In this episode of Chat With Sean, I’m joined by Patrick Stox, Product Advisor and Technical SEO at Ahrefs. Patrick shares his insights on AI search, brand authority, and how SEO practices are evolving in 2026. We dive into the role of AI in shaping search results, the importance of brand mentions, and the ongoing relevance of backlinks in the AI-driven world.

Patrick explains why traditional SEO tactics like content creation and backlink building are still valuable, but need to adapt to the new landscape of AI-first search. We also explore how companies can control their digital identities, the rise of programmatic content, and the potential for AI to automate many SEO tasks.

Topics covered include:-

AI search optimization and its impact on SEO

- How brand authority shapes AI-driven rankings

- The evolving role of backlinks and mentions in search algorithms

- AI visibility and its effect on content strategy

- Optimizing for the bottom of the funnel in an AI world

- The future of SEO in 2026 and beyond

📍 Connect with Patrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickstox/

In this episode of Chat With Sean, I’m joined by Victoria Ibukun Oludare, an experienced freelance SEO content writer, with expertise in content writing, SEO, copywriting, and more.

Victoria shares her thoughts on how content optimization is evolving in 2026, and how the intersection of SEO and AI is shaping the future of content creation. We discuss the importance of structure in content for both AI and human readers, as well as strategies for successful content optimization, including pillar content, blogs, and the role of AI in writing.

We also explore common content mistakes, how to maintain productivity as a freelancer, and why blog content will continue to be relevant in 2026 despite the rise of AI-driven content.

Connect With Victoria – https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-ibukun-oludare/

https://victoriacrafts.com.ng/

Topics we cover:

• How content optimization is evolving for 2026

• The role of AI in content creation and SEO

• Content strategy: pillar topics, supporting topics, and the user journey

• Why blog content is still important in 2026

• Common content mistakes and how to avoid them

• Freelance productivity and adding value as a content creator

• The intersection of SEO, content, and AI

• Field research vs. AI-generated content

• Maintaining topical authority and the importance of visibility

• Building a personal brand in the freelance content space

Filmed On: 15th January 2026Host: Sean Barber - / https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanrbarber/ - He & Him

In this episode of Chat With Sean, I’m joined by Darren Shaw - Founder of Whitespark, long-time local SEO authority, and creator of the Local Search Ranking Factors study.

Darren breaks down what actually moves the needle in local SEO right now, what most businesses are still getting wrong, and how Google Maps, reviews, AI agents, and social signals are reshaping local visibility heading into 2026.

We dive deep into review recency, business hours, service-area myths, Google Business Profile optimisation, AI-powered local discovery, and why Google is likely to dominate local AI search.

Connect With Darren - https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenshaw https://www.whitespark.ca

Topics we cover•

What most people still misunderstand about local SEO

• Review recency vs review volume

• How to actually generate more Google reviews

• Anonymous Google reviews — risk or opportunity?

• Local SEO myths

• Business hours as a hidden ranking factor

• Service-area businesses, hidden addresses & ranking drops• Why Google Posts don’t affect rankings — but do drive conversions

• Social content showing directly inside Google Maps results

• Short-form video as a local SEO advantage

• AI agents coming to Google Business Profiles

• Why Google is better positioned than ChatGPT for local AI search

• Building a personal brand alongside a growing SEO business

In this episode of Chat With Sean, I’m joined by Carmen Domínguez, Director of Organic & Brand Growth at Welltech and an international search and digital growth speaker.

Carmen returns to the show to unpack how organic search has fundamentally changed — from classic SEO into a much broader mix of brand, reputation, social platforms, communities, and AI-driven discovery.

We discuss why SEO is now only a small part of modern organic growth, how platforms like Reddit, YouTube, Pinterest, and social media influence AI systems and search visibility, and why brand trust and reputation are becoming non-negotiable in both Google and AI-powered experiences.

The conversation also covers the risks of AI in health, the explosion of low-quality AI content, what’s really happening on YouTube right now, and why human connection still wins - even as platforms automate more of the web.

Connect With Carmen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmen-dominguez-rodriguez/?locale=en_US

https://welltech.com/

We covered a wide range of topics, including:

- Why SEO is now only a fraction of modern organic growth

- The rise of brand, reputation, PR, and community as ranking signals

- How Reddit influences Google, ChatGPT, Gemini, and brand perception

- Managing negative sentiment and reputation at scale

- Why brand ownership in search is often unclear inside organisations

- The dangers of AI in health and medical recommendations

- Why AI makes misinformation more convincing — not less

- GEO vs SEO: what’s actually changing (and what isn’t)

- Why many SEO roles and titles no longer reflect reality

- The explosion of low-quality AI content across the web

- How AI is overwhelming platform safeguards

- Why YouTube success depends on audience insight, not volume

- Shorts vs long-form video and real YouTube growth mechanics

- Using human-led content to outperform AI-generated videos

- Community building as a long-term growth and trust strategy

- Why ROI thinking often breaks brand and marketing

- How search, social, product, and brand are fully converging

- What the future of search and the internet may look like

Filmed On: 8th January 2026Host: Sean Barber - / https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanrbarber/ - He & Him

In this episode of Chat With Sean, I’m joined by James Hocking - Co-founder of Get Heard Online, data & AI specialist, and recent BrightonSEO speaker.

