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In a world where 81.8% of the global internet user population has used a search engine at least once in the past 30 days, it’s no surprise that search engine optimization (SEO) is such a talked-about subject in the digital marketing space. Marketers not only want to learn about SEO but also how they can implement new techniques to rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs).
Unless you’re specialized in the field or have been keeping up with the SEO industry for years, it can be hard to keep track of the latest trends and techniques. Recently, TikTok’s SEO Creator incentives program has made waves, offering monetization for content aligned with popular search terms, which is reshaping how influencers and agencies approach SEO strategies on the platform. But you know who always seems to be up-to-date with the dynamic landscape of SEO? SEO Influencers. 
These influencers may be SEO specialists, digital marketing experts, content creators, or even business owners. They are present across a range of platforms from X to LinkedIn. Some run their own blogs, where they share their SEO knowledge extensively. We’ve found some of the best SEO influencers that you can learn from, so let’s dive in.

Like any influencer, an SEO influencer is someone who influences your understanding of a particular field. They are the go-to people for tips, tricks, and insider knowledge about SEO.
These influencers not only provide education on best practices, but some are also well-connected with individuals who shape the algorithms that drive search engines, giving them an edge in predicting and understanding upcoming changes. 
Businesses or SEO specialists get the most benefit from SEO influencers since these individuals are walking and talking libraries of SEO knowledge. For example, a business owner can learn how to update their website in accordance with a recent Google update through an SEO influencer’s blog post or podcast. Similarly, SEO specialists can take insights and tips from these experts to incorporate into their clients’ strategies for the best results.
Usually, if you had to find an influencer, you’d use influencer marketplaces to identify the right fit based on their niche and audience demographics. With SEO influencers, the discovery process is a bit different. These influencers usually have their own websites or blogs where you can find them most active.
One of the first places to look for SEO influencers is LinkedIn. If you regularly engage with SEO-related content, LinkedIn will automatically suggest relevant profiles for you to connect with. You can also join related groups or follow hashtags like #SEO to find thought leaders in the space.
The same goes for X, which is another platform where SEO influencers have a presence. Again, search for relevant hashtags to find posts from experts or follow them directly to see their content on your timeline.
It was such a pleasure to have this little #SEO chat with @g33konaut and ask a lot of the questions about content that my clients have asked me over the years.
Thanks for having me, Martin and @googlewmc!
Hope you enjoy the video 😍 https://t.co/1jeWf5VVEa
— Lily Ray 😏 (@lilyraynyc) September 9, 2020

However, if you’re looking for SEO influencers in a specific niche or for a particular audience group, Semrush’s Influencer Analytics tool is the perfect choice. With 30+ smart search filters and data breakdowns, the tool lets you search for influencers across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok & Twitch.
Semrush Influencer Discovery
Let’s say you’ve developed a new SEO tool that you want an influencer to promote. You can get detailed analytics for the influencer’s audience, including follower demographics, to understand if they’re a good fit for your brand.
The Campaign Management feature helps you create a media plan for your influencer campaign. It also provides detailed campaign reports, helping you analyze the influencer’s content and performance in a centralized dashboard. 
With automated calculations and data visualization, you can easily spot the best-performing influencers and optimize your future campaigns accordingly.
The SEO influencers we discuss below are well-established in their fields and have created a plethora of resources and tools for SEO professionals and business owners alike. It’s important to note that this list is not exhaustive, and there are many other influential SEO experts out there.
However, we’ve selected these individuals based on their contributions to the SEO community and overall impact on the industry.
Top SEO Influencers for 2024
Platform/s: YouTube, X, Medium, Website
Brian Dean is an SEO expert known for being the founder of Backlinko and Exploding Topics, two highly popular SEO resources now acquired by Semrush. Reaching over 5 million readers, Brian’s SEO insights have established him as an “SEO genius,” as Entrepreneur.com puts it.
His content is straightforward, engaging, and backed by data-driven research, making him an authoritative source in the SEO world. Over the years, his work has been featured in Fast Company, Entrepreneur, U.S. News & World Report, Vox, Fox News, The Next Web, and Forbes. He also creates courses, such as Content-Led SEO with Brian Dean for the Semrush Academy.
Dean’s Backlinko blogs are an excellent source of information due to their data-backed nature. For example, the insights he revealed about the click-through rate (CTR) after analyzing 4 million Google search results helped marketers understand how to increase their CTR.
For bite-sized information, you can head over to his X account, where he shares informational videos. Here’s one in which he explains why people aren’t reading your content and what to do about it.
Wondering why people aren’t reading your content? 👀
Here’s a simple approach that might help solve that problem.#contentmarketing #SEO pic.twitter.com/HwHXuaatYv
— Brian Dean (@BrianEDean) December 22, 2023

Exploding Topics also has a Google Trends-like tool where you can see the latest trending subjects in a wide range of categories, from AI to sports, filtered by timeframe. Interestingly, it can also provide future trend forecasts for up to a year.
Exploding Topics trends tool
Platform/s: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Website
Neil Patel is a well-known digital marketing expert and entrepreneur who has founded multiple successful companies, including Crazy Egg and Kissmetrics. He also runs his global ad agency, NP Digital, which has made it to Inc’s 5000 list of the fastest-growing companies.
Here are some helpful resources Patel has created:
Patel also stays on top of industry news and shares insights on his social media channels. For example, when OpenAI announced their AI-based search experience called SearchGPT, he created a webinar to discuss what this means for SEO.

 He also has extensive video content on his YouTube channel, where he has created playlists to cover different topics in detail. For example, here’s one with over 200 videos explaining how to do SEO and marketing for small websites. 
So, his teachings are not just surface-level. You can learn all the tricks of the trade from him, and that too, for free.
Platform/s: Website, X, LinkedIn
Danny Sullivan is a former search journalist who now works for Google to educate people about the search experience and take their feedback to improve it. Back in 2006, Sullivan co-founded Third Door Media with a colleague. The company created an online publication called Search Engine Land, which focused on search engines and search engine marketing. Search Engine Land also had an accompanying conference series, SMX: Search Marketing Expo, in which Sullivan was actively involved.
He was approached by Google to work with them after stepping down from the role of chief content officer at his company. Today, you can find the news of pretty much every new thing happening at the largest search engine in the world posted on his X account.
Since he is Google’s Search Liaison, the main person who gives insights on how Google Search works, you can also find him active on the @searchliaison X account. For example, after Google launched the 2024 core update, he posted a series of X threads and LinkedIn posts to help people understand what to expect from the update and how it will affect their website’s rankings.
He also regularly co-creates content with other SEO influencers. For example, he discussed the impact of the new update on creators with Barry Schwartz, another influencer we’ll discuss below.
I talked with @rustybrick this week about our latest search update, especially about creators. Not everything from the interview made it into the story (it was a long interview!), so I wanted to share a bit more and highlight some things that I thought were especially important…
— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) September 6, 2024

Similarly, he hopped on to podcasts to talk about the impact of the new update in detail. Basically, he’s your go-to for all things Google-related.
I’m also happy if SEOs read our guidance and take advantage of it to rank better in Google Search. Because our guidance is meant to make search better for everyone. More in the podcast, which has a transcript: https://t.co/Lnhk7kV02D
And our guidance! https://t.co/NaRQqb1SQx pic.twitter.com/Z0TByX2hcU
— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) August 23, 2023

Platform/s: Website, LinkedIn, YouTube, X
Barry Schwartz, the CEO of RustyBrick, a web service firm, and a contributing editor to Search Engine Land, an online publication that focuses on search engines, is a huge name in the world of SEO. He has won several awards, such as the 2019 Outstanding Community Service Award from the Search Engine Land Awards and the 2018 US Search Personality Of The Year from the US Search Awards.
Plus, he is a member of several internet marketing organizations, such as SEMPO and SEO Consultants. He’s also on the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization’s Education Committee.
Schwartz’s content centers on SEO news, with a focus on Google. He is particularly active when it comes to covering Google algorithm updates and new features. For example, when Google tested the AI Overview, he talked about it on LinkedIn and wrote a detailed post on Search Engine Roundtable, an SEO-related website.
Barry Schwartz LinkedIn post
He also created a YouTube video recap to cover Google ranking volatility in the wake of the update and recent Google Ads news.
ICYMI: SEO Video recap covering ongoing Google ranking volatility, Apple Intelligence, Navboost lies, Google Ads news, Bing and local search https://t.co/hUcVy7kjaX
— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) September 13, 2024

