In this episode of The Digital Marketing Podcast, Daniel Rowles and Ciaran Rogers dive into one of the most significant shifts in digital marketing: the rise of non keyword signals and what it means for search, privacy, and the future of campaign targeting.

With AI-powered ad platforms like Google's AI Max and social algorithms driven by behavioural data rather than search intent, the old model of keyword-driven marketing is rapidly giving way to something more opaque, more personalised, and potentially more invasive.

Daniel and Ciaran explore how AI systems now use a vast array of signals, from your browsing patterns and email content to your location history and viewing habits, to anticipate what you might want before you even search. But what does this mean for marketers who've spent years honing their SEO and PPC strategies? And what does it mean for user privacy in a world where your chatbot conversations may be fuelling ad targeting?

What are non keyword signals?
Understand how platforms like Google and Meta are using behaviour, context and historical activity instead of just search terms.

Why your impressions are up but clicks are down
Learn how AI summaries in Google Search are reducing organic click-throughs, even when your rankings are strong.

AI Max campaigns and keywordless targeting
Discover how Google Ads is shifting towards AI-led campaigns that rely on intent and engagement signals rather than keyword triggers , and why some brands are seeing 20–30% uplift as a result.

What Meta's CMO said about disconnected content
Hear how Alex Schultz explained the shift from connected (likes, follows) to disconnected content (Reels, Stories, Shorts), and what that means for social strategy.

Privacy concerns and grey areas
Explore the implications of Meta's new terms allowing AI chat interactions to inform ad targeting, and whether AI chat data could be inadvertently shared or commercialised.

Real-world scenario: Chatbots used for lead capture
Daniel raises a powerful example, what if you offered a free AI chatbot to other brands, then harvested user intent data for your own ad targeting?

Platform security, data visibility and agent risks
From OneDrive access errors to AI agents managing your logins, the hosts discuss the human errors that AI amplifies, and the need for robust security practices.

We're entering a post-keyword era
Platforms are using AI to interpret intent through broader, richer data sources, including chat behaviour, video viewing and app usage.

Organic traffic is being cannibalised by AI summaries
Even if your visibility improves, actual user clicks may continue to decline.

Privacy risks are growing
Terms and conditions are changing, and conversations with AI tools may no longer be as private as they seem.

Marketing teams must audit how they use AI
Understand what data your AI tools are accessing and how that data could be used, now and in the future.

Join the conversation
This isn't just a podcast - it's an open debate. Daniel and Ciaran want your input, and they're giving away prizes, books and merch to contributors.

📥 Access the show notes, tools, and links at: https://targetinternet.com/resources/the-big-debate-non-keyword-signals-ai-chats-privacy

Join the debate: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7403862051749564417

In this episode of The Digital Marketing Podcast, Daniel Rowles introduces us to the process of Vibe Coding, a revolutionary approach to software development that leverages AI to make app creation accessible to anyone, regardless of coding experience.

Vibe coding shifts the focus from writing manual code to guiding AI with natural language prompts, allowing non-developers to build interactive apps, tools, and even businesses. Daniel explores the three tiers of vibe coding, from basic one-page web apps to full-scale, secure, AI-powered platforms , and shares practical steps, tools and security tips to get started.

The second half of the episode features a compelling interview with Christo Snyman, a podcast listener who used vibe coding to launch his AI assistant platform Traderly.ai. Christo takes us behind the scenes of building a real-world startup with no prior coding background, sharing his full tech stack, hard-earned lessons, and the mindset needed to succeed.

What is Vibe Coding? Understand how natural language prompts can now be used to create working code, dramatically lowering the barrier to digital creation.

The Three Levels of Vibe Coding

Level 1: Build one-page apps using HTML, CSS, and React, no backend required

Level 2: Add memory, interactivity, and live AI responses through API access

Level 3: Create fully-fledged apps with user authentication, databases, and deployment

Practical Use Cases - From interactive Google algorithm timelines to embedded AI tools for keyword research and content planning, Daniel shares how these tools are being used on Target Internet's own website.

Christo's Journey - From Idea to Startup. Learn how Christo turned a common business pain point — small service businesses missing leads due to message overload — into a scalable SaaS platform.

Discover his full tech stack including React, Azure Functions, PostgreSQL, Firebase, OpenAI, WordPress, and more.

Key Takeaways:

Anyone can now build apps using AI tools, whether it's a timeline, calculator, chatbot, or full customer-facing product.

AI-assisted development removes fear and unlocks creativity, especially for entrepreneurs without a dev background.

Start small and iterate, your Minimal Viable Product doesn't need to be perfect, it needs to be useful.

