Andy Crestodina

Orbit Media Studios 

Andy Crestodina is a co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Orbit Media, an award-winning 38-person digital agency in Chicago.

Over the past 18 years, Andy has given digital marketing advice to 1000+ businesses. He speaks at big marketing conferences, writes for big marketing blogs and he hosts a little marketing podcast, Content Matters.
 
He's written hundreds of articles on content marketing, search engine optimization, social media and Analytics. Andy gives between 50 and 70 presentations and webinars per year. He is also the author of Content Chemistry: The Illustrated Handbook for Content Marketing.

• Top 10 Online Marketing Experts to Watch, Forbes 
• Top 100 Content Marketers, Buzzsumo
• Top 100 Digital Marketers, Onalytica
• Top 50 Marketing Influencer, Entrepreneur Magazine 
• Top 10 Social Media Influencers to Watch, Social Media Explorer
• Top 25 Content Marketers, Relevance
• Top 50 Content Marketing Influencers to Follow, Outbrain
• Top 50 Social Media Influencers, Top Rank Blog 2017
• Top 12 Online Marketers to Watch, Oberlo 2017
• Top 25 B2B Influencers, IZEA 2017
• Top 10 Online Marketing to Follow for Inspiration and Growth, Fox 2016
• Judge, Content Marketing Awards
• Guest Lecturer, Northwestern University
• Mentor at 1871, the #1 rated startup incubator in the US

Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer

Sets vision and leads web strategy efforts, both for Orbit and for clients. Responsible for marketing, new business and connecting Orbit to the Chicago business community.

Strategic Director

Northwestern University School of Communication

Co-instructor for summer course in the MSC program. Topics include content strategy, influencer marketing, search engine optimization, social media, personal branding and Analytics.

Lecture + Co-Instructor, Content and Influencer Marketing

Risetime Technologies

Qualified, interviewed, tested and placed technical team members on client projects.  Candidates included developers, DBAs, system administrators, QA/Testers, analysts, technical writers, etc.

Technical Recruiter

Co-Founder and CMO at Orbit Media | SEO, Analytics, AI, Content Strategy and Website Optimization

Andy Crestodina is CMO and Co-Founder of Orbit Media, an award-winning 55-person digital agency. He has 24 years of experience in analytics, SEO, content strategy and visitor psychology ...and 2.4 years of experience in AI.

Andy has applied his expertise in SEO and conversions to drive both visibility and lead generation for 1000+ businesses since 2001.

Contributions and Achievements
Andy's contributions to the field extend beyond his role at Orbit Media. He is a prolific writer, having authored 600+ articles on content strategy, search engine optimization, social media, and GA4 and AI.

He is the author of "Content Chemistry: The Illustrated Handbook for Content Marketing," now in its 7th edition.

Andy is committed to education and mentorship, and teaches digital marketing at Northwestern University and at Harbour.Space University.

Top 100 Influencers in Content Marketing (#3), SEMrush • Top 50 B2B Content Marketing Influencers (#3), TopRank • Top 10 Online Marketing Experts, Forbes • Top 50 Marketing Influencer, Entrepreneur • Top 10 Social Media Influencers, Social Media Explorer • Top 50 Content Marketers, Outbrain • Top 100 Digital Marketers, Brand24 • Top 25 B2B Influencers, IZEA • Top 10 Online Marketers, FOX • Top 25 Marketing Influencers, LiveAgent 

Andy gives up to 100 presentations per year and is a frequent repeat speaker at many of the top conferences: 

Content Marketing World (10x) • Social Media Marketing World (6x) • Call to Action Conference (5x) • MarketingProfs B2B Forum (8x) • Content Jam (10x) • MozCon (4x) • SXSW

Andy's approach to digital marketing is grounded in data-driven strategies, innovative use of AI, and a keen understanding of audience behavior. His methods in audience research, content creation, and SEO have consistently delivered measurable impact for clients

Giving Back and Community Involvement
Beyond his professional achievements, Andy is an environmentalist, deeply committed to community service. He is a certified Treekeeper with Openlands. He helped found Chicago Cause, a philanthropic initiative that has donated over $700,000 in digital marketing services to nonprofits.

Connect with Andy here or join the 250k marketers who subscribe to his LinkedIn newsletter.

Andy Crestodina is a co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Orbit Media, an award-winning 38-person digital agency in Chicago.

