From Organic to AI: Navigating the Video Marketing Landscape | Phil Nottingham

Jun 2, 2025

30

min read

Welcome back to The Search Session. I’m your host, Gianluca Fiorelli, and today I will talk with someone who “knows a lot about marketing and video,” as he describes himself: Phil Nottingham.

In this episode, we unpack the growing role of video in digital marketing—from organic distribution strategies to the impact of AI on content creation. 

Phil shares why creators often lead the way on platforms like YouTube, how brands can adopt a creator mindset, and the strategic use of both long and short-form video. 

We also explore how AI tools like Gemini are reshaping video discovery and why authenticity remains key in building a strong video presence.

You won’t want to miss this one—let’s dive in!

Phil Nottingham

Founder of Organic Video. Strategist. Producer. Speaker.

Phil Nottingham is a London-based video strategist, speaker, and founder of Organic Video—an agency focused on organic video strategy, YouTube optimization, and video SEO.

With a background in theatre and past roles at Distilled and Wistia, Phil blends creative storytelling with strategic marketing expertise. He’s worked with major brands like Coca-Cola, The Financial Times, and Red Bull, and is known for helping businesses grow through authentic, data-driven video content.

Phil Nottingham

Founder of Organic Video. Strategist. Producer. Speaker.

Phil Nottingham is a London-based video strategist, speaker, and founder of Organic Video—an agency focused on organic video strategy, YouTube optimization, and video SEO.

With a background in theatre and past roles at Distilled and Wistia, Phil blends creative storytelling with strategic marketing expertise. He’s worked with major brands like Coca-Cola, The Financial Times, and Red Bull, and is known for helping businesses grow through authentic, data-driven video content.

Phil Nottingham

Founder of Organic Video. Strategist. Producer. Speaker.

Phil Nottingham is a London-based video strategist, speaker, and founder of Organic Video—an agency focused on organic video strategy, YouTube optimization, and video SEO.

With a background in theatre and past roles at Distilled and Wistia, Phil blends creative storytelling with strategic marketing expertise. He’s worked with major brands like Coca-Cola, The Financial Times, and Red Bull, and is known for helping businesses grow through authentic, data-driven video content.

Transcript

Gianluca Fiorelli: Hi, welcome back to The Search Session. 

Today, we’re going to talk about video. And who could be better than today’s guest to talk about it?

We’ve been seeing the expansion of video in search for a few years now, and today we’ll explore what video really means—not just for creativity and communication, but also for delivering information, and so on. And how much is it used.

We’ll also look at where video is going with all the AI frenzy, and not only in terms of AI video generation, but also in how we can use AI to analyze and improve video marketing strategies.

Meet Our Guest: Phil Nottingham

Gianluca Fiorelli: Our guest today was Senior Consultant and Video Strategist at Distilled—one of the many Distilled alumni now populating the SEO world and continuing to illuminate our knowledge in the industry.

He worked for about five years with Wistia before going solo as a consultant. And very recently, he has launched and founded a new agency called Organic Video.

The guest is Phil Nottingham. Hi Phil, how are you doing?

Phil Nottingham: Nice to see you, Gianluca! How are you doing?

Gianluca Fiorelli: I'm fine, I'm fine.

Let’s talk about this new venture, because—usually—we're used to seeing a lot of movement and creativity when it comes to launching new entities in the search marketing space or, more broadly, the digital marketing space.

So, what pushed you to create Organic Video? (and by the way, compliments on the perfect name!)

Phil Nottingham: Thank you!

Yeah, I mean—I guess the name is really trying to indicate the niche we’re focusing on.

There are obviously a lot of agencies out there that do production, and plenty that do paid distribution, but I didn’t really see many—if any—agencies doing organic distribution for video in a way that I thought was accurate or valuable. So I thought, “Well, there’s a gap in the market that fits the knowledge I have.”

A lot of the work I was already doing with clients was kind of naturally fitting into this niche—really focusing on getting strategy sorted, particularly around YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, and all the other platforms that have come together.

The question became: “How do you really navigate all of that, in one sort of fell swoop, with the content you’re creating?”

So yeah, we launched this agency to solve that problem.

I’ve actually been doing this kind of work for a few years now, but I’m now adding more people to the mix to expand what we’re doing.

