The Real Connection Between SEO and Brand | Insider Sessions
Two SEO leaders explain why brand identity, not another technical checklist, is what actually drives visibility now.
SEOs keep debating ranking factors. Brand marketers keep debating positioning. Almost nobody in either camp is asking the question that actually matters now: in a world where AI models care more about brand mentions than backlinks, is there still a meaningful line between the two disciplines at all?
In this webinar, Erika Varangouli, Head of Branded Content at Riverside, and Mordy Oberstein, Head of SEO Branding at Wix, unpack why SEO’s oldest arguments are increasingly beside the point, and why brand identity, not another technical checklist, is becoming the real driver of organic visibility.
From a candid take on why marketers are still writing “how to” post number 100 in a saturated category, to why large language models weigh a brand mention more heavily than a naked backlink, to Mordy’s blunt reminder that brand-building requires a completely different mindset than performance marketing, this session cuts through a lot of stale SEO debate to get at what’s actually changing.
What you’ll learn
- Why the “is EEAT a ranking factor” debate is a distraction from the more useful question SEOs should be asking
- Why brand mentions are becoming more valuable than backlinks in an AI-driven search landscape
- Why most SEOs default to a performance marketing mindset when brand building actually requires a different one entirely
- How to identify when your content strategy has become “the next 100 how-to posts” instead of something genuinely differentiated
- Practical, low-budget ways smaller brands can build genuine visibility without a performance marketing budget
- Why internal communication between SEO and brand teams matters more than any single tactic either team runs
Who this is for
This session is built for SEO specialists, brand marketers, and content leaders who are tired of treating SEO and brand as separate disciplines with separate budgets and separate goals.
About the guests
Erika Varangouli
Head of Branded Content, Riverside
Erika is a marketing leader driving organic growth through SEO, brand, and AI search strategy. A frequent public speaker, webinar host, and awards judge, she has held senior content and community roles across Semrush, Search Engine Journal, and Kontent.ai.
Mordy Oberstein
Head of SEO Branding, Wix
Mordy leads SEO branding at Wix and is the founder of Unify, a brand development consultancy. He also serves as a consultant for Semrush and hosts multiple SEO podcasts, including Wix’s SERP’s Up and The SEO Rant, and is a well-known organizer of the #SEOchat community.
About the host
Natalie Stenge
Content Manager, WiseStamp
Natalie leads content and webinar programming at WiseStamp, the leading email signature management platform trusted by over 1.5 million customers worldwide.