Podcast Summary

Podcast: Voices of Search
Episode: Will first-party customer data become the most valuable marketing asset by 2025?
Host: Jordan Cooney
Guest: Eddie Patch (Optimove)
Release Date: September 2, 2025

Overview

This episode of the Voices of Search podcast dives into the significance and future value of zero and first-party data in marketing, specifically as third-party cookies phase out and digital privacy regulations tighten. Host Jordan Cooney and guest Eddie Patch from Optimove discuss why zero-party data is poised to become a marketer's most prized asset by 2025, the industry’s slow adoption, actionable approaches for SEOs, and current tools to help accelerate the transition.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Zero-Party Data: The "New Gold" (00:43 – 01:34)

• Zero-Party vs. First-Party Data:
  • Eddie Patch is emphatic: marketers should be "100% buying" into zero-party data, explaining that it's the next level in data collection beyond first-party data.
  • Third-party data has become saturated, and for businesses to stand out, they need to collect information customers proactively share with them.
  • Quote:

    “Zero party data is just, it’s the new gold. It’s the new gold rush…If you want to be on a different level playing field, you move into the zero and you start to take over that way.”
    — Eddie Patch [01:09]

2. Industry Education & Slow Adoption (01:34 – 02:54)

• SEO Industry Lag:
  • Jordan highlights a gap: few SEO professionals truly understand or talk about zero-party data – even fewer know how to collect or manage it.
  • Fast adaptation is crucial, but most teams are only just becoming aware of zero-party data’s power.
  • Quote:

    “So few SEOs are actually talking about this and even fewer know how to collect and manage it…”
    — Jordan Cooney [01:37]

• Driving Adoption:
  • Eddie recommends making zero-party data an intentional topic within organizations; real progress begins when executive teams understand its impact on stagnant growth metrics and decide to prioritize it.
  • Once business leaders see their growth leveling out, the business case for zero-party data often becomes obvious.
  • Quote:

    “Once the executive team gets the buy-in...You start to look at specific metrics. Well, our traffic has only grown by 10%. Our customer base has only grown by 10%. We have to do something different. And the only way to unlock that is to, to get that zero party data.”
    — Eddie Patch [02:18]

3. Actionable Tools & Gamification (02:54 – 03:55)

• Adact by Optimove Example:
  • Eddie recommends Adact, a gamification product recently acquired by Optimove, calling out its distinct focus on zero-party data collection.
  • Adact offers 60+ game templates for embedding in emails or on websites, making it easier for marketers to gather customer preferences directly through engagement.
  • Fun anecdote: Eddie refers to Adact’s founder Caleb as the “Milton Bradley of digital gamification” – a reference lost on Caleb (from Estonia), but illustrative of his passion.
  • Quote:

    “It’s not just a generic gamification platform, it’s built with zero party data in mind...So yeah, check that out.”
    — Eddie Patch [03:46]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Zero party data is just, it’s the new gold. It’s the new gold rush.” — Eddie Patch [01:09]
• “So few SEOs are actually talking about this and even fewer know how to collect and manage it…” — Jordan Cooney [01:37]
• “Once the executive team gets the buy-in...the only way to unlock that is to, to get that zero party data.” — Eddie Patch [02:18]
• “He’s the digital Milton Bradley. So it’s called Adact by Optimove. It’s a self serve product…It’s built with zero party data in mind.” — Eddie Patch [03:28]

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:43-01:34 — The rise of zero-party data and its critical place for marketers in 2025.
• 01:34-02:54 — The SEO industry’s knowledge gap and advice for accelerating zero-party data adoption.
• 02:54-03:55 — Practical tools for zero-party data collection: spotlight on Adact by Optimove and the power of gamification.

Final Takeaways

• Zero-party data—information intentionally shared by customers—is emerging as the marketer’s most valuable strategic asset.
• Many SEOs and digital marketers need both increased awareness and practical strategies to start leveraging zero-party data effectively.
• Solutions like Adact (gamification for direct data capture) offer concrete tools to get started now.

For more information:

• Find Eddie Patch on LinkedIn (see show notes)
• Learn about Optimove at optimove.com

“The answers are always in the data.” — [03:55]