Best Linkbuilding Podcasts (2025)

1
Did Google Just End Rank Tracking? w/ Shannon Minkel 17:37

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5d ago17:37

17:37

Shannon Minkel, Senior Director of Product SEO at Siege Media, joins Ross Hudgens to unpack one of the biggest questions in search right now: did Google just kill rank tracking beyond page two?They explore what this shift means for SEOs—whether it’s a sign to finally focus on input metrics, how declining referral traffic from ChatGPT impacts strate…

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Scaling 250,000 Neighborhoods: Enterprise SEO at Apartments.com w/ Zach Chahalis 44:30

2M ago44:30

44:30

Zach Chahalis, VP of SEO at Apartments.com, joins Ross Hudgens for a deep dive into the high-stakes world of real estate SEO—where listings change daily, pages balloon into the hundreds of thousands, and competition is cutthroat across every SERP.They explore how Zach’s team manages SEO at scale, including 75+ site migrations, advanced internal lin…

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Input Metrics in SEO: Leading Indicators in an AI World 47:08

3M ago47:08

47:08

Tom Critchlow, EVP of Audience Growth at Raptive, joins Ross for a deep dive into how input metrics can transform SEO strategy—especially in an era of declining visibility and messy attribution from AI search engines.They explore how input metrics improve executive reporting, unlock budget, and build cross-functional alignment by shifting focus fro…

1
Future-Proofed E-commerce Content Marketing w/ SearchPilot's Will Critchlow 49:33

3M ago49:33

49:33

Ross joins Will Critchlow of SearchPilot for a wide-ranging conversation on the evolving landscape of e-commerce SEO and content strategy in the AI era.They cover how e-commerce brands are adapting content for multimodal search, why digital PR is surging, what still works in a zero-click world, and how Siege’s homepage study reveals surprising traf…

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AEO Playbook: How to Optimize for AI w/ Profound’s Josh Blyskal 50:15

3M ago50:15

50:15

Josh Blyskal, AEO Engineer at Profound, joins Ross Hudgens to dive deep into the emerging world of AI-native search optimization—and how brands can win visibility across platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews.They unpack Profound’s Conversation Explorer, fresh data on generative search intent, and the real-world tactics that …

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How Asana Scaled to 20M+ International SEO Visits‬‭ 45:58

3M ago45:58

45:58

Chris Kelly, ex-Asana growth lead, joins Ross Hudgens to break down how Asana scaled to 20M+ international SEO visits—and how to do it again in 2025.They dive into localization strategy, market prioritization, TMS tools, team structures, and how to tie international SEO directly to business outcomes.Chris also unpacks real-world mistakes, market-sp…

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SEO vs GEO vs AEO: Which One Is It? w/ Rand Fishkin 28:45

4M ago28:45

28:45

Rand Fishkin joins Ross Hudgens to unpack the latest acronym craze—GEO, AEO, LEO—and why none may be necessary. They explore the origins of SEO, the rise (and fall) of inbound marketing, and how marketers can avoid falling into the trap of trend-chasing. From naming conventions to the real value of brand clarity, this is a conversation for anyone n…

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Homepage Traffic is Up 10.7%: Unpacking the AI Effect w/ Drew Page & Ross Hudgens 20:47

4M ago20:47

20:47

Ross Hudgens and Drew Page sit down to unpack Siege Media’s latest study on the surprising shift in search behavior caused by AI-powered experiences and large language models (LLMs). The headline? Homepage traffic is up 10.7%—despite a decline in overall site wide clicks.They dive into the impact of branded search, the difference between B2B and B2…

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Adapting to the Brand-First SEO Era w/ Kevin Indig 47:48

4M ago47:48

47:48

Ross sits down with Kevin Indig, growth advisor and SEO strategist, to break down his groundbreaking UX study on Google’s AI Overviews—and what it reveals about the fast-changing landscape of search. From disappearing clicks to trust-first decision-making, Kevin shares how the rise of AI is reshaping everything from user behavior to what actually d…

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The Word ‘Blog’ Is Holding Us Back w/ Jess Joyce 35:20

5M ago35:20

35:20

Ross sits down with Jess Joyce, SEO consultant at Inbound Scope, to talk about why the term "blog" is outdated—and how systems thinking, revenue-led SEO, and diagram-driven storytelling are creating smarter strategies for SaaS brands. Jess unpacks her visual-first approach to social content, explains the shortcomings of traditional keyword research…

