also challenges the idea that SEO has to be slow, showing how AI can help businesses move faster when used correctly. If you want a practical, hype-free take on AI and SEO, this episode delivers. Topics Discussed in this episode: How traditional SEO compares to AEO and GEO (03:44) Overcoming the pitfalls of AI overviews (06:44) Understanding LLM algorithms (09:42) Analysing how well you rank in ChatGPT (12:46) How much should you invest in boosting your visibility? (19:33) Creating content for people, not for AI (25:34) Using social media to improve your AI visibility (27:34) How to update your existing content to make it more AI-friendly (30:02) Using AI to help you rank faster (38:47) Will traditional SEO remain relevant or fade away? (42:51) Mentions:  Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our newsletter Ahrefs Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to optimize your brand's visibility in the age of AI.  

When many entrepreneurs go to sell their business, they're more focused on their business than on the buyer. Understanding how buyers approach an acquisition, particularly when it comes to funding and deal structure, can help you position your business for the most profitable exit. In this episode of The Opportunity podcast, Greg breaks down how buyers actually think when evaluating an acquisition and why financing plays such a critical role in deal outcomes. While sellers often fixate on valuation, buyers are just as focused on how they will pay for the business and how much risk they are taking on. Greg walks us through how SBA loans can allow buyers to bring more cash to the table, and why small mistakes with these loans by sellers often cause deals to fall apart. He also explores alternative funding options like revenue-based financing and how buyers use leverage and other people's money to acquire businesses more efficiently. The conversation dives into seller financing and earnouts, not as compromises, but as powerful deal-making tools that can expand the buyer pool and unlock higher overall valuations. Greg also shares why setting up a US entity can make your business more attractive to buyers, especially for international sellers. If you're thinking about selling in the next few years, this episode will help you start positioning your business as a scalable, buyer-friendly machine that buyers can confidently finance and pay a premium for. Topics Discussed in this episode: Thinking like a buyer and understanding buyer financing tools (00:52) SBA loans and how they dramatically increase money upfront (03:21) The biggest SBA mistake sellers make and how deals fall apart (04:31) Alternative funding options like revenue-based financing (06:31) How buyers use leverage and other people's money to acquire businesses (08:19) Seller financing and earnouts as deal-making tools (09:53) Why setting up a US entity can dramatically improve exit outcomes (14:34) Positioning your business as a scalable, buyer-friendly machine (16:03) Mentions:  Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our newsletter Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to make your business 'funding friendly'.  

In this episode, we're joined by Alexander Kelm, an acquisition entrepreneur and founder of a micro private equity firm focused on buying, growing, and scaling digital businesses across Europe. Alexander shares his unconventional path into acquisitions, including how he sold a business before he had even fully started it. He explains why acquisition entrepreneurship can be such a powerful strategy for digital business owners and how focusing on your strengths, rather than chasing every opportunity, dramatically improves your odds of success. For first-time buyers, Alexander offers practical, no-fluff guidance on getting started. He breaks down the most common mistakes new acquirers make, how to find quality acquisition opportunities, and what his due diligence process looks like in practice. The conversation also dives into the European acquisition landscape, where Alexander explains the funding options available to entrepreneurs and the real-world challenges of setting up and operating businesses in the EU. If acquisitions are on your radar as a growth strategy, learning from someone actively sourcing deals, closing acquisitions, and scaling real businesses can save you years of trial and error. Topics Discussed in this episode: Alexander's background and how he sold a business before even launching it (01:42) Why acquisition entrepreneurship is so powerful for digital businesses (09:35) Avoid failure by playing to your strengths (12:24) Alexander's advice for a first-time business buyer (15:58) Common mistakes first-time buyers make (18:09) Finding and vetting business acquisitions (21:25) Alexander's due diligence process (26:50) European funding options for entrepreneurs (30:23) Alexander's post-acquisition growth playbook (34:09) The challenges of setting up a business in the EU (36:44) Mentions:  Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our newsletter Buyout Diary newsletter Alexander's LinkedIn Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn the ins and outs of acquisition entrepreneurship in Europe.  

Most online business owners have a complicated relationship with conferences. Some leave feeling energized and full of new ideas. Others leave wondering if they just paid a lot of money for bad coffee and small talk.In this episode of the Opportunity Podcast, Greg breaks down when conferences are actually worth your time and when they're not. He starts by outlining the difference between attending as a practitioner versus a vendor. Practitioners tend to gain the most from learning new strategies, seeing how others operate, and uncovering ideas that can indirectly unlock new revenue. Vendors have a tougher time finding success. Without a clear plan to justify the investment and a proven offer, sponsorship can be expensive and risky. Greg explains why aggressive selling almost always backfires and why trust, education, and long-term relationship building are what actually drive results. Greg also shares practical advice on how to make conferences work without massive budgets. Most importantly, he reveals where the real value of conferences shows up, not in the talks and workshops, but during dinners, drinks, and informal conversations. If you want a clear, honest take on how to approach conferences and actually make them work for your business, this episode is worth a listen. Topics Discussed in this episode: Assessing the value of conferences for sellers vs vendors (01:25) The real cost and risk of sponsoring conferences (03:54) Getting the best ROI as an event sponsor (09:00)  Where the real business happens at conferences (12:44) Final verdict: Are conferences actually worth it? (18:36) Mentions:  Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our newsletter Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to get the most value out of conferences!  

