In this episode of The Entrepreneur's Logbook Podcast, host Zachary Bernard sits down with Amber Goetz, founder of Active Media, a high-performance web and SEO agency that's been turning websites into lead generation machines since 2005. With over 500 websites under her belt and clients pulling in over $10 million through organic search, Amber has spent two decades learning what actually works in SEO.

Key Takeaways

• Start with market research: Validate search demand, competition levels, and real market need before building your business

• Fix messaging first: Address root causes (messaging and site health) before driving traffic—visitors leave for competitors if your foundation is broken

• Demand transparency: Quality SEO agencies provide visual dashboards, share keyword rankings, and educate clients rather than hiding behind "secret sauce"

• AI content is dead: Mass AI-generated blog posts no longer work; Google rewards human-reviewed, human-edited content that provides genuine value

• Optimize for AI now: Implement schema markup and voice search optimization immediately—DIY website builders are falling behind

• Focus local SEO efforts: Update Google Business Profile constantly (offers, photos, reviews every ~10 days) for local businesses

• Red flags in SEO agencies: Avoid anyone promising overnight rankings or not requesting Google Analytics/Search Console access

• Trust your instincts: Combine gut feelings with solid data when making business and technical decisions

Amber Goetz - The Active Media

Website: https://www.theactivemedia.com/ and https://goetzgo.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ambergoetz9/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seowithamber/

Zachary Bernard – We Feature You PR

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itszachb/

Website: https://www.wefeatureyou.com/

Personal site: https://zacharybernard.com/

Want press/podcast/TV features? Visit wefeatureyou.com

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