In this episode of Chat With Sean, I’m joined by Greg Heilers, co-founder of Jolly SEO, a link-building agency that focuses entirely on earned links, avoiding paid backlinks. Greg shares his insights into how AI is transforming outreach, how link-building strategies are evolving, and the ways SEOs can balance technical SEO with brand-building efforts.

We dive into the challenges of measuring ROI in outreach, the revival of interest in digital PR, and the role of brand mentions in modern SEO. Greg also discusses practical approaches for guest posting, content relevance, and engaging communities like Reddit to support brand visibility in an AI-driven search landscape.

Greg discusses:

- The evolution of earned media and why digital PR is gaining renewed importance

- How AI affects outreach and link-building strategies

- Practical approaches for guest posting and working with publishers

- How to manage brand mentions and community engagement on platforms like Reddit

Topics covered include:

- Balancing technical SEO with outreach and content promotion

- Understanding AI-driven search and how it impacts link value

- Brand visibility metrics and how to report value to clients

- Optimising outreach without paying for links

- Using Reddit and niche communities to support brand and SEO campaigns

- Practical tips for making outreach communications more effective

- Maintaining quality while scaling link-building campaigns

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