What does it really take to run a successful SEO agency in the era of ChatGPT, Perplexity and AI search? 🤖
At the summit in Phuket, I sat down with Adam Chronister, Founder & CEO of Enleaf, for this episode of Inside A Hustler’s Brain. Adam has been doing SEO for over 15 years, and he says AI makes it feel like the early days again. 🔥
He shared how his agency tracks LLM traffic, the consensus strategy that gets brands into AI answers, and how he’s building an AI “brain” for his company safely. 💼
📊 In this episode, we unpacked:
- 📏 Why LLM traffic is still under 1% and how to track it
- 🧰 The toolbox approach to client marketing
- 🦜 Why LLMs work on consensus
- 📰 Stacking listicles, press releases and social mentions
- 🧪 The fictional-brand test that proved it
- 🧠 Building an AI brain for an agency, safely
- 🎯 Adam’s advice for SEO newcomers
- 💰 How he made his first $1 million
🎥 Watch the full episode:
📏 LLM Traffic Is Still Under 1%, and How to Track It
AI SEO reminds Adam of the early days of SEO: lots of opportunity, and lots of questions. The biggest challenge right now is attribution. 📊
Clients ask about AEO and AI SEO, so Enleaf built an attribution reporting system. But LLM traffic is still small, less than 1% on average. Many clients are surprised to learn ChatGPT sends less traffic than DuckDuckGo. He expects that to change with adoption: “We want to be where the puck is going.” 🏒
For tracking, Enleaf uses Wakea (“what AI knows about you”) and is testing Semrush’s tools. In Google Analytics, they segment LLM referral traffic with one regular expression that covers the main LLMs, then bring everything into a single Looker Studio dashboard. 📈
🧰 The Toolbox Approach to Client Marketing
Enleaf is known for SEO, but today it does just as much in advertising, web design and infrastructure. It starts with a conversation about the client’s actual goals. 🎯
“We treat every marketing campaign like a toolbox, and each marketing discipline is a tool. Sometimes you need a hammer, sometimes a drill, sometimes all of them to build a house.” 🔨
For example, they test Facebook Ads against Google Ads. Sometimes Google wins, sometimes Facebook does, depending on the industry. The goal is simply to solve the client’s problem. For another agency perspective, read how Lawrence Hitches scaled StudioHawk. 📈
🦜 Why LLMs Work on Consensus
The big difference between search engines and LLMs: search engines weigh rankings and backlink authority, while LLMs work on what Adam calls a consensus model. 🧠
The more an element, like a brand, entity or reference, appears across the web, the more likely LLMs are to pull it. “LLMs are really kind of parrots. They repeat what’s out there.” Create enough noise and consensus across channels, and you win. 📣
For more on this, read Cindy Krum on barnacle SEO and AI search. 🔗
Despite talk of penalties, Adam says listicles are still working, and the higher you appear in them, the more likely you are to show up in LLMs. 📋
Enleaf stacks them: create the listicle, link to it from a press release, then share the story on social media. Each piece spreads the same consensus. LLMs “love data,” so feed them the data you want them to repeat. 🍽️
They stopped doing PR years ago and restarted, not for SEO but for AI visibility. Now it’s about quantity over quality: even low-quality or free outlets like PRLog can work if you get one mention in Google News that links back to a listicle. LLMs check whether multiple sources say the same thing. 🔁
🧪 The Fictional-Brand Test That Proved It
To test the theory, Enleaf created a fictional company with almost no brand mentions and published one press release announcing an award. The awards weren’t real either. Now, when you search for that brand, results reference those awards. 😮
It’s harder for brands with lots of existing positive or negative references, because you need more noise to counteract them. But for new brands, “it’s probably easier than it’s ever been to create a narrative.” 📖
His go-to strategy for a new SaaS or product brand: a listicle or featured article, plus PR. For more, read Anirudh Agarwal on ranking inside ChatGPT. 🚀
🧠 Building an AI “Brain” for an Agency, Safely