Platform/s: LinkedIn, Website
Ann Smarty has been in the SEO space for over 20 years, and she has mentored thousands of professionals and spearheaded many successful SEO campaigns. She’s also a regular contributor to industry publications like Buzzsumo, BrightLocal, Moz, and Search Engine Journal.
One of her recent resources is Smarty’s Digest, a weekly newsletter that covers the latest marketing tools and AI news. She has also co-founded Smarty Marketing, a boutique marketing agency that offers SEO consulting as one of its services.
If you want to learn from her, we recommend checking her LinkedIn page for live streams, which she often hosts with other marketing experts to share their insights and advice. For example, with Google pushing “helpful content,” she went live to explain what it actually means for SEO and how you can satisfy this condition set by the search engine. 
Ann Smarty LinkedIn live
Platform/s: Website, LinkedIn, Instagram, X
Loren Baker, mainly known for being the founder of Search Engine Journal, a popular SEO website, also runs his own digital marketing agency, Foundation Digital. Like most other SEO influencers on this list, he shares tips, techniques, strategies, and tools you can use for SEO.
On his X account, he mainly reposts helpful resources from fellow influencers and industry news updates.
Excellent watch. https://t.co/swCyiLZlfC
— lorenbaker (@lorenbaker) July 23, 2024

His website, Search Engine Journal, covers a wide range of topics related to digital marketing and SEO, including content marketing, social media, PPC advertising, and more. Plus, he often appears on the podcast associated with the website Search Engine Journal Show.
Platform/s: Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Website
The co-founder and former CEO of Moz, Rand Fishkin, is now known for starting SparkToro, an audience research tool. He is also the author of Lost and Founder: A Painfully Honest Field Guide to the Startup World, a guide for entrepreneurs and startups.
On his Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn accounts, he shares insights on digital marketing, entrepreneurship, leadership, and SEO. He also explains how to use SparkToro and creates 5-minute Whiteboards, which are essentially short videos of him explaining SEO concepts.
NEW 5-Minute Whiteboard: https://t.co/N0JnzoCo2X
Because content marketing should be more than just a pseudonym for keyword-targeted articles. pic.twitter.com/ndqPcEdtrm
— Rand Fishkin (follow @randderuiter on Threads) (@randfish) August 29, 2024

Platform/s: LinkedIn, X, Growth Memo, YouTube
Kevin Indig is a well-respected growth strategist and SEO expert, known for his roles at companies like Shopify, G2, and Atlassian, where he led SEO and growth strategies. He now works as a Growth Advisor for fast-growing companies like Reddit, Toast, and Hims. Kevin also runs Growth Memo, a popular newsletter that provides in-depth analysis on SEO, growth marketing, and emerging tech trends.
His insights stand out due to his focus on the intersection of SEO, user experience, and AI. Kevin is particularly active on LinkedIn, where he frequently shares updates on SEO challenges, algorithm changes, and the impact of AI on organic search. For instance, his recent posts dive into how AI Overviews (AIOs) are reshaping search engine results and how businesses can adapt to these shifts.

On X, he’s known for thought-provoking commentary on industry developments, such as his analysis of Google’s monopoly ruling and its potential impact on the search landscape. 
3 possible futures for Google the monopoly ruling
Each future could reshape the search landscape.
Scenario 1: Google may need to end exclusivity deals, forcing Apple to let users choose default search engines.
— Kevin_Indig (@Kevin_Indig) August 14, 2024

His YouTube videos are packed with actionable advice on using AI and SEO frameworks for scaling organic traffic, making his content indispensable for SEO professionals looking to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving field.
For more in-depth growth strategies and trends, Kevin’s Growth Memo provides readers with a strategic lens on the latest in SEO and digital marketing.
Platform/s: Website, X, LinkedIn, Threads
Cyrus Shepard is the creator of Zyppy SEO, an SEO software and consulting service that helps companies monitor and improve their website’s Google ranking. He has previously led Moz and is an expert in technical SEO, analytics, mobile optimization, and local search results.
His expertise has led him to speak at multiple events, including but not limited to SMX – Search Marketing Expo, Marketing Festival, MozCon, and MnSearch Summit. He also writes for The Moz Blog, Above the Fold, and Marketing Pilgrim.
Head over to his LinkedIn page to get SEO tips from him. He shares everything from insights into Google rankings to tips on how to use new features.
Cyrus Shepard LinkedIn post
On X, you’ll find him reposting excellent content from industry experts and explaining complex concepts. For example, he simplified THCapper’s data on the impact of Google’s Helpful Content system on site rankings in an X thread.
Excellent data via @THCapper showing sites hit by Google’s Helpful Content system tend to have lower ratios of “Brand Authority” to “Domain Authority”
Over-simplified layman’s terms:
When your *brand* is weaker than your overall link profile, you may be at risk to Google’s HCU pic.twitter.com/mHjIqu2DFd
— Cyrus (@CyrusShepard) September 5, 2024

Platform/s: LinkedIn, Website, Instagram
Known for being an SEO consultant at G-Squared Interactive (GSQi), Glenn Gabe has over 27 years of SEO experience, which he uses to create content for his blog,  Internet Marketing Driver. He covers a range of topics, from algorithm updates and case studies to new SERP features and technical SEO.
You can also find his recent writings on Search Engine Land and former ones on Search Engine Journal and Search Engine Watch. If you want to learn from him more closely, you can get SEO training through his boot camp course.
What we find really engaging about Gabe’s content is that he brings together insights from his extensive network. For example, when The Washington Post tweaked its homepage to adjust for new SEO guidelines, Gabe talked about it on LinkedIn to show other businesses that optimizing for search is more than just keywords and backlinks.

Platform/s: Website, LinkedIn, X
Vanessa Fox gets her SEO credit from working at Google as an engineer, where she worked on Webmaster Central and Google Search. She played a central role in the sitemaps.org alliance of Bing, Yahoo, and Google. Her most recent venture is Keylime Toolbox, a software that provides online, user-focused SEO metrics.
Due to her vast experience, she has been a keynote speaker for many conferences. She has also been named as one of the “Top 100 Seattle Women in Seattle Tech.” Her book, Marketing in the Age of Google: Your Online Strategy IS Your Business Strategy, is a remarkable resource for businesses that want to improve their online presence.
Her website has a blog section where you can find articles on SEO and digital marketing. You can also find her work on the Google Search Central Blog. 
There’s a lot about SEO that you can’t simply learn with a Google search. SEO influencers provide these missing pieces of information through their own channels. Here’s why you should follow them.
It’s one thing to know of a concept and another to fully understand it. With their years of knowledge, SEO influencers can spell out the intricacies of SEO to their followers. This can range from advanced techniques to insider tips and tricks that only experts know about.
Even better, these experts conduct extensive research to unearth new insights that you wouldn’t be able to do yourself due to time and resource constraints. For example, Cyrus Shepard looked at thousands of data points across 50 websites to create a 50-Site Case Study, in which he revealed how Google’s Helpful Content update impacts good SEO.

