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Most Common Website Mistake: Building Before Planning SEO Strategy

Illustration of a crane placing an SEO puzzle piece into a partially built website wireframe

The most common mistake businesses make with their websites is designing and building first, then trying to optimize later. This backwards approach costs companies thousands of dollars and months of lost traffic. I’ve seen this mistake twice just this week. In both cases, these businesses could have saved significant time and money by planning their […]

My Entire 2025 Marketing System: The CAST Framework That’s Changing Everything

Flowchart with four connected boxes labeled C, A, S, and T on a dark blue background with grid lines and glowing arrows.

The marketing landscape has shifted dramatically. Traditional SEO strategies that worked just two years ago are quickly becoming obsolete as AI-powered search engines reshape how customers discover businesses. After 15 years in digital marketing and working with hundreds of small businesses, I’ve developed a complete system that positions companies for success in this new reality. […]

Open-Source Marketing: How Sharing Your Business Processes Builds Better Agencies

Two professionals collaborating at laptops with a shared document floating between them, surrounded by icons for feedback and tasks.

Open-source marketing means sharing your business processes, SOPs, and internal documentation with other professionals in your field, then using their feedback to improve your systems. Instead of hoarding your methods like trade secrets, you give qualified partners access to your workflows and ask them to help you make them better. I’ve been open-sourcing my business […]

Why Podcast Guesting is the Best Marketing Strategy for Small Businesses in 2025

Podcast microphone with "ON AIR" sign and blurred guest in background during a recording sesions

Most small business owners are sleeping on what’s probably the biggest opportunity in digital marketing right now. You’re going to say “no, that’s not for me,” but hear me out. I’m talking about being a guest on other people’s podcasts. Not running your own podcast – we all know the world has too many of […]

Reacting to SEO Advice on Reddit: What Actually Works for Small Businesses

Illustration of a computer screen showing a Reddit SEO thread, surrounded by keywords like backlinks, citations, and Google ranking, with icons of storefronts and a magnifying glass.

Reddit’s SEO communities are packed with advice ranging from brilliant to downright harmful. After 16 years in digital marketing, I decided to dive into a popular local SEO thread to separate the valuable insights from the dangerous myths that could hurt your business. The thread focused on a plumbing business owner asking whether to prioritize […]

SEO Is Not Right for Every Business

Split road with signs pointing to "SEO" on a winding path through hills and "Paid Ads" on a straight path through flat terrain.

SEO is not right for every business. I say that as someone who makes his living doing SEO. The truth is that many businesses waste thousands of dollars on SEO when they should be focusing on faster, more predictable marketing channels. If you just started your business, need leads immediately, or have a very limited […]

Which Businesses Will Win in 2026? The Small Business Advantage

Illustration of a small speedboat labeled "Small Business" racing ahead of a large cargo ship labeled "Big Business" on open water with a digital cityscape in the background.

There’s never been a better time to be a small business owner. While this might sound counterintuitive given all the uncertainty around AI and changing algorithms, the businesses positioned to win in 2026 share one critical advantage: agility. As AI transforms how customers find and choose businesses, small companies can adapt faster than their larger […]

How to Keep Up with AI Optimization in 2025

Futuristic digital dashboard with AI icons and a glowing search bar labeled "AI Optimization 2025" on a dark neural network background.

The AI optimization industry is officially here, and if you haven’t been paying attention, now is the time to jump on board. Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen unprecedented momentum in what many are calling Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) or Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). The landscape is moving fast, with new tools launching almost […]

How Businesses are Tricking ChatGPT into Recommendations (2025)

Illustration of a computer screen displaying hidden text on a website with a chatbot icon reading from it, symbolizing AI manipulation through prompt injection.

Business owners have discovered a surprisingly simple way to manipulate ChatGPT into recommending their services: hiding invisible instructions directly on their websites. These “prompt injection” tactics exploit how large language models retrieve and process web content, allowing companies to secretly influence AI recommendations without users ever knowing. The technique involves embedding hidden text prompts like […]

AI Automations Are a Waste of Time: Why AI Workflows Beat Complex Automation

Tangled red and orange cables on the left transition into smooth blue and green lines on the right, symbolizing a shift from complex automation to streamlined AI workflows with human oversight.

AI automations are mostly a huge waste of time. That’s not just an opinion—it’s the reality for most businesses trying to automate complex processes with tools like N8N and Make.com. While these platforms promise to automate your entire workflow, the truth is simpler: AI workflows with human oversight deliver better results with less hassle than […]