Shift Happens

Local Search in the Age of AI: Smarter Strategies for Brick-and-Mortar Brands

Is AI changing local search as dramatically as everyone claims — or are the fundamentals still what matter most?In this episode of Shift Happens, DAC’s SVP of Client Strategy, Nasser Sahlool, sits down with Kyle Harris, Director of Local Optimization, to break down how AI is reshaping local discovery — and what’s actually driving results for brick-and-mortar brands.

Smarter Search Marketing: Insights from Google’s AI Max and the New SEO Reality

Is AI actually making your media more efficient — or just driving more empty traffic? In this episode of Shift Happens, DAC’s SVP of Client Strategy, Nasser Sahlool, joins Jenna Watson, SVP of Media, to unpack what AI Max really delivers, where it falls short, and how to balance automation with human strategy. They also explore the emerging keyword less future of SEO — and why AI-driven search requires a complete rethink of how brands measure visibility and discoverability.

Search-First Storytelling: Strategies to Get Your Content Found

Is your content getting harder to find — even as you create more of it? In this episode of Shift Happens, DAC’s SVP of Client Strategy, Nasser Sahlool, joins Orli Milstein, Director of Content Strategy, to explore how AI is reshaping discovery and why traditional SEO tactics no longer cut it. They unpack what it means to structure content for both humans and machines — and how brands can build clarity, authority, and true findability in an AI-driven search world.

From Vanity Metrics to Value: Analytics that Actually Drive Sales

Are your dashboards full of data that looks great but doesn’t actually drive business? In this episode of Shift Happens, DAC’s SVP of Client Strategy, Nasser Sahlool, sits down with Dan Temby, SVP of Technology & Analytics, to unpack why marketers chase vanity metrics, and what to measure instead. 0:00: Intro0:50: How do we know which metrics on our dashboard drive sales, and aren’t just vanity metrics?3:25: If clicks don’t equal customers, what should marketers measure instead?6:18: How do we help clients move from dashboards to decisions?8:50: How is the analytics space evolving, and what should marketers prepare for?10:42: How did you apply semantic descriptions with AI to build DAC’s operating system IRIS?12:55: AI amplifies strategy, but only if the data is speaking the same language13:40: Vanity metrics may make dashboards look busy, but value metrics prove impact

Welcome to Shift Happens!

Welcome to Shift Happens: The art, science, (and chaos) of modern marketing . Each episode unpacks the forces reshaping marketing—from AI and data to privacy, creative, and performance—and asks experts how they transform disruption into an advantage.