The AI & Marketing Podcast for Local Businesses

The AI & Marketing Podcast for Local Businesses

Join us on The AI & Marketing Podcast for Local Businesses, where our hosts bring 23 years of combined experience to share the AI strategies and marketing secrets that have helped hundreds of local businesses generate millions in revenue. Each concise, weekly episode is packed with actionable tips on AI, SEO, lead generation, websites, automation and growth strategies usually reserved for clients investing tens of thousands of pounds. Follow now for practical ways to grow your local business smarter and faster.

  1. Sep 5

    ChatGPT Ads Explained: How They Work, What They Cost and Whether Your Business Should Use Them

    💬 ChatGPT Ads are here. But should your business actually be spending money on them? Google built one of the biggest advertising businesses in history by monetising what people search for. ChatGPT could potentially go one step further by understanding the context behind what someone is actually trying to achieve. In this episode of The AI and Marketing Podcast for Local Businesses, Adam and Josh break down how ChatGPT Ads work, what they cost, the early performance data, the privacy questions they raise, and whether local businesses should start moving some of their advertising budget away from Google and into AI. Here is what we break down 👇 🤖 How ChatGPT Ads actually work. Ads appear separately from ChatGPT's answers and are clearly labelled as sponsored. Crucially, advertisers cannot pay to influence what ChatGPT actually says or recommends. 🎯 Why conversational intent could be incredibly valuable. A Google search might tell an advertiser that someone wants a CRM. A ChatGPT conversation could potentially reveal their industry, company size, existing system, problems, requirements and budget. That context could completely change how valuable an advertising opportunity becomes. 📈 ChatGPT is becoming a serious advertising platform. 💰 What do ChatGPT Ads cost? 📊 Do ChatGPT Ads actually generate customers? 😲 The result that surprised us most. 🔍 Are we watching SEO and PPC happen all over again? 🔐 The privacy question businesses cannot ignore. 🏪 Should local businesses start testing ChatGPT Ads? 💷 Should you move money away from Google Ads? ⚖️ The bigger question: paid ads or organic AI visibility? Eventually, businesses could have two completely different ways of reaching customers through ChatGPT. Pay to advertise alongside the conversation. Or... Become the business ChatGPT actually recommends. Which one ultimately becomes more valuable could shape an entirely new area of digital marketing. 🎯 The biggest takeaway It is far too early to claim that ChatGPT Ads outperform Google Ads or Meta Ads. But conversational intent could make AI advertising extremely powerful, and OpenAI is rapidly building the infrastructure required to compete seriously for advertising budgets. For businesses already spending successfully on digital advertising, this may be a channel worth testing rather than ignoring. And whatever platform you use, measure what matters: Customers. Revenue. Profit. Not just clicks and impressions. -- 💥 Exclusive Listener Offer: Get 20% off Website Design or SEO & AI Search services when you quote PODCAST20. Website Design: hello@websitedesigners.london | www.websitedesigners.london SEO & AI Search: hello@improvemysearchranking.com | www.improvemysearchranking.com -- Sources & Further Reading: OpenAI, Ads in ChatGPT:https://help.openai.com/en-us/articles/20001047-ads-in-chatgpt OpenAI, ChatGPT Ads expands across Europe:https://openai.com/index/chatgpt-ads-expands-across-europe/ OpenAI, New ways to buy ChatGPT Ads:https://openai.com/index/new-ways-to-buy-chatgpt-ads/ EMARKETER, ChatGPT advertiser growth and adoption:https://www.emarketer.com/content/chatgpt-ad-inventory-expands-attracts-big-brands-despite-basic-ad-tools-roas-questions/ Digiday, ChatGPT Ads pricing:https://digiday.com/marketing/everything-is-coming-down-chatgpt-ads-are-getting-cheaper/ The Data Driven Trades, early ChatGPT Ads performance data:https://thedatadriventrades.substack.com/p/chatgpt-ads-produced-a-900-average OpenAI Advertising Policies:https://openai.com/en-GB/policies/ad-policies/

    ChatGPT Ads Explained: How They Work, What They Cost and Whether Your Business Should Use Them
  2. Aug 29

    Can People Tell You’ve Used AI? Claude Is Now Watermarking AI-Written Text!

