BuzzStream Digital PR and Link Building Podcast

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114

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Oct 2026

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Join host Vince Nero as he interviews link building, SEO, and digital PR experts to bring you tips and tricks for better coverage and rankings.

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October 21, 2026Episode 841 min

What Works in Tech PR in 2026 with Jasper Hamill (Machine)

Why a tech journalist says you should put the word "crisis" in your subject line, and what he actually wants from PR. On this episode of the BuzzStream Podcast, I'm joined by Jasper Hamill, a tech journalist with almost 20 years of experience whose work has appeared in The Sun, the Daily Mirror, and Metro. Today he's a freelance journalist and consultant, and he runs his own tech news publication, Machine (machine.news). We talk about covering the tech and science sector, why covering the community beats covering the news, how Jasper uses press releases, what brands can do to get into the news today, and why he wants PRs to support the little people. 🔑 Key Takeaways: Cover the community, not just the news. A product launch won't win big traffic because everybody covers it, while tapping into what a community is angry or annoyed about is what gets clicks. Real events beat abstract warnings. Jasper's "Cursor goes rogue in YOLO mode" story did really well and landed on Hacker News. Actual events that happen are "real gold dust to journalists." A press release with a quote helps a small, busy publication. It sums up a long report, gives him someone to quote and tag on LinkedIn, and speeds up quick news-in-brief stories. He still prefers to find his own angle. Pitch "it's going to get worse, and here's why." Jasper tells clients to put "crisis" in the subject line and to show how dreadful things are without their product, not how amazing the product is. Support the little people. Small publications and independent journalists notice when PRs and their clients like and reshare their work on LinkedIn. 00:00 – Intro 01:56 – What is Machine, and why did you start it? 05:04 – Have you noticed new techniques or types of writing that work in news these days? 11:47 – How many of your stories came from pitches versus your own research and interests? 15:49 – Why do you find press releases so useful? 19:44 – Do you prefer being pitched a story, or being given the data and finding your own angle? 23:28 – If I have survey data, is it more helpful to also give you quotes and an expert? 26:47 – How does a brand get into the news these days? 33:07 – What do you make of the clash between owned media and earned media? 36:04 – Is there anything we haven't talked about that you'd want listeners to know? 39:48 – Where can people find Jasper?Guest: Jasper Hamill, Freelance Journalist & Consultant, Founder of Machine https://machine.news https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasperhamill Check out ListIQ, our AI-powered media list building tool —Link: https://www.buzzstream.com/listIQ See the full transcript: https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/jasper-hamill-podcast/ If you got something out of this one, like, subscribe, and leave a review. It helps a lot!

October 14, 2026Episode 739 min

Building Brands in the AI Era with Mordy Oberstein

🎙️ Brand has a brand problem. Now that AI is shaping how people see you, you can't afford to ignore it. Mordy Oberstein, head of brand at SE Ranking and Planable, joins Vince to break down what brand actually is (hint: it's not a TV ad), why compounding association beats the big splash, and how he uses sentiment to spot problems in AI visibility. Plus: the About page as an LLM cheat code, why data only gives you flags, and how digital PR opens doors for what you want to do tomorrow. 🔑 Key Takeaways: - Brand is just how people relate to you as an entity. Everyone has one. - If people don't think about you at all, you don't have a business. - Start with "who are you?" If you can't fill out your About page, start earlier. It's one of the few pages where you can tell the bot exactly what you do and who you're for. - Compound association beats the big splash. Be Nike in the '80s, not Red Bull. You don't need huge budgets, but you do need time. - Track AI sentiment, not just visibility. High visibility with low sentiment signals a perception problem (Gatorade) or a legacy problem (Garmin). Data gives you flags, not conclusions. - Everything compounds across channels. Judge PR by the doors it opens, not just its own ROI. ⏰ Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro 01:53 – Why does "brand" have such a negative connotation in SEO and marketing? 05:35 – Where do you start when a company needs to build its brand? 06:38 – Is the About page a good starting point? 09:27 – What are the different strategies brands can take, like Red Bull or Duolingo? 12:09 – Is the head of brand role the same at every company? 17:24 – What misconceptions do people have about how brand impacts AI visibility? 19:55 – What does a day in the life look like for you at SE Ranking and Planable? 24:06 – How important is brand for a small business like a plumber? 27:11 – Outside of social listening, how are you measuring brand? 32:37 – How should people use PR to shape how their brand is perceived? 37:27 – Where can people connect with you? Guest: Mordy Oberstein, Head of Brand, SE Ranking & Planable https://seranking.com/ https://planable.io/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mordyoberstein/ Check out ListIQ, our AI-powered media list building tool: https://www.buzzstream.com/listIQ See the full transcript: https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/mordy-oberstein-podcast/ If you enjoyed this one, please like, subscribe, and share it with your colleagues. It helps a lot!

