Rand Fishkin

Founder/Wizard of Moz

SparkToro CEO. Author of Lost & Founder. Feminist. I love underdogs, cooking, & helping people do better marketing

I'm the cofounder and CEO of three companies: SparkToro, software that makes audience research accessible to everyone, indie game maker Snackbar Studio, and the vastly superior alternative to Google Alerts: Alertmouse. I'm also the author of Lost and Founder: (2018), prev founded & led Moz (2001-17) and am a frequent keynote speaker on marketing and entrepreneurship topics. But, I'm probably best known as the amateur chef husband of renowned author, Geraldine DeRuiter.

Cofounder & CEO

I co-founded SparkToro (with Casey Henry) to enable high quality audience research for marketers, PR folks, entrepreneurs, and product builders without the need for expensive, time-consuming, inaccurate surveys or impossible-to-scale manual research.

NEW research: https://lnkd.in/gY7nVmC4

Search happens everywhere. Not just Google, ChatGPT, and Bing. Our latest project with Datos, A Semrush Company analyzed search on 41 major websites via their desktop panel and found that if you broaden the definition of search, Google is 73%, not 90%+. And ChatGPT is 3.2%, well behind several players rarely mentioned in the conversation.

And, if billions of searches are taking place on dozens of sites, not just "traditional" and "AI tools," maybe SEO should be bigger than those two categories as well ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Cofounder of SparkToro, Alertmouse, & Snackbar Studio. Author of Lost & Founder. Feminist. I love underdogs, cooking, & helping people do better marketing

Datos: ChatGPT is ~3% of desktop web search
SimilarWeb: ChatGPT is ~3% of desktop + mobile search
New report (that went viral on LinkedIn): ChatGPT is A WHOPPING 20%+ of search!

There's no honor in assuming you're right and they're wrong without investigation. So... I investigated 🕵️‍♀️👇

p.s. Simon Kemp noted below that I made an error in my video - using the US mobile app numbers rather than global ones from Similarweb. The other inaccuracies pointed out still stand, but this was a mistake on my part and I apologize.

Dennis Yu (ex-Yahoo) says, “This man is the BEST at growing your agency." I think he may be exaggerating.

What I am known for is helping agency directors get what they want. 
I deliver challenging presentations, ask tough questions and help agencies to grow faster and more successfully by helping them make the tough decisions (but not in that order).

And don't forget that I do also adore my family, vintage acoustic guitars and painting!!!


If you are still reading, here is the official blurb..

- Robert is the UK's best-known and sought-after keynote speaker on growing digital agencies.  

He also talks on customers: finding, delighting and keeping more and better customers and clients.

- He is not full of theoretical rhetoric; he offers practical solutions - tangible business growth results. 
- Robert's work on marketing and growth strategy has been widely published and acted upon by thousands of businesses and agencies, from BlackBerry to Barclays, from Nando's to AirBus... from Google Partners to Uberall... from Push to Hallam Internet.


Specialties: how to find and keep customers and clients... creating the process and systems to run the business you want to run.

Robert can be reached on +44 (0)1225 851044 rc@GYDAinitiative.com

Robert Craven

Most agency founders don’t notice when it happens.

Revenue grows.
The team grows.
Complexity grows.

And everything important still runs through you.

From the outside, it looks like success.

From the inside, it feels heavy.

If you stepped away for three months, what would break first?

That answer tells you everything.

Director, GYDA.co (Grow Your Digital Agency)

You didn’t set up an agency to work 80-hour weeks, miss family dinners, and feel like a glorified project manager. But if we’re honest, that’s where a

Open article: When Your Agency Owns You by Robert Craven • 3 min read

How to run a (networking) event that people will enjoy…

Your People Powered Marketing expert in B2B. Creating Events that Engage. Content that Connects & Campaigns that Convert.

Let’s be honest. Networking events can feel a bit… ick.

Forced conversations.
Awkward name badges.
Moving tables when the bell rings.

That horrible moment where you’re holding a warm glass of wine pretending to check your phone.

The old world of events used to make me nervous.
And I am 100% an extrovert.

So imagine how that feels for the majority of people who already have that gut-wrenching dread of “working the room”.

However…

Events are still one of the MOST powerful things you can do in B2B.

LinkedIn research shows buyers want in-person experiences.
70%+ of B2B marketers say events drive their best quality leads.

And face-to-face is still one of the most trusted ways to build relationships.

So the problem isn’t events.
It’s how they’re designed.

When they’re done badly, they feel transactional.
When they’re done well, they feel transformational.

That’s the difference between “ick” and “ahh”.

