Every Monday, Jack Chambers-Ward has in-depth conversations with SEO experts from around the world. Covering topics from attribution in GA4 to networking tips for introverts and everything in between. Search With Candour is the perfect way to kickstart your working week! https://withcandour.co.uk/podcast
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August 31, 2026Episode 8651 min
SearchNorwichXL Preview: SEO talks from Arnout Hellemans and Brendan Bennett
Jack Chambers-Ward continues the hype for SearchNorwichXL by highlighting talks from Arnout Hellemans and Brendan Bennett, who will be speaking at SearchNorwichXL. Arnout’s talk from SearchNorwich 16 is titled ‘How to work on your SEO without paying for tools’, and Brendan’s talk from SearchNorwich 19 is titled ‘It’s not me, it’s you: Why your SEO or agency (probably) hates you’ 🎟️ Get 25% off SearchNorwichXL tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/searchnorwichxl-tickets-1985283700992?discount=podcast Chapters 00:00 Introduction 03:19 Arnout Hellemans’ talk 23:43 In-between talks 24:26 Brendan Bennett’s talk 49:18 Wrap up
August 24, 2026Episode 8547 min
The big SearchNorwichXL 2026 preview
Jack Chambers-Ward and Mark Williams-Cook present a preview of SearchNorwichXL, their upcoming conference on 24 September 2026. Mark and Jack discuss the talks they’re looking forward to and give a preview of what to expect on the day. Use ‘MONDAYSWC’ to get 20% off your tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/searchnorwichxl-tickets-1985283700992?discount=mondayswc For more information about SearchNorwichXL: https://searchnorwich.org/ Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:29 Mark’s first pick: Arnout Hellemans 08:36 Jack’s first pick: Giulia Panozzo 16:37 Mark’s second pick: Adam Gent 25:22 Jack’s second pick: Future Of Search Panel 31:14 Mark’s third pick: Myriam Jessier 39:14 Jack’s third pick: Martin Splitt 42:20 Discount code and tickets 43:43 Mark’s upcoming speaking schedule 46:55 Thanks and wrap up
August 17, 2026Episode 841 hr 20 min
SEO, design and brand in the age of AI | Search With Candour
Candour’s Principal SEO Consultant, Brendan Bennett and Design Lead Mark Salisbury join Search with Candour to discuss the growing overlap between SEO, design, UX, and brand, and how AI/LLMs and emerging agentic experiences affect the way we build and use websites. The Candour trio also explore what brand means beyond just a logo, how third-party signals like reviews, Reddit, and search results shape perception, and how SEOs measure brand through metrics such as brand search volume, sentiment, and frameworks like Google’s HEART. The conversation covers trust signals, page clarity, semantic HTML, the tension between brand-led copy and keyword-focused headings, and the risk of AI-generated “slop” versus human differentiation. Follow Mark and Brendan: Website: https://withcandour.co.uk/ Mark on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-salisbury-701b8911/ Brendan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanbennett1989/ Chapters 00:00 Welcome, Brendan Bennett and Mark Salisbury 01:09 Design vs SEO No Versus 03:01 Why Brand Matters Now 09:45 Defining Brand Beyond Logos 17:17 Brand Metrics and Frameworks 22:40 SERP Signals and Trust Issues 27:19 When Brand Beats SEO 33:01 AI Websites and Human Proof 36:12 Luxury Branding vs AI Content 42:05 Websites as Experiences 42:48 Designing for Agents 43:50 Trust and Spend Thresholds 45:47 Technical SEO Meets Semantics 49:10 Brand Voice vs Keywords 53:31 Traffic vs Conversion Tradeoffs 56:43 What Makes a Site Good 59:04 Trust Signals and UX Proof 01:02:14 Vibe Coding and Web Slop 01:03:44 Future of SEO and Design 01:08:51 Recommendations: Actionable tips 01:12:00 Recommendations: Tools to try 01:15:23 Recommendations: Fun things like dancing and video games
August 10, 2026Episode 8340 min
AI Search & SEO News (July 2026): Google Trends Update, ChatGPT + Yelp, AI Mode Ads & New Studies
Jack Chambers-Ward hosts a July 2026 AI search and SEO news roundup on Search With Candour. This episode covers everything from new Google Trends features and social media data tracking in Google Search Console to research about ads in Google AI Mode and if Google punishes AI-generated content. Links to articles https://www.linkedin.com/posts/analyzing-search-interest-just-got-more-powerful-share-7478017577340968960-qsi3/ https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7480247562084638720/ https://seranking.com/blog/google-ai-mode-ads/ https://www.tryprofound.com/blog/google-com-is-now-ai-mode-s-2-cited-domain https://ahrefs.com/blog/google-doesnt-punish-ai-content/ https://www.similarweb.com/corp/reports/2026-generative-ai-landscape/ https://www.axios.com/2026/07/23/yelp-reviews-chatgpt-geo-partnership Chapters 00:00 Coming up on this episode 00:29 Introduction 01:53 Live Podcast returns on 7 October 2026 04:19 Google Trends new comparison feature 09:31 ChatGPT adds Yelp reviews 12:35 SE Ranking study: Ads in AI Mode 18:39 Profound study: Google cites itself more 23:01 Ahrefs study: Does Google punish AI content? 29:37 SimilarWeb Generative AI Report 36:33 Wrap up