I think we’ve got a pretty good handle on the right things to do—so now it’s just a case of scaling it up. We’re offering strategy, a lot of data and analysis to show what is and isn’t likely to work for different organizations across YouTube and other platforms, and production, particularly high-level product videos and more substantial cornerstone B2B content pieces.

We’re also helping businesses scale their own video operations—whether they have an in-house team or they’re looking to expand by working with different agencies. We help them get everything into place.

So yeah—that’s what we’re doing, and it’s been really fun to get started so far.

Gianluca Fiorelli: Cool, cool, cool. I think this kind of agency was something that was missing. Because, as I mentioned in my introduction, it would be foolish not to recognize the importance of video in marketing.

Even without thinking about Google Search or search in general, we all know it—just by looking at ourselves. We consume a lot of YouTube videos. We consume a lot of Instagram Reels. We consume a lot of TikTok videos, and so on.

Why Brands Struggle with YouTube Compared to Creators

Gianluca Fiorelli: So video is definitely—it may not yet be the main form of content, but it’s very close to being the most consumed type of content today. It would be silly not to start taking it seriously and begin working with it strategically. And that brings me to a question I always ask myself—but I think you can answer it much better than I can.

YouTube, because you often refer to it in your work—and it’s a good example here—is really at the heart of the creator economy, and honestly, the people doing the most interesting, innovative, and exciting work on the platform tend to be creators, not classic brands. Why is that? Is it because brands are big, bureaucratic companies that can’t create quickly or think creatively? Or is there something else at play?

Phil Nottingham: I think it’s a very good question. I think there are a few reasons for this. One is kind of a mindset shift that, I think, has historically dogged brands—something that feeds from the advertising and TV world, where video is seen as a kind of brand-focused external push. You’ve got a message, and the goal is to get it in front of as many people as possible. But that approach doesn’t really work in an organic marketing world—like YouTube—where what you really need to do is think about building an audience and communicating with that audience. And that requires a different approach— that of thinking of yourself like a creator.

YouTube, of course, has been built around a model where individuals create a lot of content and then monetize it. But that doesn’t mean brands can’t play in that space—and play really well. The difference is that brands have a slightly different way of monetizing—which is by driving traffic to a website, selling products, or achieving revenue in a different way. 

But beyond that, you can still think of yourself as a creator who needs to build an audience, create a YouTube-specific brand that may be distinct from your core brand, and have a clear value proposition. That often involves having a host—someone internal who acts as an internal influencer. It’s that shift—treating your video efforts like a creator-led initiative—where brands start to find success.

Another reason why this space has been driven more by creators is that creators give themselves much more time to experiment. Brands often have budget, yes—but they expect a money-in, money-out situation. They’re not usually able to say, “We’re going to invest in this process for a few years and see where it gets us.” That’s especially difficult in companies where CMOs don’t have that luxury, and therefore they will expect to see a return much faster than you often get with things like YouTube. 

Meanwhile, creators—because of the nature of what they’re building—can say, “I know when I’ll hit revenue on this, and I’m going to invest toward that process.”

So yes, there are a few variables. But I also think it’s shifting. More and more brands are now doing exciting things that are generating real interest. And the line between brand and creator is kind of merging. It’s just taken a bit longer than I expected to get there. 

The Warhammer Example: Building Community and Brand Through Content

Gianluca Fiorelli: Yeah, yeah—I was thinking about this because, as this cute chibi figure shows, I’m passionate about mini painting, so I mostly consume YouTube for that kind of content. So I’m watching creators explain how to paint something, and so on—et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

And when you were saying that some companies have started to understand this approach to video marketing, I couldn’t help but think of Warhammer, for example. For Warhammer, the YouTube channel has become their most important communication channel with the fans. 

And it’s really well done. They present educational content—like how to paint a space marine—but they also use it to launch teasers for new products, new video, and new books, in a very organic way.

And when you mentioned the idea of creating an internal brand influencer for the channel, they do that really well—especially with their painters. And that works because people go to YouTube primarily to watch painting tutorials— not necessarily to learn how to play the game.

They use the painters constantly as the faces of the channel. Even some of the older painters from Warhammer went on to create their own YouTube channels—they went solo.

