In this episode of Chat With Sean, I’m joined by Koray Tugberk Gubur, CEO and Founder of Holistic SEO & Digital. We dive deep into how search engines are evolving with AI, the role of machine learning in indexing, and what this means for SEO professionals in 2026.

Koray shares his insights on:

- The evolution of search systems in the AI era

- Semantic search, embeddings, and vectors

- The intersection of AI and SEO signals

- How AI changes user behaviour and how brands can adapt

Topics covered include:

- Search system fundamentals in an AI‑first world

- The shift in indexing and retrieval with machine learning

- The importance of semantic signals for SEO

- Understanding user intent through AI

- Practical strategies for SEO in 2026

In this episode of Chat With Sean, I’m joined by Adrijana Vujadin, an SEO mindset coach and expert in helping SEOs overcome the mental barriers to success. Adrijana shares her unique approach to coaching SEO professionals, focusing on the importance of mindset and personal development for achieving freelance success and landing high-paying clients.

We discuss how to shift from low-paying clients to attracting higher-value opportunities, the importance of niche specialization, and strategies for boosting your confidence in negotiating rates. Adrijana also offers valuable insights into how to position yourself as an expert on LinkedIn and navigate the challenges of being a freelance SEO in 2026.

Topics covered include:

- The role of mindset in SEO success

- How to attract high-paying SEO clients and avoid low-value clients

- Why niching down can be a game-changer for your SEO career

- Building a personal brand on LinkedIn

- The psychology behind pricing and negotiations

- Lessons learned from transitioning to freelancing

- Overcoming imposter syndrome and fear of failure

In this episode of Chat With Sean, I'm joined by Christian Goodrich, Head of Search Marketing and AI Search at SOZO, for an insightful conversation on the rapidly evolving world of SEO, AI-driven search, and the tools shaping the future of digital marketing. Christian shares his insights on the transformative shifts in the search landscape, from the growing influence of AI search models to the strategic changes brands must make to stay competitive in 2026.

We explore the latest trends, including the impact of AI overviews, agentic commerce, and how SEO and paid media teams must collaborate more than ever to deliver unified, data-driven strategies. Christian also discusses how brands can adapt to AI-driven platforms like Google and ChatGPT, and the crucial role of YouTube and other external citations in shaping brand visibility.

Topics covered include:

- The rise of AI search and agentic commerce in 2026

- How AI overviews are reshaping SEO and brand visibility

- The importance of SEO tools in AI-driven strategies

- The future of backlinks and content strategies

- The importance of YouTube and external citations in AI-driven search

- How SEO and paid media teams can collaborate for better results

- Predictions for the SEO industry and digital marketing landscape

In this episode of Chat With Sean, I'm joined by Craig Campbell, a legend of digital marketing with over 22 years of experience. Craig shares his insights into the rapidly evolving SEO landscape, from the shifting role of backlinks to the challenges and opportunities presented by AI-driven search and Google updates.

We discuss the impact of the latest advancements in search, including the rise of agentic AI in browsers and how SEO professionals can stay ahead. Craig also touches on the need for diversification in traffic sources, the importance of personal branding, and how the SEO industry has changed over the years.

Topics covered include:

- The state of SEO and search in 2026

- The importance of diversifying traffic sources

- How AI and personalised search are reshaping SEO strategies

- The future of backlinks and content strategies in the changing landscape

- Personal branding and the growing role of video content

In this episode of Chat With Sean, I’m joined by Talia Wolf, Founder and CEO of Getuplift, a leader in customer-first conversion optimisation. We look into how emotions play a critical role in conversion rate optimisation (CRO) and the evolving landscape of digital marketing.

Talia shares her insights on using emotional targeting to enhance the customer journey, the challenges of personalisation in a crowded market, and how brands can stand out by understanding customer pain points at a deeper level. We also discuss the strategic side of CRO and why focusing on messaging and emotional resonance can drive meaningful, lasting conversions.

Topics covered include:

- The importance of emotional targeting in CRO

- How to create content that truly resonates with your audience

- The challenges and benefits of personalisation

- Using customer research to optimise websites and content

- Why understanding sentiment is crucial in today’s marketing world

In this episode of Chat With Sean, I’m joined by Jamie Indigo, Director of Technical SEO at Cox Automotive, a leading voice on crawling, indexing, and the evolving search landscape. We look into the future of SEO as AI continues to influence search behaviours and strategies.

Jamie shares her insights on crawl budgets, the impact of AI on indexing, and how to optimize your site to avoid the pitfalls of low-quality content. We also discuss best practices for handling JavaScript, subdomains, and the significance of making content truly useful in the AI-driven world.

Topics covered include:

- How AI is changing the crawling and indexing game

- The importance of optimizing crawl budgets for large websites

- Best practices for managing technical SEO at scale

- Why site maps are more valuable for diagnostics than for crawling

- The shift in AI models and how it affects content discovery

In this episode of Chat With Sean, I’m joined once again by Eli Schwartz - growth advisor, SEO strategist, and author of Product-Led SEO—to dive deeper into how search is evolving with AI.

We explore why top-of-funnel SEO is on the decline and how mid-funnel search is emerging as the most valuable battleground for brands. Eli explains why AI isn’t killing SEO, but instead, it’s removing low-value content and forcing businesses to focus on real signals like trust, reputation, customer experience, and genuine demand.

We also discuss the evolving role of Reddit and social media in AI search, and why SEO teams shouldn’t always own those channels. Eli shares his thoughts on Meta as a competitor to Google in the AI search space, and how AI visibility is shaping SEO strategies for the future.

Topics covered include:

- Why AI search is reshaping SEO, not destroying it

- The decline of top-of-funnel SEO and the rise of mid-funnel strategies

- Why brands need to focus on trust and reputation, not just rankings

- The importance of E-E-A-T and why authority can’t be faked

- How AI evaluates authority like a human would

- The role of Reddit, social media, and brand visibility in AI search

- Meta's growing role in AI search and its competition with Google

- Understanding AI visibility, SEO responsibility, and collaboration

- The future of prompt tracking and AI-driven workflows

In this episode of Chat With Sean, I’m joined by Dana DiTomaso, Principal & Founder of Kick Point, Inc., and the creator of the Analytics Playbook - a renowned course that helps marketers harness the power of data for their careers. We dive deep into GA4, the challenges of tracking AI traffic, and how custom analytics setups are more important than ever.

Dana shares valuable insights on setting up Google Tag Manager, avoiding common pitfalls in GA4, and how to use AI tools for more accurate data analysis. We also discuss the evolving landscape of SEO reporting, including how AI-powered content is shifting user behaviour and how brands should adapt their tracking strategies for 2026.

Topics covered include:

- The problem with Bounce Rate in GA4

- How to use AI tools to analyse GA4 data

- Transitioning from Universal Analytics to GA4

- Customizing your GA4 reports for actionable insights

- The importance of consent management and GDPR compliance

- How AI traffic is changing the SEO landscape