Welcome back to The Search Session! I'm your host, Gianluca Fiorelli, and today we're tackling a critical question for every brand and marketer: How do we stay relevant in a search landscape that's constantly being reshaped by AI, user behavior, and emerging platforms?
To help us navigate this complex world, I'm joined by two exceptional guests: Giulia Panozzo, founder of Neuroscientive, and Garrett Sussman, Director of Marketing at iPullRank and host of the Rankable podcast.
From cognitive biases to the power of brand trust, we'll explore the forces driving change in search and what you need to know to succeed. Let's get the conversation started!
Video Chapters
Resources
Everybody Lies, by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz
The Psychology of Search: Leveraging Cognitive Bias in SEO - Webinar
SEO Week conference (April 28 – May 2, 2025 | New York City)
Transcript
Gianluca Fiorelli: Welcome to the second episode of The Search Session! Today, we’re talking about the rapidly evolving ways people search for information online.
And as you can see, we have two wonderful guests with us.
First up, Giulia Panozzo, the founder of Neuroscientive. She's a neuroscientist turned marketer, as she defines herself on LinkedIn. She holds a BSc in Psychology and an MSc in Neuroscience.
Giulia describes herself as someone who helps brands make smarter marketing decisions by leveraging first-party data and neuroscience to boost engagement and visibility.
And then there’s Garrett. Garrett Sussman is the Director of Marketing at iPullRank. You probably already know him—he's a familiar face in the SEO world, hosting the Rankable podcast, running The SEO Weekly, and speaking at major conferences.
Speaking of conferences, Giulia has spoken at BrightonSEO and will be back on stage this April (if I’m not mistaken). And Garrett, you spoke at MozCon last year. If I’m right, you’ll also be active during SEO Week, the event iPullRank is organizing in the coming months—also in April, right? It’s a fantastic initiative from iPullRank, bringing more SEO events to the East Coast instead of keeping them limited to the usual locations like Austin, Las Vegas, and the West Coast.
The Evolution of Search Behavior
Gianluca Fiorelli: Now, let’s dive into the topic at hand—one that’s shaping decisions and changes among major players like Google and Bing, of course, but also new ones like Open AI or emerging AI-driven search tools like Perplexity and even Grok. Whether or not we like the guy behind Grok, we can’t deny that its latest version, Grok-3, offers some interesting search options.
These AI-driven platforms aren’t just changing the landscape—they’re also capitalizing on shifts that were already underway. A few years ago, we started hearing that younger generations were using TikTok and Instagram for search, particularly for local businesses like restaurants. That was one of the first signs that search behavior was evolving.
So, do you think this shift in search behavior is real and accelerating?
Garrett Sussman: I think, to your point, this is a fascinating time. The last 24 months have been full of changes—new channels, new ways of searching. But one thing to keep in mind is that Google still dominates the search market, holding about 90% of it.
Looking back, we used to rely on simple keyword searches because Google didn’t fully understand the intent behind our queries. We had to adapt, using one-, two-, or three-word searches and tweaking our phrasing to get the best results.
But over the last seven to ten years, advancements in algorithmic tools—like large language models, BERT, and MUM—have dramatically improved natural language processing. Now, search engines understand much more complex queries, allowing people to use much more complex searches.
People are starting to learn that they can now talk like a person in their search and that ultimately returns different, better types of results.
However, there's a challenge: our searches are influenced by cognitive biases. The words we use and the results we get are shaped by our personal context and perspective. This, in turn, affects search behavior. Brands need to be aware of these shifts and ensure they’re creating content that aligns with how people are actually searching.
Giulia Panozzo: Yeah. One of the key things to consider is that as search behavior evolves, we have to recognize that people are constantly influenced by cognitive biases. As Gareth mentioned, we’re bombarded with countless stimuli—things we see, hear, and process—making it harder to focus and make decisions.
So, anything that streamlines the process—especially in searches that might be the first thing we do in the morning or the thousandth search of the day—will naturally enhance ease of decision-making, making us increasingly attuned to it.
