Leveraging AI to Scale Your Marketing Agency: An Interview with Ryan Stewart

In this article, we'll be exploring how AI is revolutionizing the SEO industry and how marketing agencies can use it to scale up their businesses fast and profitably. We'll be diving deep into this topic with Ryan Stewart, an entrepreneur who has generated over $100 million in revenue from online businesses.

From Employee to Entrepreneur

Ryan was working as a consultant at big companies like Accenture and Deloitte when he realized that the nine-to-five life wasn't for him. He didn't want to be doing the same thing for the next three decades without any opportunity for growth. As an introvert, he wasn't an entrepreneurial type, but he knew he couldn't work for others either. So he started looking for ways to make money online and stumbled upon SEO and social media marketing.

Ryan became obsessed and started learning everything about internet marketing 2.0. Over time, he was able to monetize his websites through affiliate and e-commerce channels. He then started taking on clients as a consultant, and that's when his agency was born.

Client Work and Affiliate Marketing

Managing client expectations and moods can be challenging, and every client has their own demands and requirements. Ryan admitted that earlier in his career, he struggled to manage client expectations and deliver the results they were paying for. But as he gained more experience and expertise, he learned to zoom out and look at the bigger picture.

Now, Ryan and his team focus on putting clients in the best position to succeed by providing the best possible services. While running a business comes with difficulties and challenges, he doesn't give much thought to the small issues anymore.

Moreover, Ryan pointed out that affiliate marketing and its dependence on search engine optimization is highly volatile, especially with the arrival of AI. AI platforms are likely to take a massive bite out of search engines in the future, so having solid SEO is essential, even for affiliate marketing.

AI and the Future of SEO

Ryan believes that AI is changing the SEO industry significantly. Here are some of the ways:

1. Content Writing: Ryan predicts that content writing will soon be replaced by AI, with machines generating most of the content. While thought leadership content will still come from humans, prompts and directives will be provided through an AI interface.
2. Tools: Ryan thinks that many SEO tools will become extinct soon if they're not working on AI integration. Tools that help with website optimization, for example, could be fully automated by AI robots.
3. Chatbots: Chatbots are the first piece of AI software that has fully arrived on the market. Ryan's team uses chatbots for keyword research, writing page titles, and RVA processes. With chatbots, Ryan and his partner have already integrated AI into their operations, which saves their team time and resources.

Ryan is excited about the opportunities that AI presents for marketing agencies. He's even optimistic that he may never have to hire another person at his agency, as machines and robots could soon take over many of the repetitive tasks. But he admits that people-to-people businesses will always exist, and as long as there are humans, there'll always be an opportunity to make money.

The Future of Tools and Technology in Marketing

In the coming years, tools and technology in marketing are set to undergo a massive transformation. From the rise of AI-powered automation to the integration of chat GBT technology, these changes are set to revolutionize the industry and democratize marketing solutions.

Automation through AI

With the rise of AI-powered automation, it won't be long before tools start doing the work for us. An AI-powered robot can quickly QA a website, review content and build a whole website with helpful page titles, SEO URL structures, and much more, based on Google's public guidance. This will free up time for marketers to focus on strategy and other important tasks.

Chat GBT4 Integration

Chat GBT4 is going to be a game-changer. It has the potential to take a significant bite out of Google's market share, which has been a monopoly for a long time. This AI technology will open up new opportunities for marketers to reach their customers in ways not previously possible. However, it is going to be a while before it is integrated into hardware. Once that happens, it might change the landscape for search engines.

Demystifying Marketing for the Future

Marketing is not just about mastering a medium; it is about selling to people in the most effective and efficient way possible for businesses or clients. However, some SEO folks are getting too romantic about these channels, especially in the SEO industry. It's fine to optimize Google because it owns the market share, but it is not just about Google. In the future, there will be a whole new set of platforms. The fundamental aspect should not be about Google or search engines ranking websites; it is about making money, selling other people's products, and driving customer acquisition to build businesses.

Marketing Pivots and Shifts

Adapting is not just about pivoting from SEO to AI. Even more important, it is about opening up to the possibility of reaching customers through autonomous agents, chatbots, and AI product recommendations. There will be a whole new process to get new products and recommendations in front of customers. Marketers need to shift their focus to understand that their roles are to help businesses get found through different types of search, including Amazon search and other types of AI-powered search engines.

