Host: Sean Barber — https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanrbarber/ (He/Him)

In this Real Talk With Sean episode, I’m joined by Jess Joyce, Natalia Witczyk, and Jade Pruett for a wide-ranging discussion covering the future of SEO, AI search, data reporting, content creation, social media, and how marketers can adapt in an increasingly AI-driven world.

We look at how teams should approach the growing amount of data available to them, why storytelling is becoming more important than ever, how brands can maintain a human edge in AI-generated content, the future of international SEO, and the challenges surrounding social media and younger generations.

My Guests:

Jess Joyce — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessjoyce/

Natalia Witczyk — https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliawitczyk/

Jade Pruett — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jade-pruett/

Topics Covered:

- The Data Overload Problem: With more platforms, tools, and AI data available than ever, how marketers can avoid being overwhelmed and focus on meaningful insights

- Creating Stories From Data: Why reporting is moving away from dashboards and toward explaining what the numbers actually mean for businesses

- The Search Data Challenge: The limitations of GA4, Search Console, third-party tools, attribution, and why a single source of truth may not exist

- Using Data Across The Business: Bringing together SEO, PPC, sales, customer insights, and other teams to create a clearer picture of performance

- AI, MCPs & The Future Of Reporting: How AI tools will increase the amount of available data and make storytelling skills even more important

- Moving Beyond Vanity Metrics: Why marketers need to focus more on conversions, revenue, donations, and real business outcomes rather than traffic alone

- Humanising Content In An AI World: Why expertise, personal experiences, opinions, and human perspectives are becoming the biggest differentiators

- The Last 20% AI Can’t Create: How brands can use subject matter experts, customer stories, and original insights to build trust

- International SEO In The AI Era: Why localisation will become increasingly important as AI models struggle with regional differences and cultural context

- Creating Content AI Cannot Replicate: The importance of communities, user-generated content, real experiences, and building genuine authority

- AI As A Collaboration Tool: Using AI for research, brainstorming, and workflows while keeping humans involved in the final output

- The Future Of Social Media For Younger Generations: Discussing age restrictions, mental health concerns, online safety, and the impact of social platforms

- AI, Algorithms & Online Responsibility: Exploring the balance between freedom, safety, moderation, and the future direction of online platforms

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