Advertise on podcast: Love At First Search (formerly Social Slowdown)

AI can know exactly who you are and still never recommend you. That’s the distinction Meg Casebolt explores in this episode of Love At First Search: the difference between being recognized by AI systems and being selected as a strong fit for a specific problem. Recognition answers questions like: Who are you?What do you do?What company are you connected to?What topics are you associated with?Recommendation asks something harder:Why you, for this specific need? That requires more than identity. It requires enough public evidence for a system to understand your expertise, trust your authority, distinguish your point of view, and connect you to the right problem. In this episode, Meg talks about why broad visibility is not the goal, why smaller specialists can outperform bigger generalists for specific recommendation queries, and why established experts often already have the expertise but lack a clear enough public record for AI systems to recognize the pattern. She also explains why “just publish more content” is often the wrong advice, how fragmented expertise creates ambiguity, and why recommendation emerges from patterns across a body of work rather than from one optimized page or one self-declared claim. The key idea: Recognition means the system knows who you are. Recommendation means it has enough evidence to choose you. And for service providers, consultants, coaches, and other experts, that second outcome is the one that actually matters. Go deeper in the AI Findability Library: https://loveatfirstsearch.com/ai-library/

Search isn’t dead, but Google isn't the only tool that peoplea re using anymore And the path between someone asking a question and finding the right expert has changed. For years, search worked through a fairly simple model: someone typed a query into Google, Google ranked a list of webpages, and the goal of SEO was to earn a high enough position to get the click. That still happens. But it’s no longer the whole system. Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and other AI-mediated search tools can now interpret questions, retrieve information from multiple sources, compare what they find, and synthesize an answer before someone ever visits a website. That changes what experts need to make visible. In this episode, Meg Casebolt, founder of Love At First Search, explains how modern search is moving beyond page rankings and keyword-first content strategy toward a system that also has to understand the source behind the information: who you are, what you know, what you’re known for, and whether there is enough evidence to trust and recommend you. You’ll hear about why AI did not suddenly replace search when ChatGPT launched, how individual ideas can be retrieved from webpages and synthesized into larger answers, why Meg no longer starts content strategy with keyword volume, and why expert ideas need to be stated explicitly enough for both humans and machines to understand. Meg also explores how zero-click search changes measurement. Rankings and traffic still matter, but they no longer tell the entire story. Citations, mentions, branded searches, recognition, trust, and recommendation are becoming part of the discoverability picture too. The takeaway: modern search is no longer only about getting a webpage to rank. It’s about making your expertise understandable enough to retrieve, credible enough to trust, and clear enough to recommend. Go deeperFor more on AI discoverability and how search systems evaluate information and expertise: How AI Chooses What to Citehttps://loveatfirstsearch.com/how-ai-chooses-what-to-cite/Google AI Search: How Search Is Changinghttps://loveatfirstsearch.com/google-ai-search/Why I Returned to Blogging for AI Discoverabilityhttps://loveatfirstsearch.com/blogging-for-ai/AI Findability Libraryhttps://loveatfirstsearch.com/ai-library/

After nearly three years of podcast silence, I’m reviving this feed — but not to pick up exactly where Social Slowdown left off. Search has changed. My work has changed with it. And the questions I’m most interested in now are less about ranking for keywords and more about how experts become easier to understand, trust, and recommend across Google, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, YouTube, and the rest of the public web. In this reintroduction episode, I explain why I decided to revive an old podcast feed instead of starting from scratch, what happened when dormant listeners immediately started downloading three-year-old episodes again, and how I’m thinking about the value of old content, existing audiences, and accumulated authority. I also lay out the experiment I’m running across the blog, YouTube, this podcast, and LinkedIn: taking the same core concepts, translating them into different formats, and tracking both how humans respond and how search and AI systems pick them up. Over the next several episodes, we’ll get into: recognition vs. recommendationthe Unmistakable Authority Methodentity claritysemantic territoryauthority architecturepublic evidence and reinforcementwhy you can’t build authority in privatehow omnichannel distribution can strengthen your signalpositioning and narrative differentiationwhat to do when years of accumulated content start making you harder to understand, not easier If you’ve been here since Social Slowdown, thanks for sticking around. If you found me more recently, welcome. Love At First Search is now about expert authority, discoverability, and the future of search. Explore the AI Findability Library: loveatfirstsearch.com/ai-library