As the marketing industry evolves, adapting to changes is critical. Those who are quick to adapt are the ones who will thrive. The future of marketing is about embracing change, staying on top of trends, and delivering value to customers. The industry will continue to democratize and transform, but with a flexible mindset and a willingness to learn, marketers can help businesses achieve their goals and remain competitive.

Adapting to AI Technology in Business

The emergence of AI technology has been transforming the business industry rapidly, and continues to do so. Businesses need to adapt to this technology to improve their processes, increase efficiency, and get better results for clients. In particular, businesses need to leverage AI search, AI product recommendations, and AI conversations to stay ahead of the competition. However, many businesses and SEOs may feel threatened by the prospects of this technology. It is essential to look for opportunities and ways to leverage AI technology to enhance businesses and SEO strategies.

Leveraging AI Technology

To leverage AI technology, businesses need to understand the best ways to use it. This requires asking the right questions, directing it in the right ways, and training oneself to use the tool correctly. Understanding how to fit AI technology into business processes can help increase margins and efficiency while putting products and services in front of consumers.

Window of Opportunity

The window of opportunity to take advantage of AI technology is shrinking, so businesses must be open-minded and aggressive about this technology. In the short term, businesses can take advantage of AI technology, and, in the next eight months, they can profit immensely before the next version of AI technology comes out. However, it is crucial to note that the long-term goal is to train oneself to use AI technology, despite the skill set needed. This will enable businesses to take advantage of AI technology and benefit in the long run.

Embracing AI Technology

While some may have a fear mentality towards AI technology, this does not benefit businesses. Businesses need an open mind and aggressive mindset to take advantage of AI technology, as it is happening and will continue to happen in the future. This technology can be an opportunity for entrepreneurs and business owners to enhance their businesses, rather than being a threat. To stay ahead of the competition, businesses need to embrace AI technology and use it to enhance their processes.

Leveraging AI and Automation in the Consulting Industry

Are you still doing basic Web 2.0 stuff for your clients? Do you think you are ahead of the curve? While it may be true that companies are lagging a little behind, it's important to understand that Web 2.0 is not going away anytime soon, and there are still ample opportunities to be made. However, the companies that are willing to pay top dollar are going to be looking for strategists that are excellent at leveraging technology to improve their business processes.

One example of this is the legal industry, where firms are still paying attorneys $250,000 out of college to do manual research that can easily be automated using AI technology. Those who can help businesses come to terms with the impact of AI on their operations will be in high demand in the near future.

The Role of Strategy in AI and Automation Integration

To be successful in this new industry, you must have a deep understanding of strategy, especially marketing strategy. AI can automate simple processes, but it cannot replicate human creativity and the ability to think on the fly. If you're doing something that is essentially a simple, repetitive process, it's likely it will get automated, very quickly, and very easily.

This concept is just like machinery that replaced workers at an assembly line. Similarly, if you're a marketer or consultant doing the same thing over and over and over again without a system or process, you will become commoditized and eventually replaced by machines.

Productization of Services in AI and Automation

One way to take advantage of AI and automation is through the productization of services. This involves taking a complex service like SEO and simplifying it into a product that is scalable, repeatable and efficient. To automate something, you must have a process. Without a proper system or process, each client's needs will be unique, and there will be no automation possible.

The key to leveraging AI and automation is by having simple processes in place. This allows you to leverage AI technologies by layering them on top of your processes and speeding things up. For instance, instead of going through all the complicated steps required for a keyword gap analysis, you can use AI to cluster keywords based on intent. This will streamline your deliverables, allowing you to focus on what matters most: getting results for your clients.

With the right systems and processes, the people can run the systems, freeing you up to work on strategizing and adapting to new business needs. This way, you will be able to take advantage of the opportunities in the small time frame that you have before AI and automation become mainstream.

The Future of AI and Its Impact on Industries

As technology continues to advance rapidly, the possibilities of what can be accomplished through automation and artificial intelligence are becoming increasingly more complex and diverse. While some may fear job loss and the takeover of machines, the reality is that AI will support and enhance human efforts rather than replace them entirely, and this is especially true within the industries that make up our daily lives.

Automating Deliverables

In the world of marketing, it's easy to get caught up in trying to create the most impressive deliverables for clients rather than focusing on what clients actually want: more revenue, more customers, and better results. Automating repetitive tasks through technology such as AI allows professionals to focus on building and implementing systems that leverage their time and expertise, ultimately leading to more substantial and lasting results.