1
Beyond Blogging: Building a Media Empire w/ HubSpot’s Kieran Flanagan‬ ‭ 44:57

5M ago44:57

44:57

Ross sits down with Kieran Flanagan, SVP of Marketing at HubSpot, for a deep dive into AI’s impact on SEO, content strategy in a post-search world, and the real story behind the "HubSpot traffic drop.Kieran breaks down why conversions—not clicks—have always been at the core of HubSpot’s strategy, how AI is reshaping team structures, and why co-cita…

1
Scaling a Billion Dollar Brand: Lessons from Semrush’s CMO 50:56

5M ago50:56

50:56

Ross sits down with Andrew Warden, CMO of Semrush, for a behind-the-scenes look at how the company has scaled past a billion-dollar valuation through brand innovation, performance marketing, and fearless experimentation.Andrew unpacks how he’s built and structured Semrush’s powerhouse marketing team, why they favor in-house execution over agencies,…

1
From Content Engine to Freedom Engine w/ Chris Walker 49:01

5M ago49:01

49:01

Chris Walker (CEO of Passetto) joins Ross to talk about personal transformation, scaling through delegation, and why most entrepreneurs are chasing the wrong kind of freedom.Chris shares insights from his month-long sabbatical, including frameworks for creating true independence—beyond just financial freedom—and lessons learned about leadership, ag…

1
The SEO Behind Zillow’s 1 Billion‬‭ Visits/Year w/ Kristan Bauer‬‭ 43:14

6M ago43:14

43:14

Kristan Bauer returns for a deep dive into the technical and organizational SEO strategies that helped Zillow grow to nearly 2 billion annual visits. She shares tactical insights on enterprise SEO at scale, including testing frameworks, internal collaboration, indexing strategies, and what it takes to lead with executive presence in a high-stakes e…

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Is Technical SEO Dying? + What to Do Instead w/ Eli Schwartz 48:07

6M ago48:07

48:07

Ross welcomes Eli Schwartz, author of Product-Led SEO , to unpack the evolving role of SEO in a world shaped by AI, shifting perceptions, and organizational challenges. Eli dives into why SEO is being deprioritized, what companies are getting wrong, and how product-led SEO is the path forward. They cover layoffs, agency churn, the role of growth te…

1
Yes, You Do Need a Bing Strategy w/ Botify’s AJ Ghergich 45:52

6M ago45:52

45:52

Ross sits down with A.J. Ghergich, VP of Consulting Services at Botify, to unpack enterprise SEO, AI governance, and why SEOs absolutely need a Bing strategy in 2025. A.J. shares the story of how he landed the rare @SEO Twitter handle and what it’s meant for his visibility in the industry. They dive into findings from Botify’s latest AI survey, hig…

1
Could This Could Replace Domain Authority? w/ Dr. Pete 44:23

6M ago44:23

44:23

Ross sits down with Dr. Pete Meyers of Moz to discuss the ever-changing landscape of SEO, the impact of AI overviews, and how Moz is adapting to a rapidly evolving industry. They dive into the challenges of innovation in a competitive space, the role of brand authority versus domain authority, and the data-driven future of search marketing. Plus, D…

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Inside Ahrefs’ $100M Growth: Tim Soulo on SEO, Content, and Social 49:37

7M ago49:37

49:37

Ross sits down with Tim Soulo, CMO of Ahrefs, to dive deep into content marketing, SEO, and Ahrefs’ evolving approach to growth. Tim shares insights on how Ahrefs built its marketing team, the role of SEO in today’s digital landscape, and why they’re investing in YouTube, LinkedIn, and thought leadership content. They also discuss the challenges of…

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Traffic Down, Revenue Up: A Conversation w/ Rand Fishkin 50:57

7M ago50:57

50:57

Ross welcomes back Rand Fishkin, co-founder of SparkToro and longtime marketing thought leader, for a candid conversation about the evolution of search, audience research, and the shifting tides of digital marketing. Rand shares insights on why SEO’s golden age is behind us, why influence—not traffic—should be marketers’ primary focus, and how PR i…

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Is Marketing the Wrong Home for SEO? w/ Ex-RetailMeNot, Angi Lead 44:06

7M ago44:06

44:06

How do you build SEO strategies that mesh seamlessly with product teams? Ross Hudgens chats with Sharanya Srinivasan, Head of SEO, Product at Boatsetter, about combining strong user experience, savvy engineering partnerships, and growth-focused tactics. Learn how Sharanya’s approach to A/B testing, internal links, and UX research can help you unloc…