So I think that’s actually a great example for brands—especially in the consumer B2C niche. Even though people often overlook B2B, I think interesting things could be done there too, despite the perception that B2B content is too boring for video. In fact, I’d say it’s the opposite. Video is an easy and powerful way to communicate your value—especially in B2B.

Shorts vs. Long-Form: Finding the Right Format Mix

Gianluca Fiorelli: And now, we’re seeing this explosion of shorts—short-form video content. We see it reflected in Google Search, both in Universal Search results and in its own dedicated vertical search. That’s clearly a result of mobile usage and platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and others that popularized this format.

So, what would you suggest? Would it make sense to use a mix of longer videos and short videos, to potentially target different types of audiences—either with the same message or a slightly different message?

Phil Nottingham: Yes, I mean, I think one of the key ways that shorts and longer-form videos should interact is that shorts are a great avenue for clips and trailers that lead into your longer videos. So, oftentimes, you’ll use shorts as a way of getting people to watch the longer content—especially as they’re scrolling through the Shorts feed.

Generally, I’d recommend that most businesses or organizations invest in longer-form content as part of their editing and distribution plan, also to cut the 9:16 portrait versions of those videos. These can be clipped and repurposed to promote the long-form videos.

So that’s often a key method of integrating shorts and long-form—it’s not just different content, it’s a different way of distributing the same video.

Of course, there’s also a case for creating content specifically for shorts. TikTok, for example, is kind of a shorts-first platform, so anything you’re creating for TikTok can usually be repurposed for YouTube Shorts.

Then you can start thinking strategically about what kinds of videos work well in that format. They’re often quite visual, and most of them are watched silently, at least at first—before someone clicks to hear the audio.

So the content needs to work from that perspective. That could mean overlay text, a clear visual rhythm, or lots of quick cuts—it’s a different style of communication, and it can require its own creative. But it can also still be integrated with your longer-form creative to drive traffic or awareness.

So I think shorts and long-form videos work best when they’re seen as two distribution channels within the same strategy. That said, you’ll also want to think about what you can create that’s uniquely suited for shorts, and then maybe there’s a longer version of that same idea that also fits into a long-form format.

I think the idea of format, and of tying ideas to format, is now a really critical part of video planning and strategy.

As video content becomes more prominent in both dedicated video search and Universal Search results, keeping track of how your videos are performing across platforms is more important than ever. 

Advanced Web Ranking helps you easily monitor your video rankings on YouTube, Google’s video vertical, and within Google’s blended search results.

Curious how your content is doing? Try AWR for free and get a clearer view of your video visibility.

As video content becomes more prominent in both dedicated video search and Universal Search results, keeping track of how your videos are performing across platforms is more important than ever. 

Advanced Web Ranking helps you easily monitor your video rankings on YouTube, Google’s video vertical, and within Google’s blended search results.

Curious how your content is doing? Try AWR for free and get a clearer view of your video visibility.

As video content becomes more prominent in both dedicated video search and Universal Search results, keeping track of how your videos are performing across platforms is more important than ever. 

Advanced Web Ranking helps you easily monitor your video rankings on YouTube, Google’s video vertical, and within Google’s blended search results.

Curious how your content is doing? Try AWR for free and get a clearer view of your video visibility.

Using Data to Shape Strategy: Moving Beyond Keywords

Gianluca Fiorelli: In the talk you gave just a few weeks ago in New York for SEO week, you really emphasized the importance of using data to build your strategy—not just relying on gut feeling or intuition.

And you said something that really resonated with me. It’s actually something I tend to say myself, but in the context of classic search, not YouTube search. You pointed out that while we’re all used to using tools for keyword research, in the case of YouTube, the data isn’t great.

You suggested using a different metric—the visualization metric, which is the number of visualizations—and building from there a series of formulas we can use to create a comprehensive dashboard as the foundation for strategy. And I think that’s a great idea, because at the end of the day, numbers can often be what wins over a client—or helps you sell your strategy to your boss, if you're working in-house.

Now, in your talk, you focused especially on competitive analysis, which I really liked. But when it comes to competitor analysis, isn’t there a risk of falling into just mimicking what other creators, YouTube channels, or brands are doing?

So, what would you suggest to avoid that? How do you use competitor analysis without falling into imitation—while still finding your own voice, your own way of expressing things and adding something new to these topics?

