Overview

In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, John Jantsch welcomes Jon Mest, founder of JustReachOut.io and ChatRank.ai, to break down the evolving relationship between AI, public relations, and SEO. Jon shares how AI is shifting the landscape for marketers, agencies, and entrepreneurs, moving effective outreach away from mass automation and toward authentic, human-driven storytelling. The conversation covers why PR is making a comeback, how AI-powered answer engines like ChatGPT and Google Overviews are changing what it means to “rank,” and what practical steps brands should take to get found—and trusted—in a noisy digital world.

Guest Bio

Jon Mest is the founder of JustReachOut.io, a platform empowering entrepreneurs, agencies, and consultants to land media coverage by pitching journalists directly, and ChatRank.ai, a solution for AI-driven SEO visibility. With over a decade of hands-on experience in PR and search, Jon has helped thousands of marketers simplify their outreach and keep SEO rooted in what actually works—enabling brands to tell authentic stories that resonate, earn trust, and drive results.

Key Takeaways

• AI is a powerful tool to guide, not replace, human-driven PR and SEO. The best results come when AI augments authentic outreach, not automates it at scale.
• Traditional PR—authentic storytelling, earned media, micro-influencer outreach—is regaining importance as search engines and answer engines prioritize authority, expertise, and credible citations.
• AI-powered answer engines (like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews) are changing the rules for SEO. Brands now need to be hyper-specific and authoritative on their niche to get surfaced in high-intent results.
• Showing up in AI overviews is the new “number one spot”—but it requires a combination of strong, relevant content and third-party validation through PR and backlinks.
• Personalization and relevance are non-negotiable in modern outreach. Mass, generic pitches are filtered out, while targeted, story-driven pitches cut through the noise.
• The “hook” in your pitch or subject line is crucial. Journalists and influencers need a compelling, unique reason to pay attention—and proprietary data or exclusive stories make you stand out.
• Social proof is still powerful: smaller wins with niche or local publications can build a track record that leads to coverage in larger, national outlets.
• Brands should amplify and repurpose earned media where their audience is—whether it’s podcasts, trade journals, or niche blogs—rather than chasing only big-name coverage.

Great Moments & Timestamps

• 00:00 – John introduces Jon Mest, JustReachOut.io, and ChatRank.ai
• 00:52 – Jon explains how AI can empower, not replace, authentic PR and SEO
• 02:28 – Why PR is making a comeback in an AI-driven SEO world
• 05:20 – The story behind ChatRank.ai and adapting to Google’s AI Overviews
• 07:54 – What it takes for brands to get featured in answer engines and AI overviews
• 10:01 – Why specific, authoritative content wins in both search and answer engines
• 12:02 – The biggest mistakes (and best practices) in pitching journalists today
• 13:46 – Why personalization is crucial—and mass pitching doesn’t work
• 14:56 – The power of a strong “hook” and building ongoing media relationships
• 16:25 – How social proof and stepping-stone coverage help brands earn bigger features
• 18:51 – Why amplifying coverage where your audience lives matters more than chasing broad reach
• 20:17 – Where to find Jon Mest, JustReachOut.io, and ChatRank.ai

Pulled Quotes

“AI is an amazing tool to help guide the human-driven marketing approach. But you, the human, have to go in there and tell your story the right way.”

“Personalization and authenticity win—mass, generic pitches just get filtered out.”

“Showing up in AI overviews is the new number one spot…but you have to be hyper-specific, authoritative, and tell a story your audience cares about.”

Resources & Links