The Unscripted SEO Interview Podcast

Jeremy Rivera
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Hosted by Jeremy Rivera: A 17 year career expert in the SEO industry and his cohost Keith Bresee. Get insights, action items and anecdotes from experts like Lilyray, Kevin Indig, Rand Fishkin, Matt Mellinger and more in the SEO industry, who are not only well-respected, but have really interesting stories to share. 100% unscripted, 100% unrehearsed, 100% unedited, and 100% real. Guaranteed to provide those golden nugget lightbulb moments.

  1. 5 HR AGO

    Why Your Pretty Website Is Costing You Customers — With Greg Merrilees

    Greg Merrilees is the founder of Studio1 Design — a conversion-focused website agency that has designed for over 2,000 businesses worldwide, including Hollywood A-listers like Sylvester Stallone. He’s the author of Next Level Website Design and has been building websites since 2009. In this episode, Jeremy Rivera sits down with Greg to tackle whether websites are still relevant, how to build for searcher intent, why copywriting beats design every time, and what the rise of AI vibe coding actually means for your brand. Episode Highlights Do you really need a website in 2025? Greg’s nuanced take on social media vs. owned assets The cold / warm / hot traffic model and how to match your CTA to intent Why Microsoft Clarity should be on every website (and how it compares to Hotjar) Website design trends to avoid in 2026 — and what converts instead How to find your unique positioning in a commoditized niche Interactive lead magnets vs. PDF downloads — what actually converts today The AI sameness problem: why vibe-coded websites all look the same Key Resources Mentioned Studio1 Design — Greg’s agency Next Level Website Design (Book) Free Resources — Custom GPT + book companion Microsoft Clarity — Free heatmaps & session recording Enterprise Fitness (macro calculator example) Yoshua Law (case study) Greg’s email: greg@studio1design.com Connect with Jeremy Rivera SEO Arcade — Podcast-based content marketing & link building Studio1 Design Blog — Related Reading Don’t Chase Website Design Trends in 2026 The Hidden Cost of Fancy Website Effects: Lost Conversions How We Turned a Law Firm Redesign Into 60% More Conversions How We Boosted a Fitness Business’ Bookings By 64% AI Killed Your Website Strategy: Here’s What Works Now How to Create a Personal Brand That Attracts Dream Clients

    34 min

  2. 5 HR AGO

    Charlie Birch on Where Brand Strategy Meets SEO: What Every Founder Needs to Know

    Hosted by Jeremy Rivera In this episode of the Unscripted SEO Podcast, Jeremy Rivera sits down with Charlie Birch, Founder and Creative Director of Humaniz Collective, to explore the collision between brand strategy and modern SEO — and why treating them as separate disciplines is costing founders real revenue. What You'll Learn in This Episode Why Charlie's background in performance, psychology, and crisis intervention makes her uniquely equipped to navigate brand identity How brand strategy and SEO have more in common than most agencies admit The danger of only measuring attraction — and why conversion and retention are the real metrics that matter Why copying your competitors' strategy only makes you more like them — not better than them How Charlie's Brand IdQ Framework turns founder instinct into a shared decision-making lens for the entire team A real-world example of how interviewing the installer — not just doing keyword research — uncovered an angle nobody was targeting How to evaluate whether a campaign is the right fit for your brand before you invest Guest Resources Humaniz Collective Website Brand IdQ — Take the Free Integrity Snapshot The Inner Circle — Apply for Free Monthly Networking (2nd Thursday each month, 1:30 PM ET — mention Unscripted SEO Podcast to get prioritized!) On Raising Brands Newsletter Breaking the Bottleneck — Founder Interviews Charlie on LinkedIn Humaniz Collective on Instagram Referenced in This Episode Spacebar Collective (Chris Tweeten) — 'Publishing more won't fix a weak SEO game. It's about leverage.' Permacast Walls — The precast concrete walls example that revealed the "anti-dig" keyword opportunity SEO Arcade — Content Gap Analysis & Forecasting Tools About Your Host Jeremy Rivera is an SEO strategist with 19+ years of experience and founder of SEO Arcade. He specializes in connecting SEO tactics to real business outcomes, helping brands turn podcast conversations into high-leverage content strategies. Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with a founder who needs to hear it.

