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Founder, CEO and Principal Client Partner at Fast Frigate Digital Marketing - an…
Articles by David
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That One Goddamn Word I Wish AI Would Forget
That One Goddamn Word I Wish AI Would Forget
What's your worst AI-word (or phrase) "bugaboo"? I'll tell you mine in a second. Bugaboo: "Something that causes fear…
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My A.I. Epiphany: The One Little Win That Changed Everything
My A.I. Epiphany: The One Little Win That Changed Everything
>> TL/DR: Seconds before throwing in the A.I.
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Will Google's Monopoly Survive the DOJ's Scrutiny?
Will Google's Monopoly Survive the DOJ's Scrutiny?
"Antitrust laws are regulations that monitor the distribution of economic power in business, making sure that healthy…
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BERT: Google's Most Important Algorithm Update in 5 Years?
BERT: Google's Most Important Algorithm Update in 5 Years?
Google never ceases to shock, amaze and frustrate each and every one of us. Friday was no different, and the SEO…
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Automotive Voice Search Optimization
Automotive Voice Search Optimization
You've heard it all before: By this time next year, voice is predicted to make up 50% of user searches and about 30% of…
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The Myth of Link-Building for SEO
The Myth of Link-Building for SEO
Maybe "myth" is the wrong setup, but I got your attention. The subject is top-of-mind for me at the moment, based on a…
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What the Heck is a "Natural" Backlink Profile?
What the Heck is a "Natural" Backlink Profile?
A friend reached out tonight and asked how a "natural" backlink profile relates to search engine optimization. Having…
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Tips for Hesitant First-Time Biz Bloggers
Tips for Hesitant First-Time Biz Bloggers
The Short Version: Blogging on a regular basis is really not a big deal - and can make all the difference in terms of…
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The Myth of Responsive Design & SEO
The Myth of Responsive Design & SEO
There are some common, and infuriating, misconceptions running rampant in the Automotive industry surrounding Google's…
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The (Not So) Secret to SEO in 2017
The (Not So) Secret to SEO in 2017
I'll keep it real short: Google’s algorithm is frighteningly sophisticated in 2017. It’s seeking out and rewarding…
2 Comments
Activity
3K followers
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David Pye shared thisHeading to SXSW - or already there? Put down the Bud Light Lime and find out where you rank in terms of AI search summary / citation visibility. Because that's already keeping you awake at night. Then go talk to my friends at http://Visibl.us. An AI visibility monitoring and optimization platform for brands and their products. I use it, and I love these guys. #AIVisibility #AEO #GEO #AIEcommerce #SXSWBest AI Startups at SXSW 2026 | Ranked by AI Visibility | visiblBest AI Startups at SXSW 2026 | Ranked by AI Visibility | visibl
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David Pye shared thisSem Rush, I thought I was in the wrong sleeper car for a second there. #SEMRush #Redesign #StrangersOnATrain #FromRussiaWithLove
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David Pye shared thisBig fan of Visibl.us and the standout AI visibility optimization tool they've been building. I've seen behind the curtain a little bit. Jeff, Jen and the rest of the team already have a product which is a cut above. And their upcoming features, like GA4 and GSC integrations, and focus on ecommerce AI search visibility, are way ahead of the curve. Are you attending SXSW 2026? Look them up. https://visibl.us #AIEcommerce #GEOTool #AIVisibility #AEO #SXSW2026 #AISearchDavid Pye shared thisWe're defining a new category at Bord Labs. Ghost Routes. Every company has them. Almost none are measuring them. A Ghost Route is a revenue-driving path through AI search (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude) where your company should appear but doesn't. Whether it's a product page, a critical FAQ, or your entire brand. Losing these citations means losing your customer. And you'll never know it happened because no dashboard tracks it. We're slowly rolling out visibl — the first full-stack AI search optimization platform to find and fix them. And to prove it works, we ranked 46 of the top startups at SXSW 2026 by their AI visibility. Not by funding. Not by buzz. By whether AI actually knows they exist. Some of the most well-funded companies at the conference are invisible. A few companies you've never heard of are dominating. The full leaderboard is now live on our site (check the comments) We've also partnered with Connelly Martin Gallery in Austin where we'll be running live Ghost Route scans. There will also be food/catering so please feel free to stop by. RSVP link down below in the comments! See you in Austin.
