Search with Candour

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Jun 2026

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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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June 15, 2026Episode 7555 min

AI for Human SEO + “Maybe It Isn’t JavaScript” (Crystal Carter & Martin Splitt) | SearchNorwich highlights

Host Jack Chambers Ward shares a special episode of Search With Candour highlighting two talks from SearchNorwich 18 ahead of the first SearchNorwichXL conference on 24 September 2026.🎟️SearchNorwichXL tickets: https://searchnorwich.org/In the first talk, Crystal Carter (Wix) discusses using AI tools for “actual intelligence” in SEO by emphasizing human experience, real examples, and opinion, noting forum visibility (e.g., Reddit) and practical ways to add EEAT-style signals, primary-source content, and social proof while using tools like transcribers, image enhancers, and NotebookLM.In the second talk, Martin Splitt (Google) presents “Maybe it isn’t JavaScript,” explaining that many indexing issues blamed on JavaScript are actually caused by blocked resources (e.g., robots.txt blocking APIs), caching/CDN behavior, or incorrect status codes in SPAs, and recommends using Search Console and rendered HTML to diagnose problems.00:00 Introduction00:26 Search Nor Excel Preview01:05 SearchNorwich 18 highlights01:49 Crystal Carter Intro04:59 AI Reality In SEO07:41 Why Humans Still Win09:54 Experience Signals Matter15:17 Real Examples And Proof17:39 Opinions Drive Clicks20:51 AI Tools For Humans23:39 NotebookLM Workflow25:32 Wix Built In AI Tools27:40 Crystal Wrap Up28:58 Why JavaScript Gets Blamed30:55 Use Search Console Rendered HTML33:04 Missing Content Cats Case Study35:32 Robots TXT Blocking The API37:52 Google Rendering Bug Noindex JS41:24 Phantom Noindex From CDN Cache47:10 SPA Error Pages Returning 20050:57 Fixing SPA 404s Properly51:54 Summary Tools And Q&A54:42 Wrap up

June 8, 2026Episode 7447 min

May 2026 SEO News Recap: Google I/O, AI Traffic in GA4 & the May 2026 Core Update

Jack Chambers-Ward hosts a solo episode to recap the biggest SEO news from May 2026, including Google IO, AI traffic reporting in GA4 and the May 2026 core update.Links to news storieshttps://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/explore-web-generative-ai-search/https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7458539598885867520/https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/ai-optimization-guidehttps://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9164320?hl=en#05132026https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/search-io-2026/https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/shopping/google-shopping-cart/https://status.search.google.com/incidents/wdAXJk6LRRihEjpzEeWEhttps://www.sistrix.com/blog/may-2026-core-update-visibility-analysis-and-data-updates/Time stamps00:00 Intro03:11 Subscriptions and Trusted News10:25 Reddit in Google Business Profiles14:12 Google’s guide for AI search optimisation29:07 GA4 AI Assistant Tracking33:08 Google I/O recap33:57 Search Box Reimagined37:42 Agentic search and UI40:28 Personal Intelligence42:57 Google’s Universal Cart45:17 May 2026 core update46:58 Wrap up

June 1, 2026Episode 7349 min

Does Answering People Also Ask Questions Improve Rankings? (SEO Study w/ Chris Green)

Chris Green joins Search with Candour to share his study on whether answering Google’s “People Also Ask” (PAA) questions correlates with higher organic rankings. 📖 Read the study in full: https://alsoasked.com/insights/paa-ranking-correlation Key takeaways📈Across the top 5 positions, pages that fully answer more PAA questions tend to rank higher.📊Commercial and transactional queries show the strongest correlations; navigational and informational queries are weaker.📉Beyond page 1, the correlation drops sharply and can even reverse in lower page 2 positions—likely due to small sample sizes and SERP variability.Answering PAA questions alone isn’t enough to rank well; technical quality, external signals, and user experience still matter.✅Covering a wide range of related questions can make content semantically richer, which may support ranking potential.Follow Chris Green🔗Website - https://www.chris-green.net/🔗LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgreenseo/00:00 Do PAA Boost Rankings01:21 Show Intro and Context03:12 Meet Chris Green04:48 Why PAA Matters Now06:14 Originality and Value Proxy12:28 Study Setup and Intent Buckets16:02 SERP Sampling Top 2017:48 Scraping Content at Scale19:28 How Deep to Pull PAA21:01 Crawl Errors and Bot Blocks23:38 Cleaning Scrape Data24:00 Scraping Ethics and Bots26:09 Study Setup and Scoring27:29 Key Findings and Correlations32:48 Why Intent Was Messy36:43 Full vs Partial Answers39:37 Client Action Plan44:57 Beyond PAA Question Mining47:23 Where to Follow Chris48:12 Episode Wrap and Teaser

