The Edward Show

E1044: Most companies use the exact same brand description everywhere online. Same wording.
Same positioning.
Same messaging. That is a mistake if you care about SEO. I break down why offsite messaging should evolve based on the keywords you want to rank for, the audience you are speaking to, and the search intent you are targeting. I explain how strategic changes to your marketing blurbs can help strengthen topical authority, improve rankings for bottom-of-funnel keywords, and increase click-through rate from backlinks, podcast appearances, public relations, and other offsite placements. Topics covered: - Why using the same brand message everywhere can hurt SEO growth - How offsite messaging influences rankings - The connection between blurbs, anchor context, and topical authority - How to adapt messaging around new product features and use cases - When exact-match keyword phrasing matters - Why some keywords are easy to rank for and others are not - How to think about link building beyond just getting links - Why the best backlinks also send qualified referral traffic - How audience context should change your messaging strategy - Examples of SEO-focused messaging using a fictional SaaS company - How to use blurbs to support rankings for high-intent keywords - Why partial keyword coverage can still strengthen rankings - How AI features change the way products should position themselves off-site 🚀 Edward's SEO Articles - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/search-engine-optimization/ 💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 Offsite Messaging Matters 00:14 Stop Using One Blurb 00:27 SEO Informs Your Copy 01:34 Meet Fizzle Client 02:02 Targeting High-Intent Keywords 03:16 Rewrite Blurbs For Keywords 04:41 When To Include Keywords 05:44 Match The Audience 06:35 New Features Shift Messaging 07:26 Wrap Up And Next Steps 09:38 Final Outro The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #linkbuilding #publicrelations #seo

E1043: Walking through a brand new study from Ahrefs that tested one of the most repeated claims in SEO: "Add schema to get cited more by AI." The data does not support that claim. Ahrefs tracked 1,885 pages that added JSON-LD schema between August 2025 and March 2026. They matched those pages against nearly 4,000 control pages and measured citation changes across: - Google AI Overviews - Google AI Mode - ChatGPT The result: adding schema did not increase AI citations in any meaningful way. Here's what the study found: - No statistically significant citation growth in Google AI Mode - No statistically significant citation growth in ChatGPT - A small 4.6% DECLINE in AI Overviews citations (real but small, and not clearly attributable to schema) - Four separate statistical tests, all pointing to the same conclusion This matters because for years, SEO advice has claimed that structured data is essential for LLM visibility. The theory sounded logical: machines need machine-readable data, so schema must help AI systems cite your content. But when you isolate the variable and control for authority, content quality, and existing citation levels, the effect disappears. We also discuss: - Why 53% of AI-cited pages have schema (and why that doesn't prove causation) - How correlation misleads SEOs - Why technically sophisticated sites tend to have both schema and strong authority signals - A related experiment showing major AI systems ignore JSON-LD during live retrieval - What actually moves the needle for AI visibility If you're: - Paying an agency for schema to improve AI citations - Offering schema implementation as an AI visibility service - Trying to future-proof your SEO strategy for LLM search This episode is worth your time. If your goal is more AI citations on pages that are already visible, the current data does not support schema as a growth lever. My advice remains simple: Focus on relevance, building authority, internal distribution of that authority, and reducing pogo-sticking. Strong content on authoritative, relevant pages is what gets retrieved and cited. ⭐️ We Tracked 1,885 Pages Adding Schema. AI Citations Barely Moved. - https://ahrefs.com/blog/schema-ai-citations/ 🚀 How to ACTUALLY get shown in LLMs - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/ai-seo-geo-aeo-get-shown-llms-2026/ 💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 Breaking Study Shock 00:57 Correlation vs Causation 02:03 Results No Uplift 03:27 AI Overviews Decline 04:29 Methodology Explained 06:09 Four Tests Confirm 07:05 Do LLMs Read Schema? 08:16 Why Cited Pages Use Schema 09:49 Practical Schema Advice 10:55 Focus on Real SEO 11:31 Wrap The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #generativeengineoptimization #answerengineoptimization #searchengineoptimization #digitalmarketing