Over the past 18 years, Andy has given digital marketing advice to 1000+ businesses. He speaks at big marketing conferences, writes for big marketing blogs and he hosts a little marketing podcast, Content Matters.
 
He's written hundreds of articles on content marketing, search engine optimization, social media and Analytics. Andy gives between 50 and 70 presentations and webinars per year. He is also the author of Content Chemistry: The Illustrated Handbook for Content Marketing.

• Top 10 Online Marketing Experts to Watch, Forbes 
• Top 100 Content Marketers, Buzzsumo
• Top 100 Digital Marketers, Onalytica
• Top 50 Marketing Influencer, Entrepreneur Magazine 
• Top 10 Social Media Influencers to Watch, Social Media Explorer
• Top 25 Content Marketers, Relevance
• Top 50 Content Marketing Influencers to Follow, Outbrain
• Top 50 Social Media Influencers, Top Rank Blog 2017
• Top 12 Online Marketers to Watch, Oberlo 2017
• Top 25 B2B Influencers, IZEA 2017
• Top 10 Online Marketing to Follow for Inspiration and Growth, Fox 2016
• Judge, Content Marketing Awards
• Guest Lecturer, Northwestern University
• Mentor at 1871, the #1 rated startup incubator in the US




AI can't write thought leadership because it has no opinions.
But it CAN help you find the topics where you can take a stand.

Here you'll find 11 prompts that may trigger ideas for thought leadership content. They're the most interesting content strategy prompts I've ever tried.

I feel strongly about this: AI can't write thought leadership, because it doesn't care about anything. It has no beliefs, feelings or experiences. 

But as humans, we overflow with feelings and experiences. And we all have the opportunity to share them with others. When we share our views on topics that our readers care about, we become thought leaders.

More than ever before, this is the type of content that stands out. It's memorable and compelling. It's human. It doesn't have to be controversial. But it has to come from you. 

So give the prompts a spin. See if they trigger a few ideas. Pick a topic and inject a bit of yourself and a few of your stories into a piece. 

Take a little stand and make something only you could make!

Quick thanks to the contributors to the original article. That's you, Brooke, Jay and Jay!

#thoughtleadership #contentstrategy

Andy Crestodina is CMO and Co-Founder of Orbit Media, an award-winning 55-person digital agency. He has 23_ years of experience in analytics, SEO, content strategy and visitor psychology ...and 23 months of experience in AI.

Andy has applied his expertise in SEO and conversions to drive both visibility and lead generation for 1000+ businesses since 2001.

Contributions and Achievements
Andy's contributions to the field extend beyond his role at Orbit Media. He is a prolific writer, having authored 600+ articles on content strategy, search engine optimization, social media, and GA4 and AI.

He is the author of "Content Chemistry: The Illustrated Handbook for Content Marketing," now in its 7th edition.

Andy is committed to education and mentorship, and teaches digital marketing at Northwestern University and at Harbour.Space University.

Top 100 Influencers in Content Marketing (#3), SEMrush • Top 50 B2B Content Marketing Influencers (#3), TopRank • Top 10 Online Marketing Experts, Forbes • Top 50 Marketing Influencer, Entrepreneur • Top 10 Social Media Influencers, Social Media Explorer • Top 50 Content Marketers, Outbrain • Top 100 Digital Marketers, Brand24 • Top 25 B2B Influencers, IZEA • Top 10 Online Marketers, FOX • Top 25 Marketing Influencers, LiveAgent 

Andy gives up to 100 presentations per year and is a frequent repeat speaker at many of the top conferences: 

Content Marketing World (10x) • Social Media Marketing World (6x) • Call to Action Conference (5x) • MarketingProfs B2B Forum (8x) • Content Jam (10x) • MozCon (4x) • SXSW

Andy's approach to digital marketing is grounded in data-driven strategies, innovative use of AI, and a keen understanding of audience behavior. His methods in audience research, content creation, and SEO have consistently delivered measurable impact for clients

Giving Back and Community Involvement
Beyond his professional achievements, Andy is an environmentalist, deeply committed to community service. He is a certified Treekeeper with Openlands. He helped found Chicago Cause, a philanthropic initiative that has donated over $700,000 in digital marketing services to nonprofits.

Connect with Andy here or join the 250k marketers who subscribe to his LinkedIn newsletter.