Phil Nottingham: Yeah, exactly. I think one of the great things about doing competitive analysis is not just that you can see what’s worked historically, but that you can also get a sense of where the gaps are.

If you are able, come back to one of your earlier points about data—I think all the tools that offer keyword data... that’s not really what it is. It’s just a made-up number in most cases. So I don’t use YouTube keyword volume as a meaningful metric.

I think a better metric to focus on is something called Monthly Median View Velocity. This basically tells you: if you get a video ranking in the top 500 for a given query, how many views are you likely to get per month? That’s a super concrete number, and it gives you enough data to go to your client, your boss—whoever—and say, “This is why we want to invest in this. This is how many views we expect to get.”

Competitor Analysis Without Imitation

Phil Nottingham: What you can also do with that is look at all the different videos for a given query or topic and ask “What’s been the style that’s worked here?” If you see a high level of consistency in the style, that probably tells you it’s aligned with what the audience wants—so you might not want to deviate too far from that.

Let’s say you’re researching a topic and all the successful videos feature big sweeping landscape shots and closeups of animals. Well, that’s probably the visual language you need to be working within for that audience. You can't then go and create a talking head video, for example. 

So, I think there’s a part of this that’s about understanding what’s worked—in order to get a sense of what’s likely to work for you. But also, by looking through what has worked, you might identify opportunities. You might say, “Actually, I’ve got a better idea for this kind of video—one that I think would better serve the interests of the market than what’s already out there.”

So, competitive analysis can also act as a springboard—a way to think a bit differently and come up with something that’s more compelling or more creative. I think data shouldn’t restrict you, it should just educate you. It should allow you have a more informed view of what is and isn’t likely to work. And if you look at the data and say “You know what? I know what the numbers say, but I still believe my idea is better…” Then that’s great!

At least you’re making that decision from a place of knowledge—and you can make that bet with a level of confidence you might not have had otherwise. So, I think good, intelligent data helps us make better decisions—but we shouldn’t let it stifle creativity.

Gianluca Fiorelli: Indeed, indeed. But I think data can be especially useful when it comes to—drawing on my years in television—creating what we might call a pilot for your video production. It gives you the chance to test that pilot, see how it performs, and then—based on real-world data—you can fine-tune, adjust, or even delay the project if it’s clearly not working.

TV Comes to YouTube: Shifting Viewer Habits and Production Implications

Gianluca Fiorelli: Now, I have another question related to YouTube. Something I found really interesting—again, probably influenced by my background in television—is the shift in how people are watching YouTube.

One of the devices showing spectacular growth in YouTube video consumption is the TV set. More and more people are watching YouTube on a television screen. Of course, people are still watching on mobile devices and computers—but this growing shift toward TV viewing really stood out to me.

So my question is: what kind of differences or opportunities does this present? And what kind of creative or strategic ideas does that suggest to you—in terms of how we can best take advantage of this kind of device?

Phil Nottingham: I think the truth is—it’s reflective of where things have been heading for a while. YouTube, in a sense—particularly for the younger generation—is just TV.

My niece and nephew, for example, will sit there and just watch YouTube videos on the TV, and they don’t see any real conceptual difference between something produced by someone at home and something produced by a studio for millions of dollars. 

That distinction just doesn’t exist for them. I think it’s really us—those of us who are a bit older—who are the ones having to adapt to how younger generations perceive and consume video.

And I often think, like with YouTube—and this has been true for a while—it’s actually helpful to think in terms of TV formats. So, if you’re creating something for your channel, and trying to define what you’re building, a 30-minute episode is a great format to consider. A feature-length video, around an hour or hour and a half, feels more like a movie, a short video could be seen like a snack-sized bit of content or an ad. These are all formats that originated in the world of TV, and now they’ve been reinvented and reconstituted on YouTube in slightly different forms. 

I think we’re heading back toward a world where those classic TV formats are starting to become the basis for how people create content on YouTube.

You can look to what’s historically worked for talent shows, game shows, documentaries—
all of that is exactly the kind of content you can now make on YouTube. So it’s really about thinking from a TV production mindset, often, to work out the formats you’re going to use.