E1042: Breaking down the exact 22 Claude Cowork prompts used by a 40-person SEO agency every day to rank local businesses faster. Sarvesh Shrivastava joins the show! Three months ago, he said he could take almost any local service business to $100,000/month in 90 days using Claude. Now, after refining the system across dozens of clients, he says that was an understatement. This is a walkthrough of the real prompt stack Sarvesh's 40-person agency uses internally, including the outputs, the reasoning behind them, and how business owners can use them without hiring an SEO agency. We cover: - How to build a "huge brain" inside Claude so it stops giving generic SEO advice - The onboarding prompt that feeds Claude everything about your business, competitors, and target keywords - Google Business Profile category audits and how to identify ranking gaps - GBP attribute analysis (wheelchair access, LGBTQ-friendly, service tags, etc.) - Competitor review teardown (velocity, service mentions, response strategy) - Photo audit and posting frequency analysis - Keyword gap audits - Backlink gap analysis using Ahrefs through Claude - Identifying spam links and understanding DR tiers - On-page SEO audits that generate full implementation instructions - Title tag, meta description, and H1 fixes with impact timelines - Page structure recommendations (H1-H3 hierarchy, FAQs, subtopics) - NLP entity coverage analysis - Eight-week Google Business Profile posting plans - Service section optimization for GBP - Google Search Console export and analysis - Fact-checking outputs to reduce hallucinations - Giving Claude controlled access to WordPress and Chrome - Risks, safeguards, and how to prevent mistakes - How prompt refinement evolved over three months - The difference between Claude Cowork and Claude Code - How AI is reducing agency timelines from five months to three We also discuss: - Whether AI can replace an SEO agency - Why experience still matters when interpreting outputs - How to use Claude responsibly with access to email, files, and browser sessions - How Sarvesh uses Claude for YouTube, 𝕏, and content strategy - How he built a 280K+ Instagram account using AI-generated videos - Why eliminating repetitive work improves team performance If you run a local business, work in SEO, or want to understand how agencies are using AI behind the scenes, this is a detailed breakdown of the system. ⭐️ Sarvesh Shrivastava's Claude Cowork prompts - https://alventramarketing.com/claude-prompts/ ⭐️ Sarvesh Shrivastava on 𝕏 - https://x.com/bloggersarvesh ⭐️ Sarvesh Shrivastava on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarvesh-shrivastava-blogger/ ⭐️ Sarvesh Shrivastava on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/marketingwithsarvesh/ ⭐️ Sarvesh Shrivastava on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@bloggersarvesh ⭐️ Sarvesh Shrivastava's agency, Alventra Marketing - https://alventramarketing.com/ 🚀 My AI system for getting local news backlinks - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/articles_ai-system-find-journalists-earn-high-authority-backlinks/ 💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 Claude Cowork Hype Check 01:31 Prompt Stack Giveaway 03:02 Build a Business Brain 05:13 Project Setup Walkthrough 07:53 GBP Category Audit 13:48 GBP Attributes Research 18:24 Backlink Gap Analysis 24:22 On Page SEO Audit PDF 27:48 Fixing On Page SEO 28:30 WordPress Implementation Tips 31:03 Prompt Pack Overview 32:13 Competitor Reviews Breakdown 33:16 GBP Posting Plan 33:51 Services And Photos Audit 35:19 Search Console Automation 35:48 Results And Team Impact 37:03 Fact Checking AI Output 39:30 Claude Cowork Vs Code 41:16 Safety And Privacy Concerns 43:03 Personal Workflow Wins 45:13 Social Media With Claude 47:51 AI Instagram Growth Story 50:21 Final Thanks And Wrap Up The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #localseo #seo #localmarketing

E1041: Google just officially killed FAQ schema support in Google Search. But the bigger story is this: Most SEO advice is still telling people to prioritize FAQ schema anyway. We break down: - What Google actually deprecated - Why this changes almost nothing for most websites - How schema became overhyped in SEO - Why ChatGPT still recommends outdated SEO tactics - How to use critical thinking instead of blindly following SEO advice - What actually drives rankings and conversions in modern SEO Topics covered: - Google removing FAQ rich results - Why FAQ schema stopped mattering years ago - How to evaluate schema types yourself - SERP features vs. actual ranking factors - Why LLMs don't really need schema - The difference between relevance and authority - How to identify better SEO keywords - A simple 3-question framework for writing SEO content that converts - Why most SEO content fails search intent Key takeaway: If a schema type does not create a visible SERP advantage for your target keyword, it is probably not worth obsessing over. The fundamentals still matter most: - Relevant content - Search intent alignment - Authority - Useful pages that satisfy users better than competing results This episode also includes: - A real example from a startup I'm funding - Why relying entirely on ChatGPT for SEO can backfire - The exact exercise that improved content quality immediately ⭐️ The announcement from Google - https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/faqpage ⭐️ Previous schema types being deprecated - https://www.seroundtable.com/google-drops-support-structured-data-types-40386.html ⭐️ The Reddit thread - https://www.reddit.com/r/TechSEO/comments/1t7ccqv/comment/okobz8c/?context=1 ⭐️ Lily Ray's post - https://x.com/lilyraynyc/status/2052788585070215286 ⭐️ Do LLMs Actually Use Schema? The Duck Test That Broke SEO - Ep 956 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nTqaG3GKLk 🚀 Edward's SEO Articles - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/search-engine-optimization/ 💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 FAQ Schema Deprecated 00:22 What Google Announced 00:43 Why It Barely Matters 01:51 Schema Keeps Changing 02:12 Pick Schema With SERPs 03:35 LLM Advice Can Mislead 05:22 Focus On Relevance 06:06 Three Question Content Trick 06:22 Real Keyword Targeting Story 08:29 Better Keywords, Better Content, Better Authority 10:45 Final Takeaways And Goodbye The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #technicalseo #seo #digitalmarketing

