The Gap Is Widening


15 breakdowns: AI stacks, $450k agencies, dark psychology closes & the end of sales calls

If having trouble with any links, you can read the online version here

Hey Guys,

There is a gap widening right now and it's moving fast.

On one side, you've got the grinders — writing every email from scratch, manually auditing websites, jumping on 10 sales calls a day just to close one deal.

On the other side? The leverage players.

They're using AI to build entire SEO programmatic stacks in minutes. They're closing $30k deals in the DMs without ever getting on a Zoom call. They're using what I'd call "dark psychology" to flip the script and make clients chase them.

This edition is a monster — 15 specific breakdowns covering everything from the latest 2026 SEO tactics to building a $450k/month agency. Dig in.


➡️ Your Complete Implementation Guide

I know most newsletters throw links at you and leave you to figure it out. That's not how I roll.

✅ A 4-paragraph summary — the full context without having to watch if you're short on time

✅ 25 key takeaways — the exact bullets worth saving and acting on

✅ A step-by-step implementation checklist — so you can go from "that's interesting" to "that's done"

👉 ​Access Your Complete Implementation Guide Here

Bookmark it. Use it alongside today's edition. This is where the real value compounds.


This Edition at a Glance:

  • Ads: Stop paying for toddlers to play mobile games on your dime
  • AI: How Perplexity and Claude are replacing entire employees — if you use them right
  • Sales: The "Gatekeeper" method that flips the power dynamic so prospects qualify themselves to you
  • Strategy: How to build a viral campaign from scratch, live

Let's get into it.


1. Stop Burning Cash on "Jigsaw Puzzle" Traffic

If you run Performance Max or Display campaigns, there's a good chance you're bleeding money on mobile app placements that generate zero real leads. Toddlers playing puzzle games are not your buyers.

  • The Hidden Report — how to see exactly which apps are eating your budget
  • The Exclusion Trick — block 140+ useless app categories in one move
  • The Result — instant ROAS improvement by cutting junk inventory

▶ Watch Here


2. Perplexity Just Killed the $5k Audit

Stop trusting a single AI model. Perplexity's new "Model Council" runs your prompt through GPT, Claude, and Gemini simultaneously. It's a research superpower most people haven't figured out yet.

  • Triple Validation — get 3 models checking each other's work in real time
  • Speed — deliver $1,500 worth of consulting research in 30 minutes
  • Competitive Edge — why "model disagreement" is actually the signal you want

▶ Watch Here


3. The 2026 SEO Playbook (Ranking #1 Is Different Now)

Forget everything you heard about word count. If you want to rank in 2026, you need to understand "Assumed Search Intent" and topical maps — and why chasing every keyword is killing your results.

  • Prioritisation — why less is more when it comes to keyword targeting
  • Power Pages — how internal link clusters boost your money pages
  • Intent Matching — choosing the right format (video vs. blog) for each query type

▶ Watch Here


4. 6 Marketing Trends You Can't Afford to Ignore

The "AI look" is the new generic. If your content fails the 3-second AI sniff test, people scroll straight past. Here's how to stand out in a feed full of robots.

  • The Human Edit — how to stop sounding like a LinkedIn bot
  • The DM Metric — why direct messages are the new vanity impressions
  • Discovery vs. Depth — shorts for reach, long-form for trust

▶ Watch Here


5. Case Study: From $2.5k to $450k Per Month

This isn't theory. It's a deep dive with an agency owner who scaled to nearly half a million a month. The secret wasn't a magic tactic — it was volume and knowing your numbers cold.

  • VSL Funnels — automatically filter out bad leads before they waste your time
  • Creative Volume — why testing 20+ new ads per week is the actual game
  • The Math — knowing your exact CAC vs. LTV so you can scale with confidence

▶ Watch Here


6. Why Your Digital Product Isn't Selling

Selling a PDF is a race to the bottom. To win in 2026, you have to stop selling information and start selling a specific, measurable result. There's a clear framework here.

  • Transformation — the shift from "content" to "outcome"
  • Baked-In Implementation — why coaching and community is now the expectation
  • Pricing Architecture — structuring high-ticket core with a low-ticket entry point

▶ Watch Here


7. Claude Code Just Replaced Your Entire SEO Stack

This demo is genuinely wild. Watch how a custom Claude skill does the work of 12 SEO specialists in minutes. If you've been curious about Claude Code, this is the one to watch.