Jessica Abel's background as an author led her to assume that mass marketing and a large audience was the ONLY way to succeed as a business owner; Thankfully, she finally figured out that her business models needed to first pay her bills, and THEN she could make decisions about audience and marketing style. In this week's episode, Jessica (she/her) and I discuss: How to think about choosing a business model, and why/when you may choose one over anotherChoosing a business model that allows you to make more money in less timeWorking with fewer clients for more money versus working with more clients for less moneyFiguring out how social media fits into your marketing - what do you need it to do for you? Connect with Jessica: Learn more on Jessica's websiteThe Autonomous Creative podcast A little bit about Jessica: Jessica Abel (she/her) is a graphic novelist, author, creative business coach, and the founder of Autonomous Creative, a coaching company that helps mid-career creative professionals build businesses that can pay their bills AND honor their creativity. Abel founded the company in response to the ever-greater struggle creatives face in making a living. Pushing back on the “starving artist” mythology, Abel focuses on business fundamentals, stripped of jargon and adapted to the unique needs of creative professionals, and puts the tools of making real money in less time—without creative compromise—into the hands of the artists, writers, and entrepreneurs who need them. Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit loveatfirstsearch.substack.com

By now we know that what works for one, may not work for another. And in this week's episode, I'm talking with Jessica Lackey all about business models, and how sometimes what makes sense for other people may not make sense for you and your business. Maybe the traffic-based business models that we're sold can actually be less profitable than a lower, slower pace of business. Jessica Lackey is a strategy and operations advisor who is on a mission to radically disrupt mainstream business culture in an effort to create sustainable businesses with a human-centric approach. With a background in corporate leadership, McKinsey & Company consulting, and a Harvard Business degree, Jessica knows a thing or two about hustle culture and what it feels like to judge success by the bottom line…at all costs. Now, she combines her deep experience in consulting, Fortune 500 operations leadership, and coaching to help businesses grow without sacrificing the well-being of their clients, team, and community. Here's what you can expect from this episode: The importance of community and relationship marketingThe "cult-ish" side of social media (in regards to online business)Why you DON'T need to build your business like everyone elseBusiness models and the math behind scale Connect with Jessica: Sign up for her newsletter and/or take the quiz "What’s Your Stage of Business?"Learn more about Jessica Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit loveatfirstsearch.substack.com

Marissa Lawton is an 8-year online entrepreneur and conduit for ancient women’s wisdom who guides feminine seekers to reclaim their divine power and channel it into their businesses. As a former licensed therapist who left the medical model of mental health care, Marissa had a behind-the-scenes look into how patriarchal systems and structures continue to diminish women’s ability to co-create the lives and businesses that serve their innate needs. And her Work in the world is to change that. By helping women reconnect to nature’s rhythms, Marissa aims to reintroduce long-denied mysteries and reestablish deep feminine roots in the entrepreneurial space. In this week's episode, Marissa and I are talking about how you can bring more feminine energy into your business. We discuss: Living from a rooted placeIntuitive decision-making for your businessListening to your intuition versus having an analytical mindset when it comes to business decision-making; Can you do both?What does masculine and feminine energy look like in a business?Traditional marketing with a mystical, sacred flare and how you can bring mysticality into your businessRedefining your measure of successSome examples of how you can bring more feminine energy into your business Connect with Marissa: RootedFeminine.comRooted Feminine PodcastFollow Rooted Feminine on InstagramMarissa Lawton - Side Hustles for PsychotherapistsTake the quiz: "What season of “re-rooting” are you in?" Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit loveatfirstsearch.substack.com

