Brian Kato is the Owner of Fusion Vine, a digital marketing agency that helps businesses improve their online visibility through SEO, local search, and data-driven marketing strategies. He has over a decade of experience in the industry and has built a reputation for using innovative tools to streamline SEO work. Brian is also an Agency 10x alumnus known for helping agencies scale into six- and seven-figure revenue. Under his leadership, Fusion Vine has earned recognition in the SEO community and is accredited by the Better Business Bureau with an A+ rating.
About the Episode
Search engines, automation, and AI are transforming how businesses reach customers. Yet success still hinges on a distinctly human touch. Tyler Lane hosts Brian Kato to explore how marketers can blend AI with human insight to build sustainable growth. They discuss mastering brand signals, creating multimodal content strategies, and using reputation management to protect long-term success.
Key Moments
Launching Fusion Vine
- Why Brian started his agency after leaving a busy agency role and becoming a father [02:29].
Blending AI and Human Oversight
- How Fusion Vine combines AI, automation, and human review to 10x capabilities without losing the personal touch [04:27].
The Power of Brand Signals
- What local SEO teaches about brand authority and how search engines recognize who you are and where you operate [05:47].
- Common mistakes businesses make when they neglect brand signals or rely on outdated tactics [07:47].
From SEO to Business Consulting
- How Brian uses reputation management and business consulting to screen clients and protect agency success [10:44].
Automation Tools and Processes
- How tools like Harpa AI, Google Sheets, and make.com automate SEO tasks and speed client results [16:24].
Networking and Personal Growth
- Why building a strong personal network and embracing failure fuels career growth and industry presence [22:07].
Driving Massive Client Results
- How a multimodal content strategy drove a 1,800% traffic increase and 47% rise in high-value actions [32:30].
Top Insights
- Blend AI with human oversight in SEO campaigns – Combining automation with human judgment ensures accuracy, creativity, and strategic decision-making.
- Strengthen your brand signals early – Establishing who you are, what you do, and where you operate boosts search engine trust and visibility.
- Conduct reputation checks before onboarding clients – Screening for potential reputation risks prevents wasted resources and protects your agency’s long-term credibility.
- Track high-value actions instead of vanity metrics – Focusing on phone calls, sales, and other key outcomes drives meaningful growth and client satisfaction.
- Test your brand presence across multiple devices and platforms – Ensuring visibility on tools like Apple Maps captures overlooked audiences and expands local reach.
Notable Quotes
- “I think that there’s a sweet spot kind of in the middle where AI has the ability to enhance what we’re doing to basically 10x or 100x your capability.”
- “One of the things that you’ll often see, whether it’s local, whether it’s midsize business, small enterprise, one of the things that you’ll find is that brand is everything.”
- “You can’t escape if you have a bad reputation that’s going to follow you online and offline.”
- “Before we even fire up an SEO tool, I’m going to open up Google and type in their business name.”
- “Your network is your net worth 100%, and the industry is small. Don’t make enemies.”
Resources
Industry Experts
- Tyler Lane on LinkedIn
- Brian Kato: LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram
- Ross Simmonds on LinkedIn
Companies and Organizations
Tools and Platforms
- Ahrefs
- Semrush
- Harpa AI
- make.com
- Google Gemini
- SoundCloud
- Moz Blog
- Legiit
- Network Empire
- Semantic Mastery
Events and Communities
Scale Local SEO With Human-Centered AI
If you’re ready to grow your local presence and leverage AI without losing the human touch, Session Interactive can help. We specialize in data-driven strategies that combine automation with human insight to deliver sustainable SEO and marketing growth. Let us help you harness technology while keeping strategy rooted in real customer connections.
For more insights on agile design, creative strategy, and digital growth, subscribe to the Built to Convert podcast. Ready to move faster and convert better? Contact Session Interactive to see how we can help you scale with speed and precision.
