Visibility Brief

Visibility Brief by Yext
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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.

  1. 3 days ago

    Getting Customers From Search to Storefront

    The way people find physical businesses is changing. Traditional search, maps, and directories still matter, but AI is increasingly answering questions before someone ever clicks through to a website. And those questions are getting more specific: Where should I park? Is this location wheelchair accessible? What’s opening this weekend? What time does it close today?  Right now, making sure customers can find accurate answers to those questions (regardless of where they choose to look) requires brands to think differently about the information behind every location and experience. In this episode of The Visibility Brief, Rebecca Colwell (SVP of Marketing, Yext) sits down with Patrick Flanagan (SVP of Digital Development, Operations and Strategy, Simon Property Group) to explore how one of the world’s largest retail real estate companies thinks about the customer experience. During their discussion, Patrick shares how Simon manages local information across a massive portfolio, keeps critical details accurate as experiences change from location to location, and uses millions of reviews to understand what shoppers are actually looking for.  This episode breaks down:  Why traditional search and maps are still important in the AI eraHow reviews can reveal what customers are really experiencingWhy hyper-local details matterHow Simon keeps local information accurate at scaleWhy declining traffic doesn't necessarily mean declining visibility If you’re a marketing leader responsible for hundreds or thousands of physical locations, this episode offers a practical look at what it takes to stay visible when customers can discover you anywhere.

  2. 1 Sept

    Turning Local Data Into a Competitive Advantage

    With over 1,500 independently-owned hearing clinics across the United States, Beltone knows that no two markets look exactly alike. A brand’s competitor in one city might not even exist another, and a tactic driving results for one location could be a waste of resources somewhere else. National performance metrics can show how the brand is performing overall, but they can hide which locations are winning and losing.  So, how do you help local owners make better marketing decisions without overwhelming them with yet another dashboard?  In this episode of The Visibility Brief, Rebecca Colwell (SVP of Marketing, Yext) sits down with Michael McCann (Senior Director of Marketing, Beltone) and Leonard Sullivan (Digital Marketing Manager, Beltone) to discuss what it takes to help a national brand compete — and win — market by market. Michael and Leonard share how Beltone used Yext Scout to understand local competitive performance, identify opportunities location by location, and turn that data into a plan owners can easily follow.  This episode breaks down:  Why your biggest competitor depends on where you areHow local data can reveal what averages missWhy the same marketing strategy won’t work in every marketWhat drives local visibility beyond reviewsWhy AI search makes your entire digital presence matter If you’re a marketing leader responsible for local performance, this episode will help you move beyond one-size-fits-all strategies and use data to make better decisions market by market.

  3. 18 Aug

    How AI is Changing Both Sides of the Customer Journey

    Today’s customers are increasingly using AI to research complex, high-stakes purchase decisions before they ever reach a brand’s website. At the same time, marketers are using AI to create content, optimize digital experiences, and make work more efficient. So what happens when AI becomes part of both the discovery journey and the work marketers are doing behind the scenes? In this episode of The Visibility Brief, Rebecca Colwell (SVP of Marketing, Yext) sits down with Reed Smith (SVP and Chief Consumer Officer, Ardent Health) to discuss how AI is changing both sides of the customer experience: how people find the information they need, and how marketing teams deliver it. Drawing on his work shaping patient experiences at Ardent Health, Reed shares a practical perspective on what’s actually changing and why the fundamentals marketers have been working on for years (accurate data, accessible information and human judgment) are becoming even more important as AI continues to revolutionize marketing.  This episode breaks down:  How AI is optimizing the way customers get answers Why more data isn’t necessarily betterHow zero-click experiences (like AI answers and direct scheduling) are creating new entry points for brands Why your technology partners matter more in an AI-driven worldHow AI is changing day-to-day work for marketers  If you’re a marketing leader trying to figure out where AI can actually add value, this episode provides a helpful roadmap: use AI to improve the work, but don’t lose sight of the data, experiences, and human judgment that make the work valuable in the first place.