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David Pye shared thisMother of God. I do so hope that this is true. Thanks, Darren Shaw.David Pye shared thisUgh! Is there a way to contact a real human at Google Support? Yes, there is. Here’s a little trick most people don’t know about. When you email Google Business Profile Support, the first reply you get will be automated. And if you respond to that email, you’ll get ANOTHER automated response. Google is clearly trying to reduce support costs, so they’ve automated most replies. But if you reply to that second automated email, you will finally reach a real human. So now you know, third time’s the charm. Don’t give up until you’ve replied twice. I hope that saves you some frustration.
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David Pye shared this"Activity vs. Strategy". Which sounds like a better use of your budget?: 1. A contextless task list from last month with distracting performance statistics not tied to new, used and fixed ops? 2. A conversation every 30 days where your SEO vendor brings ideas to the table, but also LISTENS and pivots with you - based on new challenges and opportunities which could never have been predicted as part of an uninspired 12-month plan. Vendors shouldn't work in a vacuum. But most do. True collaboration with rooftops / groups is when the organic (and AI search / citation visibility) rubber meets the road. So, which are you currently paying for? Fast Frigate Digital Marketing is on-deck to help you chart a truly strategic course in 2026. Get at us. #Automotive #AutoSEO #AutomotiveMarketingDavid Pye shared thisTransparency in automotive SEO is often confused with reporting. Dashboards. Rankings. Traffic charts. But transparency is structural. It’s ownership. It’s visible capacity. It’s AI oversight. It’s business impact alignment. Anything less is activity. Not strategy. #AutomotiveSEO #DealershipMarketing #SEOStrategy
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David Pye shared thisI realize there are far worse "lists" to be on. But I kept track throughout this week. 72 (SEVENTY friggin' TWO) robocalls / cold calls to my business number. All between the hours of 8 am - 5pm. Focus time. Marine mode time. By noon on Tuesday I'd turned my phone off, even at the risk of missing legitimate calls. Hope being, the legitimate would leave a message. And then I'd have to clean out my VM box every 36 hours or so to keep up with the garbage and make more space. Can't say I didn't miss an actual opportunity. "You've been approved for a $30,000 home loan. My name is..." read all the VM transcription previews. And I lost count of the "Hey, do you need more leads?" LinkedIn messages and accompanying email notifications. Those have now been turned off, too. Creating more risk of missing the legitimate. I don't know how my number and LI became one of the Glengarry leads. I mean this in the nicest possible way - F**k off! #Spam #Robocalls #LinkedInMarketing #EffOff
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David Pye shared thisI think Cyrus S. is right in predicting an upcoming algorithmic paradigm shift. Well-illustrated and solid insight here. LLMs and even Google are getting gamed. In 2026! There IS a "legitimate" way to create self-serving listicles. But it takes effort. There has to be value to the reader. It still needs to be an objective resource with some sort of UVP (even with the self-server included). It's possible. But the alternative has become another lazy and abused strategy that reduces the value of search results. That's typically when a major algo shift happens. And I will welcome this one. #blackhat #algorithms #aeo #geo #listicleDavid Pye shared thisGoogle spent 20+ years fighting spam, refining algorithms, establishing trust and authority metrics, and generally protecting the integrity of its results Now it's *STILL* being undone by Top 10, self-serving listicles. After reading an excellent write-up by Dan Petrovic, been thinking about this A LOT Google clearly recognizes the problem. It's all over social media. The 2025 December Core Update reportedly cracked down on many SaaS providers who published self-serving listicles, as observed by Lily Ray But sites are still doing it. They're adding: • "Original research" (fake) • "Experience"(fake) • "Expert insights" (again, fake) And in an effort to get into LLM training data, these lists are being published on parasite sites, LinkedIn, Reddit, and anywhere you can imagine. And Google and AI companies are falling for it again and again. 🤦 (Aside from that, it's a poor user experience) What's going to happen? Google doesn't like to be embarrassed. Expect a few things. My predictions: 1. Google will add specific language to the Quality Rater Guidelines asking raters to explicitly downgrade self-serving listicles 2. At a certain point, Google will begin classifying more of these lists as spam 3. Authority and Trust metrics will get turned way up, as usually happens in these cases. (Unfortunately, this also means that high-authority sites will be more likely to get away with it.) None of this is going to happen in the next few weeks, but in the next few months? I wouldn't bet against it.