I know we’ve talked before about voice search—it was hyped as the next big thing, but it never really took off the way we expected. However, search itself has become more conversational. Brands should absolutely lean into that by understanding how users frame their questions. The way someone asks something already gives insight into their intent, and tapping into that is a huge opportunity.
But search queries are just one piece of a much bigger journey—the entire search experience. Ultimately, people want the simplest, fastest path to a decision because the brain is essentially a big prediction machine. If something challenges an existing belief or expectation—like in the case of confirmation bias, which Gareth mentioned—it has to be compelling enough to be worth the effort.
So, as brands and SEO professionals, we do have the power to shape search experiences, but we also need to think more deeply about the user. Sometimes, we oversimplify and treat users as if they’re just clicking on results we’ve manipulated for them. But they’re more complex than that, and we should give them more credit. At the end of the day, it’s about connecting with real people—not just optimizing for clicks.
The “Messy Middle” in Search
Gianluca Fiorelli: It’s interesting, Gareth, that you brought up MUM because, in reality, we still don’t see any real implementation of MUM in search results—or even in LLM-generated answers. Maybe the technology just isn’t there yet.
And Giulia, you made another great point about conversational search. But it’s not just conversational search. That might be the mainstream definition right now, but really, it should just be called “search.” As marketers, especially in SEO, we tend to forget things quickly. Just two years ago, everyone was talking about Visual Search and Lens, but now? Hardly anyone mentions it. Yet, it’s still important.
What’s fascinating is that while we constantly talk about LLMs, we often overlook advancements in image processing and recognition. One of Google’s biggest developments isn’t just Lens itself, which is becoming more widely used, but also the ability to perform Lens searches on video. This opens the door for a truly multi-content search experience.
This could even redefine the classic "messy middle" concept. Imagine starting a search with an image—because you’re not quite sure what to call what you’re looking for—then using search to get more details, then turning to Google to find a local business, because search LLMs are still pretty terrible at local results, and then you check Reddit for confirmation about that business in particular.
This evolving search behavior expands the messy middle concept beyond the outdated idea of a linear search journey, where a user starts with a query and simply clicks on a result to finish. Many SEOs—and even some of our friends—still don’t fully grasp this shift.
Garrett Sussman: Yeah, it's one of those things. I mean, to your point, we’re so used to thinking about the marketing funnel, right? Starting with awareness and moving all the way down to making a purchase. But in 2020, Google did that Messy Middle study, where they found that people don’t interact with search in a straight line—because, well, we’re complex.
It’s more like an infinite loop of exploration and evaluation. You find something, then you come back, then you explore again. And throughout that process, all these different cognitive biases shape what we choose. We were talking earlier about authority bias—how we decide who to trust and what to do. There are so many signals that influence trust in search results, whether it’s online reviews, brand visibility, or just familiarity.
We always say that if you know a brand, you're far more likely to click on it. It’s the same with news sources. If I search for what’s happening in the world and see five different publications—each with its own bias, whether political or otherwise—I’m going to choose the one I already have an affinity for. The one I trust to give me the best information. And that’s becoming a huge issue, especially with AI in the mix—how do we know which information to trust?
There's always been a kind of search engine bias—this built-in trust that whatever ranks highest on Google must be the most credible. But now, with AI overviews layered on top of search results, it’s fundamentally changing how people interact with search.
Authority Bias & Trust in Search Results
Gianluca Fiorelli: Yes, yes. I’m not sure if Giulia can confirm this gut feeling I have, but people are so used to trusting Google. Even though more people are speaking up about how search results aren’t as good as they used to be, the majority still trust what they find on Google—and trust Google itself.
So, we’ll probably trust these AI-generated answers too, even if people go click through to check the sources. Is that a real phenomenon, or is it just something I’m imagining?
Giulia Panozzo: No, I mean, there’s this authority bias that Gareth was talking about. It highlights the need for people—humans, really—to trust the source of information. We naturally want to believe someone who seems trustworthy. Studies have shown that when the same information is presented with different authors, people consistently trust it more when it comes from someone with perceived authority, like a medical doctor.
