Claude Zdananow & Chris Becker on Navigating Multi-Channel Marketing in the Age of LLMs
Navigating Multi-Channel Marketing in the Age of LLMs with Claude Zdanow and Chris Becker
Episode Overview:
The golden age of Google-only SEO is over. In this revealing conversation, Jeremy Rivera sits down with Claude Zdanow (CEO) and Chris Becker (President) of Onar—a publicly traded marketing technology and agency network—to explore how businesses must fundamentally reimagine their digital marketing strategies.
From tracking brand visibility in LLM responses to measuring "share of wallet" in ChatGPT, this episode tackles the measurement crisis facing every CMO today. You'll discover why traffic is down but revenue is up for many brands, how to use AI agents to track your competitive position in AI search, and why meeting customers "knee to knee" in real life is more important than ever.
If you're still optimizing for traffic and rankings, this episode will challenge everything you thought you knew about digital marketing success.
Key Topics Covered:
Why the 2010-2020 "golden age" of SEO is definitively over
The shocking reality of zero-click search and what it means for your business
How to measure your brand's "share of voice" in LLM responses
A tactical 3-agent framework for tracking competitive positioning in AI search
Why "get niche, get rich" is the survival strategy for mid-market brands
The power of combining IRL ("knee to knee") marketing with digital tracking
How to reframe your entire data measurement strategy for 2025 and beyond
Guest Information:
Claude Zdanow - CEO, Onar
Nearly two decades of experience scaling marketing and advertising enterprises
Led Onar through four strategic acquisitions
Previously worked with global brands like 7-Eleven, Disney, and Microsoft
Building a publicly traded marketing technology platform focused on middle-market brands
Chris Becker - President, Onar
Oversees all P&Ls across Onar's agency network
Maintained a lower than 5% annual churn rate for five consecutive years
Focuses on measurable value delivery and operational excellence
Leading Onar's shift from traffic-based to behavior-based measurement
About Onar:
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The Intersection of Brand & SEO with Mordy Oberstein
In this episode of the Unscripted SEO Podcast, Jeremy Rivera and Mordy Oberstein of Unify, a Brand marketing service, and head of Brand at Wix discuss the evolving landscape of SEO and the critical role of branding in achieving online success. They explore how recent algorithm changes by Google have made it increasingly difficult for non-branded sites to compete, emphasizing the need for SEOs to step outside their digital bubbles and engage with broader marketing strategies. The conversation highlights the importance of understanding brand identity, audience engagement, and the necessity of real-world interactions to enhance online presence. That includes leveraging community cleanups for links, as well as being a podcast guest and other more PR like work than just editing meta tags. Mordy shares practical steps for SEOs to align their strategies with brand messaging and positioning, ultimately advocating for a more integrated approach to SEO that prioritizes meaningful connections with audiences.
Branding is becoming increasingly important in SEO.
SEOs need to engage with broader marketing strategies.
Real-world interactions enhance online presence.
Understanding brand identity is crucial for effective SEO.
Communication strategies should align with SEO efforts.
The digital landscape is becoming more competitive.
SEOs must step outside their digital bubbles.
Content should resonate with audience needs and desires.
Brand activities can build momentum for online success.
SEO is a means to an end, not the end itself.
Want to talk more about SEO? Continue the conversation on Bluesky, X or check out old episodes of Unscripted SEO by SEO Arcade
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Erica D'Arcangelo on Hybrid Teams, Human Content, and the Icarus Effect: Navigating Marketing in the Age of AI Overviews
In this episode of Unscripted SEO, host Jeremy Rivera sits down with Erica D'Arcangelo, CEO of Love Content Development, to discuss the evolution of digital marketing agencies, the hybrid work model, and navigating the AI revolution in content creation.
About Our Guest
Erica D'Arcangelo is the CEO of Love Content Development, a full-service marketing agency with 14 years in business. She also owns Create One (video production company) and V12 Strategies (marketing technology company). Over her career, Erica has worked with approximately 800 companies and generated nearly $300 million across all marketing contracts. She's also an Amazon bestselling author of "A Story About Pizza," chronicling her grandfather's journey as an Italian immigrant opening a pizzeria in 1960.
