Who to follow in SEO and GEO to stay sharp.
For freelancers who feel like they are fighting this alone, for anyone running two or three sites without real data to compare against, and for anyone new to the field who does not know where to start.
FOLLOW ME FIRST
Start by following me, before anything else
I post the raw stuff there constantly, not the polished version that lands in a newsletter three weeks later. If you want this in real time, this is the place.
Follow @shmul_dThe short version: about 20 people worth following on X to stay current in SEO and GEO, grouped by category. Tips on how to actually use this list, not just add 20 more names to your feed, are at the bottom.
Let me talk to you for a second before the list. If you are a freelancer sitting alone at home with three clients and nobody to ask "what do you think about this update," I know that feeling. If you are running two or three sites and have no real data to compare against because you cannot afford the expensive tools, I know that one too. And if you just got into this field and have no idea who to actually trust out of the thousand "gurus" who show up in your feed every week, you are exactly who this page is for.
After 20 years in this business, I have a list of people I read every morning. Not because anyone paid me, and not because they are "friends from the group chat." Simply because when there is an algorithm update, a shift in AI Overviews, or new research on GEO, they are the first to write about it in a way you can actually trust.
lightbulbSIDE NOTE
There is a tool I have quietly admired for years, SparkToro. Not because of the marketing, but because it actually answers "where does my audience really hang out," without guessing. I even got to have a real Zoom call with its creator, Rand Fishkin. Curious? Here is the full call, and you can also just look at SparkToro and see why.
Classic and technical SEO, must-follow
These are the names where if you missed their update, you missed something real. No guesswork, no theory, facts from the field.
Barry Schwartz
Fast, accurate algorithm update coverage. If it happened this morning, he already wrote about it.
FollowGEO and AI search, most relevant right now
If classic SEO is the language you already speak, these are the people teaching the new dialect, how answer engines like ChatGPT and AI Overviews actually decide what to cite.
David Quaid
A solid bridge between classic SEO and the GEO/LLMO world.
Edward Sturm
Daily, practical GEO content, no unnecessary jargon.
A few more worth knowing
A few more I added myself, to keep this current
The base list was excellent, but it was missing a few names I follow myself. I left them without a direct profile link, since I would rather not guess a handle and send you to the wrong person, but I added a search link that gets you straight to them.
James Dooley
Curates public SEO lists on X, a good jumping off point to find more names.
Glenn Gabe
Some of the deepest Core Update breakdowns out there, with real examples.
Cyrus Shepard
E-E-A-T and content authority, a topic that keeps getting more important.
Wil Reynolds
Big-agency strategic thinking, not just tactics.
Britney Muller
Technical SEO and AI, she was there before it was trendy.
Duane Forrester
Ex-Bing, now one of the clearest voices on how AI engines actually pick results.
How to actually use this list
- Do not follow everyone in one day. Start with five, see who you actually end up reading, then expand.
- Build a List on X with these names, so they do not drown in your regular feed.
- Also follow Google Search Central and Search Engine Journal, as the official and summary sources.
- GEO is still moving fast. Pay close attention to posts about entity optimization, citations, freshness and content structured for AI.
- And remember, you do not have to agree with all of them. They argue with each other too. That is healthy.
Feel like you are fighting this alone? I am here.
Work with me