Webinar Wednesday 224 – May 20, 2026

Overview of Webinar Wednesday and Its Purpose

• Webinar Wednesday is a regular event, held twice a month, where the Brilliant Directories team shares recent updates and provides tips on how to grow a community faster, increase traffic, and convert visitors to members (00:01:58).
• The webinar also includes a Q&A section, where viewers can ask questions and get help with strategy, technical issues, or other topics related to their Brilliant Directories site (00:02:32).

Promo Codes and Free Swag for Webinar Attendees

• All viewers who join the webinar receive a free gift from the Brilliant Directories swag store, using the promo codes "webinar224" and "freeship", which can be used to purchase items such as bluetooth boxes, fanny packs, notebooks, and more (00:02:48).
• The promo codes can be applied at shop.brilliantdirectories.com to get discounts on items from the store, and the shipping is a separate discount that will be taken off, covering mostly everything to get one or two items (00:03:46).

SEO Optimization with No Index Settings

• There are lab updates to share, including two new settings related to no indexing, which can help with SEO issues that arise when a member joins a directory site and multiple pages are created dynamically (00:04:06).
• When a member joins a directory site, multiple pages are created, including their profile page, contact page, writer review page, and corresponding search results pages, which can potentially create 10 pages on the site and lead to SEO issues (00:04:20).
• The two new settings can help optimize Google crawl budget and prevent Google from crawling low-value pages instead of primary pages, but it is not recommended to turn them on for established sites without checking Google Analytics first (00:04:47).
• The two settings are located in the advanced settings of a site and can be found by searching for "no index", and they are turned off by default, allowing Google to index and crawl pages (00:05:32).
• The "no index" setting tells Google not to bother indexing a page, but to follow all the links on the page, which means that the link juice and link value are not lost (00:06:47).
• The "no index follow" setting can be used to prevent Google from indexing pagination pages, such as blog pages with multiple pages, and to preserve the value of the main page (00:06:59).
• The settings can be tested on a site to see how they work, and it is recommended to use them for new sites to optimize Google crawl budget and improve SEO (00:07:08).
• Setting the "noindex" and "follow" meta tags on certain pages, such as pagination pages, can help with Google's crawl budget and indexing on a site, as it tells Google to index one less page but still follow all the links (00:07:18).
• For profile pages, setting "noindex" and "nofollow" on secondary pages like "send a message" and "write a review" can help prevent them from competing with the main profile page for ranking, especially for new sites with many member pages (00:07:59).
• This approach can help eliminate thin or duplicate pages with little value, allowing the primary pages to receive more SEO value and reducing the number of pages Google indexes, which can be beneficial for directory sites that create hundreds or thousands of pages (00:08:39).
• Enabling the "noindex" feature on a site can be done by going to the advanced settings, and while it may cause some fluctuations in page rankings, it can ultimately lead to better SEO results by reducing clutter in Google's crawl budget (00:09:14).

Platform Updates for Faster Page Load Speeds

• The team has initiated a platform-wide update to improve page loading speeds by making dynamic data load faster, which can help pages load a few milliseconds faster (00:09:51).

Introduction to AI Skills for Content Creation

• A new feature related to AI skills has been introduced, which allows users to connect their site to AI tools like Claude (language model) and create high-quality content, such as event posts and blog articles, using repeatable processes and prompts (00:10:14).
• The AI skills feature currently supports two content types, with plans to add more for job listings, property listings, and member listings, and can search the internet for topics and create content for a site (00:10:51).
• The shared information for the skill includes an anti-rule methodology on how to create content on the site, as well as URL patterns, with a focus on good internal linking in the post, which is far superior to what can be done manually (00:11:33).
• The skill can be run in just a chat, but it can also be set to run on a routine, such as creating two blog articles every hour, with the prompt being customizable to say anything (00:12:00).
• The skill can create content, including blog posts and event posts, with the ability to find good stock photo images and link to credible sources, making the content more legitimate and separating it from AI-generated content (00:12:44).

