In this episode of The Prospecting Show, Dr. Connor Robertson sits down with Salik Muhammed to discuss a topic every business builder and marketer cares about — scaling search engine optimization (SEO). As digital competition rises and algorithms change almost weekly, the conversation dives into what actually works today: building content machines that create authority while staying authentic.
Dr. Robertson opens by noting that SEO is no longer just a marketing function but a strategic pillar of every modern business. “Visibility is trust,” he says. “When people find you organically, it validates your authority before you ever speak to them.”
Salik agrees and explains that scaling SEO is less about tricks and more about systems. “The secret isn’t ranking for a keyword,” he says. “It’s building a machine that keeps ranking you over time.”
The Shift from Tactics to Frameworks
Salik recalls his early days of SEO, when ranking was about keywords, backlinks, and exact-match domains. “That era is gone,” he says. “Google now ranks expertise, not exploits.”
Dr. Robertson points out that entrepreneurs still fall into the trap of short-term optimization — publishing thin content or buying low-quality links just to chase quick results. “But those tactics fade fast,” he says. “Authority is earned through depth and consistency.”
Together they outline a modern SEO framework built on five principles:
- Content Depth: Publish articles that genuinely educate and engage.
- Technical Precision: Ensure your site is fast, mobile-friendly, and crawlable.
- Topical Authority: Own a subject through clusters of related content.
- Authentic Backlinks: Earn links through reputation and relationships, not purchases.
- User Experience: Design for readability and conversion first, then for robots.
Salik summarizes it succinctly: “SEO at scale is a trust engine.”
Dr. Robertson adds that building this engine requires patience and structure — two traits that separate operators from optimizers.
Building the SEO Machine
Salik breaks down how he helped companies publish hundreds of pages per month without losing quality. “It starts with standardization,” he says. “Every piece of content follows the same blueprint: research, outline, draft, review, optimize, publish.”
He uses tools to automate keyword research and content briefing so writers can focus on the story, not the search volume. “Automation should handle data, not voice,” he explains. “The human touch is what Google can’t replicate.”
Dr. Robertson relates this to his own content strategy at drconnorrobertson.com, where hundreds of educational articles build authority across entrepreneurship, real estate, and business growth. “Each piece is part of a larger architecture,” he says. “That’s how you scale without losing identity.”
Salik adds that the goal is to turn content into an asset library — something that keeps working long after it’s published. “Your content should compound like interest,” he says.
Data-Driven Content Decisions
Dr. Robertson asks how Salik decides what topics to prioritize at scale. Salik’s answer is simple: “Let the data speak.”
He uses three data points to determine content opportunities:
• Search volume shows demand.
• Competition difficulty shows effort.
• Conversion intent shows value.
“Most marketers chase volume,” Salik says. “But I’d rather own a small keyword with buyer intent than a broad term with no action.”
Dr. Robertson notes that content strategy is no different from investment strategy. “You allocate resources where the return is highest,” he says. “Data is your portfolio map.”
They discuss how tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, and Surfer SEO provide visibility into what’s working — but warn against analysis paralysis. “Pick three metrics and obsess over them,” Salik advises. “For me, it’s organic traffic, conversion rate, and retention.”
Dr. Robertson agrees that clarity creates momentum. “When you know what to measure, you know where to improve,” he says.
Scaling Without Losing Quality
Salik explains that the biggest challenge in scaling SEO is maintaining content quality. “Quantity gets you visibility,” he says, “but quality keeps you there.”
He built editorial checklists that every writer and editor follows. “We don’t publish until the content adds something new to the internet,” he says. “That’s the standard.”
Dr. Robertson adds that original perspective is the ultimate ranking factor. “Algorithms change, but authenticity doesn’t,” he says. “When your content comes from real experience, it stands out.”
They both stress that repurposing content across formats is a power move. “Turn a blog into a video, a video into a podcast, a podcast into social posts,” Salik says. “That’s how you multiply impact without multiplying effort.”
Dr. Robertson notes that this is exactly how he runs his own content ecosystem — repurposing interviews from The Prospecting Show into educational articles that feed Google indexing and brand authority simultaneously.
The Role of Technical SEO
Beyond content, Salik emphasizes that technical SEO is the foundation of scalability. “If your site isn’t technically sound, you’re building a skyscraper on sand,” he says.
He recommends auditing core web vitals, fixing broken links, and implementing structured data to help Google understand your pages. “Technical SEO isn’t sexy,” he admits, “but it’s non-negotiable.”
Dr. Robertson adds that technical efficiency translates to user trust. “When a page loads fast and looks professional, visitors instantly perceive credibility,” he says.
They both agree that SEO is now equal parts engineering and storytelling. “Your content pulls people in,” Salik says. “Your infrastructure keeps them there.”
Automation and AI in Modern SEO
Dr. Robertson asks about the role of AI in scaling content production. Salik says it can be a huge accelerator if used strategically. “AI should assist, not author,” he explains. “We use AI for research and outlining, but humans write the final story.”
He warns that AI-generated content without editorial oversight creates generic noise. “Google doesn’t penalize AI,” he says, “it penalizes lazy.”
Dr. Robertson agrees, noting that AI should enhance creativity, not replace it. “The goal is to use technology to save time so you can spend more time thinking,” he says.
They discuss how AI tools can analyze search intent, optimize metadata, and identify content gaps — allowing marketers to make decisions faster. But as Salik sums up, “Speed is only valuable when direction is right.”
Link Building the Right Way
Salik and Dr. Robertson then tackle one of the most controversial topics in SEO — link building. “Backlinks still matter,” Salik says, “but reputation matters more.”
He advocates relationship-based link building through guest features, industry collaborations, and digital PR. “When you build connections, links follow naturally,” he says.
Dr. Robertson connects this to personal branding. “Every podcast, article, or collaboration is a digital handshake,” he says. “When you show up consistently with value, people link to you without being asked.”
They both agree that paid link schemes are a dead end. “You can’t fake trust,” Salik says. “The algorithm can spot it faster than you can.”
Measuring Success at Scale
Salik shares the metrics he uses to track success as SEO campaigns scale: organic traffic growth, ranking distribution across keywords, and content ROI over time. “SEO is a snowball,” he says. “Momentum takes months, but when it builds, it compounds.”
Dr. Robertson adds that the real measure is impact, not impressions. “If your SEO isn’t converting to conversations, you’re collecting visits, not value,” he says.
They both encourage entrepreneurs to track micro-wins along the way. “Every page indexed, every ranking improvement, every organic lead is proof you’re moving forward,” Salik says.
Dr. Robertson concludes that momentum itself becomes a marketing advantage. “When Google sees you publishing consistently, it starts to trust you as a source,” he says.
Lessons for Entrepreneurs
As the episode wraps up, Dr. Robertson and Salik summarize the playbook for scaling SEO sustainably:
• Focus on systems, not spikes.
• Write for humans first, optimize for machines second.
• Let data guide your topics, but let empathy shape your voice.
• Automate the repetitive and personalize the important.
• Build authority through consistency, not campaigns.
Dr. Robertson adds a final insight: “The future of SEO is the future of trust. Every click is a vote for credibility.”
Salik closes with a simple truth: “You don’t scale SEO by gaming Google — you scale it by serving people so well that Google has to show you off.”
Listen and Learn More
Listen to the full episode here: Scaling SEO with Salik Muhammed