But the key variable here—the thing we need to consider—is how savvy our users are. How critically do they engage with the information they find? Digital literacy plays a huge role. If someone works with search engines every day, they’re less likely to take the first Google result at face value. However, someone who relies on Facebook for daily news or only does a few searches a day on Google is more likely to trust whatever information they find because they see it as coming from an authoritative source.
And that raises a big ethical question for us: How do we ensure we’re not exploiting these biases just to drive visits—especially when misinformation is such a huge issue right now?
Younger generations seem to be more aware of these dynamics. They’re more cautious about their online behavior and privacy. For example, during a recent guest lecture at a university, I was surprised at how many students told me they don’t even use Google anymore. They prefer DuckDuckGo because they want their searches to be as private as possible. They’re also aware of all of the sort of exploitations that marketing does in order to get a visit.
So, beyond authority and trust, another major factor at play is the demand for authenticity. That’s why user-generated content (UGC) has become such a key part of the messy middle of search—the continuous loop of evaluation and discovery. Sure, we might prefer information from an authoritative source, but to truly trust it, we also want to see real user experiences with a product or brand. People are more aware that not everything that shines on a search engine is gold.
So, I think it's in continuous development, and we have a responsibility to recognize the different levels of digital literacy among users. More importantly, we need to make sure we’re building a search environment that is both ethical and sustainable.
Biases in SEO Testing
Gianluca Fiorelli: Everything you and Garrett said got me thinking about something that might be useful for brands—big or small.
We're so used to testing everything when it comes to websites. I mean, I often run test features on sites, but I don’t see many brands creating user groups—segmented by age or target audience—and asking them to perform specific search queries. Basically, observing how they search and recording their behavior.
This would provide statistical data to help brands understand how their potential customers actually search. That insight could then inform their search strategy. It’s not all that different from running a focus group or A/B testing how a website functions. It just applies the same logic to search behavior.
Giulia Panozzo: Yeah, and I think a lot of the SEO tests I see are pretty biased. We often design them to produce a certain result, whether consciously or not. Plus, many of these tests are based on a limited population—typically our existing audience or users already searching for specific queries.
That’s why I believe UX testing tends to be more comprehensive—it takes demographics into account more effectively. This is something I’m really pushing for with the brands I work with: better collaboration between SEO and UX. It’s not just about the way we can deliver results but also about improving the way we work together, because there’s so much overlap in our goals.
Especially now, with everything we’ve learned from Google’s DOJ documents, how we satisfy the user with the result is going to be crucial in how we display on the search engine as well. So, yeah, I think you bring up a great point, which is testing and how do we make sure that we take into account all of these different populations?
Gianluca Fiorelli: Garrett, what do you think?
Garrett Sussman: It's tricky, right? Giulia makes a great point about selection bias and the risk of choosing participants who might give us the results we want. It reminds me of this fascinating book I read—Everybody Lies by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz (2017)—where he explores how Google search data can reveal insights.
But the thing is, when people know they're being monitored while searching—like you mentioned, Gianluca—there's often no real incentive to be truthful. That creates a risk in how we interpret the data and the conclusions we draw. This is a big issue in SEO, too. We often try to determine causation when we're really just seeing correlation. We look at different factors and surveys, trying to figure out why one page ranks higher than another, and it’s easy to fall into the trap of saying, "Oh, this happened because of that," when in reality, it's much more complex.
The real challenge is uncovering the truth behind search behavior, which is becoming even more nuanced as Google gets better at understanding natural language. Gianluca, I love how you’ve talked about using Google search results themselves as a way to understand intent—whether it’s analyzing autocomplete suggestions, AI-driven search results, or topic clusters. These elements help us see the data Google is prioritizing, which in turn informs our content strategy.
