How AI Is Changing Search & Marketing | Melinda Powelson
ABOUT Melinda:
Melinda Powelson is the Founder and CEO of MatchEngine.com, a company specializing in demand generation and customer acquisition for compliance-sensitive industries including document shredding, electronic recycling, medical waste, and records management. With more than 30 years of experience in digital marketing and consumer behavior, she has helped businesses adapt through every major shift in online search—from the early internet to today's AI-powered search landscape—and recently contributed to i-Sigma's 2026 Market & Industry Intelligence Report.
Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:
Why Google's constant evolution continues to reshape digital marketing
How AI search is changing SEO and customer discovery
The importance of understanding customer language—not just keywords
How Match Engine analyzes over 2,000 customer calls every day using AI
Using AI to improve sales teams instead of replacing them
Why good data still requires human interpretation
How COVID permanently changed demand generation and customer behavior
Why businesses must continually adapt or risk becoming obsolete
The relationship between creativity, strategy, and data
Building stronger company culture in hybrid and remote workplaces
Why human connection remains a competitive advantage in the age of AI
Leadership lessons from decades of navigating disruptive technology
In This Episode…
Carl sits down with Melinda Powelson, Founder and CEO of MatchEngine.com, to explore how AI, search engines, and customer behavior are reshaping modern marketing. With more than three decades of experience navigating digital transformation, Melinda shares practical insights on adapting to Google's evolving algorithms, leveraging AI without losing the human touch, and why understanding customer data is the key to long-term business success.
The conversation dives into AI-powered demand generation, SEO strategy, customer language analysis, remote work, entrepreneurship, leadership, and how small businesses can survive—and thrive—through constant technological disruption. Whether you're a marketer, entrepreneur, agency owner, or business leader, this episode is packed with actionable ideas for navigating the future of business.
Resources Mentioned in this episode:
🌐 Match Engine:
https://www.matchengine.com
🔗 LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/melpowelson/
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