The Edward Show

E927: Why a press kit is one of the most overlooked parts of long-term SEO and brand marketing - and how it directly impacts rankings, links, conversions, and how journalists and AI systems describe your business. Most brands work hard to earn press, but lose control of the opportunity once a journalist starts researching them. Tight deadlines, shallow research, and AI-generated summaries often lead to inaccurate or weak brand descriptions. A well-built press kit fixes that. This episode breaks down exactly how press kits influence search engines, journalists, and LLMs, and how to use them to turn earned media into lasting SEO value. What you'll learn: - Why journalists frequently misrepresent brands (even when they link to you) - How Google associates brands with topics even without links - Why unlinked brand mentions still matter for rankings - How press kits influence entity associations and topical authority - How journalists and LLMs use press kits verbatim - Why controlling surrounding language is just as important as backlinks - How press kits help drive link equity to your most valuable pages - The difference between Google Drive press kits and on-site press kit pages - How to structure a press kit so it actually gets used What a high-performing press kit should include: - A clear, accurate brand description written for journalists - High-converting language aligned with your SEO targets - Links to priority pages you want authority flowing to - High-quality brand images with proper alt text - Open Graph images for link sharing - SEO metadata so journalists can identify it instantly in search - Contact information that makes follow-ups easy Why this matters: - Earned media is inevitable if your marketing works - Most brands waste that coverage by reacting too late - Press kits let you control the language, links, and positioning - This is a long-term SEO asset, not a one-time tactic Press kits are public relations fundamentals, but they are deeply connected to search engine optimization and how brands are represented across Google and AI systems. ⭐️ Rand Fishking discussing how co-occurrence (the words surrounding mentions of your brand) influences Google rankings - https://moz.com/blog/prediction-anchor-text-is-dying-and-will-be-replaced-by-cocitation-whiteboard-friday 💎 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 Introduction: The Overlooked SEO Strategy 00:18 The Journalist's Dilemma: Inaccurate Brand Descriptions 02:08 The Power of Brand Mentions: Insights from Rand Fishkin 03:33 Scenario Two: The Importance of a Press Kit 04:38 Creating an Effective Press Kit 08:09 Real-World Application: My Press Kit Experience 10:14 Conclusion: Maximizing SEO with Press Kits The Edward Show. Your daily generative engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #publicrelations #linkbuilding #seo

E926: Jake Hundley and David Quaid join the show to break down one of the most misunderstood topics in SEO: schema markup. For years, marketers, agencies, and "AI SEO" tools have claimed that schema is required to rank in Google and now in large language models like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude. We take those claims apart and explains, in practical terms, why most websites don't benefit from schema at all - and in some cases, can actually create risk by using it. This is a grounded, technical discussion about how search engines and LLMs actually work, what data they really use, and why most schema advice is built on correlation, not causation. What this covers - Whether schema markup is required to rank in Google - Whether schema helps you appear in ChatGPT, Perplexity, or other LLMs - How large language models actually retrieve web content - Why schema does not improve relevance, trust, or understanding for most sites - Why correlation studies from tools like Semrush are misleading - The difference between correlation and causation in SEO data - Why rich snippets do not prove schema improves rankings - What Google's schema guidelines actually say about reviews and FAQs - How misuse of review and FAQ schema can create risk - Why Google removed most FAQ and review rich results - When schema might make sense (flights, hotels, structured feeds) - Why SaaS sites, blogs, and local businesses don't need schema to rank - How search engines already extract structured data from normal HTML - Why tables, headings, and clean page structure matter more than schema - How LLM prompts differ from search queries - What "query fan-out" means for AI visibility - How to test whether schema affects rankings or AI mentions - Why SEO fundamentals still decide what ranks Key ideas from the episode - Search engines rank pages first, then use schema only if they need to display a feature - You cannot use schema to make an irrelevant page rank - LLMs do not crawl and index the web the way Google does - LLMs usually receive raw HTML, not processed schema - Schema is easy to fake and therefore cannot be a trust signal - Most pages that rank with schema would rank without it - Most schema usage exists because developers or plugins add it automatically - Google already ignores most schema for rich results - Real ranking signals still come from relevance, authority, and structure Who this episode is for - SEO practitioners who want data-driven clarity - Business owners tired of technical SEO upsells - Agencies selling or buying "AI optimization" - Anyone being told they need schema to rank ⭐️ 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/ ⭐️ Jake's Agency Discord - https://discord.gg/uvHRRRFVRD ⭐️ Jake's Podcast - The Agency Growth Podcast: https://everbrospodcast.com/ ⭐️ r/agency Subreddit - https://www.reddit.com/r/agency/ ⭐️ Jake Hundley on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/jake.hundley.1 ⭐️ Jake Hundley on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-hundley/ ⭐️ Jake Hundley's agency - https://evergrowmarketing.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 Introduction to Schema and SEO Experts 00:30 Debunking the Myth: Schema and LLMs 01:31 Correlation vs. Causation in Schema Usage 04:08 Practical Insights and Case Studies 11:00 The Role of Schema in Local SEO 16:29 Review and FAQ Schema Guidelines 21:35 Schema's Impact on Rankings and Methodology 23:47 Challenges and Realities in SEO 25:58 Discussing the Semrush Article on Technical SEO and AI Search 26:53 Debating the Validity of Schema in SEO 28:21 Analyzing the Impact of Schema on Search Rankings 30:00 Viewer Comments and Schema Debate 31:27 SEO Fundamentals and Long-Term Strategies 35:14 The Role of Schema in Modern SEO 39:03 Effective SEO Practices and Misconceptions 42:41 Concluding Thoughts and Future Tests The Edward Show. Your daily generative engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #topicalauthority #seo #digitalmarketing

