🟡 Digital Marketing, Done Better! Smart50 List 2023 🚀 Father 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Skater 🛹 CEO || Knows Nothing About Football ⚽️ 🏉 || Knows how to accelerate your sales.

For over three decades, I've helped visionary businesses harness emerging technologies to create extraordinary growth. 

From the dawn of mobile phones to today's AI revolution, I've consistently turned technological disruption into competitive advantage for my clients.

My journey began in 1987 with the first wave of mobile technology. 

The Car Phone.

Since then, I've successfully navigated every major digital transformation - from the internet's emergence in 1996 (launching the World's first coin operated Internet Kiosk) to digital marketing's evolution in 2010, & now the AI revolution. 

Each wave has deepened my expertise in spotting opportunities others miss.

Today, I lead Sydney Digital Marketing Agency, established in 2014 and recognized among Australia's smartest businesses on the 2023 Smart50 list. 

We partner with medium & enterprise businesses to reduce their cost of customer acquisition and transform their marketing results through data-driven strategies that consistently deliver measurable ROI.

What sets me apart isn't just the depth of my experience - it's my ability to see around corners and guide businesses toward future opportunities while delivering results today.

📍 Partner Benefits:

→ Strategic Innovation: You gain access to cutting-edge marketing strategies tested across diverse industries. Our early adoption of AI & automation tools means you're always ahead of competitors.

→ Proven ROI Framework: Our proprietary approach combines data analytics with creative strategy, consistently delivering 3-5x return on marketing investment for our clients.

→ Risk Reduction: Leverage our 35+ years of experience navigating digital transformations. We've already learned the costly lessons so you don't have to.

→ Holistic Growth Focus: Unlike agencies that chase trending tactics, we build comprehensive strategies that align with your business goals, market position, & growth targets.

→ Future-Proofed Solutions: In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, we ensure your marketing infrastructure is built to adapt and scale, protecting your investment long-term.

The 3 things to know about me - outside of my professional bio 👇

1️⃣ I’ve been digital since dial up - 1996 ☎️

2️⃣ My son+daughter were born 18 yrs apart 🥰

3️⃣ At least once a year I take a 4 day silent retreat to disconnect from the crazy. 📵 🤐

Simon Gould ✪ CEO ✪ Sydney Digital Marketing Agency ✪

Quick pause to say Thank You 
Welcome Back to Work!

If you read our posts, watch the videos, or spend any time with our content at Sydney Digital Marketing Agency | ⭐️  Digital Marketing Designed To Power Your Business Revenue, it genuinely means a lot. 

Time is the one thing none of us have enough of.  2026 will be noisy. AI, tools, promises everywhere. 

What still matters hasn’t changed: clarity beats shortcuts.  

Wishing you a strong, healthy start to the year. 


#SydneyDigitalMarketing #SDM #HappyNewYear #2026

Simon Gould ✪ Founder ✪ Chief Thinker ✪ Sydney Digital Marketing Agency

🏆Smart50 Lister. Founder. Father. Creator. Knows nothing about football ⚽️ 🏉 But knows your business is paying too much to acquire new clients. We fix that. So you can grow revenue, faster. ♻️ (B2B & B2C experts)

Your next best customer will ask AI for a shortlist of companies like yours.

If your brand isn’t in that answer, your competitors will be.

Over the last 12 months, buyers have been getting full answers from AI and Google AI Overviews before they ever hit your website. 

Now IMO most B2B sites are still built like glossy brochures, not like the best sales rep on the team.

That shows up as:

↘ fewer demos
↘ more “ghosted” opportunities
↘ a P&L that feels like “we can’t confidently hire yet” even when marketing numbers look fine

In this edition of The Growth Marketing + AI Edge, I break down how to rebuild your website as a 24/7 revenue engine in an AI‑first search world, plus the exact 90‑day plan SDM are using with clients right now.

If you want to see where your brand shows up (or doesn’t) in AI answers, comment GEOAudit and I’ll share details of the complimentary AI visibility audit we’re rolling out for Australian service businesses.


______________________

My first post of the year so a big shout out to my network - Welcome back to work and Happy New Year from all of us at Sydney Digital Marketing Agency | ⭐️  Digital Marketing Designed To Power Your Business Revenue

View newsletter: The Growth Marketing + AI Edge

G'day readers and welcome to my first article for 2026. In 2025, buyers got complete answers inside AI and Google results, then skipped your site enti

Open article: Stop Treating Your Website Like a Brochure: Turn It Into Your Best Sales Rep in an AI‑First Search World.
​ by Simon Gould ✪ Founder ✪ Chief Thinker ✪ Sydney Digital Marketing Agency • 8 min read

Stop Treating Your Website Like a Brochure: Turn It Into Your Best Sales Rep in an AI‑First Search World.
​

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗔𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴. 

