100 AI Search, AEO, GEO & SEO Experts to Follow

AI Search, Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and SEO bring together expertise in information retrieval, technical optimization, content strategy, entity understanding and search analytics. This directory features 100 researchers, practitioners, educators and industry professionals working across these disciplines. Explore their specialties and LinkedIn profiles to follow developments in traditional and AI-powered search. Copy
Cihan Geyik
7 min read
Last Updated:
September 24, 2026
100 Experts Shaping AI Search, featuring an AI visibility dashboard with ChatGPT, Google, Gemini, Claude and Microsoft icons.
Explore with AI
In This Article

Introduction

AI search is changing how people discover, compare and decide. This directory brings together researchers, practitioners, educators and industry professionals working across AI Search, Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and SEO.

Explore their specialties and connect with them through LinkedIn. The numbers are reference IDs, not rankings.

Content Strategy, Semantic SEO & Topical Authority

Content and organic-growth practitioners exploring topical relevance, semantic SEO, audience understanding and sustainable organic growth.

01Semantic SEO

Koray Tuğberk Gübür

Koray Tuğberk Gübür founded Holistic SEO & Digital and teaches semantic SEO, topical authority and search-focused content architecture. His research explores topics, entities and relationships between documents.

02International SEO

Aleyda Solís

Aleyda Solís founded Orainti and publishes resources on international SEO, technical SEO and AI Search. Her educational work includes SEOFOMO and Crawling Mondays.

03Product-Led SEO

Eli Schwartz

Eli Schwartz is an SEO strategist and author known for his product-led approach to organic growth. His work focuses on aligning search strategy with audience needs and product value.

04Content Marketing

Ann Smarty

Ann Smarty is an SEO, AEO and GEO strategist and educator whose work includes content marketing, digital PR and search visibility. She shares practical guidance on content promotion and optimization.

05Audience Research

Rand Fishkin

Rand Fishkin is a co-founder of SparkToro and Moz. His research and commentary explore audience behavior, zero-click search and the changing ways people discover information online.

06SEO Research

Tim Soulo

Tim Soulo is a marketing professional associated with Ahrefs, known for sharing data-driven SEO insights, content marketing strategies and research on organic search performance.

07B2B Content

Alex Birkett

Alex Birkett works on B2B content strategy, organic growth and experimentation. His educational content explores effective content systems, measurement and connecting SEO with growth objectives.

08Organic Growth

Ethan Smith

Ethan Smith works on organic growth and SEO strategy. His professional focus includes building scalable search programs, connecting content with user demand and measuring the business impact of organic discovery.

09Search Strategy

Wil Reynolds

Wil Reynolds is the founder of Seer Interactive and an educator focused on data-driven search marketing. His work explores audience intent, analytics and connecting search strategy with customer needs.

10B2B SEO

Gaetano Nino DiNardi

Gaetano Nino DiNardi is a B2B marketing strategist whose work spans SEO, content strategy and organic customer acquisition. He shares perspectives on connecting search visibility with business growth.

11Content Strategy

Ross Hudgens

Founder of Siege Media, focusing on content marketing, organic growth and search-driven editorial strategies.

12SEO Education

Cyrus Shepard

SEO consultant and educator known for practical research on organic search, content optimization and search visibility.

13Content Strategy

Tom Critchlow

Digital strategy consultant exploring SEO, independent consulting and the relationship between content and business strategy.

14International SEO

Gianluca Fiorelli

International SEO consultant and educator covering search strategy, content optimization and technical SEO.

15Information Retrieval

Dawn Anderson

Technical SEO consultant and educator exploring information retrieval, search engine behavior and organic visibility.

16Content Marketing

Steven Schneider

Content marketing professional working across organic growth, content operations and search-focused publishing.

17SEO, GEO & Agentic AI

Bilal Dalgun

Digital strategist specializing in SEO, Generative Engine Optimization and agentic AI systems.

18Technical SEO

Crystal Carter

SEO professional sharing educational resources on technical search, structured data and AI-powered discovery.

19Enterprise SEO

John Shehata

Search strategist with experience in enterprise SEO, audience development and organic visibility at scale.

20Search Strategy

Brent D. Payne

Search marketing professional connecting SEO strategy and organic audience development with digital marketing objectives.