August 3, 2026Episode 821 hr 1 min
Turn client expertise into SEO gold | Search with Liv Day and Ellie Wraith
Liv Day and Ellie Wraith from Digitaloft join Search with Candour to explain how to turn client expertise into SEO gold and why you need to create content your competitors can’t copy. They explain why unique, non-commodity content matters more in the AI era, how to extract insights from hesitant clients, and how to build processes (checklists, writer access to experts, ongoing client questions) to ensure information gain. They discuss using first-party data (sales, customer service transcripts), surveys, and sources like Reddit to uncover real audience pain points, plus repurposing interviews and video assets across site pages based on page goals. Follow Liv & Ellie: Digitaloft: https://digitaloft.co.uk/ Liv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-day-seo/ Ellie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliewraith/ Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Search with Candour 02:46 Introducing Ellie Wraith 03:38 Introducing Liv Day 04:30 Why expertise matters now 09:48 Measuring information gain 15:12 Client chats vs keyword research 18:17 Handling hesitant experts 27:25 Personal brands and authority 32:53 What is trust in the AI era 35:10 Convincing clients to get on camera 37:04 Proving real Experts 39:30 Repurposing your content and assets 41:58 Technical difficulties 42:05 Finding Proprietary Data 46:50 Measuring Content Success 51:03 Recommendations: Ask more questions and prioritise based on your bottom line 54:01 Recommendations: Collate customer service data and check Reddit 56:44 Recommendations: Summer gigs and Widow’s Bay 59:00 Where to Follow and Wrap
July 27, 2026Episode 8134 min
June 2026 SEO News: Google is in legal trouble for AI Overviews, AI traffic reports in Google and Bing
Jack Chambers-Ward recaps the biggest SEO news from June 2026 on Search With Candour. Jack covers Google’s “Preferred Sources” expanding from Discover into AI Mode and AI Overviews, the new Search Console generative AI performance reporting and contrasts it with Bing Webmaster Tools’ expanded AI visibility reporting. He also highlights the new ability to connect Google Business Profile to GA4 for richer local reporting and a landmark German court ruling that Google can be held liable for false claims in AI Overviews, treating them as Google’s own content. Links to news stories https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/original-high-quality-content-search/ https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/a-new-profile-to-help-publishers-and-creators-highlight-their-work-on-search/ https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2026/06/gen-ai-performance-reports https://blogs.bing.com/search/June-2026/New-AI-Visibility-Insights-in-Bing-Webmaster-Tools-Intents-Topics-Citation-Share-Compare https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/16930347 https://the-decoder.com/landmark-german-ruling-declares-googles-ai-overviews-are-googles-own-words-and-makes-it-liable-for-false-answers/ Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:27 Preferred sources expand to AI Mode 05:08 Google adds creator Search Profiles 08:32 GSC AI performance reporting 10:25 Bing AI visibility tools 17:23 Google Business Profile data in GA4 22:34 German court finds Google liable for AI Overview content 31:11 Wrap up
July 20, 2026Episode 801 hr 4 min
Navigating SEO in the Age of AI and Misinformation
Sean Barber joins Search with Candour to discuss fighting misinformation in the health industry. Misinformation has been exacerbated with the growth of LLMs and AI, which increasingly cite piecemeal sources in ways that can mislead or endanger users. Sean and Jack share examples such as incorrect CPR guidance and confusing emergency and non-emergency phone numbers. Follow Sean: Website: https://www.searchwithsean.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SearchWithSean LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanrbarber/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/searchwithsean.bsky.social 00:00 Fighting misinformation in YMYL industries 01:36 Meet Sean Barber 05:15 Why misinformation spreads so quickly 08:09 AI Overviews causing health risks 11:26 Patience versus accuracy 15:02 Organisation-wide strategies for companies fighting misinformation 21:19 The importance of transparency and reputation 26:28 Defensive vs proactive tactics 29:51 Proving your expertise 34:01 Put experts on camera 37:58 Low-budget video setup 39:51 Authenticity beats big productions 41:10 Why showing your face matters 43:13 How to build trust signals 46:18 AI search and funding 50:03 Bad press is actually bad press 52:59 Always keep a human in the loop 55:11 Recommendations: Sean’s actionable tip 57:41 Recommendations: Sean’s SEO tools 59:38 Recommendations: TV and movies 01:03:54 Episode wrap-up
