#658 Wes Towers: Search Everywhere Optimisation - Be Found Without Paying for Ads

How can your business get found everywhere your customers are looking—without spending a cent on ads?

In this value-packed episode of Talking with the Experts, Wes Towers, founder of Uplift 360, breaks down his Search Everywhere Optimisation system. He reveals how service-based business owners can dominate visibility across Google, social media, and even AI tools—by aligning their message, content, and presence.

You’ll discover how to make AI-powered marketing feel more human, how to attract the right audience, and how to convert visibility into predictable revenue.

Wes shares his personal story of turning an AI-driven setback into his most profitable year yet, offering honest, practical insights you can implement immediately.

If you’ve ever felt invisible online or tired of pouring money into ads that don’t convert, this conversation will change the way you think about marketing forever.

🔗 CONNECT WITH WES

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/westowers

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Uplift360Aus

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uplift_360/

Website: https://uplift360.com.au

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Transcript

Intro | 00:00
Business insights on talking with the experts. Hosted by Rose Davidson. 

 Rose | 00:10
Hello. Help! How do you get found online without wasting money on ads? My guest today is Wes Towers and Wes is going to be discussing with us how to get found on Google, the AI tools and other platforms that your customers are trusting. Wes is the founder of Uplift360, a digital agency helping service-based businesses get found everywhere their customers are searching. 
 So Google, AI tools and beyond without wasting money on ads. After being told by business value apps that his company wasn't worth much because of AI, Wes flipped the script. Instead, he refocused, integrated AI the right way and humanised his company. Team and his marketing approach. The result? His most profitable year ever. Wes now shares practical, no-fluff strategies that empower business owners to grow their visibility, attract quality leads and convert them into loyal customers while staying true to their values. Liz, thank you so much for joining me today. I am so pleased to meet you. 

 Wes | 01:17
Yeah, likewise, Rose. It's nice to be talking to another Aussie. I've been on a few podcasts of late and it's usually a really early morning or late night. 
 So good to connect with another Aussie as well. So thanks so much. 

 Rose | 01:31
It's my great pleasure. Whereabouts are you? 

 Wes | 01:35
In Geelong, just outside Melbourne. 

 Rose | 01:37
My brother lives in, my son, sorry, lives in Lara, so it's not very Yeah. 

 Wes | 01:41
Far. Yeah, very close. 
 Yeah, nice part of the world, I think. That's cool. 

 Rose | 01:47
So how did you get started and how did Uplift360 come about? 

 Wes | 01:51
Well, yeah, so the full story, I mean, back in the day when I was studying and figuring out what my career path was in high school, websites weren't really a thing. So the career advisor didn't advise me of that because it wasn't a thing yet. It was the 90s. But I got into graphic design slash multimedia at uni in Ballarat and started Love that. Got my first job in marketing in Sydney. 
 So the Olympics year it was in the year 2000. They'd never designed a website. 
 So this is how far things have changed in marketing. Never designed a website. They were an award-winning company there in Sydney for marketing. You've studied multimedia. Better figure out how to build this website because we've already won it and so on. 
 So I had to learn on the fly on that project. They gave me plenty of time to figure it out and build that site. 
 And then I became their website guy. And so eventually. Naively started my own business as well and didn't really know how to run a business was solid and confident in my skill set but to step out into the business world 20 years ago now. 
 So that's how I got to where I've gotten. It's been through lots of iterations and alterations as businesses evolve and adapt. And certainly the last few years, have been pretty exciting and terrifying really with what's happening with AI and tech. 

 Rose | 03:17
Absolutely. Yeah, that's how I started too. I left the corporate world and I was doing temp work a lot of the time and I didn't like it. 
 So I thought I'd go out on my own. I mean, I was really great at admin work. 
 So I thought, yeah, I'll go and do that too. So not knowing much about business, but confident in my skillset. And yeah, that just fell flat in its face. 
 Yeah. 

 Wes | 03:37
Yeah, it's so difficult, isn't it? So there's so much you don't really know when you're starting out in business. I certainly felt I lacked a bit of confidence as well. 
 I mean, I'd done lots of work behind the scenes, but I hadn't had the experience of talking to clients and customers and meeting and presenting and preparing proposals and all the normal stuff you've got to do and just even basic things like you know the bookkeeping and all of that you kind of have to learn. 

 Rose | 04:02
Yeah I could They relate to that. Absolutely. What does Uplift 360 actually offer. 

