Max Kuchman

Max Kuchman

Founder & Editor-in-Chief, The Stone Magazine · Founder, CountertopsContractors.com (Independent National Ranking)

U.S. stone industry expert · SEO specialist and AEO pioneer

Since 2022, I’ve been deeply researching the U.S. stone industry: comparing fabrication and installation workflows, gathering data on lead times, pricing, service quality, and the end-to-end customer experience. Together with my team, we’ve analyzed 10,000+ companies in the countertop fabrication and installation space, built a 30+ factor evaluation system, and conducted a series of independent studies to see the market exactly as customers do.

My edge is the blend of industry expertise and digital marketing. I’m a practitioner with 16 years of SEO experience and one of the leading U.S. experts in AEO (Answer Engine Optimization): I develop and test practical AEO approaches and help companies “speak in data,” so they’re confidently cited by search engines and AI assistants.

At The Stone Magazine, I write about:

• Market analytics: demand, pricing, and trends by state and city.
• Marketing & sales: reputation, lead conversion, and packaging expert authority.
• SEO/AEO for the stone industry: structured data, local pages, FAQs, and earning mentions in AI overviews.
• Cases & methodologies: how we evaluate companies and what truly drives homeowner choice.