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

In this episode of Real Talk With Sean, I’m joined by Celeste Gonzalez, Garrett Sussman, Serge Nguele and Ryan Jones for an honest look at what’s actually changing in SEO and digital marketing and what the landscape might look like by summer 2026.About my guests - Celeste Gonzalez - The director of RooLabs at RicketyRoo IncGarrett Sussman - The director of Marketing at iPullRankSerge Nguele - The founder of Your PPC DoctorRyan Jones - The Marketing manager at SEO TestingWe discuss the following:- How AI Overviews, AI Mode and multimodal search are reshaping user journeys - Why personalisation, trust signals and brand building matter more than ever in search- How listicles, citations and reputation still influence AI answers and where the line sits between fair play and gaming the system- Whether Google will really make AI Mode the default, and why the answer depends on ads, revenue and user trust- What PPC’s shift toward AI Max means for marketers, budgets and campaign control - The rising influence of TikTok, YouTube, Reddit and local communities in search behaviour- How brands can prepare for agentic AI without losing sight of human decision-making- Why diversification across channels (including Microsoft Ads) is becoming essential rather than optional

How is SEO really changing in 2025? In this episode of Real Talk With Sean, I’m joined by Liv Day, Gerry White, and Itamar Blauer to look at the biggest shifts in digital marketing.We look at:- The impact of Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode- Why old-school tactics like listicles are making a comeback- How brand building is more crucial than ever in search- Whether challenger brands still have a chance against established players-- Where SEOs should focus when resources are tight - from Reddit to YouTube to TikTokIt’s a straight-talking, no-nonsense look at what’s working, what isn’t, and where search is headed next.About my guests - Itamar Blauer – Senior SEO Director at StudioHawk and host of the SEO Unplugged podcast.Liv Day – SEO Lead at creative search agency Digitaloft.Gerry White – Influential SEO consultant, recently described as an “unconventional innovator.”Related Link - https://www.searchwithsean.com/post/navigating-seo-ai-in-2025-trends-tools-and-the-future-survey-resultshttps://www.searchwithsean.com/