Erin Moore sits down with Rand Fishkin, one of the most influential voices in modern marketing, to unpack how audience behavior, search, and content strategy are fundamentally changing in 2026. They discuss the rise of zero-click marketing, the myth that AI tools are “killing” search, and why audience research now matters more than competitive research. Rand brings data-backed clarity to some of the biggest questions marketers are grappling with right now. In this episode, we’re joined by Rand Fishkin, founder of SparkToro, Alertmouse, and Snack Bar Studio; former co-founder of Moz; and, if we can add one more title, keynote speaker at the 2026 Industrial Marketing Summit. Rand brings decades of experience helping marketers understand how people actually discover, consume, and trust information online.The conversation dives into why audience research has become critical step of marketing strategy as traditional inbound tactics lose effectiveness. Rand explains how data powers audience insights and why these insights are often most valuable for gaining internal buy-in, or just as importantly, for saying "no" to ineffective channels and trends.The episode also discusses the impact AI tools have had on search, zero-click marketing, and how marketers should rethink attribution in a world where impressions and brand lift matter more than direct clicks. Rand shares advice for teams stuck in outdated SEO playbooks, emphasizing the importance of following audience behavior over competitor behavior, and pushing back against the dangerous mindset of “doing more with less”.ResourcesConnect with Rand on LinkedInConnect with Erin on LinkedInLearn more about SparkToroLearn more about AlertmouseRelated Episode: What is THE SEO Alligator? A New Challenge in Search MetricsRegister for the Industrial Marketing Summit

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.