In the recent episode of MC Fireside Chats, a new focus for the Week 4 show was introduced, shifting away from the RV industry to concentrate on marketing, AI, and technology. Host Brian Searl, CEO of Insider Perks and Modern Campground, opened the show by explaining this new direction and the reshuffling of some recurring guests. He noted that Phil from RVDA of America and Eleonore from RVDA of Canada would now appear on the Week 1 show, which covers data, trends, and analytics. Greg Emmert, the founder of Verio Outdoor Hospitality Consulting, was introduced by Brian, who joked that he was kept on the panel out of pity. Greg then introduced himself and his consulting firm, which helps clients build their operations “strategically and with soul.” He and Brian also made light of the new website Brian’s team is building for his company. Kurtis Wilkins, a new recurring guest from Rjourney RV Resorts and Advanced Outdoor Management, was welcomed to the show. He clarified that he goes by “Kurtis” professionally to distinguish himself from another “Kurtis” in his office. He explained that his company has 41 branded locations and over 12,000 RV pads, with a focus on front-end sales and the monetization of camping. Sam Dagenhard, the founder and CEO of Campfire Ranch, was introduced as a special guest. He described his company as an outdoor hospitality brand based in Gunnison, Colorado, which is building a collection of properties with a focus on “subscale” locations of 30 rooms or less. He said this allows for a high-touch, intimate experience where they can know guests by name. He also stated that his company offers a range of experiences from camping to backcountry trips, always located near prime outdoor recreation spots. Sam later revealed that he grew up RVing and camping and began putting his ideas on paper after moving to Los Angeles, where he found himself limited by state park and national forest campgrounds. He started organizing large, informal group camping trips to places like Joshua Tree, which inspired him to design an ideal campground for his generation. He took a leap in 2019, leaving his job in sports marketing at Red Bull to find his first location, intending to build a brand that would eventually span coast to coast and offer a unique, one-of-a-kind experience. The discussion began with a topic brought up by Kurtis Wilkins, who spoke about the transition from traditional SEO to what his team is calling “AEO,” or AI Engine Optimization. He noted that 13% of search traffic had recently been diverted away from Google, which is a significant change being discussed in many marketing departments. Brian Searl responded by sharing his belief that traditional SEO is “dead” because as AI gets smarter, it will be impossible to “trick” Google. He argued that the new focus should be on providing valuable content that AI systems can easily understand. He then asked Sam Dagenhard about his recent experience with a website redesign and SEO report. Sam said that in the beginning, SEO was all about inserting keywords into copy, which felt “wonky.” He has now learned that other factors like speed and security also play a role. He explained that his company is still young, and their initial website on Squarespace was a prototype for a 17-site campground where SEO happened “by accident.” As his company has grown, they are now transitioning to a more robust website and are in the copywriting phase. He found it interesting to see how much AI was already picking up about his business during a brand discovery audit. He believes it is crucial for his internal team to write the website copy to maintain the authentic, high-touch relationship they have with guests. Kurtis Wilkins agreed with Sam’s starting point, acknowledging that his experience with SEO 10 years ago was the same. He said that good SEO has always been about providing what Google wants and doing it in a structured way. He emphasized the importance of localized content...