Simon Gould ✪ CEO ✪ Sydney Digital Marketing Agency ✪'s Linkedin Analytics

Founders. Something big just happened in the world of Google Search: The new "AI mode". No… not the Ai Overview but the new Ai mode Google announced at I/O the annual developers conference. If you rely on Google for leads and business growth, this is essential reading 👇

Does AI Search Threaten the Business Model of the Internet? A 4 Minute read 🧑‍💻

🚨 Most agencies don’t fail on strategy—they fail because you never told them what winning looks like. Too many founders brief agencies with “We just need more leads” and hope magic happens. The result? Endless busywork, ballooning retainers, and zero clarity on ROI. I know first hand from countless sales conversations over the last 11 years. Here’s the harsh truth: ↠ No target = No traction. If your revenue gap isn’t a number with a date, you’re paying for guesswork. ↠ No metric OWNER = No momentum. Marketing, Sales, and Finance must agree on who signs off “done”. ↠ No shared dashboard = No accountability. If you can’t see live data, neither can your agency. 📬 This is the first edition of Growth Marketing + AI Edge Weekly—your new playbook for turning fuzzy goals into predictable growth engines. If you’re ready to ditch random acts of marketing and finally set crystal‑clear outcomes, dive into issue #1 now.

💡 Wake up. It’s 6:00AM in 2029. What’s the first thing your phone shows you? Not emails. Not Slack. But an AI-curated growth dashboard: 🎯 Overnight campaign results 🧠 Smart lead scoring 🔍 Live buyer intent alerts This isn’t sci-fi. It’s 48 months away. And most businesses won’t be ready. I just published a new piece on what life and growth will look like in 2029—and how founders, CEOs, and marketers can gear up now. ⚠️ If you’re serious about staying relevant, this is a must-read.

🚀 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵-𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀: 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗚𝗣𝗧 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗹𝘂𝗴𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲. I’ve been testing the rollout, and the upside for busy teams is huge. Here’s the flyover: 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 1. 𝗔𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 – Ask a question and ChatGPT scans your Docs, Sheets & Slides for instant, context-rich replies (no more digging through folders). 2. 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 – Summaries, insights, next-step lists… all generated from the content you’ve already written. 3. 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺-𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 – Everyone sees answers framed in your projects, tone, and priorities. Perfect for onboarding or cross-department hand-offs. 4. 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱-𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 – Google Drive permissions stay in place, so nobody sees a file they couldn’t see yesterday. 5. 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 – Every answer links back to the docs it pulled from. Compliance and fact-checking, sorted. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗶𝘁 “𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗰” 1. 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 – You’ll need a Google Workspace domain and an admin to connect the drives. 2. 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘆𝗻𝗰 = 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 – Big drives can take hours (or days) to index. Recent files sync first. 3. 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗸𝘀 – Two team-mates, same prompt, different answers if their Drive access differs. 4. 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮-𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘀? 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝘁 – ChatGPT reads cell text but won’t crunch formulas or pivot tables just yet. 5. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 – Disconnect the integration and its index disappears. New users must be added manually. 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: If you run a service business and want faster, smarter decisions, this combo is a no-brainer—just give your IT team a heads-up before flipping the switch. ♻️Share this to spread the knowledge and follow me Simon Gould ✪ CEO ✪ Sydney Digital Marketing Agency ✪ for more marketing & growth tips

The 5% Secret ➡️ Why Most Service Businesses Will Be Left Behind in the AI Revolution. Here's the uncomfortable truth: While 78% of businesses claim they're "using AI," only 5% are implementing it in ways that actually matter. I've spent the last six months studying how Australian service businesses implement artificial intelligence. The findings are stark: the vast majority are using AI like a fancy calculator while a small elite are using it as a strategic weapon. The difference? It's not about technology 👉🏽 it's about imagination. Those 5% aren't just automating repetitive tasks. They're completely redesigning their service delivery models, augmenting human expertise in ways that were science fiction just two years ago. A Sydney-based financial firm increased client portfolio performance by 31% using AI decision intelligence, not by replacing analysts, but by identifying cognitive biases in their investment committees that had gone undetected for decades. Meanwhile, their competitors are still using ChatGPT to write client emails 🥱 The gap between these two approaches isn't narrowing—it's becoming an unbridgeable chasm. Which side of the divide will your business be on? Read my full analysis to discover the three overlooked AI applications that are silently transforming service businesses while most founders aren't looking in this weeks Growth Marketing➕Ai Edge newsletter.

Founders 🚨 Google’s AI Mode is rolling out—and it could cut your website traffic …in half. 🥑 Google’s been playing catch up in the ai space these last 12 months, and the next phase outlined at Google’s annual developers conference yesterday, includes releasing a new “AI mode” option in the United States. Then rolling out to rest of world. The company says “the feature will make interacting with its search engine more like having a conversation with an expert capable of answering a wide array of questions.” I’ll create a detailed post on this tomorrow so 👍, 💡, 👏 or comment on this one to ensure it shows up in your feed around lunchtime. 🚨 Here’s the need to know for now: 1. AI Mode answers more questions directly on Google, meaning fewer clicks to your website and potential drops in organic and paid traffic. 2. Success will shift from ranking #1 to being cited as a trusted, authoritative source in AI-generated answers. 3. Founders need to adapt now: focus on high-quality, expert content and diversify lead generation channels to stay ahead. If you rely on website traffic for business growth…you need to lean in for this one. Follow me Simon Gould ✪ CEO ✪ Sydney Digital Marketing Agency ✪ for insights to help you grow your revenue and market share.

