How a Google Exploit Led to a Bigger SEO Conversation

I recently hosted a webinar on a Google exploit that Mark Williams-Cook and his team uncovered in 2024 for TechSEO North, featuring a panel of brilliant SEOs discussing what these findings mean in the real world. While the focus was on Mark Williams-Cook’s insights, the conversation naturally evolved into something much bigger—one of those discussions that highlights how SEO is constantly shifting.

Joining me were:

• Mark Williams-Cook – Director of Candour and founder of AlsoAsked.
• Tory Gray – CEO of Gray Dot Company, an expert in SEO strategy and technical implementation.
• Charlie Whitworth – Founder of Whitworth SEO Consultancy, bringing a strong background in data-driven SEO.
• Arnout Hellemans – Freelance SEO, PPC, and analytics consultant at OnlineMarkethink, who stepped in at the last minute and absolutely delivered.
• Moderated by Nikki Halliwell – a brilliant Technical SEO, founder of TechSEOTips and co-founder of TechSEO North

We covered everything from Google’s internal quality scores, query classifications, and consensus-driven ranking factors to broader discussions around branding, AI’s increasing role in search, and how SEOs need to adapt to evolving SERPs.

One key takeaway; SEO isn’t just about aligning with Google’s algorithms, it’s about understanding user behaviour, staying ahead of search trends, and building something that stands the test of time. Technical optimisation still matters, but authority, trust, and branding are playing a bigger role than ever.

You can watch the full webinar below:

For those looking to stay ahead, these discussions are only becoming more important. SEO is evolving fast, and the best way to keep up is to stay curious, keep testing, and never stop learning.

A huge thanks to the panellists for sharing their insights and to OnCrawl for sponsoring the event.