Google is essentially telling us, "Here’s what we’re rewarding for this type of search," and we need to align with that, whether through text-based content, visuals, or other formats. In eCommerce, for example—which we’ve all studied to some extent—visuals are crucial. Giulia brought up UGC and video content, which are playing an increasingly significant role. We’re seeing more video results in search, and it’s clear that leveraging these elements helps us stand out and capture attention—especially from searchers who don’t analyze Google the way SEOs do.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Totally, totally. And I don’t want to sound polemic or like a Googler here, but often, we assume that Google pushes certain features just to keep people on search longer, see more ads, and ultimately make more money. However, when you look at their quarterly reports, you’ll see that Google is actually losing money—not because of AI Overviews, for example. In fact, the rise of AI Overviews isn’t necessarily benefiting them in terms of ad clicks right now.
That said, I always pay close attention, as you mentioned, to the features Google introduces. For instance, we’ve seen a resurgence—not exactly of the "Perspectives" feature itself, but something similar, a mix of "Hidden Gems" and "People Also Talk About." This new format tends to showcase short-form videos, which can come from YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and even Instagram Reels.
Short-form video is undeniably on the rise. If you're into international SEO, you might already know that in some countries, like Egypt, Shorts are the most consumed type of video content because they align with the way people prefer to watch videos. This highlights a key trend: Google isn’t just experimenting for the sake of it—they’re integrating features based on actual user behavior. Of course, there’s always that tension: Google needs to make money, but they also need to cater to what people naturally engage with.
Speaking of shifting user behavior, here's an interesting bit of YouTube news you might find relevant. Do you know what device YouTube is now most viewed on? Television. That’s right—most YouTube views now come from TV sets. Personally, I love this because I often watch YouTube from my couch on my TV, and I find it the most comfortable way to consume content. This is a major shift in how people interact with search and video content. We don’t typically think of TV as a place where people "search," but given that YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine, it makes sense. People are searching YouTube—on their TVs.
The Power of Brand Familiarity
Gianluca Fiorelli: Now, circling back to search behavior, Giulia, I know you’ve talked a lot about brand familiarity. There's always debate in our industry about whether Google favors big brands over smaller ones. I don’t think that’s always true—I've seen plenty of cases where smaller brands outperform the big players, depending on how well they execute.
But in a search environment where people are browsing from SERP to SERP rather than clicking directly on results, the question becomes: How can we leverage SERP design and features—whether that’s AI Overviews, Perplexity-style multimedia answers, or other emerging formats—to showcase brand value?
Giulia Panozzo: So, he brought up a topic that I'm super passionate about—brand familiarity. One key point I want to make about brand familiarity is that we often assume this heuristic, where people default to what they know best, mainly benefits big brands. After all, they’re the ones we see everywhere.
For example, if I need to buy something, I instinctively go to Amazon. It’s just the default. So, how can smaller players even begin to compete?
Well, I believe localization is key. Truly connecting with local users is crucial for shifting this behavior. Otherwise, we risk reinforcing the familiarity heuristic in ways that only benefit the biggest brands.
A great example of this came up recently in a conversation about AI. Many brands are trying to scale their localization efforts using machine learning. But this can backfire if it’s not done right. Imagine searching online and seeing the same hoodie translated into Italian as paura di dio (literally "fear of God"). That’s a direct translation of the brand name, but to an Italian speaker, it makes no sense. Or consider searching in the UK but seeing prices in US dollars—it immediately creates distrust.
To transact, people need to feel a sense of connection. Studies show that trust plays a key role in transaction success, and part of that trust comes from feeling an almost territorial connection to a brand.
This is especially important for brands expanding internationally. If their identity is heavily US-based, for instance, even if they translate their messaging into different languages, they might still feel "foreign" to users. The message doesn’t land as something familiar or trustworthy.
That’s why I find brand familiarity so fascinating. And it’s an area where small brands actually have an advantage. By investing in localization—hiring local consultants, ensuring translations make sense, using the right currency—they can build trust in ways that big brands often overlook. It may seem like a heavy investment, but in the long run, it pays off.