Co-Founder and CMO at Orbit Media | B2B Lead Generation Websites, AI, SEO, Visitor Psychology, Content Strategy and Analytics

Your future prospect is asking AI for help finding a company in your niche. Which brands does AI recommend? Does it recommend yours?

Today we deconstruct the 9 steps in an AI-supported lead, from the first prompt to the final thank you page.

As we go, we'll discover ways to influence these AI recommendations by filling gaps in it's training data. The trick is to start with "Prompt Reverse Engineering"

Here's what you'll find in this little guide:

• Why conversion rates from AI sources are so high
• How to reveal which phrases AI searches
• What AI thinks of your brand and your competitors
• What proof points AI is looking for when making recommendations
• Why taglines are terrible for training AIs

Everyone is talking about AI visibility. But visibility is insufficient. We're full-funnel marketers. We're here to drive leads. We want to be recommended, not just visible.

We hope you enjoy the breakdown! We enjoyed making it.


PS: Thank you John Jantsch for the perfect contribution. 🤌

It's easier than you think.
You combine your best prompts into a little tool ...and do it all with your voice.

Today, we’re going beyond the one-off prompt. 
Today, we turn a repeatable workflow into a reusable AI tool.

When I first wrote about this back in March, I was totally overthinking it. I was trying too hard. When I discovered that there's a faster (and more enjoyable) way to build these, I rewrote this. 

I also re-recorded the video and I've added it here. Unfortunately, there's a bug in LinkedIn so the video looks like a black box. But click the link and it will take you to YouTube.

Skip to minute 4:40 in that video and watch me build a custom GPT with my voice. No keyboard required.

Q: "Are everyday marketers going to build custom GPTs?"
I remember asking myself that when OpenAI first launched this feature. Now we know.

A: "Yes"
Because it's really not difficult at all. If you have a few prompts that you use in a workflow, you're ready. It's fun.

If you became a marketing because you love being creative, this is a moment of creativity. Not creating deliverables, but creating a tool that helps you be a better marketer. 

This may be the next step in your AI skill development.

Sit back, watch the video and discover the joy of making something. 🐣

Thank you, Leslie and Dillon for contributing to this. And a shoutout to TechSmith and Wispr Flow for building the tools that I recommend in this process!

#customGPT #AIlearning

🔴 You can do most of it without typing... When I first wrote about this eight months ago, I was trying too hard. It’s easier than I thought back then

The Easy Way to Make a Custom GPT [VIDEO]

OpenAI

AI Workflow & CRO Sprints for B2B Teams | Lead Gen | Customer Acquisition | Speaker | CEO @ TheSearchGuru.com | ​>14.4K Followers & ​>12.8K Connections

Marketing & Communications Coordinator | Artist

TechSmith

Wispr Flow

Michele Kamenar

"We love us" 
That's what a lot of webpage say. 

No surprise, these are not the top performing sites. 
This is for two reasons, one old, one new:

• Humans find this kind of copy boring and expected.
• Tag lines don't train the AI models. 

The best pages align with the visitor's expectations. They answer questions and handle objections. Then they use supportive evidence to strengthen their claims.

How do you build a higher performing page? 
I'll teach you in this live session on November 18th 👇

https://lnkd.in/gbZaVedG

🤔 Not sure if it's worth it?
Remember, a small lift in conversions could have a big impact on lead gen.
A single round of AI-powered page improvements can make all the difference.

" There are no websites with enough customer testimonial videos."

They are powerful for two big reasons...
1. Video is the most engaging / trust-building format for content
2. Testimonials change the messenger from the brand to the audience themselves.

When you say it, it's marketing.
When they say it, it's social proof!

Storyteller | Entertainer | Founder of Fungi Media 🍄 Connect, engage and grow your audience 🍄

Customer success videos drive conversions 🎬

Your customers are your best marketers. They bring credibility and social proof that drive conversions. Let's activate them!

Take it from Andy Crestodina👇

" There are no websites with enough customer testimonial videos. If you could build a testimonial Netflix library, you'll continue to convert the more you add."

Q: Are you finding ways to tell your story through the voice of your customer?

The AI Creator Summit is 5 days of virtual sessions for content pros, creators and digital marketers who want to add AI to their workflows.

It's a free event running November 10-14, 2025

15 speakers including Ryan Robinson, Stu McLaren, Ryan Levesque, Arvell Craig, Rachel Miller, Audrey Chia, Jackson Yew and others. Organized by Navid Moazzez, one of the greats in virtual events.

