Episode: Unscripted SEO Podcast
Host: Jeremy Rivera - Unscripted Podcast
Guest: Chris Turnbull, Founder of Catalyst Marketing
Duration: ~45 minutes
Episode Description
Join Jeremy Rivera as he sits down with Chris Turnbull, founder of Catalyst Marketing, for an unfiltered discussion about how SEO has evolved over the past 13 years. From Google's monopolistic behavior to the rise of AI overviews, this conversation explores why local SEO has remained surprisingly stable while broader search continues to fragment across multiple platforms.
Chris shares insights from his journey from apprentice SEO to agency founder, specializing in performance marketing for local service businesses. The duo dives deep into the breakdown of traditional content marketing, the rise of user-generated content, and why Reddit posts now carry the same weight as backlinks from 2015.
Key Topics Covered
The Google Monopoly & Search Evolution
- How Google evolved from "organizing the world's data" to "being the world's data"
- The enshitification of search results and AI overview accuracy issues
- Why we've become "beta testers" for tech corporations
- The removal of search liaison positions and lack of feedback loops
Local SEO: What's Changed vs. What Hasn't
- Why local SEO fundamentals from 2008 still work today
- The continued importance of Google Business Profile, citations, and reviews. Local service companies such as Gaston Roofing rely heavily on these same fundamentals—strong reviews, consistent citations, and an optimized Google Business Profile—to remain competitive in search.
- How LLMs heavily weight reviews and local mentions
- Digital PR as the evolution of community involvement
The Content Creation Paradox
- Google's contradictory demand to "create content for humans" while using bots to consume it
- The problem of trillion duplicate articles from marketing agencies
- How algorithm updates have created unsustainable content cycles
- The information contamination problem with AI-generated content
Multi-Platform SEO Strategy
- Why websites are no longer the central hub of marketing
- The octopus model: tentacles with independent value
- Reddit posts, LinkedIn Pulse, and social media as ranking factors
- The breakdown of walled gardens and rise of indexed social content
Industry Role Evolution
- The rise of fractional CMOs and why traditional SEO roles are expanding
- How SEOs are becoming digital marketing business consultants
- The challenge of specialization vs. generalization in agencies
- Why keyword research now requires understanding of email, social, and brand marketing
Killer Quotes
Jeremy Rivera:
"It feels like we have been demoted to beta testers as the public... I remember search results from 2014 that were so scandalous they got a public apology. Now we have an age of lawlessness."
"Getting a huge upvoted post on Reddit now carries as much weight and value as getting a hug...
