15 of 2023’s Top SEO Podcasts with Firsthand Insights from The Hosts

SEO Podcasts

There are way more SEO podcasts out there today than I remember when I started listening to SEO podcasts ~11 years ago (and way more listeners).

Search marketing pros tune in to stay abreast of trends, sharpen their SEO knowledge, hear unique perspectives, and learn how to grow their careers.

But more podcast options = more decision fatigue, and that makes it hard to find the shows that satisfy your mind’s sweet spot of auditory learning.

Wouldn’t it be great if we had teaser trailers for each podcast?

This question inspired me to reach out to the best podcast creators I could find and gather a few first-hand insights to share with would-be listeners. 

So, for those of us who want a good soft introduction to the world of SEO podcasts, I invite you to mix and match with these A-game podcast hosts.

To eliminate bias, this list has been randomized with randomlists.com. Numbers do not indicate superiority.

1. Edge of the Web with host, Erin Sparks

Episodes: 593

1st Episode Release: February 2012

Star Rating: 4.6/5

Review Count: 34

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, & Google Podcasts

Podcast Website

Podcast Twitter

Can you give an elevator pitch for the absolute best reasons why people should subscribe and tune in?

We are blessed to be able to speak to top influencers in the digital marketing space from around the world.  We have a 10-year run, the longest-running SEO podcast on the planet, and have enjoyed sharing leading concepts in marketing.

What was your main source of inspiration for starting your own podcast?

Developing a point of education for myself, my team, and my clients.

Which episode has produced the most valuable and insightful ideas so far?

In recent perspectives, I think the Visual Search show with Crystal Carter was fantastic.

Which types of listeners would get the most value from tuning into your show?

Advanced SEOs, Technical SEOs, In-House Marketers, Beginner SEOs

What, in your opinion, is the most exciting change happening in SEO right now?

CHATGPT.  It’s going to turn everything on its ear.

2. SERP’s Up with hosts, Mordy Oberstein & Crystal Carter

Episodes: 18

1st Episode Release: August 2022

Star Rating: 4.0/5

Review Count: 18

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Podcast Website

Insights from Mordy Oberstein

Can you give an elevator pitch for the absolute best reasons why people should subscribe and tune in?

Real takes on real SEO topics & questions for anyone no matter where you are in your SEO journey – all with a twist of lemon 😉

What was your main source of inspiration for starting your own podcast?

I can’t say who it is, but there was a podcast host who was so boring, that I said to myself I could do this about 100000% better.

Which episode has produced the most valuable and insightful ideas so far?

So hard to say, I’ve probably recorded over 250 podcast episodes!

Which types of listeners would get the most value from tuning into your show?

Beginner SEOs, Advanced SEOs, Technical SEOs, Content-led SEOs, In-House Marketers, Agency Professionals

What, in your opinion, is the most exciting change happening in SEO right now?

This answer will obv. depend on the type of SEO, but I think some of the algorithm changes Google is striving to make (although not succeeding fully) is super interesting.

3. Experts on the Wire with host, Dan Shure

Episodes: 128

1st Episode Release: March 2016

Star Rating: 4.9/5

Review Count: 72

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Podcast Website

Podcast Twitter

Can you give an elevator pitch for the absolute best reasons why people should subscribe and tune in?

In-depth conversations that you can’t find anywhere else with some of the industry’s smartest SEO practitioners.

What was your main source of inspiration for starting your own podcast?

I like creating things.

Which episode has produced the most valuable and insightful ideas so far?

Episode 112 with Martin Splitt from Google was very insightful.

Which types of listeners would get the most value from tuning into your show?

Advanced SEOs, Technical SEOs, Content-led SEOs, & Beginner SEOs

What, in your opinion, is the most exciting change happening in SEO right now?

TikTok showing us that it’s possible to shake Google up (even in a minor way)

4. The SEO Mindset Podcast with host, Sarah McDowell

Episodes: 30

1st Episode Release: March 2022

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, & Google Podcasts

Podcast Website

Podcast Twitter

Can you give an elevator pitch for the absolute best reasons why people should subscribe and tune in?

We help SEO professionals to optimize their careers and not just the algorithms. Hosts Sarah McDowell and Tazmin Suleman, along with help from their amazing guests, use their own experiences and popular topics, in order to give actionable advice on how to overcome career progression obstacles.

