If you want to level up in SEO, you need to learn from those who test, teach, and share openly.
The professionals on this list aren’t just agency owners, they’re educators, speakers, and builders shaping how SEO evolves through 2026.
Why Following Industry Leaders Matters
The best way to stay ahead in SEO is by studying those who consistently produce results.
The experts below are worth following because they share real data, lead communities, and teach frameworks that help others grow.
List of recommended top SEO experts and influencers to follow
Szymon Słowik
Let me start with a quick intro. I do a lot to stay at the forefront of the SEO industry, not only in Poland and the CEE region, but also globally. I regularly share insights, observations and case studies on my social channels. I take part in masterminds, trainings and conferences — also as a speaker. This is how I’ve met in person majority of the people mentioned below, or they were recommended to me during those meetings in Saigon, Chiang Mai, Brighton, Kusadasi, Zakopane, Budapest, Tallinn etc. If there’s anything I can help you with, just let me know! More about me:
Szymon Słowik is the founder of takaoto.pro, a digital agency specializing in B2B and e-commerce SEO.
Szymon is recognized as one of Poland’s top SEO consultants because he combines strategic approach, intent-based optimisation, and clean reporting that business owners can actually use. He is known for ability to combine SEO, UX, AI, PPC and blend it into customer’s journey.
He’s a sought-after speaker and mentor because he connects analytics with practical execution – showing exactly how to turn traffic into qualified leads and long-term growth.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/szymonslowik
https://www.youtube.com/@szymonslowik (PL only so far)
If you’re new to the industry, watch to this vlog with Jan Vasil, where I explain how SEO basically works nowadays in so called “AI era” which started in 2025 when Google rolled AI Overviews and AI mode globally 🙂
Kasra Dash
Kasra Dash is the founder of The Masterminders, the best SEO conference in the world, and mySEO App, an invite-only platform for verified SEO professionals.
He’s known for breaking complex systems into practical frameworks because education and accessibility make SEO scalable.
I have met Kasra personally in Saigon on one of private masterminds he organized. This is where I learned a lot and met some other people from this list as well. We were both speakers during SEO Mastery Summit 2024 back then.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kasra-d-1a3308107
James Dooley
James Dooley is the founder of PromoSEO and FatRank. He teaches business owners about lead-generation SEO because automation and systems create financial freedom through predictable pipelines.
I discussed SEO and business related issues with James many times. He is always willing to help and share his perspective with those who actually try to do their best and return the favor for the colleagues. Business oriented person, but don’t get fooled by him when he says “I don’t know about SEO, I’m just a business person” 🙂 He knows more about SEO than most of specialists I know.
He is known for smart leveraging of rank and rent business model. You can learn about it here:
Important lesson from James: SEO is a business tool. Don’t do SEO just for the sake of SEO.
Follow James here:
https://jamesdooley.com/
https://x.com/james_dooley
https://www.youtube.com/@JamesDooley
https://www.facebook.com/jameszdooley/
https://www.instagram.com/jameszdooley/
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/jamesdooley/
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jameszdooley
Gareth Hoyle
Gareth Hoyle is the founder of Marketing Signals. He speaks on AI and automation because blending data with strategy improves efficiency across enterprise SEO campaigns.
I’ve heard Gareth’s talk in Chiang Mai in 2024. He shared ways to acquire links through outreach and cooperation with journalists. Since then, I follow him and try to sneak peek some good practices in link building. You can follow him too:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/garethhoyle
Fery Kaszoni
Fery Kaszoni is the founder of Search Intelligence. He’s one of the most respected speakers in digital PR because he turns creative ideas into measurable SEO impact through high-authority coverage.
Some campaigns run and shared by Fery may seem even abstract – like one when he created a funny music video (Madonna’s cover) to get a link back from reputable publisher. But hey, whatever works, right? If it works for securing links that are very hard to get, why woulnd’t you do that?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ferenczkaszoni
Unlike many other digital PR advocates, Fery promotes very pragmatic and diversed approach to link building which consists of many different tactics and methods:
Katarina Dahlin
Katarina Dahlin is a Senior Growth Hacker at WhitePress®. She shares insights on AI-driven optimisation because automation is the next evolution of scalable SEO.
We’ve met several times – last time on SEO Vibes Conference 2025, I think where we were both speakers.