James has been working with AI since the late 90s, and in this chat we break down what the rise of AI-powered search really means for brands - including why GEO isn’t just SEO rebranded, how businesses should think about AI visibility tools, and why prompts + questions matter more than most people realise.

We also dig into the reality of AI adoption inside companies, why sentiment scores can be misleading, and what the next 12 months might look like as Google, ChatGPT and others battle to become the default interface for discovery.

Connect With James – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameshocking-hd/

Get Heard Online – https://getheard.online/Quiz - https://getheardonline.scoreapp.com/

We covered a wide range of topics, including:

- James’s early AI background (1998 neural networks → modern LLMs)

- Why GEO is not “SEO all over again” (and why it’s more complicated)

- How Get Heard Online measures why brands are mentioned / not mentioned / replaced

- The AI readiness quiz James created and who it’s useful for

- The ethics + risk side of AI adoption (data governance, drift, guardrails)

- Why brand reputation will matter more as AI becomes the spokesperson

- The problem with sentiment scores (especially across different AI systems)

- How businesses should choose which AI platforms matter most-

Why prompts/questions must reflect real customer behaviour (not marketer language)

- Which platforms are most likely to “win” by late 2026 (Google, Apple + more)

Filmed On: 8th January 2026

Host: Sean Barber - / https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanrbarber/ - He & Him

In this episode of Chat With Sean, I’m joined by Bengu Sarica Dincer — SEO Manager at Designmodo and international speaker (BrightonSEO and more).

We dig into SEO predictions for 2026, what “quality content” really means when traffic doesn’t tell the full story anymore, and why being discoverable across multiple ecosystems (social, communities, AI search, marketplaces) is becoming essential.

Bengu also shares practical advice on GA4 user journey tracking, common mistakes marketers still make, and the best tools + resources she recommends.

Topics covered

- SEO in 2026: being discoverable everywhere, not just ranking pages

- Why user journeys are no longer linear

- Content success beyond traffic: trust, confidence, next actions

- GA4: tracking meaningful decisions (not vanity events)

- Tools for AI visibility + performance analysis

- Best GA4 learning resource recommendations

- Events and conferences Bengu is attending this year

Related Sources:

https://www.duda.co/webinars

https://developers.google.com/analytics/learn/beginners

https://www.analyticsmania.com/

https://www.searchwithsean.com/post/digital-marketing-trends-2026-what-the-experts-are-saying

Connect With Bengu - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bengu-sarica-dincer/

In this episode of Chat With Sean, I’m joined by Eli Schwartz - growth advisor, SEO strategist, and author of Product‑Led SEO — to unpack what really matters as search settles into an AI-driven “new normal”.

We explore why top-of-funnel SEO is fading, why that’s not a bad thing, and how mid-funnel search is becoming the most valuable battleground for brands. Eli explains why AI isn’t killing SEO, but removing low-value content, forcing businesses to compete on real signals like trust, reputation, customer experience, and genuine demand.

We also dive deep into E-E-A-T, why it’s widely misunderstood, how AI systems evaluate credibility more like humans do, and why you can no longer “fake being the best” - you either deserve visibility or you don’t. From personalised search and AI-driven decision moments, to annual SEO planning, measurement, and why Google Search Console remains the closest thing to a source of truth, this conversation cuts through noise and focuses on what will still work in 2026 and beyond.

Topics covered include:

- Why AI is creating a new search normal (not an apocalypse)

- The decline of top-of-funnel SEO and what replaces it-

Mid-funnel search as the real growth opportunity

- Personalised search and what it means for marketers

- E-E-A-T, trust, and why credibility can’t be faked

- How AI evaluates authority like a human would

- Real-world signals that matter for AI visibility

- Why PR, reputation, and product matter more than tactics

- The pizza shop analogy for focused SEO strategy

- Google Search Console vs third-party SEO tools

- How to build a realistic annual SEO plan

Connect With Eli - https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwartze/

https://www.productledseo.com/2026 Digital Marketing Predictions Blog - https://www.searchwithsean.com/post/digital-marketing-trends-2026-what-the-experts-are-saying

In this episode of Chat With Sean, I’m joined by Jason Barnard - one of the leading thinkers on brand authority, entity optimisation, and how AI systems understand people and businesses.

We explore how search and AI engines build “digital identities”, why namesake confusion is becoming a serious reputational risk, and how brands and individuals can proactively control how they’re represented across Google, knowledge graphs, and AI assistants.

Jason explains why websites still matter even as traffic declines, how AI models act as advocates at the moment of decision, and why most businesses are fighting the funnel in the wrong direction. We also dive into personal branding in an AI-first world, entity homes, governance audits, and why relying on third-party platforms like LinkedIn or Wikipedia can be risky long-term.

Topics covered include:

- Brand narrative control in search and AI

- Entity homes and single sources of truth

- Namesake confusion and AI misattribution

- Why websites still matter in an AI world

- Bottom-of-funnel marketing strategy

- How AI engines influence buying decisions

- Governance audits and control of brand data

- Personal branding in ambient AI environments

- Marketing predictions for 2026

Connect with Jason - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmbarnard/