[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":4543},["ShallowReactive",2],{"podcast-marketing-leaders-kris-anderson-on-fixing-the-pipeline-perception-problem":3,"header-articles":1001,"updatesSection-all":2709,"updatesSection-all-team":3558},{"_path":4,"_dir":5,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":8,"description":9,"date":10,"audio":11,"episode":14,"minutes":15,"series":16,"guesturl":17,"guestabout":18,"authors":19,"guest":21,"guestimg":22,"iframe":23,"seotitle":8,"body":24,"_type":995,"_id":996,"_source":997,"_file":998,"_stem":999,"_extension":1000,"category":5},"/podcasts/marketing-leaders/kris-anderson-on-fixing-the-pipeline-perception-problem","marketing-leaders",false,"","Kris Anderson on Fixing the Pipeline Perception Problem","In this episode, Kris Anderson explains why pipeline generation isn’t the real problem—alignment is. He breaks down how marketing, sales, brand, and operations teams often define pipeline differently, why volume-based lead strategies are falling short, and how businesses can shift toward higher-quality engagement that actually drives revenue.","2026-05-20T17:59:56.915Z",{"url":12,"length":13},"https://share.transistor.fm/s/29a38d50","59032431","219","50","Back on T-R-A-C-K","https://www.linkedin.com/in/andersonkris/","Kris Anderson is a strategic marketing leader who drives global pipeline growth through data-driven planning, cross-functional alignment, and scalable demand generation strategies.",[20],"Kerry Guard","Kris Anderson","https://assets.mkgmarketinginc.com/a4898da2-e6c3-4a8f-8b29-d9c641015709-kris-anderson.webp","https://share.transistor.fm/e/29a38d50",{"type":25,"children":26,"toc":990},"root",[27,36,42,48,53,58,63,68,73,78,83,88,93,98,103,108,113,118,123,128,133,138,143,148,153,158,163,168,173,178,183,188,193,198,203,208,213,218,223,228,233,237,242,247,252,257,262,267,272,277,282,287,292,297,302,307,312,316,321,326,331,336,341,346,351,356,361,365,370,375,380,385,390,395,400,405,410,415,420,425,430,435,440,445,450,455,460,465,470,475,480,485,490,495,500,504,509,514,519,524,529,534,539,544,549,553,558,563,568,573,578,583,588,592,597,602,607,612,617,622,627,632,637,641,646,651,656,661,666,671,676,681,686,691,696,701,706,711,716,721,726,731,736,741,746,751,756,761,766,771,776,781,786,791,796,801,806,811,816,820,825,830,835,840,845,850,855,860,865,870,875,880,885,890,895,900,905,910,915,920,925,930,935,940,945,950,955,960,965,970,975,980,985],{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":30,"children":32},"element","h2",{"id":31},"overview",[33],{"type":34,"value":35},"text","Overview",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":38,"children":39},"p",{},[40],{"type":34,"value":41},"Kris explains that many organizations struggle with the pipeline not because marketing isn’t generating demand, but because teams don’t share a clear definition of what the pipeline actually means. He highlights the shift from chasing lead volume to focusing on quality engagement, and why marketers need tighter alignment with sales, brand, and operations, supported by shared OKRs and better visibility, to turn brand awareness into real downstream demand and meaningful business impact.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":43,"children":45},{"id":44},"transcript",[46],{"type":34,"value":47},"Transcript:",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":49,"children":50},{},[51],{"type":34,"value":52},"Kris Anderson  0:00  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":54,"children":55},{},[56],{"type":34,"value":57},"Great. Now, now, sales knows that number. Now, marketing knows that number. Now, your analytics teams and ops teams know that number, and you can all develop strategies that are pointing in the same direction. Now, obviously, this is somewhat hyperbole to make a point, but it's the notion that when you've got a clear definition of your pipeline, you have some strong thinking behind it, in terms of how it's computed, and you have a clear understanding across all of the silos and all of the teams within your go-to market. Then you can all work together, because in this example, if I'm going to say, as a marketer, I would go talk to the salesperson on your team and be like, \"Okay, great, I have a campaign idea, and based on the channels I've chosen, I think I can get like maybe 10,000 engagements within our ICP, and they're going to say, \"Oh, great, what does it look like? What's the campaign? What are the touch points? They're going to be interested in it. That conversation is going to be a whole heck of a lot different if the salesperson doesn't know the number of leads or the number of accounts that marketing is trying to touch in order to keep that pipeline healthy.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":59,"children":60},{},[61],{"type":34,"value":62},"Kerry Guard  1:16  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":64,"children":65},{},[66],{"type":34,"value":67},"Hello, I'm Kerry Guard, and welcome to Tea Time with Tech Marketing Leaders. Welcome back to the show. We are once again live here on LinkedIn, YouTube, and I'm working on Instagram. Sometimes Instagram works, sometimes it doesn't. We're figuring it out. I don't know if I'm figuring it out or if Instagram's figuring it out, but we're all figuring it out. And I look forward to the day that works. In the meantime, back at the show, if you are here with us on any of these platforms, we want to hear from you. That's the beauty of being live, is that it's interactive and engaging, and we get to answer your questions in real time, which I try to do. I really want to make sure that y'all feel like you get to walk away with something to either double down on, or try new, or feel validated in the great work y'all are doing. So we look forward to your questions. Make it happen, make it simple, or just let us know you're here and you're listening. That's cool too. We're here for that. We're here for that today. I have.. I loved this title, y'all. I was like, this is too good to be true, that I get to talk about this thing, pipeline perception, in line with some of the amazing conversations I've been having around supporting sales teams. I know I've made some pretty brunt hot takes around the fact that cold calling is dead, and it is not because you're not doing your jobs or kicking butt and taking names or working your tails off. As sales people, you are definitely doing all those things, but we as marketers need to support you better, and this conversation is going to help us do that, because pipeline is what you all are after, and we're going to help you make it happen, and this conversation is going to pull, just pull the string through, it's going to be beautiful, and I'm excited for it. Kris Anderson's here to help us figure it all out. A little bit about Kris before he tells us his own story in his own words, which I love. Before we get there, Kris has more than 13 years of experience in B2B and tech marketing. He was a director at VMware, leading a team of five direct reports to drive critical strategic initiatives for global demand generation. His mission is to enable VMware's growth and performance by overseeing and executing budget planning. Oh God, budgets, budgets, I could talk about that all day, tracking spend and investment across all marketing functions and regions. He also leads a strategic effort of global demand, identifying and analyzing program and business-level opportunities that drive outsized impact to the business. I mean, that's what it's all about. The end of the day, we're all here to serve the business. I know that's hard to hear, because it's like, but we want lives outside of business. You do, and you deserve it. Yes, and if there isn't a business that is that is making revenue, then you don't have a company to go to, and that's just a hard truth. And Kris is going to help us all find the way through. Kris, welcome to the show.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":69,"children":70},{},[71],{"type":34,"value":72},"Kris Anderson  4:37  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":74,"children":75},{},[76],{"type":34,"value":77},"Yes, thank you for having me. I am so excited to be talking about this, I got to say, when, when we reached out and had this conversation a couple of weeks ago, just getting the chance to talk about how pipeline is perceived across organizations is, as Zoolander would say, it's so hot right now, right, it's the thing that everybody is interested in unpacking, so I can't wait.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":79,"children":80},{},[81],{"type":34,"value":82},"Kerry Guard  5:00  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":84,"children":85},{},[86],{"type":34,"value":87},"We are, we do our best to do the later faces while we do it. It's accurate, exactly.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":89,"children":90},{},[91],{"type":34,"value":92},"Kris Anderson  5:04  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":94,"children":95},{},[96],{"type":34,"value":97},"Yeah.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":99,"children":100},{},[101],{"type":34,"value":102},"Kerry Guard  5:05  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":104,"children":105},{},[106],{"type":34,"value":107},"I agree. It is a hot topic. I had Tara Pollock on my show back in July of last year, where she was talking about marketing owning a revenue number. I feel like this is in line with it, but taking a step further, like how we bring people along, and so I love continuing the conversation, I love different points of view, and it's going to lend, it's going to be so helpful for us, Kris. Before we get there, we're jumping the gun, skipping to the end. Before we get there, your journey is important. I sort of just said some like blurbage around what you do, what matters is why you do it, and how you got there to doing it. So, what's your story?",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":109,"children":110},{},[111],{"type":34,"value":112},"Kris Anderson  5:45  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":114,"children":115},{},[116],{"type":34,"value":117},"Absolutely. No, it's.. I've had a very meandering career to this point, and I'm really thankful for all the different twists and turns that led me to this point, because I finally feel like I've landed in a space where I am excited to go to work. I'm excited to work with the people that I get to work with, and that's always going to be more valuable than anything else that you can get out of your career. I began actually in the sports world. I worked as a PR intern for the San Francisco ers for a couple of years and got my feet wet building a sense of urgency, a really high intense environment, and then from there I spent a few years doing some agency work out in the Silicon Valley, working on the early days of social media, so I was a member of the team that helped begin the original HP Twitter account way back in the day, which was a blast, and we had some great clients and some really big strategic thinking, and that eventually led me over to HP corporate, and I got to do some fun stuff there in the brand team with social media across analysis and campaign transcreation globally, and then when I joined VMware in 2018 I began in the field doing campaign work for regulated industry, so government, healthcare, education, and that was a blast. I mean, getting so close to supporting the sellers, learning exactly what made our customers tick, solving challenges together, and then eventually I moved on from the field role into a global demand role, and I am excited to say that I've got a brand new opportunity coming up in a couple of weeks that I could not be more thrilled to begin, and that would be doing a lot of campaign work as well. So, yeah, I'm just really lucky to have gone where I've gone, and I can't wait to get this new thing going.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":119,"children":120},{},[121],{"type":34,"value":122},"Kerry Guard  7:56  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":124,"children":125},{},[126],{"type":34,"value":127},"We're on the edge of our seats, Kris. We can't wait to see where you end up and hear more about it.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":129,"children":130},{},[131],{"type":34,"value":132},"Kerry Guard  8:02  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":134,"children":135},{},[136],{"type":34,"value":137},"Thank you for dangling the carrot. We are, we are here for it.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":139,"children":140},{},[141],{"type":34,"value":142},"Kerry Guard  8:07  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":144,"children":145},{},[146],{"type":34,"value":147},"Let's talk about it. I have a question about your journey in terms of field versus demand. So, can you just help us understand what the differences are between those two things, like what field you were with field versus where you are today?",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":149,"children":150},{},[151],{"type":34,"value":152},"Kris Anderson  8:22  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":154,"children":155},{},[156],{"type":34,"value":157},"Yeah, yeah, I think one of the easiest ways to understand field versus demand is perhaps to use an overwrought military analogy, in the sense that when you are in a field marketing role, you're very, very close to the front lines, you are supporting events, you are having conversations with your sellers every day. If you're in the field and you're not talking to your sellers every day, that's an opportunity. Whereas in demand, that's more of like the command and control section, and trying to come up with diverse strategies that can take the business forward, and if both of those organizations are too siloed, then no one's going to go anywhere, and I think the biggest insight that I had transitioning from a field role into a global demand role was just how much communication is lost in the space between groups like that historically, right, and so I feel like without the experience of sitting in the field, my career in demand would have been far less impactful, and I think you know, vice versa, right, folks that I've known who have begun in global roles and then transitioned into the field bring some unique insights to those roles, and I'm a big proponent of taking on numerous and diverse challenges throughout your career. That's my story made on the stream.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":159,"children":160},{},[161],{"type":34,"value":162},"Kerry Guard  9:51  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":164,"children":165},{},[166],{"type":34,"value":167},"I love that, and I'm in total agreement in terms of diversity. If we all live in one area, then it's hard to understand what the other person is feeling. I was a media planner back in the day, even though media planning is what it states itself.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":169,"children":170},{},[171],{"type":34,"value":172},"Kris Anderson  10:07  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":174,"children":175},{},[176],{"type":34,"value":177},"Yes.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":179,"children":180},{},[181],{"type":34,"value":182},"Kerry Guard  10:07  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":184,"children":185},{},[186],{"type":34,"value":187},"But it's really helped me from a data standpoint to really understand the impact of ads in placement and making decisions, because I had to negotiate with every single publisher.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":189,"children":190},{},[191],{"type":34,"value":192},"Kris Anderson  10:19  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":194,"children":195},{},[196],{"type":34,"value":197},"Yes, do that. ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":199,"children":200},{},[201],{"type":34,"value":202},"Kerry Guard  10:20  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":204,"children":205},{},[206],{"type":34,"value":207},"That impact is gonna make us. It was a ton of work, and I wanted to make my life easier, because at the end of the day, we, that's what we're all trying to do, is make sure that the work we're doing is both impactful but easy on ourselves, right?",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":209,"children":210},{},[211],{"type":34,"value":212},"Kris Anderson  10:36  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":214,"children":215},{},[216],{"type":34,"value":217},"Yes, yes, exactly, exactly.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":219,"children":220},{},[221],{"type":34,"value":222},"Kerry Guard  10:39  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":224,"children":225},{},[226],{"type":34,"value":227},"Let's talk about where you are today, Kris. In terms of, you got some new things happening, very exciting. You're gonna spill the tea on that on LinkedIn, and we're on the edge of our seats. But where.. But in terms of a challenge you're currently facing, or a challenge you know you're going to face, you could.. You could approach us in many ways. It's either a challenge you were facing at your previous role, a challenge you know you're going to face, or where you are in the middle. Like, I hate living in the in between. It's like purgatory for me, but, like.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":229,"children":230},{},[231],{"type":34,"value":232},"Kris Anderson  11:15  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":234,"children":235},{},[236],{"type":34,"value":97},{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":238,"children":239},{},[240],{"type":34,"value":241},"Kerry Guard  11:15  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":243,"children":244},{},[245],{"type":34,"value":246},"You know what's hard for you right now.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":248,"children":249},{},[250],{"type":34,"value":251},"Kris Anderson  11:17  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":253,"children":254},{},[255],{"type":34,"value":256},"Yeah, well, I mean, the first one is getting over this cold, that's what's hard for me at the moment. I would love to have that pass, but I will say a lot of the conversations that I've been having with former colleagues, some conversations with new colleagues coming up, are around the notion of how the pipeline is generated and how marketers talk about it, and yeah, it's just this big, you know, big hairy scary problem. Spent a lot of time recently thinking about not what necessarily can create a pipeline. I think that's the easy part, right? We're all marketers; actually, creating the pipeline is not difficult. How do we explain what we've done and make it relevant to the people that we work with, to our stakeholders, to our internal customers? I feel like that is a huge challenge, and those are unplumbed waters. And as marketers, there's an opportunity for us to potentially do a little bit better when it comes to working across the aisle with our sales stakeholders or with our leadership teams and explaining what we do in order to change that perception.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":258,"children":259},{},[260],{"type":34,"value":261},"Kerry Guard  12:31  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":263,"children":264},{},[265],{"type":34,"value":266},"Well, I appreciate the easy segue. You've done my job for me, Kris. Once again, and maybe we should switch roles.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":268,"children":269},{},[270],{"type":34,"value":271},"Speaker 2  12:41  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":273,"children":274},{},[275],{"type":34,"value":276},"Yeah, right.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":278,"children":279},{},[280],{"type":34,"value":281},"Kerry Guard  12:43  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":283,"children":284},{},[285],{"type":34,"value":286},"No, I think this is, I think this is key. I think we're all feeling it, like we are creating a pipeline. What are you talking about? And it's like the perception of what a pipeline is. Before we get there, let's pull way up. Yeah, you said it's very easy to create.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":288,"children":289},{},[290],{"type":34,"value":291},"Kris Anderson  13:02  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":293,"children":294},{},[295],{"type":34,"value":296},"Yes, pipeline.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":298,"children":299},{},[300],{"type":34,"value":301},"Kerry Guard  13:03  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":303,"children":304},{},[305],{"type":34,"value":306},"I don't know that everybody would agree with you.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":308,"children":309},{},[310],{"type":34,"value":311},"Kris Anderson  13:05  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":313,"children":314},{},[315],{"type":34,"value":97},{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":317,"children":318},{},[319],{"type":34,"value":320},"Kerry Guard  13:07  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":322,"children":323},{},[324],{"type":34,"value":325},"Feels easy for you.