Crystal Carter: Why Rankings No Longer Define SEO Success

Crystal Carter: Why Rankings No Longer Define SEO Success

Crystal Carter, Head of AI Search and SEO Communications at Wix, joins e-Coffee with Experts to break down what SEO actually means in a world dominated by AI search engines. Crystal shares how she started her career being handed the internet as a young millennial, built her expertise across freelance, agency, local authority, and e-commerce, and now leads SEO communications for one of the largest website builders in the world with over 300 million users. In this episode, we cover how Wix is building AI search tools to help users track their visibility, why entity optimization matters more than ever, how brands should think about citations and third-party validation in the age of LLMs, and what signals tell you that an AI search strategy is genuinely creating business value. Crystal also gets practical about audience research, content strategy for AI citations, the importance of YouTube as a citation source, and why working backwards from prompts beats chasing keywords. Whether you are an SEO professional, a brand marketer, or a founder trying to understand where search is going, this episode gives you a clear picture of what to focus on right now. Get Your Exclusive AIO Growth Plan - We’ll kick off with a Live AIO Audit to see how shoppers find you, followed by Competitor Research to steal their spotlight: https://lunacal.ai/team/dws/dws-meetings In this episode, we discuss: 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction 00:30 - 02:24: Crystal's Journey Into SEO and Digital Marketing 02:24 - 03:32: Speaking Internationally — From Free Tickets to Keynotes 03:32 - 05:11: Agency vs. In-House: Working at Wix vs. Client Side 05:11 - 07:06: How Education and Community Build Trust in SEO Tools 07:06 - 10:53: What Makes an AI Search Initiative Actually Valuable 10:53 - 13:00: SEO Beyond Rankings — What Brands Should Optimize For 13:00 - 15:35: Entity Optimization and Why LLMs Need to Know Who You Are 15:35 - 19:05: Building Sustainable Brand Signals for AI Search 19:05 - 21:33: Crystal's Favorite AI and SEO Tools Right Now 21:33 - 26:09: Advice for Young Marketers — Show, Tell, and Don't Wait 26:09 - 27:38: Closing Remarks and Where to Find Crystal  Connect with Crystal Carter  https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystal-carter-digital/  wix.com  FOLLOW US Website: https://www.digitalwebsolutions.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/digiwebsol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dws_global LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digital-web-solutions./

Tamara Novitovic: Why Most Link Building Advice Is Wrong and What Actually Works

Tamara Novitovic, Head of SEO at Bazoom, joins the show to break down everything happening in search right now, from Google's latest core and spam updates to the hard truths about link building, parasite SEO, and why most AEO pitches are pure noise. Tamara explains why the recent spam update targeted specific black hat tactics like parasite SEO and affiliate manipulation, what the core update means for sites that went all-in on AI-generated content, and why Germany and the Netherlands are seeing unusual ranking drops. She also unpacks why domain rating alone is a misleading metric for link quality, how her Impact Score framework helps evaluate backlinks beyond third-party tools, and why most AEO and GEO service offerings cannot actually track what they claim to track. If you are a business owner, SEO professional, or marketer trying to navigate the post-AI search landscape without falling for the hype, this episode gives you a grounded, no-nonsense framework for thinking about authority, context, and visibility in 2026. Tamara also shares why AI imposter syndrome is being manufactured, why LLMs are data processing tools not strategic thinkers, and why doing solid SEO fundamentals still beats chasing every new acronym in the industry. Get Your Exclusive AIO Growth Plan - We’ll kick off with a Live AIO Audit to see how shoppers find you, followed by Competitor Research to steal their spotlight: https://lunacal.ai/team/dws/dws-meetings In this episode, we discuss: 00:00 - 01:00: Introduction & Meet Tamara Novitovic 01:00 - 03:15: Breaking Down Google's Latest Spam & Core Updates 03:15 - 06:20: What Is Parasite SEO and How Does It Work 06:20 - 10:15: Quality vs. Quantity in Link Building 10:15 - 13:20: Why DR and DA Are Not the Whole Picture 13:20 - 16:35: The Impact Score Framework Explained 16:35 - 18:25: Using AI Agents to Find Better Link Opportunities 18:25 - 22:40: How to Spot Fake AEO and GEO Service Offers 22:40 - 26:35: What Actually Gets Your Brand Cited in LLMs 26:35 - 31:00: Context, Semantics, and the Future of Search 31:00 - 35:30: AI Imposter Syndrome and What to Actually Focus On 35:30 - 37:30: LLMs Are Tools, Not Strategic Thinkers 37:30 - 39:15: Where to Find Tamara & Final Thoughts  Connect with Tamara Novitovic  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamara-novitovic/  https://bazoom.com  FOLLOW US Website: https://www.digitalwebsolutions.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/digiwebsol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dws_global LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digital-web-solutions./

