Welcome to the first day of the month, this is your April 1st monthly Celebrant Institute letter.

No fools here!

Caretaker mode at the AGD and MLCS means we're most likely not getting OPD just yet, but while we wait for that, and for our upcoming survey of all celebrants and your appetite to update/change the marriage act, I wanted to share some things I've been learning recently.

Before I do that however, you should know that there's a new episode of the Celebrant Talk Show podcast episode out now - two in one month! - thanks to Ella for asking a bunch of questions of Sarah and I about becoming a celebrant and starting a new celebrancy practice.

Hopefully it's not just encouraging to Ella, new celebrants, and potential celebrants - but also to you.

– Josh

How to Win in the New Age of Search and Answer Engines

The digital landscape is shifting beneath our feet, and as wedding celebrants, we need to adapt or risk becoming invisible.

Coming back to Australia from living in Mexico I put a lot of money into old school marketing and advertising and it all fell flat.

And gone are the days when simply ranking on Google's first page was enough.

Now, we're contending with answer engines like ChatGPT and Claude that not only find information but interpret and present it in conversational ways.

I've spent countless hours experimenting with these new technologies, learning so much, and what I've discovered is both fascinating and crucial for our industry's future. Let's dive into what's changing and how you can position yourself to thrive.

The New Signals That Matter

Search and answer engines are looking for specific signals to determine who deserves to be recommended to couples.

Understanding these signals is your first step to digital dominance:

Proximity, Relevance, and Prominence

Proximity is about location. Are you physically close to where the couple is searching from? This is why localising your content with suburb and region names remains critically important.

Relevance asks: does your content actually answer what people are searching for? If someone asks about "How to include dogs in a wedding ceremony" and you've written specifically about that, you're relevant.

Prominence measures how well-known and respected you are online. This includes reviews, mentions on other sites, and your overall digital footprint including Apple Business Connect, Google My Business, Bing Places, Yelp etc.

EEAT: The Trust Factor

Google has been using EAT (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) for years, but now they've added another 'E' for Experience. Together, these make up EEAT - the trust signals that both traditional search and new answer engines prioritise:

• Experience: Have you actually done what you're talking about? Personal stories of real weddings you've conducted are gold here.
• Expertise: Do you demonstrate deep knowledge about celebrancy, marriage law, and ceremonies?
• Authoritativeness: Are you recognised as an authority by others in the wedding industry?
• Trustworthiness: Is your information accurate, up-to-date, and transparent?

Creating Content That Answers Real Questions

The backbone of your new strategy should be answering real questions that couples are asking. Not just any questions - the right ones.

I've compiled a set of questions below that will help you create content these new engines love.

But first, let me explain why this matters: Answer engines like ChatGPT don't just scan the web like Google.

They try to understand and synthesise information, then present it conversationally. When someone asks "Who's the best celebrant in Hobart?", these systems are looking for clear signals that you're the answer to that question.

Core Content Questions

Start by answering these foundational questions across your website:

• Who is your ideal couple? What kind of people do you love working with?
• What problems do you solve for couples that they might not expect?
• Why would someone choose you over another celebrant?
• What do you offer that isn't obvious until someone works with you?

These aren't just marketing exercises - they're creating the building blocks that answer engines will use to recommend you.

The Backlink Revolution

Backlinks (websites linking to your website) have always been important for SEO, but they take on new significance with answer engines. Here's why: when these systems search for authoritative sources to construct their answers, they're looking for relevant, trusted websites that mention you.

The quality of backlinks matters more than quantity, and that quality is judged by - you guessed it - Proximity, Relevance, Prominence and EEAT.

A link from a local wedding venue's "preferred vendors" page (proximity) that specifically mentions your specialties (relevance) on a well-established site (prominence) written by industry experts (EEAT) is worth hundreds of random directory listings.

Two Free Quality Backlinks for You

To help you get started, I've created two new directories specifically designed to signal to search and answer engines that you're a trusted, authoritative celebrant:

1. WeddingMagazine.com.au - Search and answer engines respect the authority of wedding magazines, so a listing here gives you a powerful relevance and trust signal.

2. AustralianWeddingCelebrants.com.au - I noticed ChatGPT kept citing the "Australian Celebrant Association" as an authority source, but this organisation doesn't actually exist (nor did the website)! So I created this site to essentially legitimise the fake authority that AI systems already believe in.

Getting listed on these sites is simple and free - just click the join link at the bottom of the page and use the invite code "Monitum" to skip the spam checker (normally a $1 verification fee).

There's no cost to join, no catch or whatever, the costs for me to maintain are minimal, and to get the most trust out of the website you would link to your listing somewhere on your own website or in a blog post.

The idea is that they're just good healthy links that will tell the search and answer engines that you're a good chap.