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":327,"children":328},{},[329],{"type":34,"value":330},"Kris Anderson  13:09  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":332,"children":333},{},[334],{"type":34,"value":335},"straight from Hot Take Central. Yeah, I think if you take a group of marketers, talented marketers, and you get them in a room, landing from nothing and just saying, \" Hey, give us a strategy and a plan for the coming fiscal year for pipeline generation. How are we going to generate demand by the end of a two or three-day working session? The internal stakeholder who made that request is going to receive a beautiful 35 slide deck that is totally on brand with lots of great illustrations and charts and a clear understanding of the channels in which the business can go to market, so when I say it's easy, I don't necessarily mean the execution of it is easy, I mean getting a general understanding for how we want to go about generating pipeline, that's the stuff that I think is table stakes, right, all marketers have a great ability to think strategically, otherwise they wouldn't be marketers, and that ability grows with time. I think when we look at whether or not it executes, okay, great, we can get into a discussion on performance, but when I say I think the generation of the demand is easy, I'm referring to that notion of we can spin up plans and strategies, and we're really, really good at doing that kind of stuff. That's perhaps why we have a precluded.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":337,"children":338},{},[339],{"type":34,"value":340},"Kerry Guard  14:27  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":342,"children":343},{},[344],{"type":34,"value":345},"We're great at creating pretty presentations. Yes, all day, every day. Yes, we mastered that art for sure. Whether we can make it happen because the market changes, or Google updates its algorithms. Thank you, Google. Helpful, or the buyer decides that they're gonna put that lovely ad blocker on his story, right?",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":347,"children":348},{},[349],{"type":34,"value":350},"Kris Anderson  14:51  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":352,"children":353},{},[354],{"type":34,"value":355},"Right. And so I think it's exactly for those reasons that you know we love as marketers, we love to also do that kind of stuff. I think, right, I mean, I enjoy more than anything else getting into a room with people that I enjoy working with and coming up with things that we collectively feel are better than what we could have come up with individually, right? The power of the team, and so I think you know, to continue the point, this this notion of we can build in channels and go to markets and budgets and plans, and then we can run some simple math to come out the end of it, and say, okay, if we are effective in executing this plan, we can generate x number of leads or x coverage within the pipeline, so on and so forth, and when the conversation gets to that point, and then you go take it to an internal stakeholder, whether that's your CRO or, you know, the VP of a region for a particular sales group, the common response is, I, okay, great, but what does that mean? How does that make my life easier?",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":357,"children":358},{},[359],{"type":34,"value":360},"Kerry Guard  15:52  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":362,"children":363},{},[364],{"type":34,"value":97},{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":366,"children":367},{},[368],{"type":34,"value":369},"Kris Anderson  15:52  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":371,"children":372},{},[373],{"type":34,"value":374},"right. And I think that's the challenge that's really, really scary for a lot of us, you know, we just spent so much time coming up with this great stuff, and then the first question is, okay, great, but what does that all mean? And it's like, you know, the anxiety just ratchets up really, really, really quickly.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":376,"children":377},{},[378],{"type":34,"value":379},"Kerry Guard  16:08  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":381,"children":382},{},[383],{"type":34,"value":384},"It could be more fun, but we don't always know that it means more money, because we don't have control over the pipeline. I think that you touched on so many things there, Kris. In terms of the struggle we're all feeling when it comes to a little laid out for folks in terms of what I'm seeing in what's happening, and then you're going to pile on, or correct me if I'm wrong, in terms of your experience, it's going to be great. There's a shift of the universe in terms of leads drying up, non-existent, hard to find when you do find them, it's a bit more down funnel, which is great. Yes, and to that, but it's harder to, it's continuously getting harder to get on my feet here, continuously harder to see more top of funnel, so when you're talking about that easy math, the math all sounds well and good based off of like historical stuff that's been happening, and we say yeah, $500 cost per lead, no problem, and then you pile in more spend because you're like well, we just need to put in more money here, and then your cost per lead goes up, and you're like, oh, just kidding, I know, I promised like 500 leads, I really need like 200 like.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":386,"children":387},{},[388],{"type":34,"value":389},"Kris Anderson  17:30  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":391,"children":392},{},[393],{"type":34,"value":394},"Exactly, I mean, gosh, I can't tell you how many conversations I have had in the past year that specifically stem from this exact topic, I remember we were having a conversation with the lead of the execution team globally, and we've come to this realization that to a degree the KPIs that we would have focused on in the past only are measuring the amount of spend that we put in, right, so if we were going to come in and say, oh great, well, we're going to generate whatever it is, 1000 MQLs, that's not a reflection of the quality of our campaigns, the quality of our strategy, the quality of our engagements with our customers, that's merely the output number from the amount that we spent on media for a given channel. Okay, great, we're going to go do content indication, and we're going to spend x number of dollars, and that's going to get us y number of leads. Well, yeah, that is the fallacy that a lot of us have relied on in the past. And I think you spoke to it very well when you said we're going through a shift. That strategy, maybe six or seven years ago, was great because we needed volume, you needed volume to convert, and you were looking at a waterfall heuristic where if you had x at the beginning of the waterfall, then that meant you would get y coming out of the bottom, and that was your demand. Now we can't get away with that anymore. There are too many channels, there's too much noise competing for the attention within our prospect base, and so quality, the focus on quality, I think, is one of the big drivers for how we can shift this notion of how our internal customers perceive the pipeline. It's not just a raw number of leads or a single dollar value attached to your ACV. It is not just the amount that you're spending; it is the quality of the leads that you are getting into the funnel.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":396,"children":397},{},[398],{"type":34,"value":399},"Kerry Guard  19:21  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":401,"children":402},{},[403],{"type":34,"value":404},"Oh my gosh, mic drop right there. I think we.. I want to sit with that for a second, because the quality we all ultimately want to get to is quality. Quality is what matters, but I feel like in using the old method of lead generation, we're burning leads and bridges faster than we can build quality, because the people who may have considered us the way that we're marketing to them don't work for them anymore.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":406,"children":407},{},[408],{"type":34,"value":409},"Kris Anderson  19:50  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":411,"children":412},{},[413],{"type":34,"value":414},"Absolutely.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":416,"children":417},{},[418],{"type":34,"value":419},"Kerry Guard  19:51  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":421,"children":422},{},[423],{"type":34,"value":424},"Let's talk about what pipeline means to you. I feel like everybody has sort of a little bit of a different, a different definition. Regarding opportunities and pipeline, so is that just like SQL, who are having sales conversations, and then you can sort of like attribute some sort of revenue to them. What does pipeline mean to you?",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":426,"children":427},{},[428],{"type":34,"value":429},"Kris Anderson  20:16  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":431,"children":432},{},[433],{"type":34,"value":434},"I'm going to be horrible in this answer, so I'm going to apologize. Pipeline should be the way that a team defines pipeline, should be dependent on the business, and I think that's where we make a lot of mistakes. We're going to hear, well, pipeline for a large enterprise, you know, Fortune 50 company is going to be just straight leads, right, leads by solution, right. And say, okay, great. Well, if I'm going to get leads for a given solution, I need to invest a certain number of dollars in my campaigns, in my go-to market, in order to get coverage to make up for whatever my conversion rate is, right? Lead to an opportunity that may work for that kind of business, but that's not going to work for you, you know, a company that's got $500,000 in annual revenue. It's just that we can't define it similarly. I think the right way to approach this is that every business should have a very clear definition of pipeline and the KPIs within that definition that all your GTM should be marching behind, right? So we need to make a bespoke pipeline for the thing that we're selling and to the audience we're selling to, and that's how we should do it. I'll say from past experience, we had a far too simple definition of pipeline, which was an attribution of marketing influence, right? While we had to hit a certain dollar amount, I think that can work in some cases. I certainly think that it requires some caveats and definition, and some quality discussion. I've also been a part of teams that looked and said, \" You know, we're going to build a pipeline to cover our average deal size, and we're going to compare the average deal size to the sales targets in the field. You multiply those two things together, and you're going to get a pipeline number. Okay, great. So, marketing needs to engage with all of that potential revenue, so it's not necessarily a $1 value, something that's attributable, attributable to $1 value, but it is the number of engagements within prospect accounts that are already in some sort of opportunity flow, right? So you can define pipeline, as you can see, in a multitude of ways, but the way that makes the most sense is the way that everybody in your GTM can understand and have a conversation about, and then make decisions, right? If nobody understands how your pipeline is defined, that's the first thing to fix.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":436,"children":437},{},[438],{"type":34,"value":439},"Kerry Guard  22:51  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":441,"children":442},{},[443],{"type":34,"value":444},"Yeah, and I think it comes back to, I love what you're saying, it really depends on the company. As a business owner, the first day I look at is straight up profit, yeah. Right, revenue minus expenses, profit, and that profit over expenses gives me a percentage to know I roughly want to be within this tier to say that I'm doing well, right, so if everyone knows what that profit to then revenue number is, and how you all get after that. I don't know that there's enough. You tell me, Kris, is there enough transparency in knowing, like, what your company's revenue is after the number is?",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":446,"children":447},{},[448],{"type":34,"value":449},"Kris Anderson  23:36  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":451,"children":452},{},[453],{"type":34,"value":454},"I think so. I mean, I think you would want to maybe build on that a little bit. I think it's a lovely example to unpack, because it can test the theory. In this case, I would ask, begin asking questions of, say, okay, how many customers would you need in order to hit that profit number? Okay, great, so you have your number of customers, and you can begin doing some back-of-the-napkin math, and begin starting to think through, okay, so maybe you need x number of customers at a y average contract value, right? Okay, if you multiply those two things together in order to hit your profit number, that's going to give you two pieces of information. It's going to give you a quality number, right? So, your average contract value has to be above a certain level, and it's going to give you a quantity number. Okay, so how many people do I need to actually get to that point? Then you can go to a marketing team, and you can say, \" Okay, if we convert.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":456,"children":457},{},[458],{"type":34,"value":459},"Kerry Guard  24:29  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":461,"children":462},{},[463],{"type":34,"value":464},"Marketing or sales?",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":466,"children":467},{},[468],{"type":34,"value":469},"Kris Anderson  24:31  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":471,"children":472},{},[473],{"type":34,"value":474},"I think that's a good question. So, at this size, are those teams different?",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":476,"children":477},{},[478],{"type":34,"value":479},"Kerry Guard  24:36  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":481,"children":482},{},[483],{"type":34,"value":484},"Oh, good question. Yeah.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":486,"children":487},{},[488],{"type":34,"value":489},"Kris Anderson  24:38  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":491,"children":492},{},[493],{"type":34,"value":494},"Right. Because at the small business size, everybody is selling to a degree, right? So you can come back to your.. and I think you.. I think you are correct, so I don't want to gloss past it, but go back to your sales teams, and you're going to say, okay, you know, in order to hit the number of customers that we need to get to this profit number, in order to have an average customer value to get to this profit number. If we convert at 10%, that means that we need to have 1500 quality accounts this year, right? That's the goal. Okay. Great. So, your pipeline, in order to cover 1500 quality accounts at a 10% engagement rate, then you do the math back up again. Okay, great. So, we need to have at least 20,000 leads, or 20,000 accounts in the pipeline, right?",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":496,"children":497},{},[498],{"type":34,"value":499},"Kerry Guard  25:22  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":501,"children":502},{},[503],{"type":34,"value":97},{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":505,"children":506},{},[507],{"type":34,"value":508},"Kris Anderson  25:23  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":510,"children":511},{},[512],{"type":34,"value":513},"Okay. Great. Now, now, sales knows that number. Now, marketing knows that number. Now, your analytics teams and ops teams know that number, and you can all develop strategies that are pointing in the same direction. Now, obviously, this is somewhat hyperbole to make a point, but it's the notion that when you've got a clear definition of your pipeline, you have some strong thinking behind it in terms of how it's computed, and you have a clear understanding across all of the silos and all of the teams within your go-to market. Then you can all work together, because in this example, if I'm going to say, as a marketer, I would go talk to the salesperson on your team and be like, okay, great, I have a campaign idea, and based on the channels I've chosen, I think I can get like maybe 10,000 engagements within our ICP, and they're going to say, oh great, what, what does it look like, what's the campaign, what are the touch points, they're going to be interested in it, that conversation is going to be a whole heck of a lot different if the salesperson doesn't know the number of leads or the number of accounts that marketing is trying to touch in order to keep that pipeline healthy, right. So, let's say in this example, if sales have no understanding of the way we are computing pipeline, they're going to come back and say, look, my commission depends on whether or not I get a certain number of closures in this month, so your engagements aren't helping me. It's like, okay, so that statement is not a reflection of a bad go-to market or a bad pipeline or an unhealthy pipeline. That statement is one where the teams within the go-to market org are not perhaps on the same plane, right? Yeah, exactly, exactly.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":515,"children":516},{},[517],{"type":34,"value":518},"Kerry Guard  27:07  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":520,"children":521},{},[522],{"type":34,"value":523},"No, I think that's really key. I had a wonderful... so I host a monthly gathering of folks who've been on the show. We have a little VIP group, which I look forward to introducing you to, Kris.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":525,"children":526},{},[527],{"type":34,"value":528},"Kris Anderson  27:20  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":530,"children":531},{},[532],{"type":34,"value":533},"Very cool.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":535,"children":536},{},[537],{"type":34,"value":538},"Kerry Guard  27:21  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":540,"children":541},{},[542],{"type":34,"value":543},"Where we just had this conversation, what they're calling ABX, so not tying it to marketing, but thinking about the full account experience as it relates to both sales and marketing pipeline being the ultimate driver. We all know we need to make money, like that's just what needs to happen in the day, but one thing that came up was this idea of sales and marketing alignment, and the struggle of shifting to this more intentional realm of these intentional conversations, and somebody said, Who's a sales guy who I appreciate to the nth degree, where he said sales is going to sell based off of what they were told to sell.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":545,"children":546},{},[547],{"type":34,"value":548},"Kris Anderson  28:04  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":550,"children":551},{},[552],{"type":34,"value":414},{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":554,"children":555},{},[556],{"type":34,"value":557},"Kerry Guard  28:05  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":559,"children":560},{},[561],{"type":34,"value":562},"Right. So, if you're a marketer trying to come in and say, okay, here's our pipeline, and we're gonna go after these 30 accounts, and like, you got this, if we're pumping them up and making them feel free about the end of the day, is 30 accounts going to make their quota right?",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":564,"children":565},{},[566],{"type":34,"value":567},"Kris Anderson  28:18  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":569,"children":570},{},[571],{"type":34,"value":572},"Absolutely, I mean, that's exactly the kind of conversation that I think we miss out on, particularly as you scale up in size of the business, right? So, in your smaller businesses, if there's 100 total headcount in the company, theoretically you can close those gaps and you can move really quickly, but if you have a 30,000 person company and it's globally distributed across 250 offices with a mostly remote workhorse that is an immense challenge, and such a huge component of professionalism is entering into every single conversation with an open mind and with empathy, and when a salesperson would come in and say, look, I appreciate what you guys are doing, but this isn't going to help me hit my quota. Okay, great. But, like, if I heard that statement, then my first thought is this is no longer a conversation about how marketing can help you. This is where I need to listen. Okay, great. So, how are you making your quota, because I may not understand it? What is your number? How do you hit that number? Is that number the same for every rep in your team? Do you have a higher quota because you're carrying more tier one accounts, or what have you? Right, so building in that level of understanding and trust is going to lead to an opportunity at the end of that conversation for the marketer to go, okay, great, I understand. In order to help you hit your quota, we have to do a handful of things. We haven't defined our pipeline goals really well across the organization. Let me go talk to my leader, and maybe we can establish a shared OKR between our teams that brings us together, right? Maybe sales and marketing should share an OKR that isn't just generating more pipeline, you. Grow the pipeline by 12%, right? Those are tough, those are bulls. That's what the business needs to succeed. And OKR is going to unify your go-to-market teams in order to do that, right? Like that's the result of all of the work. The OKR is going to help shape how people get there.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":574,"children":575},{},[576],{"type":34,"value":577},"Kerry Guard  30:16  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":579,"children":580},{},[581],{"type":34,"value":582},"It's a step, it's a step in the right direction.