The SEO industry’s most profound transformation isn’t happening in algorithms or AI—it’s being architected by women who saw the future before Google did. From Aleyda Solis, bridging traditional SEO with AI search optimization to Areej AbuAli dismantling industry gatekeeping through 12,000-strong communities, these ten practitioners aren’t just succeeding within SEO’s constraints—they’re rewriting the rules entirely. They’ve recognized inflection points others missed: Britney Muller abandoning SEO royalty at Moz to master machine learning years before ChatGPT, Cindy Krum explaining Entity-First indexing before Google announced it,and  Marie Haynes pivoting from penalty recovery to AI discovery strategies. Their collective influence reveals a pattern: while others optimize for today’s SERPs, these women are building infrastructure for search experiences that don’t exist yet.

By advancing gender diversity and championing inclusive practices, these women are not only shaping the SEO world but also inspiring others to support women and foster a more equitable industry.

Here’s a powerhouse lineup of 10 influential women in SEO who are shaping the industry with their expertise, innovation, and leadership in digital marketing, while actively working to support women and promote gender diversity within the field:

Aleyda’s influence has only grown stronger in 2025. She’s not just maintaining her position as a leading voice in SEO; she’s actively pioneering AI search optimisation while keeping her core technical expertise razor-sharp.

Her Crawling Mondays series remains incredibly active, with recent episodes covering everything from Google’s August 2025 spam update to OpenAI’s new Instant Checkout and Agentic Commerce Protocol. The SEOFOMO newsletter now reaches over 40,000 SEO professionals weekly, which is serious influence and community trust. Beyond the newsletter, she’s expanded her educational empire with LearningAIsearch.com, a free roadmap for AI search optimisation that’s positioning her as a bridge between traditional SEO and the AI-driven future.

What makes her particularly influential right now is her global speaking circuit; she’s a professional speaker confirmed for SEO Summit 2025 in São Paulo, Spotlight by Semrush in Amsterdam, and SEOIRL in Toronto, having already spoken at over 200 conferences across 30+ countries. She’s also been recognised as one of the 10 Most Influential SEO Experts of 2022 by USA Today’s List Wire, adding to her 2018 European Search Personality of the Year award. Her boutique consultancy Orainti continues advising major brands like Under Armour, Eventbrite, and Zillow, with experience across multiple industries, proving she’s not just a thought leader but actively shaping enterprise-level SEO strategies while democratizing knowledge for the entire community.

Lily Ray’s influence has reached new heights; she’s now Vice President of SEO Strategy & Research at Amsive (elevated from Director) and was named the #1 most influential SEO expert by USA Today in 2022. As a driving force in the SEO industry, with 44K LinkedIn followers and over 15 years of experience, she’s become the go-to authority for algorithm updates and E-E-A-T implementation, leading a 35+ person team while advising everyone from SMBs to Fortune 50 brands.

As an experienced SEO consultant with extensive SEO experience, her thought leadership extends through multiple channels: she’s a regular contributor to Moz, Search Engine Land, and MarTech, and a contributing writer to major industry publications. Her 2025 keynote circuit includes major events like BrightonSEO (April), SEO Week 2025 (where she delivered “The Vicious Cycle of SEO: How We Got Here & Where We’re Going”), and FOUND Conf. Her recent work focuses on the intersection of traditional SEO and AI search optimisation, helping brands navigate Google’s massive transformations, including AI Overviews and the ongoing algorithm volatility. What sets her apart is her ability to translate complex technical concepts into actionable strategies; she’s not just analysing updates but actively shaping how the industry responds to them. Plus, she brings unique creative energy to the field as a DJ and drummer based in Brooklyn, often spinning at industry events like the Global ThinkTank 2025 beachside mixer.

Kristina Azarenko is a Toronto-based technical SEO powerhouse who’s democratizing complex SEO education through her MarketingSyrup SEO Academy. With 45K LinkedIn followers and over 30,000 students worldwide, she’s built an empire teaching SEOs how to communicate with developers and get their recommendations implemented, a critical skill gap she identified from her own decade-plus experience working agency-side, in-house, and as a consultant. Her flagship Tech SEO Pro course and free Technical SEO Audit Checklist (used by 6,000+ professionals) have become essential resources for SEOs looking to level up their technical skills. Kristina is also recognized for her expertise in content strategy and creating content for SEO, helping students develop high-quality, targeted material that drives organic traffic.

