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/

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

In this episode of Chat With Sean, I’m joined by Jes Scholz, a marketing consultant specialising in entity optimisation, smart content distribution, and technical SEO.

We explore what marketing and search will really look like heading into 2026 - from the rise of AI-generated content and the growing importance of brand authenticity, to why share of voice is a more meaningful KPI than traffic alone.

Jes breaks down why “quality content” is the wrong goal, how to create distribution-worthy content, and why distinctive brand assets matter more than perfect keyword optimisation. We also go deep on AI agents, conversion friction, accessibility, and what websites must do to stay relevant as bots increasingly become the primary users.

The conversation finishes with a powerful reframing of EEAT, brand sentiment, and why fame, familiarity, and expectation-setting will define which brands win and which quietly disappear in an AI-driven search landscape.

Topics covered include:

- The biggest marketing trends heading into 2026

- AI content, authenticity, and platform trust signals

- Why share of voice is the leading indicator of market share- Distinctive brand assets and familiarity in search

- What “distribution-worthy” content really means

- Why EEAT checklists miss the point

- AI agents, text-based browsers, and conversion friction

- The future role of websites in an agent-led web

- Brand sentiment, reviews, and LLM trust signals

- Why “fame” may matter more than EEAT in the AI era

Filmed On: 11th December 2025

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

In this episode of Chat With Sean, I’m joined by Ashley Liddell — Co-founder & Search Everywhere Director at Deviation, and recent main-stage speaker at BrightonSEO.

Ashley returns to break down how search is expanding far beyond Google, why social platforms and LLMs are reshaping discovery, and what “Search Everywhere” really means in practice for brands and SEOs heading into 2026.

We also explore why revenue (not traffic) should be the primary SEO KPI, how agencies need to rethink value and pricing, and what the rise of AI-driven commerce means for websites, brands, and attribution.

Connect With Ashley - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-liddell-seo/

Watch / listen on Spotify -

We covered a wide range of topics, including:

- What “Search Everywhere” actually looks like in real-world strategy

- Why social search (TikTok, YouTube, Reddit & more) is now critical to discovery

- SEO vs GEO and how acronyms distract from real change- Why revenue should be SEO’s primary KPI — not traffic or rankings

- How AI, LLMs and agentic commerce are reshaping user journeys

- The role of digital PR, brand preference and off-site signals in AI visibility

- How to break down silos between SEO, social and brand teams

- What successful agencies will need to do differently in 2026

Filmed On: 11th December 2025Host: Sean Barber - / https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanrbarber/ - He & Him

In this episode of Chat With Sean, I’m joined by Success Olagboye — a Content Strategist and Writer who helps SaaS brands grow MRR and organic traffic through conversion-driven, intent-focused content.

Success shares a practical, grounded view on how AI is reshaping search and brand visibility, why generic content is no longer enough, and what it actually takes to be cited and surfaced by large language models. We explore how AI is changing discovery beyond Google, why sentiment and reputation matter more than ever, and what smaller brands must do to compete in an AI-first search landscape. Drawing on original research across 400+ websites, Success explains why some brands stick in AI answers while others disappear — and what marketers should prioritise heading into 2026.

We cover:

- How AI is changing website visibility and discovery

- What “AI-ready” content really looks like in practice

- Why generic, volume-driven content no longer performs

- The role of intent and conversion-driven content

- How LLMs cite, reference and surface brands

- Original research into AI brand-mention volatility

- Why authority, sentiment and reputation influence AI visibility

- How smaller and newer sites can compete with larger brands

- Diversifying content formats beyond blog posts

- The growing importance of social platforms and communities

- Keyword research without relying on paid SEO tools

- Tracking brand mentions across AI platforms

- What marketers should prioritise for 2026

- Predictions on AI Mode and the future of search

Related Links -https://freelancecoalition.org/blog/awr-brand-mention-volatility-study/

https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/gandalf/jbgiodbegchgghglkonokgjjenchbjce

Connect With Success - https://www.linkedin.com/in/success-olagboye/

In this episode of Chat With Sean, I’m joined by international SEO consultant Natalia Witczyk, who recently spent time working directly inside China’s digital ecosystem. Natalia shares what it’s really like to live in a world where super-apps replace websites, payments are entirely mobile, and AI is built directly into devices rather than bolted on as an add-on. Her on-the-ground perspective reveals a technology landscape that has evolved differently and in many ways faster than anything we experience in the West.

We explore how China skipped the PC era, why WeChat functions like a national operating system, how search behaviour differs on Baidu, and why DeepSeek has become the AI model of choice for hundreds of millions of users. Natalia also breaks down the cultural, structural and economic factors that shape discovery, user expectations, content formats and marketing strategy — and what China’s trajectory signals about the future of search, AI and platform fragmentation globally.

We cover:

- How mobile-first culture transformed daily life, payments and commerce

- The role of WeChat as a super-app powering messaging, search, payments and mini-programs

- Why user journeys in China are far more fragmented than in the West- Key differences between Baidu and Google — and what SEO looks like in China

- How DeepSeek powers AI features across multiple platforms

- The limits of Western platforms (Google, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Wikipedia) inside China

- How offline and online blend through QR-driven discovery and attribution

- Why cognitive overload shapes Chinese consumer behaviour

- China’s social platform landscape: TikTok/Douyin and rural-first apps

- AI at device level: AI-native smartphones, interfaces and embedded features

- Robotics adoption and how ageing demographics accelerate automation

- Why Western brands often fail when entering China — and how to localise effectively

- What China teaches us about the future of search, content and platform ecosystems

-The rising cost of paid search and the need for hyper-precise targeting