I think what we’re seeing now is a real convergence between TV and YouTube—
and it’s happening in a really exciting way. It means that we, as video creators, can draw inspiration from the long history of television—what’s worked there—and combine that with everything we’ve learned from the more recent history of social video and YouTube. Those two perspectives together can really inform your strategy, especially now that they’re becoming so closely integrated.

Gianluca Fiorelli: Yeah, yeah, yeah—totally. In fact, I was thinking more in terms of the production quality, especially now that TV sets come with features that are almost standard—like Dolby Atmos, for example.

That’s something you don’t really get on devices like PCs or mobile phones, especially when it comes to audio, which is often the weakest part of the experience on those smaller devices.

So I think these kinds of creative production elements—especially when you’re making emotional or artistic videos—can really help create the feeling that you’re watching traditional TV, even if the language is completely different.

But then there are so many styles that many creators are using. And thankfully—at least for my personal taste—those super fast-cut editing styles that were everywhere just a year ago in short-form video seem to be fading out. That trend was driving me a bit crazy, to be honest.

AI’s Potential as a Visual Creative Tool

Gianluca Fiorelli: But speaking of formats—what’s your honest opinion on AI video generation? Obviously, we can see that the quality still isn’t the same as having computer graphics special effect equipment at your disposal— but the quality is improving very quickly.

So what’s your take on it? And what kinds of things would you actually use it for?

Phil Nottingham: Yeah, great question. I’m really excited about AI video generation, because I think it’s adding a new palette—a new kind of language, if you like—a whole new series of creative tools to the video creator’s arsenal.

In many ways, I think this revolution is the same as the invention of the camera or the arrival of computer-generated imagery (CGI). It’s that level of change.

If you think back to when CGI first came in, people were saying things like, "We’ll never need traditional shots again.", "We won’t need actual cameras—we’ll do it all with computers." Of course, that hasn’t quite happened.

But what did happen is that CGI became a language—it was integrated into the wider film and video landscape. Now, tools like After Effects are consumer-level—anyone can use them. CGI and animation have simply become part of how we make and understand video.

And I think the same thing will happen with AI. There are a few cool things I really like about AI video. 

First, it makes high-budget-style shots much more accessible to anyone. All you need is a good imagination and the ability to use the tools effectively. Things that used to be impossible or far too expensive are now completely achievable. 

And it also enables you to think super creatively about what it means to have a camera in a space. With most other types of shots—especially heavily creative ones—you’d still need to work through the physical logistics of the camera. But with AI, you just don’t need to worry about that, so you can really think outside the box in terms of what a shot might look like, what different animated graphics could be, what a character might look like.

You can think in incredibly richly textured and quite surreal ways about what the visual language of your film might be. There’s a lot of deep visual creativity there that I think is going to be very exciting.

To answer your question more directly, I think where AI video is really going to fit is in that hyper-creative space. What we’re seeing play out right now is things like music videos, certain ads that are quite abstract and highly conceptual. There will probably be some movies that are entirely AI-generated—extensions of CGI or animated films. So I think it’s in that kind of very creative visual storytelling and filmmaking where AI is going to stay.

What I don’t think AI video generation will do is replace the need for cameras. The majority of stuff on YouTube is still someone speaking directly to a camera, and I don’t think AI is ever going to replace that. The authenticity of having a real human on camera is what gives that content its value. It’s what makes this video we’re making right now valuable—it wouldn’t work if it were generated by AI.

Anything that depends on authenticity and accurately showing real people or real things will remain firmly in the realm of the camera. That’s still going to make up the majority of video content being produced.

But for highly creative visual storytelling, AI offers an incredibly rich tapestry. I think it will replace some CGI work, some animated video work, and it’s also going to transform how we approach editing. There’s a whole new world of creative opportunity coming from that.

And I think it will feel very familiar to anyone who’s worked in video games or similar fields—because so much of it is about world-building. The process of creating AI-generated video has a lot in common with how video game environments are imagined and constructed. You need to be decisive, have a clear vision of the world, its metaphysics, and visual language, and communicate that vision effectively. That’s exactly what we’re going to see more of with AI. And it’s going to be exciting to watch that evolve.

AI Video Influencers: Gimmick or Future Trend?

Gianluca Fiorelli: And what about the somewhat creepy trend—especially in regions like the Far East, I’m thinking of China, but also Japan—of AI video influencers? Is that something that could stick around? Or is it something that will fade? Or maybe something that could be useful to include sometimes?