    32 min

  3. 16 MAR

    Enterprise E-Commerce SEO, Long-Tail Pages & AI Visibility with Paul Baterina of REVOLVE

    In this episode of the Unscripted SEO Podcast, Jeremy Rivera sits down with Paul Baterina, Senior SEO Manager at REVOLVE — a publicly traded fashion e-commerce brand with over 260,000 products. Paul has been at REVOLVE for 13 years, making him one of the rarest SEOs in the industry: a specialist who went deep on one brand instead of bouncing across industries. What We Cover Why long-tail category pages became REVOLVE's most provable SEO strategy — and how Paul sold it to C-suite The 3-product rule for deciding when a category page is worth creating vs. when to kill it Why luxury fashion brands resist text-heavy SEO content — and how to work with that, not against it The honest state of AI/LLM visibility for a major e-commerce brand: $58K/month in LLM-driven revenue and what that actually means How to reverse-engineer LLM citations to find the best places to get your brand mentioned Link context signals — why what's around a link matters as much as the link itself Bill Slawski's patent analysis work and how it connects to Koray Tugberk's topical authority framework A live SEO test showing a 25% lift in organic traffic from adding content to long-tail pages Resources & Links REVOLVE (revolve.com) — Paul's employer and the e-commerce brand discussed throughout Unscripted SEO Podcast — Subscribe for more unscripted SEO conversations Jeremy Rivera — Host — About your host Keyword Clusters Based on SERP Data — SEO Arcade — Understanding how Google groups related queries Opportunity Sizing in SEO — SEO Arcade — How to quantify SEO wins for C-suite White-Label Link Building Services — SEO Arcade — Community-based and podcast-based link building Podcast-Based Content & Link Building — SEO Arcade — The full PAASS service SEO By The Sea — Bill Slawski's Google patent research (search "Bill Slawski SEO By The Sea") Find Paul Baterina LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-baterina-079ab629/ Twitter: https://x.com/paulbaterina Slack: SEO Community & Asians In Search (run by George Nguyen) Conferences: SearchLove San Diego

    36 min

  4. 27 FEB

    Timothy Malmros on Black Hat SEO, Drop Domains & the Canonical Trick

    Unscripted SEO Podcast ️ Listen: unscriptedseo.com Guest: Timothy Malmros on LinkedIn Full Episode dialog with Timothy Malmros exposing blackhat SEO on SEO Arcade Guest Bio Timothy Malmros is a former gambling affiliate SEO with nearly two decades in the industry. After retiring from active affiliation, he turned his focus to investigating and documenting black hat SEO techniques — particularly in the gambling and sweepstakes space — through detailed posts on LinkedIn. His work offers a rare, transparent look at how spam tactics actually function, why they succeed, and why Google takes so long to stop them. In his own words:  "Finished 12th grade. Got fired from Mcdonalds. Moved to Israel back in 2005. Applied to 20 jobs, got one reply and started working as a ”live person” human chatbot in an online casino. Promoted to affiliate manager 10 months later, did that for a bit over a year. Decided, lets try to become an affiliate, if I after a year can earn 3000 euro a month I wont go back to school. Sold my company in 2016 to gaming innovation group, joined as director of seo as employee nr 6 for gig media. Gig media grew to 200+ people and became a bit to pc for me, quit in 2018, rebuilt going hard on grey hat SEO then decided to take a break from the stress of SEO in November 2024 and basically retire but quickly got bored and started writing articles instead." Follow Timothy's ongoing research: linkedin.com/in/timothy-m-59a216b/ Episode Summary In this episode, Jeremy Rivera sits down with Timothy Malmros — a former gambling affiliate SEO turned black hat investigator — for a wide-ranging, candid conversation about how spam evolves, why Google keeps losing the spam war, and what the rise of AI really means for the internet's content ecosystem. Timothy shares his hands-on research into drop domains and the canonical trick, a modern black hat method that combines expired high-authority domains with spam link bombardment and canonical redirects to game Google's rankings in the gambling and sweepstakes space. The conversation expands into Trust Rank theory, click metric manipulation, the collapse of the anti-spam team, and the disturbing implications of AI-generated content replacing original human publishing. A refreshingly honest, technically deep episode for anyone who wants to understand what's actually happening beneath the surface of modern search. Key Topics Covered How black hat SEO evolved from hidden white-text links and site counter injection to the sophisticated drop domain / canonical trick What the canonical trick is and how it creates an infinite $10 ranking loop using expired high-authority domains Why gambling markets reveal emerging black hat techniques before any other niche Trust Rank theory and the Medic update — distance from seed sites and why Healthline beat Dr. Josh Axe overnight Why some drop domains work and others don't — the mixed signals Timothy is still investigating The dismantling of Google's anti-spam team and its connection to the ChatGPT competitive threat HCU as the reintroduction of Panda/Penguin — and whether it's algorithmic or hybrid Google creating then killing its own monsters — from recipe sites to AI overviews Click metric manipulation: Android bot farms with VPN rotation and what fake branding actually looks like Rank tracker visits inflating GSC impressions — and why Google finally cut off 100-page results Reddit as a...

