239: Your EDO Website Looks Great. So Why Isn't It Working? with Max Karren

In this episode of the Econ Dev Show Dane Carlson talks with Max Karren, founder of Choose Our City, about why economic development websites need to do more than look pretty.

Max explains how search engine optimization (SEO) is evolving as site selectors increasingly use ChatGPT and other AI tools to research communities before sending an RFI, and why some EDOs may be practically invisible to those tools.

Drawing on his work with the Dallas Regional Chamber and his review of nine economic development and talent attraction websites, Max identifies two surprisingly common weaknesses: slow websites and poor lead capture. They discuss practical ways to improve discoverability, make community data accessible to AI, use Google Search Console to understand website performance, and turn anonymous visitors into meaningful connections.

Max also shares how he's using AI coding tools to run a lean web development agency and how his childhood obsession with SimCity eventually turned into a career helping real communities grow.

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Ten actionable takeaways for economic developers

Find out what AI says about your community.

Open ChatGPT or another AI search tool in a fresh session. Ask questions a site selector or prospective resident might ask. Does your community appear? Is the information accurate? Identify what is missing and what your organization can do to improve its online information.

Make your community data accessible to AI crawlers.

Ask your web developer whether important information is buried in JavaScript. Max explains that some AI crawlers cannot reliably access JavaScript-rendered content. Publishing important facts in accessible HTML can improve discoverability.

Run a mobile website speed test.

Visit Google PageSpeed Insights, enter your website URL, and examine the mobile results. Look for oversized images, unnecessary JavaScript, and excessive files. Share the recommendations with your web developer.