Vibe coding is the bridge between ideas and execution - fast, flexible and increasingly powerful.

The future of marketing and tech creation is conversational and it's already here.

📥 Access the show notes, tools, and links at: https://targetinternet.com/resources/vibe-coding-how-ai-is-revolutionising-app-development-and-empowering-non-coders

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In this episode of The Digital Marketing Podcast, Daniel Rowles is joined by Matthew Gardiner from World Travel Market for a special look at how the user journey is being radically reshaped, and why the travel industry offers a powerful lens for understanding the broader changes all marketers now face.

From AI-powered search and agents, to disconnected content ecosystems, collapsing funnels, and new expectations for sustainability and meaning, the way users discover, evaluate, and buy has shifted. Whether you work in travel or not, this episode delivers insight into how to adapt your digital strategy for a fragmented, AI-enhanced, and purpose-driven customer journey.

Why AI is collapsing the funnel
Users no longer move in a straight line from awareness to action. Conversations with AI agents like ChatGPT are replacing multi-step journeys. Whoever owns the AI conversation, owns the customer.

From connected to disconnected content
The shift from traditional, connected social feeds to short-form, algorithmically driven discovery (Reels, TikToks, Shorts) has changed how we build awareness and trust.

AI Overviews and Answer Engine Optimisation
With 55% of Google searches now including AI summaries, Daniel explains why SEO alone is not enough and how Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) and Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) are the new battlegrounds.

Agents are doing the work
From itinerary planning to automated bookings, AI agents are reshaping how users interact with brands, often bypassing websites altogether.

The new role of structured data
Matthew shares how travel brands must now treat structured markup (schema) as a new kind of distribution, ensuring they are machine-readable to AI systems.

Why user testing must change
Daniel explains why marketers must rethink usability testing to account for personalised algorithms, behaviour-based ad targeting, and AI-powered search.

Brand loyalty as a survival tactic
In an age of disintermediation, programmes like Bonvoy are keeping users loyal through gamification and exclusive benefits, offering lessons for all industries.

Content strategy for the AI era
From FAQs and multilingual support to video answers and UGC, the path to visibility is paved with granular, high-quality, human-first content.

Through a detailed conversation with Matthew Gardiner, the episode explores how the travel industry has continually adapted to disruption. From the rise of OTAs and TripAdvisor to today's challenges around AI agents, soft adventure trends, live tourism, and sustainability expectations, travel may be the canary in the coal mine but its lessons are highly applicable to every sector.

AI is not just changing how people search; it is rewriting how people trust, book, and choose.

Being mentioned in AI conversations is the new SEO. Structured data and FAQ-rich content are your ticket in.

Agents now do things, not just recommend. Optimising for transactions and post-click experience is vital.

Loyalty schemes, brand identity, and customer advocacy matter more than ever to bypass AI's generic results.

Usability testing must reflect real, personalised experiences, not idealised lab setups.

📥 Access the show notes, tools, and links at: https://targetinternet.com/resources/the-changing-user-journey-lessons-from-the-travel-industry

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In this special episode of The Digital Marketing Podcast, Daniel Rowles sits down with Alex Schultz, Meta's Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President of Analytics, to unpack the future of digital marketing, and why the fundamentals still matter more than ever.

Alex shares lessons from his remarkable journey: from running the world's top paper airplane website to leading growth at Meta, managing multi-billion dollar ad campaigns, and now authoring the industry-defining book Click Here. With high-profile endorsements from Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, Daniel Ek, and Matthew Vaughn, the book has already gettimg rave reviews, and Daniel is putting it straight onto the reading list for his students at Imperial College.

Together, Daniel and Alex dig into the core principles of great marketing: how to set meaningful goals, measure true impact, build high-performance teams, and embrace AI without losing your strategic edge.

Why Alex wrote Click Here and why the industry desperately needed a book that gets back to fundamentals, marketing measurement, and pride in the profession.

The power of incrementality: How to run meaningful tests, avoid vanity metrics, and prove real value to your CEO and CFO.

Why goals are not the same as metrics and how mixing them up can derail your marketing efforts.

The importance of awareness: Why most businesses fail because people simply don't know they exist.

Marketing mix matters: How one newspaper mention outperformed every digital channel—and why the basics still beat the buzz.

Mediocre marketing + great conversion = success: Why broken funnels kill campaigns, no matter how brilliant your creative is.

How Meta builds defensible growth : What sets their marketing apart, from deep integration with product and engineering, to AI-powered insights.

AI's real impact on marketing jobs: A breakdown of the three kinds of disruption AI will bring, and why the marketers who embrace it will thrive.

