In this episode of Search With Sean, I’m joined by a panel of leading News SEO and digital publishing experts to discuss the biggest challenges facing online news publishers today and how the industry can adapt in a rapidly changing search landscape.

Joining me for this discussion are:

Barry Adams – https://www.linkedin.com/in/barryadams/

Nicola Agius – https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicola-agius-8b330956/

Steven Wilson-Beales – https://www.linkedin.com/in/swilsonbeales/

Alison Moss – https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-moss-804a5537/

Clara Soteras Acosta – https://www.linkedin.com/in/clara-soteras-acosta/

Jordan Mazza – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanmazza/

The panel discuss:

- How AI search, AI Overviews, and changing user behaviour are reshaping the future of news discovery

- Why publishers need to focus less on chasing traffic and more on loyalty, retention, and creating audiences that return

- How Google Discover is evolving and why traditional publishing strategies need to change

- The importance of understanding audiences, identifying what they truly value, and creating content around their needs

- Why quality, originality, expertise, and unique perspectives are becoming more important in an AI-driven search environment

- The role of communities, newsletters, podcasts, events, and other channels in building stronger relationships with audiences

- Whether publishers should prioritise subscriptions, brand building, audience engagement, or a combination of approaches

- How independent journalists, creators, and personal brands are changing the way people consume news

- Why people increasingly trust individuals and experts rather than just traditional media organisations

- How publishers can improve transparency, demonstrate expertise, and rebuild trust with audiences

- The impact of AI-generated content and misinformation on the future of journalism

- How niche publishers and specialist brands can compete against larger organisations

- The future role of journalists, content creators, and human-first storytelling in digital publishing

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