It's never what you think. You need to dive deeper ⤵️ Buyers don’t wake up wanting “SEO” or “consulting”—they want status cover, clarity, aspiration, a hero story, and blame‑proofing. Surface these needs in discovery calls and marketing collateral, and watch deals close faster. Happy Sunday and keep these ideas in mind this week. Follwo me Simon Gould ✪ CEO ✪ Sydney Digital Marketing Agency ✪ for more growth marketing and Ai insights each week. Sydney Digital Marketing Agency | ⭐️ Digital Marketing Designed To Power Your Business Revenue

𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗯𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 Ever opened 6 tabs doing research, and then done… nothing? That’s how your customers behave too. In my last post, we tracked “Jess” on her path to buying a CX course. She didn’t buy straight away. She browsed. Got distracted. Came back 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 - only after a LinkedIn post nudged her back into action. Here’s the follow-up insight: 𝗕𝘂𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 ➡️  𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱. That means: • Don’t panic when people bounce. • Use retargeting 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺, not aggressively. • Surface peer stories, not just product specs. • Create content that rewards second visits. At SDM, we call this “Memory-Link Marketing.” Because your customer’s not gone. They’re just waiting for the right moment. ❓Is your Customer Journey built for the comeback? #MarketingStrategy #CustomerJourney #B2BMarketing #SalesEnablement

🚀 𝟲𝟱 % 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀. 𝟰𝟬 % 𝗙𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀. 𝗭𝗲𝗿𝗼 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵‑𝗝𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗼𝗻. We ditched the spec sheets and led with 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴: ☑️ A rock‑solid record of complex migrations handled end‑to‑end. ☑️ Business owners free to focus on growth, not glitches. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘆‑𝗼𝗳𝗳? ➜ +𝟲𝟱 % 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 ➜ 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝟰𝟬 % 🔑 𝘓𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘯: Features say “look at us.” Benefits say “imagine you.” Swap the brochure talk for results your buyer can feel, and watch the pipeline move. — Follow 𝗺𝗲 Simon Gould ✪ CEO ✪ Sydney Digital Marketing Agency ✪ for fresh takes on marketing and AI‑fuelled growth. Sydney Digital Marketing Agency | ⭐️ Digital Marketing Designed To Power Your Business Revenue

Think your customers move in a straight line from ad to enquiry to sale? 🚫 Think again. Let's take Jess as an example. Jess didn’t enquire the first time she landed on the website. She didn’t even download the brochure. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: In 2025, the buyer journey is non-linear. Your customer isn’t comparing 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴, they’re comparing 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴. We followed Jess’s real journey: • Triggered by a moment of insecurity • 10 tabs open, no action • Retargeted, still no action • 𝘗𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 finally triggered the sale Jess didn’t buy the course because it was the best priced. She bought because it made her feel confident, current, capable. 🚨 If your marketing isn’t mapping to that emotional pathway, you’ll keep losing to competitors who get it. This is what we do at SDM. We build 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 journeys based on how people buy. Not how you want them to. Want to see the map for your market? Let’s sketch it. Get in touch with me or the team Sydney Digital Marketing Agency | ⭐️ Digital Marketing Designed To Power Your Business Revenue ♻️ Share this with your network and I will be super grateful 🙌

Don’t Hire an Agency If This Is You… Most businesses aren’t ready for a marketing agency. Not because they’re too small. But because they’re skipping the prep. Here’s how to tell if you’re 𝘯𝘰𝘵 ready yet: 🚫 You can’t clearly define the outcome you want from marketing 🚫 You’re relying on opinions, not data 🚫 You haven’t mapped your customer journey or defined your buyer personas 🚫 You’re still treating marketing as a cost, not a growth investment At SDM, we call these 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘵𝘩 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴. And we see them almost daily. It’s why we developed our 𝗔𝗕𝗖 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆—to help businesses go from chaos to clarity 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 a single ad dollar is spent. So here’s my challenge to you: Instead of asking “How do I find the right agency?” Start with: “Do I even know what I’m hiring them to solve?” We help service businesses get agency-ready. And when they are… that’s when the real growth kicks in. 👇 What do you wish you’d known 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 hiring your first agency?

Why Jess Didn’t Buy the First Time. Jess didn’t enquire the first time she landed on the website. She didn’t even download the brochure. Here’s why that matters for your marketing: In 2025, the buyer journey is non-linear. Your customer isn’t comparing features, they’re comparing feelings. We followed Jess’s real journey: • Triggered by a moment of insecurity • 10 tabs open, no action • Retargeted, still no action • Peer validation finally triggered the sale If your marketing isn’t mapping to that emotional pathway, you’ll keep losing to competitors who get it. Why did Jess buy ? More in this weeks Growth Marketing and Ai Edge Newsletter 👇

Ever wondered how selling fish in your teens can shape a 20-year sales career? Or why Australian recruitment is as much about a beer chat as it is about KPIs? 🎣➡️🤝 🚀 New Podcast Episode Alert! 🚀 In the latest episode of 𝘉𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘞𝘦 𝘎𝘦𝘵 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥, I chat with Steve Tolen of Pinpoint Talent & Stolen + Co. We unpack: 1️⃣ Mindset lessons from the fish market to the boardroom 2️⃣ Why authenticity and tenure trump slick sales pitches 3️⃣ Steve’s 6-step sales playbook: Brand, LinkedIn, AI, Video, Networking & Smart Cold Calls 4️⃣ How to harness AI without losing the human touch 5️⃣ The real future of work: flexibility, family and focus Tune in for practical takeaways, a few laughs (including the tale of the lost pinstripe suit), and an energising challenge to embrace discomfort and stand out. 🎧 Listen now - Spotify Link In First Comment Apple Podcast in second 🤜🔥🤛 Sydney Digital Marketing Agency | ⭐️ Digital Marketing Designed To Power Your Business Revenue