AI Skills for Internal and External Linking

• The internal linking feature of the skill is particularly useful, as it can link to relevant categories and articles on the site, such as the running coach section or the blog category for workouts and programs (00:13:57).
• The skill can also link to external credible sources, such as the CDC, which helps to make the content more legitimate and trustworthy (00:14:28).
• The event posts created by the skill are also customizable, with the ability to look for real events and summarize them in a unique way, and link to relevant categories and registration pages (00:15:06).

AI Skill Testing and Real-World Application

• The skill has been tested on a fitness site for about 48 hours, with positive results, including the creation of high-quality content with good internal linking and the ability to find credible sources (00:12:53).
• A Massachusetts nutritionist site is being used as an example, where AI skills can populate the site with real listings and content, such as job listings and events, while the owner sleeps, and this can be achieved by utilizing the combinations of categories and locations on the site (00:15:27).
• The AI can also connect to social media to summarize the content, shout out event organizers, and create marketing content, allowing for content creation and marketing while the owner sleeps (00:16:15).
• The AI skills have been tested with topics such as early morning routines, nutritional tips, food, and fitness tips, and have performed well in creating unique and specific content, including blog articles on topics like caffeine, honey versus energy gels, and anti-inflammatory spices (00:16:44).
• The AI skills have intelligence built-in to avoid posting the same event twice, search the database, and cycle through stock photo images to find a unique one, making them suitable for Brilliant Directory sites (00:17:12).

AI Skill Implementation and Access

• The skills can be downloaded from a GitHub page, where a zip file can be uploaded as a skill, and this works with all Clawed membership plans, including free and paid plans, with the option to upgrade to paid plans for more token limits (00:17:41).

Upcoming Platform Updates and Subscription Changes

• Upcoming updates include tags for grouping web pages and sidebars, an update to the business importer to skip same-name businesses, and a pricing update, which will not affect lifetime plan holders (00:18:55).
• The subscription system is being changed to a three-tier system, removing the ability to purchase additional lifetime plans, with the goal of offering a lower price point and simplifying the process by including add-ons in the new plans (00:19:42).
• A last chance deal is being offered for lifetime plans, which will be available for a limited time before the page is taken offline, and this deal can be accessed by those on the webinar (00:20:08).
• The migration to the new subscription system is expected to take place soon, with the transition starting on the first of the next week (00:20:25).

Introduction of Guest Speaker Scott Germais and N8N

• Scott Germais, a special guest with extensive experience in tech, has joined to discuss his expertise with N8n, a workflow and automation tool that uses AI to build workflows (00:20:36).
• N8N is a leading market tool that allows users to create workflows connecting different programs and applications, with the AI handling the manual mapping to an extent (00:21:01).
• Scott Germais will be sharing his experience with using N8N for his Brilliant Directory site, as well as other applications, and how he has mastered the use of N8N for workflow automation (00:21:17).

Scott Germais' Background and Experience with N8N

• Scott Germais has a background in tech, having worked on the internet since the dotcom days, and has been involved in various industries, including e-commerce, health tech, AI, and Web3 (00:21:49).
• Scott Germais discovered Brilliant Directories while looking for a platform to build a directory for his own needs, and found it to be easy to use, leading him to start building his site, which has been live for about a month and a half (00:22:20).
• One of the challenges Scott Germais faced with his site was the "cold start problem", where he needed to build up the site and attract users without having any existing content or traction (00:22:44).
• N8n is being used by Scott Germais as a workflow and automation tool to help build up his site and address the challenges of starting from scratch (00:22:55).

N8N Workflow Automation for Directory Sites

• There are AI-based tools that can help automate tasks, such as LangChain, which requires programming skills, and N8N, an intermediate tool that uses blocks to automate workflow tasks, allowing users to generate listings and determine categories (00:23:10).
• WebPoint X is a directory for decentralized technology, featuring listings, upcoming events, blog and news articles, and is used as an example to demonstrate how to build a site using N8N (00:23:30).
• N8N is a workflow automation tool that takes a list of URLs from a Google Sheet, researches the companies, and automatically builds a listing, figuring out which category it should go in and updating the spreadsheet accordingly (00:24:32).
• The tool uses AI to build out a spreadsheet with information such as search description, about me, and other details, which can be used to import data into Brilliant Directories via API (00:25:04).
• The workflow automation process involves targeting a specific page or spreadsheet using its ID and navigating through the workflow to generate the listings (00:25:51).
• The site WebPoint X is focused on decentralized technology, including stable points and crypto projects, but is not a comprehensive list of all crypto tokens (00:24:05).
• The process involves using a combination of tools, including Superbase as an external database, to keep track of data and create a canonical reference list, with the workflow starting to execute at this point (00:26:09).