Technical SEO, Crawling & Search Infrastructure

Specialists in crawling, rendering, indexing, structured data, website architecture and the infrastructure behind search.

21Technical SEO

Patrick Stox

Patrick Stox is a technical SEO specialist and educator known for explaining complex search topics through practical examples and research. His work covers crawling, indexing and website architecture.

22JavaScript SEO

Bartosz Góralewicz

Bartosz Góralewicz is known for technical SEO research, particularly JavaScript rendering and search engine crawling. His work investigates how modern websites are processed by search systems.

23Structured Data

Jono Alderson

Jono Alderson works across technical SEO, structured data and website performance. His educational content examines how site architecture and technical implementation contribute to search accessibility.

24Google Algorithms

Glenn Gabe

Glenn Gabe is an SEO consultant and researcher who analyzes Google algorithm updates and organic search performance. His case studies examine changes in rankings, traffic and search result features.

25Google Search

John Mueller

John Mueller is a Google Search representative known for explaining how Google handles crawling, indexing and technical website issues. His public guidance helps website owners understand search documentation.

26Search Infrastructure

Gary Illyes

Gary Illyes is a Google Search representative who shares technical explanations of search infrastructure, crawling and indexing. His public discussions help practitioners understand search engine behavior.

27JavaScript & Search

Martin Splitt

Martin Splitt is a Google Search representative known for explaining JavaScript rendering, website architecture and technical search concepts. His educational content helps developers understand modern search systems.

28Search News

Barry Schwartz

Barry Schwartz is a search industry journalist and founder of Search Engine Roundtable. He reports on search engine updates, SEO developments and AI-powered search features.

29SERP Research

Brodie Clark

Brodie Clark is an SEO consultant and researcher who studies Google search result features and changes in organic visibility, including AI Overviews and evolving SERP layouts.

30SEO Automation

Jean-Christophe Chouinard

Jean-Christophe Chouinard creates educational resources about Python, SEO automation and data analysis. His work helps practitioners apply programming to technical search challenges.

31Technical SEO

Chris Green

Chris Green works across technical SEO, search analytics and organic search strategy. His professional focus includes translating technical search challenges into actionable recommendations for marketing teams.

32Technical SEO & AI

Suganthan Mohanadasan

Suganthan Mohanadasan works on technical SEO, search research and practical applications of AI in marketing. He shares insights on search technology and optimization workflows.

33Search Strategy

Jes Scholz

Jes Scholz is a search strategist whose work covers technical SEO, organic growth and search experience optimization. She shares insights into website performance and evolving search technologies.

34SEO Data

Natzir Turrado

Natzir Turrado specializes in technical SEO and data-driven search optimization. His work connects analytics, technical implementation and automation to improve search performance.

35Google Search

Gagan Ghotra

Gagan Ghotra shares information about Google Search, technical SEO and developments in search technology. His content helps practitioners follow search engine changes.

36Technical SEO

Patrick Valibus

Patrick Valibus is a French search marketing and e-commerce consultant associated with 410 Gone. His work covers search optimization and digital commerce.

37Relevance Engineering

Zach Chahalis

Zach Chahalis works on relevance engineering, analytics and SEO at iPullRank. His professional focus includes technical optimization and search performance.

38Search Technology

Duane Forrester

Duane Forrester works across search technology, SEO and AI discoverability. His industry experience includes helping organizations understand search platforms and online discovery.

39Entity SEO

Dixon Jones

Dixon Jones is an SEO professional known for his work with link data, search technology and entity-based optimization. His research explores how relationships between information influence search.

40WordPress SEO

Joost de Valk

Joost de Valk is the founder of Yoast and a long-time contributor to the SEO and WordPress communities. His work focuses on making websites easier to optimize and discover.

AI Search, AEO & GEO Research

Research and practical work on generative search, AI citations, retrieval and the changing relationship between search engines and language models.

41AI & Content Strategy

Andy Crestodina

Andy Crestodina is the co-founder and CMO of Orbit Media Studios. He teaches content strategy, analytics and SEO, including how brands can adapt their content to AI-powered discovery.

42Content Optimization

Bernard Huang

Bernard Huang works on content optimization and search technology. His professional focus connects content strategy, search relevance and AI-powered tools for understanding organic visibility.

