Marketing & Business Development Mike Langford Marketing & Business Development Mike Langford

Get Recommended by ChatGPT: How One Podcast Appearance Doubled Paul McManus’s Business

Paul McManus of Influential Advisor Media on why the old SEO playbook is dead, how search everywhere optimization gets advisors recommended by Google and ChatGPT, and what one guest appearance on Michael Kitces’ podcast did for his business.

Paul McManus of Influential Advisor Media on why the old SEO playbook is dead, how "search everywhere optimization" gets advisors recommended by Google and ChatGPT, and what one guest appearance on Michael Kitces' podcast did for his business.

An attendee at an exit planners conference in Nashville walked up to Paul McManus and said he had loaded every vendor into ChatGPT before the event to decide which booths to visit. Paul's company was in the top three. For Paul, that moment captured how much the way people find, vet, and choose professionals has changed.

Paul is Founder and CEO of Influential Advisor Media, the company he started about 12 years ago as More Clients More Fun and where he pioneered The Short Book Formula. He returns to The Modern Financial Advisor Podcast to explain why he rebranded, why a short book works as a trust accelerator, why advisors need to win three playing fields instead of one, and how an appearance on Michael Kitces' podcast brought in more than 200 appointments and doubled his business. He closes with how guest appearances and your own show build the "topical density" that trains AI to recommend you.

Connect with Paul McManus on LinkedIn and learn more about Influential Advisor Media

What You'll Learn in This Episode

  • Why Paul rebranded More Clients More Fun as Influential Advisor Media, and why years of cold lead generation convinced him that trust was the missing ingredient

  • How a short book works as a trust accelerator, and why Paul says 80% or more of second conversations close when the prospect reads it first

  • The three playing fields advisors need to win: client referrals, centers of influence, and what Paul calls the infinite referral network

  • What search everywhere optimization means, and why ChatGPT and Google's AI overviews now shape who gets recommended

  • How a CPA went from barely referring clients to asking for 500 copies of an advisor's book to send on his own letterhead

  • How Paul's appearance on Michael Kitces' podcast led to more than 200 appointments in a year

  • Why guest podcasting and hosting your own show build the "topical density" AI uses to decide who to recommend

Why This Matters for Financial Advisors Right Now

Why does cold lead generation convert so poorly for financial advisors?

Because it has no foundation of trust. Paul started his company about 12 years ago helping advisors use LinkedIn to generate leads and appointments, and it worked: prospects booked, showed up, and fit the demographics his clients wanted. But the conversion from appointment to new client was, in his words, "abysmal." His diagnosis is that cold lead generation, whether on LinkedIn or through Facebook ads, skips the trust that advisors are in the business of earning. He jokes that there are three decisions you don't want to get wrong: who you marry, your religion, and your financial advisor. When a client arrives through a referral, trust transfers from the person who made the introduction and conversion is high. A cold prospect doesn't get that head start.

How does a short book help advisors win clients faster?

By accelerating trust before the second meeting. Paul's short books run 12,000 to 25,000 words, about one to two hours of reading. After a first call, he sends the prospect a copy, or the audiobook, and asks them to read it before the next meeting. He says 80% or more of those second conversations close, and the meeting shifts from explaining yourself to "What stood out to you?" Mike adds that "know, like, and trust" leaves out competence and familiarity, and a book lets a prospect see that you're good at what you do and hear your voice before you ever sit down together. Paul is clear that the book isn't about royalties. It pays off when you insert it into things you already do, like referrals, centers of influence, and lead generation, and make each one more effective. About 80% of his clients are advisors and wealth managers, and some write books to educate first-time buyers, such as advisors preparing to sell a firm.

What are the three playing fields advisors need to win?

Client referrals, centers of influence, and search everywhere optimization. Paul says advisors should get good at all three at once and abandon none. Referrals still drive a lot of growth but are hard to scale, easy to improve at the margins, and hard to 10X. Centers of influence are the second field, where advisors often send business to CPAs who don't reciprocate. The third is what Paul calls the infinite referral network, which is where search everywhere optimization comes in. A book helps in all three.

How can a book turn a CPA into a referral source?

By changing the advisor's status from someone chasing centers of influence to someone they want to work with. Paul's example is a client named Joe, who wrote a book called Retirement Success. Joe had a couple of CPA relationships that didn't reciprocate. As part of the launch, Paul had him run what he calls an "inner circle soft launch": invite the CPA to read the book, then hold a feedback call. The CPA went from pulling teeth to asking for 500 copies to send to his own clients on his letterhead. Paul's point is to stop chasing centers of influence and become one, and being an author helps.