Studies on brand familiarity have even shown that seeing a familiar brand can trigger the same subconscious response as recognizing a familiar face—like a friend. We instinctively gravitate toward what we know because it saves cognitive effort. If we've had a good experience with a brand before, we don’t need to evaluate it from scratch every time. That’s a huge advantage for brands that focus on building familiarity.
Ultimately, consumers make countless decisions throughout the day. They’ll choose what feels familiar, connected, and trustworthy. This ties into the broader role of emotions in transactions—another fascinating topic. But in short, big brands often focus on rapid scaling, sometimes at the expense of true user connection. Meanwhile, smaller brands have a real opportunity to foster familiarity in ways that genuinely benefit their customers.
Gianluca Fiorelli: For a new brand trying to catch attention, the goal shouldn’t necessarily be to chase what the big brands are doing. Instead, it’s about asking: What can I really do? What am I truly capable of? What is my unique strength—my specialization?
In the world of AI search, where all kinds of content are being processed, this kind of deep specialization can be a major advantage. Many competitors might not be as focused, and if you've structured your content well—using strong semantic analysis and search optimization—you have a good chance of standing out. AI-driven search results, like Google’s AI Overview, don’t always pull directly from the first-page results. They also consider related searches and alternative sources, which means a well-optimized niche presence can still surface prominently.
So instead of going broad, go deep. Showcase your expertise. Big brand websites often have terrible usability—think of something like Ferrovie dello Stato—which creates user frustration. On the other hand, a smaller, highly specialized site with exceptional usability can quickly gain recognition and engagement. Google values engagement signals, so a site that’s both highly informative and easy to use can start a virtuous flywheel effect:
People recognize that the site provides real expertise.
They enjoy using it because of great usability.
They engage more—clicking, searching for the brand, associating it with key topics.
Google picks up on these signals and ranks the site higher.
This cycle continues, increasing brand visibility.
This strategy is especially actionable for new or smaller brands. It doesn’t require massive resources—just a focus on what they truly do best. By building a strong, specialized presence, they can grow their brand recognition simply through their positioning.
Giulia Panozzo: Yeah, but I also feel like I tend to over-index on things that other brands might take for granted. A lot of the time, it comes down to making transactions or decisions easier for the user. If we’re already in the running to capture traffic from people actively looking to solve a specific problem, we should make sure they get all the information they need right away.
For example, if there’s a free trial—great! Let’s highlight it in the meta description or even in the title if possible. The goal is to provide as much relevant information as early as we can. I see so many brands trying to be mysterious, and honestly, I don’t get it.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Totally.
Giulia Panozzo: Let it happen, but in the end, I find myself asking—what are you actually providing?
Sure, you're showing up in my search results, so to some extent, you're giving me what I’m looking for. But if I’m still unsure, I’m going to leave the site. If you’re competing with a big brand, you need to make it clear why someone should choose you instead. What are your unique selling points? Why you over them?
Right now, there are so many exit points—it’s no longer a funnel, as Garrett mentioned. It’s more like a labyrinth, with an easy way out at every turn. So we need to keep the journey going by making things as easy as possible for our users.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Totally, totally agree. That’s why I was talking about usability. It’s definitely going to be an asset—something that SEO professionals have often taken for granted or pushed to the fringes of our analysis because it’s seen as more of a web design concern. But now, usability is becoming more central.
We shouldn’t just talk about ranking factors anymore but rather about signals. The more positive signals we send to search engines, the better. Yes, we’re targeting an audience, but we should never forget—at least in my opinion—that we’re doing so through a middleman: Google, or other search entities like Perplexity, Bing, or whatever platform people are using. So, while our buyer persona is our main focus, we also need to consider our "audience persona," which, in this case, includes Google itself. Google wants to surface content it deems valuable, so we need to align with that while still creating for our actual audience.