    42 min

  5. 9 FEB

    Benas Leonavicius on AI Search Optimization, Scaling Freelance SEO, and Why Keynote Speakers Need Basic SEO

    Benas Leonavicius Freelance SEO Consultant & Agency Builder Website | LinkedIn | Substack Benas Leonavicius has spent 10 years in the SEO trenches—from working with large e-commerce sites to navigating the bureaucratic nightmare of enterprise SaaS SEO. Now he's building an agency focused on keynote speakers, authors, and coaches, where basic SEO fundamentals deliver outsized results. In this conversation, we dive deep into: Why AI search optimization is the new frontier (and why tracking is nearly impossible) How to actually appear in ChatGPT and AI overviews The shift from website-centric to entity-centric SEO Why SaaS companies are terrible clients for freelance SEO scalability The #1 thing keynote speakers get wrong (hint: they don't mention their keywords) Whether new people should enter SEO in 2025 If you're a freelancer trying to scale, a speaker trying to get found, or anyone wondering how AI is changing search—this episode is for you. Key Topics Discussed AI Search Optimization (11:11 - 21:03) The biggest challenge with AI search: tracking is nearly impossible How ChatGPT and Perplexity source their answers (training data + tiered Google searches) Why speaker bureaus and listicles dominate AI search results for keynote speakers The 25% consistency problem: AI gives different answers to different users Backlinks, PR, mentions, and social media as the foundation of AI visibility How to reverse-engineer AI sources by simply asking ChatGPT what it referenced The SaaS SEO Nightmare (03:47 - 07:34) Why SaaS companies limit freelancer scalability (1-2 clients max per month) The JIRA ticket trap: submitting tickets just to edit meta descriptions Managing multiple stakeholders with competing priorities How product changes constantly disrupt long-term SEO strategy Why Benas stopped taking SaaS clients despite their lucrative budgets Keynote Speaker SEO Opportunities (02:14 - 03:47, 25:19 - 28:10) Why 90% of speakers have zero SEO optimization The differentiation trap: avoiding keywords to sound unique The highest ROI fix: adding proper meta titles with target keywords Why speakers already have strong websites—they just don't know it Talk Thrive Agency: Benas's keynote speaker SEO service Content vs. Links vs. Technical SEO (07:34 - 09:07) Why Benas focuses on on-page content optimization Link building feels "solved" and basic in 2025 Technical SEO's limitations for most businesses Finding the middle ground between all three domains AI Content Creation Reality Check (09:07 - 11:11) ChatGPT as "your most popular but least trained customer support rep" (Matt Brooks, SEOteric) Why Benas doesn't jump on new AI tools immediately Using AI as a brainstorming and first draft tool, not a final solution The hallucination and authenticity problem with over-reliance Entity SEO vs. Website SEO (15:21 - 20:08) How LLMs use training databases and tiered search results Getting third-party content ranked, even when it's not on your site Why digital visibility is shifting from website-centric to entity-centric Direct traffic increasing as people find brands through AI, not clicks Impressions mattering more than clicks (the Instagram-ification of search) Should You Freelance in SEO Today? (21:03 - 23:24) Why...

