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.

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.

• 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

• Creating organizational charts and hiring strategies
• Client retention and process development
• The transition from "doing marketing" to "running a business"

• 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

• 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

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

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

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

The Five Factor Framework

1. Credibility - Know, like, and trust through design, copy, and photography
2. Usability - Seamless user experience across all touchpoints
3. Visibility - Strategic presence across search and social media, ads, email, and PR
4. Sellability - Clear differentiation and value proposition
5. Scalability - Treating marketing as investment, not expense

"MarkEDing" Philosophy...

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.

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)

Jeremy Rivera

• Founder, SEO Arcade
• Host, Unscripted SEO Podcast
• SEO Expert & Consultant

Connect with Jeremy:

• About: Jeremy Rivera Bio
• Podcast: Unscripted 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

• 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

• Moving beyond vanity metrics to actual...