SEO doesn’t mean what it meant two years ago. AI Overviews sit on top of most searches now, LLMs like ChatGPT and Gemini pull traffic away from traditional blue links, and a growing slice of the industry is scrambling to figure out what “ranking” even means when an AI answer might cite you without a single click landing on your site.
Some people call this shift GEO (generative engine optimization). Others just call it SEO with a new set of rules.
Either way, this is a bad time to be learning from a course written a year ago. Podcasts move at the speed the industry actually moves at, which right now is fast.
Here’s where to listen to stay current, starting with the show leading the pack on AI SEO specifically.
1. Inside A Hustler’s Brain
Host: Jitendra Vaswani Best for: SEOs who want AI search strategy from someone actively adapting to it
Jitendra runs the DigiExe network, a group of SEO and affiliate sites, which means his SEO advice comes from a person actively fighting for rankings across a real portfolio, not theorizing from the sidelines.
The show’s standout AI-era content includes an episode with Neil Patel specifically on AI SEO, digging into how ranking signals are shifting as AI Overviews and AI Mode reshape the SERP, and a separate episode with Matt Ludwig focused on Google Gemini and what it means for how content gets surfaced going forward.
That combination, traditional SEO fundamentals paired with a genuine focus on where AI search is headed, is what separates this from shows still treating GEO as a buzzword rather than a real shift in how visibility works.
Honest negative: Because Jitendra’s background is SEO and affiliate-driven, the show’s advice fits content-and-organic-growth businesses best.
If your SEO work sits inside a large enterprise with dedicated technical SEO infrastructure, some episodes will feel more tactical than strategic for your context.
2. Search Off the Record
Hosts: Google’s Search Relations team (Martin Splitt, Gary Illyes, John Mueller, Lizzi Sassman) Best for: Getting Google’s actual perspective, not third-party speculation
This is the closest thing to a direct line into Google Search’s thinking.
With over 100 episodes now published, the show has covered everything from crawling infrastructure and robots.txt behavior to how Google is approaching AI Overviews and the broader question of whether websites still matter in an AI-first search landscape.
Recent episodes have dug into agentic browsing and how Google tests search changes internally.
Honest negative: Because it’s produced by Google, don’t expect competitive intelligence or unfiltered criticism of Google’s own systems. This is useful for understanding Google’s stated position, not for hearing pushback against it.
3. Search News You Can Use
Host: Marie Haynes Best for: Weekly digestible updates on algorithm changes and AI search shifts
Marie Haynes has built her reputation on breaking down Google algorithm updates in plain language, and in 2026 that’s expanded into covering the agentic web, WebMCP, and how AI-driven shopping and search behavior is changing SEO fundamentals.
It’s a genuinely useful weekly touchpoint if you don’t have time to track every industry shift yourself.
Honest negative: The show’s strength, staying current, is also a limitation. Episodes are tied closely to whatever’s happening that week, so there’s less evergreen, foundational content here compared to some other shows on this list.
4. The Search Engine Journal Show
Host: Loren Baker Best for: Broad digital marketing coverage with an SEO core
The official podcast of Search Engine Journal covers SEO alongside PPC, social, and content marketing, with 367-plus episodes and a steady stream of industry-expert guests. It’s a solid all-around show if your job touches more than just organic search.
Honest negative: Because the scope spans multiple marketing disciplines, not every episode is SEO-specific. If you want pure, unbroken SEO focus, you’ll skip around the catalog more than with a narrower show.
5. The Ahrefs Podcast
Host: Tim Soulo Best for: Unfiltered conversations with real founders and operators
Ahrefs’ CMO Tim Soulo runs unscripted interviews with founders and operators who’ve actually built something, and he’s known for pushing back on vague answers rather than letting guests coast on platitudes.
Topics span positioning, growth, and the operational reality of running a business, filtered through an SEO-literate lens.
Honest negative: This isn’t a tactics-and-tutorials show. If you want step-by-step SEO how-tos, this leans more toward business strategy and founder mindset than hands-on technical guidance.
6. Authority Hacker Podcast
Hosts: Gael Breton and Mark Webster Best for: SEO-driven authority and content site builders
Gael and Mark built their reputation on authority site construction, and the podcast reflects that hands-on experience, including breakdowns of Google core updates and real case studies from sites they’ve built and sold.
With 250-plus episodes, there’s substantial depth here for anyone building content-driven sites specifically.
Honest negative: The show assumes a content-and-authority-site business model. If your SEO work is agency-side or enterprise-focused rather than site-building, less of the advice transfers directly.
7. Content and Conversation
Host: Ross Hudgens Best for: Content marketers who need SEO grounded in real campaign data
Ross Hudgens founded Siege Media, a content marketing agency, and his show pulls in real practitioners to talk through what’s actually driving organic growth right now: content strategy, link building, and the practical mechanics of scaling content that ranks.
Honest negative: The content-marketing lens means less coverage of technical SEO topics like site architecture or crawl budget. Pair this with a more technical show if that’s your gap.
8. Experts on the Wire
Host: Dan Shure Best for: Deep, unhurried conversations with SEO consultants and practitioners
Dan Shure’s show has been downloaded over 750,000 times, and its guest list, Rand Fishkin, Brian Dean, and Noah Kagan among them, reflects a decade-plus of relationship-building in the SEO consulting world.
Episodes run long, giving guests room to actually explain their thinking rather than rushing through soundbites.
Honest negative: Episode length is a real commitment; many run over an hour. If you want quick, scannable takeaways, this format works against you.