E925: Most people think topical authority comes from publishing endless blog posts. That idea is wrong - and it's why so many SEO strategies fail. I break down what topical authority really is, how Google actually decides who is an expert, and why links, brand mentions, and bottom-of-funnel pages matter far more than informational content. This episode is built around a real Reddit thread from an SEO agency trying to move beyond "do SEO and hope it works" into a real, strategic model for winning in search. We go deep into how topical authority is created, how it works for SaaS, ecommerce, and service businesses, and why most people misunderstand it. What you'll learn: - Why publishing lots of blog posts is not required to build topical authority - How off-site signals like links, brand mentions, and PR shape how Google sees your expertise - How bottom-of-funnel landing pages quietly build more authority than blogs ever do - Why Google cares about the language people use when they mention your brand - How unlinked brand mentions influence topical relevance - What Forbes did to become able to rank for almost anything - How HouseFresh recovered from Google's Helpful Content Update and 4x'd their traffic - Why good marketing builds SEO, even when you stop thinking about SEO - How to use linkable assets, tools, and research to earn authority naturally - How agencies should think about topical authority when working with multi-category clients - Why generalist brands can still build topical authority - just across multiple topics - How to systematize topical authority inside a real SEO playbook What topical authority actually is: Topical authority is not something you "do" by writing articles. It's the result of: - Ranking for searches in a topic - Getting clicks for those searches - Being mentioned by other websites in the language of that topic - Earning links where surrounding text reinforces what you're known for Google doesn't need a blog to understand what you do. It needs signals from the rest of the web confirming what you're associated with. How real businesses build it… I explain why the strongest topical authority comes from: - Bottom-of-funnel SEO pages that target buyers, not readers - Link building that uses the same language your customers search with - PR, podcasts, and brand mentions that describe you in your niche - Tools, research, and resources people actually want to share When people talk about you using the words that match your business, Google connects your brand to those topics. That's authority. If you run an SEO agency… This episode also covers: - Why "publish more blog posts" is not a strategy - How to build topical authority for clients without content factories - How to decide which topics are worth building authority in - How to align SEO work with actual revenue Topical authority should always point toward the searches that make money. ⭐️ The Reddit thread: Understanding topical authority - https://www.reddit.com/r/SEO/comments/1qac2us/understanding_topical_authority/ ⭐️ E832 - From 1,000 to 200,000 Clicks: The INSANE SEO Comeback of HouseFresh.com - https://youtu.be/QewNJ2AgQxM ⭐️ E921 - How Teal Gets 1 Million Google Clicks a Month with AI-Powered SEO - https://youtu.be/8wImHWoQ7C4 ⭐️ E924 - Lars Lofgren & Jacky Chou on the pod - Google Is Easier to Game Than Ever And Black-Hat SEOs Are Winning - https://youtu.be/s8DpBug5w88 ⭐️ E895 - How to Do Blog SEO the Right Way (Using ChatGPT Without Ruining Your Brand) - https://youtu.be/tXgfUcBr8fU 💎 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 Introduction to Topical Authority 00:38 Reddit Question on SEO Strategies 01:33 Building Topical Authority Without Blogs 03:51 Top Comments and Insights 05:09 Effective Link Building Techniques 09:58 Case Studies and Real-World Examples 15:47 Last Thoughts + Ideas and Conclusion The Edward Show. Your daily generative engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #topicalauthority #seo #linkbuilding

E924: I sit down with Lars Lofgren and Jacky Chou to talk about what's really happening inside search right now - not the PR version, not the Google blog version, but what people running sites, ranking pages, and making money are actually seeing. We dig into why white-hat, content-driven SEO feels like it's collapsing for a lot of people, while black-hat operators, parasite SEO, and forum spam are quietly having one of their best years ever. This isn't a theoretical conversation. Lars and Jacky work directly inside these systems. They see what ranks, what breaks, and what keeps working after updates. If you run a website, a SaaS, a content business, or an affiliate site, this episode explains why things could feel harder than they used to - and why some people are still doing extremely well. What we cover - Why MozCon felt depressing while black-hat conferences felt optimistic - How Google's Helpful Content updates changed who wins and who loses - Why technical SEOs and parasite SEOs are outperforming content-first sites - How forums, Reddit, and Facebook groups are being used to manipulate rankings - Why casino, VPN, and adult niches still dominate traditional search results - How listicles, review sites, and media publishers control AI recommendations - Why Forbes keeps ranking for everything, even after being hit - How AI Overviews and LLMs pull from Google's front page - How easy it is to make a fake brand show up inside ChatGPT and other LLMs - Why Trustpilot, Reddit, and listicles matter more than backlinks right now - How some publishers recover while others stay permanently buried - The HouseFresh case study and why public pressure actually works - How parasite SEO works on newspapers and Google News sites - Why many white-hat SEOs feel stuck while black-hat operators scale - How founders should build brands in an LLM-driven world - Why social, video, and personal brands now beat pure SEO This episode is for anyone who: - Runs a content site - Does affiliate SEO - Builds SaaS or online tools - Depends on Google traffic - Wants to understand how AI is changing search - Feels like rankings and traffic don't make sense anymore ⭐️ Lars Lofgren's website and newsletter: https://larslofgren.com/ ⭐️ Lars Lofgren on LinkedIn (tell him you came from this podcast and he'll accept your connection): https://www.linkedin.com/in/larslofgren/ ⭐️ Lars Lofgren on 𝕏: https://x.com/larslofgren ⭐️ Jacky Chou on 𝕏 - https://x.com/indexsy ⭐️ Jack Chou's website - https://jackychou.com/ ⭐️ Jacky Chou on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@indexsy 💎 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 White Hat vs. Black Hat SEO: A Tale of Two Conferences 01:15 The Impact of AI and Google's Algorithm on SEO 02:10 Black Hat SEO: Thriving in the Current Landscape 04:43 Forbes and the Content Quality Debate 07:57 The Rise of Technical SEOs in the LLM Era 09:23 Gaming LLMs: New Tactics and Strategies 22:21 The Golden Age of Forum Spam 23:04 The Power of Masterminds and Private Communities 35:29 Reddit Manipulation and the Coding Bootcamp Scandal 41:47 Starting Local: Leveraging Facebook and Reddit 42:55 AI Influencers and Monetization Strategies 44:09 AI Content and Detection Challenges 44:45 AI in SEO: Misconceptions and Strategies 47:36 Google Algorithm Shifts and SEO Tactics 49:12 Niche Sites and Content Strategies 01:00:46 Trustpilot Reviews and Black Hat Tactics 01:07:12 Social Media Strategies for SEO and Branding 01:19:53 Concluding Thoughts and Final Tips The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #blackhatseo #searchengineoptimization #linkbuilding #growthhacking