    🤖 Claude is about to start putting an invisible watermark inside AI-generated text. But can it actually expose when you have used AI? There are no hidden characters. Nothing visible is added to the document. But through the statistical pattern of words Claude chooses, Anthropic says its technology could help determine whether Claude was involved in producing a piece of text. In this episode of The AI and Marketing Podcast for Local Businesses, Adam and Josh break down Claude's new text watermark, how the technology actually works, why the EU is pushing AI companies towards greater transparency, and what it could mean for businesses using AI to create content. Here is what we break down 👇 🔎 Can people finally detect when you have used AI? Anthropic's planned detector will estimate the likelihood that Claude was involved in creating text, but importantly, it cannot definitively prove who wrote it. 🕵️ How can a watermark be completely invisible? We explain how Claude can subtly influence word choices to create a statistical pattern without inserting hidden characters, secret messages or visible markers. 🧠 Will watermarking make Claude's answers worse? Anthropic says the technology should have negligible impact on speed, cost or quality. We also look at the Google DeepMind research behind the technology and what its testing found. 🇪🇺 Why is this happening now? The move comes as transparency requirements under the EU AI Act take effect, with major AI companies including Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Meta and Mistral signing up to the European Commission's Code of Practice. ⚠️ What can an AI watermark actually prove? A positive detection could suggest Claude was involved, but it cannot establish who used Claude, whether the entire document was AI-generated, whether the information is accurate, or whether somebody has done anything wrong. ✍️ Can editing remove the watermark? Light editing may leave the statistical signal intact, while substantial rewriting can weaken or potentially remove it. This creates an interesting question about how useful watermarking will be against people actively trying to bypass detection. 📈 Could Claude-watermarked content hurt your SEO? There is currently no evidence that Claude's watermark itself will damage Google rankings. A watermark indicates possible AI involvement. It does not tell Google, or anyone else, whether that content is useful, accurate or high quality. 🏢 What should businesses do? The answer is not to stop using AI. Businesses should use AI in a way they would be comfortable explaining. Add genuine expertise and experience, fact-check important claims, retain human oversight and keep evidence of the research and editorial process behind important content. 🎯 The biggest takeaway Claude's watermark could be an important step towards greater transparency around AI-generated content. But a watermark is evidence of possible AI involvement, not a verdict on authorship, accuracy or wrongdoing. -- 💥 Exclusive Listener Offer: Get 20% off Website Design or SEO and AI Search services when you quote PODCAST20. Website Design: hello@websitedesigners.london | www.websitedesigners.london SEO & AI Search: hello@improvemysearchranking.com | www.improvemysearchranking.com -- Sources & Further Reading: Anthropic, How Claude's text watermark works:https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-text-watermark Nature, SynthID-Text watermarking research:https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08025-4 European Commission, Transparency Code and signatories:https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/strong-backing-code-practice-transparency-ai-generated-content C2PA Content Credentials:https://c2pa.org/ -- Keywords: Claude watermark, Claude AI watermark, AI generated content, AI detection, Anthropic Claude, AI text detection, AI content watermark, SynthID Text, EU AI Act, AI transparency, AI content marketing, AI SEO, AI generated reviews

    Can People Tell You’ve Used AI? Claude Is Now Watermarking AI-Written Text!
  3. Aug 22

