Podcast Summary

Everyday VOpreneur® with Marc Scott

Episode Title: Anxiety Makes Me Productive: John Lano on Marketing, GEO, and the Voice Over Website Fix
Date: February 19, 2026
Host: Marc Scott
Guest: John Lano (“Voiceover Genie”)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Marc Scott interviews voice actor and website specialist John Lano, exploring how John’s anxiety fuels his productivity, the ever-evolving landscape of voiceover marketing, and actionable strategies for building websites that actually drive work. They take a deep dive into modern website best practices for voice actors, discussing the shift from SEO to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO/AI SEO), social media tactics, and the importance of speaking to the buyer’s needs rather than focusing only on creative self-promotion.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Owning Anxiety and Turning It Into a Strength

• John’s Statement: “My anxiety makes me productive.”
  • John opens up about dealing with anxiety and panic attacks since starting his voiceover career right out of college. He explains that confronting and joking about his anxiety not only takes away its power but also motivates him to keep moving forward.
• Relatability & Isolation:
  • Both Marc and John agree that the nature of voiceover work can magnify feelings of anxiety and isolation—making community even more crucial.
• Quote:

  “One of my strategies is to just own it and make fun of it and make… that feeling of anxiety is what moves me ahead, what gets me… it has helped me be productive at times to kind of, you know, work through it.” –John [01:29]

2. Navigating Social Media Pressure & Imposter Syndrome

• Cancel Culture and Social Anxiety:
  • Marc expresses a fear that a misunderstood social media post could end his business, noting the heightened tension of online communication. John distinguishes between fear of public cancellation and imposter syndrome, admitting the latter has been a consistent challenge throughout his career—even more so as he takes on new roles.
• Continuous Learning:
  • John reframes his imposter syndrome as a reminder to keep learning.
• Quote:

  “If I'm not seeing myself as someone who doesn't know everything, then I'm going to stop learning.” –John [05:47]

3. Maximizing LinkedIn for VO Marketing

• LinkedIn Premium Discussion:
  • Value Proposition:
    • John argues Premium is most useful for “power users” who are active daily. The biggest advantage: direct, in-feed call-to-action buttons driving traffic straight to your website.
    • Other perks: seeing who views your profile (hot leads for outreach).
    • Drawback: More InMail credits are not worth it for VO professionals; authentic relationship-building is preferred.
  • No Extra Reach Promise:
    • Unlike Meta Verified or X, LinkedIn Premium doesn’t guarantee additional reach, but John surmises that the Premium badge and comment authority may yield more profile visits.
  • Quote:

    “So much of what I do is driving people to a website. That’s my whole goal.” –John [07:27]
    “If you’re signing up [for Premium] to get more InMail messages, you’re doing your outbound marketing wrong.” –John [13:07]

4. Rethinking the Voice Actor Website: From Self-Promotion to Solution Provider

• Common Mistake:
  • Most VO websites focus on showcasing the talent, not solving the buyer’s problem.
  • Buyers don’t care about your name/photo—they care about their project’s solution.
• Outbound Marketing Strategy:
  • Your website design and content hinge on your outbound marketing approach and the type of client you’re targeting (experienced voice buyers vs. local first-timers).
• Niche Pages and AI Optimization:
  • Identify what makes you unique (voice, accent, genre, etc.) and create highly specific subpages or landing pages for those niches. This positions your site as a cited source in LLMs like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude.
  • Be explicit in your copy—don’t expect demos to do all the work. “Tell the robots” what you offer.
• SEO vs. GEO/AI SEO:
  • Traditional SEO foundations remain crucial; “black hat” shortcuts in AI SEO currently work but are being phased out as AIs get smarter.
  • Winning at AI SEO means creating truly helpful, explicit content (not just more keywords).
• Quote:

  “They focus it so much on themselves that they forget about who am I actually trying to attract here.” –John [00:25], repeated [16:31]
  “If you have a very, very specific niche… there’s a real opportunity right now to create pages on your website that speak to that very specific niche.” –John [19:45]

5. Practical Website Fixes: What VOs Get Wrong & How to Stand Out

a. Hero Section (“Above the Fold”)

• Typical Problem:
  • Name, photo, demos—nothing more.
• Better Approach:
  • State immediately whom you serve, what you do, and the type of voice you offer.
  • Write for the buyer: speak to their pain points and needs.
  • Visual and copy in the hero section should preempt questions—let the buyer know quickly if you’re right for them.
• Quote:

  “Your name, your picture doesn't really mean anything to them… you’re missing an opportunity there to speak directly to your buyer.” –John [09:15, 32:23]

b. Case Studies / Featured Work

• Case Studies vs. Wall of Work:
  • Don’t just list every project—pick a few and break down not just the work but the story and context: client challenge, your solution, process, and results.
    • Helps buyers see themselves in the project.
    • Subtly communicates your process, reliability, and authority.
    • SEO benefit: more relevant copy and crosslinking.
• Refreshing Content:
  • Regularly add case studies—shows growth and activity; aligns with how video production companies already pitch themselves.
• Quote:

  “The idea behind it is… we want them to see themselves in it.” –John [38:28]

6. Content for Buyers: FAQ Sections & Answering Real Client Questions

• Content Prep:
  • Gather the most FAQ from real clients over time—each can be a blog post, a section, or a dedicated FAQ page.
  • FAQ sections are prime for surfacing in AI-driven search and LLMs.
  • Interlink your pages—ensure navigation and “importance” is clear for both users and search engines.
• Quote:

  “Every one of those questions is a content opportunity.” –Marc [46:58]
  “Your website needs to be linking to itself. You have to tell [search engines] what's important on your page.” –John [51:11]

7. Website Platforms: Does It Matter?

• WordPress (with Elementor) vs. Wix/Squarespace:
  • John prefers WordPress + Elementor Pro for flexibility, cost, and future-proofing.
  • Wix/Squarespace: easier out-of-the-box, but limited, potentially expensive, and easier to “break” design (especially on mobile).
  • The most crucial factor for most VOs: content, user flow, and audience-centric design—not the platform itself.
• Quote:

  “From a design perspective…the normal voice actor is not going to think about margins and padding… You can very quickly break your design on a thing like Wix.” –John [58:17]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “My anxiety makes me productive.” –John [01:17]
• “If I’m not seeing myself as someone who doesn’t know everything, then I’m going to stop learning.” –John [05:47]
• “[LinkedIn Premium] only works if you are like a power user of LinkedIn… so much of what I do is driving people to a website.” –John [07:06]
• “If you’re signing up for LinkedIn Premium to get more InMail messages, you’re doing your outbound marketing wrong.” –John [13:07]
• “They focus it so much on themselves that they forget about who am I actually trying to attract here.” –John [16:31]
• “We need to tell the robots, we need to tell Google, we need to tell the LLMs what specifically we're providing because otherwise [they] aren’t pulling audio data.” –John [25:11]
• “I want to make this experience… as frictionless, as easy, as straightforward as possible.” –John [33:16]
• “People need to name what they are. They assume that everyone knows what they are if they have demos there.” –John [36:22]
• “If someone reaches out to you, they’re asking questions… every one of those questions is a content opportunity.” –Marc [46:46]
• “Your website needs to be linking to itself… Otherwise it becomes harder for search engines to understand what's important.” –John [51:11]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:17] John explains “my anxiety makes me productive”; embracing vulnerability online.
• [04:15] Social media anxiety & imposter syndrome for VOs.
• [06:49] LinkedIn Premium for VOs: features, drawbacks, real value.
• [09:20] Direct call-to-action buttons and user experience on LinkedIn.
• [13:07] The right and wrong ways to market on LinkedIn (InMail vs. relationship).
• [16:20] Why most VO websites fail to convert—thinking like a marketer, not just a creative.
• [18:57] Outbound marketing’s role in shaping website structure and copy.
• [21:51] Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) & the shift in search behavior for voice buyers.
• [25:24] Black hat SEO vs. high-quality evergreen tactics.
• [32:09] Most common VO website mistakes: the hero section and copywriting.
• [36:06] The “do you even say you’re a voice actor?” problem.
• [37:43] Building case studies and featured work to connect with buyers.
• [44:05] Adding value for clients with blog posts/case studies and the SEO ripple effect.
• [46:46] Real client questions = your best website content (plus FAQ and internal linking).
• [55:02] WordPress vs. Wix/Squarespace for VO websites.
• [58:51] Practical advice: mapping website revamps to the buyer’s journey.

Additional Resources Mentioned

• John Lano’s Websites:
  • FullTimeVoiceTalent.com (VO mentoring and website services)
  • Personal VO site (linked via LinkedIn)
• Connect with John:
  • LinkedIn (most active; open DMs)
• VO Website Checkup:
  • Detailed consultation/recorded analysis for actionable website improvements.
• LinkedIn Live:
  • John’s recent live website build with Brandon Miller (brandon’s site as an example of best practice)

Final Takeaways

• Shift your website and marketing from self-promotion to buyer solutions.
• Treat your web copy, demos, and portfolio as tools to answer buyer pain points and speak to them directly.
• Experiment with niche pages, FAQs, and case studies to boost GEO/AI SEO discoverability.
• Don’t stress the tech—prioritize content and buyer experience over the CMS.
• Continually update your website with new work, insights, and relevant content—buyers and Google will both notice.

For more actionable business and marketing tips for voice actors, subscribe to Everyday VOpreneur® and connect with John and Marc on LinkedIn.