SEO & Holistic Marketing Strategies
Gianluca Fiorelli: Speaking of audience and visibility, Rand Fishkin recently shared a short video suggesting that SEO should place more value on PR—public relations—not just digital PR in the traditional sense but as a broader strategy. Digital PR has often been about creating content that journalists love so we can earn visibility and big links. But I think Rand was also talking about something more—positioning ourselves in front of key influencers through co-marketing projects, collaborations, and strategic PR efforts.
I think this is going to be really interesting in the future when Google, for instance, decides to push forward the AI mode or integrate the Gemini widget into Android’s home screen. If you're a growing brand struggling to compete against dominant players like Reddit (which dominates organic search) or Amazon (which controls Google Merchant results), leveraging PR-driven collaborations could be a powerful way to gain visibility. It’s not quite “parasite SEO,” but rather a smart, strategic approach to distributing content beyond our own websites—getting visibility by being featured on external platforms that Google values.
Another interesting angle is offline marketing. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with targeted radio ads for clients, and the results have been fascinating. Radio advertising significantly boosts branded searches because people actually pay attention to what they hear. A strong tagline or a compelling ad can make people immediately search for your brand on Google.
As SEOs, we need to rethink the role of branded searches—not just as a buzzword but as a key strategy for enhancing EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust). Offline marketing, especially in overlooked channels like radio, could play a role in reinforcing trust and recognition in ways digital strategies alone cannot.
What do you think? Are you already exploring this kind of hybrid marketing approach with your clients—mixing traditional tactics with modern digital strategies?
Garrett Sussman: Absolutely. I think that’s what makes SEO so much harder these days—it’s become holistic and deeply intertwined with marketing as a whole. SEO isn’t just about ranking on Google anymore; it’s a channel that supports and amplifies all your other marketing efforts.
Take the Super Bowl, for example—it’s one of the biggest marketing events in the U.S. Every year, brands invest heavily in commercials, and afterward, people flood social media discussing which brands made the biggest impact. But beyond that, there’s also a massive surge in search interest. People look up the brands they saw, their campaigns, and their products.
Digital PR plays a big role here. Sure, we’ll always have listicles, editorial pieces, and product reviews, which come with a certain authority bias—if a source you trust talks about a brand, you’re more likely to believe in it. But beyond that, partnership marketing creates a powerful "halo effect." If your brand collaborates with another strong brand in a co-marketing campaign, that positive association pays off for you.
A great example of this was the Barbie movie’s marketing campaign. It generated a ton of publicity, and brands like Xbox and Airbnb jumped in with co-marketing partnerships. That led to a noticeable spike in Google search trends for those associated brands.
Now, getting more specific about SEO itself—everything is becoming more volatile. Over the last 24 months, we’ve seen more algorithm updates than we had in the previous 15 years combined. Search results are becoming increasingly personalized, influenced by an individual’s context, preferences, and search history. This makes it harder for marketers and SEOs to track performance consistently.
At the same time, as everyone’s starting to get slightly different types of results—whether through Google’s AI-driven searches or tools like ChatGPT—there are new opportunities for brands to stay visible. Digital PR is a key part of that, but visibility isn’t just about text-based content anymore.
For example, AI tools like Perplexity rely heavily on YouTube, but they’re not just analyzing video descriptions—they’re actually transcribing the audio to extract relevant information. That means if influencers and brands are talking about you in their videos, that content could impact search visibility.
Ultimately, SEO is getting harder because it’s no longer just about SEO. It’s about building visibility across all marketing channels—social media, digital PR, partnerships, video content—all of which feed back into your discoverability. When someone searches for something relevant to your product, topic, or industry, the groundwork you’ve laid across multiple platforms will determine whether you show up.
Giulia Panozzo: Yeah, I think you both brought up some really important points. Gianluca, your point about collaboration and PR really resonated with me because it ties into conversations I’ve been having with clients about SEO—specifically, its role in capturing demand versus creating demand. If brand searches are declining, how do I use SEO to make them pick up again? Theoretically, I can’t rely on SEO alone, right? That’s where other channels come in.