    ChatGPT Is Using Reddit 86% Less: Why Businesses Need to Rethink AI Search

    Has ChatGPT just changed the rules of AI SEO overnight? New data from Promptwatch suggests that Reddit's share of visible citations in ChatGPT Search has fallen by around 86% in a matter of days – a dramatic shift for a platform that had become one of the most talked-about sources in AI search optimisation. In this episode of The AI and Marketing Podcast for Local Businesses, Adam and Josh break down what happened, why ChatGPT may suddenly be citing Reddit far less frequently, and whether the explosion of Reddit marketing and manufactured brand mentions could have played a role. They also explore what the change tells us about the wider world of AI search. If ChatGPT can dramatically change the sources it cites almost overnight, should businesses really be building strategies around individual AI SEO "hacks"? Adam and Josh discuss the risks of relying too heavily on Reddit, how ChatGPT may choose which businesses and sources to trust, why Google AI Overviews and AI Mode appear to be behaving differently, and what local businesses can do to build more sustainable visibility across AI search. Most importantly, they explain why the long-term winners may not be businesses trying to manipulate the latest AI ranking factor, but those building genuine authority across reviews, PR, trusted websites, industry publications, directories, social platforms, their own website and real customer conversations. If you want to understand how to get your business mentioned, cited or recommended by ChatGPT, and how AI search optimisation is changing in 2026, this is an episode you won't want to miss. – 💥 Exclusive Listener Offer: Get 20% off Website Design or SEO services when you quote PODCAST20. Website Design: hello@websitedesigners.london | www.websitedesigners.london SEO and AI Search Services: hello@improvemysearchranking.com | www.improvemysearchranking.com – Keywords: Reddit ChatGPT citations, Reddit citations dropping, ChatGPT Reddit citations, ChatGPT Reddit update, Reddit AI search, ChatGPT source citations, ChatGPT citation sources, ChatGPT search sources, Reddit AI SEO, Reddit GEO, Reddit ChatGPT SEO, Reddit marketing for AI search, Reddit visibility in ChatGPT, ChatGPT citation update, ChatGPT search update, ChatGPT algorithm update, ChatGPT source selection, how ChatGPT chooses sources, how ChatGPT recommends businesses, how to get cited by ChatGPT, how to appear in ChatGPT, how to rank in ChatGPT, ChatGPT brand mentions, AI citations, AI search citations, AI search ranking factors, AI SEO strategies, AI SEO hacks, Generative Engine Optimisation, GEO strategies, Google AI Overviews Reddit, Google AI Mode Reddit, Reddit SEO, AI search volatility, AI search updates 2026.

    ChatGPT Is Using Reddit 86% Less: Why Businesses Need to Rethink AI Search
  4. Aug 15

    How to Use ElevenLabs: Clone Your Voice, Create Professional Voiceovers, Audiobooks and AI Clones

