How to Prepare Your Brand for AI Search (and Avoid Spam Tactics)

AI is changing how customers discover businesses, compare products and decide who to trust. But what does it actually take to get your brand recommended by ChatGPT, Gemini and other AI search engines? In this episode of Scaling With AI, Alex Bacon, founder of BrightKeel.AI and host of the Scaling With AI Podcast, speaks with Jackson Wightman, founder of tech PR and GEO agency Proper Propaganda, about how AI is changing search, brand visibility and reputation. Jackson explains the growing importance of generative engine optimisation (GEO), why third-party coverage and earned media matter in AI-generated answers, and how businesses can start understanding the questions their customers are asking AI. They discuss how to monitor where a brand is being cited, how PR, SEO and content work together in AI search, and why smaller businesses may have an opportunity to compete with much larger brands. Jackson also shares lessons from his agency’s own experiments with creating structured content for AI engines, while keeping human writers and brand voice at the centre of content written for people. The conversation offers a practical look at how businesses can approach AI search without losing sight of the fundamentals of good marketing, useful content and a strong reputation.

Customer feedback is everywhere. The real challenge is turning it into better decisions. In this episode of Scaling With AI, Alex Bacon from BrightKeel AI speaks with Olly Jobling, Product Manager at Signable, about how AI agents are helping teams make better product decisions without losing the human judgement behind them. Olly shares how Signable brings together customer evidence from sales calls, support tickets, CRM data and customer conversations, then uses AI to make that knowledge easier to find and act on. He explains how agents such as his “Prospector” help teams connect new customer requests with existing ideas and evidence, while another agent gives engineers more context around the problems they are solving. The conversation also explores a bigger question: should AI be used to replace people, or to improve the decisions people make? Olly shares a practical, human-centred approach to AI adoption, including the importance of prioritisation, governance, efficiency and preserving creativity. If you’re interested in AI in business, leveraging AI for business growth, or practical AI adoption, this episode is well worth a listen.

AI adoption is not just about choosing the right tools. For many SMEs and mid-market businesses, the bigger opportunity is to rethink how the organisation itself works. In this episode of Scaling With AI, Alex Bacon from BrightKeel.AI is joined by Thomas Gould, co-founder and managing partner of Augmented Instincts, to explore what it means to rebuild a business around AI. Thomas shares how AI has helped him accelerate research, analysis and content production, including work that once took months being completed in weeks. He explains why businesses should think beyond individual AI use cases and start building systems of business memory, where knowledge, decisions and data become part of the organisation rather than remaining locked in people's heads. They also explore the challenges of AI adoption, from winning hearts and minds and redesigning workflows to creating better data architecture, governance and management systems. For founders, operators and senior leaders thinking about AI in business, business growth, digital transformation and practical AI adoption, this is a grounded conversation about what needs to change behind the technology. Listen to Alex and Thomas for a practical look at leveraging AI in business.

AI can make sales outreach faster, but faster is not much use if your prospects immediately hit delete. In this episode of Scaling With AI, Alex Bacon from BrightKeel AI speaks with Angus from Vereus AI about what effective AI-powered sales actually looks like, and why mass automation is often the wrong place to start. Drawing on his background in business growth, software and AI implementation, Angus explains how AI can research individual prospects, identify relevant pain points and create outreach designed to start a genuine conversation rather than simply add to the noise. They explore why strategy, product-market fit and a clear value proposition need to come before choosing an AI sales tool, and how the right approach changes between high-volume SaaS and high-value B2B services. They also discuss where humans should enter the sales process, how synthetic buyer personas can help test messaging, and what leaders should consider before investing in custom AI systems. For founders, operators and senior leaders interested in leveraging AI in business, business growth AI, artificial intelligence marketing and practical AI adoption, this is a practical look at using technology to increase human capability rather than replace it. Listen now to learn how to scale sales with AI without losing the human connection.

AI can take work off HR’s plate, but what should replace it? In this episode of Scaling With AI, Alex Bacon of BrightKeel AI speaks with Ollie Hill, Head of HR at Message Direct, about how artificial intelligence is changing the role of HR from reactive support function to proactive business partner. Ollie shares practical examples of leveraging AI in business, including agents that analyse attrition data, benchmark performance and pull the key points from complex employee relations cases. But the bigger conversation is about what happens when AI handles more of the routine work. They explore why human judgement, stakeholder relationships and critical thinking may become more valuable, not less, as AI adoption grows. Ollie also explains why AI ethics needs to develop alongside innovation, particularly in recruitment, where bias, data and automated decision-making create difficult questions. For founders, operators and senior leaders exploring artificial intelligence in business, this is a grounded look at how AI can create more time for better conversations, better decisions and better leadership. Listen now to hear what a human-first approach to AI adoption for SMBs looks like in practice.