Tales From the Beat Episode 131: Trustpoint Xposure CEO David Wilder

TTAC Creator Ed Garsten hosts " Tales from the Beat," a podcast about the automotive and media worlds. A veteran reporter and public relations operative, Garsten worked for CNN, The Associated Press, The Detroit News, Chrysler's PR department and Franco Public Relations. He is currently a senior contributor for Forbes.

The TTAC Creators Series tells stories and amplifies creators from all corners of the car world, including culture, dealerships, collections, modified builds and more.

A transcript, cleaned up via AI and edited by a staffer, is below.

[Image: YouTube Screenshot]

Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by  subscribing to our newsletter.

Transcript:

Ed Garsten:

How’s this for a guarantee from a PR agency: tier-one media placements and AI dominance, or the clients don’t pay.

Hi everyone, I’m Ed Garsten, and welcome to episode 131 of Tales from the Beat, where we look at news and PR from both sides of the scrimmage line. That guarantee comes from the gentleman sitting next to me. He’s David Wilder, CEO of Trust Point Exposure out of Idaho. Hi David, how are you?

David Wilder:

I’m great, Ed. Thanks for having me. How are you?

Ed:

Good, good. Thanks for coming on Tales from the Beat. You came to me with a premise I hadn’t seen before, which made it pretty intriguing. Before we get into how you’re able to make that kind of guarantee, let’s talk a bit about you, your agency, and your background.

David:

Appreciate that. We’ve been doing this for a few years now. My background started in sales, driving revenue for larger companies, which really showed me the importance of marketing, PR, and branding. After a few years of building relationships and seeing the impact, I decided to open my own agency. It’s been an amazing experience.

We typically focus on three areas: law, tech, and finance, as well as high-growth companies and startups. More recently, we’ve been combining traditional PR with AEO—Answer Engine Optimization—helping clients rank in AI search platforms like ChatGPT and similar tools. It’s been a big win for our clients.

Ed:

That’s intriguing. I want to come back to AEO in a moment, but let’s jump right into the part that really grabs attention: the guarantee. One of the longstanding rules in PR is that you never guarantee coverage. It’s usually pitch, pray, and hope. How do you make a guarantee like that?

David:

It’s interesting, because I came from that traditional model as well. For us, it really comes down to building relationships—knowing publishers, editors, and media outlets—and crafting stories that audiences actually want to read or hear. The goal is to bring value back to the publication. That’s what we focus on.

Ed:

That sounds like what good PR professionals have always done. As a reporter, I definitely have relationships with PR people, and I’m more inclined to work with the ones I trust. Is there something else that gives you the confidence to make that guarantee?

David:

I’ve got a great team, and I believe every client has something meaningful to say. When you look at who’s getting attention in the media, it often comes down to how well their story is told and how human it feels. That approach has always worked well for us, along with the network and relationships we’ve built over time.

Ed:

I think people sometimes underestimate how important trust and interpersonal connection are on both sides. You mentioned AEO earlier, which is something I’m just starting to learn about. We’re all familiar with SEO, but AEO—Answer Engine Optimization—is newer. Can you explain what it is and how it differs from SEO?

David:

I’m glad you asked. It’s a big deal right now. More people are turning to AI search engines—ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI overviews—for direct answers instead of clicking through links. SEO is about getting clicks; AEO is about being the answer.

With AEO, the AI wants the best possible response to a question. We help clients get the best of both worlds: the exposure and credibility of traditional PR, plus positioning them as the go-to authority in AI-generated answers.

Ed:

That’s fascinating. I’ve had to learn SEO over the years—keywords, links, headline placement, all of it. What are the tactics for succeeding in AEO?

David:

It’s a completely different game. First, the content and websites need to be structured so AI can clearly understand who the client is, what they do, and where to find them. There’s a lot of technical work on the backend.

But it’s not about writing 5,000-word keyword-stuffed articles anymore. AI wants a clear answer first, followed by how you arrived at that answer and credible references. It’s actually more human in some ways, and it allows stories to be told more authentically.

Ed:

When I post a story on Forbes, we use SEO tools and look at Google Trends to see what people are searching for. Does AEO involve understanding what questions people are asking rather than just what they’re searching?

David:

Absolutely. There are tools that show trending questions people want answered. But beyond that, we step back and think: what question would someone ask to arrive at this client? For example, “Who’s the best defense attorney in Phoenix?” We create content that directly answers that question so the client appears at the top of AI results.

Ed:

Things are changing fast. Does this mean the old model—clever headlines, teasers, wordplay—is gone?

David:

Not completely. We still use traditional SEO approaches for about half of our content. But with AEO, we’re increasingly leading with questions as headlines. It’s a new world, and we’re adapting. The upside is significant—some law firms see a 200 to 300 percent increase in leads. The traffic may be lower, but the intent is much higher.

Ed:

Let’s go back to your original premise. Have you ever had to pay out on your guarantee?

David:

I have, and I don’t enjoy it. But it pushes us to work harder. At the end of the day, if the client wins, we win. If I can’t deliver, they shouldn’t be paying me.

Ed:

That’s a risk, but it shows confidence. What are some of your biggest wins?

David:

We’ve helped clients break into spaces that would’ve been very difficult on their own—major outlets like Forbes, Bloomberg, USA Today, national TV interviews, professional memberships, even TEDx talks. Many of these clients have accomplished incredible things but had almost no online presence. Helping them change that has been very rewarding.

Ed:

One concern with AI is accuracy and trust. Since AI pulls from existing information, how do you ensure accuracy for your clients?

David:

That’s a great question. AI is only as good as the data it’s trained on. We always verify everything with human oversight. AI saves time, but it can’t replace judgment or emotional nuance. We review and validate all content before it goes out.

Ed:

Do you monitor AI search results to make sure the information about your clients stays accurate?

David:

Yes. We start every client relationship with a full visibility audit to establish a baseline. From there, we review things quarterly to ensure accuracy, strong links, and proper indexing. There’s a system and process behind it.

Ed:

When you’re promoting a client, are you focused mainly on earned media, or do you also use owned and paid media?

David:

Every project is custom. Earned media has the most impact, but paid and digital media also have a place, depending on the client’s goals. Sometimes buyers even see sponsored content as a sign that a company is investing in its brand.

Ed:

You focus heavily on legal clients, where trust and ethics are critical. Does that create additional challenges?

David:

It does. Everything must be accurate and verifiable. You can’t exaggerate or overpromise. It requires close collaboration with the client to make sure the message is both compliant and authentic.

Ed:

David, this has been a fascinating discussion. Thanks so much for joining us on Tales from the Beat and sharing these insights.

David:

Thank you for having me. It was a pleasure.

Ed:

My guest has been David Wilder, CEO of Trust Point Exposure. That wraps up this episode of Tales from the Beat. Thanks for listening and watching. Please share, subscribe, and comment. I’m Ed Garsten, and I’ll be back soon with more tales. Take care.