E923: Metehan Yeşilyurt, one of the most respected AI visibility and SEO researchers in the world, joins the show! Metehan has spent the past year reverse-engineering how ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google's AI systems decide which brands get cited, recommended, and shown to users. This conversation goes far beyond surface-level AI SEO. We break down how large language models select sources, how consensus is formed across the web, and why some brands dominate AI answers while others disappear - even when they rank well on Google. If you care about visibility, traffic, and sales from AI systems, this shows what really matters. What you'll learn: - How ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI choose which brands to cite - Why ranking on Google is no longer enough to appear in AI answers - How "consensus" across the web determines AI trust - Why press releases and off-site mentions now matter more than ever - How comparison tables influence LLM parsing and citation behavior - Where to place tables and structured content for maximum AI impact - How LLMs treat the beginning, middle, and end of a page differently - Why JavaScript-heavy websites hurt AI visibility - How server-side rendering improves crawlability for AI systems - What content chunking actually does (and doesn't) do for LLMs - How YouTube, Reddit, Medium, and social platforms influence AI search - Why TikTok and YouTube are becoming AI training and discovery engines - How query fan-out works inside LLMs - How citations change every time you ask the same AI question - How AI re-ranking differs from Google's ranking system - What "rank fusion" means in AI search - How embedding models affect which pages get surfaced - Why some brands with top Google rankings get ignored by ChatGPT - How PR campaigns influence AI recommendation systems - How to use entity SEO to build brand trust inside LLMs - How to collect real user questions to drive AI-generated sales - Why content freshness inside the last 180 days is critical - Why updating publish dates changes AI ranking - How FAQ sections increase AI visibility when done correctly - How to audit a site for AI visibility - How Metehan uses Screaming Frog, embeddings, and crawlers to find gaps - How Google's Discovery Engine reveals how chunking really works - How the Universal Commerce Protocol and AI agents may change ecommerce Why this episode matters: Search is no longer just Google. ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and AI Overviews are now deciding which brands people see, trust, and buy from. These systems do not rank websites the same exact way Google does. They use embeddings, citations, re-ranking systems, and consensus across the web. This episode explains what you need to know for visibility in 2026. Who is Metehan Yeşilyurt? Metehan is an AI visibility and SEO researcher with over 10 years of experience. He is followed by some of the most respected names in search and has worked directly on AI visibility experiments for ecommerce, SaaS, and global brands. His work focuses on: - AI citation systems - LLM ranking behavior - Entity SEO - Off-site consensus building - Reverse-engineering ChatGPT and Perplexity ⭐️ Metehan Yeşilyurt on 𝕏 - https://x.com/metehan777 ⭐️ Metehan Yeşilyurt on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/metehanyesilyurt/ ⭐️ Metehan Yeşilyurt blog - https://metehan.ai/ 💎 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 Introduction and Overview 00:21 Influencing LLMs: Key Strategies 01:02 Building Consensus and Content Strategies 04:51 Context Issues and Solutions 07:22 Comparison Tables and Formatting 12:37 Experiments and Case Studies 16:23 SEO and AI Visibility 21:38 Press Releases and Offsite SEO 26:49 Content Chunking Debate 30:53 Google's Discovery Engine and Chunking 34:48 Reverse Engineering and Surprising Findings 40:22 Impact of SEO Fundamentals on Rankings 41:05 Offsite SEO and AI Citation Building 41:43 Platform Investment Strategies for AI SEO 43:17 Leveraging Social Media for SEO 46:09 Effective Use of User Questions for Conversions 51:32 Conducting AI Visibility Audits 54:38 Rapid Changes in AI Visibility Strategies 57:35 The Future of E-commerce and AI Agents 01:03:01 SEO Research Tools and Techniques 01:05:31 Content Freshness and FAQs for AI Visibility 01:11:00 Global Opportunities and Language Considerations 01:11:59 Conclusion and Upcoming Episodes The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #generativeengineoptimization #answerengineoptimization #searchengineoptimization #digitalmarketing

E922: SEO researcher, Mateusz Makosiewicz, created a completely fake luxury brand, published a few fabricated stories about it on Reddit and Medium, and watched as major AI tools confidently repeated the lies as fact. Even when the company's own website said those claims were false, the AI systems still chose the fake stories. This episode walks through exactly how the experiment worked, which AI models failed, which ones held up, and what this means for anyone running a brand, a website, or a business in an AI-driven search world. If you rely on ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, or AI search results to understand companies, products, or people, this episode will change how you think about what those tools are actually telling you. What this covers: - How a fake luxury brand was created from scratch - How three fake stories were planted on Medium, Reddit, and blogs - Why AI models trusted fake journalism over official company data - How detailed lies beat vague truths inside AI systems - Which models were easiest to manipulate - Which models resisted the misinformation - Why Medium "investigations" are especially dangerous - How Reddit, Quora, and blogs now shape AI answers - Why AI loses memory of its own past doubts - What this means for reputation management and SEO - How brands can protect themselves in AI search The core problem: AI does not care what is true. It cares what sounds complete. When forced to choose between: - A company saying "we do not disclose that" - A fake article giving specific numbers, names, and locations The AI almost always chooses the fake article. That means anyone with a Medium account and a few hours can influence how AI describes your business, your brand, or your products. Why this matters for marketers and founders For many, AI tools have become the front door to the internet. People ask them what to buy, who to trust, and which companies are real. This experiment shows that: - AI search can be manipulated - Fake narratives spread easily - Official websites are not always trusted - Third-party content now has more weight than your own claims That turns SEO and PR into something new: narrative control for machines. We also cover the offensive and defensive playbook that comes out of this experiment, including: - How to structure FAQ pages so AI trusts them - Why you need detailed numbers, dates, and explanations - Why vague marketing language makes you vulnerable - Why comparison pages and data pages matter - How to monitor Medium, Reddit, and blogs for brand hijacking - How to detect narrative attacks early If you care about AI, SEO, brand reputation, or the future of search, this is one of the most important case studies there is. ⭐️ I Ran an AI Misinformation Experiment. Every Marketer Should See the Results - https://ahrefs.com/blog/ai-vs-made-up-brand-experiment/ 💎 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 Introduction to the AI Misinformation Experiment 00:29 Overview of the Article and Key Takeaways 01:17 Building a Fake Brand: Xarumei 02:27 Phase Two: Introducing Conflicting Sources 04:14 AI Models' Reactions and Results 09:25 Conclusions and Best Practices for Marketers 12:08 Final Thoughts The Edward Show. Your daily generative engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #generativeengineoptimization #searchengineoptimization #answerengineoptimization #seo

E921: Edward sits down with David Fano, Head of Growth at Teal and former WeWork executive, to break down how Teal built one of the largest SEO engines in the job search space. Teal now ranks for more than 893,000 keywords and gets over one million organic clicks per month from Google. In this conversation, David explains exactly how that happened, what broke along the way, and how AI agents, SERP analysis, and internal linking now drive their growth. This is not theory. This is what it looks like to run SEO at real scale inside a fast-growing SaaS company. What you'll learn: - How Teal built an SEO system that ranks for nearly 900,000 keywords - Why long-tail SEO worked, and why it eventually created new problems - How launching millions of job pages hurt their resume rankings - What topical authority really means in practice - How Google decides whether two keywords are actually different - Why "resume builder" and "AI resume builder" behave differently in search - How SERP analysis tells you more than SEO tools ever will - How Claude is being used to crawl, analyze, and compare search results - How to automate SEO research with headless browsers and AI agents - How internal linking can either amplify or dilute ranking power - Why pillar pages matter more than most people realize - How Teal uses vectorized content to guide linking and content creation - How AI is being used to update, audit, and refresh content at scale - Why some pages must convert and some pages must rank - What happens when CRO and SEO fight each other - How Canva dominates resume and template search results - Why some keywords should live on one page instead of two - How exact-match domains and entity SEO still influence rankings - How Teal got early traffic by ranking for "ChatGPT resume" before anyone else - What Google's shift toward topical authority means for large sites - How to recover when a new section of your site damages your main revenue pages Topics covered: - SEO for SaaS - Programmatic SEO - AI agents and browser automation - SERP analysis - Topical authority - Resume builder and job board SEO - Internal linking strategy - Pillar pages - Schema and indexing - Google Search Console - Content decay and freshness - Entity SEO - Link building and digital PR Watch if you care about: - Growing organic traffic at scale - Using AI to do real SEO work, not content spam - Building sites that Google actually trusts - Turning search traffic into revenue - Understanding how Google evaluates topics, not just pages Subscribe for daily deep dives on SEO, growth, and how modern companies actually get traffic from Google and AI search. ⭐️ David Fano on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidfano/ ⭐️ David Fano on 𝕏 - https://x.com/davidfano ⭐️ Teal's main page for anyone looking to improve their resume and land a job - https://www.tealhq.com/tools/resume-builder 💎 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 Introduction and Guest Background 00:57 Journey into SEO and Early Career 02:27 WeWork Experience and Growth Strategies 04:47 SEO Challenges and Strategies at WeWork 06:19 Current Role and SEO at Teal 16:11 SEO Automation and Tools 35:53 Analyzing Organic Search Results 36:16 Building SEO Automation Tools 37:27 Challenges with Keyword Management 39:21 Vectorizing Content for Better SEO 40:48 Internal Linking Strategies 44:18 Impact of Job Pages on SEO 57:43 Link Building Strategies 01:10:44 A Challenging Day and Video Posting Struggles 01:11:23 Automation Tools and Social Media Posting 01:12:07 Manual Posting Success Stories 01:13:31 LinkedIn Posting Strategies 01:18:23 The Importance of Effort in Social Media 01:22:22 SEO Insights and Strategies 01:23:31 Building and Managing a Team 01:23:50 Final Thoughts and Advice The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #programmaticseo #growthmarketing #seo

