The influencers you should be following right now

Imagine having a list of top worldwide SEO and marketing influencers all in one place and knowing what they do in just a matter of seconds. Well here is a (non-exhaustive & in alphabetical order) list for you:

First let’s pop over to the States:

Andrew Shotland

Created the Local SEO Guide
Blogger on Search Engine Land
Speaker at various conferences

If you’re looking for advice on local SEO then Andrew is your man. He created and developed the Local SEO Guide; a platform with SEO services and an in-depth blog covering subjects from optimization tool reviews to answering queries from clients. Andrew guides companies that need help with the (often) confusing SEO process by simplifying their decisions and gaining their trust. If you want to hear what he has to say live then take a look at the Yext Onward conference he often participates in.

Danny Sullivan

Works for Google to educate people about Google search
Co-founded Third Door Media; provides information and marketing services
Search Engine Land author

Danny was a journalist and analyst in the digital marketing world until mid-2017 having cofounded Third Door Media. This company publishes Search Engine Land, Marketing Land and MarTech Today, all online publication websites that cover all aspects of the digital marketing industry. Having retired from journalism this year Danny now works for Google to educate people about search and the issues that arise with it. Having had a successful career in all things search, Danny definitely knows it all.

Dharmesh Shah

Co-founder and CTO of Hubspot
Founder of onstartups: focus on software startups
The guy that can deliver a speech to 19K people on 4 hours sleep

Here we have a real technology wiz in front of our eyes. Dharmesh Shah became an entrepreneur from a young age and hasn’t stopped wowing us since. Co-founder and CTO of Hubspot, and startup blogger, he holds the secrets to developing software programs and how to become a successful software startup. Dharmesh has the knowledge and experience in helping software start-ups so if this is you then Dharmesh is the right person to follow. He’s that guy that can deliver a speech to 19K people on 4 hours sleep and get an amazing response…if he can do that he’s definitely the guy that can help you with your software start-up!

Jeff Bullas

Number 1 Content Marketing Influencer
Focus on a community and conversation around social media
Inspires and educates entrepreneurs about ‘how to win at business and life in a digital world’

Here is the blogger of all bloggers and the Number 1 Content Marketing influencer. Jeff Bullas knows all the tricks of the trade if you want to ‘win at business and life in a digital world’. Having realized the vast opportunities of Facebook and Twitter back in 2008 he then went on to create content, conversations and a community around social media (its growth, impact and inner secrets). Jeff showed us that this was the game changer for businesses and that it was fine creating content but you also needed to find ways to promote it. So if you’re looking for ways to promote your content, give Jeff a search and he’ll help you out!

Larry Kim

PPC & Search Marketer Expert and Influencer
CEO of Wordstream; platform for Facebook advertising and Google Adwords
Advises PPC to get in front of your competitors

Larry Kim is the King of PPC (crowned in 2015!) and search marketing. He is the CEO of MobileMonkey, a company dedicated to chatbox creation and management on websites, SMS & Facebook Messenger. If you’re an entrepreneur or business wanting to develop new ways of interacting with customers or leads then OmniChat will interest you. Omnichat is MobileMonkey's brand new technology. As its name suggests, it enables you to build and manage several chatboxes for marketing purposes from the same place. Omnichat automatically generates chatbot content but not only. You can also write chat content and send it toward every of your chat platform from one and same place. Omnichat unifies all the chats in one and same inbox too so you can check all the conversations very easily. MobileMonkey are the only ones to do so for the moment. Chatbots are becoming much and much relevent for companies : 75% of customers say they'd rather message with businesses than email or call for instance. Maybe it's time to please, or even delight, your audience ! Larry is an influential blogger who focuses on topics that haven’t really been looked into deep enough. It is probably why he tends to be a pioneer in this marketing field. If you are interested in some of his advice, you can check his social media and follow him for furter details. As some of you may have already seen, Larry has specially been focusing on Facebook advertising so if this is something that tickles your fancy, go take a look at his articles.

Lee Odden

CEO of a Digital Marketing Agency and Consulting services
Experience in B2B and B2C
Owner of one of the most popular marketing blogs

Lee Odden is the CEO of TopRank Marketing; a digital marketing agency specialized in internet marketing consultancy, training and implementation services. If you’re looking for an agency that you can trust and with a record of client service excellence then look no further. From SMBs to Fortune 100 companies, Lee has got it spot on! Lee also owns one of the most popular marketing blogs in the digital marketing industry so if you haven’t had a look it’s definitely worth it.

