Content and Conversation: Organic Growth Insights from Siege Media

Siege Media
  • 4.9 (18)
  • Marketing
  • Updated Monthly

Using the techniques that have helped cement $148,646,000 in yearly traffic value for their clients, Siege Media and founder Ross Hudgens dive into the executional nitty gritty of what makes content rank, and how to get content shared. Topics include content marketing, SEO, digital PR, user experience and more.

  1. Jul 23

    Was SEO Content Ever Good? JH Scherck on the AI Slop Debate

    Ross Hudgens sits down with JH Scherck, founder of Growth Plays, for a refreshingly contrarian take on AI content. JH argues that with the right context and execution, AI already gets you 85–90% of the way to a strong B2B article, and that the real skill in 2026 is being the person who can take a B+ draft to an A+.  Along the way he flips the industry's favorite critique on its head: was SEO content *ever* good? He makes the case that the bar was always low, and that it took removing humans from the equation for anyone to start caring about sentence construction and quality at all.  Ross and JH also dig into where AI content genuinely works (dev tools, technical docs, location pages) versus where it falls flat, the telltale "it's 3 a.m. and your microservices are failing" intro pattern, why plugging more data sources into your workflow isn't differentiation, whether people will stop browsing websites and just chat with them, the perils nobody's discussing, how your product's history follows you around in LLMs, and why AI turns C players into more prolific C players rather than A players. Show Notes 0:00 Getting 85% There: Where AI Already Beats Most Writers 4:45 The AI Doer vs. the AI Reviewer 8:48 "Was SEO Content Ever Good?" Rethinking the Slop Debate 12:24 What Actually Differentiates Content Now 16:13 Will People Stop Browsing and Just Chat With Your Site? 21:45 The Perilous Side of AI Content Nobody's Discussing 33:07 Maintenance Mode & Why Your History Follows You in LLMs 39:29 Educating Executives & Avoiding the "Slop Cannon" 48:12 Traffic Recovery, Brand Problems & Qualifying Clients Out 53:34 The Truth About ChatGPT Leads & Aggregate Citation Data Show Links Visit Growth Plays Follow JH on LinkedIn Preorder "Generative Engine Optimization: The Definitive Guide to AI SEO" by Ross Hudgens Subscribe for weekly episodes Listen on Apple Listen on Spotify Follow Ross on X Follow Siege Media on X Email Ross Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown: https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: ross@siegemedia.com #seo | #contentmarketing

  2. Jun 24

    Inside HubSpot's Category-Leading GEO Program w/ Aja Frost

    Ross Hudgens sits down with Aja Frost, Sr. Director of Global Growth & Paid at HubSpot, to open up the playbook behind one of the most advanced GEO/AEO programs in SaaS. Aja shares how HubSpot has been investing in answer engine optimization since early 2023 and how the company turned a very public blog traffic decline into a "Phoenix from the ashes" story, becoming the single most visible CRM in LLMs. They get tactical on writing for the bot (her "B2B2C" framing and "tofu with a twist" content strategy), why visibility beats citation share as a KPI, how HubSpot tracks prompts down to the feature level, and why audience size barely predicts who gets cited. Aja also breaks down HubSpot's creator and affiliate strategy, the durable (and not-so-durable) ways to earn off-site mentions, a deep dive on doing Reddit authentically, and how she reorganized her 65-person team around products instead of web properties. Show Notes 0:00 – HubSpot's GEO playbook 2:21 – Why AI evaluation predicts purchase intent 03:48 – Becoming the top CRM in LLMs 06:31 – Writing for the bots 11:07 – How HubSpot tracks its prompts 18:16 – Audience size doesn't predict citations 25:15 – Affiliates and valuing a citation 37:30 – The Reddit deep dive 49:27 – Inside HubSpot's reorg   Show Links Aja on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajafrost/ Aja’s website: https://ajafrost.com/ Aja on The HubSpot Marketing blog: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/author/aja-frost AEO Sensor: https://www.hubspot.com/aeo-sensor   Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown: https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: ross@siegemedia.com #seo | #contentmarketing