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":584,"children":585},{},[586],{"type":34,"value":587},"Speaker 1  30:19  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":589,"children":590},{},[591],{"type":34,"value":97},{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":593,"children":594},{},[595],{"type":34,"value":596},"Kerry Guard  30:19  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":598,"children":599},{},[600],{"type":34,"value":601},"It sounds very iterative, too, which is tricky.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":603,"children":604},{},[605],{"type":34,"value":606},"Kris Anderson  30:22  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":608,"children":609},{},[610],{"type":34,"value":611},"Yes, yeah.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":613,"children":614},{},[615],{"type":34,"value":616},"Kerry Guard  30:23  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":618,"children":619},{},[620],{"type":34,"value":621},"Because like things need space and time to actually work, but you also need to make quick decisions. So, how do you manage being able to know what your pipeline is, and then finding those OKRs? You do OKRs on a quarterly basis or a monthly basis? How do you get after those?",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":623,"children":624},{},[625],{"type":34,"value":626},"Kris Anderson  30:38  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":628,"children":629},{},[630],{"type":34,"value":631},"Yes, I am a big, big fan of OKRs being so big that you worry that you're not going to achieve them. I mean, that's effectively why they were created, but if they are to be that big, they must have space to breathe, and I think that means yearly OKRs. You check on how you're tracking, but you know, you check on them at whatever intervals you prefer as a team, or as a business, or as a leader, quarterly, monthly, what have you, but you shouldn't be setting such a big goal within an OKR that you think you can achieve it within six months. I think that's too small. So, for instance, we can say leadership is going to get together, the CRO, your STP of sales, EDP of sales, your CMO, they're all going to get together and they're going to establish the objective, the O, within the OKR, and you're going to say, okay, within 12 months we will engage 80% of our ICP and convert them from a level zero opportunity to a level three opportunity, right. So, something that's just like, how are you going to take within a very short time period someone that's showing no interest in your business at all, and then getting them to mature into a high level of interest, right? Okay, great.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":633,"children":634},{},[635],{"type":34,"value":636},"Kerry Guard  31:55  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":638,"children":639},{},[640],{"type":34,"value":97},{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":642,"children":643},{},[644],{"type":34,"value":645},"Kris Anderson  31:56  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":647,"children":648},{},[649],{"type":34,"value":650},"Now everybody is aligned on that fact. Okay. So, what are the key results? Well, for marketing, the key results to hit that are going to be, you know, all campaigns designed for this ICP are going to have high-quality engagements, they're going to leverage intent data, they're going to do, you know, all of the advanced things that we love to discuss in those planning meetings, but for sales that may mean, okay, well, we actually, we need to adjust how quotas are calculated, what does it comp like, comp doesn't line up with the goal that the leadership has set here, right? So we get into all these little nitty gritty areas where when there's no alignment or the alignment isn't super tight, sales is going to come back and say, like, look, this isn't going to, like, engagements are pretty, but that's not going to help me close the deal, right? He's like, okay, this is something broken way up the chain.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":652,"children":653},{},[654],{"type":34,"value":655},"Kerry Guard  32:44  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":657,"children":658},{},[659],{"type":34,"value":660},"Yeah, no, I think that's tough conversations to have, and I'm not sure we're all brave enough to have them.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":662,"children":663},{},[664],{"type":34,"value":665},"Kris Anderson  32:51  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":667,"children":668},{},[669],{"type":34,"value":670},"Yeah, very true.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":672,"children":673},{},[674],{"type":34,"value":675},"Kerry Guard  32:53  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":677,"children":678},{},[679],{"type":34,"value":680},"But having stakes in the ground to say we're all rowing in this direction towards this ultimate pipeline goal, and then using OKRs sheds light on the core issues of why this is so damn hard",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":682,"children":683},{},[684],{"type":34,"value":685},"Kris Anderson  33:11  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":687,"children":688},{},[689],{"type":34,"value":690},"Yes, yeah, and I think it speaks, you know, again to this notion of like the perception of your pipeline sales may have a different perception of it than brand, brand may not have, may have a very limited perception of it, which would, you know, be unfortunate. PR, AR, those groups contribute heavily to the pipeline; there's just no attribution, so they can't point to and be like, \" Oh, well, you know.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":692,"children":693},{},[694],{"type":34,"value":695},"Kerry Guard  33:37  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":697,"children":698},{},[699],{"type":34,"value":700},"I did that.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":702,"children":703},{},[704],{"type":34,"value":705},"Kris Anderson  33:37  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":707,"children":708},{},[709],{"type":34,"value":710},"Our, yeah, exactly, and so that's why it's so important to, as you begin this journey of annual planning for those that are at the beginning of their fiscal years, like how does leadership and other teams perceive the pipeline? How do they think it helps them? How do they think it doesn't have enough coverage for them? How do they think it's defined right? Start having those conversations as soon as possible, because if you're having them at the end of a campaign, or even as a campaign has just gone into flight, it might not be enough time to make adjustments, or to shift those perceptions, or to have those difficult conversations.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":712,"children":713},{},[714],{"type":34,"value":715},"Kerry Guard  34:17  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":717,"children":718},{},[719],{"type":34,"value":720},"I would argue that once a campaign's in flight, it's already too late, especially with the way some channels are different, like LinkedIn, you can generally pour in more, and they're happy to spend your money all day, every day, but Google, every time you make a change, no matter how small or big, they go into a learning phase, and then you're looking at weeks to recoup those benefits, so understanding what those campaigns are going to be, ideally months ahead. I know that's a tall order, I get it, but like having sort of a to your point, what's that pipeline that we need to go after? What are the campaigns that worked in the past? What are those evergreen campaigns? You're always gonna have trial running, you're always gonna have demo running, you're always gonna have whatever demo. On the bottom of the funnel, call to action, running against your brand, and then what are those educational campaigns that are going to bring people along and help them understand that you're the answer to their problems, is hard to do ahead of time, but also gonna be like, you need to do it ahead of time.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":722,"children":723},{},[724],{"type":34,"value":725},"Kris Anderson  35:19  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":727,"children":728},{},[729],{"type":34,"value":730},"I think, I mean, again, you said it beautifully. Even when you talk about those campaigns, there are brand campaigns, or awareness campaigns, there are messaging campaigns, solution campaigns - all of those things are right at the top of the funnel, right? Just because you can't attribute a demand dollar to a top-of-funnel campaign does not mean that that top-of-funnel campaign didn't support the pipeline, and I think.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":732,"children":733},{},[734],{"type":34,"value":735},"Kerry Guard  35:45  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":737,"children":738},{},[739],{"type":34,"value":740},"Just go turn it off and see what happens.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":742,"children":743},{},[744],{"type":34,"value":745},"Kris Anderson  35:47  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":747,"children":748},{},[749],{"type":34,"value":750},"Exactly.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":752,"children":753},{},[754],{"type":34,"value":755},"Kerry Guard  35:48  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":757,"children":758},{},[759],{"type":34,"value":760},"Right, I like it when it's dairy, but I also don't want to, like, dare you, right.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":762,"children":763},{},[764],{"type":34,"value":765},"Kris Anderson  35:50  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":767,"children":768},{},[769],{"type":34,"value":770},"Well, and so I don't know if you've seen this, but lately there's this, there's this movement. I've talked a little bit about it, and I'm certainly I didn't come up with it, but I think it resonated really well with me, and it's this 95 five heuristic, which says, and the numbers can effectively be different, but 95% of your buyers are not in market at the moment your campaign is, and that has just wild implications, the more you unpack it, particularly for pipeline, but also for brand, and it explains very, very clearly how you know your brand team, your communications team, your exec comms team, all of these other teams that don't have demand dollars attributed to their KPIs, they all work on the 95% right, and so by the time someone goes from being in the 95% cohort, where they're not in market, when that buyer goes in market, the moment that they get approval to start looking at vendors, and they become one of the 5% they already have a general sense for the number of vendors they're looking at, they're bringing with them some preconceived notions about each of those different vendors, they're bringing with them some general buyer's knowledge about what those vendors offer, maybe what the pros and cons are. So, if you're telling me, as you know, a leader, that well, brand doesn't do demand, they've been doing all of that work on that 95% before the buyer went into market to ensure that that was a warmed, like, even to make the final cut of the vendor list by the time they go to market, like that is a huge insight.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":772,"children":773},{},[774],{"type":34,"value":775},"Kerry Guard  37:24  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":777,"children":778},{},[779],{"type":34,"value":780},"The easiest way to see it, I want you all to open up your own Google Search Console domains right now, and I want you to look at the search volume and the click volume that has come to your site, and I guarantee that most of it is brand terms, it'll be attached to a product or wanting to know of a thing or solution to solve, but your brand term will be in there. I, the data shows it, and I'm totally in agreement, Kris, that there.. I feel like we all abandoned the brand. We sort of swung right, we were like brand, brand, brand, brand, brand, they were like no solution, solution, solution, and now like.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":782,"children":783},{},[784],{"type":34,"value":785},"Kris Anderson  38:09  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":787,"children":788},{},[789],{"type":34,"value":790},"We over-rotated.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":792,"children":793},{},[794],{"type":34,"value":795},"Kerry Guard  38:10  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":797,"children":798},{},[799],{"type":34,"value":800},"We did, we did, and now we need to bring these things together around your brand and the solution it solves, right, the solution it creates, and that's where, like, the rubber is going to meet the road, and the magic is going to happen, especially with this new Google algorithm update.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":802,"children":803},{},[804],{"type":34,"value":805},"Kris Anderson  38:26  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":807,"children":808},{},[809],{"type":34,"value":810},"Which, I know it, I know, but I think here's, here's where we can get, here's where it gets really cool, and where, if you'll forgive me, we can get tactical.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":812,"children":813},{},[814],{"type":34,"value":815},"Kerry Guard  38:35  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":817,"children":818},{},[819],{"type":34,"value":177},{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":821,"children":822},{},[823],{"type":34,"value":824},"Kris Anderson  38:36  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":826,"children":827},{},[828],{"type":34,"value":829},"In this example, where our audience is going in and looking at the terms that bring traffic to their site, a demand team that has a really good relationship with the brand team is going to feed the demand team, which feeds into the brand team. Hey, here are the solutions that are impacting our close one rates. Right, people are buying this one solution hand over fist when they go into the market. Can you integrate or build some messaging that can precede some of this solution purchase mechanism, so that could be problem statements, it could be a competitive attack, whatever the case may be, right? And the demand team can go in and see, okay, who did the brand team target? Right, it can take those same brand terms and run them through an intent engine. Yes, then you go in, and you take all of the first-party cookies again. Thanks, Google. You take all of the first-party cookies that have hit your site as a result of this brand campaign.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":831,"children":832},{},[833],{"type":34,"value":834},"Kris Anderson  39:38  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":836,"children":837},{},[838],{"type":34,"value":839},"You find out where those cookies navigated, and you build custom segments to then retarget with demand messaging that can then build in a buyer journey, so now you've built the bridge from brand to demand just using data, and that's why what I said, you know, harking back to the beginning, when I said like, actually. Executing on the demand is the easy part. I could go take a budget, find content syndication, or find SEO, or find a channel - doesn't matter - and just go spend it. Or I could try to have higher quality engagements by making sure I'm working with all of the other teams that are in the go-to market, understand how we bring those together and use data to tell the story, because if I'm retargeting the pre-engaged, pre-warmed cookies that the brand team has already driven success with, and I'm creating new audience segments that are not just static data pieces, but are living, and they can be supplemented with intent data, and then retarget them with the demand messaging, like that is a very, very powerful approach to increasing high-quality engagements. Now, I'm not going to be able to go back and say I generated 2 million leads, but it's like I don't want 2 million leads, I want 10 really good ones, exactly in market, right?",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":841,"children":842},{},[843],{"type":34,"value":844},"Kerry Guard  40:54  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":846,"children":847},{},[848],{"type":34,"value":849},"That 5% 10 in market, ready to rip and roar and go, which is what the sales dream is, of making my life easier, that I don't have to warm these folks up, and they're ready to go. I think this is such an important one of the things that you said that's sticking with me, that I don't know that I've ever pulled apart so intentionally and thoughtfully, but I see it now, I cannot see, of we actually did this with our client Extra Hop, where they actually pulled apart their demand budget, which was more funnel-based. I don't even say funnel was more customer journey faced, of like to your point, ABM segmentation, retargeting branded keywords, product-led stuff, right over here, and then brand, where we did branded keywords, display banner ads that were agnostic of product direct site buys. Right, I know anomaly, direct site buys, ah, but like when you pull those two things apart, and you can just give them different OKRs, see what did there, yep.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":851,"children":852},{},[853],{"type":34,"value":854},"Kerry Guard  42:04  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":856,"children":857},{},[858],{"type":34,"value":859},"Then one can support the other without needing to be responsible.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":861,"children":862},{},[863],{"type":34,"value":864},"Kris Anderson  42:11  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":866,"children":867},{},[868],{"type":34,"value":869},"yes.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":871,"children":872},{},[873],{"type":34,"value":874},"Kerry Guard  42:12  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":876,"children":877},{},[878],{"type":34,"value":879},"For the other, I think what you're saying.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":881,"children":882},{},[883],{"type":34,"value":884},"Kris Anderson  42:15  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":886,"children":887},{},[888],{"type":34,"value":889},"Yes, and I think that that does a great job of explaining, like marketing should own a number, but attribution shouldn't get in the way, and so if you haven't gotten full alignment of attribution across all of these different teams yet, I don't think it's necessarily fair for one team to be responsible for it. However, every single employee at the company should feel somewhat connected to driving better outcomes for the business, driving higher profit, driving better revenue, right? Like, how do we build that level of intrinsic motivation? You don't ostracize teams because you can't measure them, right? And I think in the example you just gave, like the brand team, the demand team, the field team, the ops teams, everybody knows that we are helping drive a better number. Sales feels like they're getting better engaged leads, like that's where everybody can pull support together, and we all feel like we're owning the total number, not just well, sales has to hit a quota, so let's like just throw leads over the fence and cross our fingers, you know. I know I had a guy one time, he did an event, and it was within a regulated industry, and so within regulated industries historically you're not going to get high volumes of leads, and we scage scanned a bunch of badges after our event, and he was like, \"Okay, great, I have a bunch of stuff to follow through, and then he's like came back to us the week later, he's like, \"Why do I have 6500 leads to follow up with? Like, the total event attendance was like 2000 people, like there's no way we can do that many leads. I can't, like, he was like freaking out. It turns out the Excel ran a macro and tripled the size of the list, and so at first his first reaction was like, \"Oh man, I have so many leads, I'm totally gonna hit my number, and then he realized, like, oh, like, volume of leads doesn't matter, give me 10 good conversations instead of 100 random ones, and I'd be much happier.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":891,"children":892},{},[893],{"type":34,"value":894},"Kerry Guard  44:09  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":896,"children":897},{},[898],{"type":34,"value":899},"Yeah, it is coming back to the quality over quantity, and the more we can support sales and give them those really intentional conversations, the better they can do their job. That is the shift that's happened in the universe. Kris is saying it. I have a wonderful podcast last week with Larry Long, who was saying it, Tara Pollock, who we mentioned, is saying it like it's no longer sales responsibility to like pull it over the line, and we need to support them, and it's not necessarily a one to one ratio of who is responsible for what, we're all responsible at the end of day, we all need our own OKRs to know how we're going to hit that. Kris, this conversation has been so eye-opening. What's your last piece of advice for people who are trying to create this perception internally and build better relationships internally? Like, what's the one we all have? Is terrible, but like the thing you wish you knew when you were trying to initially create this. What do you wish you.. what do you wish you knew?",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":901,"children":902},{},[903],{"type":34,"value":904},"Kris Anderson  45:10  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":906,"children":907},{},[908],{"type":34,"value":909},"I love that framing. I wish I knew before going down this journey. I wish I knew that no one really knows how pipeline is actually created in your company, like we objectively we can come up with data points, and we can try to define it, we can reverse engineer it, but if you go into this with an open mind and you say, like, it's okay to not really know the answer and to know that you can work with your team to uncover a good proximity or get closer to it, that's how those relationships are built, right. So it's okay to not know how your pipeline is generated, in so far as you're eager to understand it and eager to cross that line, because once you start the journey, then it becomes a lot less intimidating, and your anxiety goes down when sales says, \" Well, what does this do for me? You know, and you can build a lot more high-quality relationships that way.