May 25, 2026Episode 7231 min

HiveMCR 2026 Recap - SEO talks, AI Search panel, live comedy and more

Jack Chambers-Ward gives a recap of his experience at HiveMCR 2026 including all of the talks, panels and events over the two-day event hosted by Charlie Whitworth.The event included live music, stand up comedy and talks from Jono Alderson, Dawn Anderson, Alex Moss, Sophie Brannon and many more.Sponsored by Trendos - the AI search visibility tool.With Trendos, you can see who’s buying ads in your AI search results.Trendos now tracks ChatGPT sponsored placements and is the first tool to reveal which competitors are paying to appear in the AI answers your customers see every day. Use code CANDOUR to get a 5% discount on any paid plan. Try Trendos.com ChatGPT AdRadar nowChapters00:00:00 - Introduction00:02:19 - Trendos ad00:05:08 - Thursday at HiveMCR00:05:52 - Nikki Halliwell’s talk00:06:35 - Jess Atkinson’s talk00:07:09 - Manchester SEO All-stars panel00:08:10 - Token Honey00:09:21 - Friday at HiveMCR00:09:41 - Alex Moss’s talk00:11:05 - Sophie Brannon’s talk00:12:20 - Dawn Anderson’s talk00:13:49 - Jono Alderson’s talk00:16:19 - AI Search panel - Ben McKay, Nick Handley, Itamar Blauer and Gus Pelogia00:17:21 - Itamar Blauer’s talk00:18:22 - Areej AbuAli’s talk00:20:16 - Brand and digital PR panel - Lisa Paasche, Harry Clarkson-Bennett, Jono Alderson, Shannon McGuirk and Ashley Liddell00:21:20 - Gus Pelogia’s talk00:22:22 - Ashley Liddell’s talk00:23:40 - Gianluca Fiorelli’s talk00:24:19 - Steve Paine’s talk00:25:14 - Wrap up panel - Charlie Whitworth, Dawn Anderson, Luke Cope and Ned Poulter00:27:02 - Live comedy by Katie Lingo00:27:40 - Live comedy by Rich Wilson00:29:06 - Live comedy by Jeff Innocent00:29:49 - Wrap up and outro

May 18, 2026Episode 701 hr 5 min

Conversation with Adam Gent | How Google's index actually works and why indexing matters

Adam Gent returns to Search with Candour to discuss how Google’s indexing works and why large websites should monitor it closely.Adam explains that statuses like “URL unknown to Google” can mean Google has deprioritised and effectively forgotten pages, and that Search Console may misreport or fail to alert when pages are actively de-indexed. He describes a “130-day rule” for indexing, where low page quality can affect the status of existing pages.They also cover index bloat on large websites, the importance of long-term indexing, and practical steps like segmenting sitemaps by site sectioning or seasonality.Follow AdamIndexing InsightFollow Adam on LinkedInFollow Adam on BlueskyAdam at SearchNorwichXLChapters00:00 Highlight reel of Adam Gent01:40 Introduction04:57 Why index monitoring matters08:11 Search Console blind spots10:29 URL unknown to Google13:13 Why Adam built Indexing Insight14:04 The 130-day rule for indexing15:28 What page quality means21:36 Site sections and patterns29:37 Index bloat on big sites32:20 Cleaning up for AI visibility33:51 Indexing ratios that matter36:44 Is indexing getting harder37:33 Short-term vs long-term indexing40:50 Demand-led recovery44:29 Indexing misconceptions explained48:39 Sitemaps for seasonality52:11 Reducing Search Console noise55:44 Recommendations01:03:15 Wrap up

May 11, 2026Episode 7040 min

SEO News Recap (April–May 2026): Google AI Mode in SERPs, How to Build Agent-Friendly Websites & Gemini in Chrome