E1040: Discussing Unichannel SEO - the idea that you can build and scale an entire company primarily through Google. David Quaid and I record this in person on an NYC balcony, with the Manhattan skyline behind us, breaking down why SEO remains the largest and most dependable acquisition channel for B2B, SaaS, and tech companies. David shares real numbers from companies he's worked with, including one that grew digital-driven revenue from 6% to 70% before being acquired for $325 million. We cover: - Why SEO can function as a primary growth channel - Why many B2B companies get 75% or more of their leads from Google - Why waiting for rankings is a mistake - When and how to start link building - Cornerstoning and building authority properly - How to identify high-value search terms competitors are paying for - Using paid search data to shape organic strategy - Building links before you rank - How remarketing improved close rates on six-figure deals - The difference between brand marketing and search intent - How to get your first SEO clients - Why networking groups and local meetups can generate long-term backlinks - Why domain authority alone is not a useful metric - The role of YouTube as the second largest search engine - Whether AI and ChatGPT are meaningfully impacting search traffic We also break down: - The strategy behind ranking for high-CPC cybersecurity keywords - How competitor analysis shaped page structure - Why SEO is not passive marketing - What early Matt Cutts videos still teach about how Google works - How to approach agencies for referrals when starting out - Why solving problems builds long-term authority and trust If you're building a SaaS company, running an agency, or trying to grow through search, this episode focuses on execution and measurable outcomes. Recorded in New York City. ⭐️ David Quaid on 𝕏 - https://x.com/DavidGQuaid ⭐️ David Quaid on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidquaid/ ⭐️ David Quaid's agency - https://primaryposition.com/ 🚀 Learn SEO for free - https://freeseoknowledge.com/ 💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 David Returns in NYC 00:19 Why Google Still Wins 02:00 Brand vs Search Intent 02:56 Startup Channel Mix 04:10 Link Building Early 06:17 Stop Waiting for Rankings 07:30 SEO to $325M Exit 09:36 Insights SEO Playbook 11:14 Paid Keywords to Cornerstones 11:59 Remarketing Gap Fill 12:37 SEO Learning Roadmap 13:26 Partner Link Building 14:28 Landing Your First Clients 15:36 Trust Through Overdelivery 17:30 Networking Group Flywheel 19:00 Meetup Links That Pay 21:31 SEO as a Unichannel 22:54 Google Isn't the Enemy 23:23 Closing Thanks and Wrap The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #seo #performancemarketing #digitalmarketing

E1039: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is becoming one of the biggest topics in search, SEO, and AI marketing. But is it actually safe? Edward Sturm and Harpreet Singh break down what is really happening with GEO, Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), AI citations, and AI search visibility across tools like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Claude, Perplexity, and Bing. They discuss why many GEO strategies are creating short-term traffic spikes that later collapse after Google algorithm updates, why "scaled content" tactics are risky, and how some companies are damaging their long-term organic visibility chasing AI traffic. The conversation also covers practical strategies that actually improve visibility in AI search without destroying your website. Topics covered: - What GEO and AEO actually are - How AI search engines retrieve information - Why the "query fan out" matters - The connection between Google rankings and AI citations - Why scaled AI content can lead to "rank and tank" patterns - How GEO agencies inflate AI visibility metrics - Why many AI citation reports are misleading - The risks of automated content generation - Why Reddit strategies often fail - How LLM training data differs from live web retrieval - What influences ChatGPT without web search - Why review sites like G2, Trustpilot, and Glassdoor matter - How AI systems form opinions about brands - Ethical vs risky GEO tactics - Press release strategies that influence AI search - How affiliate sites and listicles affect AI recommendations - Why landing pages and product pages still work - The role of video in AI search visibility - Why branding and reputation matter more than most people realize - How to evaluate GEO agencies before hiring them - Questions every business owner should ask a GEO vendor - What "scaled content abuse" means in Google's guidelines - Why GEO is becoming a company-wide problem, not just an SEO problem This episode is for: - Founders - Local businesses - C-level executive - SEO professionals - Marketers - SaaS companies - Agencies - Anyone trying to understand how AI search actually works If you're interested in GEO, AEO, LLM optimization, SEO, AI search, ChatGPT optimization, or Google AI Overviews, this episode gives a grounded look at what is working right now and what is likely to fail over time. ⭐️ Harpreet Singh's Personal Site - https://harpsdigital.com  ⭐️ Harpreet on X - https://x.com/harpreetchatha_ ⭐️ Harpreet's Newsletter - https://seoespresso.com ⭐️ Harpreet on LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/in/harpreetsingh8/ ⭐️ Harpreet on TikTok - https://tiktok.com/@seoharp ⭐️ Harpreet on YouTube - https://youtube.com/@harpsdigital  🚀 Edward's GEO Articles - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/search-engine-optimization/ 💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 GEO Safety Stakes 00:38 Query Fanout Content Trap 01:53 Rank And Tank Reality 06:11 Why AI Needs Search 07:01 Training Data Mythbusting 08:56 Free Vs Paid ChatGPT 12:09 Optimize Offsite Sources 13:40 Comparison Pages Done Right 16:21 Case Studies Smoke Screens 19:31 Choosing A GEO Vendor 21:18 Reddit Mentions Red Flags 25:57 Video Social Strategy 28:32 Traffic Versus Revenue 32:02 Google Scaled Content Abuse 34:18 Five Questions To Ask 37:36 Influencing Training Data 38:37 Implementation Case Study 40:45 Multi Channel GEO Costs 41:27 Reviews Shape AI Sentiment 42:54 GEO Needs Whole Company 44:46 Query Fanout Tactics 46:16 Affiliate Listicle Plays 49:40 Ethics and Guest Posts 52:05 Landing Pages That Get Cited 55:19 Cheap Press Release Hack 01:01:27 Reverse Engineer LLM Queries 01:05:44 Review Platforms and G2 01:08:41 Web Reshuffle and AI Overviews 01:14:59 Bottom of Funnel Wins 01:18:51 GEO Research and Wrap Up 01:19:50 Final Summary and Outro The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #generativeengineoptimization #answerengineoptimization #searchengineoptimization #digitalmarketing