E920: I break down one of the most unusual and important SEO stories of the decade: how Grokipedia, an AI-generated encyclopedia connected to Elon Musk's Grok, went from almost zero Google traffic to millions of clicks in just weeks - and why that could force Google into a decision that changes the future of AI content in search. Grokipedia isn't just another AI site. It is structured like Wikipedia, fully interlinked, heavily indexed, and now ranking for millions of keywords. But unlike Wikipedia, its articles are generated and fact-checked by AI, with only optional human edit suggestions. That creates a serious problem: how does Google handle a massive AI-generated reference site that now competes directly with Wikipedia? This walks through what Grokipedia is, how it grew so fast, how its SEO strategy works, and why its existence puts Google in an almost impossible position. What this covers: - What Elon Musk said about Wikipedia and Grokipedia - How Grokipedia went from 19 Google clicks per month to 3.2 million - How Grokipedia uses interlinking, server-side rendering, and SEO structure - Why AI-generated encyclopedias can be manipulated through search results - How press releases and indexed claims can be used to influence AI "fact checking" - What Google's quality guidelines say about AI-generated content - Why other AI sites have already been heavily deranked - The precedent this could set for AI content across the entire web - Why Google's response could trigger a public controversy - What solutions might exist, and why none of them are easy The core question: Is an AI-generated encyclopedia with hallucinations more dangerous than a human-edited encyclopedia with ideological bias? And if both have flaws, which one should Google promote in search? This episode explains why Google cannot avoid making a decision - and why whatever they do will shape how AI content is treated in search for years to come. ⭐️ Grokipedia - https://grokipedia.com/ ⭐️ Wikipedia - https://www.wikipedia.org/ ⭐️ Google quality raters now assess whether content is AI-generated - https://searchengineland.com/google-quality-raters-content-ai-generated-454161 💎 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 Introduction and Disclaimer 00:40 Wikipedia vs. Grokipedia: The Controversy 02:48 SEO Manipulation and Potential Issues 04:04 Grokipedia's SEO Success 05:15 Google's Stance on AI Content 06:58 Possible Outcomes and Solutions 09:17 Get Customers With SEO 11:53 Conclusion and Sign-Off The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #grokipedia #aiseo #digitalmarketing

919: Charles Floate joins the show to reveal what link building looks like inside restricted and gray market verticals like iGaming, crypto, and prediction markets. This is not a surface-level SEO conversation. It's a practical breakdown of how rankings are achieved, defended, and lost in some of the most competitive and hostile SERPs on the internet. The discussion covers why ranking is often the easy part - and why maintaining rank has become the real challenge as negative SEO, DMCA abuse, and large-scale link manipulation continue to increase. Topics covered include: - How link building works in restricted verticals where traditional outreach fails - Reverse engineering SERPs to understand what Google is rewarding right now - Why many competitors rank using identical techniques - and why Google allows it - Subdomain canonical strategies and aged domain leverage - Scaling link building without massive outreach teams using AI systems - The role of human validation and where automation becomes dangerous - Why most large budgets in iGaming are wasted on low-value links - How to identify real topical authority using link gap analysis - Tiered link building and when it actually makes sense - The difference between ranking and maintaining rankings in gray markets - DMCA takedowns as a negative SEO weapon - and how widespread they've become - Why some competitors disappear from Google overnight - The resurgence of PBNs and why they're working again - Link insertions, niche edits, and why Google hasn't stopped them - Beginner-friendly link building tactics that still work - Why statistics pages attract links passively from both humans and AI systems - Common on-page and technical SEO mistakes in iGaming sites - Intent mapping and why page type matters more than keywords - How AI search results change the need for consensus across sources - Link versioning and how authoritative pages replace existing sources - The limits of white hat SEO in international and gray markets - Cloaking tactics that still appear in the wild - and which ones are mostly gone This episode is intended for experienced SEOs, agency owners, and operators working in highly competitive or restricted niches. If you work in regulated, gray, or high-risk verticals, this conversation reflects the realities you're already dealing with. If you found this episode useful, consider subscribing for daily discussions on SEO, marketing systems, and real-world ranking strategies. New episodes are published every day. ⭐️ Charles Floate on 𝕏 - https://x.com/Charles_SEO ⭐️ Charles Floate on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesfloate/ ⭐️ Charles Floate on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@CharlesFloate ⭐️ Charles Floate on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TheCharlesFloate/ ⭐️ Charles Floate's PressWhizz - https://presswhizz.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 Introduction to SEO Attacks and Revenue Impact 00:32 Welcome and Introduction to Charles Floate 01:01 Reverse Engineering and Link Building in Competitive Niches 02:22 Techniques for Ranking in Gray Market Niches 06:15 Scaling Link Building with AI 10:43 Common Mistakes in Link Building and SEO 16:54 Advanced Techniques and Best Practices 23:23 Intent Mapping in SEO 25:14 Challenges in iGaming SEO 25:30 DMCA Takedowns and Negative SEO 28:58 AI and Negative SEO 32:13 Black Hat Link Building Tactics 41:53 Link Building in Restricted Verticals 43:54 Conclusion and Future Episodes The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #blackhatseo #linkbuilding #searchengineoptimization #competitiveseo