AI in Sales and Account Management

One area where AI is already making significant strides is in sales and account management. Conversational AI and chatbots can answer customer inquiries faster and more accurately than human representatives, leading to increased customer satisfaction and sales. In the future, AI salespeople and account managers may even be able to provide more customized and helpful advice than their human counterparts.

Industry-Specific Disruption

The impact of AI will be felt differently across various industries. For example, in the legal industry, AI has already made significant progress in tasks such as document review and discovery work, but it’s now expanding into more complex areas such as arguing cases and providing tailored legal advice. In the fitness industry, AI has the potential to completely revolutionize personal training and wellness coaching, with personalized workout plans and nutritional advice that can be easily generated and monitored.

The Need for Human Interaction

While AI may take on more demanding tasks, there will always be a need for human interaction and engagement, especially in areas filled with complexity and nuance. For example, while AI may be able to handle routine legal tasks, such as generating contracts and wills, clients may still require a human lawyer’s expertise to fully understand their case. As marketers and professionals, we must recognize the importance of balancing automation and AI with a human touch to create a complete and nuanced approach.

The Importance of Research and Understanding

To prepare for AI's widespread adoption, it’s important to research and comprehend how it will impact various industries and professions. Instead of reacting to headlines with uninformed opinions, we should take the time to understand AI’s capabilities and limitations. With a deeper understanding of the technology and its implications, it’s possible to prepare for and leverage AI’s power to ultimately enhance our professional and personal lives.

As AI continues to take over repetitive tasks and become more integrated into our lives and industries, it's important to recognize the possibilities and limits of the technology. By embracing AI and its potential, while also balancing it with human interaction and expertise, we can create a new way of working and living that is more efficient and more effective than ever before.

Opportunities in the Changing Landscape of Content Marketing

The world of content marketing is constantly evolving, and those who are not willing to adapt risk falling behind. That's why it's crucial to stay informed about the latest developments and trends in the field. One emerging concept is NTS (Natural Text-to-Speech) technology, which is changing the way we think about content creation.

As an experienced marketer, I spent a good deal of time studying NTS, from watching YouTube videos and listening to podcasts to writing a book about it and talking to people in the know. What I found is that the more energy you put into mastering new technology, the more rewards it can bring.

One of the challenges that agencies face is keeping up with the commoditization of content creation. To stay ahead of the curve, we've been working on developing a system that combines productization, training, coaching, and automation. By doing so, we can offer clients higher-quality content at a lower cost, with greater efficiency and scalability.

Here are some of the ways we're implementing these changes:

1. Automating Agency Processes

We're exploring ways to automate tasks that take up too much time and energy and detract from our core mission of creating great content. Examples include building ebooks, generating topic ideas, and turning them into blog posts that pass Google's AI algorithms. By applying technology to these tasks, we can free up time to focus on what really matters: delivering value to our clients.

2. Productizing Services

We're moving away from delivering a bundle of services and instead focusing on productizing them. By creating a clear package of services that offer high-quality, efficient solutions to specific problems, we can better position ourselves in a crowded marketplace.

3. Emphasizing Scalability

Rather than taking on large-scale technical projects, we're focusing on industries and verticals that are directly correlated with using Google search for acquisition. That means finding niches that are still using Google to find services like roofing contractors. It's easier to scale when you're providing solutions to a larger number of businesses, and you can do so in a more targeted, efficient manner.

4. Practical and Actionable Knowledge

We don't just offer theoretical knowledge or pie-in-the-sky ideas. Instead, we provide practical, actionable knowledge to help agencies automate their processes and scale their businesses. We're not interested in working with clients who are doing $3 million a year in custom technical work. Our focus is on agencies that are struggling to figure out how to turn their businesses into profitable entities.

5. Leveraging NTS

NTS is a powerful tool that allows us to create high-quality content at a lower cost. By leveraging the power of text-to-speech technology, we can quickly generate podcast episodes, video scripts, and other types of content that are in demand. This not only saves time and effort but also delivers better value to our clients.

The world of content marketing is changing, but that doesn't mean it's all bad news. There are opportunities for those agencies willing to embrace new technology, productize their services, focus on scalability, offer practical and actionable knowledge, and leverage emerging trends like NTS. By doing so, we can deliver more value to our clients while staying ahead of the competition.