Key Topics Discussed
From Employee to Entrepreneur
Started in healthcare marketing in 2001, learning everything from HTML coding to early social media
Launched her own agency in 2013 as a single mom seeking flexibility
Evolved from freelancer to "real agency" in 2017-2018 with organizational structure, office space, and full team
Scaling an Agency
Creating organizational charts and hiring strategies
Client retention and process development
The transition from "doing marketing" to "running a business"
The Hybrid Work Model
Evolution from office-only to remote during COVID to current hybrid approach
Managing employees across locations (UK and Tampa, Florida)
Balancing flexibility with the needs of different roles and positions
The Death and Rebirth of SEO
Why "SEO is dead" has been declared repeatedly since 2001 (and why it's not)
Bringing back the "Webmaster" mentality for interconnected digital marketing
The shift from keyword-focused SEO to multi-channel audience acquisition
Foundational SEO in a Multi...
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Lorraine Ball - From Agency Builder to Marketing Strategist
Guest: Lorraine Ball, Host of More Than a Few Words Podcast Experience: 19 years running a digital marketing agency, sold in 2021 Current Focus: Marketing consulting, teaching, and podcasting
Key Topics Covered
Building and Scaling an Agency
Started in 2002 as traditional marketing company
Evolved into digital agency with social media emergence
Strategic decision to cap at 10 employees and raise prices instead of scaling
Maintained 30% client maximum rule to avoid dependency risk
Focused on home services (HVAC, plumbing, roofing) and restaurants
Business Philosophy
"Hire for attitude, train for skill" - Southwest Airlines model
Phones answered on first ring by anyone, including CEO
Personal touch as competitive advantage
Long-term client relationships (10+ years typical)
Strategic Insights
Capacity management: Stay below capacity line, raise prices when at capacity
Risk management: No single client over 30% of business
Market positioning: Answer the questions your ideal clients have
Content strategy: Focus on answers, not just keywords
Episode 2: Lorrie Thomas Ross - Marketing in the AI Era
Guest: Lorrie Thomas Ross, CEO of Web Marketing Therapy Title: "The Marketing Therapist" Experience: 19 years as Chief Enthusiasm Officer, former UC Santa Barbara & UC Berkeley instructor
Key Frameworks Discussed
The Five Factor Framework
Credibility - Know, like, and trust through design, copy, and photography
Usability - Seamless user experience across all touchpoints
Visibility - Strategic presence across search and social media, ads, email, and PR
Sellability - Clear differentiation and value proposition
Scalability - Treating marketing as investment, not expense
"MarkEDing" Philosophy...
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SEO & Brand Journalism: A Conversation with Katie Wagner
In this episode of the Unscripted SEO podcast, host Jeremy Rivera interviews Katie Wagner, President & CEO of KWSM Digital Marketing Agency. They dive deep into the evolution of SEO, the importance of brand journalism, and how businesses can adapt to the changing digital landscape including AI overviews and LLM-based search.
Guest Information
Katie Wagner
President & CEO, KWSM Digital Marketing
Former CNN Television Anchor (15 years in journalism)
Founded KWSM in 2010
Expert in lead generation and brand journalism
Connect with Katie:
Website: kwsmdigital.com
LinkedIn: Katie Wagner (red dress profile picture)
Host Information
Jeremy Rivera
Founder, SEO Arcade
Host, Unscripted SEO Podcast
SEO Expert & Consultant
Connect with Jeremy:
About: Jeremy Rivera Bio
Podcast: Unscripted SEO
Key Topics Discussed
1. The Evolution of SEO
From Google reverse engineering to brand journalism
Impact of AI overviews and rich snippets
The rise of LLM-based search (ChatGPT, Claude)
How E-E-A-T and helpful content updates changed the game
2. Brand Journalism Strategy
Creating deeper stories around the humans in a business
Two-tier content approach: top-funnel educational vs. bottom-funnel conversion
Quality over quantity in traffic and conversions
Building credibility through authentic storytelling
3. Revenue-Focused Marketing
Moving beyond vanity metrics to actual...
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.
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