London, 1 October 2026 – Croud, the global media, data and creative agency, today announces the appointment of Ed Turner as Director of Organic, strengthening its integrated search offering as AI changes how consumers discover, evaluate and choose brands.
The appointment comes as Croud’s latest Consumer Index reveals that 74% of AI users turn to large language models (LLMs) before choosing a specific product, while 35% check four or more sources before buying. Croud calls this the “Validation Economy”: the space between an AI recommendation and a purchase, where consumers seek reassurance through reviews, creators and communities across search, social, YouTube and Reddit.
Reporting to EMEA CEO Debbie Ellison, Turner will lead the development of Croud’s organic offering to help clients compete across this increasingly connected journey, bringing together SEO, Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) and content that builds consumer confidence.
Working alongside Josh Preston-White, Managing Director, Integrated Search, Turner will strengthen Croud’s SearchAnywhere proposition, powered by BrandCI™, helping brands understand and improve how they appear across LLMs and the wider discovery landscape. He will also partner with the agency’s creative teams and Born Creator Community to connect search intelligence with credible, relevant creator content, supported by the global scale and specialist expertise of the Croudie Network.
Turner brings 15 years’ experience in organic search and has spent the past two years building GEO and AEO capabilities from the ground up, including service models and measurement frameworks. He spent seven years at Jellyfish, most recently as VP, GEO & SEO, leading strategy and senior client relationships for brands including Converse and The AA.
Debbie Ellison, EMEA CEO at Croud, said: “Our latest Croud Consumer Index shows why brands need to rethink organic. Being recommended by AI is an increasingly important part of discovery, but consumers still want evidence they can trust before they buy. That makes the connection between search, content, creators and brand reputation commercially critical.
“Ed brings the expertise to help our clients respond to that shift. Working with Josh and our teams across Croud and Born Social, he will connect our technology, organic expertise and creative capabilities to help brands earn visibility, build confidence and turn discovery into growth. I’m delighted he’s joining us.”
Turner added: “The opportunity for organic has expanded enormously. Brands need to understand how they are represented in AI answers, what gets them onto a consumer’s shortlist and what gives someone the confidence to choose them.
“That calls for SEO, GEO and creative to work much more closely together, with measurement that connects visibility to business outcomes. Croud has the technology, talent and ambition to make that happen. The chance to build on SearchAnywhere and BrandCI™, alongside the Born Creator Community and Croudie Network, is incredibly exciting.”
Turner’s appointment follows the recent arrival of Preston-White as Managing Director, Integrated Search, and reinforces Croud’s investment in connecting paid and organic search with data, technology and creative. It continues a period of momentum for the business, including the appointments of Valerie Davis as US CEO and Cal McCahon as Chief Strategy Officer, alongside new client wins including ITV and Global, Formula E and Ooni.
