In this episode of the Unscripted SEO podcast, host Jeremy Rivera sits down with Steven Schneider, co-founder of TrioSEO, to discuss the evolving landscape of SEO and the strategic use of calculators and digital assets for driving meaningful leads. With 10+ years of SEO experience and having scaled his first company to $1.4 million ARR through 40 affiliate sites, Steven brings a unique entrepreneurial perspective to B2B and SaaS SEO strategies.
The conversation dives deep into why traditional “just write blog content” approaches are losing effectiveness, how to build trust through quality digital tools, and why SEOs need to evolve into fractional business partners rather than just traffic generators. Steven shares real client examples, discusses the challenges of YMYL niches, and provides insights on adapting to AI-powered search while maintaining focus on conversion-focused, middle-funnel content.
Killer Quotes
“Everything should be backed in keyword data. I would say that creating a calculator just for the sake of it probably doesn’t have as much value unless there’s, you know, a thousand monthly searches tied to it.”
“It’s not like we’re spinning these things out in 20 minutes via chat GPT and lovable.dev. I mean, it’s a very calculated process and making sure that quality remains the priority. Cause kind of like what you saw, if the calculator doesn’t have any validity to it or any real use case, then there’s no trust.”
“How do SEOs come in and become more of a fractional partner than just the traditional SEO agency that you hire to get traffic? Like, I don’t think that that playbook is the same as it used to be 10, 15 years ago.”
“One of my favorite questions to ask clients is how are you currently tracking success on your website? And it’s so odd how many people cannot answer that question correctly.”
“I love seeing on LinkedIn, everyone who’s like adding their title is like, AI chat GPT SEO expert. I’m like, no one knows. You don’t have no idea what’s going on, but being able to see that there is a minor correlation between quality content, authority and strong SEO and how those searches are appearing.”
“There’s such a disconnect between teams that when an SEO comes in, we can bring you all the traffic in the world. But if all the other pieces of the puzzle are disjointed, it’s like we almost need to get back to square one and fix the foundation at that rate.”
“Many people who work with SEOs think that it’s their magic solution to more leads. And in many cases it is, but if their website looks like it was built in 2004, I can’t help that. I’m not a magic maker when it comes to conversion.”
Key Takeaways
Calculator SEO requires significant investment but drives high-quality leads. Steven emphasizes that quality calculators take 2-3 months to build properly and need at least 1,000 monthly searches to be worthwhile, but they create genuine value and trust with prospects.
Multi-channel approach is essential for sustainable growth. With Google’s evolving landscape, relying solely on organic search is “suicide” – businesses need email nurture sequences, social ads, and cross-channel marketing to capture and convert calculator users.
SEOs must evolve into fractional business partners. The traditional model of just driving traffic is outdated; modern SEOs need to understand sales processes, success metrics, and business fundamentals to deliver meaningful ROI.
Most businesses can’t define success metrics. A shocking number of clients can’t answer basic questions about how they track website success, leading to misaligned expectations and poor campaign outcomes.
AI search requires focus on unique, executable content. While everyone’s confused about ranking in ChatGPT, the correlation between quality content and AI visibility suggests focusing on middle/bottom-funnel assets that AI can’t replicate.
YMYL niches favor established brand authority. Google’s algorithm changes prioritize brand recognition and “distance to seed” from authoritative sources like universities and hospitals over individual expertise and content quality.
Business understanding trumps tool expertise. Career advancement in SEO comes from developing business skills and market knowledge rather than mastering the latest SEO software features.
Check Out The Full Interview on Trio SEO
Connect with Steven
Steven Schneider is active on LinkedIn where he’s been posting daily for 2+ years. You can reach out to him there for more insights on calculator SEO, digital assets, and b2b SEO strategies.
