BrightonSEO October 2026 roundup

SEO / GEO takeaways:

Jean Sarunporn: Getting your brand recommended by AI agents: A practical guide to GEO 

AI is making working with other channels non-negotiable, whether this be content, Digital PR or Affiliate. AI is trying to understand relationships, and the aim is to build a brand worth recommending:

• Give AI evidence everywhere

• Make your brand understandable

• Ensure messaging is consistent across all channels 

• Implement schema 

Jean asked everyone a question that really got us thinking: “If your website was taken down today, would AI still know who you are?” 

Greg Gifford: Head-spinning updates to Google Business Profiles 

Greg delivered a really insightful talk around local SEO and interesting changes to Google Business Profiles to be aware of: 

• Google is rolling out AI map packs that are constantly changing (13% of local searches include this), and Places Scout is a great tool to track this 

• A Gemini chat interface called Ask Maps has launched in the US within Google Maps and the UK is expected to follow suit

• SEOs in the US can now use Gemini to make changes to Google Business Profiles, and we can expect to see this in the UK in the future 

• The Google Review Policy update earlier this year bans staff-name mentions and on-site pressure 
  

Tip: Check competitor reviews and address any negative sentiment in a positive way on your own site to keep one step ahead of the game 

Digital PR and influence takeaways

Rosa Mitchell: Search demand is more fragmented than ever

Rosa delivered an insightful talk on the nuance of search demand in 2026. The search journey is no longer straightforward; people use tools like ChatGPT and TikTok instead of a simple Google search.

A user could start their journey for a service or product on:

• A forum site, such as Reddit

• A large language model (LLM), such as GPT-4

• An image search engine, such as Google Lens
  

Digital PR agencies must take a multi-channel approach to help their clients show up in traditional searches as well as AI systems. Digital PR fits into this model through consistent, high-quality backlinks, brand mentions in publications, and building recognised trust with your audience and Google through its E-E-A-T system.

Amy Gibson: Why product PR is vital in the AI era

Amy’s talk showed that product PR can drive brand visibility, clicks, and sales in the age of AI and GEO search. Building on traditional PR tactics, this measurable strategy can help your clients appear in AI search results and overviews.

While digital PR now relies heavily on AI and SEO to boost brand trust, it’s still important to build your media list and send high-quality samples and press releases to trusted publications.

When sending product samples to journalists for coverage, think about the following to boost your chances of being cited in AI systems:

• Build trust and authority: roundups and reviews are vital

• Be reactive: what’s trending, and how does your product relate to it?

• Think seasonally: Product PR goes hand in hand with Christmas and Easter

• Think ahead: Deals and sales drive momentum - get ahead of Black Friday

Paid media takeaways:

Greta Koivikko: PDPs over PLPs: How to win organic visibility with product pages 

Greta gave an insightful presentation on product description pages and how a strong landing page and website can not only enhance user experience but also increase the chances of appearing in LLMs and paid media assist features such as AI Max.

She shared how product pages need to act as mini storefronts for your business, as this could be the only page on your site that the user visits. 

We were also lucky enough to learn of Greta’s very own SEED framework:

• S - Situational relevance - create relevant content that targets multiple audiences with features such as 'best product for..'

• E - Example led content - contextual cues answer real-life searches e.g. 'when to plant this flower' 'best used after workouts' 'don't use with'

• E - Enriched product data - make sure data is visible for all sources including LLMs - put product or competitor comparisons into tables for AI to draw insights from

• D - Distinct brand voice - products can be bought from retailers, ensure brand voice remains the same throughout to enhance mentions and citations using digital PR

 

Carmen Dominguez: Smash your SEO & reputation goals with one word: Reddit 

Carmen's talk interestingly demonstrated that a public presence is better than reactive PR. She advised that marketers should use Reddit to create human profiles to reply to any negativity or confusion surrounding their product or service: 

• Create a subreddit with useful content and FAQs to increase positivity in AI appearances 

• Join the conversations that people are having about your brand

• Answer questions and correct any misinformation that may be circulating 

Having a presence on Reddit also helps you understand your audience and where they can be found, which helps assist in campaign planning and reaching potential prospects. 

Our Senior Paid Media Executive, Louisa, shares:

“Experiencing brightonSEO as someone who focuses on Paid Media was great to gain insights into how the SEO landscape is changing, particularly with AI/GEO, and how these learnings can be applied to the work we do in Paid Media. I particularly enjoyed taking learnings around E-Commerce and LLMs, and Organic Social to support our understanding of the wider digital picture.”