Podcast
SEO Rockstars
Hosted by WMR.FM · EN
The SEO Rockstars Podcast is back with new episodes hosted by Nearfront co-founder Guillermo Bravo. The show cuts through SEO complexity by focusing on the AI revolution, automation, and the strategies that actually move the needle today.
Deep, veteran SEO expertise, and transparent, high impact insights and conversations with industry leaders, all designed to help you build trust, authority, and real results in the digital landscape.
12episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Navigating the "Zero-Click" Future of Search with Ryan Klein
3w ago00:27:01Tap to summarizeGuillermo Bravo speaks with Ryan Klein (CEO of Market My Market) to discuss the radical shift in digital marketing for law firms and professional services. With 14 years in the "legal SEO trenches," Klein explains why the traditional SEO playbook—once focused solely on keywords and high-volume content—is fundamentally breaking in the age of AI.The conversation dives deep into the reality of zero-click searches, where over 50% of users find their answers directly on the search engine results page (SERP) without ever visiting a website. Klein argues that for agencies to survive, they must transition from "ranking-focused" SEO to "outcome-focused" strategies that prioritize lead quality and attribution over vanity metrics.
Transcribe →Authority in the Age of AI: Trading Jargon for Human Connection
4w ago00:33:09Tap to summarizeIn this episode, host Guillermo Bravo interviews Aarti Birdi, founder of CDX, to explore why B2B companies are struggling to maintain authority in an AI-driven landscape. Birdi, who transitioned from a background in genetics to marketing, explains how her "research and content lab" uses lived expertise and emotional resonance to combat the "stiff" corporate jargon that often plagues enterprise content.Birdi argues that as organic click-through rates decline, the only way to earn trust and rank on AI overviews is to provide genuine, human-centric insights that automated bots simply cannot replicate.
Transcribe →Search Engine Guru Daron Babin on The Evolution of SEO from 1994 to AI
Apr 2100:34:59Tap to summarizeIndustry pioneer Daron Babin, known in SEO circles as SEGuru, details his career trajectory from a technical producer at NBC to a digital marketing visionary who began practicing SEO in 1994. After a "light bulb" moment at a TV newsroom regarding the power of search intent, Babin co-founded Webmaster Radio (now WMR.FM) in 2004, scaling it into the premier online network for digital marketers before eventually selling it. His career is defined by merging high-level media production with search expertise, having launched Cannabis Radio and now focusing on AI-powered automation through The Buzz CRM.
Transcribe →Google is Silently Judging Your Business? Suspensions, AI Lies & Local SEO Survival with Ben Fisher
Apr 1400:33:41Tap to summarizeIn this powerful return episode of SEO Rockstars, Ben Fisher from Steady Demand reveals the harsh realities every local business owner needs to hear. From massive Google Business Profile suspensions that can wipe out 70% of a company’s revenue overnight to AI (Gemini) wildly misinterpreting reviews and turning positive comments into business-killing negatives,Ben shares hard-won war stories — including a major locksmith brand with 12 locations suspended and a comedy club confused with a church two states away. He breaks down what actually works in 2026: crafting airtight reinstatement narratives, understanding back-end Google signals, avoiding review manipulation traps, and why schema + consistent entity signals matter more than ever as AI Overviews reshape local search.Ben also shares his bold predictions on Gemini’s dominance and warns about the coming AI disruption to the entire SEO industry.
Transcribe →SEO Grounding: The New Gold Standard for Enterprise Growth
Apr 700:33:25Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the SEO Rockstars Podcast, host Guillermo Bravo sits down with Jordan Koene, CEO and Founder of Previsible, to discuss the radical shifts defining search in 2026.Koene introduces the critical concept of "grounding"—the process by which AI models like ChatGPT and Gemini source and cite web content to formulate responses.Moving beyond traditional rankings, Koene explains why "citations" are the new gold standard for brand authority and warns of "perception drift," where AI models misrepresent brands by clinging to outdated historical data.
Transcribe →Full Throttle Strategy: Ivy Boyter on Navigating the "Trust Recession"
Mar 3100:27:02Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the SEO Rockstars Podcast, host Guillermo Bravo catches up with Ivy Boyter, founder of Full Throttle SEO, to break down why the old playbooks are failing in an AI-driven world. Ivy shares her "Search Everywhere Optimization" philosophy, urging brands to stop obsessing over Google alone and start appearing where people actually ask questions—whether that’s on LinkedIn, TikTok, or within LLMs like ChatGPT. With a "no-nonsense" approach rooted in her background as a blogger and entrepreneur, she discusses the emerging "trust recession" and why human-first, unique content is the only way to escape the "vanilla" trap of AI-generated filler.
Transcribe →SEO is Dead, Long Live Marketing: A Reality Check with Jeff Ferguson
Mar 2400:30:15Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the SEO Rockstars podcast, host Guillermo Bravo sits down with industry veteran Jeff Ferguson, CEO of Amplitude Digital, to dismantle the persistent myths haunting the search industry. Ferguson argues that while AI and "zero-click" searches are often treated as "climate change" level threats, they are primarily interface shifts that don't change the foundational "three buckets" of SEO: content, architecture, and authority. They highlight a major shift in the digital landscape—moving away from the "SEO specialist" as a standalone role toward a more holistic integration where search is simply a tool in a broader marketing arsenal.
Transcribe →SEO Unplugged: Building for Humans in the Age of AI
Mar 1700:35:35Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the SEO Rockstars podcast, host Guillermo Bravo sits down with Yoast SEO founder Joost De Valk to discuss his transition from a high-level operator to a passionate investor and founder.Following his full exit from Yoast in 2023, Joost shares his renewed focus on open-source sustainability through Ameliah Capital and his latest venture, Progress Planner, which he describes as "Duolingo for websites."They dive deep into the shifting landscape of digital marketing, where de Valk argues that despite the rapid rise of AI and generative engine optimization, the core of success remains "holistic marketing"—prioritizing user experience, brand consistency, and authentic human connection over technical gimmicks and "AI slop."
Transcribe →Blueprint for Scale: Masterclass in Enterprise Multi-Location SEO
Mar 1000:37:55Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the SEO Rockstars podcast, host Guillermo Bravo reunites with long-time colleague Samer Alkass (Director of Search at Aerosvit) to discuss the complexities of managing SEO across hundreds of locations. They moves beyond basic optimization to focus on structural integrity, emphasizing that a scalable data model and logical URL hierarchy (State > City > Locale) must precede design and content. Samer shares expert insights on leveraging automation and AI to handle enterprise-level volume without losing brand uniqueness, while highlighting the importance of balancing new customer acquisition with sophisticated retention strategies.
Transcribe →Mastering the Modern SEO Game: Craig Campbell's No-Nonsense Blueprint
Feb 2400:36:29Tap to summarizeGuillermo Bravo sits down with industry veteran Craig Campbell to discuss the evolving landscape of search engine optimization. With over two decades of experience, Campbell emphasizes that while AI is reshaping content creation, the foundational "basics"—link building, authority, and trust signals—remain the essential drivers of success. He shares his "vulture" strategy for acquiring and flipping undervalued websites, cautions against the common pitfalls of impatience and under-investment, and explains how he applies his marketing expertise to diverse niches like e-commerce and high-value sports trading cards.
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