Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Podcast: The Best SEO Podcast: Defining the Future of Search with LLM Visibility™
Episode: Pairing SEO With Automation With Steven Werley
Host: Matthew Bertram
Guest: Steven Werley
Date: November 17, 2025

In this dynamic episode, Matthew Bertram welcomes automation and AI workflow expert Steven Werley to dive deep into how modern SEO isn’t just about Google rankings, but is increasingly about leveraging automation, LLMs (large language models), and agentic workflows to drive marketing and sales outcomes. The conversation blends tactical advice, real-world examples, and frank discussion about the practicalities and pitfalls of integrating AI and automation into business processes—especially for agencies and sales organizations looking to modernize.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Evolution from Traditional SEO to LLM Visibility (00:00–05:00)

• Matthew discusses rebranding the show to reflect the seismic shifts in SEO and search—moving beyond keywords to "LLM Visibility" in Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other answer engines.
• Foundations of SEO remain, but methods of searching and finding information are radically changing.
• The rise of AI and LLMs has especially disrupted sales and marketing—being early adopters is crucial.

Memorable Quote:
“The foundations of SEO haven’t changed, but how people search the web has dramatically changed.”
—Matthew Bertram (01:18)

2. Sales Operations Pain Points & Personal AI Journey (03:37–06:45)

• Steven shares his backstory: moving from sales training to automation due to the burden of call reviews and personnel management.
• Investing in learning generative AI and custom GPTs, Steven found generic SaaS tools lacking—the real power comes from customizing AI for domain-specific business processes.
• Biggest learning: “If you don’t use your own domain knowledge in your AI process, you’re losing—then you’re just generic.” (05:16)

3. Automating & Enabling Sales Processes Using AI (11:09–16:25)

• Steven describes his iterative approach to automating sales flows, using tools like ClickUp, Go High Level, Make.com, N8N, and Zapier.
• First attempts at CRM dashboards led to confusion and tech aversion among sales reps; custom dashboards to simplify daily tasks were more successful.
• Integration of meeting transcripts, AI call reviews, and automated data entry reduces manual admin and enables “human in the loop” processes—AI gets you “60–80% of the way; a human ensures quality.”
• AI is positioned as an enabler, not a replacer, of human work.

Quote:
"We're not looking at replacing, we're looking at enabling—AI enablement."
—Steven Werley (13:57)

4. The Revenue Leakage Problem & the Follow-Up Gap (17:38–23:27)

• Steven reveals striking findings: for every $100k closed, companies may be losing $150k from poor follow-up and prospect management.
• Solution: Automation should push personalized next-best-actions to closers (e.g., via Slack bots) to maximize revenue from already-acquired leads.
• Balance between enforcing new systems and molding them to actual sales rep habits.

Quote:
"For about every $100k you close, you lose $150k in revenue—over double. Almost every sales organization faces this."
—Steven Werley (20:20)

5. Smarter, AI-Driven Cold Outreach & Personalization (25:11–30:07)

• Matthew asks how AI/automation could eliminate endless prospect research for cold callers and freelancers.
• Steven recommends starting with tools like RB2B (website visitor identification) and Clay.com (data enrichment) to turn site visitors and basic lists into highly researched, tailored outreach opportunities—for both new and returning site visitors.
• Clay.com can pull emails, cell numbers, job openings, and enrich profiles, enabling deep pre-call intelligence and creating bespoke talking points or hooks.
• AI-generated reports and presentations create pre-call collateral in minutes, not hours (using tools like Gamma).

6. The Dangers of “Spray and Pray” and the Essentials of Digital Presence (30:07–36:38)

• Matthew warns against sloppy, spammy, or untested automations damaging brand reputation and violating regulations (e.g., bad LinkedIn bots, indiscriminate email/text blasts).
• The importance of updating and managing your digital footprint: “If you haven't posted on LinkedIn in two years or your company info is wrong, it raises red flags.”
• Marketing and sales are merging, with automation and AI touching everything from finance (RevOps) to branding.