 Wes | 04:10
Wes? Yeah, so we do websites and we do SEO. 
 So we're calling it search everywhere optimization now, not just search engine optimization, because back in the day, it was realistically it was about showing up as highly as you could in Google. Nearly everyone if they would need a product or service and they didn't know where to go They just jump on Google and search for it. Let's search for the service and the location so for us it might be plumber Melbourne, for example and But now with the large language models, people are having full conversations with maybe their chat GPT or they're searching in a whole new way because they realize the tools and tech understand the full context so they're getting really precise with what they're searching for so instead of plumber melbourne they might be searching for a particular brand of toilet that's having a particular issue it might be leaking how to resolve the issue on the fly or hire someone if they need to do that so that people are learning how to use these tools in whole new ways and it's a matter of Staying on top of it so our clients can stay where the customers are and that's in the AI platforms. 

 Rose | 05:14
Yeah, absolutely. I think AI is one of the greatest inventions ever. I am such a big fan of it. And, you know, I do a lot of my copy with AI. 
 I mean, obviously adding my own spin on it, but it has really helped me a lot and it has helped me to build confidence in how I'm presenting my content. So yeah, absolutely love it. 
 So how can, what are some ways that we can make AI powered marketing feel like it's authentic and that it's coming actually from us? 

 Wes | 05:47
Yeah, and that's a really important thing. And you mentioned it yourself. 
 So you don't just rely on what it's produced, but you customize it to suit your needs. And that really is The important things, because it's so easy to mass produce content at scale, people are doing that, but it's not necessarily helping then because it's not adding anything fresh or unique to the, the information that's already out there. It's just pulling the average of everything else into one piece and there it is. 
 So you really got to bed down precisely what your voice is. So your style, the style guide in which you communicate, if you're going to use these tools to assist in writing. And to think about any unique aspects or points of view that you have that are solely your own personal brand or your business brand. But those points of view and perspectives really do add a unique insight to the conversation. 
 So if there's anything unique and specific that you can communicate, then it has a chance to show up in the large language models because it's something fresh being added. So I think you kind of got to think about it in a couple of ways. 
 So it's information for the human readers who are going to ideally read your content if it's in a blog, for example. But it's training the AI about your business and about what you do and how you help solve problems because people are having conversations to solve their problems and their needs. 
 So it's a really exciting time, but it takes a bit of effort to make your content stand out as opposed to everybody else. Yeah, absolutely. 
 So that's where the challenges are. Yeah. 

 Rose | 07:25
Yeah, I've trained my AI. Like it knows my brain voice and it knows how I speak and it knows You know, it, personal details about me so that they can weave that stuff into the content. 
 So, yeah, it's... It's a remarkable tool. And yeah, and I love the fact that I can even actually give it a name and it responds. 

 Wes | 07:46
Yeah, it's really powerful. And you're using it in the right way. 
 So it and you're doing a whole lot of other things as well. Talking about the search everywhere optimization. 
 So it's not just AI. I mean, people are on their social platforms, and they have been for a while now, but the way in which people find out about businesses, it can be broad and diverse and It feels, it can be overwhelming search everywhere optimization. That's a lot of places. But the goal is to focus most of your attention on the most important platforms for your particular business. 
 So, I mean, if you're B2B, for example, and you deal with lots of businesses, people, then you might be more focused on LinkedIn or if it depends on the target market, it might be more Facebook, you know, meta, those sorts of things. But The way I look at it is if you can create content that can be repurposed and republished on multiple platforms, so you're almost broadcasting the same message out, you're multiplying the effect of the one piece. 
 So in your instance, you're doing an amazing job because you're creating podcasts, which is collaborative. So you've got a guest and the host, and they're sharing that information far and wide to their own network. 
 So all of a sudden you've extended your network But that podcast can be chopped up and reused and purposed into reels and so on through the social platforms into bite sized chunks that are appropriate for the platform and drawing people back into your world. So it's really powerful. 
 That's why I do podcast guesting and I'm sure you get a lot of value out of the podcast. Really effectively is what it is. 
 So that search everywhere optimization just have little systems like that to share your information far and wide. It's really powerful. 

 Rose | 09:26
Yeah, well, I've met like, you know, over 650 people. Through this podcast and I have learned so much and you know when a guest comes on with a topic that I've probably discussed before you know a few times But I can actually speak their language. I can understand what they're saying. And to me, being a host has educated me in ways that I wouldn't have been educated otherwise. 