Christopher Pappas: What 20 Years in eLearning Taught This Founder About Content

Christopher Pappas, Founder of eLearning Industry, joins the show to share how he built one of the most trusted publishing platforms in the L&D space from the ground up, and what it really takes to win in content, community, and marketing today. In this episode with our CEO, Dawood Bukhari, Christopher breaks down why generic content is dead, how brand mentions are becoming critical for LLM visibility, and why being human is now the ultimate competitive advantage in a world flooded with AI-generated content. He also shares hard-won lessons on building trust with your audience, how eLearning Industry vets content contributors, and why the most successful L&D companies solve one very specific problem instead of trying to be everything to everyone. Whether you are an L&D vendor, content marketer, or B2B founder, this episode is packed with practical insight on how to position your brand for the next era of search, AI, and buyer behavior. We talk about: - How eLearning Industry was founded on the democratization of learning - Why trust must come before traffic in any content strategy - How LLMs now account for 20 percent of eLearning Industry traffic - Why brand mentions and directory listings matter more than ever - The danger of generic content and how original insight creates a moat - Where to use AI and where human input is irreplaceable - What separates category leaders from companies that disappear - How internal knowledge sharing builds brand authority and off-page presence Get Your Exclusive AIO Growth Plan - We’ll kick off with a Live AIO Audit to see how shoppers find you, followed by Competitor Research to steal their spotlight: https://lunacal.ai/team/dws/dws-meetings In this episode, we discuss: 00:00 - 01:18: Introduction & Welcome 01:19 - 02:46: How eLearning Industry Was Born 02:47 - 04:15: Building the Right Audience, Not Just Traffic 04:16 - 06:33: How ELI Maintains Editorial Trust and Credibility 06:34 - 07:05: Vetting Process for Published Content 07:06 - 09:06: How AI and LLMs Are Changing Content Strategy 09:07 - 10:41: Strict Content Guidelines and Human vs AI Detection 10:42 - 12:13: What Content Formats Are Winning Right Now 12:14 - 13:52: Why Your Audience Is on Every Platform 13:53 - 15:44: Using AI the Right Way Without Losing Your Edge 15:45 - 17:25: Ask Your Customers, Not ChatGPT 17:26 - 18:41: The Biggest Content Mistake L&D Vendors Keep Making 18:42 - 20:23: How LLMs and AI Are Reshaping Buyer Behavior 20:24 - 22:12: Off-Page Strategy and Sharing Internal Knowledge 22:13 - 23:19: How Buyer Sophistication Is Changing L&D Marketing 23:20 - 24:38: The Role of Niche Publishers in an AI World 24:39 - 25:57: What Separates Category Leaders From the Rest 25:58 - 26:43: Rapid Fire Round & Closing  Connect with Christopher Pappas  https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherpappas/  https://elearningindustry.com/  FOLLOW US Website: https://www.digitalwebsolutions.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/digiwebsol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dws_global LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digital-web-solutions./