E918: David Quaid returns to the show to break down one of the most misunderstood topics in SEO: XML sitemaps. Every day, people are told that if their pages are "crawled but not indexed," the fix is simple - submit a sitemap. This episode explains why that advice is usually wrong, what XML sitemaps actually do, and why authority is the real factor behind indexing and rankings. This conversation reframes SEO as a system, not a checklist. Instead of treating Google like it follows instructions, we look at how crawling, indexing, PageRank decay, and authority actually work in practice. Topics covered: - What XML sitemaps do and what they don't do - Why "crawled but not indexed" is almost never a sitemap issue - How Google crawlers really work (and why they aren't "spiders") - The difference between crawling, indexing, and ranking - Why pages without authority don't get indexed - How internal links actually transfer authority - PageRank decay and why most links don't matter - Why manual URL submission is usually the wrong approach - Client-side rendering, JavaScript, and how Googlebot handles them - Why content quality is not the reason most pages aren't indexed - How large sites (Amazon, eBay, news sites) still have low index rates - Why backlinks only matter if the linking page has traffic - Common mistakes SEOs make with sitemaps, crawl optimization, and indexing tools - When HTML sitemaps make more sense than XML sitemaps - How authority shapes indexing for programmatic SEO and large sites Who this episode is for: - SEOs struggling with pages that won't get indexed - Founders and developers working on small or mid-sized sites - Anyone relying on XML sitemaps as an indexing strategy - People who want to understand how Google actually evaluates pages Key takeaway: If Google can crawl your page but won't index it, the problem is not technical. It's authority. XML sitemaps don't create authority, don't force indexing, and don't fix underlying SEO issues. SEO works as a system. If you try to treat it like a checklist, it will break. ⭐️ 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/ 💎 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 Introduction to Sitemaps and SEO 00:35 Debunking Common Sitemap Myths 01:23 Understanding Google Crawlers 03:02 Client-Side vs Server-Side Rendering 03:26 Authority and Relevance in SEO 03:36 Challenges with JavaScript and SEO 05:01 The Role of Authority in Indexing 10:50 Practical Tips for Improving Indexing 12:56 The Importance of Context in Links 15:14 Managing Sitemaps for Small Sites 16:04 Handling Noindex Pages 16:53 Crawling and Indexing Challenges 17:24 Manual Submit Requests and Google Bots 19:55 The Role of Sitemaps 21:23 Backlinks and Authority 23:40 Programmatic SEO Insights 23:52 Common Mistakes in Programmatic SEO 24:04 SEO for Large Websites 25:44 SEO Strategies for New Sites 30:42 SEO Fun and Future Topics 31:04 Conclusion and Next Episode Teaser The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #xmlsitemap #googlesearchconsole #webdevelopment

E917: I'm joined by Nathan Gotch to break down how modern SEO actually works in the AI era - and why systemizing your process matters more than ever. We go deep into how top operators think about SEO today, from local and e-commerce to SaaS and AI search platforms. This conversation is practical, opinionated, and grounded in real campaigns, not theory. What we cover: - Why systemizing SEO is more important than tactics or hacks - How to structure SEO playbooks, systems, and SOPs for repeatable results - The biggest mistakes people make with service area pages and local SEO - How to think about URL structure, intent, and conversion-first pages - When to create a new page vs expanding an existing one - How Nathan approaches SEO testing and experimentation - What actually matters in SEO audits (and what doesn't) - Site architecture, internal linking, crawl depth, and page support - HTML vs JavaScript sites and why it still matters - How AI retrieval changes crawling, indexing, and visibility - Page speed, retrievability, and why AI is less tolerant of slow sites - Using Google Search Console data to build supporting content - How to approach category pages in e-commerce without hurting conversions - The role of backlinks today and how link strategy is changing - How AI platforms pull citations for local and service-based businesses - Why Google Business Profiles still matter - and where they don't - The difference between traditional SEO and AI search visibility - What types of content AI cannot replace - When AI content works and when it clearly fails - How Nathan uses AI for development while keeping SEO fundamentals intact - Why small teams can now compete with much larger companies - What successful SEO operators do differently from everyone else This episode is especially relevant if you: - Run an SEO agency or manage client campaigns - Work in local SEO, SaaS, or e-commerce - Are trying to understand how AI affects search and visibility - Want to build repeatable SEO systems instead of starting from scratch - Care about long-term rankings, not short-term wins Nathan also shares how he's thinking about the future of SEO, AI search, and building platforms that work across Google, AI assistants, and emerging search environments. If you're serious about SEO and want to understand how top operators actually approach it today, this episode will give you a clear framework to think from. Thanks for watching and listening. ⭐️ Nathan Gotch's Search OS - https://os.nathangotch.com/ ⭐️ Nathan Gotch's Rankability - https://www.rankability.com/ ⭐️ Nathan Gotch on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@nathangotch ⭐️ Nathan Gotch - https://nathangotch.com/ ⭐️ Nathan Gotch on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathangotch/ ⭐️ Nathan Gotch on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nathan.gotch/ ⭐️ Nathan Gotch on 𝕏 - https://x.com/nathangotch 💎 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 Introduction 00:21 The Importance of Systemizing SEO 01:33 Nathan Gotch's SEO System 03:10 Building a Client Knowledge Base 07:28 Common SEO Mistakes and Best Practices 15:58 E-commerce SEO Strategies 36:51 Migrating Sites to Replit 46:05 Reading SEO Books and Creating Content 46:23 The Power of Experience in Content Creation 47:15 AI's Limitations and Human Advantages 48:53 Using AI for Case Studies and Content 49:21 Debating the Best CMS for SEO 51:08 Challenges and Benefits of WordPress 52:50 Exploring Vibe Coding and AI Tools 59:13 Building and Marketing Linkable Assets 01:01:53 Creating Software Companies with AI 01:17:16 SEO Strategies and AI Content 01:23:27 Building and Realizing Ideas 01:24:10 Mission and Vision for Rankability 01:25:40 Challenges and Persistence in Business 01:32:43 SEO Strategies and Local Business Focus 01:40:46 Influencing AI Platforms 01:49:42 Link Building and SEO Success 01:53:00 Consistency and Execution in SEO 01:59:22 Conclusion and Final Thoughts The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #linkbuilding #generativeengineoptimization #answerengineoptimization

