Search with Candour

In this episode of Search With Candour, host Jack Chambers-Ward is joined by SEO experts Chris Green and Amaka Chukwuma to discuss the SEO chapter of the Web Almanac 2025.Together, they delve into the process behind writing the chapter, trends in SEO, impacts of AI and LLM crawlers, structured data adoption, and the importance of resisting hype in the SEO industry.00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction00:27 Discussing the Web Almanac 202501:38 Welcoming the Guests03:15 SEO Chapter Insights04:09 Data Analysis and Process11:37 SEO Trends and Surprises20:11 Robots.txt and Web Standards30:11 Bing Bot and AI Crawlers35:50 Legacy SEO Practices and Their Impact38:16 The Rise of AI Crawlers39:58 Adoption and Implementation of LLMs48:59 Structured Data and Schema Markup56:36 The Future of SEO and the Web01:03:12 Closing Thoughts and Upcoming Topics📖 The SEO Chapter of the web almanac 2025: https://almanac.httparchive.org/en/2025/seoFollow Amaka:🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amaka-chukwuma-jubilee/Follow Chris:🔗 Website: https://www.torquepartnership.com/🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgreenseo/🔗 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/chris-green.net

Join Jack Chambers-Ward and Mark Williams-Cook for a special episode of Search With Candour, where they recap the top SEO conferences of 2025 and share their most anticipated events for 2026.From Brighton SEO to the SEO Brein Meetup, they discuss the highlights, unique features, and what makes each conference a must-attend. Plus, get an exclusive sneak peek into the upcoming SearchNorwich XL…Don't miss out on insights, networking tips, and the banter you’ve come to expect from Search with Candour!Best SEO conferences of 2025:https://brightonseo.com/https://croatiaseosummit.com/https://hub.seofomo.co/events/https://tech-seo-summit.com/https://searchnstuff.co.uk/search-n-stuff-antalya-conference-2026/SEO conferences to look forward to in 2026:https://www.womenintechseo.com/conference/london/https://www.seobrein.nl/meetuphttps://hive-mcr.co.uk/https://searchnstuff.co.uk/search-n-stuff-london-conference-2026/Coming soon... https://searchnorwich.org/00:00 Introduction and Welcome00:20 Conference Highlights and Reflections01:57 The Importance of Networking04:30 Top Conferences of 202504:48 Brighton SEO08:50 Zagreb SEO Summit15:13 SEO FOMO Meetups19:46 Tech SEO Summit23:55 Search and Stuff Antalya26:46 The Importance of Preparation for Conferences27:23 Navigating Language Barriers at International Conferences28:07 The Value of Speaker-Audience Interaction29:35 Upcoming Conferences in 202630:18 WTSFest London33:50 SEO Brien Meetups35:39 Hive MCR39:33 Search and Stuff London41:43 SearchNorwich XL49:56 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Jack Chambers-Ward is joined by Georgie Kemp, the SEO lead at Veed.Together, they delve into the limitless potential of video as a channel for marketers, discussing how video content can be repurposed and its SEO advantages.Georgie emphasises the importance of authenticity and the human element in creating engaging video content. Jack and Georgie also explore the evolution of search, integrating video into SEO strategies, and leveraging AI while maintaining a human touch.Follow Georgie:Website: https://www.veed.ioLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgie-kemp/ Veed on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/veedstudioVeed on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veedstudio/Resourceshttps://sell.g2.com/resources/webinars/capturing-demand-in-the-llm-ecosystemhttps://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7388499289389572097/https://sparktoro.com/blog/its-still-seo-search-everywhere-optimization/Veed guides for video marketing:https://www.veed.io/learn/video-marketing-guide https://www.veed.io/learn/ai-tools-for-video-editinghttps://www.veed.io/learn/ai-video-productionGeorgie’s recommendationshttps://www.granola.ai/https://misotasty.com/recipes/miso-brown-butter-banana-bread-recipeTime stamps00:00 The Limitless Potential of Video Marketing01:22 Introduction03:26 Sponsor Message05:13 Interview with Georgie Kemp06:50 The Evolution of Search and Video Content20:47 Community Engagement and Authenticity in SEO34:47 Monitoring Brand Sentiment35:12 The Party Analogy35:49 Honesty in Product Comparisons36:46 Community-Centric Content Strategy37:55 Success in Video Generation and Editing38:55 Comparison-Based Content42:17 Brand Management and Visibility48:17 AI's Role in Content Creation55:21 Recommendations and Final Thoughts