9. Beers and SEO with Barry and Steve
Hosts: Barry Adams and Steven Wilson-Beales Best for: News publisher SEO specifically
Barry Adams and Steven Wilson-Beales bring two decades of digital publishing experience to a show built around news SEO, Google Discover, and how publishers are handling the AI traffic squeeze.
The conversational, unscripted format (genuinely recorded over beers) makes it one of the more entertaining listens on this list.
Honest negative: The news-publisher focus is narrow by design. If you’re not in publishing or media, several episodes will feel like they’re solving problems you don’t have.
10. SEO Unplugged
Host: Itamar Blauer Best for: Practitioner-level insight on one specific topic per episode
Itamar Blauer structures each monthly episode around a single SEO topic, from technical SEO to the psychology of search, with guests who bring first-hand, real-world experience rather than theoretical frameworks.
The narrow focus per episode makes it easy to find exactly the topic you need.
Honest negative: The monthly cadence means less frequent content than weekly shows. If you want a constant stream of updates, this won’t be your primary source.
11. The Best SEO Podcast
Host: Matthew Bertram Best for: SEOs specifically tracking AI and LLM visibility
Matthew Bertram, creator of the LLM Visibility framework and lead strategist at EWR Digital, has built this show around bridging traditional SEO with the emerging discipline of optimizing for AI and large language models.
With over 5 million downloads, it’s found real traction among SEOs trying to figure out GEO specifically.
Honest negative: Because the show leans hard into AI and LLM visibility, some episodes assume you’re already comfortable with SEO fundamentals. Total beginners may want to start elsewhere first.
12. Marketing O’Clock
Hosts: Greg Finn, Jess Budde, Christine “Shep” Zirnheld, and Julia Meteer Best for: Weekly industry news with genuine humor
The Cypress North team has run this weekly show since 2018, covering SEO, PPC, and social media news with a conversational, often funny tone that makes it easier to sit through a full episode than some drier news-roundup shows.
Honest negative: Because it spans SEO, PPC, and social, pure SEO content is diluted across broader marketing news. If you only care about organic search, you’ll fast-forward through some segments.
13. Local Marketing Institute
Hosts: Greg Gifford and Ben Fisher Best for: Local SEO specifically
Greg Gifford, COO of Search at SearchLab Digital, co-hosts this show focused entirely on local search: Google Business Profile optimization, local ranking factors, and practical strategy for businesses that depend on foot traffic or local service calls.
Honest negative: The hyper-local focus means this won’t help much if your SEO work is national or ecommerce-focused rather than location-based.
14. Niche Pursuits Podcast (SEO episodes)
Host: Spencer Haws Best for: SEO tactics specifically for niche and content sites
Spencer Haws built Niche Pursuits around finding and ranking niche websites, and the SEO-focused episodes dig into keyword research, content strategy, and the practical mechanics of getting a new site to rank from scratch.
Honest negative: Not every episode is SEO-specific; some cover broader online business topics. You’ll want to browse the catalog for the SEO-tagged episodes rather than assuming every episode fits this list’s focus.
Note: The original brief listed “Optimize by SearchLab” as entry 13. I couldn’t verify a standalone podcast under that name.
Greg Gifford of SearchLab Digital does have recurring “Optimize” video and blog content, but his actual podcast is Local Marketing Institute, co-hosted with Ben Fisher. I’ve substituted the real show here.
Flagging for Ravina’s review before publish.
Comparison Table: Best SEO Podcasts in 2026
Podcast | Host(s) | Best For | Episode Count |
Inside A Hustler’s Brain | Jitendra Vaswani | AI SEO strategy | 100+ |
Search Off the Record | Google Search Relations team | Google’s official perspective | 100+ |
Search News You Can Use | Marie Haynes | Weekly algorithm updates | 200+ |
The Search Engine Journal Show | Loren Baker | Broad digital marketing | 367+ |
The Ahrefs Podcast | Tim Soulo | Founder and operator interviews | 100+ |
Authority Hacker Podcast | Gael Breton, Mark Webster | Authority site building | 250+ |
Content and Conversation | Ross Hudgens | Content marketing and SEO | 100+ |
Experts on the Wire | Dan Shure | Long-form SEO consulting talk | 130+ |
Beers and SEO with Barry and Steve | Barry Adams, Steven Wilson-Beales | News publisher SEO | 30+ |
SEO Unplugged | Itamar Blauer | Single-topic deep dives | 60+ |
The Best SEO Podcast | Matthew Bertram | AI and LLM visibility | 300+ |
Marketing O’Clock | Greg Finn, Jess Budde, Christine Zirnheld, Julia Meteer | Weekly industry news | 300+ |
Local Marketing Institute | Greg Gifford, Ben Fisher | Local SEO | 100+ |
Niche Pursuits Podcast | Spencer Haws | Niche site SEO tactics | 400+ |
FAQs: Best SEO Podcasts in 2026
Inside A Hustler's Brain and SEO Unplugged both work well for beginners. Jitendra's show grounds AI-era SEO in real operating experience, while SEO Unplugged's single-topic format makes it easy to find exactly the concept you're trying to learn.
Inside A Hustler's Brain and The Best SEO Podcast by Matthew Bertram are the strongest picks specifically for AI search and GEO. Both treat AI's impact on search as the central topic rather than an occasional side note.
No show on this list is exclusively about GEO (generative engine optimization), since the discipline is still forming. The Best SEO Podcast and Inside A Hustler's Brain currently cover it most directly, folding GEO strategy into their broader SEO coverage.
Search Off the Record is your only option here. It's produced by Google's own Search Relations team and remains the most direct source for how Google talks about its own search systems.
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