N8N Workflow Execution and AI Integration

• The workflow checks if a listing already exists in the database, and if not, it proceeds to use an AI agent, such as Grok (chatbot), ChatGPT, or Anthropic, to research a company and output specific results (00:26:48).
• The AI agent follows a system prompt, which includes a larger message that provides context and instructions, such as researching a company and returning a JSON object with specific keys (00:27:26).
• The workflow populates a spreadsheet with the researched data, and it can also be used to categorize listings and pick the best categories for each one, with the output of each node being a step in the process (00:28:06).
• The process involves manual steps, such as reviewing the output for errors and using a separate tool called Botster for image capture, where URLs are manually input and the front page of each website is captured (00:29:16).

Manual Review and Quality Assurance in Workflows

• The image capture process can be done manually or automated using an API, but manual review is necessary to ensure that the screen capture was successful, as sometimes things don't work due to pop-ups or other issues (00:29:33).
• A human-in-the-loop step is utilized, where manual intervention is necessary to ensure the accuracy of the AI's tasks, allowing for a review of the process before proceeding to the next workflow (00:29:52).
• The workflow involves loading data to the Brilliant Directory, which can be automated further, but manual control is preferred to ensure quality and accuracy, with the option to use an API to automate the process (00:30:12).
• The process includes manually setting the import ID, looping over items in a Google sheet, and preparing listing data, with the option to automate these steps using an API, but manual control is maintained for quality assurance (00:30:38).
• The workflow also includes checking for duplicates, categorizing, and merging results, with the option to automate these steps, but manual review is preferred for accuracy (00:31:17).
• The final step involves uploading the prepared listings to the Brilliant Directory using an API, which can be automated, and the option to auto-import images is available by adding a parameter to the API (00:31:43).

Automating Data Uploads and Image Handling

• The process is demonstrated using a second spreadsheet, executing the workflow, and verifying the results in the admin panel, showing the successful upload of new listings and images (00:32:05).
• The auto-import parameter can be used to automatically fetch and import images, eliminating the need for an extra step, and this option can be utilized to streamline the process (00:33:03).

Workflow Demonstration and Results

• A workflow was created to gather information and load it automatically into a spreadsheet, starting with a blank spreadsheet and a list of websites, and generating company names, canonical URLs, top-level categories, and subcategories, as well as descriptions, before stopping to allow for review and addition of images (00:33:27).
• The workflow then automatically loads the information into a personal database, such as Superbase, and also loads it to BD, with the option to use any database or none at all (00:34:19).
• The value of directory websites lies in becoming a centralized hub of information for a specific industry or market, with the ability to create a canonical source and source of truth, and then focus on monetization (00:34:47).

Value of Directory Sites and AI-Driven Growth

• AI agents are helping to speed up the process of creating these hubs, whether it's with skills, events, blogs, listings, or scouring the internet, and allowing for multiple projects and sites to be worked on using the same methodologies (00:35:41).
• The use of AI and workflow automation tools, such as N8n, has enabled the creation of several thousand listings in a short span of time, with a total work time of around 40 to 100 hours over a couple of months (00:36:35).
• The site has a blog section with articles written by the creator or paid contractors, and is a simpler aspect of the site compared to the directory (00:37:01).
• The process of creating the site and its content has been relatively quick, with the help of AI and automation, allowing for a site that looks established to be created in a short amount of time, and then marketing efforts can be started (00:36:12).

