Beyond Buzzwords: Ross Simmonds on Practical Strategies for Customer Discovery

In a recent LinkedIn post, Ross Simmonds explores the evolving landscape of how brands can connect with customers, urging a focus on practical experimentation over adherence to trending terminology. Simmonds, founder of Foundation Marketing, emphasizes that regardless of the labels used – whether AEO, AI SEO, GEO, or traditional SEO – the core objective remains consistent: brands need to be visible when customers are actively seeking answers.

Simmonds highlights the current dynamic environment, stating:

“We’re going through an amazing time in the world of discovery. If anyone tells you that there’s ONLY one way to win… Run away.”

This sentiment underscores his central argument for adaptability and experimentation in marketing strategies. He advocates for a proactive approach, encouraging professionals to move beyond theoretical debates and engage in building tangible assets that serve customer needs.

Embracing Experimentation Over Jargon

Simmonds criticizes the tendency to get lost in the proliferation of new acronyms and buzzwords in the digital marketing space. He suggests that while understanding the underlying technologies and expert analyses is important, it should not overshadow the fundamental goal of customer engagement. The urgency, he implies, is driven by the rapid pace of change, famously encapsulated by his assertion:

“Time waits for no one.”

According to Simmonds, this means prioritizing action. He outlines several concrete actions brands should consider:

• Building landing pages that target long-form keywords.
• Investing in YouTube videos to influence search citations.
• Creating relevant Subreddits within their niche.

These actions, Simmonds argues, are valuable because they add genuine utility to customers, irrespective of whether they fit neatly into a specific SEO category.

Challenging Conventional SEO Wisdom

The post also touches upon a historical friction within the SEO community. Simmonds recalls instances where his recommendations to invest in platforms like YouTube and Reddit were dismissed by some as merely “content marketing & social,” rather than core SEO activities. He notes the irony:

“I don’t think SEO is dead. But I do think there were a lot of SEOs who used to give me poor ratings on my talks because I told them that they should be investing in YouTube and Reddit… All while they said ‘that’s not SEO, it’s content marketing & social.’ /// Ahhh… How the tables have turned…”

This observation highlights Simmonds’s forward-thinking approach, which has consistently focused on a holistic view of digital presence and customer interaction, rather than a siloed definition of SEO. He encourages his audience to adopt a similar mindset, viewing his framework as a starting point for their own experimentation.

A Call to Action: Build and Adapt

Simmonds concludes by offering his framework as a resource that is constantly evolving. He invites others to freely adapt and utilize it:

“Feel free to steal it. Modify it. And turn it into your own…”

This gesture reinforces his belief in collaborative learning and the power of shared experimentation. By encouraging brands to focus on adding value and adapting to the changing discovery landscape, Ross Simmonds provides a practical roadmap for navigating the complexities of modern digital marketing.