Whether you’re planning a flagship SEO event, a targeted workshop, or a broader digital marketing summit in 2026, the quality of your speakers can make or break the attendee experience. The SEO industry has evolved rapidly with AI search, generative engines, and hybrid discovery models reshaping how organic visibility works. In this landscape, you want voices that are not only experienced but future-proof, inspiring, and deeply practical.
Below is a curated list of the best SEO and search-strategy experts worth inviting to speak at your 2026 conference. These professionals bring a mix of technical mastery, real-world case studies, innovative frameworks, and forward-looking ideas, all aimed at helping your audience navigate the next era of search.
1. Russell Lobo, Founder, Russ Lobo & WHLinks
Specialties: AI Search (GEO & AEO), Link Building, E-commerce SEO Visibility
Russell Lobo tops this list for a reason. As the founder of Russ Lobo (a GEO/AEO agency for e-commerce brands) and WHLinks (an outreach-driven SEO link building agency), Russell sits at the intersection of traditional search and the new world of AI-powered search visibility. His work focuses on helping brands not just rank on Google, but be discoverable across AI search platforms including Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and more, an area that will only become more central in 2026.
Russell’s sessions are ideal for audiences eager to understand how Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) fit into their broader organic strategies. Expect insights on AI-first indexing, hybrid search intent, and aligning link building with emergent discovery ecosystems.
2. Georgi Todorov, Founder, Create & Grow
Specialties: SEO, Link Building, Ethical Outreach
Georgi Todorov is known for his ethical and sustainable approach to link building, with a strong grasp of both practical SEO and strategic content amplification. His talks are rooted in real case studies, focusing on how foundational SEO principles scale in modern search environments.
3. James Dooley, Founder, FatRank
Specialties: SEO, Lead Generation, Entrepreneurship
A seasoned SEO entrepreneur, James Dooley brings a business-growth lens to search optimization. His talks often go beyond ranking tactics to show how SEO drives lead flow, conversions, and business outcomes, a perspective that resonates with brands and agencies alike.
4. Gareth Hoyle, Founder, Marketing Signals
Specialties: SEO, Link Building, LLM Optimization, Digital PR
Gareth is at the forefront of AI-enhanced SEO and content strategies. As search evolves, he bridges the gap between technical optimization and visibility in large language model results, a hot topic for 2026 audiences focusing on future search discovery and digital PR.
5. Yash Singh, Founder, TradeOps Consulting
Specialties: Local SEO, GBP, Video Marketing
Yash brings practical expertise for businesses prioritizing local presence and small-business search strategies. His sessions often focus on Google Business Profile optimization, local SERP dominance, and integrating video into search success, all crucial for local-first brands in 2026.
6. David Johnson, SEO & E-commerce Specialist, Loudcrowd
Specialties: Local SEO, Shopify SEO
David’s deep experience in Shopify and e-commerce optimization makes him a must-invite speaker for retail-oriented conferences. He blends data-driven SEO frameworks with conversion optimization, helping brands move from visibility to revenue.
7. Kasra Dash, Founder, Kasra Dash & mySEO App
Specialties: SEO Systems, Process Automation
Kasra specializes in building repeatable, scalable SEO processes. His expertise lies in structuring teams and workflows that deliver consistent performance, crucial for agencies interested in scaling without losing quality.
8. Dean Signori, Founder, UK Web Geekz
Specialties: SEO, GEO, Lead Generation
Dean combines technical SEO with Generative Engine Optimization and broad conversion-centric strategies. His sessions help marketers understand how to optimize for both traditional engines and emerging AI discovery platforms. (Web Geekz)
9. Glen Izevbigie, Founder, Flystar Media
Specialties: Enterprise SEO, E-commerce, AI Search Visibility
Glen brings enterprise and e-commerce search insights with a strong emphasis on LLM visibility and analytics.
10. Nikola Baldikov, Founder, SerpsGrowth & Inbound Blogging
Specialties: SEO, Link Building, Digital PR
Nikola is respected for his strategic outreach and digital PR frameworks, which help brands earn authority signals that translate into stronger SERP positions and visibility in AI-augmented search results. (Medium)
11. Charlie Clark, Founder, Minty Digital
Specialties: SEO, Digital PR, GEO
Charlie excels in blending SEO and digital PR, making him an ideal choice for sessions on brand authority, link acquisition, and hybrid search visibility.