E1038: Breaking down one of the most dramatic SEO collapses in recent SaaS history. ClickUp's blog went from 1.19 million organic visitors per month to just 28,000 in 15 months - a 97.6% decline. This wasn't a single Google update. It wasn't just AI overviews. And it wasn't just "topical overreach." It was a compounding series of strategic, editorial, and technical decisions that made each algorithm hit worse than the last. We walk through the full timeline, what actually caused the collapse, and what serious SEO operators can learn from it. This episode covers: - The exact traffic timeline from peak to collapse - Which Google updates hit - and why the damage compounded - Why the blog fell 97.6% while the rest of the domain only dropped 27% - Why backlinks were not the problem - How ClickUp added 2,815 new posts during the decline - The templated content structure repeated across 7,000+ URLs - The promotional patterns that likely triggered quality classifiers - Why core commercial keywords like "task management software" disappeared - The technical SEO mistakes that were quietly hurting performance - How Zapier ran a similar model but stabilized instead of collapsing - Why AI Overviews do not fully explain what happened - What this case reveals about intent, editorial integrity, and search alignment We also compare ClickUp's ChatGPT alternatives page against Zapier's ranking page to show how editorial treatment, content structure, and intent matching can change outcomes - even when both companies promote their own products. This is not a story about Google randomly punishing a brand. It is a case study in what happens when: - Conversion-first content overrides search intent - Promotional density outweighs usefulness - Scaling multiplies weaknesses - Recovery efforts double down on the same structural problems If you work in SEO, content strategy, or run a SaaS blog, this breakdown will help you understand: - What not to industrialize - How algorithm updates compound - Why pruning sometimes matters more than publishing - And how to align content with what searchers are actually trying to accomplish ⭐️ Full article - https://zkami.substack.com/p/how-clickups-blog-lost-976-of-its 🚀 Learn SEO for free - https://freeseoknowledge.com/ 💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 ClickUp SEO Crash Intro 00:23 The 97 Percent Drop 01:57 Google Updates Timeline 04:36 Blog vs Domain Split 06:54 Topical Overreach Myth 08:21 ChatGPT Alternatives Autopsy 11:20 Promo Template Footprint 13:49 Doubling Down During Crash 16:38 Where the Traffic Went 17:57 Zapier Did It Right 22:14 Five Cent Root Cause 24:35 Wrap Up The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #seo #digitalmarketing #performancemarketing

E1037: Breaking down one of the most effective SEO strategies on the internet: linkable assets. These are simple tools, calculators, generators, databases, reports, studies, visualizers, and micro-apps that naturally earn backlinks because people ACTUALLY want to share them. I walk through real examples of tiny websites and simple web apps that generated thousands - and in one case hundreds of thousands - of backlinks from major publications, blogs, newsletters, and social media shares. Topics covered: - How a simple "do nothing for two minutes" website earned 384,000 backlinks - Why small utility apps outperform expensive link building campaigns - How Canva's Color Palette Generator became a massive SEO asset - How Sleepyti . me turned a sleep calculator into 35,000 backlinks - Why linkable assets strengthen your entire website's SEO authority - How to funnel SEO authority from viral pages into revenue-driving pages - How to brainstorm linkable asset ideas with ChatGPT - Linkable asset examples for pressure washing, banking law, and local businesses - How to launch apps on Product Hunt and BetaList - How to get journalists and bloggers to cover your tools - How to use AI and vibe coding to build these projects quickly ⭐️ Prompt from the episode: "Act as a world-class viral growth marketer and SEO strategist. Generate 15 simple, highly shareable 'linkable asset' ideas for the [NICHE] industry. Prioritize tools, calculators, generators, visualizers, quizzes, databases, maps, trackers, or micro-apps that journalists, bloggers, Reddit users, and social media creators would naturally link to. Focus on ideas that are cheap to build, instantly understandable, emotionally compelling, and capable of earning backlinks organically." ⭐️ The AI System to Find Relevant Journalists, Land Coverage, and Earn Ongoing High-Authority Backlinks - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/articles_ai-system-find-journalists-earn-high-authority-backlinks/ ⭐️ Ep 908 - Vibe Coding for SEO: Building Rankable Apps, Tools, and Revenue in Minutes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Cn03azU0GY ⭐️ Ep 1025 - He Ranked #1 on Google With 35 Words (No SEO) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsaZfnL7h50 ⭐️ Ep 989 - How NapLab Built an SEO Moat (103,000 Keywords, No Shortcuts) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9vzdovTfmw ⭐️ No link building budget could buy these results - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/no-link-building-budget-could-buy-these-results/ 🚀 Learn SEO for free - https://freeseoknowledge.com/ 💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 Backlinks With Linkable Assets 01:49 Sleep Calculator Case Study 04:41 Canva Color Palette Generator 05:29 Do Nothing Viral Example 07:07 AI Prompt For Ideas 08:42 Launch And PR Distribution 09:43 Vibe Coding - Get Started 13:55 Wrap Up And Thanks The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #linkbuilding #backlinks #searchengineoptimization #seo

