Filmed On: 22nd January 2026

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

In this episode of Real Talk With Sean, I’m joined by Christian Goodrich, Katie Stone, Emma Russell and Anthony Barone for a wide-ranging, no-filter conversation on where SEO, AI, search, media and digital trust are really heading as we move toward 2026.

We unpack what’s genuinely changing (and what isn’t), why some legacy models are under serious pressure, and how marketers, brands and publishers need to adapt - without chasing every new acronym or hype cycle.

About My Guests

Christian Goodrich – Head of Search Marketing & AI Search at SOZO

Katie Stone – Director of SEO at TrendyMinds

Emma Russell – Founder of Oxford Comma Digital

Anthony Barone – Co-founder of StudioHawk UK

Topics Covered:

Whether paid SEO tools still justify their cost in an AI-first world

Tool overload, subscription fatigue, and why many teams aren’t maximising what they already pay for

The rise of custom AI workflows vs legacy SEO platforms

What agentic AI could mean for search, e-commerce and lead generation

How branding, loyalty and trust change when AI intermediates decisions

Why websites may become “infrastructure” rather than the primary brand surface

Zero-click search, AI summaries and the shifting value of organic traffic

The future of news publishers in a world of AI answers and independent creators

Why YouTube, podcasts and social platforms are becoming primary news sources

Trust, bias, echo chambers and the dangers of over-personalised algorithms

Social media bans for under-16s: public safety vs free speech

Where responsibility really sits — platforms, governments or parents

What all of this means for SEOs, marketers and digital teams right now