The Ross Simmonds Show

In this episode of The Ross Simmonds Show, Ross makes a bold prediction: the next great CMO will be a media operator with a marketing budget. As AI and LLMs reshape how buyers discover and decide, traditional attribution, funnels, and SEO playbooks are breaking down. If you want to win in an AI-first world, it’s time to shift from campaign thinking to category ownership.

Key Takeaways and Insights:

1. The Future CMO = Media Operator

- The next generation of CMOs won’t just build campaigns—they’ll own media ecosystems.

- Success shifts from “creating great ads” to controlling the narrative across a category.

- Media ownership (owned + partnered) becomes a strategic advantage.

2. AI Is Rewriting Buyer Behavior

- LLMs like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude are influencing buying decisions directly.

- Consumers are getting answers without visiting your website.

- The opportunity isn’t to interrupt attention—it’s to shape what AI recommends.

3. The Power of LLM Memory

- AI personalizes answers based on stored user context (company size, budget, role).

- Each platform (Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude) has different memory advantages.

- Tracking only head terms is a mistake—long-tail, bottom-of-funnel queries matter more.

4. From Presence to Scale

- Old model: “How much content did we publish?”

- New model: “How often are we referenced across the web?”

- Visibility in conversations—onsite and offsite—is the new KPI.

5. Category Ownership Through Media Acquisition

- Buy and build media assets within your niche.

- Create high-value, proprietary, non-commodity content.

- Distribute aggressively to influence what LLMs cite and recommend.

— 👋🏾 Let's stay connected —

╰ Subscribe to my channel:  @RossSimmondsTV 

╰ Instagram:  @thecoolestcool  

╰ Twitter / X: @thecoolestcool  

╰ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rosssimmonds

In this episode of The Ross Simmonds Show, Ross breaks down findings from the B2B Backlink Intelligence Report, an analysis of 12,154 pages across 24 B2B brands and 11 verticals, to reveal why 44.8 percent of thought leadership content fails to earn meaningful backlinks. He exposes the 9.5-point performance gap hiding inside most B2B content strategies and shares the three underutilized formats that consistently generate authority, links, and compounding growth.

Key Takeaways and Insights:

1. The 44.8% Failure Rate of Thought Leadership

- Thought leadership accounts for 37 percent of B2B content but earns only 27 percent of backlinks. A 9.5-point performance gap signals massive resource misallocation across the industry.

- Most teams never audit whether their executive POV content actually earns links. The data exposes a problem most marketing leaders are actively ignoring.

2. Inside the B2B Backlink Intelligence Report

- The study analyzed 12,154 pages across 24 B2B brands and 11 verticals using two core questions: what format is it and how many referring domains does it earn?

- The most published format turned out to be the worst performer on a per-page basis. Data replaces opinion. The receipts are in.

3. Why Thought Leadership Underperforms

- Thought leadership sounds strategic but internal applause, Slack praise, and LinkedIn likes create a false sense of traction. Teams rarely check backlinks, citations, or amplification metrics.

- Most brands overestimate how much the market cares about executive opinions. Journalists and analysts want citable data, clear definitions, and practical insights. Not hot takes.

4. When Thought Leadership Actually Works

- It performs best when the brand is already famous. Authority compounds authority and mid-market brands rarely break through on opinion alone.

- Unique data paired with a strong perspective outperforms pure POV every time. The question is not whether thought leadership works. It is whether it will work for you.

5. The Link Magnet Trifecta

- Three formats consistently outperform thought leadership with higher efficiency rates, lower fail rates, and compounding backlink growth over time.

- Most B2B teams are dramatically under-allocating to these formats while continuing to invest in the one with the worst returns.

6. Stats and Data Roundups: 4.25x Efficiency

- Stats pages carry a fail rate of just 5.3 percent and a breakout rate of 42 percent to 1,000-plus referring domains. Journalists constantly search for consolidated, up-to-date statistics.

- One well-maintained stats page can outperform a year of blog posts. Keep it fresh. Rankings and relevance drive long-term link velocity.

7. Glossary and Definition Pages

- Writers link to the clearest definition available. Definitions age better than predictions or trend pieces, making these pages durable link assets.

- Own the terminology in your category and you own the citations. This format remains powerful for links even as organic traffic patterns shift.

8. How-To Content Independent of Your Product

- The highest-performing how-to content solves tasks even if your product did not exist. Avoid product documentation disguised as SEO content.

- Utility-driven tutorials earn links because they help the broader ecosystem. Top performers covered tools and topics like Google Drive, HTML, Fiverr, and Alibaba.

9. Backlinks Still Matter in the AI Era

- Google still runs on links even in AI mode. Authority signals matter more now, not less. Backlinks are infrastructure for search visibility across both traditional and generative engines.

- The compounding effect rewards long-term operators. Every link earned today is a signal that shapes AI visibility tomorrow.

10. Think Like an Investor, Not an Artist

- Backlinks compound after publication. Audit your content strategy before publishing another thought leadership piece and reallocate toward formats with asymmetric upside.

- Invest more. Guess less. The brands that treat content like a portfolio will outperform the ones treating it like a creative outlet.

