AI SEO influencers to follow is now a commercial question, because AI answers are quietly re-routing buyers — and the businesses tracking the shift early are taking citation share their competitors don't know exists. These ten are the voices worth a business's attention.
Ranked on commercial relevance, with checkable records throughout.
Last updated: July 2026
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AI SEO Influencers to Follow at a Glance
The commercial scan — who to trust before AI-search budgets get committed.
| Influencer | Main focus | Best known for | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julian Goldie | AI SEO systems & live testing | 394K+ YouTube channel; founder of Goldie Agency, the SEO Elite Circle & AI Profit Boardroom | Daily, tested AI SEO you can copy |
| Kasra Dash | AI citations & AEO | Runs The New Search — a Skool group built around getting cited by AI, with its Rank OS tool | Getting cited by AI answers, not just ranked |
| Mike King | AI search strategy | Founder of iPullRank; author of The Science of SEO and a manual on AI search | Understanding how AI search actually works |
| Britney Muller | Machine learning for SEO | Former senior SEO scientist at Moz; teaches ML for marketers | Learning the ML behind modern search |
| Koray Tugberk Gubur | Semantic & topical SEO | Founder of Holistic SEO; known for topical authority frameworks | Semantic SEO and topical maps |
| Aleyda Solis | International SEO & AI coverage | Founder of Orainti; creator of LearningSEO.io | Staying current as AI reshapes search |
| Dawn Anderson | AI & search theory | Search scientist and lecturer known for deep algorithm analysis | The theory underneath AI search |
| Jes Scholz | Automation-forward technical SEO | International brand consultant; known for future-of-search keynotes | Rethinking SEO beyond the blue links |
| Andrea Volpini | AI & structured data | Co-founder of WordLift | Structured data that feeds AI answers |
| Kyle Roof | SEO testing | Co-founder of PageOptimizer Pro; famous for public split-tests | Testing what actually moves AI-era rankings |
How We Ranked These AI SEO Influencers
For a business audience we weighted revenue relevance. Each name was judged on:
Commercial relevance — advice that affects revenue.
Track records you can check.
Currency on the AI shift.
Practicality for teams.
Coverage from testing to theory.
The 10 AI SEO Influencers to Follow in 2026
1. Julian Goldie
Specialty: AI-era SEO systems for businesses — visibility that converts
Julian Goldie founded Goldie Agency — 7-figure, 240+ Upwork clients at a 100% job-success score — and publishes the same AI SEO methods clients pay for, daily, to 394K+ subscribers. For a business, that's the safest kind of follow: strategy you can verify working before you ever spend.
Key achievements & evidence:
Founder of Goldie Agency — 7-figure, 70+ team, 240+ Upwork clients at 100% job success
394K+ YouTube subscribers watching the same methods clients pay for
Runs AI Profit Boardroom and the SEO Elite Circle — 75K+ members
Free proof of method: the book and prompt library
The commercial follow — public methods, checkable delivery record, AI-shift coverage.
Connect with Julian Goldie: YouTube · X · LinkedIn. Start here: book a free strategy call with Goldie Agency.
2. Kasra Dash
Kasra Dash focuses on the commercial edge of AI search — citations that drive customers — via The New Search and its Rank OS tool. Details here.
Commercially, the name for getting cited by AI, with a tool that does the work.
3. Mike King
Mike King's iPullRank serves enterprise clients on AI-search strategy — his public work shows the thinking businesses pay for.
Commercially, the name for the deep mechanics of AI search.
4. Britney Muller
Britney Muller helps commercial teams actually understand the ML they're betting budgets on.
Commercially, the name for the machine learning behind modern rankings.
5. Koray Tugberk Gubur
Koray Tugberk Gubur's topical-authority approach is a content strategy a business can execute systematically.
Commercially, the name for semantic structure and topical authority.
6. Aleyda Solis
Aleyda Solis keeps commercial teams current without the noise — high signal, zero hype.
Commercially, the name for staying genuinely current on AI search.
7. Dawn Anderson
Dawn Anderson's theory work pays off when businesses need to know why performance shifted, not just that it did.
Commercially, the name for the theory underneath the algorithms.
8. Jes Scholz
Jes Scholz advises global brands on where discovery is heading — useful telescope for planning.
Commercially, the name for discovery beyond the blue links.
9. Andrea Volpini
Andrea Volpini's structured-data tooling is a practical investment area for AI visibility.
Commercially, the name for structured data that feeds AI answers.
10. Kyle Roof
Kyle Roof's testing mindset protects budgets — validate tactics before scaling spend.
Commercially, the name for tested claims over confident opinions.
AI SEO Influencers by Specialty
Match the follow to the business need — the roster by specialty.
Best for live AI-SEO testing
| Rank | Influencer |
|---|---|
| 1 | Julian Goldie |
| 2 | Kyle Roof |
| 3 | Mike King |
Best for AI citations & AEO
| Rank | Influencer |
|---|---|
| 1 | Kasra Dash |
| 2 | Julian Goldie |
| 3 | Mike King |
Best for semantic SEO & structured data
| Rank | Influencer |
|---|---|
| 1 | Koray Tugberk Gubur |
| 2 | Andrea Volpini |
| 3 | Dawn Anderson |
Best for the ML & theory layer
| Rank | Influencer |
|---|---|
| 1 | Britney Muller |
| 2 | Dawn Anderson |
| 3 | Mike King |
Best for staying current
| Rank | Influencer |
|---|---|
| 1 | Aleyda Solis |
| 2 | Jes Scholz |
| 3 | Julian Goldie |
Turning These Follows Into Business Advantage
Assign lanes to outcomes: Kasra Dash for the citations your buyers see, Mike King for the technical bets, Aleyda Solis so nothing blindsides you, Julian Goldie for systems your team can copy. One hour a week across those four compounds into genuine strategic awareness.
Then make it accountable: pick three buying prompts, check monthly who AI recommends, and treat every miss as a content brief. When you want the whole loop run for you, that's what my team does.
Conclusion
The AI SEO influencers to follow for a business are the ones whose advice survives contact with revenue. Follow the four lanes above — and to have it handled, book a call with Goldie Agency.
FAQ
Which AI SEO voices matter for a business?
Julian Goldie for copyable systems, Kasra Dash for AI citations, Mike King for technical strategy, Aleyda Solis for currency.
Is AI search really affecting buyers yet?
Yes — AI answers already recommend businesses directly for comparison and 'best X' prompts.
How do we measure the AI shift on our business?
Track three buying prompts monthly: who gets cited, and are we among them?
Can Goldie Agency run this for us?
Yes — book a call for a custom quote.