Host: Sean Barber - https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanrbarber/ - He & Him

In this episode of Chat With Sean, I’m joined by Chima Mmeje, Senior Content Marketing Manager at Moz, creator of Sip & Search, and founder of the FCDC mentorship programme. Chima is known for her expertise in content strategy, SEO, AI-assisted workflows, and building communities within the digital marketing industry.

In this conversation, we look at how AI is changing content operations, why the future is not about creating more content but creating better content, and how marketers can use tools like ChatGPT and Claude to support creativity, research, and execution without losing the human expertise that makes content valuable.

Chima shares how she uses AI workflows across webinars, podcasts, research, content creation, editing, and events, while keeping storytelling, lived experience, and thought leadership at the centre of everything.

We also discuss the changing role of SEO professionals, why fundamentals still matter in an AI-driven world, how to create content that stands out from generic AI outputs, and why building your own audience and community will become increasingly important.

Chima discusses:

- Why AI should support content execution rather than simply create more content
- How she uses ChatGPT and Claude to build workflows and improve productivity
- Turning webinars, podcasts and events into wider content ecosystems
- Why storytelling and personal experience are critical in AI content workflows
- How to avoid generic AI-generated content that lacks expertise
- Why SEO fundamentals remain essential despite AI advancements
- The changing skills hiring managers are looking for in SEO roles
- Why thought leadership and lived experience separate great content from average content
- How keyword research is evolving alongside changing user behaviour
- Why building communities and direct audiences will become more important

Topics covered:

- Using AI tools to support content marketing workflows
- ChatGPT and Claude for research, planning and content operations
- Creating webinars, podcasts and repurposed content with AI assistance
- AI workflows for research analysis, editing and content improvement
- Why human storytelling is the differentiator in AI content
- The importance of developing your own voice and expertise
- AI search skills vs traditional SEO skills
- Why hiring managers still value SEO fundamentals
- The future role of SEO professionals in an AI world
- Creating top-of-funnel content that provides unique value
- Moving beyond generic informational content
- Thought leadership, lived experience and E-E-A-T
- How demand is changing content strategy
- Using LinkedIn, Reddit and communities for content research
- Finding content opportunities through real conversations
- Conference speaking, pitching and creating memorable presentations
- Diversity and representation in SEO events
- AI Mode, ChatGPT, agents and the future of search
- Why optimising for humans still matters most
- The Sip & Search community and FCDC mentorship programme

Connect with Chima - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chima-mmeje/

Related Link - https://luma.com/sipandsearch / https://freelancecoalition.org/

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⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – Introduction: Chima Mmeje, Moz & Her SEO Journey
02:00 – Using AI To Support Content Operations (Not Just Create More Content)
06:00 – ChatGPT, Claude & Building AI Workflows For Marketing
10:00 – Why Storytelling And Human Expertise Matter In AI Content
14:00 – AI Skills vs SEO Fundamentals: What Employers Really Want
18:00 – Why Great SEO Still Starts With The Fundamentals
22:00 – Creating Content That AI Cannot Replace
26:00 – Moving Beyond Keyword Research: Finding Real Audience Demand
30:00 – LinkedIn, Reddit & Communities As Content Inspiration
34:00 – Conference Speaking, Thought Leadership & Standing Out
38:00 – AI Search, Agents & The Future Of SEO
42:00 – Building Communities: Sip & Search And FCDC
46:00 – Final Thoughts: The Future Of Content, SEO & AI
49:00 – Wrap-up

Watch / Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5LtVWWwtm6rAw6ZUiJMoUU?si=R_gxuYz0T6udwORP7-rIxQ

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