#148: Strategy | Will AI Impact SEO, Are Sales and Marketing Converging, The Timeless Principles of Marketing (With John Short)

Dave is joined by John Short, Founder & CEO of Compound Growth Marketing. John spent a decade as a B2B SaaS marketer at LogMeIn, Yesware, and Workable before starting his own full-funnel marketing agency in 2018. John is focused on helping companies find the right strategy in order to grow, as opposed to just blindly picking from a menu of marketing tactics. His company helps B2B marketers with everything from infrastructure (marketing ops and analytics) to customer acquisition, funnel optimization, and scaling growth.They discussGrowth by acquisitionsTimeless marketing principlesEvolving dynamic between sales and marketingThe impact of AI on SEOBuilding a strong company narrativeTimestamps(00:00) - - Intro and disclaimers (05:45) - - Seeking Strategic Guidance (09:38) - - Embracing Ten X Growth Mindset (14:31) - - Overcoming Hurdles in Business (15:29) - - Balancing Work and Family Commitments (20:27) - - Evolving Search Results and AI Generative Models (24:20) - - Understanding Golf Physics and AI Research (28:40) - - Search Engine Trust and Accuracy (29:40) - - Shifting Landscapes: SEO, Cookies, and Timeless Principles (35:39) - - Strategic Approach to Social Media Advertising (37:32) - - Predictive User Scores and Behavior Analysis (41:05) - - Navigating Growth and Expansion (44:01) - - Aligning Sales and Marketing for Success (47:13) - - The Power of Company Vision: Lessons from Drift (50:25) - - Strategic Alignment Send guest pitches and ideas to [email protected] the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today’s episode is brought to you by Grammarly.Ever have one of those weeks where you spent more time replying to Slack and email than doing actual marketing work?You’re not alone. The average marketing team spends 28+ hours a week just keeping up with comms.That leads to burnout, frustration, and a whole lot of performative productivity that doesn’t actually move the needle.AI-fluent marketing teams are changing that. Grammarly’s 2025 Productivity Shift Report shows how they’re using AI to:– Cut down on back-and-forth– Automate content, research, and reporting– Eliminate busywork– Make space for strategyWe’re marketers because we love crafting campaigns, driving revenue, and proving impact – not spending all day buried in messages.Get the report and see how top teams are making AI actually useful.Visit go.grammarly.com/exitfive to grab it.***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more