Daniel Liddle: Why Most Brands Are Invisible in AI Search Results

Daniel Liddle, Senior SEO Director at iCrossing UK, shares how enterprise organizations can stop treating SEO as a traffic channel and start building it as a strategic infrastructure. With over a decade of experience across global brands, Daniel breaks down what it really takes to align siloed teams, navigate AI search uncertainty, and build authority in a world where LLMs are reshaping how brands get discovered. In this episode, we cover why most enterprise SEO strategies fail at implementation, how to move from reactive SEO to an integrated search ecosystem, the honest truth about LLM tracking tools and why most of them give you false positives, why you cannot optimize for AI search with your website alone, what operational theatre looks like inside large organizations and how it blocks real progress, and how agencies need to reposition themselves in an AI-first world by leading with audience understanding and brand authority. Whether you are an in-house SEO lead, an agency strategist, or a marketing director trying to make sense of AI search, this conversation gives you a grounded, no-hype perspective on what actually matters right now. Get Your Exclusive AIO Growth Plan - We’ll kick off with a Live AIO Audit to see how shoppers find you, followed by Competitor Research to steal their spotlight: https://lunacal.ai/team/dws/dws-meetings In this episode, we discuss: 00:00 - 01:00: Introduction 01:00 - 03:10: Daniel's Journey From Film and TV to SEO 03:10 - 04:53: Repositioning SEO as Strategic Infrastructure in Enterprise 04:53 - 06:51: Moving From Siloed SEO to Cross-Channel Search Governance 06:51 - 09:00: How Brands Should Think About LLM Visibility and Tracking 09:00 - 12:00: Why Most LLM Monitoring Tools Give False Positives 12:00 - 14:03: Key Data Points for Auditing AI Search Discoverability 14:03 - 15:10: Why iCrossing Built Their Own LLM Monitoring Tool 15:10 - 18:21: The Biggest Internal Blockers to AI Search Readiness in Enterprise 18:21 - 20:24: How Agencies Need to Reposition in an AI-First World 20:24 - 21:28: Closing Thoughts and Wrap-Up  Connect with Daniel Liddle  https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielliddle/  icrossing.co.uk  FOLLOW US Website: https://www.digitalwebsolutions.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/digiwebsol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dws_global LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digital-web-solutions./

Ashlyn Verh: Why Your Website Is the Foundation of Every Marketing Strategy

In this episode, Austin sits down with Ashlyn Verh, an Account Manager at Socius Marketing, to break down what it actually takes to build a strong digital presence for small and local businesses. Ashlyn shares her proven LVLL method — Listen, Validate, Level, Lead, and how she uses it to set realistic expectations with clients, redirect wasted ad spend, and guide business owners through a clear digital marketing roadmap. They cover everything from building a website as the foundation of your digital house, to SEO strategy, Google Business Profile, PPC, AI search optimization, and why impressions are becoming one of the most important metrics in the zero-click era. If you run a home service business or work with local businesses on digital marketing, this episode is packed with practical frameworks and honest advice that will change how you think about ranking, visibility, and long-term growth. Get Your Exclusive AIO Growth Plan - We’ll kick off with a Live AIO Audit to see how shoppers find you, followed by Competitor Research to steal their spotlight: https://lunacal.ai/team/dws/dws-meetings In this episode, we discuss: 00:00 - 01:00: Introduction 01:00 - 02:30: The LVLL Method — Listen, Validate, Level, Lead 02:30 - 04:15: Setting Client Expectations With SEO 04:15 - 05:05: How Social Media Posts Now Impact Organic Rankings 05:05 - 06:10: Should Your Brand Be on TikTok? 06:10 - 07:45: How to Build a Keyword Strategy Around Your Best Services 07:45 - 09:10: Enterprise vs. Small Business Clients — Key Differences 09:10 - 11:35: Redirecting Wasted Ad Spend and Educating Clients 11:35 - 13:40: The Digital Marketing Roadmap — Where to Start 13:40 - 15:15: Building the Digital House With SEO Content 15:15 - 16:30: AI Optimization — What Actually Matters Now 16:30 - 18:30: The Metrics That Matter Most in the Zero-Click Era 18:30 - 20:35: Impressions Are Rising While Clicks Are Falling — Here's Why 20:35 - 22:05: Off-Page SEO Strategy and Link Building 22:05 - 24:00: Inside the Agency — Team Structure and Communication 24:00 - 26:15: How to Keep a Remote Team Connected and Accountable 26:15 - 28:30: Core Principles That Have Guided Ashlyn's Career 28:30 - 31:28: Where to Find Ashlyn and Final Thoughts  Connect with Ashlyn Verh  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashlynmarieverh/  https://www.sociusmarketing.com/  FOLLOW US Website: https://www.digitalwebsolutions.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/digiwebsol Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dws_global LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digital-web-solutions./