Getting Your Brand AI SEO Ready for 2027
Marketing trends and the AI SEO plays from Primal's DISRUPT seminar, plus the consumer shifts that ready your brand for AI Search in 2027
Mark McDowell
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Primal
About Mark
Mark McDowell is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Primal, a marketing agency with offices in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. He started Primal in Bangkok in 2015, at the age of 25.
Primal has grown to 150+ people and has worked with 300+ brands, including McDonald’s, Under Armour and IHG. Its work has generated over $1 billion in revenue for its clients.
Mark writes and speaks about AI search and search engine optimisation (SEO). He publishes videos on YouTube and LinkedIn and has guest lectured at universities in Thailand.
Before Primal, he worked at a digital marketing agency in Australia. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Otago in New Zealand.
Expertise
- AI search
- Search engine optimisation (SEO)
- Performance marketing
- Marketing strategy
- Agency growth
Work Experience
- Founder and Chief Executive OfficerPrimal, Bangkok2015 to Present
- Vice President, SAMA ThailandStrategic Asia Marketing Alliance (SAMA)
- Account ManagerDigital marketing agency, Australia2014 to 2015
Education
- Bachelor of CommerceUniversity of Otago, New Zealand
Recognition
- 2022Most People-Focused CEO HR Excellence Awards ThailandBronze
- 2021300 High Flyers Prestige ThailandListed
- 2021Future Leader, Agency Digiday Future Leader AwardsNominee
- 202030 Under 30 Asia, Media, Marketing And Advertising ForbesListed
- 2020The Future List Koktail MagazineListed
- 2018Southeast Asia Young Achiever Of The Year Campaign Asia Agency Of The YearWinner
- 2018Young Professional Thailand International Business AwardsWinner
Profiles
Articles By Mark McDowell
KOL Meaning And How A KOL Differs From An Influencer
KOL meaning in plain words, how a KOL differs from an influencer and a KOC, KOL tiers by audience size, Thai law on paid posts and how to measure the work.
What Is an Agency? All 8 Types and How to Choose Yours
An agency is a professional representative for your business. See what agencies do, the 8 main types, how fees are structured and how to choose one.
AI Search in Thailand 2026: 10 Findings From 4.3M AI Citations
The top 2 brands in each category get 71% of AI mentions. Only 5.7% of AI citations come from a brand's own website. 10 findings from 203 Thai brands.
What Is AI Search And Where Its Answers Come From
AI search answers a question in writing and cites the pages it read. How it works, the tools used in Thailand, and the sites AI answers cite.
33 AI Marketing Statistics For Business In Search And Ads
AI statistics for marketing in Thailand, each with its source, on how firms use AI, how people search, what AI answers cite and how AI buys ads.
What Are AI Overviews And How To Get Your Website Cited
What Google's AI Overviews are, where their answers come from, which searches show one, and how to get cited and measure it in Search Console.
ChatGPT SEO And How To Rank In ChatGPT Answers
ChatGPT SEO explained, with how ChatGPT search picks the pages it cites, the steps to rank in its answers and prompts for SEO work.
Gemini SEO And How To Rank In Gemini Answers
Gemini SEO explained, with how Gemini picks the pages it cites, what Google-Extended controls, the steps to get cited and how to measure the results.
Perplexity SEO And How To Rank In Perplexity AI
Perplexity SEO explained, with how Perplexity picks and labels its sources, which crawlers to let in, a 4-week plan to get cited and how to measure it.
What Is Generative Engine Optimisation And How To Start
What generative engine optimisation (GEO) is, what the original study found, how Google sees it, which sites AI answers cite and how to start.
What Is Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) And How To Do It
What answer engine optimisation (AEO) is, how Google, ChatGPT and Gemini pick the pages they quote, and how to write and measure answers.
What Is SEO And How Does It Work For Your Business
What SEO is and what it stands for, how Google crawls, indexes and ranks pages, the 4 types of SEO, and how SEO differs from Google Ads and AI answers.
What Is Keyword Research And How To Do It Step By Step
What keyword research is, the types of keywords and how to do it in 6 steps, with Search Console data on which search terms bring the clicks.
Facebook Ad Sizes And Specs 2026 For Each Placement
Facebook ad sizes for the feed, Stories, Reels, carousel and video from Meta's own specs, with the safe zone in pixels and the files to make first.
What Are Backlinks And Which Ones Help SEO And AI Search
Backlinks are links from other websites to yours. The types, how to check them in Search Console, and the kinds of site AI answers cite most.
How To Do SEO For Your Website Step By Step
How to do SEO in 9 steps, from keywords and technical fixes to content, links and AI answers, with Search Console data on which positions get clicks.
What Is CPAS And How Do Collaborative Ads Work
What CPAS is, how Meta's collaborative ads use a Shopee or Lazada catalogue, what a brand can see, how to set it up and how to measure it.
What Is Content Marketing And How To Get Started
Content marketing is content that answers your buyers' questions. The types, the steps to start, how to measure it, and Primal's data on what it brings.
What Is Digital Marketing And How To Start
What digital marketing is, how it differs from online marketing, its main channels in Thailand, how each is paid for and measured, and how to start.
What Is A LINE Official Account And How Does It Work
What a LINE Official Account is, the 3 account types, which messages use the monthly quota, how to pick a tier, OpenChat and the end of LINE VOOM.
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Articles on SEO, AI search and advertising from the Primal team across our offices in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Singapore.