Nicole Lee, a senior marketing manager at Daydream with a focus on content and SEO, discusses how long-tail keywords are gaining power in the AI-driven landscape. She highlights the importance of high-intent, bottom-of-funnel content and shares her techniques for programmatic SEO. Nicole emphasizes using real customer language from sales conversations for content creation and offers insights on scaling content effectively. Plus, she gives actionable advice on staying curious and experimenting with tools to enhance SEO strategies.

The hosts dive into the significant SEO trends of 2025, highlighting a sharp rise in zero-click searches and their impact on click-through rates. They explore the surge in video and visual search, emphasizing the importance of community-focused marketing. The rollout of Google's AI mode is another hot topic, with predictions on its potential to reshape search functionalities. Challenges like automated advertising and scraping are discussed, along with exciting predictions for the future of SEO and personal AI tools in everyday use.

Jack Chambers-Ward chats with Greg Heilers, co-founder of Jolly SEO and digital PR expert. They dive into the evolution of HARO and the impact of AI on journalist outreach, highlighting the necessity of human editing to maintain quality. Greg shares insights from his experiences at the Shenzhen SEO conference and the unique challenges in Chinese markets. The duo discusses 'pitch twisting' techniques to enhance relevance and the rising importance of unlinked brand mentions in SEO. A must-listen for digital PR enthusiasts!

Jack Chambers-Ward is joined by Abi Bennetts to discuss the evolution of digital PR, the importance of brand building, and the impact of AI and LLMs on the PR landscape.Together, they explore strategies for creating authentic, relevant content and the significance of measuring brand sentiment and awareness. Abi also shares insights on how startups can leverage digital PR effectively and predicts the integration of digital and traditional PR in the future.Follow AbiWebsite: https://www.launchpr.co.uk/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abibennetts710/00:00 Why brand is the future of digital PR01:09 Introduction05:34 Welcome Abi Bennetts07:31 The Evolution of Digital PR and Brand Strategy10:05 The Role of AI and Authenticity in Digital PR12:36 Combining Traditional and Digital PR Tactics19:06 The Impact of Brand Sentiment and Trust33:04 Utilising Experts for Authentic Brand Building34:22 Balancing Virality and Planned Campaigns35:36 Holistic Approach to Digital PR36:18 SEO Integration in PR Strategies37:15 Defining Brand Identity and Messaging40:20 Advice for Digital PR Beginners47:25 Measuring Success in Digital PR53:16 Future of Digital PR and AI56:30 Final Thoughts and Recommendations

Jack Chambers-Ward is joined by Amanda King for an in-depth conversation about the evolving landscape of SEO and the implications of AI-generated content.Amanda shares insights from her 15 years in the industry, discussing the challenges of maintaining relevant, high-quality content in a world where AI is increasingly prevalent. The episode covers a range of topics, including content consolidation, Google's move away from lexical search, and Amanda’s new tool - Topic Compass.Jack and Amanda also touch on the importance of balancing traditional SEO practices with modern digital marketing strategies to stay ahead in 2026.00:00 Introduction01:39 Welcome to Search With Candour04:35 Interview with Amanda King07:16 The Evolution of SEO and Content Strategies17:40 Challenges and Future of SEO34:21 Exploring Topic Compass and Content Relevance51:49 The Evolution of Google's Search Technology55:00 The Impact of AI on SEO and PPC56:11 Exploring Paris: Beyond the Usual Attractions01:01:35 The Importance of Updating Existing Content01:03:38 Tools and Strategies for Modern SEO01:08:31 Fun Recommendations: Movies, Games, and More01:23:29 Upcoming Episodes and Future PlansFollow Amanda:⭐Website: https://floq.co/⭐Topic Compass: https://topiccompass.io⭐LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandaecking/⭐Amanda's writing for SEL: https://searchengineland.com/author/amanda-king⭐Amanda's speakerdeck: https://speakerdeck.com/amandafloqLinks to resources/references:🎧Amanda’s previous episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3fWiAJwcO8🎧Discussing MUVERA with Egor Golovin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STcV-Y3KTAs📄Google’s MUVERA: https://research.google/blog/muvera-making-multi-vector-retrieval-as-fast-as-single-vector-search/