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":911,"children":912},{},[913],{"type":34,"value":914},"Kerry Guard  46:08  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":916,"children":917},{},[918],{"type":34,"value":919},"I've seen that rainbow from W H Y, like, a million years. I think it's true. I think the more you understand how business works, in terms of building revenue and pipe, and then backing that into the pipeline. There's a numbers game to a certain extent, but then getting into the weeds and the nitty gritty with each of your team members, from a sales, from a different department, you've got sales, you've got marketing, do you have demand, you've got customer service. Once you understand how all of these contribute to pipeline, and you can start to see the numbers sort of unfold, you can start to back into some math and give you some direction, and the key here that Kris has built an underlying for us all is the iteration piece, the conversion rate piece of how, when you start to unpack those conversations and understand how these work together, your conversion rates will get better, and I know the forest is for the trees, and the proof is in the pudding, but I believe in you all.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":921,"children":922},{},[923],{"type":34,"value":924},"Kris Anderson  47:09  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":926,"children":927},{},[928],{"type":34,"value":929},"Yes, very much.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":931,"children":932},{},[933],{"type":34,"value":934},"Kerry Guard  47:11  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":936,"children":937},{},[938],{"type":34,"value":939},"Kris, where can people find you? They want to learn more about this, they want to pay attention, they want to see where you're going next. We're on the edge of repeats.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":941,"children":942},{},[943],{"type":34,"value":944},"Kris Anderson  47:18  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":946,"children":947},{},[948],{"type":34,"value":949},"I mean, on LinkedIn, linkedin.com/in/anderson Kris. Kris",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":951,"children":952},{},[953],{"type":34,"value":954},"Kerry Guard  47:23  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":956,"children":957},{},[958],{"type":34,"value":959},"Anderson Kris. We will put that in the notes. You can also, if you're on LinkedIn, you can just click on his profile and go follow and DM and all of the things. Kris, you are more than a marketer. You're more than a marketer. You've built this wonderful career for yourself. We're excited to see where you go next. But what are you most looking forward to? We're about to head into Q, we're days away. Yes, I know everyone, it's like this beautiful, scary thing. But what are you most looking forward to in the next nine months now that COVID sort of like petered out, spring is coming in, like what are you excited about?",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":961,"children":962},{},[963],{"type":34,"value":964},"Kris Anderson  47:59  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":966,"children":967},{},[968],{"type":34,"value":969},"Well, obviously, with the new opportunity coming, I am most, most excited about building some new relationships and beginning a new journey. This has been a very interesting experience to date, and I think that getting the chance to continue it with some really great people is a rare opportunity, so I'm just excited to get going.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":971,"children":972},{},[973],{"type":34,"value":974},"Kerry Guard  48:24  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":976,"children":977},{},[978],{"type":34,"value":979},"And they can't wait to meet you. I know it, I just know it. And if they.. I hope they've all listened to the show, because I would be excited to work with you, Kris. I would be excited to work with you. Thank you so much for joining me. If you liked this episode, please like, subscribe, and share. This episode is brought to you by MKG Marketing, the digital marketing agency that helps cybersecurity and complex brands get found via SEO and digital ads. Companies like Extra Hop, where we help them go from to $900 million and get bought out by Bain, they're here for you. I'm your host, Kerry Guard, CEO and co-founder of MKG Marketing. If you'd like to be a guest like Kris here, I'd love to have you. As I mentioned, there is a VIP group, so if you want to join that over there, we'd love to have you there too. But you got to be a guest first, so DM me, let's hang out, let's have you on the show, Kris. Thank you again, so great.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":981,"children":982},{},[983],{"type":34,"value":984},"Kris Anderson  49:16  ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":986,"children":987},{},[988],{"type":34,"value":989},"Thank you, guys, I appreciate",{"title":7,"searchDepth":991,"depth":991,"links":992},2,[993,994],{"id":31,"depth":991,"text":35},{"id":44,"depth":991,"text":47},"markdown","content:podcasts:marketing-leaders:kris-anderson-on-fixing-the-pipeline-perception-problem.md","content","podcasts/marketing-leaders/kris-anderson-on-fixing-the-pipeline-perception-problem.md","podcasts/marketing-leaders/kris-anderson-on-fixing-the-pipeline-perception-problem","md",[1002,1320,1682,2111,2454],{"_path":1003,"_dir":1004,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":1005,"description":1006,"date":1007,"img":1008,"imgAlt":1009,"body":1010,"_type":995,"_id":1316,"_source":997,"_file":1317,"_stem":1318,"_extension":1000,"category":1004,"minutes":1319},"/blog/seo/escaping-the-black-box-installing-an-svo-operating-system-that-runs-without-you","seo","Escaping the Black Box - Installing an SVO Operating System That Runs Without You","When marketing feels like a high-priced experiment you have to babysit, it's time to build a system that captures AI demand autonomously.","2026-05-20T16:17:50.900Z","https://assets.mkgmarketinginc.com/24970ef5-a49e-4a91-b5fd-c8c55d107084-mkg-blog-escaping-the-black-box-hero-image.webp","Thought leadership workspace with AI strategy planning.",{"type":25,"children":1011,"toc":1308},[1012,1017,1022,1027,1043,1048,1053,1061,1067,1072,1077,1113,1118,1123,1129,1134,1139,1172,1177,1184,1190,1195,1200,1233,1238,1244,1249,1254,1259,1266,1272,1277,1282,1287,1292,1298,1303],{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1013,"children":1014},{},[1015],{"type":34,"value":1016},"Many founders eventually hit a point where marketing feels less like a predictable growth engine and more like an expensive experiment. Budgets get spent, campaigns go live, and specialized agencies share intricate dashboards full of surface-level metrics. But despite all that activity, what's actually happening inside the operation remains unclear. Pipeline swings up and down, and the real drivers stay hidden in a \"black box\" of technical jargon, fragmented reports, and assumptions no one can confidently prove.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1018,"children":1019},{},[1020],{"type":34,"value":1021},"When marketing runs this way, the burden shifts back onto leadership. You're pulled into weekly status calls to fix strategy on the fly, interpret conflicting channel data, and manually translate between siloed teams. Instead of guiding the company's growth, you're stuck overseeing execution. You effectively become the project manager of your own growth engine—a role that drains your attention and pulls you away from running the business.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1023,"children":1024},{},[1025],{"type":34,"value":1026},"As the digital landscape continues to evolve, this model simply doesn't hold. The old approach, buying traffic and sending it to a static landing page to collect a form fill, is breaking down under new buyer behavior. The customer journey has split into multiple paths, and traditional search alone can no longer capture every qualified prospect who raises their hand.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1028,"children":1029},{},[1030,1032,1041],{"type":34,"value":1031},"According to",{"type":28,"tag":1033,"props":1034,"children":1038},"a",{"href":1035,"rel":1036},"https://learn.g2.com/g2-2026-ai-search-insight-report",[1037],"nofollow",[1039],{"type":34,"value":1040}," G2's 2026 Answer Economy Insight Report",{"type":34,"value":1042},", 51% of B2B software buyers now begin their purchasing research inside an AI chatbot rather than a traditional search engine. These buyers are bypassing search results entirely, using structured prompts to command large language models (LLMs) to synthesize vendor shortlists on their behalf. They are looking for direct, synthesized comparisons rather than an endless list of blue links to open individually.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1044,"children":1045},{},[1046],{"type":34,"value":1047},"If your marketing program only works when you're personally involved, it isn't built for a world where machines are increasingly evaluating other machines. When a large language model scans the web to build a vendor shortlist for an enterprise buyer, it's not admiring your branding or clicking on your clever CTAs; it's processing data.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1049,"children":1050},{},[1051],{"type":34,"value":1052},"Breaking out of this pattern requires moving away from one-off tactics and toward Systematized Growth. That means putting a true operational structure in place, a Search Visibility Optimization (SVO) framework, designed to automatically capture demand from generative search, so your company can scale without constant founder oversight.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1054,"children":1055},{},[1056],{"type":28,"tag":1057,"props":1058,"children":1060},"img",{"alt":7,"src":1059},"https://assets.mkgmarketinginc.com/01d3c7af-7410-4a50-8d1c-d1ed6728438d-mkg-blog-escaping-the-black-box-image-1.png",[],{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1062,"children":1064},{"id":1063},"the-operational-breakdown-of-gated-marketing",[1065],{"type":34,"value":1066},"The Operational Breakdown of Gated Marketing",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1068,"children":1069},{},[1070],{"type":34,"value":1071},"When marketing turns into an unmanaged black box, it's often because the company has grown on random acts of marketing. One contractor runs ads, an agency owns organic search, and someone in-house is responsible for content. Each group uses its own tools, cadence, and success metrics—leaving the founder to play interpreter and enforcer, tying everything together by hand.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1073,"children":1074},{},[1075],{"type":34,"value":1076},"This manual oversight introduces severe structural vulnerabilities across the organization:",{"type":28,"tag":1078,"props":1079,"children":1080},"ul",{},[1081,1093,1103],{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1083,"children":1084},"li",{},[1085,1091],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1087,"children":1088},"strong",{},[1089],{"type":34,"value":1090},"Fragmented Data Layers:",{"type":34,"value":1092}," The advertising team measures cost per click, while the content team tracks page views. Neither team can tell you how their efforts affect the AI models actively shaping your industry's vendor shortlists, leaving a massive gap in your overall pipeline attribution.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1094,"children":1095},{},[1096,1101],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1097,"children":1098},{},[1099],{"type":34,"value":1100},"Wasted Executive Energy:",{"type":34,"value":1102}," You spend critical leadership hours in meetings that read updates out loud, rather than making strategic adjustments based on data trends. Instead of reviewing outcomes, you are tracking tasks.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1104,"children":1105},{},[1106,1111],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1107,"children":1108},{},[1109],{"type":34,"value":1110},"Invisible Funnel Leaks:",{"type":34,"value":1112}," When a buyer asks an LLM to compare your product to a competitor, and the model misrepresents your pricing or ignores your core security features, your team doesn't catch it. The loss happens in private, untrackable environments before a lead is ever generated.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1114,"children":1115},{},[1116],{"type":34,"value":1117},"To remove this friction, marketing needs to run on a repeatable, transparent operating system. Work can't live in someone's inbox or on a personal drive—it has to move through a shared workspace where priorities, blockers, and owners are immediately clear.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1119,"children":1120},{},[1121],{"type":34,"value":1122},"With this kind of systemic visibility in place, you can achieve true off-my-plate execution. The founder can quickly check progress at any time, without chasing down updates or pulling the team into extra status meetings.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1124,"children":1126},{"id":1125},"structuring-the-svo-operating-system",[1127],{"type":34,"value":1128},"Structuring the SVO Operating System",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1130,"children":1131},{},[1132],{"type":34,"value":1133},"A scalable marketing engine cannot rely on human vigilance; it must rely on a closed-loop infrastructure. We apply a standardized architecture that aligns strategy, processes, and people into a singular operating rhythm. This framework ensures that your technical authority is structured correctly for both the human prospect and the LLM crawler, operating entirely without founder hand-holding.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1135,"children":1136},{},[1137],{"type":34,"value":1138},"This structural shift requires executing three distinct operational deployment steps:",{"type":28,"tag":1078,"props":1140,"children":1141},{},[1142,1152,1162],{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1143,"children":1144},{},[1145,1150],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1146,"children":1147},{},[1148],{"type":34,"value":1149},"Funnel Bottleneck Diagnosis:",{"type":34,"value":1151}," Strip away channel-specific commentary to analyze exactly where pipeline value is stalling—whether it is an attribution deficit in your digital advertising or a visibility failure inside AI search databases. We locate the single point of failure rather than spreading focus across twenty different minor metrics.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1153,"children":1154},{},[1155,1160],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1156,"children":1157},{},[1158],{"type":34,"value":1159},"Weekly Sprint Cadence:",{"type":34,"value":1161}," Shift execution from monolithic quarterly goals to predictable weekly sprint cycles. Each sprint must assign clear deliverables, explicit ownership, and measurable output criteria to eliminate execution drift and keep the team focused on high-priority tasks.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1163,"children":1164},{},[1165,1170],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1166,"children":1167},{},[1168],{"type":34,"value":1169},"Semantic Layer Integration:",{"type":34,"value":1171}," Map your product specifications, technical case studies, and compliance data into clean, structured schemas that LLMs use to validate brand capabilities, turning your website into an authoritative knowledge base that can be indexed programmatically.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1173,"children":1174},{},[1175],{"type":34,"value":1176},"When these components run in harmony, marketing ceases to feel like a series of disconnected bets. It becomes a predictable workflow that converts institutional knowledge into structured data, ensuring your business is automatically indexed wherever buyers are conducting research. The machine does the heavy lifting of discovery, freeing up your team to focus on conversion and retention.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1178,"children":1179},{},[1180],{"type":28,"tag":1057,"props":1181,"children":1183},{"alt":7,"src":1182},"https://assets.mkgmarketinginc.com/0d285696-fa87-49eb-8fb7-497be4070be7-mkg-blog-escaping-the-black-box-image-2.png",[],{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1185,"children":1187},{"id":1186},"why-a-systematized-infrastructure-always-wins",[1188],{"type":34,"value":1189},"Why a Systematized Infrastructure Always Wins",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1191,"children":1192},{},[1193],{"type":34,"value":1194},"The primary benefit of removing the founder from the daily execution loop is speed and consistency. When your marketing is run through a rigorous operating system, it builds a compounding data advantage that ad-hoc campaigns cannot match. It shifts the organization from a reactive posture to a proactive, predictable model of demand generation.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1196,"children":1197},{},[1198],{"type":34,"value":1199},"Consider the operational differences between an ad-hoc marketing structure and a systematized environment:",{"type":28,"tag":1078,"props":1201,"children":1202},{},[1203,1213,1223],{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1204,"children":1205},{},[1206,1211],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1207,"children":1208},{},[1209],{"type":34,"value":1210},"Continuous Market Alignment:",{"type":34,"value":1212}," While an unmanaged team waits for a monthly review to pivot strategy, a sprint-based system adjusts execution every seven days based on real-world data signals and performance trends.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1214,"children":1215},{},[1216,1221],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1217,"children":1218},{},[1219],{"type":34,"value":1220},"Automated Authority Building:",{"type":34,"value":1222}," Instead of treating executive thought leadership as a sporadic task dependent on free time, a systematized cadence turns your team's subject-matter expertise into machine-readable assets on a fixed schedule.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1224,"children":1225},{},[1226,1231],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1227,"children":1228},{},[1229],{"type":34,"value":1230},"Predictable Scaling:",{"type":34,"value":1232}," By isolating the exact variables that drive discovery—such as peer review frequency, schema deployment, or technical documentation clarity—you can scale your program based on operational data rather than guesswork or creative intuition.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1234,"children":1235},{},[1236],{"type":34,"value":1237},"This infrastructure turns your digital footprint into an automated sales engine. When an AI search engine crawls the web to construct a head-to-head comparison table for a prospective buyer, a systematized site provides unambiguous, verified criteria that force the model to rank your brand as a low-risk option. The competitor relying on creative, un-indexed copywriting is filtered out before a sales call is ever booked, giving your sales pipeline an unfair advantage.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1239,"children":1241},{"id":1240},"shifting-from-babysitting-to-strategic-calibration",[1242],{"type":34,"value":1243},"Shifting from Babysitting to Strategic Calibration",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1245,"children":1246},{},[1247],{"type":34,"value":1248},"Stepping out of the marketing black box doesn't mean giving up visibility into your growth metrics. Real operational control doesn't come from micromanaging tasks or personally reviewing every headline; it comes from having a single, reliable source of truth where progress is obvious, data is unfiltered, and accountability is built in.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1250,"children":1251},{},[1252],{"type":34,"value":1253},"Your job as an executive is to tune the engine, not to crank the gears yourself. Once you have an operating system that runs on its own, your relationship with marketing changes. Weekly status calls full of personal updates give way to focused working sessions aimed at clearing technical roadblocks, improving conversion performance, and removing friction for your execution team.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1255,"children":1256},{},[1257],{"type":34,"value":1258},"That level of clarity also reshapes how you invest in growth. You stop betting on scattered channel experiments and start funding specific data advantages. If your analytics show that buyers are discovering you through technical reviews cited in AI tools, you can allocate budget precisely to strengthening that part of your digital footprint. The guesswork disappears from your spending, and every dollar is tied to a clear, system-driven objective.