AI is rewriting the rules of search—and your SEO plan. Erin, Chris, and Sandi break down what’s changing (AI Overviews, LLM-driven answers, Gen Z searching on TikTok/YouTube), why over-relying on Google is risky, and how to rebuild a durable strategy. We cover intent-led content, the 7-11-4 framework for multi-channel engagement, using video as a repurposing engine, and the technical basics (schema, crawl efficiency, programmatic pages) that help you get discovered—and cited—by large language models. Plus: how to protect your brand voice in an AI world and a quick exercise to audit how LLMs describe your company vs. competitors. If you’ve wondered how AI and SEO actually fit together, this is your field guide.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why channel mix matters (and how to stop betting it all on Google)
• How AI Overviews and large language models are reshaping search results
• The 7-11-4 content framework to reach buyers across platforms
• Why Gen Z skips Google for TikTok & YouTube — and what that means for marketers
• How to build intent-driven content that actually matches user needs
• Video-first repurposing: turn one asset into dozens
• Technical SEO must-dos: schema markup, crawl efficiency, and programmatic pitfalls
• Why voice, tone, and brand differentiation are your best defense against AI sameness

Key quotes:

"AI SEO is the question behind the question. If you know your audience, you’ll know how to answer it." —Sandi

"You have to get good at things you’re not good at. That’s how you stay ahead of AI." - Chris

"Your content can’t just sound like AI. It still has to sound like you." - Erin

Topics covered:

• How startup marketing channels typically evolve after founder-led sales
• Why the “bag of tricks” approach can derail your channel strategy
• How to gather early signals from sales, your CEO, and competitors
• Paid media: where it works best and why it’s often the first marketing lever
• Building a test-and-learn mindset vs. going “all in” on one channel
• Budgeting considerations: balancing paid vs. organic channels
• How scale-ups should approach channel audits and avoid plateauing
• The growing power of video, influencer, and in-app marketing
• The right time (and budget) to invest in analyst relations
• Why website ≠ channel (yes, this one got spicy)
• Final advice: run a channel audit, align with your sales & demand gen team, and rethink your content mix

Key quote:

“You will be shocked how much you’re spending per lead on channels you’ve never measured before.” —Chris

Notable Things We Said

Sandi:

“Just because a brand that’s your competitor dominates on one particular channel doesn’t mean you entering that channel means you too will dominate.”

Chris:

“There is no constant in marketing. You’re either learning or shrinking.”

Erin:

“A good content person is also keeping their eyes on the prize. Sometimes the biggest opportunity is using a familiar channel in a completely different way.”

What startups and scaleups get wrong about hiring their marketing team — and how to do it better.

In this episode of Chocolate Pill, we break down the biggest hiring mistakes founders and marketing leaders make when building their teams, from first hires to scaling the org.

You’ll hear:

• Why hiring content first is a mistake
• The order of hires we recommend (PMM → Demand Gen → Content → MOPS)
• How to avoid hiring the wrong profile for your stage
• What scaleups need to do differently when building teams
• Why early career marketers should think twice about startup roles
• How CMOs can balance strategy vs. execution — and when to outsource