What sets her apart is her mission to “break down and simplify complex things” – she’s named one of the “13 women shaping the SEO industry” and contributes expert content to Search Engine Land and Semrush. As one of the leading content producers in the SEO community, her influence extends through speaking engagements at major conferences like Women in Tech SEO Festival, BrightonSEO eCommerce Summit (where she’s been featured on Whiteboard Friday discussing critical technical challenges), and the upcoming Women in Tech Global Conference 2026. She also offers courses like “Get SEO Implemented” that teach the psychology-based techniques for winning developer buy-in, and her LinkedIn Learning courses reach 70,000+ students globally. Her approach combines deep technical expertise with practical communication skills, with a strong focus on SEO content and keyword research, making her particularly influential in bridging the gap between SEO strategy and technical execution.

Britney Muller has brilliantly pivoted from being Moz’s SEO Scientist to becoming one of the most sought-after AI educators in marketing. She saw the AI wave coming years before most SEOs and positioned herself at the forefront. Now running her own consultancy, she’s an international keynote speaker commanding $10-20K speaking fees, teaching her top-rated “Actionable AI for Marketers” course (4.8/5 rating with 54+ cohorts), and has 19K LinkedIn followers who follow her journey bridging SEO and AI. Her deep understanding of analytics and her role as a driving force in the AI and SEO space set her apart as a leader in the industry.

Her unique influence comes from her rare combination: deep technical expertise from her time at Hugging Face (where she launched their largest open-source multilingual model), combined with her gift for making complex AI concepts accessible to marketers. She’s been featured in Moz’s 2025 Whiteboard Friday series discussing the future of AI in search, speaks at major conferences like Digital Summit Minneapolis and Hero Conf, and runs DataSci101.com, where she transforms AI buzzwords into practical workflows. Many marketers benefit from her insights, applying her strategies to integrate data-driven approaches into their own campaigns. What makes her particularly influential is her prescient career pivot; she left Moz in 2019 to pursue machine learning full-time, recognizing that AI would fundamentally reshape search and marketing. Now she’s helping thousands of marketers navigate that same transition, teaching them to automate workflows, understand LLMs, and stay relevant in an AI-driven industry. Her focus on “brand mentions as the new backlinks” in AI-generated content shows she’s still shaping how we think about search optimization in the AI era.

Britney Muller has brilliantly pivoted from being Moz’s SEO Scientist to becoming one of the most sought-after AI educators in marketing. She saw the AI wave coming years before most SEOs and positioned herself at the forefront. Now running her own consultancy, she’s an international keynote speaker commanding $10-20K speaking fees, teaching her top-rated “Actionable AI for Marketers” course (4.8/5 rating with 54+ cohorts), and has 19K LinkedIn followers who follow her journey bridging SEO and AI. Her deep understanding of analytics and her role as a driving force in the AI and SEO space set her apart as a leader in the industry.

Her unique influence comes from her rare combination: deep technical expertise from her time at Hugging Face (where she launched their largest open-source multilingual model), combined with her gift for making complex AI concepts accessible to marketers. She’s been featured in Moz’s 2025 Whiteboard Friday series discussing the future of AI in search, speaks at major conferences like Digital Summit Minneapolis and Hero Conf, and runs DataSci101.com, where she transforms AI buzzwords into practical workflows. Many marketers benefit from her insights, applying her strategies to integrate data-driven approaches into their own campaigns. What makes her particularly influential is her prescient career pivot; she left Moz in 2019 to pursue machine learning full-time, recognizing that AI would fundamentally reshape search and marketing. Now she’s helping thousands of marketers navigate that same transition, teaching them to automate workflows, understand LLMs, and stay relevant in an AI-driven industry. Her focus on “brand mentions as the new backlinks” in AI-generated content shows she’s still shaping how we think about search optimization in the AI era.

