Podcast
Visibility Brief
Hosted by Visibility Brief by Yext · EN
Visibility Brief is your bi-weekly guide to brand visibility in the age of AI search. Hosted by Yext SVP of Marketing Rebecca Colwell, each episode breaks down how AI is reshaping discovery, and what CMOs, digital leaders, and transformation executives need to do to stay visible when traditional SEO no longer applies. From shifting consumer behavior to platform disruption, we go beyond the buzz to deliver clear, strategic insights you can use, fast. Featuring expert guests, original research, and real-world advice from the front lines of AI adoption, Visibility Brief helps you understand where brand discovery is headed, and how to lead through the change. New episodes every other week.
16episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
How to Control Your Brand’s Story in an AI-First World
2d ago00:40:28Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Visibility Brief, Yext SVP of Marketing Rebecca Colwell sits down with Paul McHardy, leader of Global Search Intelligence for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to explore one of the most important questions facing marketers today:What happens when your brand is no longer the primary author of its own story?AI search now gives direct answers synthesized from review sites, third-party publishers, and creator communities — meaning that customers form an impression of a brand before ever visiting a website. This shift creates a new challenge: visibility is important, but accurate representation across every source that shapes that impression matters more.For Paul, that challenge plays out at a global scale. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints operates in more than 100 countries and dozens of languages, serving members while also helping curious audiences understand its beliefs, history, and identity. His team's job isn't simply to be found; it's to make sure people receive accurate and trustworthy information.The episode breaks down:Why AI is changing the role of search teamsWhat happens when AI controls your first impressionHow brands can bridge the gap between internal language and the words real people actually use when searching.Why data accuracy is foundational to visibilityWhy AI visibility isn't just about your websiteThe future of visibility isn't just about being discovered. It's about being understood. If you're a marketing leader trying to understand how AI is changing discovery, reputation, and brand representation, this episode offers a unique perspective from an organization navigating those challenges at scale.
Transcribe →Why Constraints Create Better AI Strategies
2w ago00:22:09Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Visibility Brief, Yext SVP of Marketing Rebecca Colwell sits down with Scott Orstad, Vice President, Marketing at Catholic Health, to explore a surprising idea: the organizations best positioned to succeed in AI search just might be the ones that have spent years operating under the strictest constraints.That might sound counterintuitive, but regulated industries have long been forced to solve a unique set of problems: accuracy, trust, governance, data quality, and compliance.Now, those same disciplines become the foundation of AI visibility.Drawing on more than 25 years of healthcare marketing experience, Scott shares how Catholic Health is approaching content, provider data, reputation management, and digital experience in a world where AI is becoming part of the customer journey — and why those lessons apply far beyond healthcare.The episode breaks down:Why AI search is changing how consumers research important decisionsWhy accurate data matters more than everHow expert-led content helps organizations build trust while improving visibility in both traditional and AI search.Why organizations need subject matter experts and content teams working together to make complex topics understandable.The value of reviews and customer feedback as signals to AI systems What marketers should focus on instead of chasing every AI trendIf you're a marketing leader trying to navigate the rapid changes happening in AI search, this episode offers a valuable reminder: the brands that win won't necessarily be the ones moving the fastest. They'll be the ones with the strongest foundations.
Transcribe →Turning AI Visibility Insights Into Action
3w ago00:34:34Tap to summarizeIn this special edition of The Visibility Brief, Yext SVP of Marketing Rebecca Colwell is joined by Sam Rahimi, VP of Earned & Owned Media at AdCelerant, to discuss how AI is solving one of the hardest problems in marketing: turning data into concrete action.Marketers have never had a shortage of dashboards, reports, or performance metrics. The challenge has always been knowing what to do next. Which locations need attention? Which competitors are gaining ground? Where should teams really invest their time, budget, and resources?That’s where a new generation of AI-powered intelligence tools is changing the game.Drawing on his experience helping agencies and publishers support thousands of local businesses, Sam shares how AdCelerant is using Scout MCP to surface competitive insights, prioritize the right opportunities, and make faster, more informed decisions for clients at scale.The episode breaks down:How marketers can shift from collecting data to generating actionable recommendationsHow AI helps with prioritization and resourcingWhy combining performance data, competitive insights, and AI-powered analysis creates a new operating model for marketersHow Scout MCP changes the marketer's workflowThe future of marketing isn't about having more data. It's about having the right intelligence at the right moment — and being able to act on it immediately.If you're a marketing leader, agency, publisher, or local business strategist looking to move beyond reporting and toward real-time decision-making, this episode offers a practical look at how AI and competitive intelligence are changing the way visibility is managed.