E916: I break down one of the most extreme search visibility collapses I've ever seen. Cointelegraph - one of the largest and most established crypto news sites in the world - went from over 4 million monthly Google clicks to roughly 75,000 in a matter of weeks. Even branded searches stopped returning their website. This episode explains what actually happened, why this was not a crypto-wide issue, and what publishers should learn from it. What we cover in this episode: - The exact timeline of Cointelegraph's traffic collapse - Why this was likely more than an algorithmic update - How Google's site reputation abuse policy played a central role - The quiet launch of casino, betting, and iGaming directories - Why low-quality third-party content is especially risky for trusted brands - Signs that this was a manual penalty, not normal volatility - Why Cointelegraph disappeared even for branded searches - How similar situations have affected major publishers in the past - What this means for crypto media, news sites, and content publishers - How revenue diversification can backfire when it's misaligned with editorial focus Key takeaway: This was not Google "shadow banning crypto." This was a case study in what happens when a trusted publisher extends its authority into unrelated, high-risk commercial content - especially when third parties are involved. Even the biggest brands are vulnerable when transparency, alignment, and editorial integrity break down. This episode also explains: - Why some penalties are recoverable and others are not - How publishers can diversify revenue without risking search visibility - Why building in-house products is safer than affiliate-heavy strategies - The role transparency plays in long-term trust and E-E-A-T If you're a publisher, SEO, founder, or operator who depends on organic search traffic, this episode is required listening. ⭐️ Pere Monguió Montells's deep dive - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/pere-monguio_a-deep-dive-into-cointelegraphs-google-ban-activity-7393924228103938049--XEf/ ⭐️ Cointelegraph Traffic Drop and iGaming Section Removal Suggest a Possible Manual Google Penalty - https://theholycoins.com/news/cointelegraph-traffic-drop-and-igaming-section-removal-suggest-a-possible-manual-google-penalty ⭐️ Google hit Forbes Advisor with a manual action over the site reputation abuse policy - https://www.reddit.com/r/SEO/comments/1ft47sn/google_hit_forbes_advisor_with_a_manual_action/ 💎 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 Introduction: Cointelegraph's Google Ban 00:18 Cointelegraph's Traffic Plunge 01:22 Google's Site Reputation Abuse Policy 02:17 Investigating the Ban: June to September 04:20 October: The Collapse and Aftermath 10:39 Lessons and Takeaways for Publishers 14:50 Conclusion and Final Thoughts The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #sitereputationabuse #googlepenality #DigitalPublishing

E915: We break down EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) and how Google evaluates website quality - straight from Google's own documentation, quality rater guidelines, and real-world SEO experience. Joining me is Shaun Anderson, one of the most respected SEO professionals in the industry with over 20 years of experience. This is a fast-paced, no-nonsense discussion designed to clarify what EEAT is, what it is not, and how it affects real websites. This episode focuses on how Google determines trust, why some sites are labeled low quality, and why EEAT matters even if it's not a direct ranking factor. What we cover in this episode - What EEAT actually means in Google Search - Whether EEAT is a ranking factor (and why that question misses the point) - How Google evaluates trust and site quality - The difference between EEAT and PageRank - Why reputation matters more offsite than onsite - How Google treats YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) topics - Which types of content require higher trust standards - What happens when a site is marked "low quality" - Why EEAT cannot be faked - How transparency, credibility, and disclosures impact site quality - The role of terms of use, contact pages, and business information - How the Google API leak aligns with the Quality Rater Guidelines - Why trust is the most important quality framework to understand Key takeaways - EEAT is not a single signal or score - Trust is the core outcome Google is trying to measure - Some EEAT signals come from offsite reputation, not self-published claims - Onsite trust elements still matter and can impact the entire site - Poor transparency can lower the perceived quality of every page - EEAT affects rankings, conversions, and long-term site credibility This episode is useful for: - Website owners - SEO professionals - Content creators - Anyone publishing advice, commercial content, or informational content online Even if your site is not in a high-risk YMYL category, these principles still matter for users, conversions, and long-term growth. ⭐️ Shaun Anderson at Hobo SEO blog - https://www.hobo-web.co.uk/shaun-anderson/ ⭐️ Shaun Anderson on 𝕏 - https://x.com/hobo_web ⭐️ Shaun Anderson on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Hobo_Web ⭐️ Shaun Anderson on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaun-anderson-hobo/ ⭐️ Shaun Anderson's free EEAT tool - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bJnecq2vxJ_uqQVRvSbV50fw5ynIohqSnpqGZNimTKs/edit?gid=0#gid=0 💎 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 Introduction to EEAT in SEO 00:14 Guest Introduction: Shaun Anderson 00:47 Understanding EEAT: Key Concepts 01:27 Google API Leak and Its Implications 01:55 Importance of EEAT for Different Websites 04:17 YMYL Topics and Trustworthiness 06:59 Examples of EEAT in Practice 08:09 PageRank vs. EEAT 11:38 Maximizing Trust and Credibility 13:01 Fake vs. Real EEAT 20:36 Thoughts and Future Episodes 24:11 Final Remarks and Episode Wrap-Up The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #eeatseo #seotips #googleapileak

E914: Cody See joins the show. We break down why simple, fundamentals-driven SEO consistently outperforms complicated, "advanced" tactics - and why that's been true for over a decade. We talk through real-world experience running affiliate sites, agencies, and client campaigns, and explain why most SEO failures come from overengineering, ego, or chasing shortcuts instead of focusing on what actually converts. This is a practical, honest conversation about how SEO works today. Topics covered: - Why "easy SEO" isn't lazy SEO - and why it works - The difference between ranking for ego vs ranking for revenue - How picking the right keywords matters more than advanced tactics - Bottom-of-funnel keywords vs high-volume vanity keywords - Why link building isn't always necessary to rank - White hat SEO vs risky shortcuts and why shortcuts usually fail - How SEO results are often faster today than they were years ago - What changed about Google's "sandbox" (and why it barely exists now) - Real examples of backlinks that actually moved rankings - Why referral traffic matters more than links alone - How simple SEO scales better for agencies and niche businesses - Why most people overestimate the value of technical complexity We also discuss: - How AI-generated content is eroding traditional trust signals - Why authority is shifting back to reputation and real relationships - How outreach, PR, and networking have changed post-AI - Why being direct and human now beats polished outreach - How automation can support SEO without replacing judgment CMS & platform discussion: - Wix Studio vs WordPress from an SEO perspective - What Wix has improved - and where it still falls short - SEO features that matter and ones that don't - Why starting with clean fundamentals saves problems later This episode is for: - SEOs who are tired of overcomplicated advice - Agency owners who want repeatable results - Builders starting new sites who want clarity instead of noise - Anyone who wants SEO to support a real business, not just rankings ⭐️ Cody See on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamcodysee/ ⭐️ The Agency Growth Podcast - https://www.agencygrowthpod.com ⭐️ The Agency After Hours Discord - https://discord.com/invite/uvHRRRFVRD ⭐️ Cody's podcast interview with Wix Studio -  https://www.agencygrowthpod.com/episodes/wix-wants-agencies-were-listening-ft-kobi-gamliel-w-wix-studio-112 💎 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 Catching Up and Personal Updates 00:31 Launching a New Website on Wix 00:50 Discussing Wix's SEO Challenges 01:00 Cody's Podcast Interview with Wix's Head of Partnerships 03:39 SEO Strategies and Techniques 15:18 The Importance of Keyword Selection 19:11 Personal SEO Journey and Experiences 22:51 Building and Scaling an SEO Agency 24:54 Niche SEO Success Stories 27:35 Exploring PPC and Local Service Ads 36:40 The Future of AI in SEO and Networking 38:26 Challenges in Modern Communication 38:59 AI's Impact on Outreach 40:00 Trust Signals in Networking 41:27 Dealing with AI-Generated Messages 43:34 Effective Outreach Strategies 44:59 Understanding Your Audience 47:11 SEO and Website Platforms 48:10 Wix vs. WordPress: A Detailed Comparison 54:23 Automating SEO Tasks 58:24 Wix Studio's SEO Challenges 01:13:28 Final Thoughts and Contact Information The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #digitalmarketing #wixstudio #seo

