What if everything you know about SEO is becoming obsolete? Dale Bertrand, founder of Fire and Spark, brings a refreshingly technical yet human-centered perspective to digital growth strategy—a perspective forged through his journey from building government supercomputers to revolutionizing how businesses approach organic traffic.

"Rankings and traffic that don't convert are worthless," Dale asserts, challenging the vanity metrics that have dominated digital marketing for years. His "SEO for Revenue" methodology cuts through the clutter, focusing on customer acquisition rather than keyword rankings. This approach has yielded remarkable results, including helping GrabCAD achieve 30x growth in organic traffic that ultimately led to a successful acquisition.

As artificial intelligence reshapes search, Dale identifies three critical shifts: the tools marketers use, the algorithms powering results, and how customers seek information. This trifecta demands new strategies where content must be "semantically dense" and "snackable" for AI training. The counterintuitive outcome? Less traffic but more revenue—a concept many marketers struggle to embrace.

Perhaps most surprising is Dale's deceptively simple advice for understanding customer behavior: just ask them. "We've gotten used to hiding behind analytics," he notes, advocating instead for direct conversations that yield insights no dashboard can provide. This human connection extends to his recommendations for product selection, where he encourages entrepreneurs to find the sweet spot between passion for a customer community, viable sales channels, and healthy unit economics.

For those building online businesses in 2023 and beyond, Dale offers a roadmap for navigating the transition from traditional SEO to what he calls "Generative Engine Optimization" (GEO). Early adopters who master these dynamics stand to benefit significantly, just as early SEO practitioners did years ago.

Connect with Dale at fireandspark.com or reach him directly at dale@fireandspark.com to learn how your business can thrive in the age of AI-powered search.

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Dylan Jahraus transformed from corporate e-commerce strategist to Etsy powerhouse, landing her shop in the top 0.1% worldwide and hitting $1 million in sales in just a few years. Now coaching over 4,500 Etsy sellers across 30+ countries, Dylan returns to share her expertise on the platform that changed her life.

This conversation dives deep into what makes Etsy different from Amazon and Shopify - from customer expectations to policy control. Dylan reveals that Etsy customers aren't expecting free returns and sellers maintain complete control over their policies, creating a fundamentally different selling environment. She shares how the platform's built-in trust eliminates the friction often associated with independent Shopify stores that might initially appear less trustworthy.

Perhaps most valuable is Dylan's contrarian take on Etsy ads. While many sellers pour money into advertising, Dylan built her million-dollar business primarily through organic growth. "I'm very passionate about exhausting your organic potential first," she explains, noting that in her experience, paid ads have only proven worthwhile for less than 20 people she's worked with. Instead, she recommends free marketing channels like Pinterest, which for one student generated over 1.1 million monthly impressions without spending a dime on ads.

The episode covers practical strategies for international expansion, personalization best practices, and the free shipping debate. Dylan suggests a hybrid shipping model where you might charge a nominal amount when shipping costs are higher while building the remainder into the product price. She also shares her testing methodology to determine what works best for your specific shop.

Whether you're considering Etsy as a new sales channel or looking to optimize your existing shop, this episode provides actionable insights from someone who's mastered the platform. Book a free call with Dylan to chat about your Etsy shop and see if her coaching program might be the right fit for your business goals.

How to connect with Dylan?
Website: https://dylanjahraus.com/
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/etsy-seller-success-tips-for-starting-growing-and/id1647518076
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeO8Gmc2B-3G2fgcFnRR4Xw
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dylanjahrausofficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dylanjahraus/

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Ready to scale your Amazon business? Click here to book a strategy call. https://calendly.com/firingtheman/amazon

The screen time battle just got a revolutionary upgrade. Meet Britta Buchholz, the visionary entrepreneur who's flipping the script on how kids interact with technology through her groundbreaking app, Kidoo.

After watching her young children memorize complex passcodes to access their iPads while homework sat untouched, Britta had her lightbulb moment. What if those same devices that captivated children's attention could become powerful educational tools? What if kids had to answer educational questions to unlock their entertainment apps?

Drawing from her extensive experience running the Boomerang Group, a philanthropic consulting firm serving high-profile clients like Steve Aoki and Cesar Millan, Britta took the entrepreneurial leap. Despite having no background in tech development, she followed her instincts and pursued her vision with unwavering determination.

"I didn't even tell my husband for a few months later that I had started this company with this guy, that I had never met with this whimsical idea, that I had to invent an app which I had no clue about the technology industry," Britta shares with refreshing candor. Her journey wasn't without challenges – from facing critical feedback from early testers to navigating the technical complexities of app development and finding the courage to release a minimum viable product rather than waiting for perfection.

The result? A transformative tool that parents everywhere have been waiting for. Kidoo seamlessly integrates learning into screen time by requiring children to complete educational challenges before accessing entertainment apps. Unlike traditional educational apps that require parental navigation, Kidoo makes learning the gateway to entertainment, leveraging children's natural motivation to use devices.

Whether you're a parent struggling with screen time battles, an entrepreneur considering taking the leap, or simply fascinated by innovative solutions to modern challenges, this conversation offers valuable insights into both the practical aspects of startup development and the mindset required to bring transformative ideas to life. The future of family technology might just look brighter thanks to visionaries like Britta who dare to question the status quo.

How to connect with Britta?
Website: https://keydo.io/

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