Matt Cutts

Former Head of the Webspam team at Google
Known for his ‘Try it for 30 days’ concept
Over 500K followers on Twitter

Matt Cutts used to be the former Head of the Webspam team at Google and was one of the first 100 employees for the famous search engine…so I imagine that he knows a few secrets on how Google search actually works. If you have any questions on anything Google search related then ask Matt! With years of experience I’m sure he can give you some advice. Nowadays Matt works for the US Digital Service as Director of Engineering. You may also know him for his ‘Try something new for 30 days’ concept; instead of trying to stick to a resolution for one year, just try it for 30 days…take a look at his talk on it here.

Neil Patel

One of the top marketing influencers
Created Crazy Egg, Kissmetrics, Hello Bar and Quicksprout blog
Proves that you can become a successful entrepreneur without a degree

Neil Patel is one of the most known profiles in online marketing. He is the proof that you don’t necessarily need a college degree to become a successful entrepreneur. With a passion and an ability for critical thinking he has developed three great platforms; Crazy Egg, Kissmetrics and Hello Bar. With his own blog on Quicksprout you will definitely find your answers to any SEO niggles.

Rand Fishkin

The Wizard of Moz; former CEO
Known for Whiteboard Friday
Co-founder of Sparktoro

Last but certainly not least for stateside, Rand Fishkin; the Wizard of Moz, a SEO expert and a fashion icon (yes I’m talking about those famous yellow Pumas). Having dropped out of college in 2001, Rand proved to us all that if you’re passionate about something then what’s the point in waiting around to pursue it. He’s also known for Whiteboard Fridays; a video content series explaining all aspects of SEO so if you’re on the lookout for clear and informative advice you’re sure to find it in this series. Now having left Moz, Rand is starting a new project called Sparktoro; a platform that lets you discover blogs, websites, publications etc. that reach your target audience. It’s still in the development stage but looks to be an interesting project. All in all Rand knows all the ins and outs of SEO and is certainly one influencer to follow.

Now let’s take a trip to the UK:

Andrew Betts

Worldwide Chief Marketer and Consultant
Advises start-ups, agencies and leading Fortune 500 companies
Regular writer for Huffington post

Andrew Betts is a chief marketer and consultant working all across the world. From the UK to New York to Silicon Valley, Andrew has helped start-ups, agencies and leading Fortune 500 companies improve their content strategy. Specializing in technology, search and content markets he has a vast amount of knowledge to help you out. He’s also a regular writer for Huffington Post covering topics such as content performance marketing to the secrets behind Silicon Valley. Some very interesting reads so definitely worth taking a look if you fit into any of these three markets!

Bryan Adams

Author, social media addict and inbound marketing strategist
British Influencer in the digital and social sphere
CEO of a Digital Marketing Agency, PH Creative

With over 10 years of experience under his belt Bryan Adams is THE inbound marketing strategist expert. He focuses on ROI and achieving brilliant results for companies through the ‘art of storytelling’ with content. Bryan loves content that is contagious and content that becomes a must-read for readers so you can probably see why he wrote ‘Getting goosebumps: a pragmatic guide to effective inbound marketing’. A social media addict as well, he is one of the known UK influencers in the digital and social sphere. So if you want to know how to create content that has the ‘wow’ factor then Bryan and his team at PH Creative can do just that.

Dr Dave Chaffey

Co-founder of SmartInsights; training course and advice
Blogger for University teachers, students and professionals
Digital Marketing Strategist for all-sized businesses

Dr Dave Chaffey is an author, blogger and consultant in the UK. Dave’s focus is on helping students, professionals and lecturers learn about the latest developments in digital business. Not only does his blog provide us with insights into the marketing sphere but he’s also the CEO of SmartInsights; a publisher and learning platform that helps members plan, manage and optimize their marketing. This platform lets you download templates, guides and interactive learning tools so if you’re a business looking to implement an integrated marketing strategy then Dave has come up with the idea for you.

Kath Dawson

Digital Marketing Strategy Consultant
Focus on improvement on data driven insights
Built up a successful agency from 2-50 people

Kath Dawson is a digital marketing strategy consultant and is very experienced in dealing with the roller coaster ride that Google has provided over the years. Kath built-up a successful agency from 2-50 people before selling it in 2015 so if you’re seeking someone to help expand your business there’s no doubt that Kath can help with just that. She works with agencies and senior in-house marketing staff on everything from SEO to social media with a clear focus on improvement on data driven insights. If you need a marketing guru to translate all the geek speak into plain English then look no further, Kath is here.

Lilach Bullock

The UK’s most influential social media leader
Creates innovative ways to help grow your business online
Over 100K followers on Twitter

Lilach is probably the most influential social media leader…in the UK at least. If you’re looking for new and creative ways for you to grow your business online then stick with Lilach. Whether you attend her conferences, read her blog or follow one of her training sessions, you can guarantee a boost in your business growth. With over 100K Twitter followers Lilach is a highly influential entrepreneur and highly regarded in the social media circuit.