    28 min

  6. 6 FEB

    Jeremy Yang on Paid Ads Strategy and the SEO-SEM Divide

    In this episode, Jeremy Rivera sits down with Jeremy Yang, founder of Digital Goliath, to explore the often-siloed world of paid advertising and how it intersects with SEO. Managing over $450,000 in monthly ad spend, Jeremy Yang shares brutal truths about Google Ads setup mistakes, the death of exact match keywords, and why most businesses fail at Meta advertising before they even start. From offshore Google support nightmares to the "bullets in the chamber" framework for platform selection, this conversation reveals what seven years of hands-on PPC experience teaches you about digital marketing that no certification ever will. Guest Jeremy Yang Founder, Digital Goliath Website | LinkedIn Jeremy founded Digital Goliath seven years ago and currently manages about $450,000 per month in ad spend across Google Ads and Meta platforms. Based in Sydney, Australia, he works with small to mid-sized businesses and white labels for larger agencies, specializing in high-accountability, hands-on campaign management. Key Topics Discussed The SEO-SEM Divide (00:00 - 05:00) Why paid ads and SEO teams rarely communicate Operational intensity differences between channels Knowledge-sharing culture in PPC vs. SEO communities Why Google gives advertisers more data than SEOs get Google Ads Setup Nightmares (05:00 - 10:00) The fox guarding the henhouse: letting Google set up your campaigns Offshore vs. onshore Google support experiences Most common setup errors (cramming everything into one campaign) Why following scripts doesn't work in modern PPC The Death of Exact Match (10:00 - 15:00) How Google Ads has shifted to theme-based campaigns Everything is "broad-ish" now regardless of match type settings Competitor brands sneaking into your keyword auctions Performance Max and the return of negative lists ROAS-based campaign structuring for e-commerce Display Ads: Remarketing Only (15:00 - 20:00) Why display should only be used for remarketing The spammy site problem and how to exclude them Diminishing returns on display, YouTube, and discovery feeds Strategic use of minimal display budgets ($10-20) for brand presence Platform Selection Framework (20:00 - 30:00) "How many bullets you got in the chamber?" - the content asset question Meta is about burnout: why you need consistent creative production When to go 80% Google, 20% Bing (service businesses without video) When Meta makes sense (businesses with UGC and video capabilities) Real-world example: Bubble.com Casting (children's modeling agency) Cost Realities Nobody Discusses (30:00 - 35:00) High-CPC industries: $200/click for tow trucks, $150/click for credit cards Why $30/click for lawyers isn't unusual Budget requirements for competitive industries When to rely on Performance Max vs. traditional search campaigns SEO Value Proposition for Small Business (35:00 - 45:00) If you run out of ad budget, your campaign's over SEO builds appreciable assets that compound over time The upscale effect vs. the burn rate of paid ads Working with ads teams to target expensive keywords organically Client filtering: not every client is worth acquiring AI Overviews and the Future of Search (45:00 - 55:00) ChatGPT ads platform: $60-80 CPMs for businesses spending $1M+ The "charge and forget" model vs. nuanced ad platforms AI overview impact: 25-40% traffic loss for publisher sites The mea...

