Ahrefs Podcast

Udi Ledergor, former CMO turned Chief Evangelist at Gong and author of Courageous Marketing, shares how data-driven, provocative content and creative stunts fueled explosive growth. He explains why ignoring best practices helped Gong stand out. He reveals clever distribution tactics, how proprietary call data became viral material, when to spend big, and how to use AI to weed out clichés.

Ryan Law, Head of Marketing at Ahrefs who builds AI-powered content workflows, explains a 23-skill automated pipeline that drafts and updates blog posts in minutes. He walks through research, MECE outlines, referencing existing content, product placement, verification, and scaling updates. Short, modular steps and human context keep voice consistent while AI handles the repetitive work.

A candid Q&A about how an SEO powerhouse is adapting to AI search and tracking zero-click visibility. Usage stats and underrated tools like Content Explorer and Brand Radar get spotlighted. The conversation covers APIs, no-code automation trends, and why competition with Semrush matters. Future plans include restoring deeper ranking data and betting on developer-friendly integrations.

Luke Winter, founder and creative director of Deadpan Agency, a London studio making comedy videos for SaaS and tech. He explains episodic sitcom-style ad campaigns built around real customer pain. Short, funny videos that lower buying resistance. How to make the brand own the joke, measure impact, and why AI can help production but not replace creative taste.

Tal Raz, ZoomInfo’s CMO who rose from marketing analyst to lead a ~100-person global team. She unpacks how AI search is reshaping inbound discovery. She explains why poor AI outreach is a data problem, how GTM Studio launches campaigns in hours, and where AI truly helps SDRs versus where human reps still win.

Kristin Fracchia, Head of Marketing at Gamma who built brand-conscious campaigns that scaled to millions, walks through audacious launch tactics. She breaks down the Twist framework, staging viral stunts with influencers and celebrities, and pragmatic PR moves like landing big exclusives. Expect sharp takes on distribution, attribution, and making tiny teams punch above their weight.

Kieran Flanagan, SVP of Marketing at HubSpot who builds internal AI workflows, walks through hands-on AI tooling. He explains how AI personalization boosted meetings by 30%. He demos tools that extract viral talking points from video, automate management summaries across a 350-person team, and replace old prompt tricks with intent matching.

Ethan Smith, CEO of Graphite and AEO researcher who helped growth at Instagram and Robinhood, joins to debunk SEO myths with large-scale data. He shows why AI is not killing search. Small sites can gain traffic. Mentions and citations matter more in the AI era. Practical tactics for mining prompts, cleaning citations, and prioritizing where to show up are discussed.

Jay Acunzo, an author and storytelling expert, shares insights on making brands resonate rather than just reach. He argues that having 100 fervent fans trumps 100,000 casual followers. Acunzo introduces the concept of Unsolicited Response Rate (URR) as a better metric for engagement and emphasizes the need for brands to establish a distinct premise to stand out. He advocates for cultivating brand personalities and using AI as a creative augmentation tool, not a replacement. Tune in for actionable strategies on creating meaningful content!

Neville Medhora, founder of Copywriting Course and SwipeFile.com, dives into the shifting landscape of copywriting in the age of AI. He highlights the dangers of relying on fully automated content, which often disappoints. Neville discusses the decline of generic how-to blogs, emphasizing the rise of personalized content. He shares his efficient 'Voice Ramble' technique for fast writing and stresses that developing good taste is the new essential skill for writers. Join him to explore how strategic thinking will shape the future of copywriting.