The Blueprint: Revolutionizing SEO Agencies

At The Blueprint, we specialize in helping SEO agencies productize and optimize their operations for increased margins and reduced time spent on the business itself. Our main focus is on the SEO industry, but we cater to all types of agencies that want to streamline their processes and automate their deliverables.

The Core of The Blueprint

Our core philosophy is to focus on the Pareto Principle: identifying the 20% of things that drive 80% of the output. We help agencies avoid the common mistake of cutting corners and instead, aim to deliver impactful and actionable assets that drive results. We don't believe in performing extensive technical audits or keyword research if it won't make the client more money. Instead, we focus on putting the right content on the website and building the right links to generate more leads for our clients.

Targeting the Majority

We cater to the 99% of companies out there that are just trying to get more leads and phone calls from Google. We understand that most agencies aren't making more than 25k per month, and we've surveyed over a thousand submissions to find that 90% of people are doing less than ten thousand dollars a month. Our goal is to help these smaller agencies automate and productize their processes so that they too can become million-dollar agencies.

The Output-Based Service

One of our highlights is our output-based service. We have a two-week sprint where we review and clean up the technical aspects of a website. After this, all assets we deliver are either a new piece of content, an acquired link, or a review if we're working on a local review campaign. By delivering only output-based assets, we have reduced complaints and increased our Net Promoter Score (NPS) significantly.

Staying Ahead of the Curve: Opportunities and Challenges for Marketers

In a rapidly changing world of digital marketing, it’s becoming increasingly challenging to keep up with the latest trends and technologies. However, in a recent interview, a leading marketing expert shared some valuable insights into the opportunities and challenges marketers face today.

Taking Advantage of Opportunities

According to the expert, one of the biggest opportunities marketers can tap into is the power of video. While video has been popular for some time, the expert believes that it will become even more critical in the future, given the rise of AI tools. Therefore, marketers should consider using video as a primary means of communication with their audience.

In addition to video, social media networking sites such as LinkedIn and Twitter provide an excellent platform for generating leads, especially for small businesses. The expert suggests that instead of waiting for the perfect moment, businesses should use these platforms regularly to establish connections and communicate with their audience.

Facing Challenges Head-On

The expert stressed the importance of staying focused on core business objectives. With so many new theories and approaches to digital marketing, it’s easy to get distracted and lose sight of what’s essential. Therefore, businesses need to focus on their clients' needs, generating leads and revenue, rather than worrying about the latest trends.

Moreover, the expert reminded the audience of the challenges posed by AI-powered tools such as chat GPT. While these tools provide significant benefits, they also bring new issues such as algorithmic language translation challenges, which require careful consideration before implementation. Businesses need to evaluate the viability and security of these tools before adopting them.

Finally, the expert spoke about the importance of staying ahead of the curve; businesses need to identify new trends and adapt quickly. With social media platforms being overrun with bots and content, it’s critical to identify new avenues for communication with the audience. Failing to act quickly could compromise businesses' ability to establish a rapport with their audience and generate revenue.

Ai is set to transform the seo industry, and marketing agencies need to leverage it to scale their businesses fast and profitably. with ai, agencies can automate tasks, save on resources, and increase profitability. while there could be some challenges along the way, the benefits outweigh the negatives, and ai presents an incredible opportunity for marketing agencies. Ai technology is transforming the business industry, and businesses need to adapt to it. leveraging ai technology, taking advantage of the window of opportunity, training oneself to use ai technology, and embracing it are vital for businesses to thrive. by following these guidelines, businesses can enhance their processes, increase efficiency, and get better results for clients. Leveraging ai and automation is the future of the consulting industry. those who adapt to this new reality and understand how to integrate technology to improve their business processes will be in high demand. the key is to focus on strategy, simplify your processes, and take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves in the small windows before ai and automation become mainstream. At the blueprint, we're not interested in catering to the one percent of websites, but rather, we aim to help the everyday business owner generate more leads. by automating and productizing agency processes, we believe that a one-person, million-dollar agency is feasible in the coming year. we want to help the seo industry focus on getting clients more customers, and we're doing this by revolutionizing the way agencies operate.

In conclusion, businesses need to focus on serving clients, generating revenue, and staying ahead of the curve by taking advantage of new technologies while carefully evaluating their implementation. Video and social media provide excellent opportunities for businesses to communicate with their audience, but the balance between adoption and security is critical. By adapting new trends and technologies quickly, businesses can remain relevant and gain a competitive edge in the ever-changing digital landscape.