In this episode of The Entrepreneur's Logbook Podcast, host Zachary Bernard sits down with Amber Goetz, founder of Active Media, a high-performance web and SEO agency that's been turning websites into lead generation machines since 2005. With over 500 websites under her belt and clients pulling in over $10 million through organic search, Amber has spent two decades learning what actually works in SEO.
Key Takeaways
- Start with market research: Validate search demand, competition levels, and real market need before building your business
- Fix messaging first: Address root causes (messaging and site health) before driving traffic—visitors leave for competitors if your foundation is broken
- Demand transparency: Quality SEO agencies provide visual dashboards, share keyword rankings, and educate clients rather than hiding behind "secret sauce"
- AI content is dead: Mass AI-generated blog posts no longer work; Google rewards human-reviewed, human-edited content that provides genuine value
- Optimize for AI now: Implement schema markup and voice search optimization immediately—DIY website builders are falling behind
- Focus local SEO efforts: Update Google Business Profile constantly (offers, photos, reviews every ~10 days) for local businesses
- Red flags in SEO agencies: Avoid anyone promising overnight rankings or not requesting Google Analytics/Search Console access
- Trust your instincts: Combine gut feelings with solid data when making business and technical decisions
Amber Goetz - The Active Media
Website: https://www.theactivemedia.com/ and https://goetzgo.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ambergoetz9/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seowithamber/
Zachary Bernard – We Feature You PR
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itszachb/
Website: https://www.wefeatureyou.com/
Personal site: https://zacharybernard.com/
Want press/podcast/TV features? Visit wefeatureyou.com
Chapters
- (00:00:00) - The End of Human-edited Content
- (00:00:37) - Amino Podcast
- (00:01:39) - The One Startup Tip You'd Get Wrong
- (00:03:09) - How To Turn A Completive Audit Into a Proposal
- (00:07:12) - How To Lead an SEO Team With Transparency
- (00:09:33) - Top SEO Executives: The Shift in Search
- (00:11:47) - How to Optimize Your Site for AI Search
- (00:13:18) - How to Optimize Your Website for AI & Small Business SEO
- (00:19:08) - Several Red Flags For Hiring An SEO Agency
- (00:21:07) - Go With Your Gut