Resources & Tools:
🔗 B2B Backlink Intelligence Report

— 👋🏾 Let's stay connected —
╰ Subscribe to my channel: @RossSimmondsTV
╰ Instagram: @thecoolestcool
╰ Twitter / X: @thecoolestcool
╰ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rosssimmonds

In this episode of The Ross Simmonds Show, Ross breaks down why showing up in LLMs like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity is the biggest marketing shift of our time and why treating it like SEO 2.0 is a losing strategy. He walks through five practical plays to build citation authority, dominate AI visibility, and engineer the kind of distribution leverage that compounds long after you press publish.

Key Takeaways and Insights:

1. The Shift from SEO to GEO

- In 2018, Reddit was dismissed. In 2026, it powers over 60 percent of bottom-funnel LLM citations. Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic are actively licensing and training on Reddit data.

- Most teams are still optimizing for keywords and backlinks. GEO rewards authority, citations, and entity strength. The game has changed and the old playbook will not save you.

2. Play 1: Build a Citation Stack with Original Research

- LLMs prioritize strong signals. Non-commodity content, original data, research, and clear POV outperforms generic blog posts every time.

- Make every stat screenshot-friendly and quotable. Pitch your research to publications already cited in LLMs to compound authority and become the source models reference.

3. Play 2: Plant Flags in Communities

- Reddit is one of the most cited sources in major LLMs. Identify three communities where your audience actually spends time and show up there consistently.

- Use the Sherlock Homeboy Method: revive proven topics with a modern angle. Contribute value without pitching. Build reps. Create a moat competitors cannot climb.

4. Play 3: Engineer Your Entity Graph

- LLMs see entities, not webpages. Companies, people, and products are all connected. Guest posts, podcast appearances, and transcripts strengthen your entity signal.

- Consistent handles, bios, and positioning across platforms increase recognition. Say the same thing clearly thousands of times. Strategic repetition builds authority.

5. Play 4: Structure Content for Extraction

- LLMs extract facts and quote passages. They ignore fluff. Use inverted pyramid writing: answer first, explain second.

- Clear H1, H2, and H3 hierarchies improve both human and machine comprehension. Schema, lists, tables, and internal linking help models understand and cite your content.

6. Play 5: Distribution Is the Final Moat

- One asset. Fifty distributions. Multiple citation paths. Most brands post once and disappear. Winners distribute relentlessly.

- Every surface, LinkedIn, Reddit, YouTube, Substack, and podcasts, becomes training data. Distribution compounds trust with both humans and machines.

7. The Future: AI Agents Will Change Buying Forever

- By 2038, AI assistants will mediate most purchasing decisions. Buyers will not browse. They will delegate.

- The content LLMs train on today will shape tomorrow's recommendations. If you are not building your moat now, you will be rebuilding from scratch later.

8. The Long-Term Advantage Goes to Those Who Invest in Themselves

- The skills that worked in 2018 will not carry you to 2038. Read. Study. Experiment. Adapt.

- Earned momentum compounds through disciplined execution. Play the long game.

Resources & Tools:
🔗 ChatGPT 🔗 Claude 🔗 Perplexity 🔗 Reddit 🔗 Google 🔗 OpenAI 🔗 Anthropic 🔗 LinkedIn 🔗 YouTube 🔗 Substack

— 👋🏾 Let's stay connected —
╰ Subscribe to my channel: @RossSimmondsTV
╰ Instagram: @thecoolestcool
╰ Twitter / X: @thecoolestcool
╰ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rosssimmonds

In this episode of The Ross Simmonds Show, Ross breaks down why OpenAI and HubSpot's media acquisitions this quarter aren't about content quality. They're about owning distribution. He connects the dots on what this land grab means for every B2B marketer and how to apply the same strategy without a billion-dollar balance sheet.

Key Takeaways and Insights:

1. Media Acquisition Is the New Moat

- OpenAI and HubSpot made bold media acquisitions in the same quarter. This isn't about content quality. It's about owning the rooms where buying decisions happen.

- Distribution is leverage. And leverage compounds. The brands that win will own the audience, not just the message.

2. The Land Grab Has Already Started

- Penn bought Barstool. HubSpot acquired The Hustle and Starter Story. Robinhood built a media empire. Plaid acquired fintech media to own operator attention.

- The cadence of these deals is accelerating. This is not a trend. It's a land grab and most B2B teams haven't noticed.

3. Super Bowl Ads vs. Owned Attention

- $27M buys six Super Bowl ads that disappear in 30 seconds. The same capital can buy a media asset with daily access to your exact ICP.

- Most teams rent attention. The best operators own it. Predictable pipeline starts with predictable distribution.

4. Google's AI Shift Changes the Game

- AI Overviews are reducing clicks to traditional search results while Google embeds YouTube directly into the SERP.

- Media value is no longer just blog rankings. It's multimedia presence. Visibility now requires platform-native authority.

5. You Cannot Game LLM Visibility

- Traditional SEO could be manipulated with backlinks and paid boosts. AI visibility requires real brand equity and positive sentiment.

- LLMs train on authority signals across media properties. If you want to show up in AI answers, you must be worth citing.