  3. Jun 17

    What Your CMO Needs to Know About AI Search w/ Tom Critchlow

    Ross Hudgens sits down with Tom Critchlow, founder of AI Search Leaders (the evolution of his SEO MBA community), for a candid conversation about what GEO actually is in 2026 and why nobody has fully cracked it yet.  Tom makes the case that AI search measurement looks far more like brand measurement than classic SEO: less about prompt monitoring and keyword ranking, more about share of model, awareness, and how LLMs describe you (not just whether they cite you).  Along the way they dig into the "yes" stance SEOs need to take with executives, why brand, PR, and product teams, not SEO teams, tend to own the outcomes that move GEO, the real career risk facing SEOs, technical SEO in the age of model distillation, NavBoost and clicks as a trust signal, and the personalized, push-not-pull future of search.   Show Notes 0:00 – Why SEOs can't afford to be defensive 2:35 – How do you measure GEO? 6:24 – Measuring GEO like a brand 15:04 – Who really owns GEO? 23:26 – Technical SEO in the AI age 30:36 – Stop chasing tactics 37:09 – Selling GEO amid uncertainty 41:21 – NavBoost, clicks as trust 51:39 – Personalization, privacy and the future of search   Show Links AI Search Leaders: https://www.searchleaders.ai/   Your Inbox Might be the Next AI Search Signal: https://ipullrank.com/google-personal-intelligence-experiment   Why Every AI Search Platform Is Now Agentic and What That Means for Your Content: https://ipullrank.com/agentic-rag   Subscribe for weekly episodes: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f   Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174   Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM   Follow Ross on X: https://twitter.com/rosshudgens   Follow Siege Media on X: https://twitter.com/siegemedia   Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown: https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: ross@siegemedia.com #seo | #contentmarketing

  4. Jun 1

    Eli Schwartz on Google’s GEO Advice and SEO Careers Today

    Ross Hudgens sits down with Eli Schwartz, author of Product-Led SEO and former VP of SEO at SurveyMonkey, for a wide-ranging conversation on the real state of SEO in 2026.   They break down Google's new AI search guidance (spoiler: it's basically just SEO), why there's a massive mismatch between what companies want from SEO teams and what they're getting, and why Eli thinks the SEO career path is broken but the demand for real SEO has never been higher.   They also get into which industries are best positioned for the LLM era, why technical SEO is actually becoming more valuable, and why Eli thinks SEOs should start thinking of themselves as product managers.   Chapter Markers 00:00:10 – Google's new AI search guidance 00:07:26 – Manipulation isn’t a strategy 00:12:22 – The SEO career mismatch 00:17:50 – Why SEO teams can't show their value 00:25:26 – New entrants and dying conferences 00:36:17 – The skills SEOs need now 00:43:35 – Why the best SEOs build things 00:57:45 – Which industries win in the LLM era   Show Links Google’s GEO advice: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/ai-optimization-guide   Eli on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwartze/   Subscribe for weekly episodes: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f   Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174   Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM   Follow Ross on X: https://twitter.com/rosshudgens   Follow Siege Media on X: https://twitter.com/siegemedia Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown: https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: ross@siegemedia.com #seo | #contentmarketing

  5. May 13

    Lily Ray on AI Slop, GEO, and What Actually Works

    Ross Hudgens welcomes Lily Ray, VP of SEO Strategy & Research at Amsive — this time in person — for a wide-ranging conversation on what's actually working (and what's getting patched) in AI search right now. They dig into the rise and likely fall of self-promotional listicles and comparison pages, the new wave of GEO manipulation tactics already being flagged as spam by Google and Microsoft, and how to build visibility that's genuinely algorithm-proof. Lily also shares how her team is using AI day-to-day, what the technical GEO checklist looks like in 2026, and why she's still betting on Google winning the AI search race long-term. Show Notes: 00:00:11 – Lily's new consulting practice at Algorithmic 00:02:11 – The rise and fall of self-promotional listicles 00:08:11 – Comparison pages and alternative posts 00:12:38 – Authentic authority vs. paid influence 00:15:42 – GEO exploits Google & Microsoft flag as spam 00:27:23 – Using AI day-to-day 00:30:46 – The GEO technical checklist 00:36:27 – Predicting the Next 12 Months     Show Links: Find Lily at Amsive: https://www.amsive.com/insights/author/lily-ray/ Follow Lily on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-ray-44755615/ Follow Lily on X: https://x.com/lilyraynyc Lily’s Substack: https://lilyraynyc.substack.com/ Subscribe for weekly episodes: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM Follow Ross on X: https://twitter.com/rosshudgens Follow Siege Media on X: https://twitter.com/siegemedia   Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown: https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: ross@siegemedia.com #seo | #contentmarketing