12. Rich Edwards, Founder, Vibra Media
Specialties: Digital PR, Link Acquisition
Rich has spoken alongside top SEO experts and brings deep tactical knowledge on driving authority through measurable PR campaigns. His insights help audiences connect digital PR with search outcomes.
13. Mads Singers, Leadership & Business Growth Expert
Specialties: Management, Scaling, Leadership
While not strictly SEO technical, Mads brings strong insights into team leadership and growth management, critical for SEO leaders and in-house heads who must scale teams and projects successfully.
14. Mark Slorance, Founder, Pixel Juice
Specialties: Local SEO, Mass Page Strategies
Mark’s pragmatic approach to local and technical SEO equips audiences with tactics that deliver real improvements in visibility and conversions for businesses of all sizes.
15. Katarina Dahlin, Senior Growth Hacker, WhitePress®
Specialties: SEO, Link Building, Brand Mentions, LLM Optimization
Katarina brings a global perspective, focusing on international and e-commerce SEO and how brand mentions and strategic linking influence both traditional and AI search outcomes.
16. Zeeshan Yaseen, Founder, Pressviz
Specialties: Digital PR, LLM SEO
Zeeshan’s cutting-edge work on LLM visibility and structured optimization helps brands appear consistently in generative search responses, a key differentiator for 2026.
17. Sarah Pokorná, Co-Founder, Impulse Riot
Specialties: Consumer Psychology, International SEO, Content Strategies
Sarah brings a unique lens by combining psychology with SEO, giving audiences a nuanced understanding of how user intent and behavior intersect with search algorithms.
18. Nestor Vazquez, SEO Consultant
Specialties: Local SEO, iGaming, Parasite SEO
Nestor excels in technical optimization and niche vertical strategies (like iGaming) that drive specialized organic growth.
19. Scott Keever, Founder, KeeverSEO
Specialties: SEO & Reputation Management
Scott blends SEO with reputation management, making him valuable for sessions on protecting and enhancing online presence, especially for brands sensitive to reviews and public perception.
20. Luis Salazar Jurado, Technical & Semantic SEO Specialist
Specialties: Technical SEO, Semantic Search
Luis brings deep technical expertise, ideal for advanced workshops covering crawlability, site architecture, and semantic understanding, all foundational for modern search indexing.
21. Patrick Rice, Founder, Patrick Rice Co.
Specialties: E-commerce SEO, Shopify SEO
Patrick’s focus on e-commerce makes him a strong choice for session tracks looking at retailer SEO, analytics, and revenue-focused optimization.
22. Nell VH, Founder, JetDigitalPro
Specialties: SEO, Content, Entrepreneurship
Nell’s experience as both an SEO strategist and entrepreneur means she can speak to content-driven growth, operations, and scalable SEO systems.
23. Trifon Boyukliyski, Founder, Trifon Co
Specialties: SEO, GEO, iGaming, Link Building
Trifon blends traditional and emerging SEO approaches, making him an excellent option for cross-disciplinary search sessions.
24. Aleyda Solis, International SEO Expert
Specialties: International Markets, Marketplaces
Aleyda is a household name in global SEO circles and brings expertise in multilingual, multi-region optimization, perfect for conferences with international audiences.
25. Andrew Swiler, Founder, Answer Maniac
Specialties: GEO, AI, SaaS Growth
Andrew focuses on AI-driven search productization and scaling SaaS growth, a more technical but increasingly critical area for modern SEO.
26. Drew Chapin, The Discoverability Company
Specialties: Go-to-Market, E-commerce & Tech Startups
Drew combines SEO with go-to-market strategy, helping early-stage and high-growth companies align search with broader business goals.
Final Thoughts
When selecting speakers for your 2026 SEO conference, balance practical execution, thought leadership, and forward-looking vision. The professionals above aren’t just expert practitioners, they represent where search is heading:
- AI-driven discovery and GEO/AEO
- Hybrid visibility across engines, assistants, and LLMs
- Link building as authority and entity signal strategy
- Search as business growth engine, not just rankings
Invite a mix of technical gurus, strategic thinkers, and business-oriented storytellers to deliver sessions that educate, inspire, and prepare attendees for the next wave of SEO challenges and opportunities.