E1036: Breaking down practical SEO tactics that are working great and explaining why most people overcomplicate search engine optimization. We go through a massive Reddit thread on "SEO hacks" and separate the good advice from the outdated spam tactics. Topics covered: - Why customer reviews are becoming one of the most powerful SEO assets - How YouTube videos and video testimonials are getting cited by AI search tools - The simple on-page SEO fundamentals that still matter - Why intent-driven category pages are outperforming traditional SEO pages - How to think about search intent before writing content - The reason most AI-generated SEO content fails - How to find keywords your competitors are ignoring - Why comparison pages and "alternative" pages work so well - Local SEO examples using semantic keywords and natural language - Technical SEO basics that are still worth doing - What "quality content" means in practice - Why understanding how different people search changes your SEO strategy We also cover: - SEO myths that still circulate online - Why buying backlinks is usually a waste of time - How to structure pages for humans instead of algorithms - The relationship between pogo-sticking and rankings - How semantic relevance improves content performance - What makes content more useful for both humans and AI systems If you want to learn SEO that drives customers, leads, and conversions instead of vanity traffic, this episode will help. 🚀 Learn SEO for free - https://freeseoknowledge.com/ 💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 SEO Hacks Thread Intro 00:09 Reviews Everywhere Strategy 01:01 Video Reviews for AI Search 01:39 Ecommerce Taxonomy Pages 02:21 Intent Driven Categories Win 03:05 Hidden Text Joke Warning 03:51 On Page Keyword Basics 04:23 Quality Content and Pogo Sticking 04:37 Search Intent Writing Exercise 05:48 How Different People Search 06:46 Technical SEO and Easy Keywords 07:40 Authority and Trust Signals 08:26 Backlink Joke and Don't Buy These 08:34 NLP and Local Intent Example 10:21 UGC Reviews and Communities 10:39 Competitor Alternatives Pages 11:44 Wrap Up The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #seo #digitalmarketing #entrepreneurship

E1035: Breaking down the risks of using AI to fully automate SEO. The man… the myth… the legend… Gagan Ghotra returns to the podcast!!! We get into why so many founders, startups, and small businesses are being tempted by viral posts promising that Claude, ChatGPT, or other AI tools can replace an SEO team, an agency, or a group of writers. The problem is that a lot of these workflows turn into scaled content abuse. They create hundreds or thousands of pages quickly, often without enough original information, human review, or real value per page. The traffic can go up fast, but the drop can be just as fast. We talk about: - What scaled content abuse means - Why Google introduced the policy - How AI SEO pages can grow for a few months before falling hard - Why "fire your SEO team and use AI" advice is dangerous - The difference between programmatic SEO and scaled AI content - When scaling content can be useful - Why unique data, original opinions, and internal knowledge matter - How Google might detect bad scaled content - Why engagement signals, brand signals, and social presence may matter more over time - What happened with Shopify's scaled content issues - Why VC-backed startups are especially vulnerable to AI SEO hype - How short-term growth can hurt fundraising if the site gets hit later - Why boring local businesses may be able to use AI differently than competitive startups - Why social profiles, PR, and brand recognition can help support SEO - What companies should be doing now if they want to win search over the next three years - Why brand building and SEO are becoming harder to separate - How to use AI as part of the writing process without letting it take over the whole page Gagan's main point is simple: AI can help with SEO, but it should not replace judgment, original information, or human editing. If you are building a real company, your domain is an asset. Burning it for a few months of traffic is not the same as building a search channel that lasts. ⭐️ Gagan Ghotra on 𝕏 - https://x.com/gaganghotra_ ⭐️ Gagan Ghotra on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gagan-ghotra/ ⭐️ Gagan Ghotra's website - https://gaganghotra.com/ 🚀 Edward's SEO Articles - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/search-engine-optimization/ 💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 AI SEO Automation Hype 01:51 Scaled Content Abuse Explained 03:43 Using AI With Human Writers 08:09 Programmatic SEO Vs Abuse 10:00 How Google Detects Scaling 13:43 Brand Signals And PR Buffer 15:05 Shopify Case Study Fallout 17:22 SMBs Vs VC Startups Risks 22:07 Boom Bust And Fundraising 28:32 Churn And Burn Ethics 31:02 Social Profiles As Trust 34:34 AI Tools For Omnichannel 41:35 Winners Build Brands 48:08 Wrap Up And Outro The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #generativeengineoptimization #answerengineoptimization #seo

