Ask generic questions, get generic answers.
This is the problem with "SEO advice" or any output using AI.
The reason why it's a problem is because SEO (and a lot of digital marketing in general) is won on the margins. Everyone knows what to do, it's the small differences in strategy and execution that result in one brand being ranked number 2 and another being ranked number 22.
What if you could take the SEO advice of the industry’s best thought leaders?
I stumbled onto this while playing around with Custom GPTs, trying to make ChatGPT actually useful for something beyond surface-level advice. The breakthrough came when I realized I could feed it the perspectives of people like Wil Reynolds and Rand Fishkin - folks who are actively wrestling with how AI is reshaping SEO and the whole "zero-click" nightmare we're all facing.
Instead of letting ChatGPT spew out the same "optimize your meta descriptions" advice that everyone’s getting, I started downloading key pieces from their blogs and presentations as Markdown files and feeding them into my Custom GPT.
Suddenly, I wasn't just getting advice - I was getting their frameworks, their ways of thinking about problems, their specific approaches to standing out in the sea of sameness.
Here’s a Simple Demonstration of Why it Matters
I asked generic ChatGPT and my CustomGPT the same question. Check out their prompt.
BEFORE (Generic ChatGPT):
“50% growth in a year? Yikes, this is going to be a toughie, you better do every general SEO tactic possible.”
AFTER (CustomGPT):
“50% growth in a year? Are you sure that it’s going to be meaningful? Are you accounting for organic search declines?”
Why It’s Valuable
You would NEVER trust a consultant who doesn’t push back and challenge you to think through things in a better way.
Why would we trust generic ChatGPT to give you the best answer without asking any questions?
Exactly.
You can build Custom GPTs to be your personal board of virtual mentors
Each one ready to challenge your thinking 24/7.
Start by following your chosen mentors on LinkedIn and RSS feeds, carefully curating their evolving perspectives on everything from content strategy to market positioning.
Every month, you're feeding your virtual Ann Handley fresh insights about voice and storytelling, while your virtual Seth Godin gets updated with his latest thoughts on standing out in a crowded market
These aren't static knowledge bases - they're dynamic thought partners that evolve as your real-world mentors refine their thinking and adapt to new challenges. Unlike trying to get time on their calendars (or afford their consulting rates), these virtual mentors are always available for a brainstorming session or reality check.
How To Set Up Your Custom GPT in 5 Minutes
The best part? Setting this up is ridiculously simple, and you can start today with tools you probably already use.
Custom GPTs take about 5 minutes to create - just paste in the content and set a few basic instructions for how you want it to think.
Here’s an example using Wil’s content from the Seer blog:
Step 1:
Download your favorite blogs or resources as markdown, PDF, or whatever.
Step 2:
Create a CustomGPT and add your downloaded files to the Knowledge section.
Step 3:
Add the prompt: My favorite thing to do is to instruct the CustomGPT to use the uploaded files as a “framework” so it references the viewpoints I want it to have but can still be creative.
Below is what I used for my “SEO Goal Reality Check” CustomGPT:
See how simple it is?
I find that the simpler the instructions, the better it is. Very focused and to the point has been consistently a winning prompt strategy for me.
Ideas On Automating The Process
Zapier can automatically push LinkedIn posts to a Google Sheet, and about three clicks will get you an RSS feed doing the same thing for blog posts.
Once a month, copy that fresh knowledge from your sheet into your Custom GPT, and you're done.
No coding, no complex automation, no begging for API access - just a straightforward way to build your personal board of virtual mentors.
Start with one thought leader who consistently makes you think differently, grab their last few months of content, and see how it changes your approach to problem-solving. Trust me, it's worth the 15-minute setup time.
Even better, a tool like Reader will let you pick and choose what you loved from those folks, none of us agree with these thought leaders all the time, sometimes it is just that one or two posts that really gets you thinking…its as easy as “print > save as PDF” then add that specific piece to your advisory board.
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