October 7, 2026Episode 643 min

How Digital PR Actually Gets You Into AI Answers with Ross Hudgens

🎙️ Digital PR won't get you into AI answers on its own. Here's what actually connects a media placement to being recommended by ChatGPT, Google, and Claude. Ross Hudgens, CEO and founder of Siege Media and author of the new book Generative Engine Optimization: The Definitive Guide to AI SEO, returns to the BuzzStream Podcast for a second time. Vince and Ross dig into the book's digital PR sections: why mentions beat citations, how to tell if a brand is a fit for news coverage, the pain point matrix, best X lists, qualifying citation targets, syndication, and what Ross has changed his mind on. 🔑 Key Takeaways: - Digital PR isn't a direct line into AI answers. Data studies get cited as data points, but the bigger win is reusing that data to lift the bottom-funnel pages that get mentioned on transactional prompts. - Aim for mentions, not citations. Citation click-through is "abysmal," and unlinked top-funnel coverage won't get you named "the best" on commercial prompts. - Brand is a qualifier for news coverage. Siege's rough baseline is 20,000+ monthly branded searches, plus a pain point that's both deep and wide. - Stress test every asset: could this data go on a sales page? Off-topic assets are easy for AI models to discount. - Qualify citation targets by real traffic and reach, not citation counts. Many highly cited sites have no traffic. ⏰ Timestamps 00:00 – Intro 02:31 – What's changed about Siege Media's approach to digital PR, and why? 05:23 – What's the through line from a media placement to an AI answer? 08:13 – Should you be aiming for citations or mentions within an AI answer? 10:06 – What does it mean that digital PR is an "accelerant" for brands, and can small brands use it? 14:20 – How does the pain point matrix work? 16:15 – How do you know if you've stepped too far outside your core audience? 19:25 – Should digital PR be judged on links and coverage, or on the bottom line? 21:45 – How does expert commentary play into GEO and AI exposure? 25:06 – Should you build "best X" lists on your own site? 28:29 – Where's the line between using best X lists and abusing them? 32:34 – How should you qualify the sites that show up as top citations for your prompts? 36:09 – What's your take on syndication and its influence on AI? 39:25 – What changed your mind while writing the book? 41:28 – When does the book come out, and where can people buy it? Guest: Ross Hudgens, CEO & Founder, Siege Media https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosshudgens/ https://www.siegemedia.com/ https://www.siegemedia.com/geo-book Check out ListIQ, our AI-powered media list building tool: https://www.buzzstream.com/listIQ See the full transcript: https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/ross-hudgens-podcast/ If you enjoyed this one, like, subscribe, and leave a review. It helps a lot!