Jack Chambers-Ward delivers an SEO news recap covering key stories from April 2026 into early May.He highlights Google testing AI Mode directly in the “All” tab, AI Mode’s agentic restaurant bookings, AI Mode side-by-side browsing in Chrome desktop (US), and Google’s Audio Overviews appearing on SERPs beyond Search Labs.He also discusses Google’s official guidance on building agent-friendly websites—how agents use screenshots, raw HTML, and the accessibility tree—and notes Gemini in Chrome rolling out worldwide, potentially boosting Gemini adoption.Google tests AI Mode in the main search tab - https://brodieclark.com/notes/#apr-2026 Google Search Console impressions error - https://xcancel.com/brodieseo/status/2040311550406472112 Agentic restaurant bookings - https://xcancel.com/Google/status/2042626811083853857 AI Mode can open in side-by-side view - https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/ai-mode-chrome/ Google tests Audio Overviews - https://www.seroundtable.com/google-testing-audio-overviews-wild-41207.html How to build agent-friendly websites - https://web.dev/articles/ai-agent-site-ux Gemini in Chrome - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/nataliawitczyk_yes-gemini-integrated-in-chrome-is-now-rolling-activity-7456789716202508288-He8k/Get your tickets for SearchNorwichXL: https://searchnorwich.org/ Time stamps00:00 Intro01:22 AI Mode hits main search tab05:38 Search Console impressions bug07:35 AI restaurant booking agents11:09 AI Mode adds split-screen mode in Chrome18:47 Audio Overviews on SERPs21:51 How to build agent-friendly websites30:15 Gemini in Chrome goes global38:28 Wrap up

May 4, 2026Episode 691 hr 24 min

The Efficiency Paradox: Why AI Isn’t Actually Making Your Life Easier (Live at Ironworks Studios in Brighton)

In this eighth live collaboration between SEO Mindset and Search with Candour, the hosts discuss the “efficiency paradox” and why AI can increase overwhelm rather than make life easier.Jack Chambers-Ward, Sarah McDowell and Tazmin Suleman debate the pressure to use AI, environmental and job concerns, hallucinations and misuse for legal/medical advice, de-skilling, declining human interaction, and the value of friction and curiosity.Audience Q&A covers practical uses (timestamps, concise messages, event planning), handling forced AI adoption with boundaries, and a discussion of physical books and focus.SponsorsSponsored by SISTRIXSponsored by MajesticFollow The SEO Mindset Podcasthttps://theseomindset.co.uk/ Follow Search with CandourWatch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8c8k5Yy8FltVNsIsP1iUCSXDfE5cq2pMFollow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4AILSpWLI74daOhECb8Hm0 Chapters00:00 Live Show Kickoff01:23 Meet the hosts02:48 Sponsors and SISTRIX Data07:33 Majestic Books and Q&A09:35 Efficiency Paradox Setup11:00 AI Overwhelm and Pressure17:48 Expectations vs Reality21:52 Hallucinations and Misuse26:00 Deskilling and Bad Bread31:14 Maps Memory and Connection37:34 Productivity as Self Worth37:55 Rest As Productivity38:35 Efficiency Versus Quality40:50 AI Replacing Coworkers42:36 Friction Builds Skills47:56 Embrace Failure And Process50:13 Life Beyond Work55:46 Audience Q And A Uses01:01:07 Forced AI And Boundaries01:11:50 Profit Motives And Reliance01:16:02 Books Comeback And Focus01:22:57 Wrap Up And Thanks

April 27, 2026Episode 6843 min

Conversation with Mark Williams-Cook | Do People Also Ask Questions Improve Rankings? + Google’s Crackdown on Self-Promo “Best” Listicles