1
Breaking SEO News: Barry Schwartz on the Biggest Stories & Trends 35:34

7M ago35:34

35:34

In this episode of Content and Conversation, host Ross Hudgens sits down with Barry Schwartz, President of RustyBrick and a leading voice in SEO. Barry shares his insights into the latest Google algorithm updates, the future of search rankings, and how businesses can adapt their SEO strategies in 2025 and beyond. Tune in for expert analysis, action…

1
Every SEO Should Be Doing This Today w/ Wil Reynolds 51:56

7M ago51:56

51:56

In this episode, Ross and guest Wil Reynolds, VP Innovation, SEER, discuss the future of search, AI-driven automation, and why organic social is becoming more important than ever. Wil shares bold insights on how agencies must adapt, the power of thought leadership over traditional content marketing, and the evolving landscape of SEO. Plus, they cov…

1
Cyrus Shepard Disavowed His Entire Site: Here’s What Happened 38:48

8M ago38:48

38:48

Join Ross as he sits down with SEO expert Cyrus Shepard to explore why brand building has become essential in today’s search landscape. Cyrus shares what happened when he disavowed every inbound link on his site, why Google seems to reward authenticity over traditional SEO tactics, and how focusing on experience and trust can give you the edge in t…

1
How Sam Parr Mastered Copywriting for a $27M Exit 46:37

8M ago46:37

46:37

In the latest episode of Content and Conversation, Sam Parr, founder of The Hustle and host of My First Million, joins Ross to discuss the art and science of great copywriting, building viral content, and scaling content-driven businesses. Sam shares actionable insights into hiring creative talent, writing headlines that convert, and why simplicity…

1
How Dave Gerhardt Built a B2B Audience of 200,000+ 49:51

9M ago49:51

49:51

We speak with Dave Gerhardt, founder of Exit Five, who reveals how to build a standout B2B marketing community. He breaks down the impact of AI on SEO and content, his no-nonsense approach to LinkedIn content, podcasting as a content strategy, and why Exit Five moved from Facebook to Circle. It’s a sharp look at staying agile and authentic in moder…

1
How to Rank on AI Search Engines with Michael Buckbee 43:05

10M ago43:05

43:05

We speak with Michael Buckbee, the innovator behind Knowatoa, a tool transforming SEO for AI search services. We discuss strategies for ranking on AI-Powered search engines and how Knowatoa enhances rank tracking on platforms like ChatGPT, helping marketers analyze keywords and search intent in this new landscape. We focus on aligning content with …

1
How Brian Dean Sold Two SEO Businesses 35:32

11M ago35:32

35:32

We’re joined by Brian Dean, co-founder of Exploding Topics, as he shares his journey of transitioning from SEO education to trend-spotting innovation. We dive into the creation of Exploding Topics, exploring its origins as a side project, the collaboration with fellow entrepreneurs, and the strategic enhancements that shaped it into a successful Sa…

1
Mastering Content Strategy During Election Season with Emily Campbell-Snidal 13:23

12M ago13:23

13:23

This week on Content & Conversation, Ross and Emily Campbell-Snidal, VP of Content Marketing at Siege Media, explore how brands can craft effective content strategies during election season. Show Notes: 0:00 Election Strategies and Content Creation 2:48 Rethinking Content Calendars 4:37 Leveraging Current Events for Engagement 7:21 Updating Existin…

1
The Future of SEO w/ Clearscope's Bernard Huang 59:13

1y ago59:13

59:13

Show Notes: 00:00 - Intro 00:40 - Clearscope and the future of SEO 13:08 - What are language models actually good for? 29:10 - Using the data to guide strategy 39:00 - Discussing Reddit and SERPs 49:00 - Is there optimism for the future? Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/…

1
Lessons from 70 SaaS Content Interviews w/ Jimmy Daly 39:02

1y ago39:02

39:02

Show Notes: 00:09: Welcome, Jimmy Daly, Co-Founder and CEO of Superpath 03:30: What does high-performance SaaS content look like? 06:48: The importance of knowing your product (Fresh Paint) 10:24: Outstanding content in SaaS 11:16: The advantages of compiling your own data 13:03: Jimmy’s Your Blog Is a Library Not a Publication 21:31: The three bes…

1
Programmatic SEO w/ Zapier’s Former Lead SEO 49:56

1y ago49:56

49:56

Show Notes: 00:05: Welcome, Matt Bowers, SEO Consultant (Zapier and Zillow Alum) 11:01: Indexation is becoming more challenging. Should a new startup consider programmatic? 01:12: Do you believe there’s a minimum threshold of unique content that a programmatic page should have to be successful? 11:01: Indexation is becoming more challenging. Should…

