SEO Governance: Jacob Smedley's Unbiased Audit

On this episode of the Retain Podcast, I sit down with Jacob Smedley, founder of Smedley Digital and an SEO veteran from WPP Group and Publicis Group. Jacob reveals a crucial gap in the SEO industry: a lack of unbiased accountability. Many companies spend fortunes on SEO without true visibility into their agency's effectiveness. Jacob introduces a powerful solution: SEO Governance. Discover the proven path to transparent SEO results: Uncover Hidden Waste: Learn how to identify if your SEO budget is being misspent on activities that don't move the needle. Jacob shares how his ""keep, cut, question"" approach can save you significant resources. AI's True SEO Impact: With AI overviews and AI search reshaping how customers find businesses, understand the real implications for your online visibility. Jacob debunks common myths and clarifies what ""search everywhere optimization"" truly means for your company. Measure What Matters: Stop relying on vanity metrics. Jacob explains the single most critical KPI for SEO success and how to track the actual financial return on your investment, even when it seems impossible. Eliminate Conflicts of Interest: See how an unbiased second opinion can reveal inefficiencies stemming from agencies prioritizing their own services over your company's true needs. Future-Proof Your Strategy: Jacob outlines his vision for SEO governance, offering large enterprises a clear window into their SEO operations, ensuring quality and maximizing impact. If you're a CEO or business leader looking to optimize your marketing spend and gain clarity on your SEO performance, this conversation with Jacob Smedley is essential. He provides actionable insights to help you get the most out of your digital presence. Tune in to understand how an unbiased audit can transform your SEO strategy and drive real business growth. 00:07 The Journey of Jacob Smedley 02:30 Balancing Multiple Income Streams 04:57 The Impact of AI on SEO 07:21 Introducing SEO Governance 09:26 Building Trust in SEO Services 11:19 Networking and Business Development Strategies 13:42 Finding Personal Purpose in Work