What is search everywhere optimization, and why does it matter for advisors?

It is the new version of SEO: showing up wherever people now ask questions, not just on the first page of Google. Paul says the old game was ranking for a keyword. Today the conversation happens in Google's AI overviews, ChatGPT, and other AI tools, and many people never click the links. He credits the phrase "search everywhere optimization" to someone else and uses his own term, the infinite referral network, for the opportunity. His proof is the Nashville story: an attendee at a conference with more than 100 vendors loaded them into ChatGPT, and with the context it had from past conversations, it put Paul's firm in his top three must-see vendors. Paul adds that cookie-cutter websites, newsletters, and social posts are not what AI cites.

Does search everywhere optimization matter if your clients don't use AI?

Yes, because the people around them do. Paul's mother is among the 20% to 30% who don't use AI. When she had trouble with a hearing aid, Paul asked an AI tool for recommendations, passed them on, and the problem was solved. His point is that the family members and stakeholders who help someone make an important decision are putting your name and company into AI to see who you are. Mike agrees and notes that some niche will always avoid AI, which means live events and in-person experiences still matter, but adoption has been steeper than anything he has seen, and the technology is becoming transparent in everyday life.

How do a book and podcasts train AI to recommend you?

By creating consistent, long-form, human content about one topic. Paul says a short book is about 25,000 words of the polished version of your voice, stories, and frameworks, which helps train AI on its own, and it gives you a foundation to build content on. Podcasts add to it, whether you host one or guest on others, because they create long-form show notes and genuine human conversations. Each appearance is a signal, and as they pile up you create what Paul calls topical density, which teaches AI that you are the person to surface on that topic. He points to his first appearance on this show two years ago, which still serves him today when someone searches his name.

What happened when Paul appeared on Michael Kitces' podcast?

It brought in more than 200 appointments in a year and, by Paul's account, doubled his business. After writing the first edition of his book, Paul went on what he calls a virtual speaking tour, guesting on about 20 podcasts over roughly two years. The Kitces appearance came after the book gave him the credential to get booked; if Kitces' team searched his name, he had trained Google to show him as an expert on the topic. Paul rehearsed an hour a day for 14 days, wasn't given the questions in advance, and recorded a 90-minute episode that dropped at the very end of 2024. Over 2025, people who heard it read his book or booked a 50-minute call. Paul calls it the halo effect, or authority by association: Kitces never endorsed him, but inviting him onto the show did it implicitly.

Why should advisors host their own show, not just guest on others?

Because your own show is a stage you own, and a small audience can still be worth a lot. Mike points out that most people are afraid of being on camera, so every rep builds an edge. He asks the audience to imagine being invited to speak to a ballroom of 200 advisors. A couple hundred listeners and viewers across platforms is the same thing. Paul takes it further: it isn't 200 people today but potentially 2,000 over five years, because every episode keeps compounding in search. He is restarting his own tour with a goal of 20 more podcasts, and he suggests a quick test of how well he has trained AI: ask Google or ChatGPT "Who is Paul G. McManus?" and include the G.

"The real underlying point is that it was a transfer of trust."

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is search everywhere optimization?

Search everywhere optimization is the idea that advisors need to be found and recommended wherever people now search, including Google's AI overviews, ChatGPT, YouTube, and podcasts, not only on the first page of Google. Paul McManus credits the phrase to someone else and calls the opportunity the infinite referral network.

Does SEO still matter for financial advisors?

Yes, but it is no longer enough. According to Paul, people still use Google, but AI overviews summarize the content and many never click the links, and more people ask ChatGPT first. He says cookie-cutter websites, newsletters, and social posts are not what AI cites.

How long should a short book for financial advisors be?

Paul recommends 12,000 to 25,000 words, which a reader can finish cover to cover in one to two hours. The goal is a book prospects will actually read before a meeting.

How should advisors use a short book in the sales process?

Paul sends prospects a copy, or the audiobook, after the first call and asks them to read it before the second meeting. He says 80% or more of those second conversations close, because the book has already built trust and shown competence.

How can guest podcasting help financial advisors get clients?

Guest podcasting transfers the host's credibility to the guest and adds signals AI uses to learn who is an expert. Paul went on about 20 podcasts over roughly two years, and his Michael Kitces appearance led to more than 200 appointments in 2025.

What is topical density?

Topical density is Paul's term for the cluster of content, from a book, your own show, and guest appearances, that signals to AI that you are the expert on a topic. The more shows and conversations tied to your name and topic, the more likely AI is to surface you.

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