1
Product-Led Digital PR: A Critical Strategy for 2025 19:39

1y ago19:39

19:39

Show Notes: 00:00 - Introduction 00:45 - What is Product-Led Digital PR? 4:30 - Why you should choose Product-Led Digital PR 6:37 - A case study with encouraging results 8:30 - Putting your data to work 10:00 - Running surveys 13:00 - How do you make surveys effective? 16:00 - What the future looks like 18:00 - Final Thoughts Subscribe today for we…

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Google’s Algo Leak, AI Overviews & Hreflang’s Future 31:25

1+ y ago31:25

31:25

Show Notes: 00:08: Welcome, Jesse McDonald, Senior Director of SEO at Siege Media 00:41: Mike King’s analysis of Google Search’s leaked internal engineering documentation (Read more) 02:15: Overall site authority score 03:05: The impact of clicks on rankings 04:09: Defining Domain Authority 04:49: “Font Size of Terms and Links Matters” 05:26: The “…

1
The Optimal In-House Team Structure 15:35

1+ y ago15:35

15:35

Show Notes: 0:24: Exploring the optional internal team structure for content marketing 1:18: Why in-house Content Marketing Managers are the most effective 2:59: The role of SEO Managers in driving success (ideally) 4:03: The pitfalls of outsourcing and its impact on quality and bandwidth 5:19: The importance of consistency in brand voice and tone …

1
Content Marketing Trends for 2024 16:49

1+ y ago16:49

16:49

Show Notes: 00:00 - Introduction 1:02 - Despite slightly smaller budgets, businesses remain committed to content marketing 2:47: Reports indicate higher success rate for those who invest more per asset 3:24: What we're currently seeing in AI's impact, AI usage up YOY 5:25: Is AI helping or hurting your content? 7:29: Where AI is making the most sig…

1
The Future of SEO Jobs w/ Nick LeRoy 37:49

1+ y ago37:49

37:49

Show Notes: 00:00 - Introduction 01:15 - The SEO Job Market 4:30 - Should we be scared of SGE and AI? 08:00 - Changes in the SEO industry 14:50 - What does the future look like? 16:48 - Thoughts on SGE 20:47 - Would you change anything about your career? 25:00 - How to future proof your job 28:20 - Technical SEOs vs Content SEOs 36:13 - Final Thoug…

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How To (Actually) Get SEO Projects Accomplished With Tory Gray 35:07

1+ y ago35:07

35:07

Show Notes: 00:00: Introduction 01:53: Understanding why problems in SEO occur 07:55: Being a T-shaped marketer 09:10: Ross shares a recent client case study 10:50: Tory shares a recent client case study 13:28: Having critical conversations with clients 15:45: Thematic issues that prevent SEO work 19:54: Useful tips for getting SEO projects done 24…

1
All-in on Organic Links: Lessons 18 Months Later 19:19

2y ago19:19

19:19

Show Notes: 00:00: Introduction 00:57: Lessons from BrightonSEO 02:20: Strategies for Link Relevancy 04:00: Lessons from Less Manual Link Building 10:20: How Do Brand and EEAT Signals Impact Links 15:45: Summing It All Up 18:36: Outro Show Links: Follow Drew on Twitter Follow Ross on Twitter Send Us an Email Subscribe today for weekly tips: https:/…

1
How To Do Winning Keyword Research For 2024 23:13

2y ago23:13

23:13

Show Notes: 00:00: Introduction 02:09: Intro to the sheet 3:00: Keyword Research process 4:50: Keyword Difficulty 5:20: Relevancy Score 6:30: Ranking Page URL 9:27: Links 11:45: Page Traffic and Traffic Value 13:05: KOB Score 15:00: SERP Features and Keyword Demand Trends 16:40: Word Count 17:48: Refresh Frequency 19:17: Revised KOB score 20:25: Ca…

1
Insights From 4 Content Marketing Tests 16:36

2y ago16:36

16:36

Show Notes: 00:17: Above the fold best practices 3:46: Siege Media’s sticky navigation case study 6:47: The impact of font size on conversion rate 10:46: The power of updating content Show Links: Follow Drew on Twitter Follow Ross on Twitter Send Us an Email Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.…