Phil Nottingham: Yeah, it might stick around. It’s not an area I know well enough to really comment on in depth, I think. But certainly, I can’t see any reason why that wouldn’t be a thing.

It’s not something that appeals to me personally, but maybe there is a world where that plays out—where you have these characters with their own identities, avatars, and so on. And all of that will likely have its own life, I’m sure, outside the world of humans creating content.

So yeah, I’m sure we’ll see all kinds of little AI influencers and bots, and people forming fandoms around different AIs and things like that. It’s going to be a mad world to see how that all plays out.

Also Watch

If you're intrigued by the rise of AI influencers and how they impact authenticity and trust, check out our conversation with Cindy Krum, Founder & CEO of MobileMoxie, in another episode of Search Sessions. She shares fascinating insights on the future of AI-driven content and what it means for real human connection.

Also Watch

If you're intrigued by the rise of AI influencers and how they impact authenticity and trust, check out our conversation with Cindy Krum, Founder & CEO of MobileMoxie, in another episode of Search Sessions. She shares fascinating insights on the future of AI-driven content and what it means for real human connection.

Also Watch

If you're intrigued by the rise of AI influencers and how they impact authenticity and trust, check out our conversation with Cindy Krum, Founder & CEO of MobileMoxie, in another episode of Search Sessions. She shares fascinating insights on the future of AI-driven content and what it means for real human connection.

Gemini and AI Discovery: What’s Next for YouTube?

Gianluca Fiorelli: Still staying on the topic of AI—but returning to YouTube—we know that Google is pushing Gemini into every application it has. Therefore it's also showing up on YouTube and, of course, in Google Search. That means our YouTube videos may now appear in AI Overviews or within classic search results.

Specifically regarding YouTube, what do you think the impact of Gemini 2.5 could be? Just a few days ago, Google published a blog post highlighting better video comprehension thanks to Gemini 2.5 Flash.

What do you think AI’s impact on YouTube will be, especially in terms of how Google might try to reshape the format of YouTube itself?

Phil Nottingham: I think there are a few interesting hypotheses about where this could go. The obvious one—the guaranteed one—is that it’s going to make video discovery much, much easier.

So if you type in a specific query about what you want—what kind of visuals you’re looking for, what type of explanation you need—Gemini will be able to find that kind of video far more effectively than before. And I’m sure that capability will roll out to YouTube as well.

So the nature of search and discovery on the platform will become much more advanced, and that might change how we use YouTube—what kind of queries we bring to it, what kind of content we end up discovering, and how we think about distribution on the platform.

The other direction, of course, is that Google could eventually start generating video on the fly to match user demand. So, say you’re looking for a how-to video on installing a sink—like a plumbing tips video. Right now, there are tons of those out there, all offering similar advice. What Google might do is create a composite version of that content—basically a generic “best of” video, generated instantly to meet your query.

Gianluca Fiorelli: So yeah, it’s sort of like an AI-generated playlist.

Phil Nottingham: Yeah.

Gianluca Fiorelli: It’s something that, for instance, Apple Music is already doing, and Spotify too—suggesting types of music you might like.

Phil Nottingham: Or even literally just pressing play and it invents stuff on the fly—you’re listening to music that matches your taste, and you’re the first person ever to hear it. That could definitely happen.

I actually really enjoy creating AI-generated songs and sharing those, so I can absolutely see that world taking shape.

The one caveat I’d add, though, is that for certain kinds of content, there’s still real value in something that’s been authentically made by a person with a camera. I don’t think Google will find that anything they generate is better than what’s already out there in that space. So I don’t think they’ll go too far down that road.

Instead, I think they’ll still want to surface human-made content—but maybe start pulling out information, clips, and little sections to create composite videos. Summaries made up of snippets from lots of videos—I can definitely see that happening. Little segments, bite-sized highlights, that kind of thing.

So yeah, there are a lot of directions this could go. But it’s all very exciting, and we’re right at the cutting edge of what’s coming next.

The Power of Personal Branding in the AI Era

Gianluca Fiorelli: And let’s imagine this could actually become a reality in the near future. Of course, we also have to consider the cost for Google of generating all these kinds of videos at scale.