Jack Chambers-Ward and Mark Williams-Cook are back in the Candour studio to discuss if People Also Ask questions improve rankings and Google’s recent crackdown on self-promotional listicles.Sponsored by TrendosNo demo required. No paywall. Free plan available.Check your brand’s AI visibility now → Trendos.comThey discuss a Chris Green study using AlsoAsked API, SERP scraping, and OpenAI to score whether top-20 ranking pages fully/partially answer related People Also Ask questions, finding a strong correlation in the top five positions, strongest for commercial/transactional queries and weaker for informational/navigational.The conversation shifts to geographic personalisation in search and AlsoAsked’s city-based selector, plus upcoming talks referencing regional question differences. They then cover major traffic losses seen around late January for sites relying on self-promotional “best X” listicles and programmatic comparison pages, noting some core product pages survived while other pages were suppressed.Chris Green’s AlsoAsked study:https://alsoasked.com/insights/paa-ranking-correlation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9dfEjlmZx0 Time stamps00:00 Introduction01:18 Back in the studio with Mark02:48 PAA study setup06:03 Methodology and scoring08:10 Why commercial queries win11:58 Regional PAA insights16:40 Sponsor: Trendos20:39 Listicle crackdown begins23:37 Self promo listicles26:15 Traffic drop fallout28:57 Honesty beats hype31:25 Gemini warning cards34:17 No awards strategy37:37 Fan out award signals41:56 Wrap up and upcoming events

April 20, 2026Episode 671 hr 6 min

Conversation with Jasmine Granton | The mental health crisis in SEO & digital marketing (and how to fix it)

Jasmine Granton joins Search with Candour to discuss the mental health crisis in SEO and digital marketing. Jasmine’s experience as both a digital PR professional and a qualified psychotherapeutic counsellor means she’s especially qualified to discuss this topic.They explore how always-on culture, Slack urgency, KPIs, AI-driven expectations, and perfectionism keep marketers in fight-or-flight, reducing creativity and productivity.Jasmine shares practical techniques, including setting boundaries, “closing loops” at the end of the day, tracking energy and feelings, and building a “wins” folder to counter negativity bias and boost self-compassion.Time stamps01:14 Introduction03:00 Welcome Jasmine Granton05:09 Why marketing feels harder07:44 Perfectionism and self-worth12:24 Spotting burnout early15:08 Journaling and closing loops21:37 ‘Always on’ culture27:10 Psychological safety at work30:30 Learning from failure32:30 Control circles and change34:17 Building downtime into work35:56 Creative focus time at work37:17 Building self-compassion38:22 Closing failure loops40:32 Celebrating your wins48:21 Track your feelings49:55 Safety checks55:22 Recommendations01:04:00 Where to find Jasmine01:05:26 Episode wrap-up

April 12, 2026Episode 661 hr 1 min

Social media SEO: Keyword research, search intent & content strategy (with Annie-Mai Hodge from Girl Power Marketing)

Annie-Mai Hodge, founder of Girl Power Marketing and creator of the Social Tea newsletter, makes her triumphant return to Search with Candour to discuss how to do SEO for social media.Annie-Mai explains practical keyword research for social using tools such as TikTok Creator Search Insights and AlsoAsked, and existing SEO tools, then consolidating ideas into a simple spreadsheet and testing performance via platform analytics.They cover everything from captions, on-screen text, audio, and profiles without keyword stuffing; how to choose channels and formats by researching native results, spotting content gaps, and repurposing across platforms; and why posting time matters less than you may think.Follow Annie-Mai:🌟 Girl Power Marketing: https://www.girlpowermarketing.co.uk/🌟 Social media SEO workbook: https://offers.hubspot.com/view/social-media-seo-workbook🌟 The Social Media Tea: https://www.girlpowermarketing.co.uk/newsletter🌟 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anniemaihodge/🌟 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlpowermarketing/🎧 Annie-Mai’s previous episode: https://withcandour.co.uk/podcast/tiktok-as-a-search-engine-with-annie-mai-hodge▶️ Watch Search with Candour on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8c8k5Yy8FltVNsIsP1iUCSXDfE5cq2pM&si=K24FYKx9JiTMfWsh▶️ Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4AILSpWLI74daOhECb8Hm0 Chapters00:00 Welcome Back Annie-Mai00:52 Why Social SEO matters02:43 Keyword research tools06:02 Testing keywords in analytics09:07 Client audits and strategy12:43 Avoid keyword stuffing14:57 Posting times and expectations20:21 Choosing content formats25:20 Search intent on social29:24 Repurposing across platforms33:52 Trends vs core content35:54 Meme trend pitfalls36:36 Viral origins stories38:58 Brand consistency42:43 Human first optimisation48:18 Profile basics that work52:15 Are followers or views better?56:24 Recommendations: Actionable tips, tools and Project Hail Mary59:23 Wrap up