E913: Practical, repeatable ways to use Google Search Console to make better SEO decisions without guessing. Instead of relying on assumptions, third-party tools, or long content cycles, this conversation focuses on using Google's own data to identify what your site is already eligible to rank for - and how to expand from there. We cover real workflows you can apply immediately, whether you're working on a small site or managing SEO at scale. David Quaid joins the show! We cover: - How to use Regex in Google Search Console to analyze branded vs non-branded searches - Why Search Console withholds data and how to work with wider query sets to get more accurate insights - How to identify question-based queries Google already associates with your site - Using Search Console to find page-two keywords that signal topical readiness - Turning "People Also Ask"-style queries into scalable FAQ and content structures - How internal linking and subfolders transfer topical authority across related pages - When expanding topical authority helps - and when it starts to hurt - A low-risk method for publishing many small pages to test ranking potential - How to use AI to speed up content production without committing to long editorial cycles - Deciding which pages are worth improving after Google shows you what ranks This episode is focused on process, not theory - how to reduce uncertainty, shorten feedback loops, and let Google's behavior guide your SEO strategy. ⭐️ 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/ 💎 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 Welcome Back, David Quaid! 00:49 Using Regex in Google Search Console 01:34 Understanding Branded vs. Non-Branded Searches 06:30 Privacy Concerns in Search Queries 11:08 Expanding Topical Authority with Regex 15:49 Implementing GEO SEO Strategies 19:54 SEO Keyword Strategy 20:16 Leveraging Topical Authority 20:21 Linking Strategies for SEO 20:59 Creating Hub Pages 21:45 Content Types and Formats 22:12 Local SEO Insights 23:08 Understanding Google's Ranking Factors 24:24 Expanding Topical Authority 26:08 Managing Content Decay 27:02 Using AI for Content Creation 31:41 Optimizing Content for Rankings 36:24 Final Thoughts and Farewell The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #keywordresearch #searchengineoptimization #googlesearchconsole #seo

E912: New research explains how Perplexity evaluates, ranks, and even discards content. If you want your content to be shown, cited, or recommended by large language models, understanding how one major AI answer engine works gives you insight into how the rest likely operate. We walk through research that analyzes Perplexity's ranking systems, including entity re-ranking, manual domain boosts, early engagement signals, and freshness requirements. While the research is currently unverified, the findings closely align with what we already know about how AI search and answer engines prioritize content. This is especially relevant for anyone working in SEO, content marketing, or generative engine optimization who wants to improve visibility in AI answers, AI overviews, and LLM-driven search experiences. What this covers: - How Perplexity retrieves and re-ranks content using multi-layer machine learning systems - Why topical authority and semantic relevance matter more than keyword matching alone - How entity searches (people, companies, concepts) are handled differently - The role of early user engagement in long-term visibility - Manual authority boosts for certain domains and what that means for content strategy - How YouTube titles and trending queries may influence AI visibility - Why fresh content and regular updates matter for LLM recommendations - Negative signals that can suppress or bury underperforming content - Why these ranking systems closely resemble SEO fundamentals Key takeaways: - Keyword optimization still matters, but it is not sufficient on its own - Content must be comprehensive, relevant, and supported by topical authority - Early performance can determine whether content continues to be surfaced - Interlinked content clusters perform better than isolated pages - AI answer engines favor quality, clarity, and usefulness over tactics designed to game rankings ⭐️ How Perplexity ranks content: Research uncovers core ranking factors and systems - https://searchengineland.com/how-perplexity-ranks-content-research-460031 ⭐️ Metehan Yesilyurt on 𝕏 - https://x.com/metehan777 💎 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 Introduction and Overview 00:57 Research Insights on Perplexity's Ranking 02:36 Entity Search Re-Ranking System 03:36 Authoritative Domains and Parasite SEO 04:51 YouTube Synchronization and Keyword Optimization 06:34 Core Ranking Factors 08:41 Conclusion and Final Thoughts The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #answerengineoptimization #generativeengineoptimization #searchengineoptimization #seo

E911: I break down what Google's John Mueller has repeatedly said is the most important rule in SEO: consistency. Not shortcuts. Not trends. Just consistent execution over time. John Mueller has shared this advice for years without fully explaining why it matters. Barry Schwartz helped add context, and in this I explain how consistency impacts rankings, trust, and conversions across both technical SEO and content. This conversation focuses on why inconsistent implementation quietly holds back many websites, even when they are doing other things right. What you'll learn: - Why Google consistently emphasizes consistency as the foundation of SEO - How inconsistent technical signals create problems for search engines - Common technical SEO mistakes caused by inconsistency - Why weak pages can negatively affect how Google views an entire site - How trust and consistency are closely connected in SEO - Why ranking alone is not the real goal of search optimization - How consistent publishing compounds results over time - A realistic approach to content frequency that most teams can maintain - Why taking your time leads to better outcomes than rushing execution Practical SEO guidance covered: - Publish content on a schedule you can realistically sustain - Fix page titles and internal linking before chasing advanced tactics - Focus on bottom-of-funnel SEO pages that target buyers ready to convert - Use blog content to support topical authority - Build links gradually with small, repeatable daily actions - Improve quality across your entire site instead of ignoring weak pages ⭐️ John Mueller Of Google: SEO Lives & Dies With Consistency - https://www.seroundtable.com/google-seo-lives-dies-with-consistency-31319.html ⭐️ How I've 10x'd My Podcast Growth Year Over Year - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/10x-podcast-growth/ 💎 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 Introduction and New Year's Greetings 00:22 The Importance of Consistency in SEO 01:00 Personal Consistency Journey 01:26 John Mueller's SEO Advice 02:30 Technical Consistency in SEO 02:52 Content Consistency and Quality 03:40 Practical SEO Tips and Strategies 07:58 Consistency in Link Building 08:29 Final Thoughts and New Year Motivation The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #seo #searchmarketing #digitalmarketing