Cindy Krum has brilliantly evolved from “mobile SEO pioneer” to the industry’s leading voice on Entity-First SEO she recognized that Google’s shift from crawling websites to understanding entities would fundamentally reshape search, and positioned herself years ahead of the curve. With deep expertise in search engine optimization and a sophisticated understanding of how search engines interpret relevance and context, she has become a trusted authority in the field. Named one of USA Today’s top 10 most influential SEOs in 2022, she’s CEO of MobileMoxie and creator of groundbreaking tools like SERPerator and Page-oscope (now available as free Chrome extensions) that help SEOs see real mobile search results from any location worldwide, not just simulated ones.

What makes her particularly influential is her ability to predict and explain Google’s most complex evolutions. She’s been evangelizing Entity-First Indexing since before most SEOs even understood it, explaining how Google’s MUM algorithm and passage-based ranking would squeeze organic results, concepts she was teaching two years before Google announced them publicly. Her recent work focuses on “The 2025 SEO Zombie Apocalypse” (her keynote theme), warning SEOs about content zombification and preparing them for a world where traditional organic listings increasingly disappear behind AI overviews, rich features, and entity-based results. She’s speaking at major conferences like MozCon, SearchCon, Pubcon, and international leading industry events, always pushing the industry to think beyond traditional SEO metrics. Her Moxie Score framework helps SEOs understand visibility beyond simple rankings, measuring pixel height and percentage of SERP real estate, crucial as Google transforms from ten blue links to complex, entity-driven experiences, impacting organic search and informing link-building strategies. Cindy Krum is a true driving force in the evolution of SEO.

Izzi Smith is a leading digital marketer who has brilliantly evolved from Ryte’s Technical SEO Team Lead to becoming one of Europe’s most sought-after independent e-commerce SEO consultants. After leaving Ryte in 2022, where she also served as Product Marketing Team Lead, she launched her own consultancy specializing in the intersection of SEO, UX, and e-commerce conversion, a rare triple expertise that makes her uniquely valuable. Her consultancy is dedicated to optimizing website performance and driving traffic, ensuring clients achieve measurable results. Her background includes driving international SEO strategy at Sixt Rent a Car (UK & US markets) and developing a reputation as one of the conference circuit’s highest-rated speakers, with presentations at Friends of Search, SERP Conf Vienna, and major SEM events where she’s consistently voted top speaker. She has worked with various companies to enhance their online presence and SEO outcomes.

What makes her particularly influential is her focus on making SEO profitable, not just visible; she specializes in Google Shopping optimization, conversion rate optimization to generate more leads, and structured data implementation that directly impacts revenue. Her workshops on advanced Google Search Console analysis reveal patterns others miss, with a strong focus on understanding user behavior to turn ambiguous data into actionable revenue drivers. She’s also co-host of a weekly online marketing podcast and contributes to Moz Blog and Search Engine Land, always emphasizing the human side of technical SEO. Her consultancy philosophy “for businesses who care about their people and products,” reflects her belief that great SEO comes from understanding both algorithms and actual shoppers. She’s particularly known for her animations and visual explanations that make complex technical concepts accessible, proving that being a “content producer” in SEO means creating clarity, not just volume.

Izzi Smith is a leading digital marketer who has brilliantly evolved from Ryte’s Technical SEO Team Lead to becoming one of Europe’s most sought-after independent e-commerce SEO consultants. After leaving Ryte in 2022, where she also served as Product Marketing Team Lead, she launched her own consultancy specializing in the intersection of SEO, UX, and e-commerce conversion, a rare triple expertise that makes her uniquely valuable. Her consultancy is dedicated to optimizing website performance and driving traffic, ensuring clients achieve measurable results. Her background includes driving international SEO strategy at Sixt Rent a Car (UK & US markets) and developing a reputation as one of the conference circuit’s highest-rated speakers, with presentations at Friends of Search, SERP Conf Vienna, and major SEM events where she’s consistently voted top speaker. She has worked with various companies to enhance their online presence and SEO outcomes.

What makes her particularly influential is her focus on making SEO profitable, not just visible; she specializes in Google Shopping optimization, conversion rate optimization to generate more leads, and structured data implementation that directly impacts revenue. Her workshops on advanced Google Search Console analysis reveal patterns others miss, with a strong focus on understanding user behavior to turn ambiguous data into actionable revenue drivers. She’s also co-host of a weekly online marketing podcast and contributes to Moz Blog and Search Engine Land, always emphasizing the human side of technical SEO. Her consultancy philosophy “for businesses who care about their people and products,” reflects her belief that great SEO comes from understanding both algorithms and actual shoppers. She’s particularly known for her animations and visual explanations that make complex technical concepts accessible, proving that being a “content producer” in SEO means creating clarity, not just volume.