Quote:
“The more customized you can be—if you can speak to their actual problem and show hard numbers—you’ll break through all the noise.”
—Matthew Bertram (32:18)

7. Early Adoption and the AI Business Moat (36:38–44:27)

• Both agree we are only in the “early adopter” phase of the AI/automation curve—those who systematize now will outpace and create barriers competitors can’t easily cross.
• Steven: The reason AI adoption is so impactful isn’t just efficiency—it’s that processes, thinking, and organizational culture shift, making late adopters fall irretrievably behind.

Quote:
“By the time you’re six months in, everyone in your company is thinking in AI... your competitors can’t catch up. This is not just about being early—being early is being on time with AI.”
—Steven Werley (43:15)

8. Final Takeaways, Certification, and Connect with the Experts (44:27–end)

• Matthew teases the launch of the LLM Visibility training and certification (“the future of SEO”)—an evolving toolkit for staying relevant in the “AI era”.
• Both urge listeners not to wait: reach out for support, get teams cross-trained in AI, and recognize that “system thinking” and “AI-first skills” are now more valuable than even traditional degrees.

Quote:
“AI is comparable to the launch of the Internet... or bigger.”
—Matthew Bertram (47:59)
“I think it’s bigger.”
—Steven Werley (48:18)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “The foundations of SEO haven’t changed, but how people search the web has changed.” —Matthew Bertram (01:18)
• “If you don’t use your own domain knowledge in your AI process, you’re losing—then you’re just generic.” —Steven Werley (05:16)
• “We're not looking at replacing, we're looking at enabling—AI enablement.” —Steven Werley (13:57)
• “For every $100k you close, you lose $150k in revenue—over double. Almost every sales organization faces this.” —Steven Werley (20:20)
• “The more customized you can be—if you can speak to their actual problem and show hard numbers—you’ll break through all the noise.” —Matthew Bertram (32:18)
• “By the time you’re six months in, everyone in your company is thinking in AI... your competitors can’t catch up. This is not just about being early—being early is being on time with AI.” —Steven Werley (43:15)
• “AI is comparable to the launch of the Internet... or bigger.” —Matthew Bertram (47:59)

Key Timestamps

• 00:00–02:00 — Show intro, podcast evolution, importance of LLM discovery
• 03:37–06:45 — Steven’s background, why automation/AI became essential in sales
• 11:09–16:25 — Practical sales process automation: dashboards, ClickUp, AI, and “human in the loop”
• 17:38–23:27 — Revenue loss from poor follow-up, AI-driven reminders and next actions
• 25:11–30:07 — Next-gen cold outreach: site visitor ID, enrichment, AI-powered research
• 30:07–36:38 — Dangers of bad automation, need for digital presence hygiene
• 36:38–44:27 — Organizational change, AI moats, early vs. late adoption risks
• 44:27–end — Certification preview, how to connect with guests

Connect with the Experts

• Steven Werley:

  • LinkedIn
  • Website: closable.ai — Focused on AI sales process enablement

• Matthew Bertram:

  • Host of The Best SEO Podcast
  • BestSEOPodcast.com
  • Creator of LLM Visibility™

Actionable Takeaways

• Start with prompt engineering and custom GPTs tailored to your business processes—don’t rely solely on generic SaaS AI products.
• Identify and automate sales/admin work that holds back your top performers. Integrate AI reviews and next-best-task agents.
• Use data enrichment (e.g., RB2B, Clay.com) for highly personalized cold outreach and smarter sales research.
• Review and clean up your digital presence before outbound campaigns—outdated or broken info harms trust and closes doors.
• Develop AI-first and “systems thinking” muscle in your teams; early AI adopters will create a compounding advantage that’s hard to dislodge.
• If you’re not already using automation and agentic workflows, act now—being “early” is now “on time.”

For more breakthroughs on AI-driven marketing, automation, and mastering LLM Visibility™, subscribe, leave a review, and connect with Matthew and Steven for your next steps into the future of search!