Episodes

You’ve heard me say that “gatekeepers gonna gate” for a long, long time. Hell, I wrote a whole book about the topic. The funny thing is that most folks assume that OpenAI and ChatGPT are going to bypass the gatekeepers — and will likely become the biggest gatekeepers of all. Maybe… But I’m not so sure. While I could be wrong about this, I think that OpenAI is in fact in deep trouble and largely because of their own actions — and, more importantly, those of Big Tech gatekeepers. I’m reasonably ...

You may have heard that Amazon is suing Perplexity, alleging that Perplexity’s Comet browser violates the e-commerce giant’s terms of service. Amazon goes even further, though, as an article from The Verge points out: Amazon’s statement says third-party applications that purchase products for customers on its site “should respect service provider decisions about whether or not to participate,” and claims the comment provides "a significantly degraded shopping and customer service experience” A...

I am incredibly fortunate to do get to do what I do. I’m even more fortunate that I’m surrounded by amazing people every single day. And I’m tremendously thankful for all of those. In honor of Thanksgiving here in the US, I thought it made sense to share what I’m most thankful for this year. I also thought it was worthwhile to share how those might be useful to you too. Curious about the five things I’m most thankful for this year? That’s what this episode of the podcast is all about. Here are...

I’ve been talking about the idea of “the brand is the prompt” for a while now. But I think now would be helpful to dive into what that means in a lot more detail. Why? Because too many folks seem to think that AI agents and answer engines will always come between you and your customer. I don’t believe that has to be true. I’ve studied how we can build brands beyond Big Tech for over 20 years. That’s the core of what Digital Reset is all about. And while AI is different, I believe that the only...

We’ve seen a lot of work around agentic AI in the last handful of weeks and months, with Google adding agentic AI to Chrome and in its Search Labs; ChatGPT offering its Atlas browser that offers agentic capabilities, and Perplexity doing the same with its Comet browser. This last one seems to be ruffling some feathers, as Amazon has “demanded” that Perplexity stop using its agents to buy stuff on Amazon. Part of me wants to say, “Boo-hoo, Amazon. Not so fun when the shoe is on the other foot, i...

With customers increasingly turning towards AI to get the answers they need for their business, you might be rethinking the value your website provides to those customers — and to your business. It’s absolutely worthwhile to ask the question. The answer, though, might surprise you. In this episode of the podcast, Tim Peter looks at whether you still need a website in the age of AI, what its value is to your customers and your business, and, most importantly, how to make sure your website works ...

I’m generally bullish on AI and its potential benefits for customers and brands. What I’m less bullish about are all the folks essentially telling you that AI will make you give up building meaningful connections between your brand and your customers. Without meaning to, they’re describing a world where every brand becomes a commodity. And, frankly, I simply refuse to go along. Instead, we need to do the work, right now, that will drive customers to ask for us by name. And that depends on build...

Are you as sick as I am of hearing people claim that SEO is dead? I mean, c’mon. How is that we keep regurgitating the same foul nonsense to drive clicks, engagement, and a little bit of anger among the marketing community. I promise I’m not going to ask “is SEO dead?” or claim that “SEO is dead” or anything similar anytime soon. What’s also true is that how your customers search for what they need is changing — and quickly. Some folks want to call these changes GEO. Some call them AEO. Some c...

I assume most people know that Google makes almost all of its money from ads. And, in practice, those ads are based on clicks. Paid clicks. That fact means that Google can’t survive in a zero-click world. While that same reality is not (yet) true for ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and other AI answer engines, they’re almost certainly going to need some form of ads—again, probably clickable ads—to fund their operations. For example, ChatGPT alone is planning to invest over 1 trillion dollars in th...

OpenAI just introduced Instant Checkout and apps in ChatGPT, allowing customers to buy products and services directly within the AI. This is, as they say, “the next step in agentic commerce.” It’s genuinely a capital-B, capital-D, Big Frickin’ Deal. No doubt about it. At the same time, some folks might be rushing to claim these a whole new world, or a complete upending of commerce as we know it. I’m… not convinced. Instead, I’m concerned that too many people are going to trade the Big Tech int...

Google has now added agentic AI to Chrome and in its Search Labs. Google has enormous reach with these tools, which means your customers could start using them almost any day. The question is, what happens to your content? Will agents replace the content you’ve worked so hard to create and curate, giving customers answers to their questions? In shortt, will agentic AI kill your content marketing? I’m not convinced. More than that, I believe we must actively work to make sure that doesn’t becom...

Whether you want to call it SEO, AEO, AIO, GEO, or something else altogether, it’s clear that search is changing… or is it? Yes, customers are using AI answer engines much more often. Yes, Google and other “traditional” search engines are responding by adding more AI answers into their results. The question, though, is how much you ought to change how you do what you do to answer your customers’ questions. Is search as we know it completely different? Or do some fundamental truths remain that ...

