From SEO to Reputation: Owning the LLM Era With Ross Barefoot

The Best SEO Podcast: Defining the Future of Search with LLM Visibility™

We dig into how search is shifting from links to answers, why reputation now outranks tactics, and how to position your brand inside LLMs before it’s 10x harder. Ross Barefoot joins Matt to compare notes on pruning, big content, reviews, local, and the reality of client communication.
• LLMs as a new gatekeeper layer and why fundamentals still matter
• EEAT with real experience, proof, and long‑form content
• Reputation first: reviews beyond Google and social mentions
• Pruning thin and off‑topic content to clarify entity
• RAG, freshness, and Google’s role in retrieval
• Hidden gems: surfacing forums and long‑tail answers
• Merchant Center and local search as stable channels
• Measurement gaps, anonymized referrers, and log insights
• Social’s rising weight in brand visibility
• Client education, budgets, and communication systems

Guest Contact Information:

Website: eepseo.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rossbarefoot

More from EWR and Matthew:

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With over 5 million downloads, The Best SEO Podcast has been the go-to show for digital marketers, business owners, and entrepreneurs wanting real-world strategies to grow online.
Now, host Matthew Bertram — creator of LLM Visibility™ and the LLM Visibility Stack™, and Lead Strategist at EWR Digital — takes the conversation beyond traditional SEO into the AI era of discoverability.
Each week, Matthew dives into the tactics, frameworks, and insights that matter most in a world where search engines, large language models, and answer engines are reshaping how people find, trust, and choose businesses. From SEO and AI-driven marketing to executive-level growth strategy, you’ll hear expert interviews, deep-dive discussions, and actionable strategies to help you stay ahead of the curve.

Find more episodes here:

youtube.com/@BestSEOPodcast

bestseopodcast.com

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Connect With Matthew Bertram:

Website: www.matthewbertram.com

Instagram: @matt_bertram_live

LinkedIn: @mattbertramlive

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فصول

1. Setting The Stage: New Search Era (00:00:00)

2. Guest Intro & Credentials (00:00:42)

3. LLMs, SEO Fundamentals, And Panda To EEAT (00:02:04)

4. Reputation First: SEO As A Subset (00:05:00)

5. LLM Gullibility, Land Grab, And Engagement (00:07:35)

6. RAG, Freshness, And Google As Gatekeeper (00:10:24)

7. Hidden Gems: Social Signals And Long Tail (00:13:05)

8. Measurement Gaps, Attribution, And Logs (00:16:12)

9. Big Content, Pruning, And Semantic Depth (00:19:05)

10. E‑commerce, Merchant Center, And Local (00:22:20)

11. Navigation, Entity Clarity, And Templates (00:25:12)

12. Social Media’s Rising Role In LLMs (00:28:02)

13. Client Education, Budgets, And Urgency (00:31:05)

14. Communication Breakdowns And Process Fixes (00:34:18)

15. Playbook: Reviews Beyond Google And Forums (00:38:36)

16. Using LLMs To Audit Brand Presence (00:41:10)

17. Content With Proof: Interviews And EEAT (00:44:15)

18. Knowledge Overload Systems And NotebookLM (00:46:30)

19. Closing Thoughts, Links, And CTA (00:49:10)