September 30, 2026Episode 531 min

The Return of Traditional Marketing Tactics with Billy Wright

A white-text-on-white-background site about a fake brand ranked in three days — and got pulled into AI. Old-school SEO is back (for now). Billy Wright, head of AI and marketing innovation at Direct Online Marketing, joins Vince to take a macro look at where marketing is headed — and why marketing in 2027 might look a lot like the early 2000s. They get into Billy's old-school SEO experiments, why reputation management now goes way beyond your website, where small businesses should spend limited time and money on GEO, and what agentic AI (think Gemini Spark reading your inbox) is about to mean for marketers. 🔑 Key Takeaways: - SEO isn't going anywhere — but SEOs who aren't adapting to AI are in trouble. - Old-school spam tactics are working again for now; tactics from even three months ago have already stopped working. - There's no excuse not to own your brand's message — Billy has seen a press release about an unknown brand indexed in ChatGPT in about 20 minutes. Back claims up with reviews, UGC, case studies, and unique data. - Reputation management goes beyond your website: AI pulls in customer complaints, and agents will read your sales emails, invoices, and customer service replies. - Build your footprint now — Billy expects it to get much harder for small brands with no data built up to get recommended once agentic AI arrives. ⏰ Timestamps 00:00 – Intro 01:56 – GEO or AEO — what do you call it? 02:21 – Are SEOs who aren't adapting to AI finished? 03:45 – Are old-school SEO tactics working again? 06:55 – What have those tests taught you about how AI models work? 08:47 – Which platforms and channels will carry more weight in the coming years? 11:55 – If the game is providing value AI can't, how does reputation management fit in? 16:13 – How do you get siloed teams like SEO, PR, social, and email on the same page? 18:26 – Where should small businesses with limited time and money start with GEO? 21:04 – Can you fake it if your messaging doesn't match what everyone else says about you? 23:23 – What is agentic engine optimization, and what does it mean for marketing? 28:17 – What haven't we covered that people should know? 29:14 – Where can people learn more about you and Direct Online Marketing? 😀 Our Guest: Billy Wright, Head of AI and Marketing Innovation, Direct Online Marketing https://www.directom.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/pittsburghseoservices/ Check out ListIQ, our AI-powered media list building tool: https://www.buzzstream.com/listIQ See the full transcript: https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/billy-wright-podcast/ ‎ If you got something out of this one, like, subscribe, and leave a review — it helps a lot.

September 24, 2026Episode 435 min

How to Find Real Human Stories for PR and Journalism with Edd Dracott (Folc)

AI is making it easier than ever to fake an "expert" — which is exactly why real human stories matter more to journalists (and PRs) than ever. In this episode, I'm joined by Edd Dracott, founder of Folc, a boutique agency that finds the real human stories and case studies behind PR and marketing campaigns. Edd spent nine years as a journalist at the Press Association — the UK's national news agency — running online news gathering, verification, and PA's "real life" human-interest desk, before leaving to build Folc and do the same work for PR teams. ⏰ Timestamps 00:00 – Intro 01:54 – What Are "Human Stories" in Journalism? 04:46 – What Inspired You to Start Folk? 08:26 – How Does Your Social Media Background Connect to Finding These Stories? 11:28 – What Are Some Examples of Campaigns You've Worked On? 16:53 – Why Do Great Quotes Matter So Much to a Story? 21:00 – How Do You Ask the Right Questions to Get Great Quotes? 23:00 – How Do You Actually Find These People Online? 27:34 – What Do People Struggle With Most When Sourcing Stories? 31:30 – When You've Found Multiple People, How Do You Decide Who to Use? 32:18 – Is This a UK-Specific Problem, or a Global One? 33:50 – Where Can People Find Folk? 🔗 Links Guest: Edd Dracott, Founder, Folc https://www.folcstories.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/edd-dracott/ Check out ListIQ, our AI-powered media list building tool: https://www.buzzstream.com/listIQ See the full transcript: https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/human-stories-podcast/ If you liked this one, smash like, subscribe, and leave a review — it really helps us bring on more great guests like Edd. 🙏

September 16, 2026Episode 335 min

Inside Australian PR with Jasmin Hyde (Hyde and Seek Communications)

