Ross welcomes back Rand Fishkin, co-founder of SparkToro and longtime marketing thought leader, for a candid conversation about the evolution of search, audience research, and the shifting tides of digital marketing.
Rand shares insights on why SEO’s golden age is behind us, why influence—not traffic—should be marketers’ primary focus, and how PR is making a major comeback.
He also discusses SparkToro’s growth, lessons from launching an indie video game company, and why understanding audience behavior is more critical than ever.
Show Notes
00:00 Welcome Back, Rand!
01:10 Reflections on Lost and Founder
02:37 The importance of timing and market demand
06:48 Venture Capital and Market Trends
14:34 The Changing Reputation of SEO
19:27 AI, Search, and Zero-Click Results
28:58 Influence Over Traffic
38:46 How to Prioritize Marketing Channels
43:42 The Rise of Digital PR
49:51 The Future of Search and Content
Show Links
SparkToro
SparkTogether 2025
Rand’s Blog “Traffic Is Down; Revenue Is… Up?”