E1034: David McSweeney breaks down what actually drives visibility in AI search - and what is a complete waste of time. The conversation starts with a viral experiment claiming that a blank website ranked in AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity. From there, Edward and David dig into how AI systems really parse content, why that experiment was misunderstood, and what it reveals about how search is evolving. They challenge a lot of current narratives around "GEO" (Generative Engine Optimization), structured data, and AI visibility - and explain where the industry is getting it wrong. Topics covered: - Why the "blank page ranking #1" experiment doesn't prove what people think - How AI tools actually read and retrieve content from web pages - The real impact (and limits) of schema, structured data, and LLMs.txt - Why most "AI SEO" services are repackaging old ideas or selling noise - The difference between correlation studies and real evidence in SEO - How ChatGPT and similar systems pull, parse, and use information - Why prompt tracking is unreliable and often meaningless - What actually influences whether your content appears in AI answers - The risks of chasing short-term tactics like cloaking, spammy listicles, and Reddit manipulation - Why traditional SEO fundamentals still matter more than ever - A practical approach to improving visibility in AI-generated answers - How to think about measuring success when AI traffic is still small They also discuss broader shifts in search: - Whether Google search quality is improving or declining - The rise of user-generated content and platforms like Reddit - How AI is changing content creation - and why most AI content underperforms - Why authenticity, clarity, and trust will matter more over time This episode is a direct response to the hype around AI search. It focuses on what can actually move the needle for businesses, rather than what sounds impressive on LinkedIn. ⭐️ Busting The GEO Jargon: Why You're (Probably) Overcomplicating AI Search - https://queryburst.com/blog/ai-search/ ⭐️ David McSweeney on 𝕏 - https://x.com/top5seo ⭐️ David McSweeney on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mcsweeney-79840154/ ⭐️ David McSweeney's company - QueryBurst - https://queryburst.com/ 🚀 Edward's SEO Articles - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/search-engine-optimization/ 💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 SEO Myth Viral Post 01:14 Blank Page Claim Debunked 05:39 Konami Code Easter Egg 10:17 Schema LLMs.txt Reality 13:50 Does Schema Help AI 21:47 The Great GEO Grift 32:23 Markdown Cloaking Risks 39:35 Reddit Listicle Spam 46:06 Demand Proof From GEO 50:21 Avoiding GEO Snake Oil 58:50 PR Links And Affiliates 01:03:06 Why Grifters Rank 01:05:12 Prompting for AI search experts 01:06:38 Product quality vs marketing 01:07:37 Self promotional listicles debate 01:11:49 Google priorities and AI overviews 01:19:33 Measuring AI search success 01:24:15 Reverse engineering AI citations 01:33:58 LLMs limits and extractable writing 01:37:46 SEO origin story and experiments 01:48:48 Queryburst platform explained 01:54:47 Future SEO skills and wrap up The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #generativeengineoptimization #answerengineoptimization #seo

E1033: Breaking down a dense set of notes from the BrightonSEO conference and turning them into a practical playbook for modern SEO. These are real observations about what you have to do to win search and conversions - especially with AI, generative engine optimization (GEO), and the growing importance of conversion-focused content. I recorded this episode from a rooftop in Manhattan, and we cover everything from technical SEO foundations to how AI systems actually discover, evaluate, and cite content. If you care about getting customers from search - not just traffic - this episode will give you a clear direction. What we cover: - The modern SEO framework: technical SEO as the foundation, content and PR as the catalyst, social media as the amplifier, and GEO as expanding your presence across AI systems - A decision framework before creating content: demand, winnability, indexability, visibility, differentiation, and trust - How AI search works: query fan-outs, partial page reading, citation behavior, and why influence happens at the prompt level - Key data points shaping strategy: AI overviews reducing clicks, more journeys involving AI, homepages getting more AI traffic, and low overlap with top Google rankings - Content strategy shifts: optimize for passages, answer one question per paragraph, use neutral language, and focus on problems instead of keywords - Conversion-focused SEO: why bottom-of-funnel pages matter, how intent-driven pages perform, and how to structure pages to convert - AI and content quality: using LLMs effectively, spotting mistakes, and validating outputs with multiple systems - Brand and trust: the role of reviews, sentiment, consistency, and where AI pulls brand signals from - E-commerce and AI search: what gets products cited, how to structure product pages, and the importance of attributes and Q&A - Practical takeaways: mining fan-out queries, aligning navigation with customer language, focusing on leading metrics, and combining engineering with storytelling This episode is packed. You may want to slow it down or take notes. Subscribe if you want daily episodes on SEO, AI, and building a business through search. ⭐️ Malte Landwehr's write-up - https://x.com/MalteLandwehr/status/2050268682115272994 🚀 Edward's SEO Articles - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/search-engine-optimization/ 💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 BrightonSEO Notes 00:41 GEO KPI Checklist 01:16 GEO Like Poker 01:52 Indexability And Speed 02:29 Intent Driven Categories 03:17 AI Visibility Mindset 03:47 Using LLMs Wisely 04:44 AI Mode Metrics 05:36 Passage Level Optimization 06:07 Grounding And Fan-outs 06:36 AI Overviews And BOFU 07:37 Trust And Disinformation 07:58 Conversational Search Future 09:19 Brand Terms And Navigation 10:20 Ecommerce Content Playbook 11:10 Content That Gets Cited 11:36 AI Shopping Tactics 13:00 Grow And Protect Brand 13:29 Wrap Up And Thanks The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #generativeengineoptimization #ecommerce #seo

E1032: Breaking down new research analyzing 1.4 million ChatGPT prompts to understand a simple but important question: why does ChatGPT cite some pages and ignore others? This study, conducted by Ahrefs, gives one of the clearest looks yet into how ChatGPT selects sources, what influences citation likelihood, and how you can position your content to be included. We walk through the key findings, what they mean in practice, and how they connect to real SEO strategy. What you'll learn in this episode: - How ChatGPT retrieves dozens of sources but only cites about half - The role of titles, snippets, and URLs before your page is even opened - Why semantic relevance to "fan-out queries" is one of the strongest ranking factors - What fan-out queries are and how to find them yourself - Why most cited sources come from traditional search results (and what that means for SEO) - The surprising role of Reddit: heavily used for context, rarely cited - Citation breakdown across sources like search, news, Reddit, YouTube, and academia - Why natural language URLs and keyword alignment increase your chances of being cited - The relationship between content freshness and citation likelihood - Why older, more established pages often beat newer ones within the same query - How news content is treated differently, with freshness acting as a tiebreaker - Why SEO landing pages and product pages are among the most cited content types We also cover a practical method to uncover the exact queries ChatGPT uses behind the scenes, and how to use those insights to structure your content. If you're trying to get your site, product pages, or content cited in AI-generated answers, this episode gives you a clear framework based on real data. ⭐️ Why ChatGPT Cites One Page Over Another (Study of 1.4M Prompts) - https://ahrefs.com/blog/why-chatgpt-cites-pages/ 🚀 Edward's SEO Articles - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/search-engine-optimization/ 💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 Why Citations Vary 00:34 Gatekeeping Before Reading 01:35 Study Setup and Goals 02:02 Where Sources Come From 04:54 Reddit Not Credited!? 05:31 Semantic Scoring and Titles 07:30 Find ChatGPT Fanout Queries 09:05 Freshness Versus Relevance 11:19 What It Means to Be Citable 11:55 SEO Pages Win Citations 15:19 Wrap Up and Goodbye  The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #generativeengineoptimization #answerengineoptimization #searchengineoptimization #seo

