Steven Schneider is Co-Founder at Trio SEO, where he helps B2B services and SaaS win search and GEO. He previously scaled a 40-site content portfolio to ~$1.4M ARR and published 300–400 blogs/month, experience he now channels into client growth. His partners built FreeUp from $5K to $12M ARR in four years—entirely through SEO—before exiting in 2019.
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is fast becoming the new frontier of organic growth—and this week, Trio SEO Co-Founder Steven Schneider joins us to reveal how service-based businesses can win visibility inside AI search results like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Bing’s Copilot. Drawing from years of scaling content-driven revenue (including a 40-site portfolio generating $1.4M ARR), Steven unpacks why GEO still starts with the timeless foundations of SEO: technical excellence, trust-building backlinks, and content that answers real intent.
You’ll hear how his team helped Exit Wise turn a simple “valuation calculator” concept into a compounding lead magnet that now attracts ~200 qualified submissions per month—and why interactive tools like calculators and quizzes are the future of lead generation. Steven shares how his agency runs in 90-day sprints to stay ROI-focused, with weekly Wednesday updates that keep clients fully aligned and accountable.
He also breaks down Bing’s emerging strategic role, explains how to earn backlinks that actually move rankings, and offers a step-by-step plan for founders who want to DIY before hiring an agency. Whether you’re a service provider, SaaS founder, or marketing leader, this episode is your tactical roadmap to ranking in the AI era and turning that visibility into real-world revenue.
[00:00] Introduction – AI search is changing the SEO game
[01:12] Steven’s origin story: niche sites, scale, ARR growth
[03:24] Trio SEO today + why AI shifts the landscape
[07:42] Gemini/AI Overviews vs. users; Microsoft/OpenAI edge
[08:34] Why Trio: founders/builders + FreeUp’s $12M ARR via SEO
[09:54] Onboarding, ROI focus, and 90-day sprints
[10:33] Weekly reporting & transparency (Weds 8:00 AM)
[16:21] Case Study: Exit Wise valuation calculator → ~200 leads/mo
[19:15] Build interactive tools that capture qualified demand
[20:21] Backlinks spider-web analogy + quality rules
[22:33] Services: content, backlinks, DIY, and GEO rollout
[29:30] The “boring SEO” ethos: do what works, longer
[29:55] How to connect + free SOPs and audit offer
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Steven’s GEO perspective is the right play at the right time. AI surfaces are the new playing field, but the winning mechanics haven’t changed: authority, relevance, and conversion. His 90-day cadence plus weekly reporting matches how elite teams practice—consistent reps, scoreboard reviews, and adjustments between quarters.
The valuation-calculator case study is a textbook “move the chains” drive: build intent content around “How much is my [X] worth?”, route traffic to a high-trust tool, and let form data qualify leads. The spider-web backlink analogy drives home ecosystem leverage: more quality lines, stronger structure. This is exactly the kind of ecosystem execution I coach inside my SUPERFANS Framework™—where partners, clients, and platforms become your loudest promoters. Implement one interactive asset, one focused backlink sprint, and one conversion upgrade, and you’ll feel momentum compound fast.
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