What was your main source of inspiration for starting your own podcast?

We wanted to create a podcast that gave actionable growth tips for SEO professionals to help them to optimize their careers (and not just for the algorithms), covering popular topics in the industry such as imposter syndrome, burnout, self-belief, interpersonal skills, mindset, etc.

Which episode has produced the most valuable and insightful ideas so far?

We’ve covered many different topics and spoken to incredible guests, so it’s hard to choose but the first and second episode goes into detail about the differences between a growth and fixed mindset, which is the foundation to development.

Which types of listeners would get the most value from tuning into your show?

Beginner SEOs, Advanced SEOs, Technical SEOs, Content-led SEOs, In-House Marketers, Agency Professionals

What, in your opinion, is the most exciting change happening in SEO right now?

It’s great that there has been a recent shift in Google rewarding websites that think people-first rather than search engines, where websites that create expert, valuable content, that actually answers a user’s question performs better in the SERPs.

5. The Contrarian Marketing Podcast with hosts, Kevin Indig & Eli Schwartz

Episodes: 7

1st Episode Release: November 18, 2022

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Podcast Website

Insights from Kevin Indig

Can you give an elevator pitch for the absolute best reasons why people should subscribe and tune in?

The Contrarian Marketing Podcast helps you find ideas you might not be thinking about. We look at marketing topics from all angles and help you form a better opinion.

What was your main source of inspiration for starting your own podcast?

Eli and I saw a gap on the market because most content is so uniform. We wanted a format with tension and different angles.

Which episode has produced the most valuable and insightful ideas so far?

We’re only 7 episodes in, but the first episode about 2023 being a tough year and planning being mostly redundant has sparked the strongest resonance.

Which types of listeners would get the most value from tuning into your show?

Marketing executives, experts, and founders will find most value in listening.

What, in your opinion, is the most exciting change happening in SEO right now?

The answer has to be AI. From new tools to workflows and content, everything is currently in flux because of tools like Chat GPT and GPT-3.

6. Digital Marketing Victories with host, Katherine Watier Ong

Episodes: 19

1st Episode Release: September 2020

Star Rating: 5

Review Count: 3

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Podcast Website

Podcast Twitter

Can you give an elevator pitch for the absolute best reasons why people should subscribe and tune in?

Great digital marketers understand that people are the most challenging part of doing their jobs. This show focuses on the people part of their digital marketing wins – and what tactics or skills the guests used to align people with their marketing strategy.

What was your main source of inspiration for starting your own podcast?

Missing the DC/MD/VA SEO Meetups I used to run and the smart people I got to meet.

Which episode has produced the most valuable and insightful ideas so far?

There are two: Dana Theus (Ep. 19) and Tom Critchlow (Ep 9)

Which types of listeners would get the most value from tuning into your show?

Advanced SEOs, Technical SEOs, Content-led SEOs, In-House Marketers, Agency Professionals

What, in your opinion, is the most exciting change happening in SEO right now?

The most successful SEOs are the ones that know how to leverage soft skills to sell through their ideas – which is why I love the concept of my podcast.

7. The Search Engine Journal Show with host, Loren Baker

Episodes: 324

1st Episode Release: September 2014

Star Rating: 4.4/5

Review Count: 49

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Podcast Website

Podcast Twitter

Can you give an elevator pitch for the absolute best reasons why people should subscribe and tune in?

The SEJ Show dives into all forms of marketing and how they connect to Search. Every site has a search engine, and Google’s importance is diminishing – what does this mean for YOU? Find out 🙂

What was your main source of inspiration for starting your own podcast?

Conversational podcasts like Emily Dean or Joe Rogan. I wanted to do more of a conversation about Search and less tactics and news.

Which episode has produced the most valuable and insightful ideas so far?

That would be a tie between Gisele Navarro on Content Marketing & Kevin Indig on Shopify / eCom SEO.

Which types of listeners would get the most value from tuning into your show?

Beginner SEOs, Advanced SEOs, Technical SEOs, Content-led SEOs, In-House Marketers

What, in your opinion, is the most exciting change happening in SEO right now?

