In this episode, Steve and Barry Adams discuss Google's new audience loyalty ecosystem, the impact of AI on search and publisher traffic, and practical strategies for publishers to adapt to the evolving digital landscape.

- Google's new audience loyalty features (preferred sources, follow, subscription linking)
- Impact of AI on search traffic and publisher visibility
- Strategies for publishers to build and retain loyal audiences
- Prompt tracking and AI visibility challenges and opportunities
- The importance of quality content and user experience in a changing landscape

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Topics
02:58 Google's New Publisher Engagement Strategies
06:00 The Impact of AI on Traffic and Content
09:11 Optimizing User Experience and Conversion Rates
12:10 Insights from the Glide Event
15:09 SEO's Role in Audience Engagement
17:54 The Future of Content and Publisher Strategies
22:58 The Impact of Zero-Click Searches
26:02 Google's Dominance in Traffic Generation
28:56 Trust in Information Sources
36:03 Navigating Prompt Tracking in AI
48:10 The Future of News and Editorial SEO

Resources
https://www.seoforgooglenews.com/p/google-audience-loyalty-ecosystem
https://www.publishingstrategies.co.uk/p/ai-visibility-and-prompt-tracking
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Connect with Barry & Steve
SEO Summit 2026 - https://newsseo.io
Barry's Consultancy service: https://www.polemicdigital.com/
Steve's Consultancy service: https://www.stevenwilsonbeales.com/

Join Barry and Steve on Beers and SEO as they discuss essential podcast tips for growing your audience. This episode provides valuable insights into podcast marketing and how to podcast effectively, covering strategies for both new and experienced creators. Learn how to grow a podcast and implement strong seo for podcasts to expand your reach and engagement.

key topics
Podcast SEO strategies and platform optimization
Audience engagement and metrics analysis
Content focus and niche monetization

takeaways
Understanding platform-specific SEO (Apple, Spotify) is crucial for visibility.
Audience retention and engagement metrics are more valuable than downloads alone.
Niche podcasts can be highly profitable with targeted advertising.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Podcast SEO
02:14 Understanding Podcast Optimization
11:35 The Role of Video in Podcasting
16:10 Key Metrics for Podcast Success
22:45 Influencer Impact on Podcasting
25:45 Exploring Paywalls in Podcasting
28:09 Monetization Strategies for Podcasts
33:11 Favorite Podcasts and Their Impact

Resources
https://www.publishingstrategies.co.uk/p/podcast-seo
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Connect with Barry & Steve
SEO Summit 2026 - https://newsseo.io
Barry's Consultancy service: https://www.polemicdigital.com/
Steve's Consultancy service: https://www.stevenwilsonbeales.com/

On this month's pod we cover the impact of AI on news and publishers and focus on SEO strategies, AI crawling, and protecting content.We'll also share insights on optimising for AI, handling AI bots, and industry collaboration. With the various algorithmic updates and AI policy changes there's a lot to catch up on, so let's dive in!

Key topics:

- AI impact on news and publishers
- SEO strategies for AI search
- AI crawling and bot behavior
- Content protection and regulation
- Industry collaboration and regulation

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to AI in News and Publishing
03:04 The Impact of Google's Core Updates
06:01 Back Button Hijacking and User Experience
10:05 AI Overview Accuracy and User Trust
17:12 AI Crawlers and Bots: Challenges for Publishers
30:09 Navigating AI Optimisation Strategies
31:53 The Value of AI Training Data
33:13 Challenges in AI Visibility for Brands
34:31 The Limitations of Prompt Tracking
35:47 The Importance of Collective Action in Publishing
37:41 Understanding the Low Value Exchange for Publishers
39:49 Optimising for AI Visibility in Direct Sales
41:32 The Dilemma of AI-Generated Content for Publishers
43:14 Technical SEO Strategies for AI Visibility
44:35 The Role of Semantic HTML and Structured Data
46:41 Chunking and Writing for AI vs. Humans
50:30 Crawlability and Internal Linking Strategies
53:20 Meta Tags and Open Graph Optimisation
54:12 The Future of LLMs and Markdown
57:11 Final Thoughts and Future Directions

Resources
AIO accuracies
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/technology/google-ai-overviews-accuracy.html
https://algorythmic.co/opinions/my-response-to-googles-response-to-the-nyt-ai-overview-story/
Denmark's strategy to front run Europe on Big Tech deals: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/denmarks-strategy-to-front-run-europe-on-big-tech-deals/id1800563534?i=1000745426241
3rd party scrapers selling to AI companies: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7447249264881205249/
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Connect with Barry & Steve
SEO Summit 2026 - https://newsseo.io
Barry's Consultancy service: https://www.polemicdigital.com/
Steve's Consultancy service: https://www.stevenwilsonbeales.com/