So as I’m off to BIMA (British Interactive Media Association) annual lunch today, it got me thinking about how I have learnt to design events that people actually WANT to attend.

And how you can too...


❤️ Design for conversation, not presentation.

Theatre style seating?
You’ve told the room it’s a broadcast.

Round tables lower the barrier.
People can see each other.
Chat.
React.

Build space for discussion.
Not just back-to-back slides.


❤️ Give people something to DO!

Collaboration breaks awkwardness.
Cocktail making.
Cooking.
Mini workshops.

When people focus on an activity, conversation flows.
You don’t “network”

You connect while doing something together.
That’s when walls drop.


❤️ Personalise and make it HUMAN!

Generic marketing designed invite = generic turnout.

Make the outreach personal.
From a real person.

Reference why they should be there.
Make it feel curated.

Attendance and engagement increase.
People want to feel chosen.
Not bulk emailed.


❤️ Curate the room properly.

Not everyone needs to be your ICP.
Sometimes the magic happens when you mix roles.

Prospects.
Customers.
Partners.
Thought Leaders and Industry Experts. 

A well-balanced room creates better conversation, and will 100% help you develop a stronger pipeline.


❤️ Make senior leaders feel safe!

No one wants to feel ambushed by a sales pitch.

If you want pipeline, create environments where people can share challenges openly.

Trust first.
Deals later.

That’s how modern events convert.


❤️ Create continuity.

The event isn’t the moment.
It’s the midpoint.

Content and thought leadership before.
And what you create at the event, after!

Reference real conversations in your follow-ups, not generic marketing and “great to meet you”

That’s how you turn events in to relationships. 


After years of running lead-gen events and campaigns I know the fastest way to accelerate pipeline is still human connection.

But only if it doesn’t feel corporate! 

So, if you’re at BIMA today, come and say Hi 👋 

And if you’re planning events??

You know where I am 💛

Many agencies talk endlessly about winning new clients.

Very few talk about keeping them.

When clients drift away, it’s rarely because the work is terrible. More often, it’s because the relationship wasn’t designed to last.

Retention isn’t about charm. And it certainly isn’t luck.

It’s the result of clear alignment, visible value, and a relationship that feels like a partnership rather than a transaction.

The agencies that grow sustainably understand this. They build systems around it.

They lead the relationship instead of reacting to it.

That’s where loyalty really comes from.

If clients are ghosting you, cutting scope, or drifting away after a project ends, it isn’t bad luck. It’s broken systems. Many agencies treat retenti

Open article: Client Retention Isn’t Luck. It’s Leadership. by Robert Craven • 3 min read

Client Retention Isn’t Luck. It’s Leadership.

Many agencies are still selling the way they did 10 or 20 years ago: Pitching. Competing on price. Trying to win work by proving they’re the safest option.

But the market has changed. Blair Enns, founder of ‘Win Without Pitching’, explains why agencies need to rethink pricing, positioning and pitching... if they want to stay relevant.

The discussion explores:
- Why undifferentiated agencies get pushed into pitching and price pressure
- How strong positioning changes the sales dynamic
- The shift from “selling services” to selling expertise
- Why the way you sell determines the value you’re able to capture

Blair’s core idea is simple but powerful: when agencies position themselves as experts rather than vendors, they gain control over pricing, conversations and outcomes.

If you lead an agency and want to escape the cycle of endless pitching and margin pressure, this is a conversation worth hearing.

https://buff.ly/44fCEKJ
Blair Enns #WinWithoutPitching #AgencyLeadership #PricingStrategy #Positioning #DigitalAgency #AgencyGrowth #WinWithoutPitching #AgencyLife #AgencySales #AgencyStrategy #AgencyPitch

Most agencies think growth stalls because of positioning or lead gen.

Often, it’s trust.

Not brand trust.

Operational trust.

Do you do what you say you’ll do every time?
Are expectations tight?
Do clients feel aligned, not just billed?

Awards don’t fix inconsistency.
A new website doesn’t repair broken delivery.

When trust compounds, sales get easier, and referrals increase.

Before chasing more reach, ask:

Where might trust be leaking in your model?