I loved your example about radio ads. There are actually studies - like the one done by Joe Devlin at UCL - showing that we engage better with audio content like a story on Audible compared to reading a book or watching a video. This suggests that different ad formats influence us in unique ways. With audio, we hear the message without the distractions that come with visuals, allowing us to form our own mental image. That curiosity can then drive people to search for more information.
I saw something similar happen with a brand I worked with. Their brand searches had been declining, but then, out of nowhere, there was a spike. Nothing had changed from an SEO perspective, so I looked into what ads had gone live that week. It turned out that TV ads had been reintroduced during that exact timeframe. This influx of brand searches wasn’t driven by SEO but rather by increased visibility in another channel. It’s a reminder that even what might seem like "old-school" marketing still plays a crucial role, especially as SEO becomes more complex.
And Garrett, your point about collaborating with influencers really ties into this. Having your brand mentioned alongside others strengthens its credibility—every mention acts as a vote of confidence. In a world where consumers are constantly evaluating options, every little bit of social proof matters. Even things like SERP reviews contribute to this trust-building process.
This also connects to the concept of availability heuristics—how we tend to rely on the information that’s most easily available in our minds. If I repeatedly see a brand mentioned throughout my day, I’m more likely to think of it first when I need a product in that category. That’s why exposure across multiple channels is so powerful—it keeps the brand top of mind.
Ultimately, SEO and other marketing channels work best when they complement each other. It’s not about exploiting biases but understanding how the human mind works so we can create a smoother, more intuitive search journey for users.
The Fun Questionnaire
Gianluca Fiorelli: Wonderful, wonderful. I mean, I love everything about this conversation, and honestly, I could go on and on—but that might be a bit too much. So, let’s make a promise: one year from now, let’s come back and see where things stand. This revolution we’re witnessing and experiencing in real-time—let’s see where it leads.
But before we say goodbye to you and the audience, let’s do something fun—the first questionnaire! It’s just a few simple questions, nothing too personal, but designed to give us a little glimpse of you beyond the incredible marketer you are. The key is to answer quickly, without overthinking.
Let’s start! Giulia first, then Garrett, and then whoever wants to jump in.
Giulia, what’s your favorite word?
Giulia Panozzo: I could have cheated this, but I'm going to be true to myself and say lilac. I like the color. I like the alliteration. So lilac is my favorite word.
Garrett Sussman: And my favorite word is curiosity. It's just fun to say, and I think it really embodies what I think life is all about.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Cool, cool. Yeah, it's like… knowing you, it's really about capturing you in a word, I think. You're a curious one. So, what’s your least favorite word?
Giulia Panozzo: I’d have to say enemy. I don’t like the idea of conflict, drama, or confrontation. So, yeah, enemy—not a fan.
Garrett Sussman: I hate to get political, but fascism.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Ha ha ha!
Garrett Sussman: I hate that word. I hate everything it entails. It even sounds yucky.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Yeah, since I’m Italian, I’d say I’m sorry that word even exists. But you know, life is a mix of good and bad.
So, what turns you on?
Giulia Panozzo: Learning new things. I go deep down rabbit holes and can never seem to get enough. It’s a bit distracting, considering I have a full-time job.
Right now, for example, I'm looking into a neuroscience study about how we react to AI stimuli versus human stimuli, in an effort to understand if there is an actual difference. Do we have this sort of pre-conscious response to AI stimuli that's different from human stimuli? Because if we don't, then it poses a case for ethical rules to prevent the misuse of AI. So yeah, we'll see how that goes.
Gianluca Fiorelli: That’s fascinating. I think the real challenge will be in visuals—especially video. AI-generated videos are getting so advanced that it’s becoming almost impossible to distinguish real from fake. Maybe your study will uncover some kind of Spidey sense—a subconscious intuition that tells us when something isn’t quite right. I’ll be really interested to see what you find. And you, Garret?
Garrett Sussman: That’s kind of geeky—but I love it. I’d say psychology and reading. I’ve been on a major psychology reading kick for the past two years—everything from Kahneman, Ariely, and Cialdini. I just finished Everybody Lies, which is about the insights we can gain from Google searches.