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1260,"children":1261},{},[1262],{"type":28,"tag":1057,"props":1263,"children":1265},{"alt":7,"src":1264},"https://assets.mkgmarketinginc.com/88f64901-fbdc-41f1-ae77-6a2cee60417f-mkg-blog-escaping-the-black-box-image-3.png",[],{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1267,"children":1269},{"id":1268},"building-the-off-my-plate-reality",[1270],{"type":34,"value":1271},"Building the Off-My-Plate Reality",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1273,"children":1274},{},[1275],{"type":34,"value":1276},"For a growing company, marketing maturity means moving past a reliance on individual heroics or founder oversight. A business that depends on the founder's daily cognitive energy to execute its visibility strategy cannot scale its pipeline, build predictable equity, or achieve true operational freedom.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1278,"children":1279},{},[1280],{"type":34,"value":1281},"Establishing this maturity requires an intentional investment in your company's operational skeleton. It means rejecting vague performance summaries, dismantling uncoordinated team structures, and installing a unified system that operates systematically across every channel, platform, and automated interface.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1283,"children":1284},{},[1285],{"type":34,"value":1286},"We design and implement the technical architecture and operating rhythms that allow business leaders to confidently step away from daily campaign execution. By replacing the black box with radical visibility and a closed-loop sprint cycle, we ensure your growth engine compounds value every single week, building one that automatically captures modern demand.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1288,"children":1289},{},[1290],{"type":34,"value":1291},"Do not let your company's market visibility remain tethered to your personal schedule or individual oversight. Systematize your expertise, build a structured digital footprint, and install an operating system designed for the future of automated discovery.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1293,"children":1295},{"id":1294},"summary",[1296],{"type":34,"value":1297},"Summary",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1299,"children":1300},{},[1301],{"type":34,"value":1302},"Many B2B founders find themselves stuck babysitting their marketing because teams are fragmented and reporting is hard to trust. That level of dependency poses a serious risk as the market shifts into the Answer Economy, where more than half of software buyers now rely on AI chat tools rather than traditional search engines to build their vendor shortlists.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1304,"children":1305},{},[1306],{"type":34,"value":1307},"To get out of this bottleneck, you have to move beyond disconnected tactics and adopt a Systematized Growth model built on a disciplined Search Visibility Optimization (SVO) framework. By putting an operating system in place, one that runs on weekly sprints, full task transparency, and machine-readable technical architecture, lean teams can achieve true \"off-my-plate\" execution, capturing AI-driven demand without constant founder involvement.",{"title":7,"searchDepth":991,"depth":991,"links":1309},[1310,1311,1312,1313,1314,1315],{"id":1063,"depth":991,"text":1066},{"id":1125,"depth":991,"text":1128},{"id":1186,"depth":991,"text":1189},{"id":1240,"depth":991,"text":1243},{"id":1268,"depth":991,"text":1271},{"id":1294,"depth":991,"text":1297},"content:blog:seo:escaping-the-black-box-installing-an-svo-operating-system-that-runs-without-you.md","blog/seo/escaping-the-black-box-installing-an-svo-operating-system-that-runs-without-you.md","blog/seo/escaping-the-black-box-installing-an-svo-operating-system-that-runs-without-you",8,{"_path":1321,"_dir":1004,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":1322,"description":1323,"img":1324,"date":1325,"body":1326,"_type":995,"_id":1678,"_source":997,"_file":1679,"_stem":1680,"_extension":1000,"category":1004,"minutes":1681},"/blog/seo/the-synthesized-buyer-mastering-the-2026-brand-visibility-audit-for-llms","The Synthesized Buyer - Mastering the 2026 Brand Visibility Audit for LLMs","If you aren’t in the training data, you aren’t on the shortlist. Here is how to master Brand Visibility Optimization (BVO) for the AI-driven buyer.","https://assets.mkgmarketinginc.com/73b38499-1c0a-46c3-aaaf-a824ff083005-mkg-blog-the-synthesized-buyer-hero-image.webp","2026-05-06T15:28:34.835Z",{"type":25,"children":1327,"toc":1668},[1328,1333,1360,1365,1370,1380,1385,1390,1395,1400,1405,1411,1423,1435,1440,1450,1455,1460,1494,1499,1505,1517,1522,1527,1537,1542,1547,1580,1585,1591,1596,1601,1606,1612,1617,1635,1640,1644],{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1329,"children":1330},{},[1331],{"type":34,"value":1332},"The B2B buying journey isn’t happening on search results pages anymore. For a long time, marketing success basically meant winning on Google: rank in the top organic spots, pick the right keywords, watch the clicks, and call more traffic “more authority.” But in 2026, something else is quietly running the show in procurement: large language models (LLMs).",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1334,"children":1335},{},[1336,1338,1351,1353,1358],{"type":34,"value":1337},"This isn’t a distant trend; it is the current reality of B2B procurement. New research from",{"type":28,"tag":1033,"props":1339,"children":1342},{"href":1340,"rel":1341},"https://company.g2.com/news/g2-research-the-answer-economy",[1037],[1343,1345],{"type":34,"value":1344},"  ",{"type":28,"tag":1346,"props":1347,"children":1348},"u",{},[1349],{"type":34,"value":1350},"G2’s 2026 Answer Economy Report",{"type":34,"value":1352}," shows that ",{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1354,"children":1355},{},[1356],{"type":34,"value":1357},"51% of B2B software buyers",{"type":34,"value":1359}," now begin their research in an AI chatbot rather than a traditional search engine. These buyers aren’t paging through search results. They are using single prompts to ask AI tools to compare enterprise platforms based on specific needs. In that moment, the AI synthesizes an answer from the data it has already processed, effectively \"one-shotting\" the shortlist before a vendor is ever contacted. ",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1361,"children":1362},{},[1363],{"type":34,"value":1364},"If your brand isn’t in that data, if you’re missing from high-authority industry conversations, technical communities, or archives of executive thought leadership, you’re effectively shut out of that synthesis. Buyers don’t see you, long before they even think about visiting your website. That means we need to rethink what brand authority actually looks like and how we measure it.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1366,"children":1367},{},[1368],{"type":34,"value":1369},"To stay in the game, traditional SEO alone isn’t enough. You need to focus on Brand Visibility Optimization (BVO). BVO isn’t about gaming an algorithm; it’s about becoming a stable, trustworthy source of information that automated systems consistently recognize and surface. In practice, that means ensuring your brand appears in the internet’s most trusted and widely referenced data sources.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1371,"children":1373},{"id":1372},"the-transition-of-the-procurement-funnel",[1374,1378],{"type":28,"tag":1057,"props":1375,"children":1377},{"alt":7,"src":1376},"https://assets.mkgmarketinginc.com/accd88f6-f3c6-4b91-bb0e-bb9642914996-mkg-blog-the-synthesized-buyer-image-1.png",[],{"type":34,"value":1379},"The Transition of the Procurement Funnel",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1381,"children":1382},{},[1383],{"type":34,"value":1384},"For years, traditional marketing treated visibility like a straight line: push out enough content and ads, and sooner or later, buyers would notice you. But that’s not how people actually buy today.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1386,"children":1387},{},[1388],{"type":34,"value":1389},"Modern buyers lean on what’s often called \"dark social\"—recommendations, peer reviews, and technical back-and-forth that live in private Slack channels, Discord servers, group DMs, and niche community forums. None of this shows up in your typical analytics, but it heavily shapes who makes the shortlist.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1391,"children":1392},{},[1393],{"type":34,"value":1394},"AI models are being trained on this messy, decentralized ecosystem. When they generate a recommendation, they’re effectively scanning for patterns: where is there consensus, and which brands keep getting mentioned in these communities?",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1396,"children":1397},{},[1398],{"type":34,"value":1399},"That creates a real risk for lean B2B teams: cranking out large volumes of generic content that adds nothing new. If what you publish reads like a generic brochure, the model will treat it as background noise rather than a signal.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1401,"children":1402},{},[1403],{"type":34,"value":1404},"To be surfaced and cited by an AI, your brand needs to contribute something specific and useful—unique, field-tested insight that helps the model justify its answer. In other words, you have to publish the kind of information the model relies on to feel confident that it’s right.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1406,"children":1408},{"id":1407},"establishing-the-pattern-the-consistency-cadence",[1409],{"type":34,"value":1410},"Establishing the Pattern: The Consistency Cadence",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1412,"children":1413},{},[1414,1416,1421],{"type":34,"value":1415},"At the core of Brand Visibility Optimization is the concept of ",{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1417,"children":1418},{},[1419],{"type":34,"value":1420},"Consistency",{"type":34,"value":1422},". This is the factor that separates a single campaign from a reliable growth system. For a model to recognize your brand as an authority, it needs to see a persistent, high-quality pattern of information over time.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1424,"children":1425},{},[1426,1428,1433],{"type":34,"value":1427},"Executive thought leadership is a critical technical asset in this process. Models prioritize data linked to verifiable experts and recurring themes. When your leadership team maintains a consistent cadence and regularly contributes technical insights to industry forums and reputable publications, you establish your brand as a primary source in the ",{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1429,"children":1430},{},[1431],{"type":34,"value":1432},"LLM Training Data for Brands",{"type":34,"value":1434},".",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1436,"children":1437},{},[1438],{"type":34,"value":1439},"A short-term approach does not work here. You cannot establish authority in a training set with a single project. You must show up regularly and deliver a steady stream of professional insights. This approach ensures that when models are updated, your brand is a core component of the system's understanding of your category.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1441,"children":1443},{"id":1442},"the-brand-visibility-audit-where-do-you-exist",[1444,1448],{"type":28,"tag":1057,"props":1445,"children":1447},{"alt":7,"src":1446},"https://assets.mkgmarketinginc.com/9639ded1-86f0-4500-bb1a-c2ad511e205b-mkg-blog-the-synthesized-buyer-image-2.png",[],{"type":34,"value":1449},"The Brand Visibility Audit: Where Do You Exist?",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1451,"children":1452},{},[1453],{"type":34,"value":1454},"Mastering BVO begins with a technical audit of your brand's digital footprint. You must ask: if an automated agent were vetting this company, what evidence would it find?",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1456,"children":1457},{},[1458],{"type":34,"value":1459},"The audit should focus on three primary areas:",{"type":28,"tag":1461,"props":1462,"children":1463},"ol",{},[1464,1474,1484],{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1465,"children":1466},{},[1467,1472],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1468,"children":1469},{},[1470],{"type":34,"value":1471},"Community Mentions:",{"type":34,"value":1473}," AI models place a heavy weight on community-driven platforms like Reddit and technical forums. Are practitioners discussing your product or solving problems using your documentation? Without community discussion, the model is unlikely to recommend you.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1475,"children":1476},{},[1477,1482],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1478,"children":1479},{},[1480],{"type":34,"value":1481},"Expert Proximity:",{"type":34,"value":1483}," Is your brand associated with recognized experts in your field? When your team is cited in third-party research or technical interviews, it creates a link that models use to determine authority.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1485,"children":1486},{},[1487,1492],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1488,"children":1489},{},[1490],{"type":34,"value":1491},"Technical Transparency:",{"type":34,"value":1493}," Models require structured, accurate data. If your technical specifications, API documentation, and pricing structures are inconsistent or difficult to access, the system cannot build an accurate profile of your business.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1495,"children":1496},{},[1497],{"type":34,"value":1498},"Many brands are currently failing this audit because they are invisible in the places where information is synthesized. To fix this, stop treating social media as just a distribution channel and start treating it as a space to establish your brand’s technical authority.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1500,"children":1502},{"id":1501},"navigating-dark-social-attribution",[1503],{"type":34,"value":1504},"Navigating Dark Social Attribution",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1506,"children":1507},{},[1508,1510,1515],{"type":34,"value":1509},"A significant challenge of the BVO era is that the most valuable interactions are difficult to track. ",{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1511,"children":1512},{},[1513],{"type":34,"value":1514},"Dark Social Attribution",{"type":34,"value":1516}," is often invisible to those who rely only on dashboards. A lead might appear as a direct search, but the reality is that the buyer spent months seeing your name in private communities and reading summaries of your executive's insights.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1518,"children":1519},{},[1520],{"type":34,"value":1521},"Because you cannot track every touchpoint, you must optimize the environment where the buyer spends time. This means providing human, relatable, and technical content that people want to share in private channels.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1523,"children":1524},{},[1525],{"type":34,"value":1526},"When your content is shared in a private group, it eventually reaches the public web through summaries and community archives. This is the long-term goal of BVO. You are establishing authority in private spaces that eventually informs the data models used in public searches.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1528,"children":1530},{"id":1529},"systematizing-authority-moving-from-reactive-to-rhythmic",[1531,1535],{"type":28,"tag":1057,"props":1532,"children":1534},{"alt":7,"src":1533},"https://assets.mkgmarketinginc.com/fdbe942b-e9d7-4a74-8829-9e9587fdd7b6-mkg-blog-the-synthesized-buyer-image-3.png",[],{"type":34,"value":1536},"Systematizing Authority: Moving from Reactive to Rhythmic",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1538,"children":1539},{},[1540],{"type":34,"value":1541},"The transition to a BVO-focused strategy requires moving from reactive marketing to a systematic operation. A \"launch and leave\" mentality is no longer effective. You need a system that ensures your brand's data is constantly updated and reinforced.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1543,"children":1544},{},[1545],{"type":34,"value":1546},"This involves:",{"type":28,"tag":1078,"props":1548,"children":1549},{},[1550,1560,1570],{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1551,"children":1552},{},[1553,1558],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1554,"children":1555},{},[1556],{"type":34,"value":1557},"Executive Cadence:",{"type":34,"value":1559}," A strict schedule for your leadership team to contribute to external platforms.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1561,"children":1562},{},[1563,1568],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1564,"children":1565},{},[1566],{"type":34,"value":1567},"Structured Knowledge:",{"type":34,"value":1569}," A website that acts as a hub of structured data that is easy for agents to crawl and understand.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1571,"children":1572},{},[1573,1578],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1574,"children":1575},{},[1576],{"type":34,"value":1577},"Community Engagement:",{"type":34,"value":1579}," Participating in the spaces where your buyers live and providing value without expecting an immediate click.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1581,"children":1582},{},[1583],{"type":34,"value":1584},"When these elements are connected, marketing moves from disconnected tactics to a reliable system. You stop spending budget on ads that are ignored and start building brand authority that models are required to cite.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1586,"children":1588},{"id":1587},"the-future-of-b2b-visibility",[1589],{"type":34,"value":1590},"The Future of B2B Visibility",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1592,"children":1593},{},[1594],{"type":34,"value":1595},"The rise of the modern buyer is not a threat to brands that prioritize accuracy and consistency. It is a threat to brands that rely on generic, high-volume content. If your content sounds like a brochure, the AI will summarize the basic points and move on. But if your content contains specific tactics and operational honesty, you add value that the system recognizes.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1597,"children":1598},{},[1599],{"type":34,"value":1600},"We show personality through accuracy and tone, not through forced branding. In the world of generative search, being clear and authoritative is what gets your brand cited. It is about being professional and direct.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1602,"children":1603},{},[1604],{"type":34,"value":1605},"Recalibrating for 2026 is about returning to the fundamentals of building a brand that matters to both people and the systems they use. It is about moving away from short-term shortcuts and focusing on lasting authority.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1607,"children":1609},{"id":1608},"final-thoughts-the-path-to-synthesis",[1610],{"type":34,"value":1611},"Final Thoughts: The Path to Synthesis",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1613,"children":1614},{},[1615],{"type":34,"value":1616},"The B2B measurement gap is widening, and the ways we prove marketing value are changing. However, the goal remains the same: to be the most trusted and visible option for the buyer.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1618,"children":1619},{},[1620,1622,1627,1629,1633],{"type":34,"value":1621},"In 2026, that buyer is assisted by an LLM. By mastering ",{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1623,"children":1624},{},[1625],{"type":34,"value":1626},"Brand Visibility Optimization",{"type":34,"value":1628},", addressing the ",{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1630,"children":1631},{},[1632],{"type":34,"value":1514},{"type":34,"value":1634}," gap, and maintaining a consistent output of expertise, you ensure that your brand is recognized.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1636,"children":1637},{},[1638],{"type":34,"value":1639},"Do not be the brand that is missing from the synthesis. Build the authority that makes your presence clear. The success of your growth depends on this systematic approach.