Blog Content Creation and Automation

• The blog content is a mix of manually written posts and AI-assisted content, with the AI being used as a copilot and writer helper, and the author doing their own first drafts and using search engines to fact-check, (00:37:21)
• A news roundup is automatically produced every Sunday night at midnight, scraping content from other websites using RSS, a format for blog posts, and crediting the original sources, which is similar to what search engines do, (00:37:43)
• The news roundup is created using a workflow in N8n, a trigger node that uses code to aggregate content from different websites, and the author uses AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude (language model) to build the code, (00:38:32)
• The aggregated content is then built into HTML, which is also created with the help of AI, and posted directly to the blog, keeping the news section fresh and updated, (00:39:21)
• The author also posts original content to the blog, trying to space it out with the weekly updates, and has made the workflows available as JSON files on GitHub, which can be imported into N8N, but may require customization to work, (00:40:24)
• The use of N8N and AI tools allows for automation of tasks, such as fetching news feeds and building HTML, making it easier to keep the blog updated, and the author has shared their workflows as a resource for others to learn from, (00:40:39)

AI and Workflow Tools for Non-Programmers

• Using AI tools can help automate systems, such as building listings, and can be tweaked for personal purposes, allowing for a fully automated system with minimal programming skills (00:41:00).
• To connect AI tools to Google Docs API, users can ask their favorite AI for guidance, which will provide step-by-step instructions on how to do it, making it accessible to non-programmers (00:41:09).
• With tools like N8n, Zapier, or Cloud Code, populating a site and turning it into a resource is much easier than it was six months or two years ago, and it's about creating a meaningful resource for the industry being served (00:42:00).

Content Curation and Newsletter Automation

• Creating a roundup of related topics for an industry can serve dual purposes, such as providing a weekly newsletter to subscribers with curated content, making it a valuable resource for the industry (00:42:12).

Getting Started with N8N and Workflow Building

• N8n can be started with a free account, and users can begin with simple workflows, such as automating a personal email reminder, and then move on to more complex tasks, making it easy to get started without feeling intimidated (00:42:59).
• The goal of using AI tools is not to create "slop" but to get a starting place, and users can manually review and edit the generated content to ensure its quality and accuracy (00:43:44).

Quality Control and Avoiding AI-Generated Slop

• Manually reviewing and editing AI-generated content can help improve its quality, and it's possible to generate a large number of listings, such as 2200, with the help of AI tools, which would be difficult to achieve manually (00:44:00).
• To control how AI builds things and avoid "AI slop," instructions can be given, such as mixing up the language, getting rid of m-dashes, and trying to avoid certain things, with the goal of creating more varied and natural-sounding content (00:44:10).

AI Tools for Niche and Specialized Directories

• The business importer tool can be used for burning directories, but it may not be suitable for more specialized or niche markets, which is where AI can help by digging deeper and providing more specific results (00:44:26).
• The business importer tools rely on existing common databases, and in cases where there is no category or existing tool, AI can help bridge the gap and provide more value, such as in the example of a specialized site with unique categories (00:44:41).

Enabling SEMrush Crawling and SEO Tools

• To enable Semrush crawling for stats, the website's robots.txt file can be modified by adding SEMrush to the allow list, which can be done through the developer hub, and it is recommended to remove it when done to conserve bandwidth (00:45:31).

Internal Linking and Blog Creation Skills

• The skill used for blog creation takes care of everything, including internal linking to high-quality resources, and it uses a shared file called URL patterns to construct internal links to post category pages and other relevant content (00:46:41).
• The URL patterns file explains to the AI how to create internal links, including links to events and date ranges, and it can be used to create links to specific dates, such as Memorial Day, without requiring any additional input or instructions (00:47:12).
• The blog creation skill can be initiated by simply typing a command, such as "do my blog creation skill," and it will take care of everything, including creating links and constructing the content, without requiring any further input or guidance (00:47:59).

N8N vs Claw: Workflow Automation Tools

• The discussion revolves around the comparison of using N8n setup and Claw directly, with the conclusion that N8N is a workflow automation tool that allows manual control over the use of AI at specific steps, whereas Claw is used for giving background and instructions to automate certain tasks (00:48:38).
• N8N enables the use of AI as part of a workflow, allowing for the automation of entire processes, whereas using AI directly or via APIs is more limited in scope, and can be used to make audio files, visuals, or provide answers to questions through large language models (00:49:30).
• The main difference between using N8N and giving skills to Claw is that N8N automates an entire workflow, while Claw is given background and instructions to accomplish a specific task, and tools like Zapier or N8N are used to automate the workflow (00:50:17).