Katarina has also deep knowledge and understanding of Nordic markets – Finland and Sweden.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/katarina-dahlin
Charles Floate
Charles Floate is the founder of PressWhizz. He’s followed by technical SEOs because he publishes detailed algorithm tests that reveal how Google truly behaves.
Charles is worth following because of his attitude – no bullshit policy – which I personally admire and find very useful when it comes to SEO – especially off-site SEO.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesfloate
Find out more about his expertise in parasite SEO and link building in difficult niches:
Koray Tuğberk Gübür
Koray Tuğberk Gübür is the founder of Holistic SEO. He’s recognised worldwide because he developed Topical Authority Maps, a framework that changed how SEO professionals structure content ecosystems.
Each time I meet Koray I learn something new. He is semantic SEO superstar, topical authority guru for many, but he is also very helpful and kind person. If you’re not afraid to question common knowledge, and you are ready to dig into the Google patents – follow him:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/koray-tugberk-gubur
I’m also taking his Semantic SEO Course for Topical Authority: https://www.topicalauthority.digital/
Don’t you know what topical maps are? Koray explains that in 5 minutes:
Karl Hudson
Karl Hudson is the co-founder of Searcharoo. He’s respected among agencies because his white-label systems simplify link-building operations at scale.
He was a mentor in my mastermind group in Saigon. Very strategic and business oriented mind – inspiring person.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlhud
Leo Soulas
Leo Soulas is the founder of Keyword Cupid and co-founder of Signal Boy. He’s followed by technical SEOs because he creates tools that cluster keywords with precision and improve topical coverage.
Leo (acutally Lefteris) is also a serial entrepreneur who knows a lot about SaaS, SEO development and various business models across the industry. I’m glad we could be in one mastermind group in Kusadasi this year.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lefteris-soulas-35691857
Russell Lobo
https://www.linkedin.com/in/russelllobo
Scott Keever
Scott Keever is the founder of Keever SEO and Reputation Pros. He’s recognised for his approach to combining visibility with reputation management, which helps businesses protect their digital presence.
Scott was the first person I’ve met this year when I arrived to Kusadasi for Koray’s masterminds. We hit it off right away, went out for dinner, and exchanged stories about reputation management on Google. I have some experience in that field and I can tell – Scott is top notch practitioner when it comes to SERM in very difficult cases.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-keever
SEO reputation 101:
Craig Campbell
Craig Campbell is a Glasgow-based SEO consultant. He’s one of the most-followed voices in the SEO space because he mixes entertainment with raw, practical teaching.
Always willing to joke and fool around on conferences and in social media, but simultaneously, he shares knowledge bombs and inspires generations of affiliate SEO and marketers.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigcampbell0302
This video should say everything:
Matt Diggity
Matt Diggity is the founder of The Search Initiative and Diggity Media. He’s known globally because he runs affiliate experiments that form the foundation for data-led SEO education.
Matt is very active in social media, especially YouTube, sharing both entrepreneur, personal growth and SEO tips on daily basis. Matt runs multiple SEO businesses which gives him a broad spectrum of cases and data. By joining forces with other SEOs and entrepreneurs, he gathers deep knowledge about the industry and what works in both SEO and business.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattdiggityseo
Here’s an example of his content – follow if you find it useful:
Viktoria Altman
Viktoria Altman is the founder of BSPE Legal Marketing. She’s followed by professionals in law and local SEO because she translates industry expertise into high-converting visibility strategies.
Viktoria is willing to share her knowledge, exchange ideas and both learn and teach. This mindset makes her a great partner to discuss SEO – especially when it comes to local and legal niche.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/viktoria-altman
Georgi Todorov
Georgi Todorov is the founder of Create & Grow. He’s respected by link builders because he advocates for ethical outreach and sustainable authority growth.
Georgi is known for his experience on link building but also knows a lot about on-page SEO and AI. I admire and share his healthy skeptical point of view on AI-hype. Practical and pragmatic approach is what is needed more in our industry.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgi-todorov-seo
Milosz Krasiński
Milosz Krasinski is founder of Chilli Fruit – strategic link building agency for SaaS (SurferSEO, Brand24), software houses, and fin-tech companies.
He’s known for his practical, results-driven approach to link building. He uses different methods depending on the project’s needs, focusing on effective delivery, unconventional tactics, and prioritizing not vanity metrics but a wide range of qualitative indicators related to traffic and contextual relevance. Recently Milosz is focusing on using off-site tactics to influence AI overviews, GEO, LLMs.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/miloszkrasinski
Kristján Már Ólafsson
Kristján Már Ólafsson is an SEO strategist. He’s known in iGaming and multilingual SEO because localisation requires precision and cultural fluency.