1
The Best X Strategies for Executing BOFU Content 21:05

2y ago21:05

21:05

Show Notes: 00:30: BOFU benefits in SaaS 00:55: Why “Best X” roundups are necessary 2:45: BOFU content best practices 5:41: How to counter legal ramifications 7:21: The importance of updates 9:01: Alternative and “vs” page strategies 11:09: When landing pages make sense 12:14: How internal linking fits in 12:14: HubSpot example 14:05: PandaDoc exam…

1
Why Most People Are Doing Digital PR Wrong 20:42

2y ago20:42

20:42

Show Notes: 00:23: Does digital PR have enough value per link? 4:35: How to execute link building effectively 6:40: Breaking down the value of links by industry 7:29: Off-brand digital PR — the “Principal—Agent” problem 9:59: Deploying digital PR campaigns 1-4x a year 11:50: Why keyword-driven digital PR makes the most impact 13:08: How to fuel int…

1
What Is E-E-A-T? And How to Optimize For It 34:40

2+ y ago34:40

34:40

Show Notes: 00:08: Welcome, Bernard Huang, Co-founder of Clearscope 00:35: E-E-A-T’s background and evolution 4:00: Common E-E-A-T misapplications by SEOs 13:21: The value of a simple photoshoot 18:27: Modern SEO necessities vs. technical SEO 27:32: How to optimize every pixel on your site Show Links: Visit Clearscope’s Blog Follow Bernard on Twitt…

1
Google I/O SEO Changes: What You Need To Know 25:59

2+ y ago25:59

25:59

Show Notes: 00:10: The core SEO changes at Google I/O 2:14: Health and finance topics will not be affected (so far) 3:08: Watermarking for generative content creators 4:51: New layouts in Google SERP 6:12: New impact on affiliate website 7:43: Query complexity and how it influences content choice 8:30: Google’s incentives for content and websites c…

1
Recession-Proof Content Marketing w/ Bernard Huang 33:15

2+ y ago33:15

33:15

Show Notes: 00:07: Welcome, Bernard Huang, Co-founder of Clearscope 00:30: How to recession-proof content marketing 5:05: Why exploring bottom-funnel topics are key 7:32: Attributing content to revenue, lead generation 11:57: Update content more 14:41: Repurpose content more 18:09: Using keyword rankings to prove success 19:05: Search demand’s decl…

1
Made In CEO Chip Malt: Building SEO Strategies From the Ground Up 42:19

2+ y ago42:19

42:19

Show Notes: 00:08: Welcome, Chip Malt, CEO of Made In 00:35: The details of Made In’s content strategy 4:33: How do you quantify the worth of your assets? 7:10: Why Chip pursued education and research first 7:50: How long did it take to feel traction from your SEO investment? 13:48: Made In’s content and A/B tests 10:02: The evolution of Made In’s …

1
Higher Volume, Higher Stakes w/ Ryan Darani 37:12

2+ y ago37:12

37:12

Show Notes: 00:13: Welcome, Ryan Darani, SEO Consultant for DTC Health and Wellness brands 1:36: How much content should you publish to be effective with SEO? 2:59: Content freshness and its impact on rankings 5:20: What’s the counterargument to Monday.com’s case study? 8:24: The negative effect of high volume, low quality content 11:33: The import…

1
Growing a Marketplace to 100k Visits/mo: Captain Experiences’ CEO Jonathan Newar 28:28

2+ y ago28:28

28:28

Show Notes: 00:08: Welcome, Jonathan Newar, CEO of Captain Experiences 2:08: What’s the biggest fish you’ve ever caught? 3:48: SEO’s role in the initial stages of Captain Experiences 10:13: How Captain Experiences thinks through “Guide” pages 12:50: How to present a growth story to investors with SEO 16:32: Captain Experience’s marketing and SEO te…

1
The 2023 Content Marketing Trends Report w/ Bernard Huang 56:47

2+ y ago56:47

56:47

Show Notes: 1:33: Currently, those that *don't* use AI report higher performance on average. That said, company usage has gone up 12% this year. 6:45: How AI is changing content optimization and SERPs over time. 16:00: The future of Google’s Helpful Content update. 23:23: Businesses that incorporate link building into their strategy report a 45% hi…

1
The Role of AI Content w/ Lily Ray 40:49

2+ y ago40:49

40:49

Show Notes: 00:09: Welcome, Lily Ray, Senior Director, SEO & Head of Organic Research at Amsive Digital 00:41: Breaking down Bing’s AI integration and Google’s AI announcement 2:23: Lily’s take on the future of AI integration and SEO 10:36: The competition between Google and ChatGPT 13:06: How to incorporate AI content generation into your strategy…