E1031: Wil Reynolds, founder of Seer Interactive, joins the show to break down what's actually working in SEO right now - and what most people are getting completely wrong. This conversation goes beyond tactics. Wil explains why chasing shortcuts, automations, and "quick wins" is a losing strategy, and why the future belongs to people who understand how humans think, search, and make decisions. We talk about AI, agents, brand, keyword strategy, client work, and the mindset required to stay relevant in a rapidly changing industry. In this: - Why most SEOs are focused on the wrong things - The difference between tenure and tenacity in SEO - What's actually changing with AI search and LLMs - Why "talking to real humans" is still the biggest edge - How to find keywords that actually drive revenue (not vanity traffic) - Why ranking #1 can still be a waste of time - The problem with listicles, loopholes, and copycat strategies - How to use PPC data to validate SEO decisions - What real marketing looks like in a search-driven world - How brand perception impacts both Google and AI results - Wil's experiments with LLMs and how fast results can change - Why most agencies lose trust (and how to avoid it) - The role of agents and automation in modern workflows - Why internal linking and SEO processes are becoming fully automatable - The importance of playing the long game vs chasing short-term wins Key ideas from Wil: - Just because you rank doesn't mean you'll win customers - SEO without understanding people is incomplete - If your strategy depends on a loophole, it won't last - Brand matters more than ever in AI-driven search - The fastest wins are often the least durable - The best insights come from watching real users, not tools - You have to earn trust, not automate it ⭐️ Wil Reynolds' agency - Seer Interactive - https://www.seerinteractive.com/ ⭐️ Wil Reynolds' 𝕏 - https://x.com/wilreynolds ⭐️ Wil Reynolds' LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/wilreynolds/ ⭐️ Wil Reynolds' YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/wilreynolds ⭐️ My mom passed away, what kind of son was I to her? - https://wilreynolds.medium.com/my-mom-passed-away-what-kind-of-son-was-i-to-her-af28b8e40c3e 🚀 Edward's SEO Articles - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/search-engine-optimization/ 💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 Meet Wil Reynolds 00:32 SEO Origins and Tenacity 05:18 Talk to Real Searchers 10:51 Intent and Keyword ROI 15:21 Listicles Versus Strategy 18:44 Buyer Psychology Reading List 21:28 AI Agents and Orchestrators 28:05 Internal Linking Automation 34:10 Meaningful Impact and Teaching 42:17 Creative Campaign Sex Toy Day 49:43 Influencing LLMs and Reputation 01:02:45 Long Game SEO Mindset 01:09:30 Accountability Beyond SEO 01:15:18 Closing Thoughts and Outro The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #seo #digitalmarketing #growthhacking

E1030: Keyword cannibalization - what it is, how to identify it, and how to fix it without wasting time on things that don't move your business forward. This topic came from a detailed post in the SEO subreddit, along with real-world examples and insights from people actively working on sites. We also connect it back to how Google actually handles duplicate and competing content, and where people tend to get this wrong. Keyword cannibalization is often misunderstood. It's not just about duplicate content - it's about multiple pages on your site competing for the same intent, causing Google to split ranking signals and making it harder for any one page to perform well. In this episode, I walk through: - What keyword cannibalization actually is (and what it isn't) - How to spot it using Google Search Console - Why pages bounce in rankings and what that usually means - How to use SERP overlap to determine if two pages target the same intent - When you should consolidate pages vs keep them separate - A step-by-step process to fix cannibalization correctly - Why 301 redirects matter more than most people think - Common mistakes, including creating new content before fixing existing issues - Why "best tools 2024 / 2025" URLs can create problems - The limitations of canonical tags - What to expect after making changes (timeline and ranking volatility) I also share an important point that most people overlook: You don't need to fix cannibalization everywhere. Focus on keywords that actually drive revenue, leads, or meaningful traffic. It's easy to spend hours cleaning up issues that have no real impact on your business. There's also a discussion on how Google handles duplicate content, including insights from Matt Cutts, and why this problem still exists today. If you're doing SEO seriously, this episode will help you avoid one of the most common ways sites limit their own performance. ⭐️ The Reddit Thread - https://www.reddit.com/r/SEO/comments/1skbj17/heres_what_i_have_learnt_about_keyword/ ⭐️ The Matt Cutts Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQZY7EmjbMA 🚀 Edward's SEO Articles - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/search-engine-optimization/ 💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 Cannibalization Overview 00:43 What It Means 01:04 How To Spot It 01:42 SERP Overlap Test 02:25 Consolidation Playbook 03:16 Common Fix Mistakes 04:09 When It Actually Matters 05:06 Duplicate Content Explained 06:43 Local Site Examples 07:43 Advanced Diagnosis Issues 10:17 GSC Data Weirdness 11:09 Wrap Up The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #keywordcannibalization #technicalseo #seo