Has to be the engines finally exposing that they are AI tools that have been learning and fed by SEO content, to me this makes sourcing incredibly important, especially EAT-oriented sourcing.

8. Branded Search (and Beyond) with host, Jason Barnard

Episodes: 242

1st Episode Release: January 2019

Star Rating: 4.7/5

Review Count: 13

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Podcast Website

Podcast Twitter

Can you give an elevator pitch for the absolute best reasons why people should subscribe and tune in?

Interesting, intelligent, and fun. “Branded Search (and Beyond) with Jason Barnard” is unique – it brings together the best in SEO, marketing, and sales in the context of digital brand management. And that is key to the future of online business.

What was your main source of inspiration for starting your own podcast?

I wanted to travel around the world…. Recording the podcast at conferences was an excuse to do that!

Which episode has produced the most valuable and insightful ideas so far?

Mads Singers, how to manage a team.

Which types of listeners would get the most value from tuning into your show?

Advanced SEOs, Content-led SEOs, Agency Professionals, Brand managers

What, in your opinion, is the most exciting change happening in SEO right now?

Entities. More specifically using SEO techniques to manage Google’s understanding of your entity and ensure it represents you accurately in the SERPs.

9. Azeem Digital Asks with host, Azeem Digital

Episodes: 72

1st Episode Release: July 2020

Star Rating: 5/5

Review Count: 7

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Podcast Website

Podcast Twitter

Can you give an elevator pitch for the absolute best reasons why people should subscribe and tune in?

My podcast is rated in the top 10 for digital marketing in the UK, and top 20 overall. I prioritize guests who are marginalised – e.g women, POC. Follower count doesn’t matter to me. You’ll genuinely take away things you can implement RIGHT AFTER finishing an episode.

What was your main source of inspiration for starting your own podcast?

I wanted to continue having great conversations with people during lockdown, and I thought to record them so that they could be shared.

Which episode has produced the most valuable and insightful ideas so far?

Very hard to choose just one, so I’d say if you’re reading this and looking for an episode to choose – go with either E62 – finding your niche, E63 – why content is more than SEO blogs, or E65 – how marketing and sales can align.

Which types of listeners would get the most value from tuning into your show?

Beginner SEOs, Advanced SEOs, Technical SEOs, Content-led SEOs, In-House Marketers, Agency Professionals

What, in your opinion, is the most exciting change happening in SEO right now?

The rise of ChatGPT – though I don’t think it’s a direct threat to SEO professionals, it’s forcing many to reconsider their approaches to content – which can only be a good thing IMO.

10. Marketing O’Clock with host, Greg Finn

Episodes: 281

1st Episode Release: June 2018

Star Rating: 5/5

Review Count: 34

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Podcast Website

Podcast Twitter

Can you give an elevator pitch for the absolute best reasons why people should subscribe and tune in?

We cover all of the news from the previous week and laughs are guaranteed (or your money back)!

What was your main source of inspiration for starting your own podcast?

To make more social content that we could share as an agency.

Which episode has produced the most valuable and insightful ideas so far?

Hard to say, but I like our Marketing O’Talk on PMax when it first came out as everyone was wondering what was going on with it!

Which types of listeners would get the most value from tuning into your show?

Agency Professionals, In-House Marketers, Content-led SEOs

What, in your opinion, is the most exciting change happening in SEO right now?

A shift back to content. With the spam updates and extra E in EAT, I think more than ever people can see that there are no hacks and it really takes the work and time investment to make things work well!

11. SEO Leadership Podcast with host, Graham Bargeron

Episodes: 8

1st Episode Release: October 2020

Star Rating: 5

Review Count: 6

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Podcast Website

Podcast Twitter

Can you give an elevator pitch for the absolute best reasons why people should subscribe and tune in?

SEO tactics, while important to learn, are changing frequently. Leadership, on the other hand, is evergreen. Growing as SEO leaders sets all of us up to make the biggest impact on those around us over the long-term – so listen in and learn how to be a better leader!

What was your main source of inspiration for starting your own podcast?

The SEO industry has a ton of great (and necessary!) content around how to learn better SEO tactics, but surprisingly few resources on how to become better leaders! My vision for the future of the SEO industry is one that’s full of effective leaders excited to grow, innovate, and learn.