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1641,"children":1642},{"id":1294},[1643],{"type":34,"value":1297},{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1645,"children":1646},{},[1647,1649,1654,1656,1660,1662,1666],{"type":34,"value":1648},"The 2026 B2B buyer journey has changed: 35% use AI tools for vendor selection. To remain visible, brands must adopt ",{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1650,"children":1651},{},[1652],{"type":34,"value":1653},"Brand Visibility Optimization (BVO)",{"type":34,"value":1655}," to ensure they are present in ",{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1657,"children":1658},{},[1659],{"type":34,"value":1432},{"type":34,"value":1661},". Success requires navigating ",{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1663,"children":1664},{},[1665],{"type":34,"value":1514},{"type":34,"value":1667},", the private channels where peer consensus is formed. By implementing a consistent cadence for executive thought leadership and treating the digital footprint as a data pattern for AI recognition, B2B teams can overcome inefficiencies and build authority in an AI-driven marketplace.",{"title":7,"searchDepth":991,"depth":991,"links":1669},[1670,1671,1672,1673,1674,1675,1676,1677],{"id":1372,"depth":991,"text":1379},{"id":1407,"depth":991,"text":1410},{"id":1442,"depth":991,"text":1449},{"id":1501,"depth":991,"text":1504},{"id":1529,"depth":991,"text":1536},{"id":1587,"depth":991,"text":1590},{"id":1608,"depth":991,"text":1611},{"id":1294,"depth":991,"text":1297},"content:blog:seo:the-synthesized-buyer-mastering-the-2026-brand-visibility-audit-for-llms.md","blog/seo/the-synthesized-buyer-mastering-the-2026-brand-visibility-audit-for-llms.md","blog/seo/the-synthesized-buyer-mastering-the-2026-brand-visibility-audit-for-llms",7,{"_path":1683,"_dir":1004,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":1684,"description":1685,"_schema":1686,"authors":1687,"date":1688,"img":1689,"imgAlt":1690,"body":1691,"_type":995,"_id":2107,"_source":997,"_file":2108,"_stem":2109,"_extension":1000,"category":1004,"minutes":2110},"/blog/seo/monthly-search-industry-report-april-2026","Monthly Search Industry Report - April 2026","Stay updated with the April 2026 search landscape: core update impacts, back button crackdown, task-driven search, and the rise of agent-powered visibility.","default",[],"2026-05-05T16:25:00Z","/images/blog/mkg-blog-search-industry-overview-april.webp","Monthly Search Industry Report",{"type":25,"children":1692,"toc":2100},[1693,1702,1745,1754,1759,1844,1853,1858,1924,1933,1943,1956,1965,1999,2008,2018,2027,2032,2037,2070,2078,2096],{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1694,"children":1696},{"id":1695},"executive-summary-the-tldr",[1697],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1698,"children":1699},{},[1700],{"type":34,"value":1701},"Executive Summary (The TL;DR)",{"type":28,"tag":1078,"props":1703,"children":1704},{},[1705,1715,1725,1735],{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1706,"children":1707},{},[1708,1713],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1709,"children":1710},{},[1711],{"type":34,"value":1712},"March Core Update Completion:",{"type":34,"value":1714}," The major ranking update that began in March finished on April 8. It shifted traffic toward specialist sites and away from general content aggregators.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1716,"children":1717},{},[1718,1723],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1719,"children":1720},{},[1721],{"type":34,"value":1722},"The \"Back Button\" Ban:",{"type":34,"value":1724}," Google officially labeled \"back button hijacking\" as spam. Sites that trap users by blocking their ability to return to search results will face penalties starting June 15.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1726,"children":1727},{},[1728,1733],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1729,"children":1730},{},[1731],{"type":34,"value":1732},"Search as a \"Task Engine\":",{"type":34,"value":1734}," Google is adding agentic features, like AI that can call stores to check inventory or build travel itineraries, shifting the focus from clicks to completed actions.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1736,"children":1737},{},[1738,1743],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1739,"children":1740},{},[1741],{"type":34,"value":1742},"GPT-5.5 Launch:",{"type":34,"value":1744}," OpenAI released its most capable agentic model yet, designed to perform multi-step work independently, further changing how users find professional information.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1746,"children":1748},{"id":1747},"algorithm-technical-seo-updates",[1749],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1750,"children":1751},{},[1752],{"type":34,"value":1753},"Algorithm & Technical SEO Updates",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1755,"children":1756},{},[1757],{"type":34,"value":1758},"The focus this month shifted from ranking keywords to punishing deceptive user experiences and rewarding technical efficiency.",{"type":28,"tag":1078,"props":1760,"children":1761},{},[1762,1781,1803,1825],{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1763,"children":1764},{},[1765,1770,1772,1779],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1766,"children":1767},{},[1768],{"type":34,"value":1769},"March Core Update Wraps:",{"type":34,"value":1771}," Google confirmed the March 2026 Core Update ended on April 8. Analysis from ",{"type":28,"tag":1033,"props":1773,"children":1776},{"href":1774,"rel":1775},"https://searchengineland.com/march-2026-google-core-update-what-changed-474397",[1037],[1777],{"type":34,"value":1778},"Search Engine Land",{"type":34,"value":1780}," indicates that niche, authoritative brands saw the most growth, while broad comparison sites lost ground.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1782,"children":1783},{},[1784,1789,1791,1801],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1785,"children":1786},{},[1787],{"type":34,"value":1788},"Back Button Hijacking Policy:",{"type":34,"value":1790}," On April 13, Google introduced a ",{"type":28,"tag":1033,"props":1792,"children":1795},{"href":1793,"rel":1794},"https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2026/04/back-button-hijacking?authuser=2",[1037],[1796],{"type":28,"tag":1346,"props":1797,"children":1798},{},[1799],{"type":34,"value":1800},"new spam policy",{"type":34,"value":1802}," targeting sites that interfere with browser navigation. If your site uses scripts to trap users or redirect them when they try to leave, you face automated demotions.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1804,"children":1805},{},[1806,1811,1813,1823],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1807,"children":1808},{},[1809],{"type":34,"value":1810},"The 2MB Fetch Limit:",{"type":34,"value":1812}," ",{"type":28,"tag":1033,"props":1814,"children":1817},{"href":1815,"rel":1816},"https://www.searchenginejournal.com/technical-seo-audit-new-layer/571583/",[1037],[1818],{"type":28,"tag":1346,"props":1819,"children":1820},{},[1821],{"type":34,"value":1822},"Search Engine Journal",{"type":34,"value":1824}," highlighted a critical technical threshold: Googlebot generally stops reading a page after the first 2MB. For tech companies with heavy code or long documentation, this makes code efficiency a direct ranking factor.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1826,"children":1827},{},[1828,1833,1835,1842],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1829,"children":1830},{},[1831],{"type":34,"value":1832},"\"Read More\" Optimization:",{"type":34,"value":1834}," There’s now ",{"type":28,"tag":1033,"props":1836,"children":1839},{"href":1837,"rel":1838},"https://searchengineland.com/google-adds-read-more-links-best-practices-474807",[1037],[1840],{"type":34,"value":1841},"new guidance",{"type":34,"value":1843}," for content hidden behind \"Read More\" buttons. Google now recommends keeping key information visible on page load to ensure it is indexed for AI answers.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1845,"children":1847},{"id":1846},"the-geoaeo-frontier",[1848],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1849,"children":1850},{},[1851],{"type":34,"value":1852},"The GEO/AEO Frontier",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":1854,"children":1855},{},[1856],{"type":34,"value":1857},"Search Visibility Optimization (SVO) is moving into the \"Agentic Era,\" where AI doesn't just find information, it performs tasks.",{"type":28,"tag":1078,"props":1859,"children":1860},{},[1861,1883,1905],{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1862,"children":1863},{},[1864,1869,1871,1881],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1865,"children":1866},{},[1867],{"type":34,"value":1868},"Google's \"Task Assistant\":",{"type":34,"value":1870}," Google launched new features that allow ",{"type":28,"tag":1033,"props":1872,"children":1875},{"href":1873,"rel":1874},"https://www.lumar.io/blog/industry-news/seo-ai-search-industry-news-april-2026/",[1037],[1876],{"type":28,"tag":1346,"props":1877,"children":1878},{},[1879],{"type":34,"value":1880},"AI to call stores",{"type":34,"value":1882}," to check product availability and manage complex travel bookings directly in the SERP. This prioritizes structured data (Schema) over traditional blog content.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1884,"children":1885},{},[1886,1891,1893,1903],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1887,"children":1888},{},[1889],{"type":34,"value":1890},"GPT-5.5 Agentic Workflows:",{"type":34,"value":1892}," Released on April 23, ",{"type":28,"tag":1033,"props":1894,"children":1897},{"href":1895,"rel":1896},"https://www.artificialintelligence-news.com/news/gpt-5-5-is-openais-most-capable-agentic-ai-model-yet-at-twice-the-api-price/",[1037],[1898],{"type":28,"tag":1346,"props":1899,"children":1900},{},[1901],{"type":34,"value":1902},"GPT-5.5",{"type":34,"value":1904}," is built to handle real work, such as planning and tool coordination. This model is more likely to cite sources that provide clear, executable data rather than long-form prose.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1906,"children":1907},{},[1908,1913,1915,1922],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1909,"children":1910},{},[1911],{"type":34,"value":1912},"Chrome's AI Mode Integration:",{"type":34,"value":1914}," Google is rolling out an ",{"type":28,"tag":1033,"props":1916,"children":1919},{"href":1917,"rel":1918},"https://www.seroundtable.com/google-tests-enter-ai-mode-button-37145.html",[1037],[1920],{"type":34,"value":1921},"\"Enter AI Mode\"",{"type":34,"value":1923}," button in the Chrome address bar. This allows the browser to answer questions by reading the user's open tabs, making on-page context more valuable than ever for brand visibility.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":1925,"children":1927},{"id":1926},"strategic-implications-for-leaders",[1928],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1929,"children":1930},{},[1931],{"type":34,"value":1932},"Strategic Implications for Leaders",{"type":28,"tag":1934,"props":1935,"children":1937},"h4",{"id":1936},"what-to-ignore",[1938],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1939,"children":1940},{},[1941],{"type":34,"value":1942},"What to ignore:",{"type":28,"tag":1078,"props":1944,"children":1945},{},[1946],{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1947,"children":1948},{},[1949,1954],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1950,"children":1951},{},[1952],{"type":34,"value":1953},"Vanity Link Building:",{"type":34,"value":1955}," With Google's new focus on \"Experience\" and \"Task Completion,\" old-school guest posting for links is yielding diminishing returns. Focus on being the answer-first resource, ** ** the domain AI chooses to complete a user's task.",{"type":28,"tag":1934,"props":1957,"children":1959},{"id":1958},"where-to-pivot",[1960],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1961,"children":1962},{},[1963],{"type":34,"value":1964},"Where to pivot:",{"type":28,"tag":1078,"props":1966,"children":1967},{},[1968,1989],{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1969,"children":1970},{},[1971,1976,1978,1987],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1972,"children":1973},{},[1974],{"type":34,"value":1975},"Audit for \"History Hijacking\":",{"type":34,"value":1977}," Ensure your marketing or ad scripts aren't accidentally violating the new ",{"type":28,"tag":1033,"props":1979,"children":1981},{"href":1793,"rel":1980},[1037],[1982],{"type":28,"tag":1346,"props":1983,"children":1984},{},[1985],{"type":34,"value":1986},"Back Button policy",{"type":34,"value":1988},". Even vignette ads can sometimes trigger these penalties.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":1990,"children":1991},{},[1992,1997],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":1993,"children":1994},{},[1995],{"type":34,"value":1996},"Structure for Agents:",{"type":34,"value":1998}," To be hired by a Google or OpenAI agent, your business data (pricing, features, availability) must be in a machine-readable format, such as JSON-LD. If an agent can’t \"read\" your inventory, it will recommend a competitor with better-structured data.",{"type":28,"tag":1934,"props":2000,"children":2002},{"id":2001},"looking-ahead",[2003],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":2004,"children":2005},{},[2006],{"type":34,"value":2007},"Looking Ahead:",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2009,"children":2010},{},[2011,2016],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":2012,"children":2013},{},[2014],{"type":34,"value":2015},"The \"Side-Panel\" Habit:",{"type":34,"value":2017}," Watch how Google's new side-by-side view in Chrome changes click behavior. Users are now staying on your site while chatting with an AI on the side. In May, we expect to see \"Time on Page\" metrics rise, but \"Internal Clicks\" fall as the AI does the navigating for them.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":2019,"children":2021},{"id":2020},"call-to-action-optimize-for-the-future",[2022],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":2023,"children":2024},{},[2025],{"type":34,"value":2026},"Call to Action: Optimize for the Future",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2028,"children":2029},{},[2030],{"type":34,"value":2031},"The April updates signal a shift from a \"web of pages\" to a \"web of actions.\" For B2B and SaaS leaders, being found is no longer enough; your site must be optimized to help AI agents complete their work.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2033,"children":2034},{},[2035],{"type":34,"value":2036},"MKG helps VC-backed companies dominate this new landscape via:",{"type":28,"tag":1078,"props":2038,"children":2039},{},[2040,2050,2060],{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":2041,"children":2042},{},[2043,2048],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":2044,"children":2045},{},[2046],{"type":34,"value":2047},"GEO/AEO Gap Analysis:",{"type":34,"value":2049}," Identifying where AI agents are failing to \"see\" your core product data.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":2051,"children":2052},{},[2053,2058],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":2054,"children":2055},{},[2056],{"type":34,"value":2057},"SVO Focus:",{"type":34,"value":2059}," Incorporating all areas of search into one, holistic and coherent strategy.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":2061,"children":2062},{},[2063,2068],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":2064,"children":2065},{},[2066],{"type":34,"value":2067},"Full-Funnel Attribution:",{"type":34,"value":2069}," Measuring how AI Mode interactions contribute to your bottom line, even without a traditional click.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2071,"children":2072},{},[2073],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":2074,"children":2075},{},[2076],{"type":34,"value":2077},"Don't get trapped by the old playbook.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2079,"children":2080},{},[2081,2094],{"type":28,"tag":1033,"props":2082,"children":2085},{"href":2083,"rel":2084},"https://mkgmarketinginc.com/book-a-call/",[1037],[2086],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":2087,"children":2088},{},[2089],{"type":28,"tag":1346,"props":2090,"children":2091},{},[2092],{"type":34,"value":2093},"Book a Discovery Call",{"type":34,"value":2095}," to secure your visibility in the agentic search era.",{"type":28,"tag":2097,"props":2098,"children":2099},"br",{},[],{"title":7,"searchDepth":991,"depth":991,"links":2101},[2102,2103,2104,2105,2106],{"id":1695,"depth":991,"text":1701},{"id":1747,"depth":991,"text":1753},{"id":1846,"depth":991,"text":1852},{"id":1926,"depth":991,"text":1932},{"id":2020,"depth":991,"text":2026},"content:blog:seo:monthly-search-industry-report-april-2026.md","blog/seo/monthly-search-industry-report-april-2026.md","blog/seo/monthly-search-industry-report-april-2026",4,{"_path":2112,"_dir":1004,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":2113,"description":2114,"img":2115,"date":2116,"imgAlt":2117,"_schema":1686,"authors":2118,"body":2119,"_type":995,"_id":2451,"_source":997,"_file":2452,"_stem":2453,"_extension":1000,"category":1004,"minutes":1319},"/blog/seo/agentic-procurement-is-your-website-machine-readable-or-just-human-centric","Agentic Procurement - Is Your Website Machine-Readable or Just Human-Centric?","Procurement is moving to AI agents. If your site isn't optimized for agent readiness, you are invisible to the new buyer.","/images/blog/mkg-blog-agentic-procurement-hero-image.webp","2026-04-29T17:59:00Z","Agentic Procurement",[],{"type":25,"children":2120,"toc":2441},[2121,2126,2131,2136,2141,2148,2157,2162,2167,2172,2177,2186,2191,2196,2201,2206,2213,2222,2227,2232,2237,2270,2275,2280,2289,2294,2299,2332,2337,2344,2353,2358,2363,2368,2373,2382,2387,2392,2397,2402,2411,2416,2421,2426,2433,2438],{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2122,"children":2123},{},[2124],{"type":34,"value":2125},"B2B procurement is undergoing a fundamental restructuring. For the past twenty years, the B2B buying process has been defined by human-to-human interaction. Marketing teams built websites to persuade, inform, and nurture human prospects. Companies focused on mobile design, conversion paths, and lead forms.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2127,"children":2128},{},[2129],{"type":34,"value":2130},"That era of human-centric commerce is ending. By 2026, a massive portion of B2B spend will be mediated by AI agents. This is a shift in the fundamental infrastructure of the global economy.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2132,"children":2133},{},[2134],{"type":34,"value":2135},"In this environment, a website is no longer just a digital brochure for a human audience. It is a data source for an automated vetting process. When an AI agent is tasked with finding a vendor that meets specific security, price, and capability criteria, it does not analyze copy in a traditional sense. It does not assess branding or testimonials. It evaluates the site as machine-readable data. If a digital presence cannot be parsed, validated, and structured by an agent, the company does not exist in the procurement funnel.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2137,"children":2138},{},[2139],{"type":34,"value":2140},"This transition is the emergence of Agent Readiness Optimization (ARO). The winners in 2026 are the companies that stop treating their websites as destinations for humans and start treating them as dynamic, structured knowledge bases that AI agents can use to provide direct answers and make procurement decisions.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2142,"children":2143},{},[2144],{"type":28,"tag":1057,"props":2145,"children":2147},{"alt":7,"src":2146},"https://assets.mkgmarketinginc.com/f48096ed-38dd-417b-a905-819c2602bc6e-mkg-blog-agentic-procurement-image-1.jpg",[],{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":2149,"children":2151},{"id":2150},"the-reality-of-agentic-procurement",[2152],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":2153,"children":2154},{},[2155],{"type":34,"value":2156},"The Reality of Agentic Procurement",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2158,"children":2159},{},[2160],{"type":34,"value":2161},"Agentic procurement is the process of delegating the vendor selection and vetting phase to an AI agent. Instead of a procurement manager spending weeks issuing requests for proposals and scanning websites, they provide an AI agent with a set of constraints and objectives. The agent scans the web, analyzes the technical capabilities of potential vendors, assesses compliance, compares pricing, and shortlists candidates.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2163,"children":2164},{},[2165],{"type":34,"value":2166},"This process is objective and data-driven. It removes the friction of subjective marketing claims and replaces them with an audit of the technical layer of a web presence. When an AI agent visits a site, it looks for specific, unambiguous data points to synthesize an answer. It needs to know API capabilities, pricing, uptime guarantees, and security certifications.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2168,"children":2169},{},[2170],{"type":34,"value":2171},"If this information is trapped inside an image file, buried in a document, or obscured by marketing copy designed for humans, the agent ignores it. It does not include instructions for inferring meaning from general articles. It needs structured, machine-readable data to provide a direct answer.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2173,"children":2174},{},[2175],{"type":34,"value":2176},"Many B2B companies have a disconnect. They have invested in high-end design, video, and storytelling. While these elements have value for human stakeholders, they are often invisible or confusing to an AI agent. The technical architecture of most corporate websites is designed for visual display, not for programmatic extraction. To succeed in the era of AI-mediated spend, companies must implement a strategy that prioritizes machine-readability.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":2178,"children":2180},{"id":2179},"moving-beyond-seo-to-agent-readiness-optimization-aro",[2181],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":2182,"children":2183},{},[2184],{"type":34,"value":2185},"Moving Beyond SEO to Agent Readiness Optimization (ARO)",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2187,"children":2188},{},[2189],{"type":34,"value":2190},"For years, SEO was the primary discipline for increasing visibility. Teams focused on keywords, search intent, and ranking in search results. Agent Readiness Optimization (ARO) is a different discipline. ARO is not about ranking for a search term; it is about providing the definitive, structured data that an AI agent requires to vet a vendor and provide a direct answer.