 Wes | 09:54
Yeah. Yeah, that's really good. I used to do a lot of networking groups. And so I'd try and make one-on-one conversations afterwards to get to know people better, which is powerful and great. And it's kind of what you're achieving. But it's multiplied because not only are you having the conversation with the person and finding out about their industry and what they do and how they go about it, but.. The sharing of the conversation far and wide, it's so good. I think it's the next level of networking, really. It's getting far more value out of it, I think, so. Have you done many networking events and that sort of thing as well? 

 Rose | 10:31
No, I have reasons not to leave the house. So I spend most of my time indoors. 

 Wes | 10:40
Yeah, no, that's cool. Yeah. 
 Well, it's so much easier now, isn't it? So everything changed, obviously. Through the COVID times where just meeting online became the thing and so more productive and efficient as well. Zoom Yeah, absolutely. 

 Rose | 10:57
Was a lifesaver. 

 Wes | 11:01
It's so powerful and so many more things you can do with AI. So you can obviously have it transcribed and then you can reuse it as notes and adjust it into whatever you need to do, proposals or so many things you can do once. All that information that you share over a quick Zoom, it's so much, but the insights can be adapted into further tools and things to help. 

 Rose | 11:25
You. Absolutely. 
 Yeah, I love it. Yeah. How can we turn online visibility into predictable revenue? Now, that's a lot of times what people are asking. How can I, you know... Become more visible. But use that to, get money into our business without relying on ads because ads are really expensive. 

 Wes | 11:49
Yeah, a hundred percent. So, and it's the kind of, They If you do go down the ad path, it can give you a quick injection of new business, but it's expensive. And it's not really a reliable long-term strategy because it costs so much. 
 So it's eating up all your profit margin. It's good to get a few more clients in the door and then hopefully you keep them long-term. 
 So that's where the profit, the lifetime value of the customer kicks in. But there's a couple of ways of going about marketing and thinking about marketing. 
 So The first is brand marketing. So you're building up your reputation and your authority as the leader in the space that you work in. And that's what we really encourage our clients to do. 
 So it's publishing content and building a website that positions them as the expert and authority in the space they work in. But then there's the direct response marketing, which is more like your advertising, which is all about just getting that inquiry and all that booking or the sale done. 
 So there's places for both. We work mostly in the branding marketing side of things because we're It's more long-term and so it's building some solid foundations to your business that will set you up for the long-term future. Whereas ads can just be... And there's necessity sometimes to get things flowing a little more quickly so that's how we do it and so as i said so sharing your message far and wide once you've got a core message it I think it's really important to have Sorry. A compelling offering that's uniquely yours so that the bits of your business that are different to everybody else, they're really the parts that you need to focus on the most because everyone else is talking about your industry broadly so people the marketplace knows what that is but they don't know that those unique aspects of what make you tick and why your about what your values are and what you bring to the table so that sort of humanizes it as well a little bit because it's about that positioning you as the authority, the human aspects, it's not just generic content that you're publishing anymore. It's uniquely yours. 

 Rose | 13:52
Yeah, you know, I agree. And I think, you know, I was suspended on Facebook for apparent cyber security breaches. I really post a link. 
 Yeah. Anyway, so I was suspended for one day, then I was suspended for a week, and then I was suspended for a month. No, sorry, it was two weeks, and then it was for a month. And so during that time, I went to LinkedIn. And I hadn't played in LinkedIn much at all. But I've... Found that my awareness on there is growing so much that, you know, people that I hadn't thought about bringing into my network are now requesting to, you know, connect. And I think, you know, I, It's a great... 
 I mean, LinkedIn to me is a better platform than Facebook in that way for networking and getting more valuable leads for your business. And I think... 
 You know, Ed's They're like a one-minute thing and then they forget about you where if you're building your brand, as you say, people, you know, you're top of mind all the time. 

 Wes | 15:07
Yeah, LinkedIn is really great like that. And it's interesting what's happened here. We won't dig into why. It might've happened, but I mean, some of these platforms, they just kind of try and control their own points of view. They don't like points of view outside of their own worldview, which is disappointing in this day and age where It feels like conversations are silenced where people should just be happy to listen to other people's points of view and be solid on their own convictions. It's a funny world we're living in right now, that polarisation. 

 Rose | 15:42
- Yeah. 

