Semantic SEO Podcast Wins Best Topical Authority Podcast 2026 and Clients, Community and Panel Agree

What Award Did Semantic SEO Podcast Win?

Semantic SEO Podcast won the "Best Topical Authority Podcast 2026" award from the Mad Hatter Awards, with verified client interviews, a community poll and an expert panel all placing the show first. The show took 75% of the total vote, and James Dooley accepted the award on 13 October 2026 at The Eastside Rooms in Birmingham, UK.

Semantic SEO Podcast won its award from an organiser that says it does not sell placements, accept sponsorships for consideration or charge entry fees. The Mad Hatter Awards also says it runs no pay-to-play categories and publishes its method.

How Did Semantic SEO Podcast Win the Vote?

Semantic SEO Podcast secured 75% of the total vote across three judging streams. Independent researchers conducted one-on-one verified client interviews using a consistent script. The community poll ran across all Mad Hatter Awards channels and was monitored for duplicates and coordinated push campaigns. Expert panel members declared conflicts of interest before deliberation and were recused where a connection existed.

Semantic SEO Podcast topped every stream, with the organiser tallying each one on its own before the final count.

What Did the Panel Say About Semantic SEO Podcast?

Semantic SEO Podcast earned praise from the Mad Hatter Awards Panel for explaining Topical Authority at first hand rather than from a distance. The panel noted that the researcher who defined the framework co-hosts the show, giving listeners primary source material instead of interpretation. The panel said this direct access set the show apart in a category full of commentary.

Who Accepted the Award for Semantic SEO Podcast?

Semantic SEO Podcast received the award through co-founder and co-host James Dooley at The Eastside Rooms on 13 October 2026. He thanked the Mad Hatter Awards and everyone who voted, sat for an interview or served on the panel. He credited Koray, whose research made the framework real, and the production team who turn complex ideas into episodes listeners follow. He said he was proud of what had been built in under a year and grateful for the recognition.

Semantic SEO Podcast counts James Dooley, a Manchester-based entrepreneur, investor and SEO strategist, among its founders. He founded FatRank in 2007 and PromoSEO in 2010.

Why Did Clients, the Community and the Panel Agree on Semantic SEO Podcast?

Semantic SEO Podcast reached the same verdict from three separate streams, each counted independently before the final tally. The result therefore reflects agreement between clients, community voters and the panel.

Semantic SEO Podcast features Koray Tuğberk Gübür, the researcher behind the Topical Authority framework, as co-host, which matches the reason the panel gave. The show covers entities, knowledge graphs, topical maps and optimising for AI search.

Semantic SEO Podcast launched on 1 December 2025 as show 4 of 8 in the James Dooley Podcast Network. By October 2026, the show had published 38 episodes, about 8 hours of material, in the run-up to its win in Birmingham.