 Similarly, Rand Fishkin’s Spark Toro conducted a study to see how Google searches correlate with clicks. He shared the 2024 Zero-Click Search Study on his X account, providing a hoard of statistics that can help SEO experts understand their search ranking better.
The 2024 Zero-Click Search Study is here.
Highlights:
• 59% of Google searches end without a click.
• Almost 30% of clicks go to a Google-owned property.
• Google is sending less traffic to the open web.
Read more:https://t.co/omrsg5Uy4i
— SparkToro (@sparktoro) July 3, 2024

Since SEO influencers are always in the thick of things, they’re usually the first to spot changes in SEO trends or algorithm updates. By following them, you can stay updated on these major shifts.
They don’t just inform about trends but also educate their followers on how to adapt to these changes and make the most of them. For example, when Google rolled out its 2024 update, Neil Patel took to X to explain the gist of the update and his predictions for what could happen next.
What Google’s new algorithm update tells us about the future of AI content.
So, Google just released a new algorithm update.
According to Elizabeth Tucker from Google, their goal was 2 fold…
1. Surface the most helpful content and reduce unoriginal content in search.
2. Keep… pic.twitter.com/H9ClQzZD5U
— Neil Patel (@neilpatel) March 5, 2024

Similarly, SEO influencers make appearances on podcasts and YouTube channels to share their expert knowledge. The Google Search Central channel channel is a good example, where SEO experts discuss and answer questions posed by SEO consultants, particularly regarding new algorithm updates or platform changes. They have also created playlists dedicated to different SEO topics, such as SEO mythbusting and SEO fairytales. 
SEO influencers are always experimenting and testing out new methods. When they see positive results, they’re usually quick to share their findings with their followers.
The best part is that they keep updating their techniques as trends and algorithms evolve. For example, Brian Dean has a comprehensive guide on advanced SEO techniques, which he updates every few months to include the latest insights.
SEO influencers also gather information from their network and combine it to form reports or guides that you can go through to see which advanced techniques other SEO professionals are using. For example, Loren Baker shared a free report, State of SEO 2024: Disruptions, AI & Content Strategies, on his LinkedIn, which includes insights from 3,890 SEO professionals. That’s not something you can curate on your own.

SEO tools, whether it’s a simple keyword planner or a comprehensive site audit tool, are vital for any SEO professional. But there are so many tools out there. How do you know which ones to use?
SEO professionals try out new tools all the time and are often the first to discover new ones. They then share their findings, giving you insight into which tools are worth investing in and how to use them effectively.
Some of them have created their own tools, which they teach their followers how to use. That’s what Neil Patel does with Ubersuggest and Rand Fishkin with Sparktoro. 
My favorite tool to generating more website sales.
From our Ubersuggest data, of the sites with conversion tracking in place, a website’s average conversion rate is .938%.
That’s less than 1%.
That means 99% of your traffic is just window shopping and not buying.
But if you… pic.twitter.com/EpLaLlKbb4
— Neil Patel (@neilpatel) July 28, 2024

As we’ve established, SEO influencers are gold mines for SEO-related knowledge and expertise. They are first to know about changes in the SEO space and can also introduce you to new concepts and strategies.
Many of them have also created SEO tools, written books, created reports, and given talks, all of which you can access to improve your SEO skills. The best way to learn from these influencers is to follow them on social media, read their blogs, attend conferences where they are speaking, and join online communities where they are active. You won’t miss a thing this way! 
An SEO influencer is someone who is an expert in search engine optimization and shares their knowledge with others through social media or their own website. These influencers keep their followers updated on search engine algorithm updates, SEO strategies, SEM trends, new tools, and more.
Some of the best SEO experts in the world are Neil Patel, Rand Fishkin, Barry Schwartz, and Brian Dean. However, they’re not the only ones. There are many talented and knowledgeable SEO experts out there who you can follow for SEO updates and tips.
An SEO influencer typically shares their insights, knowledge, and experience related to search engine optimization with their followers through social media platforms or blogs. They may also offer consulting services, workshops, courses, tools, and training sessions to help businesses improve their SEO strategies.
Following SEO influencers on social media and reading their blogs is an effective way to stay updated on SEO trends. You can also listen to SEO-related podcasts and sign up for newsletters from reliable sources to get the latest updates and insights.
Many SEO influencers, including Neil Patel, Barry Schwartz, and Brian Dean, have their own YouTube channels where you can learn SEO directly from them. You can also listen to the podcast Search Off the Record to get direct information from Google’s Search Relations Team. Some other helpful podcasts are The SEO Mindset, Search Engine Journal Show, and Ahrefs Podcast. 
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Join us as we share insights from the top SEOs at the world’s largest traffic-driving websites. Instead of guesswork, you’ll discover how to leverage real data to align your team and fast-track growth with five proven and actionable tactics you can implement immediately.
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Google’s Search Relations team reveals that high-quality, user-centric content is the key to increasing crawl demand, debunking crawl budget myths.
SEO professionals have long discussed the concept of a “crawl budget,” which refers to the limited number of pages search engines can crawl daily.
The assumption is that sites must stay within this allotted budget to get pages indexed.
However, in a recent podcast, Google’s Search Relations team debunks misconceptions about crawl budgets and explains how Google prioritizes crawling.
Dave Smart, an SEO consultant and Google Product Expert, acknowledges the confusion surrounding crawl budget:
“I think there’s a lot of myths out there about crawling, about what it is and what it isn’t. And things like crawl budgets and phrases you hear thrown around that may be quite confusing to people.”
Gary Illyes answered Dave with a question:
“All right. I will turn this around and I will ask you, if you operated a crawler, how would you decide what to fetch?”
David Smart, the SEO consultant, responded:
“You need to do it by looking at what’s known, finding somewhere to start, a starting point. And from that, you get the links and stuff, and then you would try and determine what’s important to go and fetch now, and maybe what can wait until later and maybe what’s not important at all.”
Gary Illyes expanded on how Google decides how much to crawl by explaining the role of search demand.
This is what Gary said:
“One is the scheduler, which basically says that I want to crawl this …But that’s also kind of controlled by some feedback from search. …if search demand goes down, then that also correlates to the crawl limit going down.”
Gary does not explain what the phrase “search demand” means. But the context of his entire statement is from Google’s perspective.  So from Google’s perspective “search demand” probably means search query demand. Search query demand makes sense because if nobody’s searching for Cabbage Patch Kids then Google doesn’t really have a reason to crawl websites about Cabbage Patch Kids.  But again, Gary did not explain what “search demand” means so we have to look at it from the context in which that phrase was spoken.
Gary finishes  his thought on that topic with this sentence:
“So if you want to increase how much we crawl, then you somehow have to convince search that your stuff is worth fetching, which is basically what the scheduler is listening to.”
Gary does not elaborate what he means by “convince search that your stuff is worth fetching” but one interpretation could be to make sure it’s relevant to user trends, which means keeping up to date.
Related: How To Manage Crawl Budget For Large Sites
So, what can websites do to ensure their pages get crawled and indexed efficiently? The answer lies in focusing on site quality.
As Illyes puts it:
“Scheduling is very dynamic. As soon as we get the signals back from search indexing that the quality of the content has increased across this many URLs, we would just start turning up demand.”
By consistently improving page quality and the usefulness of your content to searchers, you can overcome any assumed limitations on crawling.
The key is to analyze your site’s performance, identify areas for improvement, and focus on delivering the best possible experience to your target audience.
Google’s recent insights clarify that a fixed “crawl budget” is largely a myth. Instead, the search engine’s crawling decisions are dynamic and driven by content quality and search demand.
By prioritizing quality, relevance, and user experience, site owners can ensure that their valuable pages get discovered, crawled, and indexed by Google – without worrying about hitting an arbitrary limit.
Hear the full discussion in the podcast episode linked below:

