The Unscripted SEO Interview Podcast

Jeremy Rivera
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

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. 1d ago

    Chris Green: Patents, Bots & the Cannibalization Reversal

    Chris Green of Torque Partnership has spent fifteen years watching SEO theory get built on Google's patent literature. In this episode he takes the two load-bearing ones, PageRank and Reasonable Surfer, and asks what survives a web where most of the traffic arriving on your pages was never a person. Chris started in technical and content, moved through running and managing teams, then into data and analytics. Today he runs global programmes for SEO, GEO, measurement and AI search for Fortune 500 brands, a job he describes as trying to wrangle this stuff and make it understandable and accessible to as much of the org as possible. As he puts it, that is a very different skill set to being an agency SEO. He is based in the UK and publishes his working notes in public on Substack. In this episode PageRank as a principle, not a blueprint. Simulating equity flow is a good way to visualise a linking change. Hedging a rollout decision on that simulation is the risk, because nobody outside Google can tell you what the mechanism now intersects with. Reasonable Surfer when the surfer is a bot. Agents arrive directly, never pogo back, and collapse dwell time, click patterns and frustration signals. Chris has watched the analytics and says the behaviour is frankly totally different. Bot traffic pollutes the data that pays your salary. Polluted analytics ruins decision making, which eventually ruins the budget and the remit. The hardest case is an agent riding the user's own user agent, session and device. Markdown companion files: trivial on a simple site, a nightmare on a monolith. On a clean WordPress install it is almost a non-task. On a million-page stack held together with duct tape, the cost is consistency and ownership across markdown, HTML and feeds, and nothing on the internet will tell you when they drift apart. Which agentic standard to back. No protocol has won. The current strategy is to do as much of it as you can and hope you backed the right horse. The RAG layer is where the gaming is. Training data moves slowly and is hard to value. Retrieval moves fast, and old link building techniques can still be far more effective there. The cannibalization reversal. An isolated client test found three to four selectable links got cited more often than fewer than three, or more than four or five. The operational instruction is keep one and the other, not move one. Access logs as the measurement layer nobody is selling. Segment your content, split-test bot hits, classify each hit as training, search or user-triggered, and check the IP range before you trust the user agent. Chapters (00:00) Fifteen years, and the seats Chris has sat in (01:18) Do Google's old patents still describe live systems? (04:50) Test it and stay skeptical, the SEO's actual core skill (05:10) Reasonable Surfer when most of the web is bots (07:19) Polluted analytics, ruined decisions, ruined budgets (08:17) Markdown companion files and Google's position on them (11:01) The trust problem, and the maintenance overhead on enterprise stacks (14:28) Bots with wallets, and which standard to hedge (17:29) Link placement, link building, and whether the watershed has come (20:13) The RAG layer is more ripe for gaming than training data (22:57) The tactical win that has always worked: be explicit (25:07) The cannibalization reversal, and the three to four link sweet spot (26:46) Keep one and the other, not move one (29:19) When GEO and SEO pull against...

  2. 4d ago

    Bots Are Just Another Customer - Dan Kurtz, Miss Pepper AI

    Traditional Googlebot crawling is falling while AI retrieval bots climb — and in June, Cloudflare confirmed bot traffic has overtaken human traffic on the web. Dan Kurtz of Miss Pepper AI thinks SEOs already know what to do about it: we have multi-purposed content into infographics, reels and press releases for decades because humans have preferred content types — and bots have one too. Technically, he argues, they are just another customer. Dan walks Jeremy through publishing data straight to the LLMs, the agentic flywheel he has wired across SEO, paid ads and appointment setting, an A/B testing loop that hands Microsoft Clarity and SEO Gets data to Claude and lets it rewrite the page, and a secret-squirrel trick for forcing AI crawlers to re-crawl a site. He also draws a hard line on retainers: “deliverables in SEO means that you are not paying attention.” A practical companion to SEO in the agentic age, and one more reason the Unscripted SEO Podcast keeps asking working practitioners what is actually moving the needle. More on Dan’s approach at Miss Pepper’s AI optimization practice. In this episodeBots are a customer segment, not an exception — Cloudflare's June finding that bot traffic passed human traffic, and what Dan sees in his own logsGooglebot down ~60%, AI bots up ~80% for crawling and retrieval — the crawl profile behind the whole conversationMulti-purposing, extended one step: we've turned blog posts into infographics, reels, shorts and press releases for decades because humans have preferred content types — so serve the bots theirsAI slop isn't new, only the scale is — keyword stuffing and the "rhinoplasty Plano" Lorem Ipsum test were slop too, and a "scaled content abuse" rollout is comingReissue your SSL certificate to force AI bots to re-crawl — the secret-squirrel tip, with a table-saw warning attached"Deliverables in SEO means that you're not paying attention" — why Dan won't sell a retainer measured in blog posts and guest postsThe ecosystem flywheel: SEO, paid ads, appointment setting and exec thought leadership wired together by APIs, passing the batonA Claude-based personal operating system that boots at 7 a.m. and is fed DISC and Myers-Briggs so it knows when he's deflectingLetting the AI run the A/B test — Microsoft Clarity plus SEO Gets data in, a rewritten landing page outAI prompting AI: Claude Cowork drafting the prompt for GoHighLevel's AI, which ships the variant page in minutes$50 a week in AI credits to scrape the top 100 accounts across ten platforms, with Gemini watching how the hooks landB2B by law — TCPA, GDPR, and why handing a roofer a list of homeowners in a ten-mile radius is "kind of yucky"Does the TLD still matter? .com, .ai, the extensions that got torched, and what happens when everything gets ingested by AI enginesQ1 2027: the agentic-flywheel data Dan plans to publish once the last component is connected across his client baseConnect with Dan KurtzWebsite: misspepper.aiLinkedIn: linkedin.c...