While Judge Amit Mehta has imposed penalties on Google for its anticompetitive behavior, I’m convinced that the big winner in the antitrust trial is… Google. And, to a lesser extent, the rest of Big Tech wins, too. Confused? Don’t be. What did Judge Mehta’s ruling say? Why do I think Google won more than they lost? And, more importantly, what does all of this mean for your business? That’s what this episode of the podcast is all about. Want to learn more? Here are the show notes for you. Go...

For all the talk about zero-click search, folks seem to keep overlooking one of its key consequences: How Google (and others) will make money. In short, Google can’t survive in a zero-click world. Their entire business depends on clicks. Paid clicks. The shift towards zero-click results signals a genuine turning point for how you think about marketing your business, in part, because it will absolutely grow your costs for acquiring new customers. So, what’s the real story behind zero-click sear...

Agentic AI is almost certainly going to be huge… and probably soon. Early versions of agentic AI already exist today. Some of them even work pretty well. And the early data suggests customers are OK with the idea of agentic AI. Those facts lead to a few key questions for you: What’s driving — or limiting — adoption of agentic AI? When will we see agentic AI reach large customer groups? Which companies in the agentic AI space are best positioned to win? What will customer adoption of agentic...

Unlike a lot of folks, I’m not convinced that AI agents are the end of brands. Sure, there’s a risk. But I still believe most customers will choose brands that work for their needs & and will train their agents, as those evolve, to pick their preferred options in many cases. Of course, getting customers to train their agents that you’re the right choice isn’t something you can wait to do when (or if) agents become available. Instead, it’s something you can (and should!) do right now. Even bette...

Google seems scared. Customers seem ready to jump. Behaviors are shifting fast and furious. While I tend to think Google is in the best possible position to win the AI wars, they’re also the fattest target for startups like OpenAI. The Mary Meeker report illustrates many of the ways that ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Anthropic threaten the Big Tech status quo. But, increasingly, Google’s own actions also show that they’re concerned. My suspicion is that their data — which they have more of than anyb...

Does it seem like you are destined to fall behind when it comes to AI? I know for many marketers and e-commerce professionals, especially at small or mid-sized businesses, it can seem that way. In some ways, it’s not just possible, but actually likely that you will. AI is incredibly fast. It’s incredibly powerful. To think that human beings can outthink AI is not realistic. As I like to say, “You’re not going to out-AI AI.” But, in a far more meaningful way, I’m don’t think that our inability ...

You may have heard me say that “gatekeepers gonna gate.” Well, Google’s AI Mode shows exactly what that looks like in practice. AI Mode is so disruptive to the way the web has worked for years that it looks like Google’s closing the gate on marketers, setting the stage to make a big move away from organic traffic and towards more paid traffic. Google’s not alone, of course. Pretty much all the Big Tech gatekeepers are doing something similar. What can you do about it? How can you make sure tha...

One of my favorite facts about the internet is that people will always tell you when you’re wrong. Seriously. It’s a feature, not a bug. Because when that happens, it helps you think more clearly, more deeply about your topic and your ideas. If you want to know what you really think, ask the internet. They’ll let you know whether you got it right… or not. That’s what happened last week when I talked about how companies can win in AI-powered search. Whether we’re talking about Google’s AI Overvie...

Apple told us at their WWDC that they’re seriously rethinking how they use AI on their devices, largely because they way they’s previously announced AI on their devices straight up didn’t work. You may also know that Apple has apparently begun looking at partnering with ChatGPT and others as the default search engines on their devices. As you’re undoubtedly aware, Google is currently Apple’s default search engine on its devices. It’s also, arguably, the biggest player in consumer adoption of ar...

Mary Meeker’s latest report is out and it’s all about artificial intelligence. It’s a brilliant report. But it’s missing why all of these changes matter for marketers and e-commerce/customer acquisition leaders. That’s where this episode of the podcast comes in. Tim asks: What are the big trends in the Mary Meeker AI report? And how will they affect marketing and customer acquisition? What should you be doing right now to prepare for a world where AI agents make purchases on your behalf? Wh...

Google’s AI Mode in search, to put it bluntly, sucks. At least it does if your job is to drive traffic and revenue for your business. We all know that “gatekeepers gonna gate.” Well, AI Mode is a sure sing that Google is closing the gate on marketers. They’re removing access to the kinds of traffic we’ve taken for granted for years. Will AI Mode kill your company’s traffic? Not exactly. It’s slightly more complicated than that. It does suck, mind you. But it’s not as simple as “AI Mode won’t li...

It’s Memorial Day weekend here in the US. And Tim’s got some quick thoughts for you to enjoy before you take off for the weekend. Be sure to give a listen and let us know what you think. Want to learn more? Here are the show notes for you. Touch Grass — Memorial Day 2025 (Thinks Out Loud 462) — Headlines and Show Notes Show Notes and Links "Touch Grass" (Thinks Out Loud Episode 358) The Only Way to Succeed Next Year (Thinks Out Loud Episode 444) AI Is Not the Future. You Are (Thinks Out Loud...