I'll be there on Thursday, Nov 13 teaching AI for content creation and lead generation. Some of my favorite topics and best workflows.

Should be a good one. Scan through the agenda (and register) here 👇
https://lnkd.in/g7X-vJ7q

"Well...um. My shortest answer...

What's good for traditional SEO is good for AI visibility. 
What's good for conversion optimization is good for AI recommendations. You have to do both."

Thanks, Theresa, for capturing this moment on the Semrush webinar today!

Marketing & Communication | Goal-Oriented Leader | “Yes, we can scale that...🚀”

"What's good for traditional SEO is good for AI visibility. What's good for conversation rate optimization is good for AI recommendation. You have to do both." Andy Crestodina thank you for this today.

Imagine an event where your heroes of digital marketing are all presenting.
That event is happening on Wednesday. My heroes will be there.

It's a free webinar totally focused on lead gen and conversion.

I'm doing a session on AI for lead generation. Mine is one of 5-hours of presentations. Look at the rest of the lineup...

• Joanna Wiebe ...one of the all-time greats in conversion copywriting
• Talia Wolf ...expert in the emotions of conversion
• Justin Rondeau ...has done 1000's of A/B tests
• Deborah O'Malley ...career curator of conversion case studies

Don't have 5-hours for a webinar on Wednesday? Me neither. But I'm signed up and will be seeing as many live as I can. And I've blocked my calendar with time to watch the recordings. 

Sign up here 👇
https://lnkd.in/gRjZpdfT

ProTip: Do not share this event with your competitors. You really don't want them to attend. 

#dudamegawebinar #conversionoptimization

cc: Anton Shulke of Duda

You accept a connect request ...and get a pitch DM two minutes later.
Does this happen to you? Daily? Several times each day?

I'm looking for hot takes, confessions, counter-narratives and spicy points of view for an article I'm working on.

Drop a comment! Don't hold back.

This is for little spam research project in partnership with my friends at QuestionPro. New data on spam coming soon...

Thinking of you, Talia!

"Start with business outcomes, not tools"

This is some of the best AI advice I've ever seen. It's never been about the tools. It's always been about the results. 

I've been successful at ignoring AI news. Very little of it is helpful to me. A new model comes out? A new tool is launched? I really don't pay any attention. But I'm 100% focused on what works for me, for Orbit and for my clients. 

42,000 AI tools already? Who can keep track of it all?

Thank you for sharing this, Lisa!

This is the biggest digital marketing story of 2025. Next Wednesday, we break it down. 

Hope to see you there!

Content Marketing Lead at Semrush, AI Search Solutions | Product Marketing Strategist | B2B SaaS Writer

Have you also struggled with traffic drops this year?

You’re not alone — more than half of the Semrush users we surveyed have experienced the same (myself included). 

But it’s not the end of the world — in fact, it’s quite the opposite. :)

Join Andy Crestodina, Dale Bertrand, and me next week as we discuss effective marketing strategies for the zero-click world.

Register here: https://lnkd.in/dkg9Q3fn

"What’s your top question about zero-click marketing and AI search?"
Post one quick question here! 👉 https://lnkd.in/gVg2Cpxm

Asking because I'm doing a webinar on this topic with Dale Bertrand and Margarita Loktionova of Semrush on Nov 19th.

Share a question and we'll do our best to answer on Wednesday, the 19th!

Later today: Watch me and Corey Northcutt review a website LIVE at 2pmCT
We'll share perspectives on:

• Missed SEO opportunities ...and how to capture them
• What AI knows about this brand ...and why it wouldn't recommend it
• How visitors see this website ...and how to improve conversion rates

It's a quick 30-minute format. Hope to see you there!

https://lnkd.in/gcfpF9EZ

Live and in real time!

November 19th at 2:00 PM CT we are doing live reviews of websites...

• SEO and conversion optimization audits
• The best AI prompts for lead generation
• Page-level and site wide recommendations

Join us as we dive real-world examples.

Want us to review your website? Add it here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gWPcMHsV

See you there!

taplio

Andy Crestodina's Linkedin Analytics

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Andy Crestodina

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);}Andy Crestodina's LinkedIn Performance

What is Andy talking about?

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Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Andy Crestodina's Linkedin Analytics

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Andy Crestodina's Best Posts (last 30 days)