Episode Overview

Episode Title: What's the best advice you can give to professionals in SEO for 2026?
Podcast: Voices of Search
Host: Jordan Cooney
Guest: Eli Schwartz, Growth Advisor, SEO Consultant, Author of "Product Led SEO"
Date: January 23, 2026

In this focused episode, host Jordan Cooney engages SEO expert Eli Schwartz in a candid discussion about the single most crucial piece of advice for SEO professionals heading into 2026. They explore the rapidly evolving SEO landscape—particularly the hype surrounding new trends like AI-generated content and LLM (Large Language Model) visibility. The conversation encourages SEO practitioners to remain authentic, resist cheaply following fads, and maintain client trust by advocating for strategies they genuinely believe in.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Staying True to Your SEO Ideals

• [00:43] Jordan Cooney sets the stage, asking Eli for his top piece of advice for SEO professionals as the field heads into a new year defined by technological flux.

• [00:59] Eli Schwartz's Core Advice:
  “I would say stay true to your ideals. So if you don’t believe in many, many SEO, Geo, AEI or whatever consultants I talk to, they think that a lot of this is not correct. They think that there’s a lot of hype around it and they believe that SEO is where companies should be spending most of their resources and most of their attention. Stay true to that. Don’t bend and start calling yourself an AIO consultant and recommending things you don’t believe in.”
  — Eli Schwartz [00:59]

• Eli underscores the danger of chasing hot trends or rebranding oneself according to whatever buzzword is currently popular (like “AIO”—Artificial Intelligence Optimization). He warns that recommending strategies you don't believe in undermines both your integrity and clients' long-term success.

2. Navigating Market Pressure and Trend Chasing

• [02:54] Eli shares a real-world scenario highlighting how many companies come to him, not for traditional SEO, but instead explicitly seeking “LLM visibility” (visibility within Large Language Models, such as those powering AI chatbots or generative search).

• He admits the temptation to promise the latest-and-greatest marketing solutions, but cautions against telling clients what they want to hear if it isn’t effective:

  “My answer shouldn’t be, well, do SEO and you’ll be visible in LLMs, because then I lose that prospect. If that’s what I believe, I think that’s what everyone who believes that should be. If you go and sell something that you can’t actually accomplish, you’re on the hook for it in a few months when it goes away.”
  — Eli Schwartz [02:54]

• This segues into a broader warning: professionals who lose sight of what actually works in favor of chasing what’s “salable” risk disappointing clients and damaging reputations when hype cycles inevitably fade.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Integrity Over Hype:
  “Don’t bend and start calling yourself an AIO consultant and recommending things that you don’t believe in.”
  — Eli Schwartz [01:13]

• On Resisting Client-Driven Fads:
  “If you go and sell something that you can’t actually accomplish, you’re on the hook for it in a few months when it goes away.”
  — Eli Schwartz [03:09]

• On Strategic Focus:
  “They believe that SEO is where companies should be spending most of their resources and…attention. Stay true to that.”
  — Eli Schwartz [01:08]

Important Timestamps

• [00:43] – Jordan asks for Eli’s top advice for 2026 SEO professionals.
• [00:59] – Eli passionately urges professionals to stay true to what works, not what’s trendy.
• [02:54] – Eli recounts recent client interactions and discusses the danger of promising dubious trending results.
• [03:24] – The conversation closes with thanks and information on connecting with Eli.

Episode Takeaways

• Stay Authentic: The rapidly evolving SEO toolbox can distract professionals with constant streams of new buzzwords and tactics, but consistent, proven strategies remain more valuable in the long term.
• Resist Trend Chasing: It’s easy to be lured into the latest digital marketing trends, but both Eli and Jordan emphasize the importance of expertise grounded in real value—not hype.
• Client Trust Matters: Overpromising results on unproven or fading trends can harm both personal reputation and client trust.

Essential message: The best SEO advice for 2026 is to hold firm to your expertise and values. Sell and execute only what you truly believe works, even when clients request every new trend—integrity and results should always come first.