    Bots Are Just Another Customer - Dan Kurtz, Miss Pepper AI

  3. Jul 30

    The Tail Can't Wag the Dog: Tom Malesic on Agency Culture

    Tom Malesic started EZMarketing thirty-five seconds after quitting a boss who refused a client he disagreed with — and he has spent the twenty-nine years since building the opposite kind of company. In his second turn on the Unscripted SEO Podcast he makes the case that core values are your culture, not a poster: why his book is a large volume of small customers so his top five could leave tomorrow without a single layoff, why the customer who yells at your team has to go, and how an EOS cadence keeps a fully remote team accountable across three countries. He also gets practical: training a per-client AI agent on Hats.ai so the machine knows the client’s voice better than any single team member, the CIPA and ADA compliance demand letters now landing in small-business inboxes, and the unglamorous truth that most marketing budgets are wasted on leads nobody calls back. In this episodeThe 1996 origin story — how one boss’s refusal handed Tom his first customerWhy core values ARE your culture, and the “I gotta cover my ass” hire who proved it“The tail can’t wag the dog” — surviving the loss of your top five clientsFiring the customer who made an employee cry, and coaching customers like you coach staffHow one toxic employee wrecks a culture — and your GlassdoorRunning fully remote on EOS, with an 11,000 sq ft office holding four peopleOne trained AI agent per client across ~70 modelsCIPA and ADA compliance demand letters — landing right nowBe open to being lucky, and never be the smartest person in the roomRead the full recap: The Tail Can’t Wag the Dog Tom’s first interview: The Website Is the Center of Everything

  4. Jul 27

    The Content Ladder: How to Get Found at Every Rung of the Buyer's Question

    Alyssa Evans started school as an art major and finished with a science degree — and that creative-plus-analytical split is exactly how she runs Grow Your Strategy. In this episode she makes the case that the funnel is the wrong mental model entirely, and that what replaces it is a content ladder. Alyssa is a growth strategist working mostly with fintech, real estate tech, and SaaS companies — including investors raising money for syndications and adjacent plays like storage units and ATM investing. Her first month with any client is spent auditing rather than executing, because until you know a founder's archetype and comfort level, you're guessing. She's blunt about what's failing right now: the last eight months of her work have included cleaning up websites wrecked by auto-generated content. In this episode Why the first month of any engagement should be auditing, not acting — and how client archetypes change the plan The content ladder — showing up at the most basic question in your niche and every rung of complexity above it Auto-blogging is a liability: what Alyssa is seeing as she repairs AI-content damage Why LLMs favor content updated in the last three months — and what that means for your archive Cross-team collaboration as a speed advantage — what product and sales know that marketing doesn't Building feedback loops that don't backfire — where Slack and Reddit communities burn brands, and what works instead Community as its own marketing channel — word of mouth 2.0, and "growing in public" Why link building is becoming networking — non-competitor partnerships, cross-promotion, and podcasts as an authority engine Chapters [MM:SS] — Meet Alyssa Evans: continuous improvement as a operating principle [MM:SS] — From art major to growth strategist [MM:SS] — The power of cross-team collaboration [MM:SS] — First-month friction: auditing before acting [MM:SS] — Finding the niche: fintech, real estate tech & SaaS [MM:SS] — SaaS's moving target: the release/marketing/satisfaction cycle [MM:SS] — Customer feedback loops that actually work [MM:SS] — Community as a marketing channel [MM:SS] — AI, GEO, and the content ladder [MM:SS] — Top of funnel is dead; go deeper [MM:SS] — Link building in the age of AI [MM:SS] — Where to find Alyssa Notable quotes "You need to make sure that you're found at that base level and working their way up — think of it as a content ladder." — Alyssa Evans"If you really start to talk to your customer like they're building the product with you, you will just be much more successful." — Alyssa Evans"Everyone will have an opinion, and they are valid in their world — but you have to stand your ground, and then the data will come later." — Alyssa Evans Resources & links Grow Your Strategy — Alyssa's strategy and content company Alyssa Evans on LinkedIn · @growyourstrategy on Instagram On repairing AI-generated content damage — human-certified, expert-sourced content On earning authority off-site — the