Paper planes, transparency, and unexpected beginnings: Hear how Alex's nerdy hobby turned into a viral website, and why he publicly shares his university grades to inspire others.

Get back to basics: Clear goals, good data, and fundamental models (like the funnel) still win.

Measure what matters: Metrics are not goals - incrementality is everything.

Focus on defensibility and scale in your marketing channels, don't waste time on things that can't grow.

AI won't replace marketers - marketers who use AI will replace those who don't.

Be transparent and human: Success doesn't require perfection, it requires clarity, curiosity, and continuous learning.

📥 Access the show notes, tools, and links at: https://targetinternet.com/resources/alex-schultz-interview-click-here

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Far beyond a productivity hack or sustainability trend, the regenerative mindset offers marketers and leaders a framework to design work, creativity and impact that helps build value.

You'll have to listen to find out about the Goose!

Drawing from systems thinking and marketing strategy, Daniel and Ciaran challenge the "hustle at all costs" mentality and instead champion a more humane, resilient and adaptable approach to digital marketing.

What is a Regenerative Mindset?
Understand the key difference between sustainability and regeneration - why one aims to sustain the status quo and the other aims to restore, replenish, and grow.

Rethinking Productivity and Growth
Explore why traditional productivity models are failing marketers in the age of AI, information overload, and fragmented attention, and what to do instead.

AI as a Regenerative Tool
Rather than using AI to do more, faster, Daniel and Ciaran explore how AI can help reduce cognitive burden, fuel creativity, and foster experimentation when used mindfully.

Designing Regenerative Marketing Systems
Discover how regenerative principles, such as reciprocity, interdependence, and feedback loops, can help build more sustainable, and effective marketing strategies.

Tools, Mindsets and Micro-practices
From digital decluttering to reflective learning and systems thinking, the hosts share practical approaches to integrating regeneration into your professional life.

Regeneration is not about working less, it's about working in flow with better results and less burnout

Marketers must go beyond campaign thinking and start designing ecosystems of value and renewal

Rest, reflection and curiosity are not luxuries, they're strategic assets

A regenerative mindset helps you lead through complexity and adapt with clarity

The future of digital marketing isn't just AI or data, it's resilience, systems thinking, and human-centred creativity.

📥 Access the show notes, tools, and links at: https://targetinternet.com/resources/regenerative-marketing-mindset-reimagining-marketing-and-leadership

📩 Join the free newsletter for access to monthly live sessions: https://targetinternet.com/newsletter

In this episode of The Digital Marketing Podcast, hosts Daniel Rowles and Ciaran Rogers return with a fresh round of insights and hands-on tools to help digital marketers adapt and experiment in the evolving AI-driven marketing landscape.

From Google's AI Max campaigns to the explosion of generative engine optimisation, Daniel and Ciaran unpack the shifts happening across search, paid media, and SEO. This isn't just another roundup of shiny tools, this episode explores how to think strategically about the role of AI in search, the real impact on your organic performance, and the mindset required to stay ahead of the curve.

AI Max Campaigns in Google Ads
Discover how Google's new AI-powered campaign structure is changing the game. It's not just another bidding strategy, it's an integrated layer that leverages keywordless signals, context, and user behaviour across Google properties to personalise campaigns. Learn why separating these into siloed budgets might actually hinder performance and what you need to consider before rolling out.

The Vanishing Organic Click
While impressions are up, clicks are down. Daniel shares Target Internet's own data showing a drop in organic click-through rates and explains why Google's AI-generated answers, Reddit posts, and video content are pushing traditional organic listings further down the page.

LLM Refs and the New SEO Frontier
With AI overviews, ChatGPT, and other LLMs becoming key discovery engines, how do you make sure your brand shows up? The hosts explore LLMRefs, a tool that shows how different brands are ranking across major AI models, and reveal just how fragmented and competitive this new landscape is.

Structured Data, Schema & the Knowledge Graph
Daniel and Ciaran highlight the importance of schema markup and entity relationships in Google's Knowledge Graph, using tools like the Knowledge Graph Explorer to demonstrate how Google perceives your brand and its connections. If you're not surfacing in the right contexts, it could just be due to a missing link, literally.

Search Engine Optimization ≠ Generative Engine Optimization
The hosts challenge the idea that SEO principles remain unchanged in the world of AI. With so many variables, location, devices, user intent, history, and model-specific behavior, your approach needs to be more agile and nuanced than ever.