Join Jack Chambers-Ward in this episode of Search With Candour as he discusses the critical difference between strategy and tactics in SEO with special guest Derek Hobson from Brain Labs.Jack and Derek get super nerdy using everything from The Avengers to adult diapers to explore how to effectively structure your thinking around SEO strategies and tactics. They also discuss the importance of ongoing testing, adapting to industry changes like AI advancements, and building strong off-page SEO.Follow Derek:Brainlabs: https://www.brainlabsdigital.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dereknhobson/SEO Humorist: https://seohumorist.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@seohumoristResources:https://www.brainlabsdigital.com/navigating-the-new-era-of-ai-search/Greenshot: https://getgreenshot.org/The Sellout by Paul Beatty https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22237161-the-selloutThis is Strategy by Seth Godin https://open.spotify.com/show/0UggtiAbVMtoXAR3nhg2fK?si=14f33156e5ce4df700:00 Introduction01:38 Welcome to Search With Candour03:10 Guest Introduction: Derek Hobson from Brain Labs04:14 Defining Strategy and Tactics in SEO08:05 The Avengers Analogy: Strategy vs. Tactics21:42 SEO Strategy Development Process24:46 Marvel vs. DC: A Lesson in Strategy34:31 Unexpected Marketing Wins: Grommet Mug Case Study37:52 Client Strategy and Adaptation38:52 Creative Marketing Ideas40:54 The Importance of Brand Visibility44:07 SEO and Content Strategy48:55 Adapting to Industry Changes59:16 Off-Page SEO and Influencer Marketing01:08:36 Final Thoughts and Recommendations

In this episode, Jack Chambers-Ward interviews Ade Holder, frontman of Phinius Gage and owner of 427 Marketing. They explore how punk values can influence business practices, the challenges of maintaining authenticity, and the importance of constructive capitalism. Ade shares insights from his experience in marketing and as a musician, highlighting the intersection between creativity and analytical thinking. Tune in for discussions on music, SEO, client relations, and actionable tips for blending personal passions with professional life.Follow AdeWebsite: https://www.427marketing.co.uk/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ade-holder-3a010914/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/adeholder.bsky.socialPhinius Gage: https://phiniusgage.bandcamp.com/track/masquerade RecommendationsRank Caddy - https://rankcaddy.io/The Ritual by Adam Nevill - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10239382-the-ritualMalevolence - https://mlvltd.com/00:00 Balancing Punk Rock Ethics with Marketing00:55 Introduction01:25 Meet Ade Holder: Punk Rock Legend and Marketing Expert03:07 The Intersection of Punk Rock and Business Ethics03:28 Ade Holder's Journey: From Punk Rock to Marketing04:46 Authenticity and Business: A Personal Journey07:25 Navigating Client Choices and Ethical Dilemmas18:21 The Creative and Analytical Balance in SEO37:32 The Role of Ethics in Modern SEO43:00 Honouring SEO Pioneers43:20 The Importance of Testing Hypotheses44:10 Client Collaboration and Experimentation45:28 SEO Testing and Real-World Results47:01 Navigating SEO Challenges48:06 Understanding Client Issues50:59 Technical SEO Insights54:05 The Gap Between Cutting-Edge and Basic SEO57:43 The Importance of Authenticity in Networking01:01:12 Balancing Band Life and Business01:04:18 Recommendations