Transcribe →Why ‘Visibility’ Without Trust is Meaningless in an AI-First World
May 2600:30:41Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Visibility Brief, Yext SVP of Marketing Rebecca Colwell sits down with Will Reynolds, CEO and VP of Innovation of Seer Interactive, for a conversation about how AI is reshaping not just search — but the fundamentals of marketing itself.For years, marketers have measured success in rankings, impressions, and traffic. But AI is changing what those numbers are worth. When a chatbot can summarize everything ever written about a brand into a single answer, being visible stops being a competitive edge and starts being table stakes.A brand can show up everywhere and still lose if it isn't believable and trustworthy to customers. And when this trust becomes the deciding factor, the old marketing playbook starts to break.Will's argument: AI is pushing marketing away from content built for scale and toward something much harder to fake: credibility.The episode breaks down:Why visibility alone no longer drives resultsThe risks of overusing AI-generated contentHow unique perspectives, lived experience, and subject matter expertise are emerging as the most valuable signalsWhat marketers should stop, start, and rethinkIf you’re a marketing leader navigating the shift from visibility to credibility, this episode will help you rethink how your brand shows up — and whether it earns the trust required to win.
Transcribe →SEO Is at a Crossroads
May 1200:33:14Tap to summarizeIn this special episode of The Visibility Brief, recorded live at SEO Week, Rebecca Colwell is joined by Garrett Sussman (Director of Marketing at iPullRank) and Christian Ward (Chief Data Officer at Yext) for a candid reflection on where the industry actually stands today.A year ago, AI search felt like a novelty. New tools, new ideas, and a lot of speculation. Today, the tone has shifted. The excitement hasn’t disappeared – but it’s been replaced by something more grounded: uncertainty, urgency, and a growing realization that the rules are changing faster than most teams can keep up.So what’s actually changed in the last 12 months? And more importantly, what hasn’t?This conversation goes beyond tactics. It’s about how SEO is evolving as a function, why so many teams are still “admiring the problem,” and what it will take to move from understanding AI to actually acting on it.The episode breaks down:Why the industry feels more mature, but still a bit stuckThe gap between understanding AI’s impact and actually changing strategy or executionWhy technical understanding of AI pipelines mattersWhy SEO is positioned to lead…but often doesn’tWhy content strategy is shifting back toward uniqueness and contextWhy brands are struggling to define success in AI visibilityThe tools are evolving. The models are improving. The opportunity is real. But most brands haven’t made the shift yet, and that gap is where the next wave of advantage will be created.
Transcribe →How AI Is Changing the Path from Search to Booking
Apr 2800:31:05Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Visibility Brief, Yext SVP of Marketing Rebecca Colwell is joined by Leah Hutcheon, Founder & CEO of Appointedd, to explore how AI is changing not just how people find brands, but how they move from discovery to action.As AI assistants take on more of the research process, customers are arriving at decisions faster, with more context and more confidence. That means less browsing, fewer clicks, and a much shorter path between “I’m interested” and “I’m ready.” And increasingly, that moment shows up as a booking.So what does it mean when customers commit their time before they ever step into a store or complete a purchase? And how should brands design for a world where intent is signaled earlier and more clearly than ever?Drawing on her experience building 'intent infrastructure' for global retailers, Leah reframes bookings as far more than a calendar slot. They're a signal of intent, a moment of trust, and one of the most valuable opportunities a brand has to create a meaningful experience.The episode breaks down:Why bookings are becoming a primary conversion signalWhy time is the most valuable signal customers give youWhy most brands underinvest in the booking experienceHow leading retailers turn appointments into high-value interactions that drive higher spendHow intent data transforms the customer journeyWhat shifts when AI agents — not customers — do the browsingIf you’re a marketing leader thinking about how AI is reshaping customer behavior, this episode will help you rethink where real intent emerges, how to design for it, and why the moment someone books may matter more than anything that came before.