43Machine Learning

Britney Muller

Britney Muller is an SEO and machine learning educator who explores practical applications of AI in search and digital marketing. Her work helps practitioners understand machine learning and AI-powered workflows.

44Open-Source AI Search

Cihan Geyik

Cihan Geyik is the co-founder of Ansvisor, building an open-source AI Search Intelligence Platform focused on transparency, flexibility, scalability and better AI visibility outcomes. He leads its evolution toward an AI Search Execution Platform, supported by GitHub contributors.

45Mobile Search

Cindy Krum

Cindy Krum is known for her work on mobile SEO and search technology. Her research examines how search engines organize and present information, including developments shaping AI discovery.

46Search Experiments

Dan Petrovic

Dan Petrovic researches search engines and AI using experimental and technical methods. His work includes information retrieval, machine learning and search optimization.

47AI Search & GEO

David Konitzny

David Konitzny researches ChatGPT Search and query fan-out behavior. He shares data-driven analysis of retrieval patterns, source selection and AI search citations.

48Growth & AI

Edward Sturm

Edward Sturm creates educational content about SEO, digital growth and emerging AI marketing techniques. His work emphasizes practical experimentation and approaches to improving online discoverability.

49Organic Growth

Kevin Indig

Kevin Indig publishes Growth Memo, covering organic growth, search research and the impact of AI on digital discovery. His work combines data analysis with practical search and growth strategy.

50Organic Growth & AI Search

Lidia Infante

Lidia Infante is an organic growth and SEO strategist whose work spans scalable search programs, technical SEO and the evolving role of AI in search discovery.

AI Visibility, Analytics & Marketing Technology

Professionals working on the measurement, analysis and operational applications of search and AI-powered discovery.

SEO, GEO Strategy, Education & Industry Voices

Consultants, educators, researchers and industry commentators contributing to the wider conversation about search and AI-powered discovery.

Learning from the People Shaping Search

AI search is bringing technical SEO, content strategy, information retrieval, analytics and brand visibility closer together. Following researchers, practitioners and educators across these disciplines can help marketers understand new developments and evaluate emerging approaches.

This directory is an evolving resource. The reference numbers organize the profiles; they do not represent a ranking or endorsement.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between SEO, AEO and GEO?

SEO focuses on search engine visibility. AEO addresses discoverability in systems providing direct answers, while GEO focuses on visibility in AI-generated responses. These disciplines overlap in content quality, accessibility and information retrieval.

Why follow AI Search and GEO experts?

Following practitioners and researchers helps marketing teams understand emerging technologies, review experiments and identify ideas to test in their own search strategies.

Does traditional SEO still matter for AI Search?

Technical accessibility, useful content and clear site architecture remain relevant. However, traditional search rankings do not guarantee inclusion or citations in AI-generated answers.

How can brands measure AI Search visibility?

Brands can monitor AI-generated mentions and citations, compare competitor visibility, track relevant prompts and analyze AI-referred website traffic across platforms.

Are the experts in this directory ranked?

No. Numbers are reference IDs. Categories organize professionals by their areas of work, not by influence, expertise or performance.

How should I choose which experts to follow?

Start with the disciplines relevant to your work, whether technical SEO, AI search research, content strategy, analytics or marketing technology.

Turn AI Search Insights into Action

Research is the starting point. Ansvisor helps you track AI search visibility, monitor prompts and citations, analyze competitors and discover opportunities to improve your presence across AI-powered platforms.

Explore the Ansvisor Platform ↗

Editorial note: This directory covers professionals across AI Search, AEO, GEO, SEO and related disciplines. Professional information and profile links may change over time.

AI search is changing how people discover, compare and decide. Understanding this shift requires learning from the researchers, practitioners and builders shaping search. We created this directory to make their knowledge and perspectives easier to discover.
— Cihan Geyik, Co-founder of Ansvisor
About the Author
Cihan Geyik

Cihan Geyik

Co-founder at Ansvisor

Cihan Geyik is the co-founder of Ansvisor, an open-source, cloud-ready AI Visibility platform for AI Search. With more than 15 years of experience in digital marketing and growth, he writes about AI visibility, AI search, AEO, GEO, citations, and answer engines. He focuses on helping brands understand and improve their presence across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and other AI-powered discovery platforms.

← Explore All

Related Blog Posts