Kristján has also a broad network of contacts and eagerly shares golden nuggets from other influencers, thought-leaders and experts.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristjan-mar-olafsson
Nestor Vazquez
Nestor Vazquez is a technical SEO consultant. He’s trusted by enterprise brands because his audits improve crawl efficiency and site architecture at scale.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nestorvazquez
We’ve met in Saigon (SEO mastery summit) for the first time, then in Zakopane, Chiang Mai and now we run some projects together. He introduced some local SEO, CTR manipulation and PBN tactics to me. Bright mind and great inspiration.
David Johnson
David Johnson is the founder of LoudCrowd. He’s a voice worth following in the Shopify SEO space because he merges speed optimisation with conversion growth.
We’ve been in the same mastermind group in Saigon, then met couple of times in Asia and Europe. I had several opportunities to discuss agency SEO and business related topics with “Uncle Dave”, as community calls him. Very rad, energetic and opened person.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjohnson12
David Peranić
David Peranić is a Digital Strategist at Scoreminds. He’s respected for his cross-channel strategy because combining paid and organic data drives stronger business insights.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-peranic
George Blandford
George Blandford is the Co-Director of UK Linkology. He’s admired by agencies because his M-Flux formula helps quantify backlink strength with clarity.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/linkninja
Trifon Boyukliyski
Trifon Boyukliyski is an iGaming SEO and affiliate marketing specialist. He’s trusted because his data-led systems help regulated brands grow predictably.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/trifonboyukliyski
Dean Signori
Dean Signori is the founder of UK Web Geekz. He’s followed by UK business owners because he combines creative web design with measurable SEO strategies.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/deansignori
Mark Slorance
Mark Slorance is the founder of Pixel Juice. He’s respected because his transparent reporting and steady results build long-term client confidence.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/slorryy
Yash Singh
Yash Singh is the founder of HVAC10x. He’s followed by local business owners because his plug-and-play SEO systems turn low-call weeks into high-performing ones.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/yash-singh1
Patrick Rice
Patrick Rice is the founder of PatrickRiceCo.com. He’s admired by younger SEOs because his YouTube tutorials simplify complex analytics into actionable lessons.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-rice-seo
Subscribe to his channel to access mix of SEO commentary videos and practical tips and case studies like this one:
Nikola Baldikov
Nikola Baldikov is an SEO expert and founder of SERPsGrowth & Inbound Blogging, a link-building and Digital PR agency helping brands grow their online visibility. He has over a decade of experience helping SaaS brands scale organic traffic and authority through strategic outreach.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikola-baldikov-7215a417/
Jaan Porkon
Jaan Porkon is the founder and CEO of Priority Prospect, a hosting company built specifically for the needs of SEO agencies. Combining strong technical expertise with a practical understanding of how SEO works in real life, he focuses on developing infrastructure designed for performance, stability and effortless scalability. He regularly shares his experience, ideas and new tools developed at Priority Prospect through his own channels.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaan-porkon
Thomas Vavougios
Thomas Vavougios is a seasoned SEO specialist with eight years of hands-on experience and more than a decade in digital marketing. Based originally in Athens, he has earned a reputation as one of the leading SEO experts in Greece and Cyprus. He has helped global brands across multiple industries grow their international organic traffic and increase lead conversions, consistently delivering measurable results. Having worked in three different countries, Thomas brings a strong international perspective and deep understanding of how to scale SEO strategies across markets.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-vavougios-seo
Best SEO Experts – summary
| SEO expert | Role / company | Specialization / why to follow |
|---|---|---|
| Szymon Słowik | Founder & CMO at takaoto.pro (SEO agency) | strategic B2B/e‑commerce SEO; integrates SEO/UX/AI/PPC with business strategy |