Enleaf is building a central hub, or “brain,” for the company, inspired by agentic systems like OpenClaw. It’s connected to Google Analytics, Search Console and Google Ads, plus the company’s archive of collateral, its “DNA.” An LLM sits on top. From his phone, Adam can create an audit and send it to a team member’s roadmap. 📱
Security is built in. The agent gets a separate email with view-only access to accounts, so it can’t change anything. Adam’s rules:
- 💳 Isolate and control any payment methods
- 📧 Keep email accounts separate
- 💻 Never install it on your primary machine; use an isolated environment
“For reporting purposes, it’s working great.” For another view on agents, read Ronnie Burt on WordPress.com’s AI agent. 🔐
🎯 Adam’s Advice for SEO Newcomers
“Just be curious, and have a desire to learn.” After 15+ years, new AI systems make him excited again. It can be overwhelming, but also exciting. 🌱
Don’t be afraid to break things and make mistakes, and use tools that help you learn. There are many voices in this space, so find two or three people you trust who match how you operate, and start there. 👥
💰 Adam’s First $1M, Family and AI
How did he make his first million? “Slow and steady,” working the agency, starting with web design and SEO. He and his wife have reinvested agency profits into investment property in and outside the US, plus stocks and crypto. If he won $10 million, he’d invest it, likely in growth stocks, which he says he’s good at. 🏠
Will AI replace humans? “I don’t think it will fully replace humans. I think it will augment humans.” He expects cures for diseases, but also job disruption and concerns about military uses. 🤖
- 👨👧 Best year: when his daughter was born, which also changed how he hustled in business
- 🧖 Morning routine: sauna, workout and meditation
- ✈️ Favourite places: Japan and Greece
- 🎯 Life goal: to die with no regrets
- 🦸 Hero: his mother, who had the courage to take him and his sister away from a bad situation
📝 Key Takeaways From the Adam Chronister Interview
- 📏 LLM traffic is still under 1%, but track it now with GA regex and Looker Studio
- 🧰 Treat each marketing discipline as a tool in a toolbox
- 🦜 LLMs work on consensus, so say the same thing in many places
- 📰 Stack listicles with press releases and social mentions
- 🧪 New brands can shape their AI narrative faster than ever
- 🔐 Give AI agents a separate email and view-only access
- 🎯 Stay curious and follow two or three trusted voices
❓ FAQs About Adam Chronister
Who is Adam Chronister?
Adam Chronister is the Founder & CEO of Enleaf, a US digital agency, with more than 15 years of SEO experience.
How much traffic do LLMs send to websites?
According to Adam, LLM traffic is still less than 1% on average for his clients, and ChatGPT sends less traffic than DuckDuckGo.
Do press releases help with AI SEO?
Yes, as a tool for consensus. Adam focuses on quantity: even low-quality releases that get a Google News mention and link to a listicle help LLMs see the same message repeated.
How does Adam keep AI agents secure?
He gives the agent a separate email with view-only access, isolates payment methods, and never installs it on a primary machine.
🎙️ More Inside A Hustler’s Brain Interviews You’ll Love
- Liam Quirk on NEW Rules of ChatGPT SEO 💰 Why SEO Is Bigger Than Google Now
- How To Grow A 7-Figure SEO Agency That Runs Itself by Rafid Nassir 🚀
- Navneet Kaushal: Building a Million-Dollar SEO Agency and Life Lessons 🧐
- He LOST His SEO Empire.. Then Built It Back With AI 💪 ft. Kripesh Adwani
If you run an SEO agency or freelance, share this with someone figuring out AI search. 💬
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Jitendra Vaswani is a well-known expert in SEO and AI-driven digital marketing. He has spoken at international events and founded Digiexe, a digital marketing agency, and AffiliateBooster, WordPress plugin designed specifically for affiliate marketers. With over 10 years of experience, Jitendra has helped many businesses succeed online. His bestselling book, Inside A Hustler’s Brain: In Pursuit of Financial Freedom, with over 20,000 copies sold globally, underscores his influence and commitment to empowering digital marketers.