n this special episode, we sit down with Bob Heyman - the marketing pioneer widely credited with coining the term Search Engine Optimization - and Viktor Grant, one of the earliest innovators in digital marketing and analytics. Together, they take us back to the origins of SEO in the 1990s, sharing the stories, people, and technological shifts that shaped the practice long before Google became a verb. From the early days of manual submissions and keyword meta tags to today’s world of AI-driven search and generative experiences, Heyman and Grant explore how optimization has evolved - and what’s next as algorithms begin to think, create, and personalize results in real time. They discuss whether we’re entering a new era of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) or simply witnessing the next natural phase of SEO, and what these changes mean for marketers, creators, and searchers alike. If you’ve ever wondered where SEO came from, how it’s transforming in the age of AI, and what skills will matter most in the decade ahead, this conversation offers a fascinating mix of history, insight, and forward-looking perspective from two of the people who helped define the field itself. www.workhacker.com.

In this episode, Rob talks about his work with the Dallas Ft Worth Search Engine Marketing Association, and its related digital marketing conference, State of Search, held yearly in October in the DFW area.

In this first interview episode of the WorkHacker podcast, Rob Garner chats with Bruce Clay about SEO, then and now, and also about where GEO/AIO/AEO fall in the general taxonomy of digital marketing. www.workhacker.com 

For years, SEO revolved around keywords. The formula was simple: find the right phrase, place it strategically, and climb the rankings. More recently, a new idea called Generative Engine Optimization, or GEO, has started to make noise. The goal is to optimize for A-I answers in systems like Chat G-P-T, and Perplexity. But here’s the catch. Both keyword-led SEO and early attempts at G-E-O share the same flaw. They prioritize words over context. And in a world where search engines and generative AI now- interpret meaning instead of just matching strings, context is the real king. Contact us at info@workhacker.com, or visit www.workhacker.com for more info.

Back in 2013, when I was writing my book "Search and Social", I discussed a concept that many in the SEO community weren’t quite ready to embrace. I talked about brand mentions as a ranking factor – the idea that you didn’t always need a direct hyperlink to gain authority from other websites. At the time, it seemed almost heretical to suggest that something other than a traditional backlink could carry similar weight in search rankings. Contact us at info@workhacker.com, or visit www.workhacker.com for more info.

Most writers and marketers focus on the primary keyword. It’s the flashy term that goes into the title and meta tag, the one everyone thinks will win them traffic. But here’s the overlooked truth: it’s the supporting keywords—the secondary and tertiary phrases—that transform a decent article into a long-term traffic magnet. Because in SEO and AI today, context is king. If you would like a free one on one consultation, visit us at www.workhacker.com or email to info@workhacker.com.

A small parameter in the Google search URL string quietly disappeared last week. That single change has shaken the entire SEO industry, sending ripple effects through data tools, reporting dashboards, and even the way we measure success in search. Check out this episode to learn more, and visit us at workhacker.com.

When Google launched in 1998, it wasn’t the first search engine. But the real revolution wasn’t just Google’s algorithmic design - it was what happened next. The web became a living corpus. That dynamic interplay with content developers created a feedback loop unlike anything the digital world had seen before. Visit us at www.workhacker.com to learn more about WorkHacker Digital.

In this episode, Rob Garner talks about three visionaries who published significant works in the 1990s that would be a beacon for the world we live in today. Understanding their ideas helps build a solid foundation for your own AI/GEO/SEO and content strategies. Visit www.workhacker.com for more info.

This episode explores Rob's concepts around real-time content marketing, as it applies through the modern AI, GEO, and LLM lens. Rob has written and spoken about these concepts for decades, and even in the age of AI, the approach is still evergreen, and even more attainable than ever before. Visit www.workhacker.com for more info.

In this episode, Rob Garner explores SEO within the lens of AI and LLMs, and posits that SEOs have been human intermediaries between content and AI all along. If you think about it - search engines are generative in the sense that they provide lists on the fly. And search engines check all the boxes as early examples of artifical intelligence. Visit www.workhacker.com for more info.

In this episode, Rob will discuss the etymology of the term "SEO," specifically on the linguistics of the word "optimization," and how it plays in the naming for AI related strategies and visibility. Bruce Clay, Leland Harden, Bob Heyman, and Viktor Grant are quoted in this podcast. Learn about the history of the term "SEO," an interesting story you might not have heard about how it came to be. Visit www.workhacker.com for more info.