N8N Integration with External Services

• N8N workflows can be used to speak between different applications, such as Google Sheets, directory sites, and email services like MailerLite or MailChimp, and can also be used to manipulate data and enrich it with the help of an agent (00:51:04).
• The use of N8n and AI can go beyond content creation and into automations, such as emailing and other marketing tasks, and can be used to call skills and perform additional actions with the output (00:51:46).

Calling Skills and Expanding Workflow Capabilities

• Workflows can be created to call specific skills, such as the one built using markdown files, and then use the output to perform other tasks, making the distinction between using N8N and Claw clearer (00:52:03).
• The blog creation skill can be utilized by copying and pasting a prompt that tells it to find a niche, assign an author and publisher, and create an image, with the process running in the background (00:52:27).

Troubleshooting and Alternative AI Tools

• For those experiencing issues with Cloud Code, alternative AI integrations such as Codex or Cursor can be used, and connecting with these services is relatively simple, with support available from the BD support team (00:53:07).
• The AI skill can create articles, including finding images, adding tags, and optimizing titles, meta descriptions, and keywords, making it an all-in-one solution for content creation (00:53:33).

Maintaining and Updating Data on BD Sites

• The existing data on a BD site can be handled by periodically scanning and updating records to prevent stale information, with a potential workflow being created in the future to automate this process (00:54:19).
• The goal is to create skills for enriching member data, such as finding social media links and updating contact information, which can be used to grow a site with content and useful information while the owner focuses on marketing efforts (00:55:17).
• When uploading to Brilliant Directories, capturing the listing ID and loading it back to a personal database can help with updating existing records and preventing data decay (00:55:53).
• Data enrichment or feature enhancement can be achieved via API with the listing ID, allowing for updates to existing data without worrying about overwriting it, and this process can be beneficial for the internet as it helps maintain accurate information (00:56:11).

Troubleshooting Web App Integration Issues

• When a web app is linked to a Business Directory (BD) site and the BD site displays and loads inside the app, issues may arise when members try to sign up or log in, which could be due to a cores or whitelisting issue, and emailing the support team may help resolve the problem (00:56:42).
• To resolve the issue of a web app linked to a BD site, advanced settings such as whitelisting domains to allow iframing of the website can be explored, and specifying the domain may help resolve the issue (00:57:18).

SEO Best Practices and Canonical Errors

• Setting "no index" can help consolidate a site and minimize the number of pages Google needs to crawl, which can improve crawl budget efficiency, especially for new sites, and this setting can be changed later on after setup (00:58:04).
• Canonical errors reported by Google Search Console are not necessarily errors, but rather alerts indicating that some pages point to the source of truth, and they are built-in duplicate content mechanisms to prevent indexing of duplicate pages (00:58:34).
• Reviewing and fixing canonical errors can be done by understanding that these alerts are intended to point to the main page for a particular topic, and emailing the support team can provide further guidance on how to address these issues (00:59:20).

Privacy and Data Security Concerns

• The discussion is about the potential concerns of using AI tools like N8n to scrape and export member information, and it is assumed that these tools are not going to store or make the data public, but rather use private workflows (01:00:22).
• The tools, such as N8N, Zapier, or Pably, allow users to pull their data into the tools, but the data itself is not stored or made public by the tools, and instead, the user has control over the private workflows (01:00:34).
• There is a concern that someone could scrape the N8N directories, which would be a copyright issue, especially if the content is original, and it is noted that directories can be hard to copyright (01:00:54).
• Some directories have anti-scraper tools, such as throttling, and bots are restricted, which can help protect the sites from aggressive AI bots that are scraping the data (01:01:11).

Webinar Conclusion and Next Steps

• The webinar is coming to an end, and the next one will be in two weeks, and the replay of the video will be posted in the Facebook group, and viewers are encouraged to take advantage of the swag at shop.brilliantdirectories.com (01:01:38).
• The Brilliant Directories team appreciate the viewers and thank them for joining, and wish them a great day and a brilliant week (01:02:02).