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David Pye shared thisIt's truly amazing to watch all my former colleagues with whom I've been to battle - now scattered to the four winds - descending on Vegas once again. And with gusto. Only now... you're representing a new set of ideas, startups, juggernauts, and otherwise-entities. The more things change... Have fun, my old friends and stalwarts. Help them move some metal. #NADA2026 #Automotive #BlackCrowesInaParkingGarage
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David Pye shared thisIs this a LinkedIn post writing guide - or a guide to... what NOT to do? Probably the latter. But it's hilarious, and you can read it tomorrow morning while drinking coffee and looking longingly at a distant, metropolitan skyline. Nice one, Vinod Kumar. #LinkedIn #SocialMedia #CoffeeDavid Pye shared thisUNBELIEVABLE: Nobody is talking about this. 🚨 I’m hosting a Masterclass on why you need to stop doing what everyone else is doing (while I do exactly that). I spent 400 hours analyzing the top 1% of LinkedIn gurus so you don't have to. Here is the secret framework for the "Perfect Post" (Steal my SOP): 👇 - The Broetry: Write. Every. Sentence. Like. This. - The False Crisis: Act like a minor Excel shortcut saved your life and your marriage. - The Paradox: Tell people to "hustle harder" while also posting a photo of yourself staring at a lake on a Tuesday at 11:00 AM. The "Nobody is Talking About": Use this for topics that literally everyone is talking about. (e.g., "Nobody is talking about how AI is changing things!") Is this post a Masterclass in satire? Or is it a deep dive into the "Unpopular Opinion" that we’ve all reached peak "Clickbait Fatigue"? The real insight - Most "game-changing" insights are just 2014 blog posts with more line breaks and a more dramatic selfie. I’m dropping my "Anti-Guru Cheat Sheet" in the comments. Just comment "CLICHE" and I’ll send you a link to absolutely nothing. 💥 Be authentic. (But only if it fits the brand.) #PersonalBranding #ThoughtLeadership #Masterclass #GrowthHacking #NobodyIsTalkingAboutThis
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David Pye liked thisLooking for a detailed person who wants to join an amazing YMCA as we strengthen our work with our Board of Directors and Donor base. The only down side is you will have to report to me!David Pye liked thisWe're hiring! Are you a detail-driven, purpose-led professional who thrives in a dynamic environment? We're looking for a Governance and Advancement Coordinator to join the team at the YMCA of Greater Halifax/Dartmouth. This full-time role sits at the heart of our organization — supporting the Office of the CEO, our Board of Directors, and our Advancement Office to strengthen governance, donor stewardship, and fundraising operations. What you'll bring: • 3–5 years of progressive administrative experience • Experience supporting senior leadership or Board governance • Strong organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail • A passion for community and purpose-driven work What you'll get: • Complimentary YMCA membership • 3 weeks vacation + paid wellness days • Comprehensive benefits, pension & counselling services • Access to Y at Home fitness programming If you're someone who leads with integrity, anticipates needs before they arise, and wants their work to matter — we'd love to hear from you. 👉 Apply now: https://ymcahfx.ca/GAC #NowHiring #YMCAHalifax #Governance #NonprofitJobs #HalifaxJobs #Hiring #JoinOurTeam #MakeADifference
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David Pye liked thisDavid Pye liked thisIt was a simple prompt..."Add us to the booth having fun" Then I asked for more fun! #DMSC #AutoGenius #MoreFun
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David Pye liked thisDavid Pye liked thisThis team! I couldn’t be more proud to be here at POSSIBLE with this world class marketing crew. Together, they have created something that is often elusive at major conferences: meaningful moments and lasting connections. We’re here all week having real conversations to help paid media leaders scale while empowering their teams. And we are having a blast in the process. So grateful to be doing this work alongside both the onsite team — Alyssa Lowry aaron barton Erin Hipple - and the folks crushing it behind the scenes: Sierra Calabresi Brad Cameron Jake Garza Maureen Stych Trinity Y. and the amazingly talented Push Play Creative crew. Here’s to great events, and the teams who make them possible. #possible2026 #eventmarketing #adopslounge