Which episode has produced the most valuable and insightful ideas so far?

Episode #6 with Chris Long is a fantastic resource for budding SEO leaders to learn about how to be a high-achieving SEO leader. Chris talks about management techniques, empathy, and innovation from the top.

Which types of listeners would get the most value from tuning into your show?

In-House Marketers, Agency Professionals, Advanced SEOs, Beginner SEOs

What, in your opinion, is the most exciting change happening in SEO right now?

The shift to human-first focus! Gone are the days of “SEO’ing” a website – just stuffing fluff onto a page to game the algorithm. The future of SEO is websites for humans. SEO’s should be testing and learning what makes the best possible user experiences as the industry makes this shift.

12. Search with Candour with host, Jack Chambers-Ward

Episodes: 165

1st Episode Release: March 2019

Star Rating: 4.7/5

Review Count: 7

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Podcast Website

Podcast Twitter

Can you give an elevator pitch for the absolute best reasons why people should subscribe and tune in?

I interview the best & brightest the digital marketing industry has to offer, with a focus on highlighting a diverse range of guests and topics. Each month, Mark & I also recap all the biggest SEO & PPC news. You’re kept up to date as well as learning from the inspirational and expert guests.

What was your main source of inspiration for starting your own podcast?

When I first started podcasting 10 years ago, I just wanted to talk about something I was passionate about with other like-minded people. With Search With Candour, I hope to bring something unique to the DM/SEO podcast world.

Which episode has produced the most valuable and insightful ideas so far?

I really enjoyed our Tiktok episode with Annie-Mai Hodge. I’m in my 30s so I learned a lot about Tiktok and how young people are using search engines and social media.

Which types of listeners would get the most value from tuning into your show?

Agency Professionals, Beginner SEOs, Content-led SEOs

What, in your opinion, is the most exciting change happening in SEO right now?

SpamBrain and the ability for search engines (Especially Google, obviously) to identify rubbish, poorly written content and AI-generated content. A lot of people are doing dodgy SEO (and have been for decades) and give the rest of us a bad name!

13. The Rankable Podcast with host, Garrett Sussman

Episodes: 80

1st Episode Release: December 2020

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, & Google Podcasts

Podcast Website

Podcast Twitter

Can you give an elevator pitch for the absolute best reasons why people should subscribe and tune in?

The Rankable Podcast explores the diversity of the SEO world both in content and guest. Unique and underrepresented voices across the industry share the SEO insights that are driving the next iteration of the industry. Come for the insights; stay for the fun conversations.

What was your main source of inspiration for starting your own podcast?

The world of SEO fascinates me. Practitioners across a range of disciplines have developed theories, strategies, and tactics that are fun to dive into and geek out over. I also enjoy meeting new people and sharing our mutual love for the industry.

Which episode has produced the most valuable and insightful ideas so far?

My most fascinating episodes were when I interviewed Cindy Krum and Crystal Carter. In both episodes, we discussed the impact of MUM on SERPs and how the SERP real estate was changing more frequently in positive and negative ways.

Which types of listeners would get the most value from tuning into your show?

Beginner SEOs, Advanced SEOs, Technical SEOs, In-House Marketers

What, in your opinion, is the most exciting change happening in SEO right now?

For SEO, the constant algorithm updates seem to be a red herring. Google is moving towards a more personalized SERP. The results haven’t reflected that yet, but contextual results infiltrating your experience via MUM are going to become more prominent as Google aims to refine your queries for you.

14. The SEO Show with hosts, Michael Costin & Arthur Fabik

Episodes: 65

1st Episode Release: June 2021

Star Rating: 5/5

Review Count: 2

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, & Google Podcasts

Podcast Website

Podcast Twitter

Insights from Michael Costin

Can you give an elevator pitch for the absolute best reasons why people should subscribe and tune in?

We’re on a mission to help business owners understand SEO better so that when they do work with an agency or freelancer they can’t get hoodwinked. In amongst that we’re interviewing leading minds from the SEO industry.

What was your main source of inspiration for starting your own podcast?

We felt we could bring a new perspective to things based on our decade plus working in SEO in Australia. We speak to an audience of business owners & people trying to improve SEO themselves and educate them so they can separate golden advice from the snake-oil.

