Search everywhere optimisation: How to stay human in an AI world

Ange Dove (00:03)
Are we recording? I guess we are, right? Yes. Okay—welcome to the You're the Boss podcast show. So glad to have you here today.

I have a very special guest with me, and I’d love to introduce him now. This is Wes Towers. He’s quite near me geographically—he’s in Australia—so our time zones aren’t too bad.

Let me explain who Wes is. Wes Towers runs Uplift 360, a digital agency for builders and trades. His focus is simple: smarter websites, practical SEO, and measurable growth. He earned his playbook on real jobs—not theory—and now helps others skip the painful lessons.

So let me bring on Wes. Hi, Wes.

Wes Towers (01:19)
Hi Ange, great to be with you today. And you’re right—we’re in a similar part of the world, which is nice.

Ange Dove (01:25)
Yes, it is—because most people I speak to are in the US, so that’s about a 12-hour difference. We’re about three hours apart, right?

Wes Towers (01:25)
Yeah, that’s it.

Ange Dove (01:30)
Alright, let’s start with what you do. We mentioned websites, but can you explain a bit more about what you actually do?

Wes Towers (01:40)
Sure. We’re a digital agency—we build websites and do SEO, search engine optimization. But we’re now calling it “search everywhere optimization,” because it’s no longer just about Google.

It’s about large language models, social media, and all the different places people search online. We mainly work with trades and construction businesses globally—mostly in Australia for convenience—but we do have international clients.

We’re becoming recognized in that niche.

Ange Dove (02:10)
Very cool. So how did you get started in this space?

Wes Towers (02:22)
A bit by accident and a bit by design. Back in high school, I was figuring out my career path. I was good at graphic design, so I pursued that.

Websites weren’t really a thing back then—it was the 90s. I went to uni, then got a job at a marketing company in Sydney. I actually found them in an awards book and cold-called them.

They gave me a job—but they’d never designed a website. So I built their first one.

From there, I loved it—the mix of technical and creative. The industry changes fast, but in recent years it’s been incredibly fast. Honestly, it feels like a roller coaster.

Ange Dove (03:43)
It really is. When I started my business 20 years ago, the internet was just taking off. Most clients weren’t even marketing online—everything was offline.

My bread and butter was print newsletters. Completely different world now.

Wes Towers (04:10)
Yeah, now everything is online. And I’m sure your skill set evolved with that too.

Ange Dove (04:20)
Definitely. And with AI now, it’s changed copywriting massively. People are doing it themselves, so demand has shifted.

Wes Towers (04:30)
Exactly.

Ange Dove (04:40)
So let’s talk about SEO—“search everywhere,” as you call it. Can you explain what SEO is first, and how AI has changed it?

Wes Towers (05:00)
SEO used to mean ranking high on Google for keywords—like “plumber Melbourne”—to get traffic and leads.

It was easy to measure: rankings went up, traffic increased, business improved.

Now it’s different. It’s not just Google. Information is surfaced directly in platforms—people don’t always click through anymore. So it’s harder to measure results.

Ange Dove (06:10)
Right, because now Google gives answers instantly with AI—like Gemini—so people don’t even scroll.

Wes Towers (07:34)
Exactly. It affects everything—even lead funnels. People don’t download ebooks anymore because they can get answers instantly.

But when it comes to high-value purchases, people still visit websites to validate the business.

Ange Dove (08:20)
Yes—your website is still your central hub.

I actually had someone book a call with me recently, and I didn’t recognize the name. Turns out he found me through ChatGPT—it recommended me as one of the best personal brand consultants in Singapore.

Wes Towers (09:50)
That’s powerful.

Ange Dove (10:00)
It scraped information about me from everywhere online and compiled it. Amazing.

Wes Towers (10:20)
That’s where quality content matters. AI pulls from what’s already out there—so strong positioning is key.

Ange Dove (11:00)
Exactly. But you still need to edit AI output—it makes mistakes. I’ve seen it completely change meanings when summarizing content.

Wes Towers (12:44)
Yes, and another key is training AI—both your own tools and how AI systems learn about you. That’s why having lots of quality content published across platforms is so important.

Ange Dove (13:30)
Yes, because when you Google me, I dominate multiple pages—so AI has lots to pull from.

Wes Towers (14:40)
Exactly—and it’s only going to improve.

Ange Dove (15:00)
Although it’s also concerning—especially with fake content online.

Wes Towers (16:42)
Yes, we’ve gone from controlled media to complete saturation. Standing out now is both an opportunity and a challenge.

Ange Dove (17:57)
And people are becoming more skeptical. Trust is shifting.

Wes Towers (18:42)
Which is why being distinct—and even slightly polarizing—is important in marketing now.

Ange Dove (19:42)
Yes—be yourself. That’s your differentiation.

Wes Towers (19:57)
And that’s why podcasts are growing—they feel real and human.

Ange Dove (20:30)
So what should new business owners focus on to be visible?

Wes Towers (21:00)
Create valuable, shareable content. If people would share it, it’s probably good.

Publish consistently so AI understands who you are, what you stand for, and what you do.

Ange Dove (22:05)
And having a unique name helps too.

Wes Towers (22:32)
Yes—personal and business branding matters a lot.

Ange Dove (23:10)
I actually tested different versions of my name before choosing mine—it helped me stand out.

Wes Towers (25:02)
That’s smart. Even having a signature phrase or framework can help.

Ange Dove (26:52)
Yes—I teach clients to create their own frameworks. It helps them stand out even if the service is similar.

Wes Towers (27:30)
Exactly—focus on one person, one problem, one solution.

Ange Dove (28:00)
And don’t overthink it—start with what you have. It will evolve.

Wes Towers (29:31)
Also, get external perspective. Experts can see what you can’t.

Ange Dove (30:15)
Absolutely—writing about yourself is the hardest.

Wes Towers (31:30)
Same with design—people often outsource their own branding.

Ange Dove (31:53)
And if something doesn’t feel like you, don’t use it—even if it looks good.

Wes Towers (32:22)
Yes—you need to feel confident in it.

Ange Dove (33:00)
So overall—publish consistently across platforms so AI can find and understand you?

Wes Towers (33:42)
Exactly. Your website is the foundation, and AI will surface the right content to the right people.

Ange Dove (34:25)
Perfect. And your website is the best place to find you?

Wes Towers (34:25)
Yes—uplift360.com.au. You can also book a strategy call there.

Ange Dove (35:00)
Amazing. Highly recommend—especially for construction businesses.

Wes Towers (35:30)
And if we’re not the right fit, we’ll refer you to someone who is.

Ange Dove (35:54)
That’s great. Thank you so much for today—this has been a fantastic conversation.

And to everyone listening—don’t forget to like, follow, and subscribe, and hit the bell so you don’t miss the next episode.

Thank you, Wes.

Wes Towers (36:10.00)
Thank you.