Lisa Myers

CEO & Founder of award winning SEO agency, Verve Search
Focuses on showcasing high-flying women in the SEO industry
Created seo-chicks.com; SEO blog run by women

If you’re in search for a SEO agency that you can trust then Lisa Myers' agency, Verve Search could be the answer for you. Lisa is part of the SEO community worldwide and knows what she’s talking about. Not only being the CEO of an industry-leading agency, Lisa also focuses on showcasing high-flying women in the SEO industry. She created seo-chicks.com which is a blog on all things SEO run by women, and also a site showcasing the female talent we have in the world of search (#girlpower!). If you think women are under-represented in the search industry, you and Lisa will get along very well.

Lukasz Zelezny

Top 10 UK Marketing Influencer
Owns the Marketing Secret Society Club
Works at USwitch, Author and conference Speaker

Respected Keynote Speaker, Author and one of the Top 10 UK marketing influencers, Lukasz Zelezny can help increase your organic traffic, your conversion rate and your ROI. Currently working for a price comparison site, you can also find Lukasz speaking at various digital marketing conferences throughout the year. However, he doesn’t reveal everything to you (he doesn’t want you taking his top 10 position!). If you’re looking for the real secrets of marketing then join his ‘Marketing Secret Society Club’ where you’ll receive newsletters with secrets that nobody knows…now that has caught your attention hasn’t it?

Sam Hurley

Went to a Number 1 Influencer within 15 months
Offers growth hacking and SEO services
Started from nothing and built something great

If you’re someone starting from nothing and wanting to build something great then Sam Hurley is the guy to follow. He went from a ‘nobody’ to a Number 1 influencer in 15 months…without even a functioning website! He had a dream and let nothing get in his way to achieve it. Sam has an immense following because of his go-to attitude. He wants to help others achieve their dreams which is why he offers an array of services from growth hacking to SEO management to social media marketing. Sam is a man of all talents so if you don’t know where to start, start with Sam.

Tim Hughes

Number 1 influential Social Selling person
2 Twitter accounts with a combined following of 200K followers
Advises on how to incorporate social into your business strategy

Tim Hughes is the number 1 social selling person and is sure to have the answer to shorten your sales cycle. If you want your company’s online sales to increase through the use of social media then stick with Tim. Author, speaker and blogger, you’ll find an array of resources to discover the best ways to incorporate social selling into your business strategy. He is the perfect example of how to use Twitter and with over 200K followers combined with his two accounts (yes, 2 accounts!) you know he’s made it! Little piece of advice for you as well, if you want to contact him do it through his social media channels
(Also thank you for following us Tim on Twitter, it means a lot to us!).

Popping across the channel now to France:

Alain Regnier

Founder of Altolabs and Startup Village
Consultant for all things on the Cloud
Passion for innovation after working for 10 years in Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley is home to the largest high-tech companies and thousands of start-ups so if you’re looking for advice from someone who’s been there…well look no further…Alain Regnier has done it, 10 years in fact. He’s a developer, consultant and speaker with a sole passion for innovation. Having worked with start-ups and large companies Alain holds the knowledge for all aspects of web applications and the Cloud. Founder of Altolabs and Startup Village, Alain is an expert in finding new technologies, so if you have a technology project in mind, go and see what he can do for you!

Cedric Deniaud

Founder and Director of The Persuaders; an internet advice cabinet
Specializes in transport, energy, automobile construction, bank, insurance, e-commerce
Offers strategic and operational advice to companies worldwide

Cedric Deniaud is the Founder and Director of The Persuaders, an internet advice cabinet. With over 10 years of experience Cedric certainly holds the knowledge to helping your business with its digital strategy. Him and the team at The Persuaders provide training and advice specifically in the following industries: transport, energy, automobile construction, bank, insurance and e-commerce. Not just in France either but on an international scale as well! So if you’re feeling a little lost with your digital strategy then give Cedric a buzz and he’ll put you right back on track.

Christophe Ramel

CEO of Kriisiis; professionals can share internet practices and tools
Author of “à la conquête du social media - Terra incognita“
Mastermind of social media

Christophe Ramel is a social media mastermind, an author and a CEO. He is the CEO of Kriisiis; a project he created where community managers and professionals can share internet practices and tools. With two other colleagues working with him, they write articles on all the popular social networks from Facebook to Pinterest to Snapchat. Christophe is there to help resolve your Kriisiis (sorry I couldn’t resist that one!). The author of ‘A la conquête du social media - Terra incognita’ (which translates into ‘The social media conquest - the unknown territory’), he invites us to dig deeper into the world of social media, a place that often seems easy to handle but actually can be difficult to execute successfully.

