Episode Summary: One Hire You’d Recommend Every In-House SEO Make

Podcast: Voices of Search
Host: Jordan Cooney
Guest: Jon Vantine (Director of SEO, GoodRx)
Date: January 30, 2026

Main Theme

This concise episode focuses on one pivotal question: What is the single most valuable hire an in-house SEO team should make as we approach 2026?
Jon Vantine, with years of cross-functional SEO and content experience, shares his insights into the transformative value of integrating SEO expertise directly within product teams—a strategy he believes is essential in the new era of AI and continuously evolving search landscapes.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Importance of SEO Resource Allocation (00:44–01:32)

• Jon Vantine comments on the evolving challenge of securing resources for SEO:

  • Expresses hope that SEO teams will continue to be prioritized and adequately resourced amidst industry changes.
  • Emphasizes a positive outlook for in-house SEO teams, underlining their ongoing relevance.

  "I hope that every SEO team has the luxury of making any hire in 2026. I hope that SEO teams are still getting resourced."
  — Jon Vantine, (01:21)

The One Hire That Matters: The Product-Led SEO PM (03:04–03:22)

• Jon’s Clear Recommendation:
  The most impactful hire for an SEO team today is not just another traditional SEO but rather an SEO Product Manager (PM)—someone who marries product management with deep SEO expertise.

• Rationale:

  • This person should own and maintain the SEO roadmap.
  • They must collaborate closely with engineers.
  • Their role is to ensure that SEO strategy translates into tangible features and improvements directly benefiting both users and search engines.
  • Having an SEO embedded within the product team ensures SEO priorities are built into the fabric of user-facing features.

  "I can't say enough about product LED SEO. Like I think you really need someone sitting in a PM seat doing SEO. Doing SEO, right? Like maintaining the SEO roadmap, working with engineers. Like literally executing on an SEO strategy that materializes in like real features that are built for users with search engines."
  — Jon Vantine, (03:04)

• Notable Shout-out:
  Jon acknowledges the thought leadership of Eli Schwartz in the domain of Product-Led SEO.

Why This Hire Is Critical for 2026 (03:22–03:28)

• Jon’s Final Recommendation:
  If a company doesn't have an SEO sitting in a product role, that should be their priority hire for 2026.

  "If you don't have an SEO sitting in a product role, that would be my choice for 26."
  — Jon Vantine, (03:22)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On SEO’s future in the org chart (01:21):
  • "I hope that every SEO team has the luxury of making any hire in 2026."
• Reframing SEO as Product-Led (03:04):
  • "You really need someone sitting in a PM seat doing SEO. Like maintaining the SEO roadmap, working with engineers... executing on an SEO strategy that materializes in real features that are built for users with search engines."
• Actionable advice for listeners (03:22):
  • "If you don't have an SEO sitting in a product role, that would be my choice for 26."

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:44–01:32: Jon reflects on SEO resource allocation and the future of SEO team building.
• 03:04–03:22: The core recommendation: Hire an SEO Product Manager to drive Product-Led SEO.
• 03:22–03:28: Jon’s bottom-line hiring advice for 2026.

Tone & Takeaways

The conversation is pragmatic and forward-looking, encouraging SEO leaders to break from tradition and embed SEO focus deeper into the product process—not just as a support function, but as a driver of user-facing innovation and search success.

Key Takeaway:
Organizations looking to future-proof their SEO should prioritize hiring (or repositioning) an SEO professional into a product management seat, ensuring that technical and content strategies directly inform and drive product features and user experiences.