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/

In this episode of Chat With Sean, I’m joined by Greg Gifford - one of the most respected voices in local SEO and Chief Operating Officer at SearchLab.

We dive deep into how local search is evolving as AI enters the ecosystem, from why review recency now outweighs volume, to how Google Business Profiles, citations, and maps data are becoming critical again in an AI-driven world.

Greg explains why local search hasn’t been disrupted as fast as informational SEO, what businesses should actually focus on today, and how new features like AI-powered price-checking and automated calls could reshape local competition.

We also explore why many businesses still miss basic local SEO fundamentals, how to think about Google as a pattern-recognition system, and why location data will remain a cornerstone of discovery — no matter how advanced AI becomes.

Topics covered include:

- The most important local SEO trends right now

- Why review recency is a powerful ranking signal

- Google Business Profile optimisation that actually matters

- Citations, consistency, and AI hallucinations

- AI calling local businesses for pricing

- Why local search is harder for LLMs to solve

- Reviews, reputation management, and response strategy

- Multi-location SEO at scale- Local SEO predictions for 2026