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂.


A lot of service businesses assume the problem is volume. So they tweak budgets, bids, keywords, and agencies.
 
But what’s actually breaking is intent. You’re paying to interrupt people, not to help them decide.
 
That gap doesn’t show up in dashboards. It shows up in low-quality enquiries, wasted follow-ups, and a constant feeling that ads are “working”… but not really.
 
This video breaks down where that gap forms, and why fixing it isn’t about doing more inside the ad account.
 
If this feels uncomfortably familiar, book a strategy call with Sydney Digital Marketing Agency | ⭐️  Digital Marketing Designed To Power Your Business Revenue and we’ll tell you plainly where the leak actually is.





#SydneyDigitalMarketing #SDM #GoogleAds #Ads #DigitalMarketing #Clarity #Business

Most B2B websites I see are built like brochures.

↳ Pretty hero images
↳ Vague value propositions
↳ "Contact us" buried in a footer

But your best customers aren't browsing. They're 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨.

They've already asked AI for a shortlist.
They've already seen your competitors.
They land on your site with ONE question:

"Can these people actually solve my problem?"

And your brochure website answers with... stock photos of the Harbour Bridge (if you''re in Sydney) and mission statements.

Meanwhile, your sales team is working twice as hard to close deals that should've been warm.

The fix isn't a redesign.
It's a rethink.

Your website should work like your best sales rep:
→ Understands the buyer's pain before they say it
→ Answers objections before they're raised
→ Guides them to the next step without friction

That's what we call building for revenue, not vanity.

If your website isn't generating qualified leads on autopilot, it's not a sales tool. It's a liability.

—
Sydney Digital Marketing Agency | ⭐️  Digital Marketing Designed To Power Your Business Revenue

P.S. I break down the full 90-day plan to fix this in my newsletter. Link in comments 👇

#DigitalMarketing #B2BMarketing #WebsiteStrategy #LeadGeneration #2026Planning

You're not buying clicks anymore. You're paying a Sloppiness Tax.

📬 The Growth Marketing + AI Edge | Latest Edition 

In today's newsletter, I break down why Google Ads costs are up 13% YOY for Australian trades and service businesses - and why the real leak isn't where most people think.

What's inside:

→ The shift from "broken ads" to "broken decision systems"
→ Why your competitors can afford $13/click when you're maxed at $5
→ The 10-second mobile test that exposes the biggest conversion killers
→ How to stop paying Google's "sloppiness tax" in 2026

Plus: This week, I'm opening 4 slots for a 15-minute Google Ads Leak Audit specifically for service businesses spending $5K+/month and seeing costs climb.

Last year, we found an average of $4,700/month in preventable waste.

Read the full edition below 👇

(And if you want the audit, comment "AUDIT" or DM me to book before Friday)

Sydney Digital Marketing Agency | ⭐️  Digital Marketing Designed To Power Your Business Revenue

TL;DR: Google Ads costs are up 13% in Australia. The real expense isn't the click, it's what happens after. Here’s what changed in 2025 and how to sto

Open article: 🎢 Google Ads in 2026: It's Not The Expensive Click That's Costing You. It's What Happens Next by Simon Gould ✪ Founder ✪ Chief Thinker ✪ Sydney Digital Marketing Agency • 8 min read

🎢 Google Ads in 2026: It's Not The Expensive Click That's Costing You. It's What Happens Next

𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗕𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁!! 𝗜𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗘𝗢 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲, 𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝗻?  


"No Errors" does not mean your SEO is working. Most tools tell you if your site is broken. 

They 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 tell you if your site deserves to rank. If you’ve seen traffic stall while competitors take the lead, you're likely optimised for safety, not demand. 

According to Ahrefs a massive 𝟵𝟲.𝟱𝟱% of all content gets zero traffic from Google. 

𝗔𝘁 Sydney Digital Marketing Agency | ⭐️  Digital Marketing Designed To Power Your Business Revenue, 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗲:  

• Revenue-driving pages vs. Google-prioritised pages.  
• Content depth that actually exceeds the competition.  
• Internal linking that guides the buyer journey. 

