Business
Ben Lund, Founder at Rise Marketing Group, built it after 22 years inside Yahoo, Monster.com, and Google, and in this episode, he breaks down how that corporate playbook shapes the way he runs an agency today.
Austin Willman sits down with Ben to talk company culture, hiring for A-players, and why performance marketing has to be tied to profitable revenue, not just clicks and impressions.
The conversation goes deep on AI's impact on SEO: how to measure AI visibility using Bing Webmaster Tools and Google Search Console, why AI referral traffic converts at a higher rate, and how digital PR and brand authority now matter as much as on-site content.
Ben also shares his approach to long-tail, high-intent keyword strategy, why agencies are more valuable (not less) in the age of AI, and how brands can prepare for agentic commerce as AI shopping tools like ChatGPT and Shopify integrations start driving real sales.
If you run a marketing agency, manage SEO or paid ads, or are trying to figure out how AI is reshaping search and e-commerce, this episode is packed with practical, tactical insight from someone who's lived through every major shift in digital marketing since 2005.
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In this episode, we discuss:
00:00 - 01:35: Introduction
01:35 - 02:26: From Corporate To Entrepreneurship
02:26 - 05:32: Leadership And The Power Of Feedback
05:32 - 09:55: Building A Culture People Stay For
09:55 - 11:16: Rise As A Growth Partner, Not A Vendor
11:16 - 13:37: Earning Client Trust With A Profitability Calculator
13:37 - 15:55: Why SEO Is Rise's Top Acquisition Channel
15:55 - 19:24: Measuring AI Visibility The Right Way
19:24 - 22:35: Brand Authority And The Rise Of Digital PR
22:35 - 24:37: Extracting Real Expertise From Clients
24:37 - 26:01: Long-Tail Keywords And Commercial Intent
26:01 - 28:18: How AI Is Raising The Value Of Agencies
28:18 - 30:04: Navigating Google Ads' Hidden Potholes
30:04 - 32:30: Preparing For Agentic Commerce
32:30 - 33:55: Closing Thoughts
### Connect with Ben Lund
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-lund-06ba584/
https://risemkg.com
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