AI tools are already answering your customers' questions. The real question is, how do you ensure your business is part of those answers?In this episode, we sit down with Sergey Lucktinov, an AI search visibility expert who has spent more than a decade navigating algorithm shifts and rethinking how businesses get discovered online. Sergey breaks down how visibility works in the age of AI and what business owners need to do to make sure their brand is actually being mentioned, not silently skipped. We explore how AI has fundamentally changed SEO. The focus is no longer on keywords and backlinks alone, but on meaning, trust, and whether your content is eligible to be retrieved by AI systems in the first place. Sergey shares how years of surviving major search changes led him to develop Semantic Retrieval Optimization (SRO), a framework built specifically for how AI systems retrieve, evaluate, and surface content today. He explains how to format content so large language models (LLMs) can easily understand and reuse it, and why AI has quietly leveled the playing field, giving smaller companies new opportunities to compete with much larger brands in search. We also break down Semantic Entity Networks (SENs) and how they fit into modern on-page optimization, as well as the biggest mistakes and misconceptions businesses have about LLM optimization.If you want to understand how to increase your visibility in AI search, this episode is a must-listen. Topics Discussed in this episode: How Sergey developed his Semantic Retrieval Optimization (SRO) strategy (02:35)  How AI has transformed SEO and how this affects visibility (06:18) Understanding how to format your content to suit LLMs (08:29) AI has leveled the playing field for smaller companies in search (13:57) Explaining SENs and how they fit into on-page optimization (17:09) The biggest mistakes and misconceptions about LLM optimization (22:11) Cost optimizations you can use to increase your retrieval rate (24:38) Calculating leads and audience size that come from LLMs (30:38) The future of SEO and AI (32:26) Mentions:  Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our newsletter Semantic Vector Sergey's personal site  Sergey's book about semantic SEO, SRO & AI Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to dominate AI search visibility!

You don't need to drain your bank account to buy a business. In fact, many of the best deals are done with very little personal capital. In this episode, Greg breaks down how buyers structure acquisitions using financing instead of their own money. There are two buckets of money you can draw from when buying a business: your own personal funds and external financing. One of the most powerful external financing tools Greg highlights is seller financing. This approach allows you to structure deals where the seller essentially lends you the money, often interest-free, and can be combined with earnouts to maximize your buying power without draining your personal savings. Debt isn't always the enemy, either. Greg shares how it can be a friend when structured correctly, but he also warns about the dangers of over-leveraging and how too much debt can make a business fragile. Whether you're stepping into acquisitions for the first time or are a seasoned entrepreneur, this episode is packed with practical strategies and insights for buying a business with limited upfront capital. Topics Discussed in this episode: Financing the deal with your personal money vs external financing (03:43) Debt is your friend when buying a business (08:05) Seller financing and earnouts (12:04) Combining traditional funding with seller financing and earnouts (18:14) The more debt you put on a business, the more fragile it becomes (22:28) How brokers can help you get the best deal (25:32) Mentions:  Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our newsletter Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to buy a business without emptying your pockets!

Buying an online business can feel overwhelming, especially if you are new to acquisitions. In this week's podcast episode, we sit down with Matt Raad, a seasoned digital business buyer and coach who has helped countless first-time buyers navigate the acquisition process with confidence. Due diligence takes center stage as Matt explains what really matters when evaluating an online business and how skipping this step can turn a promising deal into an expensive mistake. For beginners, he breaks down the types of businesses that are best suited for first-time buyers and why simpler models often outperform flashy ones. We also cover beginner-friendly deal structures, including how to reduce risk and preserve capital when buying your first site. After the deal closes, Matt shares practical post-acquisition growth strategies for smaller websites that don't require huge teams or budgets.We also dig into a topic many new buyers underestimate: why you should never sell a business yourself and instead work with a broker who understands deal structure, negotiations, and risk. Finally, we address a common myth head-on: online businesses are no longer as passive as they once were, and Matt explains what buyers should realistically expect today. If you're thinking about buying your first online business or refining your acquisition strategy, this episode is packed with practical insights you can use immediately. Topics Discussed in this episode: Pivoting from buying brick-and-mortar businesses to digital businesses (01:53) Never sell a business yourself; always use a broker (09:54) The importance of doing good due diligence (14:04) The best kind of businesses for newbies to buy (15:46) Deal structures for beginners (30:41) Post-acquisition growth strategies for small sites (35:50) Online businesses are not as passive as they used to be (42:05) Mentions:  Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our newsletter eBusiness Institute Digital Investors podcast Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to buy your first online business with confidence!  

