Global SEOย
Frontrunners of 2023
We've put together a list of the most innovative and influential SEOs of 2023. These are the frontrunners shaping the future of search engine optimization and pushing the boundaries of what's possible.
SEOs who not just follow trends but identify and create trends.
SEOs who are focused on raising the bar in our industry by analyzing, investigating, and experimenting with new technology and established practices.
SEOs who make our community better.
If you're a marketer looking to save time and boost your organic traffic, then these are the people you want to follow.
Andrew Charlton ๐ฌ๐ง
Data-Driven SEO Virtuoso
Number crunching is his game, and Sheet-magic should be his name.
Andrew focuses on leveraging large amounts of data to strengthen the SEO effort and is an AI pioneer.
Areej AbuAli ๐ฌ๐ง
The Empowering SEO Innovator
Few other SEOs are as influential as Areej AbuAli. An accomplished SEO consultant and founder of TechSEOWomen, Arrej is a pioneer and true innovator of the SEO community.
Sharing knowledge and experience with search engine optimization and community building, making the industry a little better all the while.
Crystal Carter ๐ฌ๐ง
Veteran Virtuoso of SEO
As an experienced SEO with 15 years under her belt, Crystal has seen action in big companies like Disney, Mcdonald's, and more.
You can find her contributions at Google Search Central, Brighton SEO, and Search Engine Land, to name a few. Crystal is also a Women in Tech mentor, writer, speaker, and panelist.
Brian Dean ๐บ๐ธ
Champion of Quality Content
Brian Dean has built an understanding of the workings of content online that few rival.
His data-driven insights into what works and why, advocating for quality ย make his YouTube and Twitter accounts a must for SEOs and everyone working with content.
Cyrus Shepard ๐บ๐ธ
The Intrepid Data Explorer
Follows the data wherever it leads and often takes his own followers down a virtual rabbit hole.
Cyrus tests new technology to the limit with queries and tasks the developers hopes no one uses. He exposes the weaknesses and strengths, and for that, we need to follow him.
Neil Patel ๐บ๐ธ
The Content King of SEO
If something is worth mentioning, Neil has a blog post about it. If something might have an impact on SEO, Content, or Digital Marketing in general; Neil has a blog post about it - with visuals and probably a video too.
In short, If you aren't keeping an eye on Neil Patel, you should be.
Mike O'Brien ๐บ๐ธ
Demystifying SEO with Tutorials
One of the things that makes Mike stand out is his tutorials. The fact that he doesn't just talk about and explain best practices, he shows you exactly how is invaluable to the SEO community.
There is so much inside knowledge in SEO, but Mike goes out of his way to make everything accessible.
Lily Ray ๐บ๐ธ
Harmonizing Research Scholar of SEO
An SEO professional leading a team of 30+ SEOs and international speaker who shares her research into the latest developments in SEO with industry-leading publications, at conferences, and on Twitter.
Besides being an accomplished DJ, by the way.
Martin Splitt ๐จ๐ญ
Bridging Developers and SEOs
Apart from SEO in general, Martin has a particular interest in the matrix between developers and SEOs. An interest further stoked by his current position; working with Developer Relations at Google.
This makes him a unique contribution at conferences where he's a popular speaker, especially in Europe.
Marie Haynes ๐จ๐ฆ
The Algorithm Whisperer
Having spent 15 years researching, experimenting, testing, and learning about Google's Search Algorithm, there are probably few outside of Google who understand it better than Marie.
Speaking at conferences and consulting companies, Marie shares her learnings on what the all-powerful algorithm will reward.
Michael King ๐บ๐ธ
The SEO Hip-Hop Head
Bridging the gap between SEO and hip-hop, Michael is an influential tech entrepreneur and the founder of iPullRank, a hugely successful SEO and digital marketing agency.
He's also the CMO of AIPRM, an addon to ChatGPT that makes creating and sharing prompts easy.
Olaf Kopp ๐ฉ๐ช๐ต๐น
The Semantic SEO Lighthouse
As one of the foremost international experts on semantic SEO, E-E-A-T guidelines, and modern search in general, Olaf is a lighthouse of knowledge SEOs everywhere look to.
You want to understand the industry? Follow Olaf and he will help you find your way in the ever-evolving world of SEO.
Jason Davis ๐บ๐ธ
TikTok's SEO Trendsetter
With his helpful, short videos on TikTok, Jason makes SEO accessible to a new and curious group of marketing professionals and influencers.
As JasonTheSEOGuy he has grown his reach to more than 32.000 on TikTok, breaking through on a video-platform with SEO insights. Not bad Jason, not bad at all.
Jenny Halasz ๐บ๐ธ
No-Nonsense SEO Guide
Jenny's insight is often like getting hit by a bucket of cold water, because she cuts through bullshit and hype and points to the exact spot where your efforts are lacking.
Do you think ChatGPT is great for the industry? Visit Jennys Twitter account. Her take on the matter provides much-needed nuance to the debate.
Marco Giordano ๐จ๐ญ
The Analytics Aficionado
With a focus on analytics and everything data-driven, Marco provides the SEO community with the tools we all need to extract valuable insights from collected data.
He also provides guides on applying these insights to your website and strategies.
Criteria for selecting Global SEOย Frontrunners of 2023
As members of the SEO community, we follow a lot of like-minded professionals who inspire and motivate us and who impact our work. When selecting the Global SEO Frontrunners of 2023, we look to the people who inspire us and lean on the following criteria to make sure everyone can find inspiration and innovation on the list.
A distinct voice
Parroting other's thoughts and findings isn't enough. We look for SEOs who contribute something unique, a perspective others have missed, or create a new insight through testing and experimentation.
Large following
Size isn't everything, but if thousands of people follow and subscribe, it's an indicator that this particular SEO is worth a look. However, offering unique and helpful content can outweigh the size of the audience.
Valuable contribution
Besides uniqueness, we look at how valuable the content is. Information in itself is great, but paired with examples and studies it's even better and making trends and best practices actionable is an important part of being an SEO frontrunner.
Generosity
We look for SEOs who aren't just posting a blog once every three months. We want people who are active and join discussions online, participate in talks and interviews, and share their insights and experiences generously.