  4. 4 Aug

    Technical SEO is “Having a Moment”

    For years, technical SEO has powered search performance from behind the scenes. Most business leaders only noticed it when something broke. But now, as AI search becomes mainstream, those same technical foundations are becoming important in a new way. So, what does that mean for marketers? Is AI creating an entirely new set of technical requirements — or simply rewarding the brands that have been getting the fundamentals right all along? In this episode of The Visibility Brief, Rebecca Colwell (SVP of Marketing, Yext) sits down with Mark Stroud (Global SEO Lead, Specsavers) to explore why one of the most overlooked disciplines in marketing is suddenly getting some overdue attention. Drawing on more than 20 years of SEO experience and leading global search strategy across 2,000 Specsavers locations, Mark explains why technical SEO is having "a moment," how AI is changing the conversation around visibility and conversion, and why it’s time for marketers to double down on the basics.  This episode breaks down:  How AI is improving SEO workflows behind the scenesWhich technical signals matter most right now Why SEO fundamentals are still the foundation for search and AI engines  The biggest misconceptions about AI optimizationWhich SEO metrics marketers should (and shouldn't) measure If you're a marketer trying to make sense of AI's impact on search, this episode offers a practical perspective on what's actually changing, what's staying the same, and where marketers should focus their attention next.

  5. 21 Jul

    The AI Opportunities Hiding In Plain Sight

    For Wells Fargo, it wasn't a flashy new AI initiative that unlocked better visibility. It was actually a 12-year-old ATM and branch locator.  When the brand’s marketing team realized their location pages weren't surfacing consistently in AI search, they saw an opportunity to optimize those pages for both people and LLMs. But what started as a branch locator redesign quickly became a blueprint for how legacy brands can adapt their digital experiences for an AI-first customer journey. In this episode of The Visibility Brief, Rebecca Colwell (SVP of Marketing, Yext) is joined by Anna Vagnerini (Executive Director Digital Discovery, Wells Fargo) to explore how AI search is forcing brands to rethink some of their oldest digital experiences. Drawing on Wells Fargo's recent branch locator transformation, Anna shares how her team approached structured data, human-centered design, and AI visibility. This can’t-miss discussion reveals why sometimes the biggest opportunities are hiding in the experiences brands have overlooked for years. This episode breaks down:  How to turn a utility into a high-intent customer acquisition channelWhy tried-and-true digital experiences deserve a second lookWhat "human and machine UX" really meansHow to measure success beyond traditional marketing metricsWhy AI visibility starts with consistent, trustworthy data If you're a marketing leader wondering where to start with AI search, this episode is a reminder that the answer may not be a brand-new initiative. Sometimes the biggest opportunity is taking a fresh look at the digital experiences your customers already rely on.

  6. 7 Jul

    Why Local Pages Still Win in AI Search

    Customers aren't just searching for brands by name anymore. Instead, they're asking highly specific questions about products, services, locations, and experiences. Whether they're looking for "restaurants near Yankee Stadium" or "catering for a 50-person office lunch," AI models cite and surface brands that have built content around real customer intent. So, how do marketers create local experiences that satisfy both customers and LLMs? And what separates a high-performing local page from one that's nothing more than a store locator? In this episode of The Visibility Brief, Yext SVP of Marketing Rebecca Colwell sits down with Steve Wiideman, President of Wiideman Consulting Group to explore why local pages have become one of the most important assets in an AI-first search strategy. Drawing on nearly 30 years of SEO experience and work with some of the world's largest restaurant brands, Steve shares why local and intent pages are now a competitive advantage – and how marketers can use them to increase visibility across both traditional and AI search. The episode breaks down:Why local pages still matter in an AI-first worldThe difference between location pages and intent pagesWhat the highest-performing local pages have in commonHow AI is changing local content strategyLessons from restaurant brands that adapted quickly to changing customer behaviorWhat marketers should stop, start, and rethink when building local content Whether you're managing hundreds of locations or just getting started with local SEO, you'll learn practical ways to build pages that help customers find exactly what they're looking for, wherever they're searching.

  7. 23 Jun

    How to Control Your Brand’s Story in an AI-First World

    In 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 website The 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.

  8. 9 Jun

    Why Constraints Create Better AI Strategies

    In 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 trend If 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.

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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Visibility Brief by Yext
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Visibility Brief by Yext
  • Show Website
    Visibility Brief

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