Business
In this episode of E-coffee with Experts, Gordon Van Wechel, Founder of The Alchemy Consulting Group, explains how marketing leaders must rethink visibility, reputation, and client acquisition in the AI-first era.
With over 20 years of experience building marketing systems for local and regional businesses, Gordon shares how predictable customer acquisition frameworks outperform short-term campaign tactics, and why trust signals now matter more than rankings alone.
We explore the evolution from traditional SEO to AI-driven discovery, the growing importance of Google Business Profile optimisation, reputation strategy as a ranking factor, and how agencies must shift from tactical execution to strategic leadership.
Gordon also reveals why weak agencies are being exposed by AI tools, how search behaviour is changing toward conversational queries, and what founders must do now to stay visible across LLM-powered platforms.
If you're a founder, marketing leader, or SEO strategist preparing for the next wave of search disruption, this episode delivers practical insight you can apply immediately.
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In this episode, we discuss:
00:00 - 01:05: Introduction to Gordon Van Wechel
01:05 - 02:30: How Alchemy Consulting Group Started
02:30 - 03:45: Why Client Retention Matters In Agencies
03:45 - 05:05: How To Keep Clients For Years
05:05 - 06:25: Google Updates That Changed SEO
06:25 - 08:05: Why Reputation Matters For Rankings
08:05 - 10:05: Building Predictable Marketing Systems
10:05 - 11:40: Common Local SEO Mistakes Businesses Make
11:40 - 13:05: Google Business Profile Optimization Tips
13:05 - 14:55: How AI Is Changing Search Behavior
14:55 - 16:20: What Clients Expect From Agencies Today
16:20 - 17:50: AI Search vs Traditional Keywords
17:50 - 19:05: How Agencies Must Adapt To AI
19:05 - 20:40: Future Of SEO By 2026
20:40 - 21:45: Why Trust Signals Matter More Now
21:45 - 22:55: When Agencies Should Say No To Clients
22:55 - 24:05: Advice For Young Marketers And Founders
24:05 - 24:37: How To Connect With Gordon
Connect with Gordon Van Wechel
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gordonvanwechel/
https://thealchemyconsultinggroup.com/
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