Which episode has produced the most valuable and insightful ideas so far?

Our interview with Kyle Roof has proven pretty popular – https://theseoshow.co/episode/031/

Which types of listeners would get the most value from tuning into your show?

Beginner SEOs, In-House Marketers, Agency Professionals

What, in your opinion, is the most exciting change happening in SEO right now?

AI is having more and more of an impact. We have been using Google NLP for a couple of years now to optimize content. Now we’re using Chat GPT to write access updates. Things that would have taken an hour or so can be done in a manner of seconds, freeing the SEO up to focus on bigger ticket work.

15. The Recipe for SEO Success with host, Kate Toon

Episodes: 116

1st Episode Release: December 2017

Star Rating: 4.9/5

Review Count: 41

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, & Google Podcasts

 Podcast Website

 Podcast Twitter

Can you give an elevator pitch for the absolute best reasons why people should subscribe and tune in?

The Recipe for SEO Success podcast isn’t a dry, tedious podcast packed with back -slapping and technical jargon. 

It’s a diverse, warm, friendly, fun listening experience that makes SEO feel exciting and actually doable by normal humans (without a team of minions and a fat budget).

What was your main source of inspiration for starting your own podcast?

I wanted to keep up with the latest trends and learn more about the topic from experts. Also I felt that a lot of SEO Podcasts were a little dry. But in truth I wanted an excuse to talk to Rand Fishkin

Which episode has produced the most valuable and insightful ideas so far?

My episodes with Cyrus Shephard, John Mueller and Rand Fishkin are by far the most popular.

But when it comes to insights I loved the episode about SEO forecasting with Dan Petrovic, & the recent episode with James Welch about Google-friendly content

Which types of listeners would get the most value from tuning into your show?

Beginner SEOs, Content-led SEOs, In-House Marketers, Agency Professionals, DIY SEOers

What, in your opinion, is the most exciting change happening in SEO right now?

I think the content aspect, is not really the threat of chatGPT for copywriters, but rather the updates like Bert and Mum and the way Google is understanding our queries and our content.

Visual search is pretty exciting too.

Editor’s Recommendations

Which SEO podcast is best for beginner SEOs?

Kate Toon’s Recipe for SEO Success podcast is my choice for the best podcast for beginner SEO professionals. Kate keeps her content very digestible for new SEOs, and her guests are strong enough to keep intermediate and professional SEOs on their toes as well.

What’s more? Kate’s quick-witted and charming personality ensure that each episode of the Recipe for SEO Success podcast isn’t just educational, but entertaining to boot!

Which SEO podcast is ideal for advanced SEOs?

The editor’s pick for best podcast for advanced SEOs is The Contrarian Marketing Podcast with Kevin Indig & Eli Schwartz. Kevin & Eli are, themselves, at the top of their SEO game and they cover topics that aren’t beaten to death by mainstream SEO news.

Think like a contrarian and elevate your mind with the Contrarian Marketing Podcast.

Which SEO podcast is best for keeping up with industry trends?

The Search with Candour Podcast is this editor’s pick for the most ideal SEO podcast for keeping up with industry trends. Jack Chambers-Ward brings a diverse group industry professionals + every month, he does a recap of all the biggest news in SEO and PPC so that you’re continually kept up to date on the hottest trends of the day.

Which SEO podcast is best for career advancement?

This was a difficult pick, as there were two extremely great options for career-oriented podcasts. While Graham Bargeron’s SEO Leadership Podcast includes powerful leadership advice, The SEO Mindset Podcast with Sarah McDowell is also heavily focused on the career-growth side of SEO.

Ultimately, The SEO Mindset Podcast has this editor’s pick for best SEO podcast on career-advancement because of the wider range of advice applicable to individual contributors and SEO professionals who aren’t pursuing a leadership track in their careers.

To wrap

I hope this piece has opened up your exposure to some of the most interesting and educational SEO podcasts, as well as given some direction to help you pick and choose which shows can help you with your listening goals. Whether you’re trying to level up in your career, solve difficult problems, get answers, or stay up-to-date on trends, I’m sure these shows have a ton of helpful content to scratch your itch!

Give these smart people a follow, a like, and subscribe to keep on top of their next episodes.