SEO professionals have discussed the concept of a crawl budget, believing that staying within a certain limit of pages crawled daily is essential. However, Google’s search engineers have clarified that there is no set crawl budget that websites must adhere to.
Instead, Google prioritizes crawling based on content quality and user interaction signals. Therefore, SEO strategies should shift focus from managing a crawl budget to optimizing for high-quality, user-centric content to increase the chances of being crawled and indexed effectively.
A dynamic set of factors influences Googlebot’s prioritization for crawling web pages, predominantly content quality although Gary Illyes mentioned search demand plays a role (which could be a reference to search query demand).
Marketers looking to improve their website’s crawlability should concentrate on the following:
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Join us as we share insights from the top SEOs at the world’s largest traffic-driving websites. Instead of guesswork, you’ll discover how to leverage real data to align your team and fast-track growth with five proven and actionable tactics you can implement immediately.
Discover the latest trends, tips, and strategies in SEO and PPC marketing. Our curated articles offer in-depth analysis, practical advice, and actionable insights to elevate your digital marketing efforts.
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Join three of Reddit’s top executives in this exclusive AMA (Ask Me Anything) to discover how you can tap into Reddit’s unique platform to drive brand growth.
Join this leadership discussion for proven techniques to build long-term relationships and keep your clients coming back.
CEO of OpenAI said that an AI Search challenge to Google would have to be ad-free, describing ads in AI Search as dystopian
OpenAI’s Sam Altman answered questions about challenging Google’s search monopoly and reveals that he’d rather entirely change the paradigm of how people get information rather than copy what Google has been doing it for the past twenty+ years.  His observations were made in the context of a podcast interview by Lex Fridman.
What Altman proposed is that the best way to challenge Google is to completely replace its entire business category, including the advertising.
The discussion began with a question from Fridman asking if it’s true that OpenAI is going to challenge Google.
Lex Fridman asked:
“So is OpenAI going to really take on this thing that Google started 20 years ago, which is how do we get-“
Sam Altman responded that the whole idea of building a better search engine limits what the future of information retrieval can be, calling the current conception of search boring.
Altman answered:
“I find that boring. I mean, if the question is if we can build a better search engine than Google or whatever, then sure, we should go, people should use the better product, but I think that would so understate what this can be. Google shows you 10 blue links, well, 13 ads and then 10 blue links, and that’s one way to find information.
But the thing that’s exciting to me is not that we can go build a better copy of Google search, but that maybe there’s just some much better way to help people find and act on and synthesize information. Actually, I think ChatGPT is that for some use cases, and hopefully we’ll make it be like that for a lot more use cases.”
Altman expanded on his thoughts by saying that the idea of creating another Google in order to challenge Google is not interesting. He said that the more interesting path to follow is completely change not just how people get information but to do it in a way that fits into how people are using information.
Altman continued:
“But I don’t think it’s that interesting to say, “How do we go do a better job of giving you 10 ranked webpages to look at than what Google does?”
Maybe it’s really interesting to go say, “How do we help you get the answer or the information you need? How do we help create that in some cases, synthesize that in others, or point you to it in yet others?’
But a lot of people have tried to just make a better search engine than Google and it is a hard technical problem, it is a hard branding problem, it is a hard ecosystem problem. I don’t think the world needs another copy of Google.”
The part where the conversation seemed fall off the rails is when Fridman steered the discussion over to integrating a chatbot with a search engine, which itself is already done to death and boring. Bing created the chat on top of search experience over a year ago and now there are at least six AI search engines.that integrate a chatbot on top of a traditional search engine.
Fridman’s direction of the discussion threw cold water on what Altman was talking about.
Altman said that nobody has “cracked the code yet,” which implied that repeating what Bing did was not what Sam Altman had in mind. He called it an “example of a cool thing.”
Fridman and Altman continued:
“And integrating a chat client, like a ChatGPT, with a search engine-
Sam Altman
As you might guess, we are interested in how to do that well. That would be an example of a cool thing.
…The intersection of LLMs plus search, I don’t think anyone has cracked the code on yet. I would love to go do that. I think that would be cool.”
Altman used the word “dystopic” to characterize a world in which AI search was based on an advertising model. Dystopic means dystopian, which means a dehumanizing existence that lacks justice and is characterized by distrust.
He noted that ChatGPT as a subscription-based model can be perceived as more trustworthy as an advertising-based search engine. He raised the idea of an AI suggesting that users try a specific product and questioning whether the recommendation was influenced by advertising or what was best for the user.
That makes sense because there’s a high level of trust involved with AI that doesn’t exist with traditional search. Many consumers don’t trust Google search because, rightly or wrongly, it’s perceived as influenced by advertising and spammy SEO.
Fridman steered the conversation to advertising:
“Lex Fridman
…What about the ad side? Have you ever considered monetization of-
Sam Altman
I kind of hate ads just as an aesthetic choice. I think ads needed to happen on the internet for a bunch of reasons, to get it going, but it’s a momentary industry. The world is richer now.
I like that people pay for ChatGPT and know that the answers they’re getting are not influenced by advertisers.
I’m sure there’s an ad unit that makes sense for LLMs, and I’m sure there’s a way to participate in the transaction stream in an unbiased way that is okay to do, but it’s also easy to think about the dystopic visions of the future where you ask ChatGPT something and it says, “Oh, you should think about buying this product,” or, “You should think about going here for your vacation,” or whatever.”
Altman next commented that he didn’t like how consumers are the product when they used social media or search engines. What he means is that user interactions are sold to advertisers who then turn around to target the users based on their interests.
Altman continued:
“And I don’t know, we have a very simple business model and I like it, and I know that I’m not the product. I know I’m paying and that’s how the business model works.
And when I go use Twitter or Facebook or Google or any other great product but ad-supported great product, I don’t love that, and I think it gets worse, not better, in a world with AI.”
Sam Altman explicitly said that he was biased against search and expressed confidence that there is a path toward an AI-based information retrieval system that is profitable without having to serve advertising. His statement that he was biased against advertising was made in the context of the interviewer raising the idea of “completely” throwing out ads, which Altman refused to confirm.
“Lex Fridman
…I could imagine AI would be better at showing the best kind of version of ads, not in a dystopic future, but where the ads are for things you actually need. But then does that system always result in the ads driving the kind of stuff that’s shown?
….I think it was a really bold move of Wikipedia not to do advertisements, but then it makes it very challenging as a business model. So you’re saying the current thing with OpenAI is sustainable, from a business perspective?
Sam Altman
Well, we have to figure out how to grow, but looks like we’re going to figure that out.
If the question is do I think we can have a great business that pays for our compute needs without ads, …I think the answer is yes.
Lex Fridman
Hm. Well, that’s promising. I also just don’t want to completely throw out ads as a…
Sam Altman
I’m not saying that. I guess I’m saying I have a bias against them.”
Sam Altman did not directly say that OpenAI was building a challenge to Google. He did imply that a proper challenge to Google that uses AI doesn’t yet exist, saying that nobody has “cracked the code” on that yet.
What Altman offered was a general vision of an AI search that didn’t commoditize and sell the users to advertisers and thereby be more trustworthy and useful. He said that a proper  challenge to Google would be something that was completely different than what Google has been doing.
Watch the podcast at the 01:17:27 minute mark:

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How do you keep up with the ever-changing SEO landscape? If you’re like me, you probably visit authoritative blogs like Search Engine Journal, Search Engine Land, and of course, Search Engine Roundtable to get the latest on Google search algorithm updates.
All of these are great resources, but there’s another effective way to get the latest SEO scoop and expand your SEO knowledge at the same time: podcasts.
In the last few years, podcasts have witnessed phenomenal growth. In Apple’s recent Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), the company announced there were over 555,000 podcasts on their platform, including 525,000 active podcasts.
At the same time, podcast listening has evolved into a hobby. A typical podcast listener subscribes to an average of 7 different shows.
So if you’re a marketer who’d like to be in the thick of things for all things concerning SEO, you should really consider subscribing to the SEO podcasts featured in this list.
Without further ado, here are the 11 best SEO podcasts you should listen to.
Side note: If you’re looking for the best YouTube channels to learn SEO, here’s a list of best SEO channels on YouTube.
Table of Contents
This is the official podcast of Search Engine Journal, a site dedicated to producing the latest search news and the best guides for the SEO community. While the show mainly focuses on SEO, they also occasionally cover other digital marketing topics such as social media marketing, PPC, and content marketing.
The Search Engine Journal Show is hosted by Brent Csutoras, Danny Goodwin, and Loren Baker. They invite top industry experts and authorities to share insights on trending SEO and marketing topics. Past guests on the show have included Barry Schwartz from Search Engine Land, Tim Soulo from Ahrefs, and several other prominent figures from the SEO community.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher
DoFollow Podcast by SE Ranking is an engaging and informative series that covers a diverse range of digital marketing and SEO topics.
Each episode features guests who are specialists in a particular area of digital marketing or SEO, sharing their knowledge and insights on the latest trends and best practices. Listeners can gain actionable SEO tips and valuable insights that can be applied to their own digital marketing campaigns to increase their website traffic, improve search engine rankings, and boost their online presence.
Past guests have included industry leaders like Matt Bertram, Christopher Burres, Sherry Bonelli, Colan Nielsen, Yan Gilbert, Crystal Carter, Koray Tuğberk Gübür, Sara Taher, and Andrew Optimisey, just to name a few.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | PlayerFM | Castbox | TuneIn
EDGE of the Web is a weekly podcast by Site Strategics, an Indianapolis-based Internet marketing and website development firm that specializes in SEO using data and analytics.
Host Erin Sparks shares the latest news and trends in digital marketing and interviews some of the top names in SEO and marketing. Past guests on the show have included popular YouTuber Tim Schmoyer, Tim Soulo from Ahrefs, Rand Fishkin from Moz, and many more.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Pocket Casts
MozPod is Moz’s SEO podcast which focuses on sharing lessons from digital marketing experts.
All episodes are hosted by instructors from Moz Academy and they discuss a wide variety of digital marketing concepts, from common terminology to recent changes and SEO best practices.
Listen on: Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts
Hosted by Rich Brooks, The Agents of Change is a weekly podcast that teaches you how to increase your online visibility, drive more qualified traffic to your site, and convert that traffic into leads and business.
Every week, the show features interviews with leading marketers from around the globe to get their insider tips and tricks on SEO, social media, and mobile marketing.
Past guests on the podcast have included Pat Flynn from Smart Passive Income, John Lee Dumas from Entrepreneurs on Fire, online marketing expert Amy Porterfield, and many more.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Pocket Casts
Experts on the Wire is a monthly SEO podcast hosted by Dan Shure from Evolving SEO. While half of the podcast episodes focus directly on SEO, the other half explores topics like content marketing and social media. The podcast has been downloaded over 500,000 times, making it one of the most popular SEO podcasts on the web.
Past guests on the show have included Rand Fishkin from Moz, Noah Kagan from AppSumo, Brian Dean from Backlinko, and several others.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Pocket Casts
Hosted by digital marketing experts Robert O’Haver and Matt Weber, Search Talk Live offers unique insights into the digital marketing industry, helping listeners improve their SEO and digital marketing knowledge.
Past guests on the show have included Sujan Patel from Mailshake, YouTube expert Tim Shmoyer, Rand Fishkin from Moz, Michael Roberts from SpyFu, and several other leading figures from the digital marketing community.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts
Unknown Secrets of Internet Marketing is an SEO podcast hosted by online marketing experts Chris Burres and Matt Bertram. The hosts combine their years of experience in the industry to answer all the pertinent SEO questions: How do you get your website on the first page of Google? How do you keep it there? And more importantly, how do you make sure you convert that traffic into business once the users land on your site?
It’s also one of the longest-running podcasts on this list. The first episode aired back in September 2009.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts
As the title of the podcast suggests, SEO 101 teaches SEO from square one. It’s one of the best SEO podcasts for beginners.
Hosts Ross Dunn and John Carcutt share helpful SEO knowledge for beginners without overwhelming listeners with technical details.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Pocket Casts
Marketing Scoop is a weekly podcast by Semrush which uncovers the latest digital marketing headlines that impact your business and marketing strategy.
Hosts David Bain and Judith Lewis interview the leading minds in digital marketing to pick apart the latest trends in digital — from SEO to advertising to content marketing. The podcast also features “Success Story” special episodes that cover best practices from local to global names like Vodafone and IKEA.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher
Technical SEO Podcast is a relatively new podcast hosted by SEO professionals Adam Gent and Dan Taylor.
Focusing purely on technical SEO, the podcast invites some of the greatest minds in technical SEO to share their wisdom, knowledge, insights, thoughts, and even occasional rants on the industry.
Listen on: Google Podcasts
As a bonus, I’m including our own podcast Marketing Mantra on this list. While it’s in no way as well established or specialized as the SEO podcasts listed above, I try to share actionable SEO techniques from time to time — techniques that have helped me scale up my blog and digital marketing agency. I also invite SEO experts and bloggers every so often to share their wisdom, insights, and success stories.
Past guests on the podcast have included SEO expert Craig Campbell, Alexandra Tachalova from Digital Olympus, Daniel Daines-Hutt from AmpMyContent, and Corey Haines from SwipeWell.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify
When it comes to SEO, we should always be alert to the shifting dynamics. One way to do that is by tuning in to these 11 best SEO podcasts and keeping ourselves informed of all the changes. So open your favorite podcast player and subscribe to these podcasts.
If there’s an SEO podcast that is not featured in this list, please let me know in the comments section. I’m always on the lookout for interesting SEO and marketing podcasts.
Need more podcast recommendations? Check out these articles as well:
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Editor’s Note: This article was first published on 12 May 2020 and has been updated regularly since then for relevance and comprehensiveness.
Related Articles
Here is my list:
1. Search Engine Journal’s SEO Podcast – This weekly podcast is hosted by Jayson DeMers and covers everything from technical SEO tips to marketing strategies.
2. The Moz Pod – This bi-weekly podcast is hosted by Moz’s CEO, Rand Fishkin, and provides insights and tactics on all things SEO.
3. Marketing Over Coffee – This daily podcast is hosted by John Jantsch and Dharmesh Shah, and covers a variety of marketing topics, including SEO.
4. Whiteboard Friday – This weekly video series from Moz is hosted by Rand Fishkin and tackles various aspects of SEO in a whiteboard format
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Hi there, I’m Sandeep Mallya!
I’m an entrepreneur and digital marketing consultant from Bangalore, India. I founded my own digital agency, Startup Cafe Digital, in 2015 to help SMBs leverage SEO, social media, and content marketing to grow their traffic and generate qualified leads for their business.
I launched 99signals in 2016 as a side project to document all the strategies, tools, and tactics that I was using to grow my small agency. The goal was simple: to arm other entrepreneurs and bloggers with all the right information and tools they needed to launch a successful online business.
Since then, 99signals has grown significantly and generates over $10,000 in side income each month. Read More about “About Sandeep Mallya”…

Hi there, I’m Sandeep Mallya!
I’m an entrepreneur and digital marketing consultant from Bangalore, India. I founded my own digital agency, Startup Cafe Digital, in 2015 to help SMBs leverage SEO, social media, and content marketing to grow their traffic and generate qualified leads for their business.
I launched 99signals in 2016 as a side project to document all the strategies, tools, and tactics that I was using to grow my small agency. The goal was simple: to arm other entrepreneurs and bloggers with all the right information and tools they needed to launch a successful online business.
Since then, 99signals has grown significantly and generates over $10,000 in side income each month. Read More about “About Sandeep Mallya”…
A few links on this blog are affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service through one of these affiliate links, I’ll receive a commission at no additional cost to you.
Rest assured, I recommend only those tools that I personally use and genuinely trust. In most cases, you’ll find in-depth reviews, tutorials, and how-to guides of these tools on my blog to help you make informed decisions.

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Join us as we share insights from the top SEOs at the world’s largest traffic-driving websites. Instead of guesswork, you’ll discover how to leverage real data to align your team and fast-track growth with five proven and actionable tactics you can implement immediately.
Discover the latest trends, tips, and strategies in SEO and PPC marketing. Our curated articles offer in-depth analysis, practical advice, and actionable insights to elevate your digital marketing efforts.
In this guide, industry experts explore the challenges and opportunities presented by the onslaught of AI tools, and provide actionable tips for thriving amid these shifts.
Discover the latest trends, tips, and strategies in SEO and PPC marketing. Our curated articles offer in-depth analysis, practical advice, and actionable insights to elevate your digital marketing efforts.
Join three of Reddit’s top executives in this exclusive AMA (Ask Me Anything) to discover how you can tap into Reddit’s unique platform to drive brand growth.
Join this leadership discussion for proven techniques to build long-term relationships and keep your clients coming back.
Keep up to date with this list of SEO podcasts that offer expert analysis, unique insights, and roundups of the latest trends.
Podcasts are the perfect medium for keeping up to date with where the SEO industry is headed.
A larger number of podcasts this year are producing content with original takes on every facet of search marketing.
The following SEO podcasts were chosen for their helpfulness, deep insights, and their regular publishing schedule.
Every podcast on this list is a winner.