"A 'healthy' site is useless if it’s invisible. Let’s get you into the 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝟰%." 

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲? 

Book a Technical SEO Performance Audit with the SDM team.   




#SydneyDigitalMarketing #SDM #SEO #BusinessGrowth #SEOStrategy

in an AI‑first search world, your next best customers are getting shortlists and “best of” answers from AI and Google AI Overviews before they ever land on your site.

If your brand isn’t being mentioned there, you’re already behind.

In this article from our Founder we break down a 90 day plan to ensure you're brand stays relevant and visible.

I recently asked a friend who runs a business: "What's your customer acquisition cost?" 

He said, "𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿? 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗣𝗖 𝗶𝘀 $𝟰." 

I said, "𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺." 

Here's why that matters… 

𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲. 

A low CPC doesn't make you profitable. 

But it answers the question every founder should be asking: "How much does it actually cost to acquire a customer?" 

One thing nobody will tell you is... 

𝗖𝗣𝗖, 𝗖𝗣𝗟, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗔𝗖 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀. 

Unless you have a well-built CRM like HubSpot or similar: 

No dashboard shows this automatically. 
No agency report connects the dots. 
No shortcut. 

So what does tracking the right metric actually mean? 

It means connecting every dollar spent to actual customers acquired, not clicks, not leads.

• CPC = cost per click (measures ad efficiency, not business outcomes)
• CPL = cost per lead (measures form fills, not customer quality)
• CAC = total spend ÷ customers acquired (measures what actually matters)

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀:

Your CFO needs CAC to justify the marketing budget. 
Your sales team needs qualified leads, not high volumes. 
Your growth depends on knowing which channels deliver profitable customers. 

𝗔 $𝟰 𝗖𝗣𝗖 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴. 

But knowing your CAC is $620 while your customer LTV is $15K does. The actual work looks like this...

1. Track total marketing spend by channel
2. Count actual customers acquired (not leads generated)
3. Calculate CAC per channel: spend ÷ customers
4. Compare to customer lifetime value

No vanity metrics. No "record engagement." No agency theatre. 

Just honest math that shows what's actually driving revenue. 

𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗔𝗖? 

DM me "𝗖𝗔𝗖" or book a strategy call with Sydney Digital Marketing Agency | ⭐️  Digital Marketing Designed To Power Your Business Revenue to audit what you're actually measuring. 



#B2BMarketing #PerformanceMarketing #MarketingMetrics #CAC #GrowthMarketing #SDM #SydneyDigitalMarketing

I run Dazlab, a product studio building AI-native SaaS for niches that get overlooked.

The portfolio ( so far ) : 
 - Handl (financial ops for agencies, better visibility  = better decisions) 
 - TaliCMS (websites for real estate associations).
 - mber.ai (content creation for founders and biz owners)
 - Arbeo Jobs (applicant tracking to help better hiring)
 - TaliCMS (websites for real estate associations).
 - Mortar Design (project management for interior designers)

Each product is built for a specific audience with specific problems - no bloated feature sets trying to please everyone.

25 years in software, including co-founding Dazlab, Kohab, Webling and shipping products across proptech, healthtech, marketplaces, and SaaS. I've seen what makes products survive and what kills them - usually it's not the code.

I write about what I'm learning along the way in my newsletter, Daz Builds.

I occasionally consult with founders on product strategy, AI integration, and SaaS builds - but only where I know I can genuinely help.

💡 Want to learn more about what we are building? Let’s talk → dazlab.digital

Darren Clark

Linkedin can be seriously depressing sometimes.

AI kills jobs.
2026 is going to be the hardest for company growth. 
9 out of 10 startups fail.
Cold email doesnt work.
You need mega bucks or you are a failure. 
AI is taking over google search. 

Etc etc etc

Just keep building forward momentum!  

All the effort and work will compound and help with whatever growth you are after. 

Not sure if this message is for anyone, or just for myself :)

Bootstrapping multiple SaaS products | Sharing wins, fails & lessons

I am after help to find a GUN Freelance Social Media Manager (15-20 hrs/week to start)

The gig: Own social presence across 4 B2B SaaS products (mber, Handl, Mortar, Arbeo). Posting, community engagement, finding new channels. 

Not alot of content creation - as we've got that covered. Well the core of it anyway... repurposing is always needed! 