    48 min

  7. 5 FEB

    Content Marketing Mastery with Cauveé: How to Build Your Personal Brand Empire

    Summary In this episode of the Unscripted SEO podcast, Keith Breseé and Cauveé, the inspiration engineer, delve into the intricacies of content marketing. They discuss the importance of platforms like Substack and Beehive for community building, the necessity of finding one's niche, and the long-term strategies required for effective content creation. The conversation also covers the significance of understanding market gaps, leveraging influencer marketing, and the role of paid advertising. Additionally, they emphasize the importance of crafting effective hooks, storytelling, and utilizing AI tools for content creation. The episode concludes with insights on building relationships and the long game in personal branding.   Takeaways Substack is a powerful tool for building a community. Decide whether to follow trends or focus on your passion. Always provide value in your content to generate leads. Content creation is a long-term commitment. Reverse engineer your content strategy from your goals. Understand your market and conduct competitor analysis. Influencer marketing can significantly boost visibility. Paid advertising can help in gaining traction. Mastering hooks and storytelling is crucial for engagement. Building relationships is key to long-term success.

    1hr 5min

  8. 5 FEB

    Kyle Merrick: The Golden Rule Applies To How You Approach YOUR Business

    What happens when a marketing coach who's also an actor sits down to talk about authenticity in business? You get one of the most unfiltered conversations about trust, AI, and human connection in marketing that we've had on this show. Kyle Merrick doesn't pull punches. As the founder of Anarchy For A Day and a marketing veteran with nearly a decade of agency experience, he's seen it all—and he's not afraid to call BS on what's broken in modern marketing. In this episode, we dive deep into the tension between performance and authenticity, why AI-generated content is killing trust, and how businesses can differentiate themselves in commodified markets. Kyle brings a unique perspective as both a marketer and an actor, understanding how to build believability while staying within boundaries. This conversation gets heated, philosophical, and practical all at once. If you're tired of the same sanitized marketing advice, this episode is for you. Key Topics Discussed Trust & Authenticity in Marketing (00:00-10:02) Why marketers have a trust problem The challenge of discerning real vs. fake in the digital age How social media has groomed us to accept mixed messages The importance of delivery over content AI vs. Human Connection (10:02-22:31) Why AI-generated marketing content fails to build trust The role of podcasting as a "safe space" for authentic conversation How LLM tools confidently lie (and why that's dangerous) The laziness trap: when efficiency kills effectiveness The Coloring Book Analogy (22:31-27:39) Finding authenticity within corporate boundaries How to differentiate without going "cray-cray" Showing customer pain points authentically The golden rule applied to business communication Market Understanding & Differentiation (27:39-37:23) Why most businesses don't truly understand their marketplace How to differentiate in commodified industries The importance of speaking your customer's language Interviewing clients as a core marketing strategy Consistency & Long-Term Thinking (37:23-40:15) Why consistency beats overnight success How search engines and humans reward sustained effort Understanding where your audience actually spends time Building trust through reliable, authentic communication Notable Quotes "No marketer is really trustworthy until you actually get to know them. So I'm not even going to try to pitch myself on that." "I don't give a shit about anything your business has to say if you're using AI. Let me see the people behind it, even if they're paid actors." "Human to human podcast. This is the very important bit." "Having been in business for myself for a decade now, it's like, this is the only kind of conversation I actually value because I know it's real, because you can sense the pain behind my words." "People don't truly understand their marketplace. Go talk to the people that you're trying to serve or provide solutions to or sell a product to, whatever. Get to know them, their world." "I always think about it like a coloring book. The lines are really what is within bound and reason for what is going to be believable." "If you want real conversation, dish it out. Maybe that's the best answer to how can we get more genuine conversation in corporate marketing. Fucking do it. It ain't that hard." "Business is still human. And if we're not accounting for that human factor, I wish you the best." "Consistency is key. You need to be doing it a while for these different robotic entities to deem, 'All right, well, you're human and you do this.'" ...

    40 min
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About

Hosted by Jeremy Rivera: A 17 year career expert in the SEO industry and his cohost Keith Bresee. Get insights, action items and anecdotes from experts like Lilyray, Kevin Indig, Rand Fishkin, Matt Mellinger and more in the SEO industry, who are not only well-respected, but have really interesting stories to share. 100% unscripted, 100% unrehearsed, 100% unedited, and 100% real. Guaranteed to provide those golden nugget lightbulb moments.

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