6. Brand Equity Beats Editorial Independence

- Acquired media serves stakeholders. Narrative shapes culture and buying media shapes narrative.

- Read content with context. Ownership matters. Content influence increasingly flows through owned channels.

7. The 4 Distribution Questions Every Marketer Should Ask

- Which newsletter has the audience you wish you had? Which creator has your buyers' trust? What shows does your ICP consume weekly? What niche media opportunity is still wide open?

- Use LLMs and audience intelligence tools to find answers faster. The operators asking these questions now are building moats everyone else will pay to access later.

8. How to Build a Media Engine Without Buying One

- Start one channel and let patience compound. Sponsor niche newsletters instead of chasing giants. Partner with trusted creators via revenue share, salary, or equity.

- In the AI era, content is cheap. Reputation and distribution are scarce. Build accordingly.

9. Three Predictions for the Next Decade

- By 2035, every unicorn B2B company will own a media property. Newsletter and YouTube network valuations will triple as LLM visibility becomes priced in.

- Agencies will survive by brokering, building, or optimizing media ecosystems, not just producing content.

10. Distribution Is the Last Moat Standing

- AI commoditized content creation. The advantage shifts to those who control reach. A true content moat goes beyond your domain.

- Visibility is engineered, not hoped for. The window to build that moat cheaply is closing fast.

Resources & Tools:

🔗 OpenAI

🔗 HubSpot

🔗 The Hustle

🔗 Starter Story

🔗 Robinhood

🔗 Plaid

🔗 Barstool Sports

🔗 Google 

🔗 YouTube

— 👋🏾 Let's stay connected —

╰ Subscribe to my channel: @RossSimmondsTV

╰ Instagram: @thecoolestcool

╰ Twitter / X: @thecoolestcool

╰ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rosssimmonds

In this episode of The Ross Simmonds Show, Ross drops new research across 8,566 high-priority B2B SaaS keywords that reveals how Reddit is quietly dominating bottom-of-funnel search, including the most expensive CPC terms in your Google Ads account. He breaks down what the data actually means for your pipeline and the exact playbook operators need to respond before the gap widens further.

Key Takeaways and Insights:

1. How Reddit Changed the SEO Game

-Google elevated user-generated content after seeing demand for people-first answers, and Reddit threads now outrank product and category pages across B2B SaaS.

-Traditional SEO playbooks built on volume and backlinks are losing ground. The shift is not theoretical. It is happening in your highest-value queries right now.

2. The Scoreboard: Reddit's Share of the Top 3

-Reddit commands 40 to 45 percent of top-three rankings across most B2B SaaS verticals. In three of four industries analyzed, Reddit consistently beat all competitors.

-Even established review sites are losing ground to subreddit threads. The brands still ignoring this are handing over pipeline.

3. Myth: Reddit Only Wins on Review Terms

-Reddit wins 94 percent of the time for "best software" queries, but 77 percent of Reddit's wins come from non-review, demand-gen keywords.

-Reddit is not just stealing review traffic. It is influencing pipeline at every stage of the buyer journey.

4. The CPC Paradox

-At $15 to $20 CPC, Reddit wins 45 percent of the time. At $50-plus CPC, that number hits 67 percent.

-You are paying $50 per click while a two-year-old Reddit thread captures the organic click above you.

5. Authority Alone Does Not Win Anymore

-High domain authority no longer guarantees rankings. Brands that win build long-tail infrastructure aligned to real customer queries.

-Long-tail blog content consistently outperforms thin category pages. The edge goes to operators who build depth, not just links.

6. Subreddits Are the Real Competitors

-It is not Reddit as a monolith. It is specific communities. The CRM subreddit showed a 49 percent win rate. r/EmailMarketing hit 68 percent. r/SmallBusiness drove nearly 141K monthly searches across tracked queries.

-One subreddit can dominate an entire B2B category. These are your real competitors.

7. Long-Tail Is Where Reddit Dominates

-For keywords with six or more words, Reddit's win rate hits 87 percent. Years of user questions created a library of hyper-specific content that is nearly impossible to replicate overnight.

-That long-tail depth fuels both Google rankings and LLM citations. If you are not building long-tail assets, you are invisible in AI search.

8. Reddit Now Shapes LLM Visibility

-B2B buyers use peers, communities, and LLMs to validate decisions, and LLMs are citing Reddit more than ever.

-If you are absent from key subreddits, you likely do not exist in AI-generated answers either. Reddit presence influences both the SERP and the model.

9. The Operator Playbook for Winning on Reddit

-Run a keyword gap analysis against reddit.com. Identify three to five subreddits consistently outranking you. Engage with value, not pitches. Earn credibility first.

-Invest in high-quality educational content and measure sentiment and LLM visibility as part of your growth system. This is how you build presence that compounds.

Resources & Tools:

🔗 Reddit

🔗 Google

— 👋🏾 Let's stay connected —

╰ Subscribe to my channel: @RossSimmondsTV

╰ Instagram: @thecoolestcool

╰ Twitter / X: https://x.com/TheCoolestCool

╰ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rosssimmonds