Performance Max and AI Max are now core to Google Ads - understanding signals and context is essential

Organic traffic is declining, but impressions may still rise - CTR is the new battleground

You can't game the system anymore with a few smart keywords; LLMs require strong content, schema, and reputation

The tools are out there - you just need to experiment, validate, and iterate

Don't fall into the trap of "a little knowledge" - simplifying complex changes leads to bad decisions

AI models aren't clairvoyant - you need to structure and declare your content clearly

📥 Access the show notes, tools, and links at: https://targetinternet.com/resources/tips-and-tools-special

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In this episode of The Digital Marketing Podcast, Daniel Rowles and Ciaran Rogers explore one of the most transformative shifts in digital marketing: the arrival of ChatGPT Agent and the rise of agent-based AI.

No longer just about generating content, AI is now taking action on our behalf, logging into websites, filling out forms, analysing data, creating content, and even posting to platforms like LinkedIn. It's here now, and it's changing how marketing teams work from the ground up.

Daniel shares his firsthand experiments with ChatGPT Agent, from connecting it to Canva to create and publish carousel posts, to testing its ability to analyse his entire LinkedIn history and recommend strategies for future content. While the possibilities are jaw-dropping, the hosts also explore the risks, security concerns, talent pipeline challenges, and the long-term implications for marketing roles.

What agent-based AI really is and why it's different from traditional AI chat tools

How ChatGPT Agent combines deep research, web browsing, and autonomous task execution

Real-world test cases, from generating content to posting directly on LinkedIn

Why prompt quality and structure are more important than ever

The security and compliance risks of connecting agents to business systems

How agent-driven automation could replace many junior marketing tasks

Why agility and learning culture are now critical for businesses to survive disruption

The ethical and strategic questions marketers need to face around job design and human oversight

The discussion goes beyond technology to look at the human side of digital marketing. Daniel and Ciaran debate the future of junior roles, how companies can avoid gutting their talent pipelines, and why brands that lean into humanity, creativity, and trust may stand out in an AI-driven landscape.

ChatGPT Agent is a genuine step change, going from AI that suggests, to AI that does.

Marketing teams can gain huge efficiency, but must double-check outputs and guard against overreliance.

Security is now a critical concern, as agents gain access to business-critical systems.

Junior marketing roles are at risk, companies must balance efficiency with long-term talent growth.

Building an agile learning culture is the best defence against AI disruption.

📥 Access the show notes, tools, and links at: https://targetinternet.com/resources/chatgpt-agent-and-the-future-of-digital-marketing

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In this episode of The Digital Marketing Podcast, hosts Daniel Rowles and Ciaran Rogers explore one of the most pressing questions facing marketers today: what does SEO look like in a world dominated by AI search and generative answers?

With Google rolling out AI Overviews and AI Mode, and tools like ChatGPT and Gemini changing how people search, the rules of SEO are shifting fast. Some publishers report traffic drops of up to 60%, while others in e-commerce are holding steady. So is SEO really dead, or just evolving into something new?

Daniel and Ciaran dig deep into what's happening, separating hype from reality and providing clear, practical advice for marketers trying to adapt. They explain why understanding Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and AI Overviewsn (AIO) is critical, and how you can stay visible when clicks are disappearing.

Why AI Overviews are changing user behaviour, and pushing organic results further down the page

How share of voice and brand sentiment are becoming as important as traditional ranking factors

Why advocacy and positive online mentions may now trump old-school keyword tactics

The growing importance of Wikipedia, Reddit, and forums in shaping AI-driven answers

Why updating and referencing your best content is more powerful than ever

How no-click searches are rewriting what "success" looks like in SEO

Practical ways to benchmark your visibility

Why prompt-like queries and longer conversational searches are the new normal

How to build trust through Google's E‑E‑A‑T principles (Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)

The Future of SEO Episode Mindmap

The hosts also explore pitfalls to avoid, from snake-oil SEO sales pitches to rushing into poorly thought-out Wikipedia pages that could backfire. They emphasise a smarter, evidence-based approach: focusing on authenticity, advocacy, and quality content that's updated, referenced, and truly useful.

SEO isn't dead, but competing for the top three AI-sourced links is tougher than ever.

Building advocacy and brand mentions is critical to visibility in AI search.

Quality and authenticity (with evidence and references) beat quantity every time.

Think conversational: searches are getting longer, more natural, and more complex.

Following Google's E‑E‑A‑T framework is the best hedge against AI-driven disruption.

If you're a marketer, publisher, or business owner trying to make sense of the shifting SEO landscape, this episode provides both clarity and actionable steps to future-proof your strategy.

📥 Access the show notes, tools, and links at: https://targetinternet.com/resources/the-future-of-seo

📩 Join the free newsletter for access to monthly live sessions: https://targetinternet.com/newsletter