Frederic Cavazza

Digital Marketing Author, Consultant and Speaker
Specializes in e-marketing, digital transformation and e-commerce
Worked with big brands and start-ups

Author, consultant, speaker. E-marketing, digital transformation, e-commerce. Frederic Cavazza has done it all, and done it well. If your website is in need of a revamp, you need recommendations for the future, a public speaker for an event or training workshops, then Frederic can help with your projects. With over 20 years of experience working with marketing agencies and big brands like Orange and Google, Frederic is there at the top of the digital marketing masterminds.

Isabelle Mathieu

Top European Marketer
Founded emarketinglicious; a social media marketing blog
Created articles, videos, webinars and how-to guides for professionals

For those in Europe looking for an influencer closer to home then have a look at Isabelle Mathieu, she is a top European marketer. More specifically an entrepreneur and strategist in social media. Not only does Isabelle consult companies in their social media strategy directly she also created a blog called emarketinglicious. This blog is for companies wanting to learn social media marketing techniques to increase their online visibility, to find new clients and to sell their products/services. If you’re a company looking for the next best idea then don’t look any further, with articles, videos, webinars and how-to guides, you’ll find everything you need to become a pro at using social media.

Jean-Luc Raymond

Social media Strategist
Created his own newsletter with exclusive content on social media
Experience with small to medium-sized businesses

Jean-Luc Raymond is a social media strategy consultant so if you’re struggling to put together a good social media strategy then take a look at his blog, twitter account or get in contact with him. He works with small to medium sized businesses to help improve their online presence. Another great thing is that you can subscribe to his newsletter with advice on online tools, strategies and the correct practices.
(I’ve got to also say a special thank you for following us on Twitter, we really do appreciate it!)

Kevin Richard

French SEO Consultant, Blogger and Podcaster
Founder of SEObserver
Focuses providing business with concrete examples of success

Kevin Richard is a French SEO consultant who trains businesses, has his own blog and publishes podcasts on all things optimization. While he’s better known in French territory, Kevin has years of experience in informing other consultants, agencies and businesses what really works when hoping to improve your SEO. He is also the founder of SEObserver; a SEO tool for businesses wanting to monitor their keyword rankings and backlinks (tip: it’s only in French mind). With over 13K followers on Twitter, and tweets in 3 languages, Kevin will show you the best practices with concrete examples that have achieved results.

Laurent Bourelly

The man to help you think like the Google robots
Master of SEO; helps you improve your online visibility
Keen vlogger (and now available in English!)

Laurent Bourelly is the man that will help you think like the Google robots. Starting as a semi-professional rugby player and now a master of SEO, Laurent can help you improve your online visibility, help you dominate your competitors and achieve high results. From a TedX speaker to a judge at the European Search Awards, Laurent certainly can guide you in the right direction. He has also recently relaunched his vlog and although he’s French, his does his vlogs in English so don’t panic for any of you non-French speakers!

Olivier Andrieu

SEO Consultant, Author and Blogger
Founder of Abondance; website covering the latest news on SEO and search engines
Great book for beginners is: Référencement Google mode d’emploi

If you’re on the search for simple yet stimulating books on all things SEO then Olivier Andrieu has published just that. Whether you’re starting out in SEO or a real SEO wiz, Olivier has written an array of books with all the good techniques to get that top ranking in Google. I personally started out in SEO last year and it was Olivier’s ‘Référencement Google mode d’emploi’ that got me hooked into the world of SEO. He guides you from the very basics to the nit-picking parts of optimization.
His site Abondance also groups together all the latest updates and information on optimization and search engines. One thing is for sure is that, somewhere he’ll have the answer.

Olivier Duffez

SEO Consultant and Google specialist
Founder of Ranking Metrics and WebRankInfo
Experience with SME’s to large brands such as FNAC and Canal+

SEO consultant, Google specialist, founder of three successful businesses, Olivier Duffez is a well-known name in the world of optimization. Having worked with large brands such as FNAC and Canal+ Olivier has the experience and eagle-eye in improving businesses SEO. He also created the first website for information and optimization advice on Google and since then has developed tools to improve a website’s positioning such as RankingMetrics and WebRankiInfo. These days he manages large accounts but also offers training seminars to SME’s and professionals in this industry. So whatever your company size, Olivier can advise you on what steps to take.

Conclusion

These are just a small bunch of influencers that you can follow and there are many more out there but like everyone, you’ve got to start somewhere!