If people don’t trust your agency, they won’t buy. They won’t recommend. They won’t even lean into the conversation. You can have smart positioning. T

Open article: Trust: Your Agency’s Untapped Superpower by Robert Craven • 3 min read

Trust: Your Agency’s Untapped Superpower

The Death of the "Expert": 
Your Agency’s Next Breakthrough Won’t Come From a Prompt


I am being serious... prompts only take you so far 
#agencylife #agencystrategy #agencygrowth

If you are still paying a consultant to "give you the answers," you are overpaying. Knowledge is now a commodity. In 2026, any agency founder with a $

Open article: The Death of the "Expert": Why Your Agency’s Next Breakthrough Won’t Come From a Prompt by Robert Craven • 3 min read

The Death of the "Expert": Why Your Agency’s Next Breakthrough Won’t Come From a Prompt

Top LinkedIn Posts This Week — Digital Agencies & AI (Week of 9–15 March 2026)

If you run a digital agency or work in digital marketing, here's what's being talked about right now 👇

1. The 2026 State of Digital Marketing Agencies Report A must-read if you run an agency. The benchmark report for the year is here. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/e6TMS9Cy
Andrew Foxwell

2. "We Replaced a £500k/yr Marketing Team with AI" "The real shift with AI isn't replacing a team — it's compressing the distance between strategy and execution." 🔗 https://lnkd.in/etizA3Gp
Matt Lakajev

3. Ad Agencies Are Embracing "Vibe Coding" Havas' new GEO tool is helping brands show up in AI-driven search. Agencies are moving fast here. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eJqq68Tv
Dan Hagen

4. Scaling 3 GTM Agencies Past 7 Figures in 12 Months A blueprint for rapid agency growth… worth a read regardless of where you stand on the pitch. 
🔗 https://lnkd.in/eUHq7wyy
🚀 Benjamin Reed

5. IP Is Media Agencies' Biggest Untapped Opportunity "What if media agencies' biggest opportunity isn't in media at all — it's IP?" 🔗 https://lnkd.in/e5GJzHa8
Lauren Zeinfeld

6. AI Will Replace Average Work "AI will replace average work. That's not a prediction. It's already happening." 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eNNi5YiA
Scott D. Clary

7. The Biggest AI Marketing Risk Right Now Every vendor is racing to lock you in with their "AI-powered ecosystem." Here's what to watch out for. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eiZz6Fjp
Nancy Hoffman

8. Digital Marketing Trends — Week of March 9 A practical weekly roundup of what's actually moving in digital marketing. 
🔗 https://lnkd.in/eVWZnz5u
Corey Haugen

9. Everything in Marketing This Week GPT-5.4, new platforms, shifting budgets — a sharp Friday wrap-up worth bookmarking. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eiUkh6dA
Livia Han

What's on your radar this week in the agency world? 

Drop it in the comments 👇

#DigitalAgency #AgencyGrowth #DigitalMarketing #AIMarketing #AgencyLife

Growth Lead @ Tofu | Optimistic shares about how I use AI in Marketing

ITS FRIDAY!! Here’s everything that caught my attention in marketing this week 😍 💛 ✨ 

→ GPT-5.4 dropped: built for agents, mid-response adjustability, 1M token context 
→ Manus is now inside Meta Ads Manager (repetitive tasks, meet your new ads agent) 
→ A beautiful piece from Mishti Sharma at Clay on the humans behind B2B — go read it 
→ Another amazing piece by Joanna Strober from Midi on why women resonate so deeply with Heated Rivalry, and it’s not what you think 
→ AI Snack Club hosted one of the best AI events I've been to (shoutout Monica Abrams 👏) 
→ I sat down with Elaine Zelby at Tofu to ask her all the questions i had in my brain about wtf is happening with Marketing these days! 

Oh, and I built something at an AI event last night, a post-event media kit for attendees that generates LinkedIn posts, links to photos, and surfaces fellow attendees to connect with. Post-event is where the real ROI lives, and I'm so excited to test this at our next dinner. 🥰 

If you built something this week or something caught your eye, drop it below, I'd love to see it!! 🫶

Most agencies say they want “better clients.”

But attracting dream clients isn’t luck... it’s strategy.

Matt Essam talks us through how agencies can position themselves to attract clients who value their work, respect their expertise, and pay accordingly.

The conversation covers:
• Why many agencies struggle to attract the right clients
• How clarity of positioning changes the quality of opportunities
• The mindset shift needed to move from chasing work to attracting it

If you want clients who see you as a partner rather than a supplier, this episode is worth your time.

https://buff.ly/CkMpdM0
@mattessam#AgencyGrowth #ClientStrategy #BusinessDevelopment #AgencyLife #AgencyLeadership #AgencyLeader #AgencyConsultant #AgencyStrategy

AI can generate a strategy, build a dashboard and produce 50 campaign ideas before breakfast.
All for a $20 per month subscription
But that is the easy 70%.

But what about the last 30%?
That is where real agencies earn their fees.
It is judgement.
It is courage.
It is leadership.
Here are 30 things AI still cannot do for your clients.