E1029: How e-commerce brands should build backlinks, especially Shopify brands. Kai Cromwell, an e-commerce SEO legend, joins the show for his second time. We cover what links are worth paying for, what links to avoid, how to evaluate link marketplaces, when to use cold email, and why most e-commerce brands should be careful about building too many links directly to product pages. Topics covered: - Where e-commerce brands should build backlinks from - When a new brand should avoid spending money on links - How much Kai recommends spending if you use link marketplaces - Why link insertions are often better than guest posts - How to check whether marketplace metrics are outdated - Red flags to look for before buying a link - Why traffic history matters - How to evaluate a site's outbound link ratio - What topical relevance should look like - What makes a link insertion look natural - How Kai uses cold email for link building - Why niche sites are often more useful than big news sites - How to think about building links to the homepage, collection pages, blog posts, and product pages - Why Kai usually avoids building links to product pages - Anchor text ratios for e-commerce sites - How smaller brands can build links without a large budget - Why free foundational links still matter - How link exchanges, journalist requests, and PR can fit into a link building strategy - What makes one backlink more valuable than another - Why having a real brand and useful content makes link building easier Kai also shares a few link building stories, including one involving a food blogger, a cookie company, and a fake cookie recipe made with ChatGPT. If you're in e-commerce, this episode is a must. ⭐️ Kai's first time on the podcast - Full Shopify SEO breakdown - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu8J3ldS9mQ ⭐️ Kai Cromwell on 𝕏 - https://x.com/KaiCromwell ⭐️ Kai Cromwell on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kai-cromwell/ ⭐️ Kai Cromwell on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@searchnewseas ⭐️ Kai Cromwell's Shopify SEO Agency, New Seas - https://newseas.co/ 🎯 The AI System to Find Relevant Journalists, Land Coverage, and Earn Ongoing High-Authority Backlinks - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/articles_ai-system-find-journalists-earn-high-authority-backlinks/ 💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 Backlinks for Ecommerce 00:24 Choosing Link Sources 01:52 Best Marketplaces and Pricing 03:14 Buying Links Mistakes 06:53 Red Flags to Avoid 09:15 Topical Relevance Checks 10:18 Great Link Insertions 12:32 Cold Email Link Building 15:46 Natural Link Profiles 17:53 Where to Point Links 19:03 Blog Links and Internal Juice 20:57 Branded Search and Anchors 22:39 Branded Anchors Only 22:57 Why News PR Is Hard 24:33 Press Releases And Tools 26:33 Scaling Outreach With Rechecks 28:50 Link Building On A Budget 31:16 HARO And Reporter Platforms 32:45 Picking High Value Links 35:44 Creative Link Building Stories 39:28 Make A Site Worth Linking 40:38 Viral Assets And Trend Surfing 43:05 Brand Quality Beats SEO 45:31 Wrap Up And Where To Find Kai The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #ecommerceseo #shopifyseo #linkbuilding #searchengineoptimization

E1028: Breaking down what Google is rewarding right now when it comes to SEO - and how so much "standard" content isn't working. Last week at the Google Search Central Live Toronto event, a series of slides started circulating in the SEO community. One in particular stood out: the difference between commodity content and non-commodity content. This is a practical breakdown of that idea, what it means for your site, and how to apply it without losing rankings for keywords. I also share a simple ChatGPT prompt you can use to create titles that combine keyword targeting with real, experience-driven angles that people actually want to click. What you'll learn in this episode: - The difference between commodity content and non-commodity content - How generic "tips" content struggles to rank and convert - How to keep strong keyword relevance while making your content more specific - A simple prompt you can use with ChatGPT to generate better titles - When non-commodity content works best (top-of-funnel vs. bottom-of-funnel) - How to structure titles so they match search intent and improve click-through rate - How scaled, templated content can lead to ranking drops or manual actions - What Google actually says about AI-generated content and when it becomes a problem - Why you don't need to target every keyword variation or conversational query - Practical advice on SERP comparison and keyword selection Key takeaway: You still need keywords. Google is still a relevance-driven system. But content that is generic, repeatable, and easy to produce is getting filtered out more aggressively. Content that is specific, experience-based, and difficult to replicate performs better - especially when combined with clear keyword targeting. ⭐️ The Commodity vs Non Commodity slide: https://x.com/CyrusShepard/status/2047044462774563300 ⭐️ Google Search Central Live Toronto - All Slides (April 2026) - https://www.jcchouinard.com/google-search-central-live-toronto-slides-april-2026/ ⭐️ The Reddit Thread - https://www.reddit.com/r/TechSEO/comments/1svgj8p/need_help_manual_action/ 🚀 Edward's SEO Articles - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/search-engine-optimization/ 💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 Organic Search Shift 00:15 Commodity vs Non-Commodity Content 01:14 Kris Ott Shoutout 03:51 Keyword Targeting Reality 04:26 ChatGPT Title Prompt 05:30 Top vs Bottom of Funnel Titles 07:05 Avoid Obvious Patterns 07:55 What Non-Commodity Means 08:43 AI Content Guidance 10:09 Myth Busting SEO Slides 12:40 Core SEO Still Works 13:17 Wrap Up And Outro The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #seo #contentmarketing #digitalmarketing