  5. Jul 24

    Property Management SEO Done Right: Owners, Doors & AI Search (Alex Zweydoff)

    Alex Zweydoff came up in the property management industry before founding ClearLead Digital, an agency that niched down to do SEO right for property managers — measuring success in doors added, not vanity metrics. We get into why you target owner-intent keywords instead of tenant traffic, how hyperlocal city and sub-community pages win the highest-intent owners, speed-to-lead, and why property managers who don’t adapt to AI search now could vanish in 12–24 months. Alex also breaks down custom client dashboards and the local-SEO plays most PM agencies get wrong. More interviews + free SEO SOPs at Unscripted SEO.

    Property Management SEO Done Right: Owners, Doors & AI Search (Alex Zweydoff)

  6. Jul 21

    Search Everywhere Optimization With David Wilson of Zozimus

    Zozimus EVP David Wilson — an SEO since the AltaVista days — joins Jeremy Rivera on The Unscripted SEO Podcast to argue that "search engine optimization" is now search everywhere optimization: findability across social, LLMs, and Google, not rankings for their own sake. He breaks down the expected-CTR model that turns raw Google Search Console data into the traffic clients are leaving on the table, the internal-linking tactic that still works after a decade, digital PR and brand as the new link building as AI erodes unbranded search, and a Gemini + ChatGPT + Claude → NotebookLM method for tearing down a competitor's SEO weak points. Plus: building a defensible moat, faceless brands vs. putting a face forward, and why the About page is now an AI asset — more from David at Zozimus.

    Search Everywhere Optimization With David Wilson of Zozimus

  7. Jul 20

    Optimize Your Brand, Not Just Your Website — Sonia Urquilla (SEO by Sonia)

    Sonia Urquilla (SEO by Sonia) turns SEO into something the average coach or consultant can actually use. Jeremy met her on TikTok, and in this episode she shares the framework she calls “brand optimization” — getting found and mentioned everywhere your audience searches, not just ranking a website. It’s personal for her: she watched her dad’s local shop close for lack of visibility — no Google Business Profile, no website — and now helps female founders and service providers avoid that same fate. What you’ll learn: What “brand optimization” means — and why SEO now spills into PR, Reddit, podcasts, citations & local events How one client’s masterclass went from ~100 attendees to 1,000+ by combining a press release, ads, email & Reddit The local “goldmine” online service providers ignore — and how sponsoring local charities/events (via Zip Local) earns links, trust & leads Why AI has leveled the playing field — and why fear-mongering keeps small businesses from using it The follow-up gap: ~80% of local businesses never reply to a message (and how to fix it) How to vet an SEO: do they actually do their own SEO? Jeremy’s open-source tool pick: OpenSEO (GSC + backlink data, an MCP, ~$10–20/mo) Watch the video: youtube.com/watch?v=M1fdsssDiw8 Connect with Sonia: Website: seobysonia.com (grab a free video website audit) · LinkedIn: Sonia Urquilla · TikTok & Instagram: @seobysonia More interviews at unscriptedseo.com — browse the topical hubs for past guests like Rand Fishkin & Grant Simmons. Plus the keyword-research tool at SEO Arcade

  8. Jul 19

    Benjamin Behrooz on Empathy, Blue-Collar Marketing & the AI Silver Lining

    Unlock the secrets of effective branding with Benjamin Behrooz! In this episode, we dive deep into the importance of empathy in business and how it can transform your client relationships. Discover how to scale your business while maintaining authenticity and learn about innovative marketing strategies that work in today's competitive landscape. Key takeaways: The role of empathy in understanding customer pain points. How to balance scale and authenticity in marketing. Strategies for home service businesses to thrive in a saturated market. The impact of AI on marketing and customer engagement. Tips for leveraging community involvement to enhance brand visibility. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 00:16 Meet Benjamin Behrooz 00:58 The importance of empathy in business 01:28 Solving client pain points 03:16 Balancing scale and authenticity 05:39 Common pitfalls in business planning 08:09 Marketing strategies for home services 10:22 The future of blue-collar work 12:10 The impact of AI on marketing 15:45 Unique implementations of AI 19:45 The silver lining of AI adoption 24:20 Community involvement and brand visibility 31:22 The biggest mistake brands make 32:13 How to connect with Benjamin What's your biggest challenge with branding? Drop it in the comments! Subscribe for more insights on effective marketing strategies and branding tips!

    Benjamin Behrooz on Empathy, Blue-Collar Marketing & the AI Silver Lining
See All (100)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

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.

Information