#AI #digitalagency #agencyleader

I work with agency founders every week, and the anxiety is peaking: "Is AI going to commoditise what we do?" AI can generate a strategy. It can build 

Open article: The 70/30 Rule of Modern Agency Survival by Robert Craven • 3 min read

Worthy of a re-share

TL;DR Most agencies are looking at AI through the wrong end of the telescope.

TL;DR Most agencies are looking at AI through the wrong end of the telescope. They see a threat… job losses, shrinking margins, clients leaving... a o

Open article: AI Is Coming for YOU and for YOUR AGENCY. What Are You Going to Do About It? by Robert Craven • 5 min read

AI Is Coming for YOU and for YOUR AGENCY. What Are You Going to Do About It?

Watch David Blois of M&A Advisory cut through the uncertainty around agency exits and show why planning, process, and positioning matter long before you ever put a valuation on the table.

You’ll hear:
• What acquirers actually look for in an agency
• Why most agencies leave value on the table
• How to get your business in sellable shape today
• Practical steps founders can take now... whether you’re planning to sell or not

Whether an exit is six months or six years away, this conversation gives clarity and confidence around what’s really involved.

Selling your agency isn’t something you should wing... watch now.
https://buff.ly/nfvynQZ
#AgencyLeadership #MergersAndAcquisitions #AgencyGrowth #ExitStrategy #BusinessPlanning David Blois #M&Aadvisory #AgencyExit

Join me for a one-hour online workshop, where I'll talk you through why ‘RCI’ is imperative to driving your business forward - including what Radical Customer Intimacy is, how to achieve it, where to use it and ultimately how it will help to grow a sustainable agency.

LOCATION: Online
DATE: Thursday 19th March 2026
TIME: 12-1pm GMT
FORMAT: Workshop
TICKET: This event is free to attend for agency leaders. 

Register now:
https://buff.ly/hFW25Kp 
#agencyworkshop #agencycustomer #agencysales #agencystrategy #agencylife #growmybusiness #agencyexpert #agencyconsultant

Delegation isn’t failing because your team isn’t capable.

It’s failing because there’s no system behind it.

Janusz unpacks the real reason agency leaders stay stuck in the weeds. Handing something off without a process, checklist or template isn’t delegation... it’s wishful thinking.

The result?
You step back in.
You “just fix it quickly.”
And the cycle repeats.

If you’re time poor, constantly firefighting and wondering why you can’t seem to free yourself from day-to-day delivery, this article breaks down a practical way forward.

Systematise first. Delegate second.

Read now:
https://buff.ly/GaMHmb7
#AgencyLeadership #Delegation #BusinessSystems #AgencyGrowth #AgencyLife #AgencySytem #AgencyProcess #AgencyTeams #GrowMyAgency

Build your own AI workforce…!

How long can we ignore this kind of option?

#AI #agencyleader #digitalagency

https://lnkd.in/eaVfcuAf

Open video: Claude Code's Agent Teams Are Insane (Build Your AI Workforce) on youtu.be

Claude Code's Agent Teams Are Insane (Build Your AI Workforce)

Most marketing plans fail before they even start.

Not because the ideas are bad... but because the thinking behind them is unstructured.

I was delighted to be joined by PR Smith, creator of the SOSTAC® planning framework, to chat about why most agencies struggle with planning and how a disciplined structure changes everything.

The discussion goes beyond theory and gets into the real mechanics of strategic marketing planning:

• Why Situation Analysis is where most plans go wrong - agencies rush past it and build strategy on weak insight
• How clear objectives prevent marketing activity from becoming random acts of promotion
• Why strategy and tactics must be separated if you want a plan that actually works
• The importance of control and measurement, so plans evolve instead of gathering dust

SOSTAC® has been used globally by organisations for decades because it forces clarity, discipline and accountability into marketing planning.

For agency leaders, it’s not just a framework... it’s a way to structure thinking, align teams, and move from reactive activity to deliberate strategy.

If you lead an agency and care about building marketing plans that actually deliver results, this is an essential watch.

https://buff.ly/aXyIG0Y
@prsmithmarketing #SOSTAC #AgencyLeadership #MarketingStrategy #DigitalMarketing #AgencyGrowth #StrategicThinking

taplio

The Battle

Rand Fishkin

Robert Craven

Followers

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Performance ScoreRand Fishkin's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreRobert Craven's LinkedIn Performance

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taplio

The Battle

Rand Fishkin

Robert Craven

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Rand Fishkin's LinkedIn Performance

Performance ScoreRobert Craven's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreRand Fishkin's LinkedIn Performance