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2192,"children":2193},{},[2194],{"type":34,"value":2195},"ARO requires a shift in how digital assets are structured. It requires implementing a technical semantic layer. A semantic layer acts as a translator between raw data and the AI agents that need to consume it. It ensures that when an agent asks, \"What are the core technical capabilities of this platform?\", it receives a direct, unambiguous answer, not a marketing description.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2197,"children":2198},{},[2199],{"type":34,"value":2200},"This involves several components. First, it requires using standardized schemas, such as Schema.org, to define the entities on a page. By marking up content, a company tells the AI exactly what each piece of information represents. Second, it requires that data be accessible and consistent across the entire web presence.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2202,"children":2203},{},[2204],{"type":34,"value":2205},"When a company treats its website as a knowledge graph, it maps the relationships between products, technical specifications, and organizational data. It creates a clear, interconnected structure that an AI agent can navigate to build its response. It moves from unstructured content to structured knowledge. This allows an AI agent to build a profile of a company without needing human intervention.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2207,"children":2208},{},[2209],{"type":28,"tag":1057,"props":2210,"children":2212},{"alt":7,"src":2211},"https://assets.mkgmarketinginc.com/d42946f6-7f69-4eed-853f-c8f845347ce1-mkg-blog-agentic-procurement-image-2.png",[],{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":2214,"children":2216},{"id":2215},"the-systematic-approach-treating-your-site-as-a-knowledge-graph",[2217],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":2218,"children":2219},{},[2220],{"type":34,"value":2221},"The Systematic Approach: Treating Your Site as a Knowledge Graph",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2223,"children":2224},{},[2225],{"type":34,"value":2226},"The approach to this challenge is to move beyond the page-by-page content strategy and view the website as a comprehensive data system. It is necessary to focus on integrating services and technical architecture to create a resilient knowledge graph.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2228,"children":2229},{},[2230],{"type":34,"value":2231},"Superficial fixes are not effective. Instead, a technical audit of a site’s ability to communicate with AI agents is required. A company must analyze its ability to output structured data and ensure that technical documentation, pricing structures, and capability matrices are fully indexable.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2233,"children":2234},{},[2235],{"type":34,"value":2236},"This involves specific operational steps:",{"type":28,"tag":1078,"props":2238,"children":2239},{},[2240,2250,2260],{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":2241,"children":2242},{},[2243,2248],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":2244,"children":2245},{},[2246],{"type":34,"value":2247},"Intent-Based Categorization:",{"type":34,"value":2249}," Structure your content based on how an agent classifies information, rather than how a human visitor navigates a menu.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":2251,"children":2252},{},[2253,2258],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":2254,"children":2255},{},[2256],{"type":34,"value":2257},"Data Prominence:",{"type":34,"value":2259}," Surface your most critical technical and commercial specifications within your structured data to ensure they are instantly discoverable during an automated audit.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":2261,"children":2262},{},[2263,2268],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":2264,"children":2265},{},[2266],{"type":34,"value":2267},"Machine-Ready Compliance:",{"type":34,"value":2269}," Format your compliance documentation—including security protocols, certifications, and uptime logs—for machine-learning ingestion, so automated systems can verify your credentials without human intervention.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2271,"children":2272},{},[2273],{"type":34,"value":2274},"This approach requires collaboration between your technical and marketing teams. The marketing team provides the strategic narrative, while the technical team ensures it is translated into a language agents understand. By combining these perspectives, a brand ensures its authority is reflected in its machine-readable data.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2276,"children":2277},{},[2278],{"type":34,"value":2279},"When a company treats its site as a knowledge graph, it prepares the business for the future. It moves from a model in which it hopes marketing materials influence the buyer to one in which it actively supplies the data the agent uses to confirm fitness as a vendor.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":2281,"children":2283},{"id":2282},"why-machine-readable-content-wins",[2284],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":2285,"children":2286},{},[2287],{"type":34,"value":2288},"Why Machine-Readable Content Wins",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2290,"children":2291},{},[2292],{"type":34,"value":2293},"The primary advantage of having a machine-readable website is the velocity of the procurement process. An AI agent is not slowed by human schedules or traditional sales bottlenecks. When a site provides the answers a company needs immediately, that site becomes the direct, verifiable option.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2295,"children":2296},{},[2297],{"type":34,"value":2298},"Key advantages of machine-readability include:",{"type":28,"tag":1078,"props":2300,"children":2301},{},[2302,2312,2322],{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":2303,"children":2304},{},[2305,2310],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":2306,"children":2307},{},[2308],{"type":34,"value":2309},"Always-On Availability:",{"type":34,"value":2311}," Unlike human sales teams, AI agents operate 24/7. Your site is being vetted for procurement regardless of time zone or office hours.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":2313,"children":2314},{},[2315,2320],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":2316,"children":2317},{},[2318],{"type":34,"value":2319},"Removal of Friction:",{"type":34,"value":2321}," AI agents do not wait for sales representatives to respond to emails or demo requests. They require immediate, self-service access to technical data to complete their vetting process.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":2323,"children":2324},{},[2325,2330],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":2326,"children":2327},{},[2328],{"type":34,"value":2329},"Instant Verification:",{"type":34,"value":2331}," By surfacing specs, security protocols, and pricing in a machine-readable format, you allow an agent to confirm requirements in seconds, positioning your company as the most efficient and low-risk choice.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2333,"children":2334},{},[2335],{"type":34,"value":2336},"Contrast this with a competitor whose site is visually polished but lacks the technical structure required for indexing. That competitor is filtered out by the agent before a human ever sees their brand. This is an automated process of elimination. A company may not even know it was considered for a procurement mandate, nor why it was passed over.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2338,"children":2339},{},[2340],{"type":28,"tag":1057,"props":2341,"children":2343},{"alt":7,"src":2342},"https://assets.mkgmarketinginc.com/4840c7d2-ba0e-4ce6-a9f7-3eb021a8fb44-mkg-blog-agentic-procurement-image-3.jpg",[],{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":2345,"children":2347},{"id":2346},"the-competitive-advantage-of-structured-data",[2348],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":2349,"children":2350},{},[2351],{"type":34,"value":2352},"The Competitive Advantage of Structured Data",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2354,"children":2355},{},[2356],{"type":34,"value":2357},"The transition to ARO is a competitive advantage. Companies that understand how to present data in a structured, semantic format will have an advantage in the automated B2B marketplace.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2359,"children":2360},{},[2361],{"type":34,"value":2362},"Consider the difference in how two companies present service levels. One company uses an infographic with text that an agent cannot parse. The agent cannot process the information, which creates a high level of risk. The company is filtered out. The second company uses a structured data table that clearly maps service levels to technical specifications, accompanied by schema markup that validates those claims. The agent ingests this data instantly, verifies it against the procurement requirements, and flags the company as a candidate with high confidence.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2364,"children":2365},{},[2366],{"type":34,"value":2367},"This second company wins because it made the task easier for the agent. It demonstrated operational maturity. In the era of AI-mediated spend, technical documentation is sales collateral. API references are landing pages. Compliance data is the brand story.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2369,"children":2370},{},[2371],{"type":34,"value":2372},"Organizations must build this infrastructure. They must move from a focus on brochures to a data-driven model. A website should act as a sales engineer, providing the data agents need to select a company as their preferred partner.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":2374,"children":2376},{"id":2375},"recalibrating-your-digital-strategy",[2377],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":2378,"children":2379},{},[2380],{"type":34,"value":2381},"Recalibrating Your Digital Strategy",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2383,"children":2384},{},[2385],{"type":34,"value":2386},"If a digital strategy is currently too human-centric, now is the time to recalibrate. This is not about sacrificing brand voice or the experience provided to human visitors. It is about adding a layer of technical rigor that makes the site work for both the human buyer and the procurement agent.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2388,"children":2389},{},[2390],{"type":34,"value":2391},"A structured approach to ARO involves a technical audit of the existing infrastructure. Companies must analyze where data is hidden, where structures are brittle, and where opportunities are lost because information is not parsable. They then implement a structured data strategy that enables knowledge to flow into the systems that drive the majority of B2B procurement decisions.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2393,"children":2394},{},[2395],{"type":34,"value":2396},"This is not a project that can be delegated to a generic agency. It requires a combination of technical capability, strategic oversight, and an understanding of how AI models consume information. It requires the discipline to treat information as a system.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2398,"children":2399},{},[2400],{"type":34,"value":2401},"By controlling the technical semantic layer, a company controls its future in the B2B market. It ensures it is not left behind as spend shifts to vendors who have built the infrastructure to support AI-driven answers.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":2403,"children":2405},{"id":2404},"final-thoughts-the-new-era-of-visibility",[2406],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":2407,"children":2408},{},[2409],{"type":34,"value":2410},"Final Thoughts: The New Era of Visibility",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2412,"children":2413},{},[2414],{"type":34,"value":2415},"The transition to AI-mediated procurement is a significant shift in the business environment. It requires a change in mindset—from how to persuade the buyer, to how to provide the data the agent needs to select a vendor.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2417,"children":2418},{},[2419],{"type":34,"value":2420},"We specialize in the intersection of services and technical architecture. We help clients navigate this shift by building websites that are robust, structured, and intelligent. We provide the technical backbone that allows a business to thrive in a world of automated decision-making.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2422,"children":2423},{},[2424],{"type":34,"value":2425},"Do not let a brand fall into the gap between traditional marketing and AI-driven procurement. Organize expertise, structure data, and build a digital presence that's future-ready. The era of the agent is here. Ensure you are ready.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":2427,"children":2428},{"id":1294},[2429],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":2430,"children":2431},{},[2432],{"type":34,"value":1297},{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2434,"children":2435},{},[2436],{"type":34,"value":2437},"The landscape of B2B procurement is shifting toward agent-mediated models. This transition necessitates a shift from human-centric web design to Agent Readiness Optimization (ARO), which prioritizes machine-readable content and structured semantic layers. By treating a website as a knowledge graph, a company allows AI agents to autonomously vet the business, verify technical capabilities, and provide direct answers for procurement mandates. 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Learn what it is, why it hurts SEO, and how to keep your site compliant and user-friendly.\n","/images/blog/mkg-blog-back-button-hijacking.webp","2026-04-28T17:59:00Z","back button hijacking",[2462],"Jared Gerling",{"type":25,"children":2464,"toc":2698},[2465,2470,2479,2484,2489,2507,2512,2521,2526,2531,2549,2554,2563,2568,2582,2596,2604,2609,2614,2623,2628,2633,2638,2643,2652,2657,2662,2667,2672,2690,2695],{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2466,"children":2467},{},[2468],{"type":34,"value":2469},"Back button hijacking has always been a frustrating, if obscure, part of the web. Now, Google is making it clear: if your site uses it, your site could take a hit.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":2471,"children":2473},{"id":2472},"what-is-back-button-hijacking",[2474],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":2475,"children":2476},{},[2477],{"type":34,"value":2478},"What is back button hijacking?",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2480,"children":2481},{},[2482],{"type":34,"value":2483},"Back button hijacking is when a website interferes with your browser’s back button, preventing you from easily leaving the page.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2485,"children":2486},{},[2487],{"type":34,"value":2488},"Instead of returning to the previous page, clicking “back” might:",{"type":28,"tag":1078,"props":2490,"children":2491},{},[2492,2497,2502],{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":2493,"children":2494},{},[2495],{"type":34,"value":2496},"Reload the same page",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":2498,"children":2499},{},[2500],{"type":34,"value":2501},"Send you to a different page on the same site",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":2503,"children":2504},{},[2505],{"type":34,"value":2506},"Redirect you to an ad or pop-up",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2508,"children":2509},{},[2510],{"type":34,"value":2511},"It’s usually done with scripts that manipulate the browser’s history. But for users, it feels like getting stuck, or worse, being manipulated.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":2513,"children":2515},{"id":2514},"why-do-sites-use-it",[2516],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":2517,"children":2518},{},[2519],{"type":34,"value":2520},"Why do sites use it",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2522,"children":2523},{},[2524],{"type":34,"value":2525},"Sites use back button hijacking to force users to stay on their website longer, artificially inflating page views and ad impressions while preventing them from leaving.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2527,"children":2528},{},[2529],{"type":34,"value":2530},"The goals are usually:",{"type":28,"tag":1078,"props":2532,"children":2533},{},[2534,2539,2544],{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":2535,"children":2536},{},[2537],{"type":34,"value":2538},"Increase pageviews",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":2540,"children":2541},{},[2542],{"type":34,"value":2543},"Boost time on site",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":2545,"children":2546},{},[2547],{"type":34,"value":2548},"Push users toward ads or conversions",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2550,"children":2551},{},[2552],{"type":34,"value":2553},"It can make engagement numbers look better on paper. But it does that by forcing behavior, not by improving user experience.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":2555,"children":2557},{"id":2556},"googles-new-spam-policy-update",[2558],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":2559,"children":2560},{},[2561],{"type":34,"value":2562},"Google’s new spam policy update",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2564,"children":2565},{},[2566],{"type":34,"value":2567},"All that said, steps to curb back-button hijacking are finally being taken.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2569,"children":2570},{},[2571,2573,2580],{"type":34,"value":2572},"Recent ",{"type":28,"tag":1033,"props":2574,"children":2577},{"href":2575,"rel":2576},"https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/google-punish-websites-browser-back-button-hijacking-annoying/",[1037],[2578],{"type":34,"value":2579},"reporting",{"type":34,"value":2581}," confirms that Google is now treating back button hijacking as a policy violation.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2583,"children":2584},{},[2585,2587,2594],{"type":34,"value":2586},"In its official announcement, ",{"type":28,"tag":1033,"props":2588,"children":2591},{"href":2589,"rel":2590},"https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2026/04/back-button-hijacking",[1037],[2592],{"type":34,"value":2593},"Google says",{"type":34,"value":2595},":",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2597,"children":2598},{},[2599],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":2600,"children":2601},{},[2602],{"type":34,"value":2603},"“Back button hijacking is a deceptive practice that interferes with the user’s ability to navigate the web and creates a frustrating experience. Pages that engage in this behavior may be subject to ranking demotions or removal from search results.”",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2605,"children":2606},{},[2607],{"type":34,"value":2608},"What’s changed is the level of enforcement. Google has addressed shady UX tactics before, but this update clearly ties back button hijacking to search penalties. That means it’s no longer just a bad practice, but rather something that can directly impact visibility.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2610,"children":2611},{},[2612],{"type":34,"value":2613},"This also aligns with Google’s broader push to reduce manipulative behaviors in search. As its systems get better at evaluating real user experience, tactics that artificially inflate engagement are becoming easier to identify and penalize at scale.",{"type":28,"tag":29,"props":2615,"children":2617},{"id":2616},"why-this-matters",[2618],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":2619,"children":2620},{},[2621],{"type":34,"value":2622},"Why this matters",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2624,"children":2625},{},[2626],{"type":34,"value":2627},"This update is a clear signal about how Google evaluates site quality.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2629,"children":2630},{},[2631],{"type":34,"value":2632},"Back button hijacking works by blocking normal user behavior. When someone clicks “back,” they’ve already decided the page didn’t meet their needs. Preventing that action creates friction and frustration, which is exactly what Google is trying to avoid in its results.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2634,"children":2635},{},[2636],{"type":34,"value":2637},"It also undermines the reliability of engagement metrics. If users are being forced to stay on a site, metrics like time on page or pages per session no longer reflect real interest. That makes those signals less trustworthy, and makes sites using these tactics stand out for the wrong reasons.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":2639,"children":2640},{},[2641],{"type":34,"value":2642},"There’s also a compounding effect. Poor user experience can lead to lower trust, fewer return visits, and weaker brand perception. 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A Google Partner approached me to assist with healthcare content and ads. I quickly discovered a passion for the field, and with Google Ads sales training followed by SEM training, I was hooked.