NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — September 5, 2025 — Early-stage startups often burn through budgets on paid advertising, but according to Adrian Czarnoleski, SEO consultant and founder of Rankulate, this approach can leave companies dangerously dependent.
“Too many companies are running on ads as life support,” Czarnoleski said. “I’ve seen startups doing millions in revenue but spending almost the same on ads. The day those campaigns are turned off, the business collapses.”
While paid ads can deliver immediate traction, Czarnoleski advises allocating no more than half of marketing spend to advertising. The rest, he argues, should go toward organic channels that compound over time.
Search engine optimization remains one of the most powerful but underutilized growth levers. Czarnoleski describes SEO as “controlling the real estate in your market.” By ranking for the right queries, startups can generate both clicks and long-term credibility.
Recommended strategies include:
“Startups that begin early see exponential growth from organic traffic within 3–9 months,” he noted.
Reddit has become a top discovery platform, with threads frequently ranking in Google’s top three search results and even surfacing in AI-generated summaries. Czarnoleski advises founders to:
“If you’re absent from Reddit discussions, you’re invisible where both customers and AI models are looking,” he said.
Czarnoleski calls YouTube one of the most overlooked long-term growth channels. Unlike paid video ads, optimized “how-to” and problem-solving videos continue generating leads years after publication. “Think of YouTube as a search engine,” he stressed.
Press releases remain a cost-effective credibility tool, especially when pitched to niche outlets. Beyond visibility in traditional media, Czarnoleski highlights a hidden benefit: AI trust signals.
“Paid ads won’t get you into AI results,” he said. “But well-placed content, Reddit discussions, YouTube videos, and PR citations will.”
Rankulate reports some clients already see 10–15% of leads directly from AI-driven sources.
“Investors want scalable distribution models,” Czarnoleski added. “Brands overly dependent on ad spend don’t pass that test.”
Rankulate is an SEO consultancy helping startups and high-growth companies build sustainable, organic growth strategies. Using data-driven frameworks, the firm enables founders to reduce ad dependency and unlock long-term distribution leverage.
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