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David Pye liked thisDavid Pye liked thisHiring is a big deal at a startup. Personally, I’m always looking for new talented folks to join our team. At streamline.auto 🏦 🕺 🚘 we’re on a mission to build a team of navy seals that help dealers and lenders in automotive financing. Realistically, we need 20 or more people on our team in the next 12 months. 😳 With offices in Buffalo, and now Orlando… also willing to consider remote roles for the most navy of seals especially in Dallas, Charlotte, Detroit, Denver, LA/SF. Maybe you will help one of those places become our third office! (I’m partial to the west coast 😉) A lot of these roles are still being shaped/formed. Mostly we are looking for lender side experience (as we have a lot of dealer side folks already), but also fintech dev/ai, and marketing. You also must have an appreciation for the important role people at the dealership play in this whole process. Much of the role/responsibility/impact of each job will be defined uniquely by each person and how they can best contribute to the team. That’s a pretty cool feature of startups. You can just do things. Mature businesses usually put people and job roles in defined boxes. Innovation, access, and contribution can be limited. Sort of the opposite at smaller companies. Everyone has access and opportunity to contribute. Very few (if any) layers. People > Everything makes me think about helping people find their best fit for their next roll. Whether they’re on our bus or not! So, perhaps you’re reading this and interested in what we’re up to in automotive finance?!? I’d say, send me DM! The water’s warm, jump right in. Or msg Darren Haygood or John Schulz to inquire what #teamstreamline is all about. 🖼️: the greatest showman. My kids and I love this movie. Great soundtrack. This scene in particular, I feel like really captures what it’s like. Inspiring people to leave the ‘safety’ of their corporate roles, to live a little, with the life of a startup.
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David Pye liked thisCan't wait to join our clients, partners and fellow marketers at POSSIBLE this year. We've put together a great set of experiences to help the advertising community connect, learn from each other, and hopefully take some great insights back home to their teams. See you all there! #POSSIBLE2026 #Adops #AIstrategyDavid Pye liked thisNobody puts AdOps in a corner. 💃 Next week at POSSIBLE come join us in the AdOps Lounge at the Eden Roc, a dedicated space for the people owning the operations of digital advertising. All week we’ll have refreshments, a shot at winning an Oura Ring or Nintendo Switch, and a shuffleboard table ready for whoever needs to settle a friendly debate. We're open daily April 27–29. And Monday we're turning things up with a co-hosted happy hour with TikTok. This is an opportunity to learn how agentic automation and AI are making it easier than ever for AdOps teams to say “yes” to expanding into new channels. Come find us outside! 🌴 Eden Roc Zen Garden | April 27–29 RSVP to the happy hour here 👉 https://hubs.la/Q04d2Vbv0 #POSSIBLE2026 #AdOps
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David Pye liked thisDavid Pye liked this83% of consumers say AI will change how they buy their next car. Only 37% of dealers think AI matters to dealership evolution. That gap is the whole story right now and it's the reason I just dropped a new episode of Droppin' Knowledge with Noah on AI at the dealership. We go deep on: → The 5 types of AI you're already encountering (whether you know it or not) → Why SEO is still the foundation for showing up in ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity → The 8x conversion lift when you respond to a lead inside 5 minutes → Why high-performing dealers are 2x more likely to be using AI today → The 70/30 rule. Let AI handle the drudgery, let your people handle the human moments The big one is... AI can't fix a broken process. It just breaks it faster. If your tools aren't talking to each other, layering AI on top is going to make a bad day worse not better. The dealers winning right now built the foundation first, then added the intelligence. Watch the full episode. Link in the comments. Drop a comment and let me know which AI use case you're going to tackle first at your store. #Automotive #AI #DealershipOperations #DroppinKnowledge #CoxAutomotive
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David Pye liked thisYour AI strategy depends on more than individual expertise. You need systems that let you scale it successfully. I was grateful to get to share my perspective on this challenge with Sara Faatz on her awesome podcast. In a space moving this fast, shows like this are a great resource. Thanks Sara!David Pye liked this🎙️ Season 2 of the 10 Minute Martech Podcast is officially HERE! 🥳✨ Let us prove that 10 minutes can change a lot! You can find the missing link in your tech stack, get inspired, refresh your thinking – and walk away never quite the same. 🚀 We’re kicking off Season 2 with Al Moore, VP of Marketing at Fluency – a platform built to deploy advertising at scale through AI-powered automation. Al and Sara Faatz dive into a topic every marketer needs to hear: The biggest AI mistake in marketing isn’t picking the wrong tool 👉 it’s skipping the foundational work that makes any tool actually work. Subscribe to the 10 Minute Martech podcast on your preferred platform for real-world insights from senior B2B marketing leaders on what’s working right now. ✅ 🎧 Listen to the full episode in the comments now!