 Wes | 15:43
Yeah. - That we see. 
 So yeah, but LinkedIn is really powerful. And people just say... You've got to think about the user intent as well. 
 So when people are on Facebook, they're often just wasting or killing time because they're bored and they're just on their couch flicking through things and seeing what their friends are up to and so on. But LinkedIn is the intent is more so for business connections. 
 So whilst there might be fewer connections and comments if you post something online. Those connections are more valuable to a business. And even if people aren't commenting on your material, They're still seeing it. 
 So they're still seeing your little photo pop up and when the time's right and if they need it. Someone like you, then you'll be front of mind. 

 So, Yeah.
 Rose | 16:27
Absolutely. Yeah, I've connected with a fellow in England who... Is a, a hip hop. He's just one member of the British Empire. 
 Yeah, and we've connected through a comment I made on someone else's post. Wow. 
 Yeah. And so, and, The lady from the ABC who was recently, who was sacked recently, last year or year before, we're now connected on LinkedIn because, you know, I commented on she won her case and she got her award today, which wasn't a lot, but never mind. We won't go down that track. 
 Yeah. 

 Wes | 17:10
Yeah, well, that's brilliant, isn't it? Particularly with what you're doing with, you know, the show, talking to the experts. 
 So all these people have, you know, tremendous value that they can have conversations on your podcast and so on. And on it goes. 
 Yeah, just the networks. That you can build in the real world and the digital world are really the most valuable thing in this day and age where it feels, I love AI and the tech and all of those tools that help us so much and streamline things. But I love more the human connections and the vulnerability of being human and the relationships and so on. That's kind of just how I'm wired. 
 So yeah, I think if we can get that balance right to remain human in this tech age, That's the most important thing. 

 Rose | 18:01
Yeah, I agree. I think we've got to keep our humanness. Absolutely. Because, you know, that's how we all are. We're not machines and, you know, we all have feelings and we have points of view that we want to put across and, you know, we should be allowed to do that. 
 Yeah. If you want to find out more about Wes Towers, you can find him on LinkedIn. You can find him on Facebook at Uplift360AUS and on Instagram at Uplift360AUS. Underscore 360 and his website is uplift360.com.au. I had a check at your website, absolutely beautiful site, Wes, loved it. Tell me what you can find there. 

 Wes | 18:39
Yeah, so well, the news is quite helpful for people. So there's lots of tips and tricks, particularly with things changing so fast in AI, we're trying to stay on top of that and cover it. Far more frequently than we used to publish. 
 So I'm trying to get something up there every week with, because things are changing so fast, but if people are that way inclined, they can connect with my personal, I think you mentioned my LinkedIn. I know not everyone will connect with strangers, but I do. 
 So if people reach out there, I'm happy to do that. 

 Rose | 19:08
Wonderful. Is there a price range for building a website? Are you happy to disclose that?

 
 Wes | 19:16
It does vary. A fair bit. I suppose the average might be four or $5,000. Aussie dollars. We're in Australia. 
 Yeah, so there can be a whole lot more sometimes, but that's fairly unique when there's specific, you know, customisations and calculators. Yeah, so sometimes things are really, or a community-based thing where people log in and... Do a whole range of different things so yeah it depends on how much it's customized really. 

 Rose | 19:47
Absolutely no and that's a really good starting price point too i think you know that is probably the industry average or even a little bit below because i know some people that are charging you know double that just for a two-page site so. 

 Wes | 20:04
Yeah, it's true. The price, if anyone gets a quote for a website, the prices can be Vastly different really. It's really, it must be so difficult for customers and clients who don't really know to pick someone. We're really lucky. I'm really lucky in that. A lot of work comes through referral. 
 So there's that trust element that's already Yeah. So that's a positive thing. 

 Rose | 20:32
Yeah, I build my own. So, yeah, I mean, I don't code. I just use templates. But, you know, they turn out all right. 
 So now I'm happy with them. 

 Wes | 20:42
Yeah. If it meets your needs, that's perfect. 

 Rose | 20:46
Absolutely. Whereas it has been an absolute pleasure. Listeners and viewers, don't forget to reach out to Wes on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram and his website is uplift360.com.au. Thanks for joining me on Talking With The Experts today. It's been an absolute pleasure. 

 Wes | 21:03
Thanks, Rose. I really loved it. 

 Intro | 21:07
You've been listening to Talking with the Experts with Rose Davidson. The podcast that brings you real stories, bold insights and strategies that work. Be sure to subscribe on YouTube or your favorite podcast channel so you never miss an episode and dive into our full library anytime at talkingwiththeexperts.com. Until next time, keep learning, keep growing and keep talking with the experts.