  6. May 4

    Is Content Syndication Worth It? w/ Stacker's Noah Greenberg

    Noah Greenberg, CEO of Stacker, joins Ross to break down how his platform distributes brand content as earned media across thousands of news publishers and why it's becoming a core part of modern SEO,  digital PR, and GEO strategy.   They dig into the nuances of doing syndication the right way, from canonical tags and editorial standards to why Stacker's network of 3,000+ publishers makes it a fundamentally different play than old-school link building. Noah also explains how the rise of GEO is reshaping the value of syndication, as brands discover that republishing content across hundreds of news outlets dramatically increases the surface area for LLM citations.   Ross and Noah close out with a practical breakdown of what content actually performs on the newswire: proprietary data stories only your brand can tell, public data localized by geography, and well-timed "news you can use" tied to seasonal events. If you're a brand, agency, or SEO thinking about content distribution, this one is worth your full attention.   Show Notes: 0:00  What Is Stacker? Distribution, Earned Media & How It Works 01:20  How Stacker Solved the Chicken-and-Egg Problem with Publishers 08:23  Google's Syndication Warning & Why Stacker Plays It White Hat 13:11  The Real SEO & GEO Value of Content Syndication 17:04  Who Is Stacker Actually a Good Fit For? (B2B vs. B2C) 22:39  Local Content, Localization at Scale & Why It Outperforms 27:17  How Stacker Scales Across 3,000 Publishers Without Oversaturating 35:35 3 Types of Content That Consistently Win on the Newswire   Show Links: Follow Noah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noahg/   Stacker: https://stacker.com/   Follow Ross on X: https://x.com/RossHudgens: Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown: https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: ross@siegemedia.com #seo | #contentmarketing

  7. Feb 5

    Building a Media-First Content Marketing Strategy w/ Devin Bramhall

    In this episode of Content and Conversation, Ross Hudgens sits down with Devin Bramhall to unpack what’s broken in modern B2B marketing and what actually works when metrics get messy and attribution falls apart. They talk through Devin’s experience writing B2B Content Marketing Strategy, why “media-first” is now table stakes, and how community is often misunderstood, mis-scoped, or forced into the wrong formats. Devin shares real examples from her work at Help Scout and beyond, showing how strong communities are built by paying attention to people, not playbooks. Show Notes: 00:00 – Intro/Marketing can’t be measured with numbers alone   05:30 – Writing a book when you already know the answer   10:20 – Media-first content marketing explained   15:00 – What community actually means (and what it doesn’t)   20:30 – Real-world community examples that worked   28:30 – Outcomes vs activities in marketing reporting   35:00 – Telling a story your CEO will understand   44:30 – When community is the wrong strategy   Show Links: B2B Content Marketing Strategy Book by Devin BramhallFollow Ross on X: https://x.com/RossHudgens Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown: https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: ross@siegemedia.com #seo | #contentmarketing

  8. Jan 12

    How GEO Actually Works w/ Bernard Huang

    Bernard Huang returns to break down GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and the big question: is GEO actually different from SEO, or just SEO evolving?   We talk about how AI Mode/AI Overviews are changing search behavior, why top-funnel traffic is getting squeezed, and what “good SEO is good GEO” really means in practice.   Show Notes: 00:00 – Welcome back & why GEO is everywhere 03:05 – Is GEO actually different from SEO? 07:10 – How AI agents think vs keyword-based SEO 12:45 – The traffic apocalypse & AI Mode becoming default 18:00 – Mentions vs backlinks in an LLM world 24:30 – What people are getting wrong about GEO 30:45 – Measuring success: impressions, citations & brand search 42:55 – The “long, long tail” and the future of content strategy   Show Links: Follow Bernard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernardjhuang/   Visit Clearscope: https://www.clearscope.io/   Follow Ross on X: https://x.com/RossHudgens     Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown: https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: ross@siegemedia.com #seo | #contentmarketing

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4.9
out of 5
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Using the techniques that have helped cement $148,646,000 in yearly traffic value for their clients, Siege Media and founder Ross Hudgens dive into the executional nitty gritty of what makes content rank, and how to get content shared. Topics include content marketing, SEO, digital PR, user experience and more.

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