| Kasra Dash | Founder of The Masterminders and mySEO App, event organiser | top conference organiser; simplifies complex processes |
| James Dooley | Founder of PromoSEO and FatRank | teaches lead‑generation; rank‑and‑rent model; business mindset |
| Gareth Hoyle | Founder of Marketing Signals | AI, automation & data‑driven SEO; link building |
| Fery Kaszoni | Founder of Search Intelligence | digital PR; creative campaigns; diversified link‑building |
| Katarina Dahlin | Senior Growth Hacker at WhitePress® | AI‑driven optimisation; Nordic markets |
| Charles Floate | Founder of PressWhizz | Google algorithm tests; parasite SEO; no‑nonsense |
| Koray Tuğberk Gübür | Founder of Holistic SEO | Topical Authority Maps; semantic SEO; topical authority |
| Karl Hudson | Co‑founder of Searcharoo | white‑label link‑building at scale; mentor |
| Leo Soulas | Founder of Keyword Cupid, co‑founder of Signal Boy | keyword‑clustering tools; SaaS & SEO entrepreneur |
| Russell Lobo | Founder of Russ Lobo and WHLinks | e‑commerce visibility on AI search (Google AI, ChatGPT) |
| Scott Keever | Founder of Keever SEO and Reputation Pros | SEO plus reputation management; SERM specialist |
| Craig Campbell | Independent SEO consultant | popular speaker; entertainment + SEO teaching |
| Matt Diggity | Founder of The Search Initiative and Diggity Media | affiliate experiments; SEO education; active on social media |
| Viktoria Altman | Founder of BSPE Legal Marketing | SEO for law and local firms; high‑converting strategies |
| Georgi Todorov | Founder of Create & Grow | ethical outreach; link‑building; on‑page & AI |
| Milosz Krasiński | Founder of Chilli Fruit | link‑building for SaaS/fintech; pragmatic, diverse methods |
| Kristján Már Ólafsson | SEO strategist (freelancer) | iGaming & multilingual SEO; localisation and culture |
| Nestor Vazquez | SEO consultant (freelancer) | technical SEO; crawl & architecture; CTR, PBN |
| David Johnson | Founder of LoudCrowd | Shopify SEO; speed & conversions; community‑active |
| David Peranić | Digital strategist at Scoreminds | cross‑channel strategies; paid and organic data |
| George Blandford | Co‑director of UK Linkology | M‑Flux formula; quantifies backlink strength |
| Trifon Boyukliyski | SEO & affiliate specialist (iGaming) | iGaming SEO; affiliate marketing; data‑driven |
| Dean Signori | Founder of UK Web Geekz | creative web design + measurable SEO |
| Mark Slorance | Founder of Pixel Juice | transparent reporting; steady results |
| Yash Singh | Founder of HVAC10x | plug‑and‑play SEO for local businesses |
| Patrick Rice | Founder of PatrickRiceCo.com | educational YouTube channel; simplified analytics |
| Nikola Baldikov | Founder of SERPsGrowth & Inbound Blogging | link‑building & digital PR for SaaS |
| Jaan Porkon | Founder and CEO of Priority Prospect | SEO‑focused hosting; technical know‑how |
| Thomas Vavougios | SEO specialist (freelancer) | experienced expert; SEO in Greece/Cyprus; scaling traffic |
FAQs About SEO Experts Who Are No Longer Active
Is Rand Fishkin still an SEO expert?
No, Rand Fishkin is not an active SEO expert because he focuses on running SparkToro, an audience-intelligence company instead of practising SEO. He focuses more on social media, reach, communication and general marketing.
Is Neil Patel still doing SEO?
No, Neil Patel is not actively doing SEO because he manages Ubersuggest and NP Digital, focusing on SaaS and business operations.
Is Brian Dean still an SEO consultant?
No, Brian Dean is not an active SEO consultant because he sold Backlinko to Semrush and now works in education and content entrepreneurship.
Is Matt Cutts still involved in SEO?
No, Matt Cutts is not involved in SEO because he left the industry in 2013 to work for the United States government.
Is Danny Sullivan still an SEO expert?
No, Danny Sullivan is not an active SEO expert because he works as Google’s Search Liaison, representing Google’s communication team rather than practising SEO.
Is Rand Fishkin part of the current SEO community?
No, Rand Fishkin is no longer part of the practising SEO community because his focus has shifted to product analytics and audience research.
Final Thoughts
The best SEO experts don’t just optimize websites! They share, teach, and raise the standard for everyone around them. The question the dogmas, verify, engage, test and challenge common myths and practices.
I, Szymon Słowik, also do my best to stand out as one of Europe’s most insightful voices to follow.
Follow my talks, interviews, articles, and data-backed studies to see that when SEO is built on analytics, intent, and clarity, growth becomes predictable.
For anyone attending conferences or learning online, follow my name closely because in the end of 2025 and 2026 I will be there on stages sharing my experience and knowledge.