The Search Engine Journal Show takes a deep dive into virtually every aspect of search marketing, including content, technical SEO trends, paid search, and local search – and it always keeps an eye on what’s hitting the search industry in the near future.
Host Loren Baker is the founder of both Search Engine Journal and the digital marketing and development agency Foundation Digital. With 20+ years of search marketing experience, Loren’s interviews and conversations are always informed and come from a place of experience and knowledge.
Recent shows covered these topics:
If you’re new to the Search Engine Journal Show, you’re in for a treat because there are hundreds of episodes to listen to.
Listen to new episodes on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, and TuneIn.
SERPs Up is the Wix SEO podcast that focuses on popular topics relevant to search marketers at every level of expertise.
Expect to listen to conversations about new and trending topics, like investigating whether AI content actually ranks, as well as more evergreen topics, such as finding the right content mix.
Recent podcasts also discuss whether expert opinions in content are important and a conversation with Martha Van Berkel, founder of Schema App, about structured data.
Martha is one of the most informed people I know on the topic of structured data, so that episode really shows how SERPs Up has the expertise behind it to deliver podcasts that are well worth listening to.
Listen to the SERPs Up podcast on Amazon, Apple, Google Podcasts, and Spotify
Search rankings are typically the highest priority for SEO, followed by organic traffic, bounce rates, and other similar metrics.
It’s too easy to forget that the number one KPI is conversions and how much money the enterprise is earning. Everything about SEO eventually ends with the twin goals of conversions and earnings.
That’s why Elevar’s Conversion Tracking Playbook podcast is a natural fit for every search marketer to consider.
As the podcast title indicates, its main focus is improving conversion tracking for online businesses, including those on platforms like Shopify.
Typical episodes focus on accurate tracking, analytics, the impact of privacy-related trends (such as iOS updates), and strategies for using existing data to track and help increase conversions and business goals.
A spokesperson for Elevar shared what to expect from the Conversion Tracking Playbook:
“We release weekly episodes that dive deep into tracking, analytics and conversion optimization. If you value data-driven strategies and learning new incremental revenue strategies, be sure to subscribe!”
Listen to the Conversion Tracking Playbook at Apple and Spotify.
Webcology is a long-running podcast that features the wisdom and insights of not one but two SEO legends: Jim Hedger and Kristine Schachinger.
Listen along as they interview guests and share their insights into the latest events in the search marketing industry, as well as commentary on the search marketing news you should know about. There’s so much to keep up with, but it’s easy to cut through the noise with Jim and Kristine.
Kristine Schachinger, based in Las Vegas, Nevada, is a highly experienced search marketer with twenty years in the search industry. Her depth of experience, knowledge of SEO, and the technical side of development add greatly to the Webcology podcast.
Jim Hedger is a Toronto-based search marketer with over 25 years of experience working on the Internet.  His wide-ranging curiosity keeps him in touch with current events, and he has a keen ability to discern and predict their impact on the search industry.
If you only listen to one SEO podcast a week, Webcology should be at the top of your list.
Listen to new episodes on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and RedCircle.
UK-based Search With Candour publishes an episode weekly that addresses topics of interest to search marketing professionals, such as technical SEO, the usefulness of storytelling in marketing, the recent Google and Reddit agreement, and how to make helpful content.
Guests are well chosen for their expertise, such as technical SEO expert Beth Woodcock and Gus Pelogia, SEO Product Manager at Indeed.
Listen on Apple, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.
The word “engaging” has been used so often that it has almost lost its meaning. But listen to this podcast, and you’ll agree that it holds your attention in a way that is indeed engaging.
Hosts Tazmin and Sarah reliably publish weekly episodes. Recent episodes include “Stop Excusing Bad Behaviour,” a discussion of the reasons why people might excuse bad behavior and how to deal with difficult conversations, directly addressing issues for one’s well-being, and encouraging a respectful and positive working environment.
Another episode is dedicated to identifying and learning from trusted resources in SEO, emphasizing how to discern reliable information.
I asked Sarah about the origins of the podcast and what listeners should expect from it.
Sarah shared:
“Whilst there are amazing SEO podcasts out there, Tazmin and I saw that there aren’t many that just focus on soft skills, personal growth, and career development.
Yes, some touch on these topics, but we definitely saw an opportunity to create a podcast that solely focuses on giving SEO professionals actionable tips and advice, so they can optimize their careers, not just the algorithms. Cheesy tagline, but true!
Go on and give some of our episodes a try!”
Listen to the SEO Mindset Podcast at Amazon Music, Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Pocket Casts.
Host: Mordy Oberstein
I was pretty blown away by the SEO Rant podcast. Mordy’s unconventional but interesting topics and the high-quality guests who discuss them make this podcast a must-try for every search marketer.
Recent episodes:
I admire what Mordy is doing because he’s combining unique topics with actionable insights. There’s nothing trendy about this – just solid, useful content. That’s not an easy thing to do in general and even harder to execute on a regular basis.
Listen on Apple, SoundCloud, Spotify, YouTube.
Host: Shelley Walsh
SEO Pioneers interviews industry greats who helped to shaped the industry at its formation, or contributed in a significant way.
Every pioneer has a different story, with plenty of insights into the foundations of SEO, how search engines evolved, and what is still relevant today.
In every episode, the approach is for the pioneer to offer a unique story and then share something they have never shared in public before. Listen to Dave Naylor for one of the best stories!
All episodes in this series are winners and must-listens for search marketers at every level. John Mueller even credited the show as ‘one to watch’ on Google Search News.
Listen and watch on YouTube.
The Near Memo podcast covers the latest news and trends hitting local search as well as covering trending topics related to regular search. Recent episodes focus on Google Gemini, Google SGE, and a lot about Google Business Profile (often referred to as GMB).
Dave Mihm is a longtime local search pro who has been working on local search since before Google Local was a thing. He is a true local search expert.
Listen at: Amazon, Apple, Google Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, YouTube.
This podcast shares the exact same name as Google’s more famous podcast, which follows Google’s format of answering questions. The difference between the two podcasts is that the agenda for this one is focused on practical, hands-on concerns for anyone building a business from our side of the search box.
They answer questions that address real concerns, such as the ROI of link building, tips on handling internal links, getting the most out of an SEO conference, and how to determine the reasonable cost of a domain.
Listen to the fresh perspectives on recent SEO and digital marketing news with the dynamic hosts of Marketing O’Clock.
Episodes so far in 2024 tackled the impact of Google’s recent rebranding of Perspectives to Forums, Instagram’s new ad type, Google’s Consent Mode V2, and updates to Microsoft Ads. There’s a strong dose of what’s going on in paid search with some SEO thrown in here and there.
Their podcast is released on a weekly schedule. Put it on your calendar and tune in to the latest episodes.
Listen to new episodes on Apple, Stitcher, and Spotify.
Search marketer Jason Barnard publishes a thinking person’s podcast on digital marketing. I really don’t know how he manages to publish such high-quality and insightful discussions on a regular basis. Each episode offers a creative perspective on search marketing that will not be found elsewhere.
Recent episodes include:
Keep an eye out for a “limited run” of 50 five-minute unscripted podcasts called “Growing Your Personal Brand with Jason Barnard,” which offer a step-by-step tutorial on how to grow and manage your personal brand – essentially a class in podcast form.
Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Search Off the Record is an informal podcast about search and SEO from Google’s perspective. Topics range from a behind-the-scenes look at search crawlers and indexing to the considerations that went into rewriting Google’s SEO Starter Guide, search ranking updates, and the concept of quality in search.
Two factors make Google’s podcast notable:
The podcasts tend to ramble in the beginning with some extended banter and kidding around. But once the hosts get going, the insights start.
Available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.
Edge Of The Web offers a roundup of the week’s news plus interviews with guests like Julia McCoy discussing AI content, Greg Gifford on how to dominate local SEO, Ola King on user experience design, and GA4 insights with Brie Anderson.
Available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and SoundCloud.
The following podcasts are gearing up for a new season. Put them on your shortlist, and get ready to be blown away.
The Women in Tech SEO Podcast (WTSPodcast) is a biweekly podcast that features women and GNC in search.  The last season focused on the business side of SEO from a woman’s point of view, and the season before that one zeroed in on technical SEO.
The 2024 season of the Women in Tech SEO Podcast kicks off in the second half of this year, so be sure to bookmark it for listening!
Listen to Women in Tech SEO on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Marie Haynes offers insights into the latest developments in SEO. Although the podcast is published “sporadically,” she did let me know that it will become more active in the near future.
Listen on Apple, Spotify, YouTube
Host: Azeem Ahmad.
UK-based Azeem currently has 76 podcasts recorded and has let me know that he has a new studio and will return this year with a brand new season.
He offered this preview of what’s to come:
“The podcast returns for a new season in 2024 – and you can expect even bigger things than previously. What initially started out as audio only is moving to video this year.
Expect great guests and topics connected to marketing and wider disciplines.”
It’s exciting to see so many new podcasts of exceptional quality making the list this year.
The broad scope of topics reflects the richness of search marketing and the high-quality talent that’s putting the time in to produce such great content.
More resources:
Featured Image: Jacob Lund/Shutterstock
I have 25 years hands-on experience in SEO, evolving along with the search engines by keeping up with the latest …
Conquer your day with daily search marketing news.
Join Our Newsletter.
Get your daily dose of search know-how.
In a world ruled by algorithms, SEJ brings timely, relevant information for SEOs, marketers, and entrepreneurs to optimize and grow their businesses — and careers.
Copyright © 2024 Search Engine Journal. All rights reserved. Published by Alpha Brand Media.