You'd be great if you:
Actually use Twitter/Reddit/LinkedIn, not just schedule to them
Get the build-in-public / indie hacker vibe
Can work autonomously with async check-ins
US or EU timezone preferred, as we are targeting AU + USA audience. 

About us: Dazlab is a product studio building AI-native SaaS for niche markets. We're small, move fast, and value authentic over polished.

#hiring

When does age start helping?

I'm at the Australian Open this week with my family. Worked through Christmas so I could take this time off.

My son is obsessed with tennis. He's 11, trains three days a week, and is determined to beat me. Every game is a battle - even the ones that start as "just a friendly set.".

His baseline is way more consistent than mine. He's younger, fitter, and he drills constantly.

But I keep winning. Because tennis isn't just baseline rallies. It's the drop shots. The lobs. The spin. The volleys. Knowing when to change up a serve.

Experience matters.

Product building is the same. Right now, everyone wants AI chat as the UI for everything. It's the new baseline.

But building good products means knowing when to use a chart. A form. A modal. A progress bar. A push notification. An API call. And yes, sometimes a conversation.

The skill isn't mastering one approach. It's knowing which tool fits which moment/use. 

#software #products #saas

Why AI coding made me a better tester

Years ago, we built what needed to be built. And we built it well. But the extras? The nice-to-haves? The "wouldn't it be great if..." ideas? They rarely made the cut. Too much effort. Not enough time. More effort just meant more cost.  (Clients didn't want more costs)

Now AI writes most of my code. And I test the final product more than I ever have. 
Every little friction point I notice? I fix it. 
That integration that would be handy? I build it.
The polish that used to live on a "maybe someday" list? build and ship.

The old constraint was effort - so you built what you had to. (Effort = Cost)

The new constraint is discipline - because now you can build everything, and you probably shouldn't.

Different problem. Better problem.

Years ago, after going all in with Kohab and after a Royal commission, Pivot  covid, close down, I was left starting again. 

That taught me something: don't go all in on one project.

So now I'm building several products at once. 
Here's where we're at:

mber.ai  – Fine-tuning AI for social content is trickier than I thought. You want the human voice in there, and that's hard to nail in 280 characters. Working through it.

Arbeo Jobs – Just released AI chat application forms. Instead of uploading a CV and hoping for the best, the agent digs deeper – asking about roadblocks, team communication, specific projects. In testing, it even flagged a candidate's attention to detail based on spelling errors. Wasn't expecting that.

Handl Billing – The most complex one. Agency billing needs to be bulletproof. We're adding autopay where 50% hits the card immediately, the rest after 7 days. Agencies shouldn't have to chase invoices for weeks.

Building multiple products isn't for everyone. 
But I'm not patient – I need lots of  things moving at once to keep me busy.  So this approach works for me.

Full update in the newsletter 👇

View newsletter: Daz Builds! Building software

Bit of a backstory here.... Years and years ago, I built a startup called Kohab and I put everything I had into that. I didn't have another job and I 

Open article: Recent Updates on Abeo, Mber, and Handl by Darren Clark • 6 min read

Question - When you are applying for a job, do you want a form or an agent to talk to? 

Or an agent that helps ensure you give answer the application to its fullest? 

For those hiring, do you want to get just what exists on the application form or do you want to see if the candidate has more to provide? 

Which UI works for you?

Next up... What if each candidate was voice interviewed by an agent before they get to you? Is that removing too much of the human touch?

#arbeo #hiring #startups #agencies

Spent last week at the Australian Open with the family. Watched some incredible tennis – there's a 16-year-old Aussie named Renee Alame who's going to be a name. Mark it down.

But even while watching Djokovic warm up, I kept thinking about something I wrestle with constantly:
When is a product actually ready to ship?

That old startup advice – "if you're not embarrassed by your first release, you've launched too late" – I just can't do it anymore.

The bar has moved. Every product out there has upped their game. Users expect polish now.

My test is simple: would I pay for this myself?

If I wouldn't, why would anyone else?

We just pushed Handl to staging this week. Billing, pipelines, cash flow forecasting, client portal. Took longer than a "true MVP" would have. But it actually solves the problem.

Not about perfectionism. Just about shipping something you'd actually use.

Full newsletter below 👇

#buildinpublic #saas #productdevelopment #startups

We're in the middle of January now, and last week was spent at the Australian Open tennis. The qualifying week is extremely exciting – people are figh

Open article: When to Build More and When to Release... That is the Question! by Darren Clark • 6 min read

When to Build More and When to Release... That is the Question!

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