But this brings me back to something we said earlier—let’s say Google starts pulling out specific sequences from your video. That makes having your own voice—your own clearly recognizable voice—even more important. Especially if it can be tied to a person who is also recognizable as the face of your brand.

That could become an even stronger branding signal than what we currently see in classic AI Overviews or AI-generated answers. So maybe this is something we should really recommend: be unique, have your own voice, and be visible—either yourself or through a spokesperson—someone who is clearly identifiable and associated with your brand.

Phil Nottingham: Absolutely, yeah. I think you’ve got to have that authenticity to make it all work. And if you’re trying to succeed without that level of honesty and directness, then I think you’ll struggle. So yes, I believe the brand voice has to come from people who are genuinely involved in the brand and who care about it. And that probably doesn’t mean AI—it means real people.

The Fireside Questionnaire

Gianluca Fiorelli: Yeah. Oh, well... I know you have to go, and I don’t want to keep you too long, but I’d really love to end this conversation—which I’ve really enjoyed—by asking you a few quick questions. Simple ones, just to get to know Phil Nottingham outside of editing and imagining videos.

So, let’s see... If I remember correctly, before entering the video world, you spent quite a few years doing theatre, right?

Phil Nottingham: That’s right.

Gianluca Fiorelli: So here’s the question: what is it about performing arts—like theatre—that you still love? What’s the thing that continues to make you love theatre?

Phil Nottingham: Oh, yeah—I mean, theatre is my great passion. There’s just something about being in the room, in that shared space, where it’s a temporal experience—everyone comes together, and that environmental aspect of it... it just can’t be beat.

When the atmosphere is alive—tingling with the speech, the noise, the acoustics, and everything that’s happening in the room during a great piece of theatre—it’s the most electric place to be.

I love theatre as a medium, especially for its creativity and for the restrictions that a stage imposes. Those limitations actually allow for much more fluid and interesting creative storytelling. And I think theatre is the most integrated and spectacular of all the art forms. So I’m definitely a big theatre person.

Gianluca Fiorelli: And if you were a movie director—what kind of director would you like to be, or resemble?

Phil Nottingham: A movie director I’d like to be? Spielberg is great. Let’s go with him. Jurassic Park is a masterpiece—I would’ve loved to have directed that.

Gianluca Fiorelli: And what’s your favorite genre of movie?

Phil Nottingham: Favorite genre…I like really deep, conceptual stuff that deals with big issues. Anything with great character drama. I’m into literature and, philosophically, I like late Romanticism—especially French Romanticism. So anything with big characters and big themes—that’s me.

Gianluca Fiorelli: And what does Phil Nottingham like to do to simply relax?

Phil Nottingham: Simply relax? Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of exercise. I was very unfit for a long time and had some health issues, so now I spend a lot of time working on my fitness. I like going to the gym and go running. I also have a dog—actually, he’s right over there—so I spend a lot of time walking him and just hanging out.

I also like going to the pub and having a nice time with friends. So yeah—a bit of healthy and a bit of unhealthy, in combination.

Gianluca Fiorelli: Yes, it’s just a question of balance. "In medio stat virtus," as we say in Latin.

Phil Nottingham: Exactly. Exactly.

Gianluca Fiorelli: Brilliant. Thank you, Phil. It was really a pleasure to share this time with you—and to steal a little bit of your knowledge.

Phil Nottingham: Thank you, Gianluca. I appreciate you.

Gianluca Fiorelli: You’re welcome. 

And dear friends, we’re going to leave you now—but before we go, please take just a moment to ring the bell and subscribe, so you’ll be notified when a new episode of The Search Session with another great guest comes to your screen. Bye-bye!

Podcast Host

Gianluca Fiorelli

With almost 20 years of experience in web marketing, Gianluca Fiorelli is a Strategic and International SEO Consultant who helps businesses improve their visibility and performance on organic search. Gianluca collaborated with clients from various industries and regions, such as Glassdoor, Idealista, Rastreator.com, Outsystems, Chess.com, SIXT Ride, Vegetables by Bayer, Visit California, Gamepix, James Edition and many others.

A very active member of the SEO community, Gianluca daily shares his insights and best practices on SEO, content, Search marketing strategy and the evolution of Search on social media channels such as X, Bluesky and LinkedIn and through the blog on his website: IloveSEO.net.

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