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You are here: Influencer Marketing Hub » Influencer Marketing » Podcast Marketing: The Ultimate Guide to Promoting a Podcast in 2024
Our data shows that there are over 3 million active podcasts and 41% of the US population listens to podcasts at least once a month. With such impressive numbers, it’s no secret that this type of media format is becoming hugely popular.
But the impressive rise of podcasts also casts doubt over the means to promote your podcast. What should new podcasts do for promotions? Should they collaborate and make guest appearances? What about ads? These are all questions many up-and-coming podcasts have.
And we’re here to give you the rundown of how to promote your podcast. We’ve put together this podcasting marketing guide to give new podcasters a great starting place and veteran podcasters a refresher or update on podcast marketing.
Before we get started on our guide to podcast marketing, let’s take a look at what a podcast is as well as some reasons why you’re on the right track if you’re looking to start a podcast or grow one.
A podcast is a digital audio program that you can listen to on-demand, much like a radio show but available whenever you want. You can subscribe to podcasts and receive new episodes automatically.
Podcasts are a flexible and engaging way to consume content, making them a popular choice for millions of listeners worldwide.
Podcast marketing refers to the strategies and tactics used to promote and grow your podcast audience. It involves leveraging various channels and techniques to attract new listeners and keep your existing audience engaged.
Effective podcast marketing requires a combination of consistent content creation, strategic promotion, and audience engagement. By focusing on these three, you can grow your podcast’s reach and build a loyal community of listeners.