Also, AI. I do really like all the AI stuff—I don’t care what anyone says, I think it’s going to open so many doors for us.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Hmm, let's go sensorial. Since we’re talking about video and images, let’s switch senses—what’s a sound you love?
Giulia Panozzo: The sound of my blades on wild ice when I skate. Or really, skating on any ice. It's like insane. Beautiful.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Cool.
Garrett Sussman: For me, it’s my daughter’s voice—her little toddler giggles and laughs. Everything she says just melts my heart.
Gianluca Fiorelli: And what sound do you hate?
Giulia Panozzo: My alarm in the morning. I’m not a morning person at all.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Oh, same. I’m so glad I work from home.
Garrett Sussman: Don’t tell my boss, but… Slack notifications. There’s just something about that. But no, in reality I have this weird thing that rubbing carpet makes my arm hair stand up. It’s unbearable.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Oh yeah, that’s not just the sound—it’s the texture too. If the carpet’s rough, it’s even worse.
Alright, let’s talk dirty. What’s your favorite curse word?
Giulia Panozzo: I’ll go with something in Venetian because I’m Venetian—tomare, which basically means your mom. It’s not exactly a curse word, but I use it a lot.
Gianluca Fiorelli: Okay. And you?
Garrett Sussman: I won’t censor myself—I love the word fuck. It’s so versatile. You can use it in so many different ways.
Right now, I don’t have to worry about my daughter repeating it, but once she does, I’ll probably tone it down.
Gianluca Fiorelli: So, what did you dream of becoming when you were a kid?
Giulia Panozzo: According to my kindergarten booklet, I wanted to be a brain doctor. In a way, I kind of got there—before ending up in marketing.
But if I could choose again, I’d be a full-time professional ice skater.
Garrett Sussman: I always wanted to be an actor—that’s why I do videos and try to be funny (even if I rarely succeed).
If not that, I’d be a high school teacher. I was an elementary school teacher for a while, but I got a bit burned out. I think teaching high school would be a lot of fun, though.
Gianluca Fiorelli: That must be really tough.
Garrett Sussman: Teaching? Or not being funny?
Gianluca Fiorelli: Ha! Good one.
Alright, last question. There’s a saying from an Italian poet that goes: Nobody is truly gone as long as someone remembers them. Some people get remembered for centuries.
Bringing it back down to earth—how would you like to be remembered?
Giulia Panozzo: Professionally, I’d love to be remembered as someone who helped advance the industry in an ethical way.
But ultimately, we’re all just people on a floating rock. None of this will matter when I’m gone. So, more than anything, I’d want to be remembered as a good person who made a real impact on the people closest to me.
Gianluca Fiorelli: That’s a great answer.
Garrett Sussman: Same. I just want to be remembered as a good dad and a good husband.
Like Giulia said, in the grand scheme of things, nothing really matters. So why not just be a good story in someone else's narrative? Because we're all just stories at the end of it.
Gianluca Fiorelli: That’s beautiful.
Thank you, Giulia. Thank you, Garrett. This was a wonderful conversation, and I can’t wait to check in next year and see how things have evolved.
And to everyone who joined this session—thank you! I hope you enjoyed it, and I look forward to the next episode with two more amazing guests.
Podcast Host
Gianluca Fiorelli
With almost 20 years of experience in web marketing, Gianluca Fiorelli is a Strategic and International SEO Consultant who helps businesses improve their visibility and performance on organic search. Gianluca collaborated with clients from various industries and regions, such as Glassdoor, Idealista, Rastreator.com, Outsystems, Chess.com, SIXT Ride, Vegetables by Bayer, Visit California, Gamepix, James Edition and many others.
A very active member of the SEO community, Gianluca daily shares his insights and best practices on SEO, content, Search marketing strategy and the evolution of Search on social media channels such as X, Bluesky and LinkedIn and through the blog on his website: IloveSEO.net.
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