Jason Barnard’s Impromptu Talk at SEMrush Tel Aviv 2019: “How Google Ranking Works - Darwinism in Search”
TEL AVIV, ISRAEL - May 30-31, 2019 - The SEMrush Meetup in Tel Aviv brought together digital marketing professionals from across the region for two days of learning, discussion, and real-world insight. Set against the energy of one of the world’s most dynamic tech hubs, the event was an offline, in-person gathering that focused on the evolving realities of search, paid media, and brand discovery in the modern digital landscape.
Among the key moments of the meetup was an impromptu talk by Jason Barnard, CEO and founder of Kalicube®, who stepped forward to present his concept: “How Google Ranking Works - Darwinism in Search.”
Jason Barnard explained that Google’s ranking system mirrors evolution itself: an environment where different pieces of content compete, adapt, and either survive or disappear based on relevance, clarity, and user satisfaction. In this ecosystem, success is not defined by keywords alone, but by how well a brand and its content are understood, trusted, and chosen by both users and machines.
Barnard emphasized that the future of visibility lies beyond traditional SEO tactics. Instead, brands must teach algorithms who they truly are - moving from ranking pages to establishing meaning, context, and authority in a machine-readable world. His spontaneous yet powerful session reframed SEO as an exercise in understanding, credibility, and long-term relevance.
Conversations Recorded Face-to-Face: #SEOisAEO at the Beach in Tel Aviv
Alongside his talk, Jason Barnard recorded in-person podcast interviews with two respected digital marketing figures, transforming the scenic Tel Aviv coastline into a unique open-air studio for the #SEOisAEO series.
Joel Bondorowsky on Attention Deficit Disorder and PPC
On the beach in Tel Aviv, Joel Bondorowsky shared his unconventional journey into PPC. Living with attention deficit disorder, Bondorowsky explained that long-term, rigid goals were often difficult to maintain - unless the task was short-term, high pressure, or genuinely fun. PPC, he discovered, met all three conditions.
What began as a personal challenge turned into a professional calling when he joined Wix.com, where paid media allowed him to transform perceived limitations into a unique advantage. Together, Barnard and Bondorowsky likened PPC to a strategic game with clear rules, constant feedback, and an addictive rhythm - one where experience and pattern recognition are just as important as technical know-how.
The conversation expanded into gamification, drawing parallels between professional PPC management, data analysis, and even slot-machine mechanics - a reminder that behind every platform is human psychology, choice, and risk.
Fernando Angulo on the Power of Featured Snippets
Jason’s second conversation was with Fernando Angulo, who at the time had participated in over 150 industry events worldwide. Their discussion focused on SEMrush’s extensive study of more than 80 million featured snippets, revealing how search results were rapidly evolving toward instant, predictive answers.
Angulo described featured snippets not as a threat, but as an opportunity for brand awareness and authority-building, especially in early-stage buyer research. He highlighted how different countries receive dramatically different search results for the same product terms - a critical insight for global brands and marketers.
Their exchange also explored preposition-based queries, tabular data beauty, and the growing influence of “People Also Ask” boxes, images, and carousels. Together, they concluded that the winning strategy is simple but demanding: solve the user’s problem faster and more clearly than anyone else.
Offline Event, Online Impact
Although the SEMrush Tel Aviv Meetup was an offline, in-person event, its impact extended far beyond the physical location. Through Jason Barnard’s podcasts and online coverage, the insights gained in Tel Aviv reached a global audience.
This combination of real-world interaction and digital distribution perfectly reflects the modern state of marketing: human conversations powered by global technology.
The SEMrush Tel Aviv Meetup may have lasted only two days, but the ideas shared there continue to influence how marketers think about PPC, SEO, featured snippets, user intent, and the future of search itself.