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David Pye liked thisDavid Pye liked thisSeen recently on Google's "Prohibited and restricted content" page listings, new / defined restrictions on requesting reviews by staff, and mentioning "specific content," which includes staff names. I expect they've seen too many review contests or requirements. Be sure to update your staff on this; don't want your reviews being filtered even more than they are currently.
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David Pye liked thisDavid Pye liked thisWild! My perspective on data has completely changed 🤯 The old days of spreadsheets could never have humanized data like the approach we stumbled on. This was a total whim, and it has become one of my favorite ways to use AI. Check out the VehicleLyfe LinkedIn page to see data "coming to real life."
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Google Analytics Qualified Individual
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Google Adwords Qualified Professional
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Publications
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Digital Marketing Resources: Pro Tips, News and Reviews
Fast Frigate Digital Marketing
See publicationChart a course through the most confusing waters of modern marketing with the Fast Frigate Resources Logbook. From AI-driven SEO tactics and zero-click search survival guides to hands-on design reviews and branding insights, every article is a fresh waypoint designed to help you navigate, adapt, and accelerate growth. Whether you’re charting new horizons for a startup or tightening the rigging on an established brand, these bite-sized, action-packed reads deliver proven strategies, pro tips…
Chart a course through the most confusing waters of modern marketing with the Fast Frigate Resources Logbook. From AI-driven SEO tactics and zero-click search survival guides to hands-on design reviews and branding insights, every article is a fresh waypoint designed to help you navigate, adapt, and accelerate growth. Whether you’re charting new horizons for a startup or tightening the rigging on an established brand, these bite-sized, action-packed reads deliver proven strategies, pro tips, and real-world case studies you can deploy today. Drop anchor here, explore the articles, and sail away smarter.
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16 Local Business Listings Management Tools
Widewail.com
See publicationThe abundance of listings management tools is daunting. Here are 16 tool summaries, with details ranging from cost to post-cancellation longevity, as a head start.
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20 Consequences of Buying Fake Online Reviews
Widewail.com
See publicationBuying fake reviews is never a good idea. Laws are changing, the downsides are many, and it's important to know the risks. You're better than that.
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AI for Review Response in Automotive: Pitfalls, Best Practices & Examples
See publicationCan AI be trusted as a solution to the time-consuming task of responding to customer reviews? Or should human approval remain part of the process?
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English
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Natalie Henley
Great article from Microsoft post in Search Engine Journal this morning with some good guidance on optimizing content for AI tools / LLMs. There are a few other things I'd probably add to the list (especially around site speed/page performance metrics), but these are definitely a lot of the core things we've been telling clients to start working into their content and strategies, so it's great to see that lining up :) https://lnkd.in/ezxM5eQy
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Alex Belding
Content for humans ≠ content for AI. Most CMS setups stop at publishing pages. They weren’t built for AI discovery and there's a risk that buyers don’t see your expertise. Learn how a visibility layer closes the gap between publishing and real business impact: 🔗https://lnkd.in/dgNj32Er #ContentStrategy #AI #MarketingTech
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Anita J.