This week Vince sits down with Jasmin Hyde, founding director of Hyde and Seek Communications, a PR agency based in Australia. They cover how AEO and AI visibility are reshaping PR strategy, why case studies are nearly non-negotiable for Australian media, why a phone call still beats an email pitch there, and the tools and databases her team actually uses.🔑 Key Takeaways: Case studies are the single biggest lever in Australian PR — journalists want validation from a real person or customer, not just data. A "no" over the phone beats a "no" over email — email silence tells you nothing; a phone call almost always gets you a reason and a chance to reshape the pitch. Reactive PR should never be a standalone strategy — it can't shape a story the way targeted, proactive PR can, so the strongest programs run both together. Copying a UK or US playbook is the most common market-entry mistake — Australian coverage responds to local spokespeople, local data, and local relevance, not an imported case study. ⏰ Timestamps 00:00 – Intro 02:11 – What's the difference between traditional PR, digital PR, and media relations today? 03:49 – Do you specialize in a certain type of PR, or does it depend on the client? 05:06 – How is AI visibility (AEO) changing the way brands think about PR strategy? 07:46 – What PR tactics stand out — data-driven stories, case studies, and reactive PR? 17:41 – What makes pitching in Australia different from the US and UK? 21:09 – How do you find local case studies and run campaigns without being on the ground? 24:23 – Why do phone calls still matter in Australian PR? 26:18 – Is Australia's journalist scene a tight-knit world — and how is it changing? 28:52 – What media databases and tools do you rely on? 32:31 – What campaigns are you most proud of, and where can people find you? Jasmin Hyde, Founding Director, Hide and Seek Communications https://hydeandseek.agency/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasmin-hyde/ Check out ListIQ, our AI-powered media list building tool: Link: https://www.buzzstream.com/listIQ See the full transcript: https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/jasmin-hyde-australian-pr/ If you liked this one, hit subscribe, leave a rating, and let us know in the comments — it helps a lot.

September 9, 2026Episode 236 min

Digital PR is Getting Boring (and How to Fix it)

Digital PR campaigns are starting to blend together — the same survey-led indexes and "most Googled X" pieces, over and over. In this episode, Olivia Wiltshire, Head of Digital PR at Brave Bison, makes the case for moving past familiar formats and walks through exactly how her team finds and pitches ideas that stand out. ⏱️ Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 2:15 - What's changed in digital PR over the years 4:44 - What kinds of digital PR campaigns are overdone right now? 7:55 - Do clients come to you with preconceived ideas about what a campaign should look like? 10:57 - If a campaign type is already working, why push the boundaries at all? 14:29 - What does successfully pushing the boundaries actually look like? 18:55 - How do you connect a creative idea back to the client's actual goal? 21:57 - How do you know if an idea is actually worth pursuing? 23:42 - What separates a good idea from a bad one? 25:20 - How do you pitch a campaign format you've never done before? 26:34 - How do you make the case for pushing boundaries when a client's already happy? 27:38 - Have you ever had a campaign fail, and what causes that? 31:54 - How does AI search change all of this? 🔗 Links: https://bravebison.com Olivia on LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/olivia-wiltshire ListIQ: https://www.buzzstream.com/listIQ See the full transcript: https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/olivia-wiltshire-podcast/ 👍 If you found this useful, like, subscribe, and leave a review — it helps a ton.