  • The Audit — running a full technical SEO audit in seconds
  • Schema — auto-generating valid JSON-LD schema on demand
  • GEO — optimising content specifically for Generative Engine Optimisation

▶ Watch Here


8. SEO Tips for Beginners (That Actually Work)

If the technical stuff feels overwhelming, start here. Megan breaks down how she ranks recipe blogs without being a tech wizard — simple, repeatable, and it works.

  • Keyword Research — a simple method using Google Trends
  • The Three Places — exactly where to put your keywords
  • Alt Text — why ignoring image descriptions is quietly costing you traffic

▶ Watch Here


9. How to Make $44k Per Month With Google Reviews

Sometimes the most boring-looking businesses make the most money. This model is all about helping local businesses fix their reputation — and it's a brilliant foot-in-the-door service.

  • The Hook — why reviews are the easiest conversation starter with local businesses
  • The Facebook Group Method — how to get clients without a single cold call
  • Automation — setting up the Review Reactivation campaign inside High Level

▶ Watch Here


10. Master Perplexity in 34 Minutes

Most people are using Perplexity like a slightly better Google. They're missing 80% of what it can do. This walks you through using it as a full analysis engine.

  • Deep Research — generating comprehensive reports with citations in minutes
  • Spaces — creating custom knowledge bases for any project or niche
  • Automated Workflows — connecting Perplexity to make decisions for you

▶ Watch Here


11. Just Give Claude These Skills

Coding isn't just for developers anymore. Watch a marketer use Claude to build full landing pages and email sequences live. The programmatic SEO angle here alone is worth your time.

  • Programmatic SEO — generating landing pages for every integration your tool has
  • Email Sequences — writing a 6-part nurture sequence based on your specific product
  • The Stack — using Claude Code to execute full marketing tasks end to end

▶ Watch Here


12. Digital Product Marketing Masterclass

Maria breaks down the exact funnel she uses to generate $500k per month. It runs across three specific platforms and the ManyChat angle is something most people are sleeping on.

  • The ManyChat Funnel — turning an Instagram comment into a sale automatically
  • The Content Mix — when to use B-roll reels vs. studio reels
  • Simple Ads — why a $5 ad often beats a complex, expensive campaign

▶ Watch Here


13. Close High-Ticket Without Ever Getting on a Sales Call

Eddie makes a compelling case: if you're jumping on sales calls, your brand trust isn't there yet. Fix the trust problem and the calls become optional.

  • The Trust Recession — why prospects don't believe you (and the fix is simpler than you think)
  • The Time Variable — getting prospects to consume hours of your content before they buy
  • Lead Magnets — how to automatically disqualify leads who can't afford you

▶ Watch Here


14. Building a Viral Campaign From Scratch (Live)

Watch a founder brainstorm a campaign for "99 Laps" in real time. This is a genuine masterclass in building in public and the mystery-based marketing angle is clever.

  • The Mystery Hook — how to use a specific number to generate pure curiosity
  • Spark Ads — running ads through influencer accounts for higher trust and lower CPMs
  • Theme Pages — buying undervalued Instagram pages to control the narrative

▶ Watch Here


15. 5 Dark Psychology Secrets to Close Clients

Stop chasing. Start selecting. This covers the psychological triggers that make high-quality clients feel fortunate to work with you — including the "Black Sand" method and the 4-word phrase that doubles compliance.

  • The Black Sand Method — using the natural decay of decision urgency to your advantage
  • The Freedom Close — the 4-word phrase that dramatically increases compliance
  • The Gatekeeper — how to flip the script so clients qualify themselves to you

▶ Watch Here


Quick note:

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📋 Don't Just Watch — Execute

Remember that Implementation Guide I mentioned at the top? Every video above has a 4-paragraph summary, 25 key takeaways, and a step-by-step checklist waiting for you.

Information without action is just entertainment. The doc is ready — all you have to do is open it and pick one thing to implement today.

That's it for this edition. There's enough in here to keep you busy for today. Pick two or three that hit hardest for your business right now and go deep on those.

Talk soon,

- Tony


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Tony Hayes Daily Growth Signals Newsletter

Every day we handpick the top 20 marketing tips, insights, case studies, methods, workflows, and free trials we've spotted on Twitter (X) and YouTube. It's completely free and lands in your inbox 6 days a week. No fluff, just the good stuff that's actually working right now. Creator of NicheBlasta, LeadBlasta, Viral Content Pilot, and many more innovative marketing automation tools. I build and release new tools every week built with no code platforms and run a WhatsApp group and the 'Unshackled' product creation bootcamp.

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