July 13, 2026Episode 791 hr 8 min
How to rank in ChatGPT and AI search: Get AI traffic with listicles
Léo Poitevin, founder and CEO of Astrak Agency, joins Search with Candour to discuss why your competitors may be recommended in ChatGPT and other AI search tools while you are not. Topics discussed: Why AI search engines are easier to manipulate than Google How to identify competitors in AI search How to build trust signals for AI search How to use listicles and guest posts to rank in AI search The risks of self-promotional listicles Follow Léo: Astrak Agency: https://astrak.agency/en/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leo-poitevin/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@leopoitevin Get your tickets for SearchNorwichXL Chapters 00:00 Highlights of Léo Poitevin 01:03 Introduction 05:24 Leo’s SEO background 07:14 Are LLMs easier to game than Google? 07:47 Google is good at fighting spam 12:36 AI competitor research 15:16 Competitor research for GEO 19:47 Tracking volatility 25:13 Imperfect data and KPIs for AI search 30:11 A listicle strategy that works for LLMs 33:01 Léo case studies 36:07 The risks of listicles 37:16 Self promotional listicles 38:04 Ranking shifts in ChatGPT 39:06 Listicles penalised by Google 41:48 Testing new limits 43:05 Links versus mentions 46:18 Black Hat vs White Hate SEO 49:15 Influencers and guest posts 52:34 What hurts AI search 56:20 Recommendation: Actionable tip 57:51 Recommendation: Tool 59:57 Recommendation: Cozy games 01:05:14 Where to follow Léo 01:06:44 Episode wrap-up
July 6, 2026Episode 781 hr 19 min
Search with Josh Bachynski | The ethics of AI SEO, the new ranking factors & evidence-based marketing
Host: Jack Chambers-Ward | https://www.linkedin.com/in/jlwchambers/ | He/him In this episode of Search with Candour, I’m joined by Josh Bachynski, CEO at Be Found Everywhere. With over 20 years of experience, Josh shares insights on ethical marketing and why an evidence-based approach to SEO is important for AI search optimisation. Topics discussed: Why AI Mode is the biggest change in search since 1998 How the ranking factors compare to the traditional 10 blue links Why marketers must adapt to AI or get left behind Why testing is so important in making strategic decisions Google’s definition of consensus and non-commodity content How to find trustworthy sources in SEO The difference between virtue signalling and truly ethical marketing Chapters 00:00 Introducing Josh Bachynski 01:16 Introduction 04:15 Why evidence-based SEO is so important 07:05 The new ranking factors for AI search 15:00 Google’s definition of consensus and E-E-A-T 18:18 The ethics of Google’s business model 23:07 Google Ads incentives 27:34 Learn to embrace AI and adapt 36:11 Defining ethical marketing 41:18 Truthful ethical marketing 42:12 Virtue signalling and positivity 43:28 Use AI for good 44:03 Google is not moral 47:55 Adapt or lose jobs 50:37 Evidence-based SEO testing 53:55 Finding trustworthy sources in SEO 59:08 Accountability in communities 01:03:30 Recommendation: Actionable tip 01:08:36 Recommendation: Tools and software 01:14:03 Recommendation: Something fun 01:16:48 Where to follow Josh 01:18:31 Episode wrap-up and upcoming guests Follow Josh Website: https://bfeai.com/ - Use code BEEFY-JOSH-20 for 20% off LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-bachynski/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/jbachyns Watch / Listen on YouTube - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8c8k5Yy8FltVNsIsP1iUCSXDfE5cq2pM&si=xl4cMh_ngcMhrJ0- Subscribe to Core Updates for weekly SEO news and SEO tips - https://coreupdates.com/
June 29, 2026Episode 771 hr 13 min
What SEOs should learn about UX from web designers
Laura Iancu joins Search with Candour to talk about the growing crossover between SEO and UX and how we should all thinking about “search experience optimisation” (SXO) instead of traditional SEO. Follow Laura: Searchpedia: https://searchpedia.co.uk/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-iancu-seo/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/searchpedia.bsky.social TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@searchpedia Chapters 00:00 Intro trailer 01:37 Introduction 03:53 Why SXO matters 05:05 Building a common language 09:44 How often to have these conversations 13:17 Sell the value, to get buy-in 17:55 Show, don't tell 25:26 Go beyond best practices 30:27 Take a culture-first approach to research 34:33 The benefits of heatmaps 36:57 UX basics for SEOs 41:41 Designers should stay flexible 42:43 SEO basics for design teams 44:52 AI search shifts 47:30 Testing LLM Visibility 48:44 Laura’s perfect website 51:16 A dream of smarter site search 54:33 Personalisation vs bots 01:00:01 Recommendations: Actionable tip 01:01:47 Recommendations: Tools and software 01:03:49 Recommendations: Books and games 01:10:31 Where to find Laura 01:11:45 Episode wrap-up
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