Hey Guys,
I am trying out a new format today with just one piece of content being highlighted.
I would love to get your feedback on this format, it is not going to replace the 10 item edition, but we will send these one item newsetters a few times a week on top of that, whenever i find something i really want to share.
Todays video…
How to Sell SEO Without Ever Saying “SEO”
Look, let me cut to the chase.
If you pitch standard search optimization right now, you're probably starving.
Business owners ignore those cold emails.
They've been burned by cheap agencies too many times.
They are, however, terrified of falling behind on AI.
Pitch them on surviving this shift.
Tell them ChatGPT is sending their most lucrative phone calls to a competitor down the street.
Strip back your pitch to this one raw fact, and you'll carve out a massive advantage over every other agency trying to sell backlinks.
"All they care about is one thing, the phone ringing. And if you can do that, you're going to make some money."
📌 TL;DR
Local businesses gladly pay $2,500 a month to fix the errors that make ChatGPT recommend their competitors.
Fix their AI ranking to secure a $2,500 monthly retainer
Who said it: Edward Sturm (and his guest Blair Witkowski) bring real-world weight to this because they extract field-tested sales scripts from operators actually closing $6,500 deals in the trenches.
Pitching local businesses on "AI search optimization" converts cold calls at a 42% rate when paired with a custom video audit.
"I'm not selling SEO. That's not even it's not even a word that's coming up in the conversation. I'm selling more phone calls from the AI platforms."
Key points:
Edward Sturm's podcast highlights that business owners don't care about search volume metrics, but they panic when told ChatGPT is giving their phone calls away.
Edward says you can find the perfect pitch angle by running a local business website through Claude to quickly spot conflicting data.
He notes that a 3-minute custom Loom video showing exact website errors is the most reliable wedge to open a high-ticket conversation.
Do this: Call a local trade business, tell them AI is recommending their competitor, and ask permission to send a 3-minute video showing them exactly why.
My take: I think framing your service as an AI rescue mission removes the friction of selling a highly commoditized service. You instantly stop sounding like every other marketer in their inbox.
🎥 Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6SKlqwilyY
Your Checklist
[ ] Scrape a list of 50 local home service businesses in one specific county.
[ ] Run a target website through a quick Claude prompt to find 5 simple text errors confusing the AI. Use this exact prompt:
Find 5 conflicting data points, spelling errors, or missing location pages on this website that would confuse an AI search bot.
[ ] Call the main number and say ChatGPT is recommending their competitor for a specific, high-margin service (like installing electric car chargers).
[ ] Ask to send a short custom video showing the specific errors causing this issue.
[ ] Record a 3-minute Loom video showing their site errors and email it with the subject line "Look what I found".
"if you can make someone's phone ring, right, you can change someone's business, you have a superpower."
To protect your agency's revenue and skip the endless cold-email grind, start making these AI-focused calls today.
Talk soon,
Tony
P.S. Send physical books or a box of cookies to prospects who go cold. It costs $20 and keeps you top of mind for a $3,000 deal.