Buying a business is one of the biggest financial decisions most entrepreneurs will ever make. For many first-time buyers, it's terrifying. You're putting a meaningful chunk of your net worth on the line and hoping you've chosen wisely. So what actually makes a business safe to buy? In this episode, Greg Elfrink breaks down the realities of business risk and shares practical criteria buyers can use to separate stable, reliable businesses from the ones that keep you up at night.Greg starts by reminding us that there's no such thing as a risk-free business. But some businesses are undeniably safer than others, and the patterns are surprisingly consistent. One of the strongest signals of safety is age. An older business has weathered economic cycles, algorithm changes, and industry shifts. If it has survived for years, there's usually a reason. Diversified revenue and diversified traffic are non-negotiables. If the business relies on one product, one client, or one traffic source, it only takes one disruption to put everything at risk. We also dig into how risk levels differ between online businesses and brick-and-mortar operations, and why size matters more than most buyers expect. Bigger businesses often come with stronger systems, cleaner financials, and teams that keep things running, even when the owner steps away. Finally, Greg outlines the advantages of working with a business broker, especially for first-time buyers navigating due diligence, negotiations, and valuation questions. If you want a clearer picture of what a safe acquisition really looks like, and how to confidently choose your next business, this episode is for you. Topics Discussed in this episode: There's no such thing as a risk-free business (01:35) The older the business is, the safer it tends to be (04:20) Diversification of revenue (07:49) Look for multiple sources of traffic (10:27) Online businesses vs brick and mortar businesses (12:23) Size of the business (15:30) Benefits of using a business broker (17:50) The bigger the business, the less risky it becomes (21:55) Mentions:  Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our newsletter Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to separate safe businesses from risky ones.  

If you want to squeeze more revenue out of your existing traffic, this week's podcast episode is a must-listen. We're diving deep into one of the most misunderstood, yet most profitable, parts of ecommerce growth: conversion rate optimization. CRO expert Jasper De Munyk joins Greg to break down the fundamentals of Shopify CRO, including what a healthy optimization process actually looks like and why it's far more than "changing button colors." If you're wondering where to even begin, we cover what to tackle first when doing CRO, plus the stage of growth when investing in CRO makes the biggest impact. We explore the biggest CRO mistakes and misconceptions that cause businesses to waste time, chase vanity metrics, or ignore easy wins hiding in plain sight. We also dig into the future, discussing how AI is reshaping CRO, from rapid data analysis to automated testing, and where human judgment still plays an essential role.  If you're serious about growing your ecommerce business sustainably, without simply spending more on ads, this episode will be your new playbook. Topics Discussed in this episode: The fundamentals of eCommerce CRO (05:59) Common CRO mistakes and misconceptions (11:21) What to tackle first when doing CRO (14:31) What stage of growth should you be at when investing in CRO? (20:03) How AI is changing CRO (28:26) Exploring the mechanical side of CRO (33:56) How to turn customer data into actionable insights (39:18) How to make CRO a routine part of your business (42:17) How often businesses should revisit their CRO (46:14) Mentions:  Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our newsletter Golden Web Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to unlock rapid growth through conversation rate optimization!  

If you know exactly what problems your customers face before and after they buy from you, you could build offers that practically sell themselves.In this episode, Greg breaks down his simple but powerful "before and after" formula. It starts by understanding the before: the frustrations, questions, and roadblocks your customers face long before they make a purchase. Solve that, and you earn the sale. But once you've solved it, new problems appear, and that's your opportunity to build trust, add value, and guide customers deeper into your ecosystem. We also look at how to map the entire customer journey so you can clearly see each problem in sequence. When you know the full chain of needs, you can build a product lineup that supports your customers at every step. Finally, we explore vertical integration: how smart businesses automate this whole process by owning more steps in the value chain. If you want a simple, repeatable way to grow, this episode is for you. Topics Discussed in this episode: The before and after formula (What problems are your customers facing?) (01:52) Implementing the formula by mapping out the customer journey (05:44) Curating your product offering (07:28) Examples (10:47) eCommerce (10:47) SaaS (13:37) Marketing Agencies(16:55) Course Creators (21:16) Using vertical integrations to automate this problem-solving process (23:58) Mentions:  Empire Flippers Podcasts Empire Flippers Marketplace Create an Empire Flippers account Subscribe to our newsletter Sit back, grab a coffee, and learn how to increase customer lifetime value, expand your offer stack, and build a business that people stick with!