Google Ads is retiring call-only ads. If you’ve relied on them, especially as a small business (locksmiths, phone services, craftspeople plumbers etc.), you’ll need to shift to responsive search ads (RSAs) with call assets. That change isn’t cosmetic. It alters how calls are treated within the ad ecosystem. Previously, a call ad was just an ad, specifically designed to generate a phone call. Now, phone calls become one of many possible "goals" inside a dynamic RSA framework, determined by Google's algorithm. The burden of setup, management, and performance assurance shifts dramatically back to the advertiser. For larger advertisers spending tens of thousands, this is just another system update. For smaller advertisers, those spending £100 to £500 a month, it’s potentially a deal-breaker. They now need to navigate a layered setup: configuring call assets, tying them to the right conversion goals, disabling irrelevant goals, feeding in enough creative combinations, and still hoping the machine prioritises what they actually care about. And all this for the same basic outcome: a phone call. This is framed as simplification, but the result is dependency. Less transparency as there is a deeper learning curve when it comes to multi-faceted ads setup. More automation, which is great for those who need it. For some businesses, this is yet another growing disconnect between what businesses want and what the platform decides they want. However, is it true? I also asked larger scale entrepreneurs who said it's nothing more than putting it all under the same roof. Having it all together would be better, they said. The trade-off is clear: greater "efficiency" for the platform, less autonomy for the individual advertiser. #GoogleAds #DigitalMarketing #PPC #SmallBusinessMarketing #MarketingStrategy #AdvertisingChanges #SearchAds #AdTech #MarketingAutomation #PaidSearch
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Eric Richmond
Here's the uncomfortable truth: 78% of marketers are still doing competitive research the way they did in 2018: looking at keywords and backlinks while completely ignoring the AI search revolution happening right now. If you're only tracking traditional SERP rankings, you're missing half the competitive landscape.
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·Jeff Tarran
Here is a question we get asked a lot. How much do we invest in a direct mail test. The risk? Wasted marketing dollars on a losing effort. The reward? Establishing or beating a control, finding a new data source, new messaging that resonates deeper with your audience, a stronger offer... better response and higher ROI. There's a lot to learn and doing testing right the right way essential. So, here's what our head of data, Bethany MacKay thinks.
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Benjamin Rudolph
"Good SEO is good GEO." - Danny Sullivan, Google The evolution of SEO is a popular topic today. This presentation by Google's Danny Sullivan does an excellent job of explaining the current state of SEO and GEO. He argues that many of the same principles still apply. Interestingly, Google's AI mode leads to more searches. Some websites are seeing fewer clicks because the answer is on the Google results page. But if someone just wants a quick answer, they don't need to visit a webpage. The opportunity for the website publisher is to create a compelling, differentiating experience for the user that makes the website more valuable. Technological change is inevitable, but content strategy is a choice. https://lnkd.in/e6zaEGpr
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Dan Lauer
I really like this article --- and I'll tell you why --- for my #SEOHotTake 🔥 For Tuesday - February 24, 2026... Early SEO was a lot of keyword stuffing, testing, finding what worked, and if something did everybody learned about did it, until it didn't work as #Google evolved. Fast forward to today and it's the same thing with #GEO and #AEO. History repeating itself, as 'some' #agencies and companies are taking the short route - doing maybe not #blackhat tactics, maybe its more #darkgraytactics --- It's still so early - #OpenAI #Microsoft #Google #Anthropic have not yet started to penalize some of these. Many are over optimizing their sites for citations and mentions, and pumping out #AIContent and gaming the system to see results - and a bunch are. However, I think we are just starting to see #Google penalize self-serving listicles and #Microsoft warning about prompt injections. #LLMs can still be gamed right now. I feel the story throughout 2026 with changes across these companies and platforms will reward the websites that know that good #SEO must first be done in order to proceed to #AEO and #GEO --- and those that are taking short cuts will loose, those that are ignoring traditional #SEO practices trying to do #AEO and #GEO will loose in the end. Remember - #SEO and #GEO is a long game - requires patience, cross-channel collaboration, testing, re-testing, adjusting and not ignoring the basics. #SearchEngineOptimization #GenerativeEngineOptimization #SEOExpert #SEOAgency #Webmaster https://lnkd.in/dSnzkpsY
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