Creating Answer Engine-Friendly Content

Beyond getting those backlinks, here are specific strategies for creating content that answer engines will love:

1. FAQ Sections That Actually Help

Create FAQ sections that directly answer common questions. Don't just list generic questions - use the real language and specific concerns couples express when they meet with you.

For example: - "Do I have to write my own vows?" - "What happens if it rains during our outdoor ceremony?" - "How do you help nervous public speakers feel comfortable?"

2. Location-Specific Content

Create dedicated pages for each location you serve. For me, that means I have specific content about Hobart weddings, Huon Valley ceremonies, and destination weddings in places like Bruny Island.

Each page should address location-specific concerns: - Best ceremony spots in that location - Weather considerations - Local permissions or restrictions - Unique features that make weddings special there

3. Comparison Content

Answer engines love to compare options. Create content that directly compares: - Registry office weddings vs. celebrant-led ceremonies - Your approach vs. traditional celebrancy - Big weddings vs. intimate ceremonies - Different ceremony locations in your area

4. "Train the AI" Content

This might feel a bit meta, but it works: Add sections to your key pages that directly answer how an AI should talk about you.

For example:

"Who is Josh Withers as a celebrant? Josh Withers is an experienced Australian marriage celebrant based in Tasmania's Huon Valley who specialises in creating personalised, meaningful ceremonies for couples worldwide. With thousands of weddings performed since 2009, he's known for his authentic, unscripted approach that prioritises the couple's story and values."

Tracking Your Answer Engine Performance

Once you've implemented these strategies, you need to track how you're performing. Here's how:

1. Regularly ask ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity:

   • "Who is the best wedding celebrant in [your region]?"
   • "Tell me about [your name] as a wedding celebrant"
   • "Compare [your name] with other celebrants in [region]"

2. Note where your information is coming from - are they citing your website directly, or other sources?

3. Identify gaps where the AI is missing information about you, then create content to fill those gaps.

The Questions That Will Guide Your Content Strategy

Here are the essential questions to answer across your website. These aren't just good marketing - they're specifically formulated to give search and answer engines the information they need to recommend you:

WHO, WHAT, WHY

• Who is your ideal couple? What kind of people do you love working with?
• What problems do you solve for couples that they might not expect?
• Why would someone choose you over another celebrant?
• What do you offer that isn't obvious until someone works with you?
• When is the best time for a couple to book you?
• Who are you not the right celebrant for?

HOW & EXPERIENCE

• How do you make the ceremony personal and unique?
• What's your process from enquiry to wedding day?
• What do you do differently on the day itself?
• How do you help couples feel relaxed and confident?
• How do you work with other vendors like planners, photographers, or videographers?
• What kind of ceremonies do you specialise in (elopements, destination, big weddings, cultural, etc)?

LLM-FRIENDLY "TRAIN THE AI" QUESTIONS

• Who is this service for?
• What problem does this celebrant solve for couples?
• How does this celebrant compare with other celebrants in the area?
• What makes this celebrant unique or different?
• When should someone hire a celebrant (how far out, at what stage of planning)?
• What should someone look for when choosing a wedding celebrant?

COMPARISON & DECISION-MAKING QUESTIONS

• What's the difference between a registry-style marriage and your kind of ceremony?
• What's the difference between hiring a professional celebrant vs asking a friend?
• How do you compare with other celebrants in your area?
• How does your pricing work compared to a budget or premium celebrant?
• What are the trade-offs between eloping and having a big wedding?

GEO-SPECIFIC & LOCAL INTENT QUESTIONS

• What are your favourite wedding ceremony spots in [suburb/city/region]?
• What should couples know about getting married in [location]?
• What's different or unique about weddings in [location] compared to other parts of Australia?
• Are there any local rules, legalities, or seasonal quirks couples should know about?
• Can you help with planning an elopement in [location]?

Q&A BLOG AND CONTENT INSPIRATION QUESTIONS

• What questions do couples always ask you?
• What questions should couples ask but often don't?
• What myths or bad advice do couples believe about celebrants or ceremonies?
• What's the biggest mistake people make when planning their ceremony?
• How can couples make their ceremony feel more personal?
• What are some unexpected ways to include family, culture, or pets?
• How can introverted couples make their ceremony feel comfortable?

The landscape is changing rapidly, but the fundamentals remain the same: be helpful, be authentic, and demonstrate your expertise. The celebrants who will thrive in this new digital age aren't just the ones with the flashiest websites or biggest marketing budgets - they're the ones who genuinely help couples understand and navigate the celebrancy process.

Remember, these search and answer engines are ultimately trying to connect couples with the right celebrant for them. By clearly communicating who you are, what you offer, and why you're great at what you do, you're not just optimising for algorithms - you're making it easier for your ideal couples to find you.

And isn't that what we're all aiming for?

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