There are some people I follow religiously in the SEO space. These SEO experts are quite active on Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. There are too many to mention, so I’ll list some now and I might add more later.
Keep in mind that some of them have email newsletters and podcasts, too. I tend to be subscribed to all of them. I recommend you visit their websites, and subscribe to their blogs, podcasts, or email newsletters, too.
First off, if you want to see who I follow in one fell swoop, here’s my Twitter list of SEO experts and SEO organizations. There’s about 300 in total. So let me just point out some of my favorites to follow in 2021.
Updated December 22, 2020.
Marie Haynes
I’ve known about Marie for a few years, and I’ve also known that she lives and works just minutes from me (in Ottawa, Canada). But I recently subscribed to her paid newsletter and podcast (there’s a free one, too), which offers truly the most usable “search news you can use.” Aptly titled.
Lily Ray
A drummer like yours truly and a DJ, too, Lily Ray is a big proponent of EAT (expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness), which I appreciate. I’ve been shouting for ages that EAT is a fundamental component of SEO for medical professionals. Lily not only an expert but an SEO nerd when it comes to data.
Glenn Gabe
Glenn is another SEO nerd who knows Google updates like the back of his hand — or knows how to decipher them. His blog is always chock full of deep insights and analysis, and I learn so much from them. It’s like having someone on the inside at Google within being on the inside.
Aleyda Solis
Creator of the SEOFOMO newsletter, Aleyda Solis is the creator of one of my favorite YouTube shows called “Crawling Mondays.” It’s a weekly show where Aleyda and her SEO guests discuss the latest and greatest tools, strategies, and trends in the world of search marketing.
Kevin Indig
A seasoned SEO specialist who has worked with some of the biggest SaaS companies in the world (and is now the new SEO director over at Shopify), Kevin Indig has an informative newsletter that offers some great insights combining technical SEO and content-driven SEO.
Brodie Clark
An award-winning SEO expert, Brodie Clark is someone who understands aspects of SEO that many people overlook, such as user experience (UX), web stories, featured snippets, Google Discover, and more. Like many of the experts here, Brodie is a frequent contributor to several industry newsletters.
Cyrus Shepard
Cyrus Shepard doesn’t publish often, but when he does the SEO world rumbles. His Google ranking factors post is probably his best work and one I often turn to when I need to stay on top of things. He’s also a popular and prolific contributor and guest on SEO podcasts, newsletters, and websites.
Traffic Think Tank
One of my recent mastermind groups, Traffic Think Tank, put together by SEO heavyweights Ian Howells, Nick Eubanks, and Matthew Howells-Barby (who’s also the VP of Marketing at HubSpot), is a mind-blowing repertoire of SEO articles, tutorials, videos, and networking opportunities.
Updated November 20, 2020.
Ryan Stewart
I’ve been a fan and follower of Ryan for years. Check out his blog, too. His content never ceases to impress, and his SEO Blueprint Training is probably the de facto training in the world of SEO. With his successful agency, Webris, his specialty is in more advanced SEO, like using BigQuery.
Barry Schwartz
Back when I mostly did copywriting, I have always stayed on top of SEO. Barry was someone I followed since then. He’s a major staple in the SEO community, and his YouTube channel is a must-subscribe when it comes to SEO news — from Google updates, news, and interviews with other SEO experts.
Ruan Marinho
If there’s anyone I listen to who can say it like it is, with no fluff or sugarcoating, even if it’s controversial, it’s Ruan. I consider him to be one of the best experts on local SEO, and his videos always seem to teach me something new — and I’ve been at this for a couple of decades, now, so it’s saying something.
Brian Dean
Brian is my favorite YouTuber. The reason is simple: he knows how to capture my attention, make his point, and move me to action. Owner of Backlinko, which is an SEO newsletter I highly recommend, Brian provides some of the best, step-by-step SEO tutorials I’ve ever seen. A must-subscribe.
Nathan Gotch
Nathan is another SEO channel I enjoy. Although he doesn’t post as frequently, his videos are still filled with front-to-back advice. His approach, much like what I try to do, is to tackle something as complex as SEO and distill it into clear, simple language. His SEO checklists are also amazing, too.
Kristina Azarenko
I need to shout out to my fellow Canadian experts, too. Kristina is someone I’ve followed for a while — both on her site, MarketingSyrup.com, and on LinkedIn. If her new YouTube channel, SEO Follow, is anything like the content she puts out on her blog or LinkedIn, then it’s going to be a must-watch.
John Lincoln
John owns an agency called Ignite Visibility. Every week he does a video roundup of all the latest digital marketing news, including SEO. John is the guy I listen to when I want to keep my finger on the pulse of what’s going on. I know a lot, but if there’s something I may have missed, John will let me know.
Sam Oh
The YouTube face of Ahrefs, one of my favorite SEO tools that has a blog too, Sam’s videos are always full of great SEO tips and tutorials. Some of them are essentially meant to help you use their tool, but even so, his videos are filled with usable information and insights about SEO.
Chase Reiner
Another Local SEO expert YouTuber, Chase has a ton of how-to videos, including several paid courses. What I like the most with Chase is that sometimes he does SEO work, live on camera, and explains what and why he does it, as he does it. His blog is also filled with great content.
Craig Campbell
This Scotsman is always full of surprises. He does provide a lot of tips for SEO, and some of them are envelope-pushing. I don’t ascribe to some of what he says, but I love his no-BS style, which is refreshing and insightful. He also does a lot of presentations with SEMrush, one of my favorite SEO Tools.
Andy Crestodina
The owner and founder of another successful digital marketing agency, Orbit Media, offers a newsletter, blog, and YouTube channel with tons of ideas on all things digital marketing. His SEO videos offer best practices and insights in a way that’s easy to understand and implement.
Bruce Clay
Here’s another expert whom I’ve been a follower of for many years. Bruce Clay, often known as the grandfather of SEO, publishes some of the best, easy-to-understand content in the world of SEO. More importantly, his articles often address “what to do when” questions, which I love.
Chris Dreyer
If there’s anyone who’s a perfect example of power positioning by dominating a niche, it’s Chris. He’s an SEO expert that specializes in personal injury lawyers. His YouTube channel offers great information that any professional can apply. His Rankings Podcast (one the same channel) is one I listen to as well.
Google Search Central
Of course, there’s Google Search (formerly Webmaster) Central. John Mueller, the spokesperson for SEO over at Google, offers a ton of videos on SEO. But the interesting part is that many of his videos are Q&A sessions with a lot of SEO experts, some of who I’ve mentioned here.
Search Engine Land
This newsletter is a must-subscribe if you’re an SEO expert or someone who wants to be on top of all things SEO. If there’s any news, changes, or predictions in the world of SEO, this daily newsletter will let me know. It’s one of the many newsletters I never skip on.
Search Engine Journal
If there are any must-have newsletters in the SEO world, Search Engine Journal is the biggest one. And by “biggest,” I mean by the amount of content they put out. They publish a lot of how-to tutorials, tips, and strategies that I often bookmark because they’re so good.
SEMrush Live
I already mentioned the Ahrefs blog and YouTube channel. Similarly, SEMrush is another that has a blog as well as a YouTube channel. But their channel is often for livestreams, such as their recent “5 Hours of Technical SEO,” that feature many of the experts I already mentioned here.
The Moz Blog
Originally created by Rand Fishkin, one of the earliest experts in the world of SEO, Moz is an SEO tool much like its competitors SEMrush and Ahrefs. But Rand used to do his “Whiteboard Fridays,” which are now done by SEO guest experts since Rand left to focus on his new startup SparkToro.