    🎙️ What if you could create professional voiceovers, narrate an entire audiobook or even clone your own voice without stepping inside a recording studio? AI-generated voices have improved dramatically. ElevenLabs can now turn written scripts into realistic speech, recreate your own voice and even translate content into other languages while attempting to preserve the original speaker’s voice and delivery. Try ElevenLabs now: https://try.elevenlabs.io/415t8z0md1bx But how good is it really? And what should you know before handing an AI company a digital version of your voice? In this episode of The AI and Marketing Podcast for Local Businesses, Adam and Josh put ElevenLabs under the microscope, exploring what it can do, where it still falls short and the practical ways businesses can use AI-generated audio. Adam also shares his experience using ElevenLabs to create the audiobook version of his own book, including the pronunciation problems, quality-control challenges and lessons he has learned along the way. Here is what we break down 👇 🎙️ What ElevenLabs actually does. From realistic text-to-speech and voice cloning to audiobooks, dubbing, transcription, sound effects and conversational voice agents. 👤 How AI voice cloning works. We explore instant and professional voice cloning, plus why the quality of your original recordings can make a huge difference. 📘 Creating an audiobook with AI. Adam shares what he has learned turning Becoming a Strategic Business Leaderinto an audiobook and why uploading a manuscript and pressing "generate" is definitely not enough. 🎧 The best business use cases. Social media voiceovers, website explainers, product demonstrations, staff training, onboarding and educational content. 🌍 Creating multilingual content. Discover how AI dubbing could help businesses take one piece of content and adapt it for audiences around the world. 🗣️ Fixing pronunciation problems. We discuss pronunciation dictionaries, names, acronyms and specialist terminology, plus why human review remains essential. ⚙️ Our recommended ElevenLabs workflow. Start small, prepare your script for speech, test different voices, generate audio in manageable sections and carefully review the finished result. 💰 Credits, pricing and regenerating audio. Why generating huge sections at once can waste credits and why smaller blocks make corrections easier. ⚠️ Where AI voices still struggle. Incorrect pronunciation, unnatural emphasis, strange pauses and emotional delivery can still reveal the limitations of AI narration. 🔐 Voice cloning, ownership and consent. What businesses should consider before cloning voices, including security, permission and responsible use. 🏷️ Should you disclose an AI-generated voice? We discuss when transparency matters, particularly with audiobooks, podcasts, testimonials and personal communications. ⚖️ AI voice vs human voice actors. AI is becoming extremely capable for functional narration, but great human performers can still bring interpretation, emotion and instinct that AI struggles to reproduce. -- 💥 Exclusive Listener Offer: Get 20% off Website Design or SEO services when you quote PODCAST20. Website Design: hello@websitedesigners.london | www.websitedesigners.london SEO and AI Search Services: hello@improvemysearchranking.com | www.improvemysearchranking.com -- 🎙️ Try ElevenLabs Create AI voiceovers, clone your voice, experiment with audiobook narration and explore ElevenLabs here: https://try.elevenlabs.io/415t8z0md1bx Affiliate link. We may receive a commission if you sign up through it, at no additional cost to you. -- Keywords: ElevenLabs, ElevenLabs AI, AI voice generator, AI voice cloning, voice cloning, AI audiobook, create an audiobook with AI, AI narration, text to speech, AI voiceover, ElevenLabs voice cloning, ElevenLabs audiobook, AI dubbing, multilingual AI, AI content creation, AI tools for business, AI for local businesses, artificial intelligence, UK business podcast.

    How to Use ElevenLabs: Clone Your Voice, Create Professional Voiceovers, Audiobooks and AI Clones
  5. Aug 8

    Moonshot AI: Is It Better Than ChatGPT or Claude?

    Join Adam and Josh as they explore Moonshot AI and its latest model, Kimi K2, one of the fastest-growing challengers to ChatGPT and Claude.  They discuss why businesses around the world are paying attention to its enormous context window, where it excels at research, coding and analysing huge volumes of information, and whether it could become an essential tool for local businesses.  They also compare the strengths and weaknesses of ChatGPT, Claude and Moonshot AI, helping you understand which platform is best suited to different tasks and why the future may belong to businesses that learn to combine them all. -- 💥 Exclusive Listener Offer: Get 20% off Website Design or SEO services when you quote PODCAST20. Website Design: ⁠hello@websitedesigners.london⁠ | ⁠www.websitedesigners.london⁠ SEO Services: ⁠hello@improvemysearchranking.com⁠ | ⁠www.improvemysearchranking.com⁠ -- Keywords: Moonshot AI, Kimi K2, Kimi AI, ChatGPT, Claude AI, Anthropic, OpenAI, Generative AI, Artificial Intelligence, AI tools, AI software, AI for business, AI for local businesses, AI productivity tools, AI coding tools, AI research tools, AI document analysis, AI automation, AI marketing, AI search, AI prompts, AI assistants, AI agents, large language models, LLMs, business automation, digital marketing, SEO, local SEO, ChatGPT versus Claude, ChatGPT versus Kimi, Moonshot AI versus ChatGPT, AI trends 2026, AI news, future of AI.

    Moonshot AI: Is It Better Than ChatGPT or Claude?

About

Join us on The AI & Marketing Podcast for Local Businesses, where our hosts bring 23 years of combined experience to share the AI strategies and marketing secrets that have helped hundreds of local businesses generate millions in revenue. Each concise, weekly episode is packed with actionable tips on AI, SEO, lead generation, websites, automation and growth strategies usually reserved for clients investing tens of thousands of pounds. Follow now for practical ways to grow your local business smarter and faster.