September 1, 2026Episode 134 min

How to Find and Pitch Real Case Studies for Digital PR with Becca Peel

Real people are becoming one of the biggest differentiators in digital PR pitches—especially as journalists grow wary of AI-generated “experts.” Becca Peel, Head of Digital PR at Tank, breaks down exactly how her team finds, verifies, and pitches real people and case studies for its campaigns. In this episode: How Tank finds relevant case studies What makes someone a strong—or weak—case study How to verify that a source is a real person When to lead with data versus the human story How to tailor case studies and media lists by publication ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction 02:10 – Why case-study-led PR is growing 04:45 – Whose job is it to find case studies? 07:00 – How Tank finds case studies 10:10 – What makes a bad case study? 11:35 – Shaping the story without forcing it 14:10 – Case-study-led PR in the US 16:00 – How to verify a real person 21:05 – Does every pitch need a case study? 22:20 – Tailoring case studies by publication 25:10 – Leading with data versus the human story 26:40 – Building a media list around a case study 31:15 – Final advice for pitching case studies😀 About Becca Peel Becca Peel is Head of Digital PR at Tank. Tank: https://tank.co.uk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beccapeelpr/ ⭐️ Resources Build targeted media lists with ListIQ: https://www.buzzstream.com/listIQ Read the full transcript: https://www.buzzstream.com/blog/case-studies-podcast/ 👍 If you found this useful, like the video, subscribe, and leave a comment—it helps a ton.

August 18, 2026Episode 5441 min

Is Journalism in Trouble? A Convo with the Press Gazette's Editor-in-Chief

In this episode of the BuzzStream Podcast, host Vince Nero talks with Dominic Ponsford, editor-in-chief of Press Gazette, about the state of journalism in the age of AI. Dominic has covered the industry since the 1990s and offers a candid, data-informed look at how publishers are losing ground to Google, Meta, and AI platforms. Plus the story behind Press Gazette's investigation into fabricated AI "experts" quoted across major UK news outlets, and what it all means for the future of PR. ⏰ Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro 03:46 – The Google/AI content bargain, and who's really benefiting 09:44 – How newsrooms are using AI today (and what's coming next) 12:22 – UK vs. US: copyright, contract law, and new legal fronts against tech giants 17:56 – Tracking the real scale of journalism layoffs 20:26 – How publishers are fighting back: subscriptions, newsletters, YouTube, events 30:06 – Exposing AI-fabricated "experts" quoted across UK media 33:40 – DMCA takedowns and the "parasite SEO" industry 36:51 – Is the PR industry in trouble? 🔗 Resources mentioned: https://pressgazette.co.uk/ https://pressgazette.substack.com/s/future-of-media-newsletter https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominicponsford/ https://pressgazette.co.uk/platforms/cloudflare-says-bot-blocking-is-fueling-publisher-ai-deals/ https://pressgazette.co.uk/news/journalism-job-cuts-in-2026-updates/ https://pressgazette.co.uk/news/faces-of-fakery-more-fake-and-ai-generated-experts-con-their-way-into-media/ List IQ — https://www.buzzstream.com/listiq/ 👍 Like this episode, subscribe for more, and share it with your colleagues.💬 Have a question for Dominic? Reply to the Press Gazette newsletter, the BuzzStream newsletter, or drop a comment below.

August 12, 2026Episode 5340 min

Personalization in AI Results with Garrett Sussman (iPullRank)

Google's Personal Intelligence, ChatGPT memory, and Gmail integrations are quietly reshaping AI search results — and almost nobody is measuring it. In this episode, Garrett Sussman (iPullRank) breaks down his hands-on experiment seeding fake personas with emails, photos, and personas to see exactly how much personalization skews AI recommendations — and what it means for SEO, digital PR, and content strategy. Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro 02:03 – How big is the personalization "slice of the pie"? 04:15 – Is personalization opt-in, or becoming the default? 08:38 – When does the opt-in actually happen? 10:11 – The experiment: building 3 synthetic Gmail personas 13:12 – Photos vs. emails 15:16 – How long does it take content to start influencing AI results? 20:12 – Citations vs. mentions: which one actually matters now? 25:02 – The unopened newsletter email that still got cited 30:47 – Tactics: how brands should actually adapt 34:25 – Did spam or trashed emails get pulled into results?🔗 Learn more about ListIQ: https://www.buzzstream.com/listiq 🔗 Connect with Garrett Sussman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garrettsussman/ 🔗 iPullRank: https://www.ipullrank.com 🔗 SEO Week: https://www.seoweek.com

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