In this week's podcast episode, I'm thrilled to be speaking with Diann Wingert, a fellow female solopreneur with ADHD. Diann Wingert became a business strategist, coach, and mentor after a 20-year career as a psychotherapist. Her mission is to help ambitious outliers with big ideas and busy brains get focused, fired up, and flame retardant. Diann is the creator of The Boss Up Breakthrough, host of The Driven Woman Entrepreneur Podcast, and an expert on creative female entrepreneurs with ADHD traits. In this episode, we talk about: Therapy vs. coaching: What's the difference, and which one should you seek out?Why the shift from a social media-based marketing strategy to an SEO-based marketing strategy may be the exact thing you need and why many female solopreneurs are afraid to make this switchRejection sensitivity, confidence, and fear of failureSocial media and mental healthHow ADHD and giftedness in women can be both challenges and advantages in self-employment Connect with Diann: Learn more about Diann WingertConnect with Diann on LinkedInListen to The Driven Woman Entrepreneur Podcast Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit loveatfirstsearch.substack.com

This is the second part of my 2-part conversation with Briar Harvey about all things social media, online marketing, neurodiversity, mental illness, and accessibility. If you haven't already listened to Part 1, you can listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1887252/13429205 We also talk about our ability to focus, the importance of our choice of words, and how the average attention span has decreased significantly over the past decade. About Briar Harvey: Briar Harvey is a storyteller and systems witch. She believes that everything has a story and exists within a system. The trick then, is figuring out how to change the rules and tell a better story. She is an IDEA Consultant (that's Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility) with a focus on Neurodivergence (that's ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, etc). She helps companies create and implement accessibility plans that increase employee retention by at least 50%. In her free time, she writes stuff and records podcasts. She’s the founder of The Neurodiversity Media Network, a collaborative and accessible media company that is hosting and curating all the news that is relevant to neurodivergent folks. Find her at briarharvey.com and neurodiversitymedianetwork.com Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit loveatfirstsearch.substack.com

Buckle up for Part 1 of a 2-part episode with Briar Harvey about all things social media, online marketing, neurodiversity, mental illness, and accessibility. We talk about the fear of missing out on social media, what it's like to run an online business AND consume content as someone who is neurodivergent, and more. Listen to Part 2 here. About Briar Harvey: Briar Harvey is a storyteller and systems witch. She believes that everything has a story and exists within a system. The trick then, is figuring out how to change the rules and tell a better story. She is an IDEA Consultant (that's Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility) with a focus on Neurodivergence (that's ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia, etc). She helps companies create and implement accessibility plans that increase employee retention by at least 50%. In her free time, she writes stuff and records podcasts. She’s the founder of The Neurodiversity Media Network, a collaborative and accessible media company that is hosting and curating all the news that is relevant to neurodivergent folks. Find her at briarharvey.com and neurodiversitymedianetwork.com Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit loveatfirstsearch.substack.com

This episode is all about planning your marketing strategy as an entrepreneur. Michelle Mazur talks about the importance of figuring out your messaging before your marketing. We talk about: The importance of collaboration for your marketing strategyHow you can do less, but BETTER and more efficiently - so you can do more of the things you loveIt's not just about the strategy - it's also about the metrics!The Expert Up Club Connect with Michelle: The Expert Up ClubLearn more about Dr Michelle Mazur and her business, Communication Rebel More about Michelle Mazur: Michelle Mazur works with brilliant business owners who are shaking things up...but having trouble talking about it. She combines the tools of successful social movements with the qualitative research skills she earned in her communications PhD to help them craft their powerful, captivating message. The author of 3 books (including the newly-updated 3 Word Rebellion) and featured in Fast Company, Entrepreneur and Inc., she knows that speaking about what you do in a clear and captivating way is the key to reaching the people you could help the most. Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit loveatfirstsearch.substack.com

In this week's episode, Jen Liddy talks about how her Facebook account got hacked and caused her to completely rethink her marketing strategy for her business. We also discuss: When TikTok and other social media platforms can work for you, versus when it can be much harder to make it work for youThe pros and cons of scaling your businessThe value and cost of laborWhere your freedom comes from as an entrepreneurThe importance of relationships as you grow your businessReexamining the relationship you have with your business: what do you want and why do you want it? Connect with Jen: Learn more about Jen LiddyContent Creation Made Easy Podcast with Jen Liddy Click here to read the blog post Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit loveatfirstsearch.substack.com