Transcribe →What SEO Actually Looks Like in an AI-Driven World
Apr 1400:26:22Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Visibility Brief, Yext SVP of Marketing Rebecca Colwell is joined by Leigh McKenzie, Director of Online Visibility at Semrush, to explore how one of marketing’s most established roles is being fundamentally reshaped by AI.For more than two decades, SEO meant understanding Google—how it crawled, how it ranked, and how to win clicks. But that playbook is no longer enough. AI is changing how people search, how answers are delivered, and how brands get discovered.So what does the job of an SEO actually look like now? And how should teams evolve when visibility depends on much more than a website?Drawing on his experience at Semrush, where he's had a front-row seat to the evolution of search, Leigh makes the case that SEO isn't disappearing — it's growing into something bigger, more strategic, and more cross-functional than ever.The episode breaks down:Why traditional SEO thinking is no longer enoughHow consumer behavior is changing the search landscapeWhy SEO is becoming a cross-functional disciplineWhy your website is only part of the equationHow mass content and quick-win tactics can quietly hurt long-term visibility and trustWhat SEO teams should stop, start, and rethinkIf you’re leading an SEO or marketing team and trying to understand how your role is changing, this episode will help you zoom out, rethink your priorities, and position yourself — and your brand – for what comes next.
Transcribe →Trust and Personalization in the AI Era
Mar 3100:20:55Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Visibility Brief, Yext SVP of Marketing Rebecca Colwell sits down with Bill Simpson, Director of Value Consulting at Yext, to explore a question many marketers are still working through: how far is too far when it comes to personalization?As AI is changes how people interact with technology, customers are sharing more personal information than ever before — often without realizing it. But why does AI feel so different from traditional search, and what’s making people more willing to open up?At the same time, brands are under pressure to move faster, adopt new tools, and deliver more personalized experiences. But speed introduces risk. From data exposure to inaccurate AI responses, the line between helpful and harmful is thin — and easy to cross.Drawing on his years of experience working with brands, Bill shares insights on how marketers can move forward thoughtfully — balancing innovation with responsibility.The episode breaks down:How conversational interfaces create a sense of trustWhere personalization starts to feel invasiveWhy transparency is the new competitive advantageThe hidden risks in everyday AI workflowsHow to safely pilot AI inside your organizationWhy human oversight still mattersIf you’re a marketing leader trying to move quickly with AI while protecting your customers and your brand, this episode will help you understand the real tradeoffs — and how to navigate them with confidence.
Transcribe →Beyond Google and the Traditional Search Box
Mar 1700:27:29Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Visibility Brief, Yext SVP of Marketing Rebecca Colwell is joined by Heather Physioc, Chief Discoverability Officer at VML, for a conversation about how search has expanded far beyond Google — and why brands must rethink what discoverability really means.For years, “search” was shorthand for one thing: Google and the ten blue links. But today, consumers move fluidly between social platforms, retail sites, video search, maps, and AI search depending on what they’re trying to accomplish. So what does it mean to show up consistently when discovery no longer happens in one predictable place?Drawing on her journalism background and years leading cross-channel search strategy, Heather reframes SEO as something broader and more human: the practice of meeting real human needs – wherever and however they surface.The episode breaks down:Why brands must move beyond optimizing for a single engineHow consumer intent changes depending on contextHow LLMs handle complex queries better than traditional searchWhy trust is becoming the real competitive edgeHow structured data and consistency matter more than everHow to rethink measurement in a world where discovery is fragmentedIf you’re a marketing leader navigating a world where search happens everywhere (not just in a browser), this episode will help you rethink how your brand connects with customers across today’s search journey.
Transcribe →Competing in a World Without Rankings
Mar 300:25:44Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Visibility Brief, Yext SVP of Marketing Rebecca Colwell sits down with Chief Data Officer Christian Ward to unpack something many marketing leaders are quietly feeling: the way we’ve measured visibility for the last 20 years isn’t working the way it used to.Impressions spike and dip without reason. Rankings change by the second. Clicks are disappearing. And as AI models fragment search across multiple platforms, the idea of a single, stable “position” is starting to disappear.So if rank isn’t reliable, and clicks don’t tell the full story, how should marketers measure performance in an AI-driven world?Drawing on the latest Yext Research and a new competitive scoring model inspired by Elo rankings, Rebecca and Christian explore how visibility should be measured going forward — and why the brands that win will be the ones that understand competition, context, and consistency, not just position.The episode breaks down:Why AI literacy is becoming a competitive advantageWhat model fragmentation means for brand visibilityWhy being “chosen” matters more than ranking#1How Elo-style competitive scoring reframes measurementWhy having more local competitors raises the stakes for your dataWhy structured, consistent data remains foundationalIf you’re a marketing leader trying to make sense of fluctuating rankings and disappearing clicks, this episode will help you rethink visibility — and build a more resilient way to measure success in a world where AI sits between you and your customer.
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