We already gave you the crucial podcast statistics. But what about other, practical reasons to start a podcast? Starting a podcast can be a rewarding endeavor for various reasons. Here are some compelling benefits to consider:
With a podcast, you have the opportunity to reach a global audience. Your content can attract listeners from diverse backgrounds and locations, giving you limitless growth potential.
Podcasting provides you with a platform to express your ideas and creativity. Whether you want to share stories, discuss topics you’re passionate about, or interview interesting guests, a podcast allows you to showcase your unique voice and perspective.
Podcasts foster deeper connections with your audience. By engaging with listeners through your content, you can create a loyal community that shares your interests and values, enhancing listener engagement and retention.
Your listeners can consume podcasts anytime and anywhere—whether they are commuting, exercising, or relaxing at home. This convenience makes podcasts a popular choice for busy individuals seeking to absorb information effortlessly.
Hosting a podcast can position you as an expert in your field. By consistently sharing valuable insights and knowledge, you can build credibility and trust with your audience, opening doors to further opportunities in your niche.
As your podcast grows, you can explore various monetization options, such as sponsorships, affiliate marketing, or merchandise sales. Even a niche audience can be valuable for generating income through targeted advertising and partnerships.
Starting a podcast is relatively straightforward and doesn’t require a significant budget. With basic recording equipment and editing software, you can launch your show and begin sharing your content with the world.
All in all, podcasts are a huge market and an excellent way to reach people who are ready to buy. According to Shopify, 81% of podcast listeners have taken action after hearing a podcast ad, and 54% claimed that they are most likely to buy something after they’ve heard about it on a podcast ad. If you’re interested in getting more eyes on your brand, increasing brand affinity, and growing sales, podcasting is a great option.
While podcast marketing doesn’t have a “one size fits all” approach, there are several podcast marketing strategies you can use as a starting point to growing your podcast’s reach. Before we get into the 19 podcast marketing strategies we love for 2024, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First, no matter which podcast marketing strategies you choose to use, your focus should be on your audience. Second, testing is your friend.
Not everyone is going to love your podcast, and that’s okay. Instead of trying to market to a broad audience, focus on getting more high-intent listeners who will get the most benefit from your content.
Yes, you want to have as many listeners and subscribers as possible but if those listeners and subscribers aren’t contributing to your bottom line in some way, either through purchasing from your affiliate marketing relationships or by purchasing your products and services, they’re not really worth having.
Before you start adopting tips from this podcast marketing guide, really think about who you’re trying to reach. Where do they hang out online? What type of content do they enjoy? What products and services will they find useful?
Knowing exactly who you’re trying to reach will make it a lot easier to create and promote podcast episodes that educate, entertain, and drive your listeners to act.
Like everything having to do with marketing, podcast marketing isn’t a “set it and forget it” thing. You have to test, analyze, tweak, and optimize to make sure you’re giving your podcast subscribers exactly what they want. Test everything and adjust your podcast marketing tactics based on what you learn.
We could write an entire book on all of the different ways to promote a podcast. For this podcast marketing guide, we’ve chosen 19 podcast marketing strategies we think will work for 2024 and beyond. Let’s dive in!
Before you start a podcast or create a new podcast episode, it’s important to understand why. Why this podcast? Why this episode? Figure out what need you’re trying to fill and how you’ll measure your success. Are you going to focus on the number of downloads, backlinks, and the number of sales you make through your affiliate marketing efforts?
Taking the time to figure out what you want to achieve and how you’re going to know if you’ve achieved it will make your podcast and podcast episodes more cohesive and targeted.
Remember that podcast statistic from earlier? There are more than 3 million podcasts. That’s a lot of competition. If you want to get more listeners and grow your reach, you need to create stellar podcast content and promote it well. But what goes into creating great content?
While there’s a lot more that goes into creating a great podcast episode, these three criteria will get you off to a great start.
Your podcast and episode titles and descriptions are the first things your target listeners will see and what will let them know if your podcast is for them or not. Your podcast title should let listeners know on a high level what your podcast is about.
Then, in your podcast description, you can expand on what type of content listeners can expect. Here’s an example from Chalene Johnson’s Build Your Tribe podcast:
Source: podcasts.apple.com
It’s also important to create titles and descriptions for each episode. There are so many podcasts out there that just title their episodes as the episode number. This doesn’t tell listeners anything about what the episode is going to cover.
Would you be more likely to listen to a podcast episode titled “Episode 39,” or one titled “Episode 39: The One Thing You Need to Do to Get More Listeners?” Here’s an example of a great episode title and description:
Source: podcasts.apple.com
If you’re just starting your podcast, you should release a few episodes as soon as you launch. Most podcasting experts recommend launching between five and ten episodes so you have a better chance to hook listeners. If you just have one episode available, listeners have no reason to subscribe. And, if they don’t subscribe they won’t know when you release more episodes.
If you have a few episodes available, listeners can then binge on your content and are more likely to subscribe so they don’t miss future episodes. Plus, your podcast looks serious if it has more than one episode available.
If you don’t already have a website, we highly recommend starting one and starting a blog. Website and blog content is easily shareable and attracts a different audience than your podcast alone. This means you can reach people for your podcast using your blog and vice versa.
Depending on the podcast host you’re using, you can easily host your podcast content on your own website instead of using the basic website included in your podcast hosting. If you’re not keen on hosting your podcast on your own site, you can probably still embed your podcast content on your site to keep everything centralized to maximize your website’s impact.
Amy Porterfield has a landing page on her website with everything a listener could ever want to know about the podcast:
Source: amyporterfield.com
In addition to your blog, you’ll also want to include a few standard pages and elements on your website. One of the most important pages to include on your website is a descriptive About page where you tout the benefits of your brand, products, services, and podcast, encouraging people to listen and subscribe.
Your About page shouldn’t just be a laundry list of benefits but instead should center your target audience and talk about the benefits in terms of how they will make the lives of your audience better.
Both your website and podcast titles and descriptions can be optimized for search. One of the easiest ways to do podcast SEO is by optimizing your podcast episode titles and descriptions to include the keywords your target audience is likely to use when searching for the content you’re covering.
Podcast SEO is very similar to YouTube SEO and you can learn how to create better podcast episode descriptions by using these tips to create better YouTube video descriptions.
Email marketing has the best ROI of all digital marketing channels at 4400%. This means that for every $1 you spend on email marketing, you have the potential to earn $44. If you don’t already send out an email newsletter, you should definitely start.
Your email newsletters are a wonderful place to share new podcast episodes, ask your audience to subscribe, and more. You’ll want to take steps to grow your email list as well as choose the best email marketing service for your business to get the highest return on your email marketing campaigns.
Another quick and easy way to market your podcast is by adding it to podcast directories and aggregators. There are several podcast directories and aggregators to choose from:
You can create accounts on these platforms and submit your RSS feed so your new episodes are automatically published to each platform allowing you to reach a broader audience.
Just as it’s important to find the best time to publish on social media, it’s important to publish your podcast episodes at the right time, too.
If you’re just getting started, you can look at podcasts similar to yours to find out when they publish their new episodes. That’s a good place to start. Once you have your own data about when people listen to your podcast episodes, you can start posting closer to that time.
Podcasting is a one-way medium but that doesn’t mean that you can ignore your listeners. You absolutely have to engage your listeners if you want to have a successful podcast. Include calls to action for your listeners so they know what action to take after listening to your podcast.
This might mean asking them to subscribe to your podcast, share it, or leave a review. But you can’t just ask. You have to make it beneficial to the listener. Why should they subscribe, share, or leave you a review (hint: this helps your podcast grow and enables you to produce even better content over time)?
No matter how sparkling your personality, your listeners are probably going to want to hear from other experts, too. If it makes sense for your podcast, you can invite guests to your podcast.
This not only builds trust and social proof but potentially gives you access to the guest’s audience if they share the episode with their audience. As your podcast gains attention, you’ll be able to invite bigger names onto your podcast, giving your audience access to their expertise and giving your guest access to your audience.
The flip side of inviting guests to your podcast is making appearances on other podcasts. This gives you the chance to reach a new audience and form associations with other thought leaders, experts, and influencers which will increase your credibility.
Don’t just wait for others to reach out to you. Research podcasts with an audience that overlaps with yours and pitch them a couple of topics that you can share with their audience. With your pitch, include any reasons you’re worth including as a guest to show them that you can bring value to their audience. You can find podcasts with overlapping audiences from Apple Podcasts by scrolling down:
Source: apple.com
Giveaways have the potential to go viral, making them a great way to market your podcast. You can give away just about anything, but it’s best if your giveaway relates to your brand and the products and services you offer. For example, if your podcast is about starting or building a new business, you might give away a free consultation.
While it may be tempting to give away something like an Amazon gift card or a vacation, it’s best to stick with giveaways that match your brand. The more generic your giveaway, the more signups you’ll get from people who aren’t really interested in your products and services—they just want to win.
We recommend using an online giveaway tool like Rafflecopter, Gleam, or RafflePress to create your online giveaway quickly and easily.
Influencer marketing is the practice of using influencers to market your podcast to new, related audiences. Look for an influencer with an audience that overlaps your target audience and reach out to them. You can also reach out to other brands for collaborations and partnerships.
While it may seem counterintuitive to reach out to podcasters covering similar topics, it’s important to remember that podcasts can be consumed at any time—just because someone is listening to a different podcast now doesn’t mean that they’ve missed out on your podcast.
There are several ways to collaborate with other podcasters like promo swaps, content collaboration, co-hosting episodes, montage episodes, and more.
If you’re mentioning someone in your podcast, reach out to them and let them know. Send them a link that they can share on their social media platforms so they can easily share the episode with their audience. This is an easy way to get a mention from popular people and brands in your industry or niche.
Social media is a great way to share your podcast episodes and generate more interest in your podcast. But you can’t just pop in, share a link to your latest episode, and leave. Social media is social, after all. That means that you need to actively engage on the platforms where your target audience hangs out. Yes, you can post a link to your latest episode, but you also need to talk to your followers and share other interesting information.
One of our favorite ways to generate interest in podcast episodes and tease new content is using audiograms. Audiograms are mini videos that are much more engaging than a text-based snippet of your podcast:
Source: getaudiogram.com
You’ll also want to customize your posts for each social media platform. The audiograms we just talked about work well on Instagram and Facebook but probably wouldn’t be nearly as engaging on something like Twitter.
After you’ve published new episodes, you can repurpose that content to promote your episodes across social media platforms. We’ve already talked about audiograms but there are several other ways you can repurpose your content:
Over time, you’re going to have more and more podcast episodes. These are a goldmine when it comes to pulling in new subscribers and getting listeners to engage with more of your podcast content.
When you mention a topic that you’ve talked about in a previous podcast episode, be sure to include the episode number and a little blurb about why your listeners should give it a listen. Then, link to the episode in the show notes.
The podcast marketing tips we’ve shared to this point are excellent ways to draw attention to your podcast organically. This can take some time. If you want to fast-track your podcast’s popularity, you might want to consider paid ads. Running ads is a great way to boost growth quickly, while your organic efforts are taking hold.
There are tons of options for running paid ads. Depending on your audience, you might want to run Facebook ads, Google ads, LinkedIn ads, or focus on other avenues such as advertising on podcast apps like Overcast, Listen Notes, or others.
There you have it! This podcast marketing guide will help you take your podcast from just starting out to a must-listen. It’s important to remember that podcast marketing is a test-tweak-analyze process. Try using one or two of the podcast marketing strategies from our list and pay attention to how they work before adopting additional strategies. Before long, you’ll have a popular podcast that increases your brand’s reach and boosts your bottom line.
Starting a podcast is a great way to reach a large audience, build brand affinity, and drive sales. Podcasts are a popular medium for entertainment and education, with 62% of US consumers listening to audio podcasts. Additionally, 81% of podcast listeners have taken action after hearing a podcast ad, making it a powerful tool for marketing your products or services.
Great podcast content includes having the right equipment, telling engaging stories, and incorporating powerful calls to action (CTA). You’ll need a decent microphone, editing software, and call recording software for guest interviews. Engaging stories help create empathy with listeners, and CTAs guide them on what to do next, moving them through your marketing funnel.
To increase your podcast’s visibility, you can use several strategies:
Before launching your podcast, understand your goals and target audience. Launch with a few episodes (between five and ten) to give listeners more content to binge, increasing the chances they’ll subscribe. Also, start or update your website to include your podcast content and provide additional value through a blog and other resources.
Engaging with your listeners is crucial for building a successful podcast. Include calls to action in your episodes, asking listeners to subscribe, share, or leave reviews. Schedule guests to bring new perspectives and appear on other podcasts to reach new audiences. Additionally, consider hosting giveaways and leveraging influencer marketing to attract more listeners and foster a community around your podcast.
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