Last week I launched my new book, Social Slowdown: Market Your Business Without Sacrificing Your Mental Health. So for this week's podcast episode, I figured I'd give you a sneak peek into the book with an audiobook version of the introduction. If you want to read the whole book, you can get it for just $3.99 for the Kindle, or for $9.99 for a paperback copy - OR you can get a signed paperback for $20. About this book: In a digital world dominated by social media, Meg Casebolt made a bold decision that would challenge the status quo. Seeking respite from the incessant noise and distractions, she embarked on a 100-day social media break, uncertain of the consequences it might have on her business. To her surprise, Meg discovered that her hiatus had no detrimental impact on her thriving SEO marketing agency. Curiosity piqued, she delved deeper into the experiences of fellow entrepreneurs and small business owners who shared their secret desires to break free from the clutches of social media's grip. Driven by a desire to understand the dangers lurking beneath the surface, Meg embarked on a profound exploration of the hidden perils of social media. With meticulous research and personal anecdotes, she unraveled the insidious links between addiction, depression, anxiety, and patriarchal oppression that often go unnoticed in the digital landscape. Meg, in her wisdom, realized that boundaries were the key to reclaiming control and finding balance in the digital realm. Drawing from her own transformative journey, she shares five invaluable strategies to establish healthier relationships with social media—ways to protect your mental well-being, safeguard personal privacy, and nurture genuine connections in an era of superficiality. But Meg doesn't stop there. She extends a lifeline to those yearning for liberation from the clutches of social media's alluring yet detrimental embrace. With passion and expertise, she unveils a comprehensive array of 20 marketing alternatives—innovative, impactful strategies that can catapult businesses to success while enabling them to ditch social media for good. Join Meg on an eye-opening odyssey as she dismantles the myths and illuminates the shadows surrounding social media. Through her empowering words, she invites entrepreneurs and small business owners to embrace a new paradigm, one that champions mindful engagement, authentic connections, and unparalleled growth beyond the constraints of the digital universe. This book is an invitation to reimagine the future—a future where you can thrive without surrendering your sanity to the endless scroll. Are you ready to embark on this transformative journey and discover the untapped potential that lies beyond the confines of social media? Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit loveatfirstsearch.substack.com

Ohhhh gosh y'all... You're probably wondering why I'm releasing a podcast episode today instead of Tuesday, and if you pre-ordered the Social Slowdown book, then you already know that we ran into some ~technical~ issues. Well, I'm here to be fully transparent about what went awry. If you're listening to this episode on July 27th, 2023, - then today is the day that my book's pre-orders were SUPPOSED to go live. But as we all know too well, being a business owner comes with its own obstacles. In this episode, I talk about the pre-publishing errors I encountered with the Social Slowdown book, what I learned from this experience, and the reality of making mistakes as a business owner. Get a signed paperback copy for $20Download the Kindle version for $3.99 Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit loveatfirstsearch.substack.com

I hired Lacy Boggs to help me write the first draft of the Social Slowdown book, and today she's here with me to talk all about the writing process. We also talk about: Book launch strategyHow it felt to work with a ghost writerThe difference between a ghost writer and a co-authorThe book publication processThought leadership Lacy Boggs is a content strategist, author of the bestselling Kindle ebook, Make a Killing With Content, and the mastermind behind the podcast, "Ace Stone, Marketing Detective.” As director of The Content Direction Agency, she helps small business owners create and implement content marketing strategy that feels like a playground for ideas and results in deceptively powerful nurture content to create massive growth. The Social Slowdown book is available for pre-order for only $3.99 on Amazon!Learn more about Lacy Boggs Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit loveatfirstsearch.substack.com

Did you hear?! The Social Slowdown book is coming out on July 27th, 2023! If you didn't already know, I wrote a book, taking all of the best bits and pieces from this podcast and putting them together into an easily digestible format. In this episode, I explain WHY I wrote this book and what you can expect from it. You can pre-order the e-book for $3.99 or the paperback for $8.99 on Amazon. For the full show notes, transcript, and more info, visit https://www.socialslowdown.com/social-slowdown-book-coming-soon/ Support the Show. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit loveatfirstsearch.substack.com