E910: How ChatGPT and other large language models actually generate answers, based on widely shared research on how AI systems use search, training data, and real-time web results. If you're doing SEO in 2026 and beyond, understanding how AI decides when to search, what it pulls from the web, and why certain content gets shown in AI answers is no longer optional. This episode explains the mechanics behind ChatGPT, AI Overviews, and LLM recommendations - and how to adapt your SEO strategy so your content gets surfaced. What You'll Learn in This Episode - How ChatGPT really works behind the scenes - Why ChatGPT behaves more like a search engine than a "thinking" system - When ChatGPT decides to trigger a web search vs. using training data - How multiple models work together to evaluate, search, and generate answers - Why semantic relevance matters more than exact keywords - How ChatGPT pulls small snippets, not full articles - Why speed, cost, and page structure affect whether content is used - The role of freshness for timely, niche, or complex queries SEO Tactics to Get Shown in AI Answers - How clean structure and direct answers increase snippet eligibility - How long, rambling content gets ignored by AI systems - How to write content that is easier for LLMs to extract and reuse - Where clarity and formatting directly impact AI visibility Advanced AI SEO Strategies Covered - The press release tactic that influences ChatGPT and AI Overviews - How non-competitive and branded queries can be shaped with indexed PR content - Why certain "best X for Y" listicles are being repeated by LLMs - How self-published rankings and announcements affect AI recommendations How to See What ChatGPT Is Searching For - How to inspect ChatGPT's web queries using browser developer tools - How to find query fan-outs and reuse that language in your content - How to turn AI search queries into H2 sections or new pages Finding AI-Driven Searches in Google Tools - How to uncover natural language AI searches in Google Search Console - How to identify long-form queries used in AI Overviews and AI Mode - How to create content specifically for AI-assisted search behavior Tracking AI Traffic Accurately - How to see traffic from ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Copilot in Google Analytics - Which pages AI tools are recommending - How to measure real AI-driven visits instead of guessing The Core Takeaway If AI systems rely on search for many prompts, the best way to influence them is still to do strong SEO - but with better structure, clearer answers, and content built around how AI actually retrieves and evaluates information. ⭐️ Lily Ray's TLDR - https://x.com/lilyraynyc/status/2003143387264749882?s=46 ⭐️ AI SEO/GEO/AEO: How to Get Shown in LLMs in 2026 - 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 Introduction to AI and SEO 01:07 Understanding How ChatGPT Works 03:18 Influencing Large Language Models 04:02 SEO Tricks and Tips 06:23 Using Google Tools for AI SEO 07:13 Optimizing Content for AI 09:04 Conclusion The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #generativeengineoptimization #answerengineoptimization #digitalmarketing

E909: When you search Google today, you'll often see obviously AI-generated, low-quality content ranking in the top results - sometimes even from big global brands. In this episode, I break down why that happens, what's actually going on inside Google's algorithms, and why copying what you see in the SERPs is often the wrong takeaway for long-term SEO. This isn't an episode about shortcuts or spam tactics. It's about understanding how search really works, where the leniency comes from, and how to think about SEO beyond "what ranks right now." We cover: - Why low-quality AI content can rank temporarily in Google - How algorithmic spam detection works (and why it often hits later, not immediately) - A real example of an AI-generated site that scaled fast - and then collapsed - Why big brands and high-authority domains get more algorithmic leniency - How domain authority changes the rules of what Google will tolerate - Why low-competition keywords allow "worse" SEO to rank - The overlooked opportunity in low-volume, high-intent keywords - Why ranking low-quality content is often meaningless if it doesn't convert - How obvious AI content can damage brand equity and repeat visitors - The difference between ranking signals and conversion signals - Why E-E-A-T still matters for trust and revenue, even if it's debated as a ranking factor - Why copying random big brands is a mistake - and who you should actually study instead Key takeaways: - SEO is contextual and nuanced. - What ranks for one site, brand, or keyword can fail badly for another. - Spam tactics often work until they don't - and when they fail, they fail fast. - If your goal is sustainable traffic, conversions, and brand trust, understanding why something ranks matters more than copying it. This is episode 909 of The Edward Show. If you're watching on YouTube, thanks for being here. If you're listening on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, thanks for listening. ⭐️ Ep906 - Google Wasn't Lying: What the Google API Leak Really Revealed About SEO - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYObbKZS-zA ⭐️ Ep903 - SEO Isn't Dead: The AI Search Holiday Special - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFWEpLPMl08 ⭐️ Ep839 - The Hidden Keyword Gaps Google Is Begging You to Fill - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS7zHS4Ant0 💎 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 Introduction 00:23 Listener's Question on AI Content 01:35 SEO Nuances and Spam Tactics 03:28 Domain Authority and SEO Tactics 06:21 Importance of Legit Content 07:54 EEAT and Brand Equity 09:03 Big Brands and SEO Practices 11:24 Conclusion The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #seotips #seocopywriting #digitalmarketing

E908: We break down how SEOs are using vibe coding and AI development tools to build rankable web apps, calculators, and tools that generate organic traffic and revenue faster than traditional content. Today's guest is Ram Berrouet, a longtime co-founder, friend, product builder, and founder of Relief, a Series A startup with hundreds of thousands of users. Ram explains how recent breakthroughs in AI models have fundamentally changed what's possible for SEO-driven businesses - from building full web apps in minutes to replacing large engineering teams with AI-assisted workflows. This episode is specifically for: - Niche site builders - Publishers losing organic visibility - SEOs tired of traffic volatility - Founders looking for faster MVPs - Marketers who want durable revenue - Anyone who wants to turn search demand into products What we cover: - How "vibe coding" works in real production environments - Why recent AI models now outperform junior and senior engineers for many tasks - How Ram replaced an 8-person engineering team using AI tools - Building rankable web apps instead of just blog posts - Turning bottom-of-funnel SEO keywords into revenue-generating tools - Creating calculators, widgets, and interactive assets that rank in Google - How fast iteration changes SEO strategy and monetization - Why SEO is becoming the most predictable distribution channel again - How to migrate large, high-ranking sites without losing SEO equity - Using AI to maintain metadata, internal links, canonicals, and site structure - Publishing new pages, tools, and blog posts using prompts instead of CMS editors - Why social distribution is getting harder - and how SEO fills the gap Tools and platforms discussed: - AI-powered IDEs and development agents - Gemini 3 and Claude Opus 4.5 models - Cursor and automated code review agents - Replit for no-code and low-code app development - AI-assisted site migrations and crawlers - Front-end SEO tools like calculators and widgets embedded on CMS platforms Key takeaway for SEOs: If you can already rank pages, you can now build products. AI has reduced the cost and complexity of building apps, tools, and interactive assets to near zero. That means SEOs can: - Create defensible assets - Target high-intent keywords - Monetize traffic directly - Reduce reliance on ads and affiliates - Build real products without engineering teams Subscribe for daily episodes on SEO, monetization, publishing, and building real businesses on top of organic traffic. ⭐️ Ram Berrouet on 𝕏 - https://x.com/RamBerrouet ⭐️ Ram Berrouet on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ram-berrouet/ ⭐️ Ram Berrouet app, Relief - https://www.relief.app/ 💎 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 Introduction and Guest Background 00:21 The Insanity of Vibe Coding 04:32 AI Breakthroughs in Development 12:05 Replacing Traditional Development Teams 17:55 Building Apps with No Technical Experience 23:11 SEO and Web App Development 32:42 Website Redesign and SEO Optimization 34:18 New Workflows with AI Tools 35:37 Voice Commands and Whisper Flow 37:58 Evolution of AI in Development 42:44 Social Media Strategies and Challenges 51:31 SEO vs. Social Media Content 53:39 Creating Web and Mobile Apps 55:50 Podcast Conclusion and Guest Information The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #linkableassets #linkbuilding #indiehackers