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3654,"children":3655},{},[3656],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":3657,"children":3658},{},[3659],{"type":34,"value":3660},"What I Love About Paid Search",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3662,"children":3663},{},[3664],{"type":34,"value":3665},"Every campaign is like a unique puzzle, even within the same industry. Variations in geography, audiences, and keywords make each project different. I enjoy leveraging the full suite of Google products—Search, Display, Demand Gen, and YouTube—because they work best when integrated. The ever-evolving nature of the work keeps me inspired and challenged.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3667,"children":3668},{},[3669],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":3670,"children":3671},{},[3672],{"type":34,"value":3673},"Why I Chose MKG Marketing",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3675,"children":3676},{},[3677],{"type":34,"value":3678},"I was drawn to MKG Marketing for its people-first culture. The company recognizes that we are all human, with lives outside of work, and fosters a supportive environment that values balance and well-being.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3680,"children":3681},{},[3682],{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":3683,"children":3684},{},[3685],{"type":34,"value":3686},"Fun Facts About Me",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3688,"children":3689},{},[3690],{"type":34,"value":3691},"I’m an avid traveler and love immersing myself in different cultures. Before having kids, my husband and I spent at least three months each year exploring the world.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3693,"children":3694},{},[3695],{"type":34,"value":3696},"I take cooking classes with locals wherever I go and love scuba diving whenever there’s water nearby.\nMy kids are my world—seeing their faces light up when experiencing something new brings me the greatest joy.",{"title":7,"searchDepth":991,"depth":991,"links":3698},[],"content:team:alicia-antonow.md","team/alicia-antonow.md","team/alicia-antonow",1,{"_path":3704,"_dir":3561,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":3705,"description":3706,"name":3705,"jobTitle":3707,"team":3708,"images":3709,"ref":3711,"linkedIn":3712,"sequence":3713,"body":3714,"_type":995,"_id":3762,"_source":997,"_file":3763,"_stem":3764,"_extension":1000,"category":3561,"minutes":991},"/team/avery-davis","Avery Davis","Avery Davis is an Account Superivor here at MKG Marketing.","Account Supervisor","Account Services",{"landscape":3710},"avery-davis.webp","avery-davis","avery-davis-114055191",59,{"type":25,"children":3715,"toc":3759},[3716,3722,3727,3732,3737,3741],{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3717,"children":3719},{"className":3718},[3578],[3720],{"type":34,"value":3721},"\nAvery began his digital marketing career at a tech startup focused on ID scanning and facial recognition software. In addition to gaining a deep understanding of paid media and analytics, this peaked his interest in cybersecurity and tech in general. He then transitioned to agency life where he specialized in SaaS marketing.\n",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3723,"children":3724},{},[3725],{"type":34,"value":3726},"Over the years, Avery has touched a variety of verticals including health and beauty, eCommerce, medical/pharma, education, and more. He is drawn to agency life because of the variety of clients he is able to work with and, in turn, learn from.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3728,"children":3729},{},[3730],{"type":34,"value":3731},"Although he’s touched several areas of digital marketing, Avery feels most at home when doing Account/ Project Management as well as Copywriting.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3733,"children":3734},{},[3735],{"type":34,"value":3736},"As is the theme with many of our staff, Avery was drawn to MKG because of our culture. In Avery’s words “MKG shares the same values as I do in both my professional and my personal life. When I saw that we meshed so well, this was an opportunity I couldn’t refuse!”",{"type":28,"tag":3598,"props":3738,"children":3739},{"id":3600},[3740],{"type":34,"value":3603},{"type":28,"tag":1078,"props":3742,"children":3743},{},[3744,3749,3754],{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":3745,"children":3746},{},[3747],{"type":34,"value":3748},"Avery is an avid racquetball player. Having first gotten into the sport in college, he’s had lots of fun playing over the years. He tries to get to the court at least once a week.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":3750,"children":3751},{},[3752],{"type":34,"value":3753},"Avery is a hobby bartender and enjoys making, tasting, and learning about different drinks. He’s mainly a Kentucky bourbon guy but also loves Japanese whisky!",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":3755,"children":3756},{},[3757],{"type":34,"value":3758},"Avery is a black belt in Pasaryu. This is a Korean mixed martial art which includes karate, kung fu, and Taekwondo. He has also trained and competed with weapons: nunchucks and samurai sword just to name a couple!",{"title":7,"searchDepth":991,"depth":991,"links":3760},[3761],{"id":3600,"depth":2708,"text":3603},"content:team:avery-davis.md","team/avery-davis.md","team/avery-davis",{"_path":3766,"_dir":3561,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":2462,"description":3767,"name":2462,"ref":3768,"jobTitle":3769,"team":3770,"images":3771,"linkedIn":3773,"quote":3774,"quoteCite":3775,"sequence":3776,"body":3777,"_type":995,"_id":3824,"_source":997,"_file":3825,"_stem":3826,"_extension":1000,"category":3561,"minutes":991},"/team/jared-gerling","Meet Jared Gerling, one of MKG Marketing’s thoughtful SEO Experts, bringing 10+ years of experience, intentionality, and creativity to the team.","jared-gerling","SEO Expert","SEO Experts",{"landscape":3772},"jared-gerling.webp","jaredgerling","The truth is, most of us discover where we are heading when we arrive.","Calvin (Calvin and Hobbes)",55,{"type":25,"children":3778,"toc":3822},[3779,3784,3789,3794,3799,3804],{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3780,"children":3781},{},[3782],{"type":34,"value":3783},"Jared's journey into digital marketing started with answering a classified ad for a company looking for people with writing backgrounds for a position in SEO. As a graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in Creative Writing, this sounded like the perfect opportunity.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3785,"children":3786},{},[3787],{"type":34,"value":3788},"This small agency taught him SEO from the ground up, and, after taking a break from digital marketing to receive his MA from DePaul University, Jared jumped back into the field at a medium-sized agency out of Chicago as an SEO analyst.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3790,"children":3791},{},[3792],{"type":34,"value":3793},"Since then, Jared has worked for large and small marketing agencies for over a decade, providing expert SEO services in almost every industry that has a website on the internet. And with his background in writing, Jared feels most at home in the content and customer facing side of SEO and digital marketing.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3795,"children":3796},{},[3797],{"type":34,"value":3798},"It was first and foremost the people that drew Jared to MKG. Everyone at MKG has been so in tune with his values and his personality, and they've made his time at MKG easily the best experience of his career.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3800,"children":3801},{},[3802],{"type":34,"value":3803},"Fun Facts:",{"type":28,"tag":1078,"props":3805,"children":3806},{},[3807,3812,3817],{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":3808,"children":3809},{},[3810],{"type":34,"value":3811},"I love to travel with my wife. We've been to many incredible places over the years, and are always on the lookout for our next destination.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":3813,"children":3814},{},[3815],{"type":34,"value":3816},"I was a college rower in my younger days. I rowed mostly eights as a port, and competed against some of the best schools in the nation...and lost to most of them.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":3818,"children":3819},{},[3820],{"type":34,"value":3821},"I love a really good French Martini.",{"title":7,"searchDepth":991,"depth":991,"links":3823},[],"content:team:jared-gerling.md","team/jared-gerling.md","team/jared-gerling",{"_path":3828,"_dir":3561,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":3829,"description":3830,"name":3831,"jobTitle":3832,"images":3833,"ref":3835,"sequence":3836,"imageDescription":3837,"body":3838,"_type":995,"_id":3890,"_source":997,"_file":3891,"_stem":3892,"_extension":1000,"category":3561,"minutes":991},"/team/kathy-obrien","Kathy Obrien","Meet Kathy O’Brien, MKG Marketing’s amazing executive assistant who consistently supports all of MKG across the many needs of the company.","Kathy O'Brien","Executive Assistant",{"landscape":3834},"kathy-obrien.webp","kathy-obrien",80,"Kathy O’Brien, MKG Marketing’s Executive Assistant, in front of a gray background | MKG Marketing",{"type":25,"children":3839,"toc":3887},[3840,3846,3851,3860,3865,3869],{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3841,"children":3843},{"className":3842},[3578],[3844],{"type":34,"value":3845},"\nKathy loves details and has managed the finer details of business her entire career.  She started her career in Center City, Philadelphia working for several law firms.  After she was married and had her first son, she left the bustling city to work closer to home at an international publishing company.  In 1994, Kathy and her husband Bill moved with their two sons to Charlotte, North Carolina.  They eventually completed their family with two more boys born in Charlotte.\n",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3847,"children":3848},{},[3849],{"type":34,"value":3850},"In 2000 they relocated to Chester County, a suburb of Philadelphia. After a hiatus and four sons, Kathy returned to work in Chester County. This time, she gave retail a whirl so that she could be home when her school age boys were home. She quickly found out Ann Taylor was employing one of their best customers. Kathy then spent the following 10+ years in the Non-Profit arena where she did whatever needed to be done to further the mission. No job was too big, small, or unimportant to tackle.",{"type":28,"tag":3852,"props":3853,"children":3854},"blockquote",{},[3855],{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3856,"children":3857},{},[3858],{"type":34,"value":3859},"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.\nMother Teresa",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3861,"children":3862},{},[3863],{"type":34,"value":3864},"By February 2020, Kathy was eager to build something for herself and her family. She set off on a new adventure of starting her own business when she was connected with Kerry, Mike, and MKG. Having commuted and worked outside of the home for 10+ years, she was ready to work from home and have a better life balance. She followed the rainbow and found MKG in her pot of gold. MKG is like no other firm or organization for which Kathy has worked. Their standard of people first is evident in every team member, every decision, every meeting, every interaction. They live their standard.",{"type":28,"tag":3598,"props":3866,"children":3867},{"id":3600},[3868],{"type":34,"value":3603},{"type":28,"tag":1078,"props":3870,"children":3871},{},[3872,3877,3882],{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":3873,"children":3874},{},[3875],{"type":34,"value":3876},"Kathy’s dislikes: fruit & chocolate together and Tuesday.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":3878,"children":3879},{},[3880],{"type":34,"value":3881},"Family: Kathy met her husband Bill in Wildwood, New Jersey after their high school graduations during “Senior Week”. They have 4 sons and 2 grandsons. There hasn’t been a girl born in the O’Brien family in 32 years! You will often hear Kathy saying her boys are the best 4 gifts she’s ever been given.",{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":3883,"children":3884},{},[3885],{"type":34,"value":3886},"Special talent: Baking. Her boys’ (Bill included) favorites are Spritz Cookies and Chocolate Chip Cookies. There is a running family debate as to whether Ricotta Cookies are cookies or biscuits. At Christmas time, Kathy has been known to hide cookies to save some for guests.",{"title":7,"searchDepth":991,"depth":991,"links":3888},[3889],{"id":3600,"depth":2708,"text":3603},"content:team:kathy-obrien.md","team/kathy-obrien.md","team/kathy-obrien",{"_path":3894,"_dir":3561,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":20,"description":3895,"ref":3896,"name":20,"team":3566,"quote":3897,"images":3898,"twitter":3900,"isLeader":3570,"jobTitle":3901,"linkedIn":3900,"sequence":3702,"quoteCite":3902,"imageDescription":3903,"body":3904,"_type":995,"_id":3952,"_source":997,"_file":3953,"_stem":3954,"_extension":1000,"category":3561,"minutes":3702},"/team/kerry-guard","Meet Kerry Guard, one of MKG Marketing’s founders. She currently fills the role of CEO of MKG as well as hosting the podcast, Back on T-R-A-C-K.","kerry-guard","I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness — it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude.",{"landscape":3899},"kerry-guard.webp","kerryguard","Founder & CEO","Brené Brown","Kerry Guard, MKG Marketing’s Owner/CEO, stands on a street in Guernsey with the Town Church behind her | MKG Marketing",{"type":25,"children":3905,"toc":3949},[3906,3912,3924,3937,3941],{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3907,"children":3909},{"className":3908},[3578],[3910],{"type":34,"value":3911},"Kerry Guard (she/her) is a mom of twins - boy and a girl. She understands what work life balance really looks like and is on a mission to build a company that honors parents having a career and a life. She’s out to prove you really can have both with policies like ensuring 20 days of vacation each year, no client emails after 6PM or weekends, unlimited sick days, and everyday flexibility.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3913,"children":3914},{},[3915,3917,3922],{"type":34,"value":3916},"She also hosts our podcast, ",{"type":28,"tag":1033,"props":3918,"children":3920},{"href":3919},"/podcasts/marketing-leaders/",[3921],{"type":34,"value":16},{"type":34,"value":3923},", which brings eight digital marketing experts to your ears every quarter.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3925,"children":3926},{},[3927,3929,3935],{"type":34,"value":3928},"Kerry is responsible for HR. If you’d like to join MKG where people are first and your expertise matter, Kerry will be with you through the entire interview process ensuring each candidate meets the necessary requirements and gets a fair shot. Want to join MKG and Kerry’s mission of bringing People First to as many people as possible? Check out our ",{"type":28,"tag":1033,"props":3930,"children":3932},{"href":3931},"/about/jobs/",[3933],{"type":34,"value":3934},"Jobs page",{"type":34,"value":3936}," and see if we have a position right for you!",{"type":28,"tag":3598,"props":3938,"children":3939},{"id":3600},[3940],{"type":34,"value":3603},{"type":28,"tag":1078,"props":3942,"children":3943},{},[3944],{"type":28,"tag":1082,"props":3945,"children":3946},{},[3947],{"type":34,"value":3948},"Kerry now lives in Guernsey — a tiny nook in the world between England and France. Come visit for a spot of tea any time!",{"title":7,"searchDepth":991,"depth":991,"links":3950},[3951],{"id":3600,"depth":2708,"text":3603},"content:team:kerry-guard.md","team/kerry-guard.md","team/kerry-guard",{"_path":3956,"_dir":3561,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":3957,"description":3958,"name":3957,"ref":3959,"jobTitle":3960,"team":3633,"images":3961,"linkedIn":3963,"sequence":3964,"body":3965,"_type":995,"_id":4016,"_source":997,"_file":4017,"_stem":4018,"_extension":1000,"category":3561,"minutes":991},"/team/leigh-snyder","Leigh Snyder","Meet Leigh Snyder, one of MKG Marketing’s amazing digital advertising experts, bringing 15 plus years of experience to the team","leigh-snyder","Digital Advertising Expert",{"landscape":3962},"leigh-snyder.webp","leighasnyder",50,{"type":25,"children":3966,"toc":4013},[3967,3973,3978,3983,3988,3993,3998,4003,4008],{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3968,"children":3970},{"className":3969},[3578],[3971],{"type":34,"value":3972},"\nLeigh has over 15 years of experience of managing Paid Search campaigns. She started her career at Solid Cactus, a full service eCommerce agency in Wilkes Barre Pennsylvania. Having no experience in Paid Search, she learned as she went, starting out in the earlier days of Google Adwords, when Adwords Editor wasn't even being used yet.\n",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3974,"children":3975},{},[3976],{"type":34,"value":3977},"Leigh loves to create accounts and watch them grow, even more she loves to take a poorly performing account and turn it around. Watching the KPIs increase from changes she has made or new ideas she implements, keeps her career exciting.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3979,"children":3980},{},[3981],{"type":34,"value":3982},"Managing a wide variety of accounts that include local car dealerships, worldwide clothing stores, online supplement shops to plastic surgeons and much much more, Leigh brings a vast knowledge of creative ways in managing accounts.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3984,"children":3985},{},[3986],{"type":34,"value":3987},"While working the majority of her career in local offices, the options for expanding her career were becoming less and less. She decided to apply for a remote job (before it was the norm) and was able to get experience that wasn't as prevalent in the smaller area in which she resides.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3989,"children":3990},{},[3991],{"type":34,"value":3992},"After working from home for the past 6 years the opportunities kept coming and when MKG reached out to her, she knew that there was something special about them and decided to take the leap. The people first environment is not just talked about here, but it is practiced everyday. MKG Marketing is unlike anywhere she has ever worked.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3994,"children":3995},{},[3996],{"type":34,"value":3997},"Outside of work, Leigh enjoys spending time with her husband Dustin, their blended family (Emma, Casey, Jake & Brayden) and their dog Millie.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":3999,"children":4000},{},[4001],{"type":34,"value":4002},"The kitchen is where you will always find her, she loves to cook and bake all things Gluten Free and no one ever knows. When they are not at a swim meet or a baseball game they love swimming in their pool, long walks on the local trails, renovating their house and binging shows.",{"type":28,"tag":3598,"props":4004,"children":4005},{"id":3600},[4006],{"type":34,"value":4007},"Fun Facts",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":4009,"children":4010},{},[4011],{"type":34,"value":4012},"Although it was just was a short time, at age 19 Leigh drove cross country from a small town in PA and moved to Hollywood Hills, CA. Her view from her kitchen window was the Hollywood sign. Not a bad first apartment.",{"title":7,"searchDepth":991,"depth":991,"links":4014},[4015],{"id":3600,"depth":2708,"text":4007},"content:team:leigh-snyder.md","team/leigh-snyder.md","team/leigh-snyder",{"_path":4020,"_dir":4021,"_draft":6,"_partial":6,"_locale":7,"title":4022,"description":4023,"name":4022,"imageDescription":4024,"ref":4025,"jobTitle":4026,"images":4027,"linkedIn":4025,"quote":4029,"quoteCite":4022,"sequence":1681,"body":4030,"_type":995,"_id":4104,"_source":997,"_file":4105,"_stem":4106,"_extension":1000,"category":4021,"minutes":3702},"/team/marketing-leadership/celeste-jacroux","marketing-leadership","Celeste Jacroux","Meet Celeste Jacroux, a strategic GTM partner to MKG and Founder of Sweel Marketing Advisors. She leads Go-to-Market strategy for high-growth companies.","Celeste Jacroux, Founder of Swell Marketing Advisors and MKG Partner","celeste-jacroux","Fractional GTM Leader | Founder, Swell Marketing Advisors",{"landscape":4028},"celeste-jacroux.webp","A great product doesn't win on its own. It wins when the story, the strategy, and the sales motion all pull in the exact same direction.",{"type":25,"children":4031,"toc":4101},[4032,4045,4050,4062,4068],{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":4033,"children":4035},{"className":4034},[3578],[4036,4038,4043],{"type":34,"value":4037},"\nCeleste Jacroux is a Go-to-Market architect for companies ready to graduate from \"random acts of marketing\" to a predictable revenue engine. As the Founder of ",{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":4039,"children":4040},{},[4041],{"type":34,"value":4042},"Swell Marketing Advisors",{"type":34,"value":4044}," and a strategic partner to MKG, she brings deep expertise in aligning product, sales, and marketing into a cohesive GTM strategy.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":4046,"children":4047},{},[4048],{"type":34,"value":4049},"Celeste understands that for founders, the hardest phase is often bridging the gap between a great product and the market that needs it. She specializes in clarifying positioning, defining ideal customer profiles (ICPs), and building the strategic roadmap that turns vision into traction.",{"type":28,"tag":37,"props":4051,"children":4052},{},[4053,4055,4060],{"type":34,"value":4054},"At MKG, Celeste steps in as a Marketing Leader for our ",{"type":28,"tag":1086,"props":4056,"children":4057},{},[4058],{"type":34,"value":4059},"Marketing Leadership + Activation",{"type":34,"value":4061}," clients. 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