Alexis Sanders has evolved into one of the most technically creative voices in SEO She’s the SEO Director at dentsu (following Merkle’s integration) with 8K LinkedIn followers and a reputation for making complex technical SEO approachable through innovative teaching methods. Her unique contribution to the industry includes creating interactive learning experiences like technicalseo, expert, an SEO scavenger hunt that gamifies technical education and incorporates analytics to help users measure their progress and understand data-driven insights, and hosting “SEO in the Lab” podcast, where she breaks down experiments and data analysis. With over a decade at Merkle/dentsu and experience managing enterprise accounts, she’s mastered the art of translating technical SEO requirements into business value that C-suite executives understand.

What makes her particularly influential is her blend of serious technical chops with creative accessibility. She’s written for Moz, Search Engine Journal, and Semrush, always emphasizing best practices, practical implementation, and her SEO expertise over theory. Her BrightonSEO presentations on structured data and technical diagnostics are known for their clear frameworks, like her 5-step technical SEO troubleshooting guide that’s become industry standard. She approaches SEO as both art and science, with minors in Japanese, German, and Studio Arts complementing her CS coursework. This multidisciplinary background shows in her ability to see technical problems from multiple angles and her commitment to supporting SEO careers and professional growth. Her recent focus on AI’s impact on crawling and indexation reflects her knack for anticipating industry shifts before they hit mainstream, always with an eye toward helping SEOs stay ahead of changes and adapt rather than panic.

Alexis Sanders has evolved into one of the most technically creative voices in SEO She’s the SEO Director at dentsu (following Merkle’s integration) with 8K LinkedIn followers and a reputation for making complex technical SEO approachable through innovative teaching methods. Her unique contribution to the industry includes creating interactive learning experiences like technicalseo, expert, an SEO scavenger hunt that gamifies technical education and incorporates analytics to help users measure their progress and understand data-driven insights, and hosting “SEO in the Lab” podcast, where she breaks down experiments and data analysis. With over a decade at Merkle/dentsu and experience managing enterprise accounts, she’s mastered the art of translating technical SEO requirements into business value that C-suite executives understand.

What makes her particularly influential is her blend of serious technical chops with creative accessibility. She’s written for Moz, Search Engine Journal, and Semrush, always emphasizing best practices, practical implementation, and her SEO expertise over theory. Her BrightonSEO presentations on structured data and technical diagnostics are known for their clear frameworks, like her 5-step technical SEO troubleshooting guide that’s become industry standard. She approaches SEO as both art and science, with minors in Japanese, German, and Studio Arts complementing her CS coursework. This multidisciplinary background shows in her ability to see technical problems from multiple angles and her commitment to supporting SEO careers and professional growth. Her recent focus on AI’s impact on crawling and indexation reflects her knack for anticipating industry shifts before they hit mainstream, always with an eye toward helping SEOs stay ahead of changes and adapt rather than panic.

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What unites these ten women isn’t just their technical excellence or speaking prowess; it’s their refusal to accept SEO’s limitations as permanent. Their influence on digital marketing and content marketing is profound, shaping how brands approach online visibility and audience engagement. They’ve each identified a different fracture point in the industry and built something transformative: Lily Ray’s E-E-A-T frameworks that help brands survive algorithm volatility, Kristina Azarenko’s courses teaching SEOs to finally get developer buy-in, Jamie Indigo’s crusade to keep the web human-centric amid AI acceleration.

Their innovative marketing strategies have not only redefined best practices but also significantly increased organic traffic for countless organizations. By integrating data-driven decision making and experimentation, they have set new standards for effective SEO and digital marketing campaigns. Their impact is felt in how content marketing now drives brand building and measurable results across the world.

Their influence extends beyond metrics or rankings into something more fundamental: they’re ensuring SEO evolves from a technical discipline into a more accessible, ethical, and forward-thinking practice. As search transforms from keywords to entities, from rankings to AI responses, from optimization to conversation, these women aren’t just adapting; they’re leading the migration, creating maps for territories Google hasn’t even named yet, and continuing their leadership in SEO today.