The Edward Show

Edward Sturm
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Daily SEO advice, hacks, and interviews with some of the top voices in search engine optimization, as well as sit-downs with many undiscovered talents.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    Google's May 2026 Core Update: AI Spam Gets Smoked, Local SEO Shifts, GSC Breaks

    E1054: Breaking down Google's May 2026 Broad Core Update and what I'm seeing across the SEO community as the rollout begins. Google announced a two-week rollout starting May 21, after several days of volatility that had people reporting major ranking swings and traffic changes. I cover what's likely driving the turbulence, what looks like noise, and what appears to be a real directional shift. What I'm seeing so far: - A stronger crackdown on scaled AI content and hyperscaled "AI blog" subfolders - Local SEO turbulence, with directory/aggregator sites losing ground on "near me" terms - A Google Search Console issue causing link reports to show major drops or even zero links - Wide community chatter ranging from panic to relief depending on site type and intent Scaled AI content: possible enforcement getting sharper - a notable example circulating in the community involves a large AI-generated blog subfolder that appears to have been hit hard right as the update landed. The site's English blog presence effectively disappeared from search results while the broader domain still shows, which lines up with either enforcement actions or an algorithmic demotion aimed at low-value scaled content. I explain what made this type of content vulnerable: - Dense, repetitive AI text with low usefulness and poor readability - Little to no original media or supporting assets - Broad topic sprawl with no clear expertise or focus - Pages that look designed for search volume capture rather than users Local SEO: directories losing "near me" visibility - early reports suggest directory sites that previously dominated local-intent queries are dropping from top positions for a wide set of "near me" searches. I walk through why this may be happening and what it signals about how Google is evaluating local results during this update. Key idea discussed: - Google may be favoring the provider over the middleman when the intent is explicitly local and service-based Why that would make sense in practice: - Google already has Maps and Business Profiles to satisfy local intent quickly - Business Profiles include reviews, photos, hours, and direct contact details - Directory pages often add little beyond a list of providers and generic text What this could mean depending on what you run… - If you operate a local service business: you may see improved visibility as directories slide - If you run a directory/aggregator: you may need clearer differentiation, better information, and a reason to exist beyond collecting listings - If you do both: your strategy may need to split between brand-level authority and high-intent, provider-specific pages Google Search Console: links report glitch - at the same time as the rollout, many SEOs are reporting Google Search Console's links report behaving erratically, including: - Links dropping sharply in reported totals - Link counts showing as zero in some cases - Sudden, extreme fluctuations that don't match reality Important note from the episode: - This appears to be a reporting problem in Search Console, not proof that your backlinks disappeared How I'm thinking about this update - I share how I approach core update volatility and what I've consistently seen hold up through major changes: - Bottom-of-funnel pages built around clear intent tend to be more stable - Informational/top-of-funnel content tends to swing more during core updates - Targeting under-contested, high-intent queries can reduce volatility because fewer competitors are actively pushing into the same terms ⭐️ Google's Announcement - https://status.search.google.com/incidents/wdAXJk6LRRihEjpzEeWE ⭐️ ALM's blog collapse - https://x.com/gaganghotra_/status/2057451034969248223a ⭐️ May Update Digital Marketing Subreddit Discussion - https://www.reddit.com/r/digital_marketing/comments/1tkcttv/google_core_update_may_2026/ ⭐️ May Update Local SEO Subreddit Discussion - https://www.reddit.com/r/localseo/comments/1tjvgbf/google_core_update_for_may_started_rolling_out/ ⭐️ Google Search Console Links Report Is Broken - https://www.seroundtable.com/google-search-console-links-report-broke-41371.html ⭐️ Google May 2026 Core Update Is Rolling Out - https://www.seroundtable.com/google-may-2026-core-update-41367.html 💎 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 May Core Update Chaos 00:39 Rollout Timeline Explained 01:13 Scaled AI Spam Crackdown 03:42 Local SEO Shakeup 07:19 Search Console Link Glitch 08:31 Community Reactions 10:00 What Stayed Stable 10:32 Bottom of Funnel SEO Strategy 13:03 Wrap Up and Thanks The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #seo #googlecoreupdate #digitalmarketingnews

    13 min

  2. 2 DAYS AGO

    The Era of 10 Blue Links Is Over (Google I/O Search + May 2026 Core Update)

    E1053: Breaking down Google's latest Search changes announced at Google I/O and what they mean in practice for SEO, businesses, agencies, publishers, and affiliates. I also cover the May 2026 core update announcement from Google Search Central, what people were noticing leading up to it, and early signals worth paying attention to. Google is reframing the search box into something closer to a prompt interface: longer queries, prompt prediction, image input, interactive experiences you can return to, and agent-like behavior that can track details and alert you over time. A lot of people are asking whether this is finally the moment "SEO is dead." My take: for businesses that sell their own products and services, the fundamentals still hold. The pain is concentrated elsewhere, especially for publishers and affiliates. What we cover: - What Google announced at Google I/O and why it's a major shift in how Google wants people to search - The "prompt-like" search box: longer queries, expansion, and predicted follow-up text - Interactive experiences inside Search, including tools and visualizations you can revisit - Agent-style features: tracking prices, stock status, local deals, and ongoing monitoring based on your preferences - Why most people still prefer short searches, and why that limits how fast behavior changes - Why "build it for me" still requires clarity most users won't provide - Why SEO isn't "dead" for businesses selling their own products and services - What continues to work for SEO in an AI-first search environment - Bottom-of-funnel pages targeting scenarios, use cases, and services you actually offer - Documentation that clearly explains what your product or service does - Online reputation management and buyer due diligence - Comparison and "alternative" pages (competitor + alternative) - Who gets hit hardest by these changes - Publishers losing clicks to AI answers, even when they still rank - Affiliates losing commissions when the path to the product gets shortened - Why owning the product is the most durable play if you can rank - The May 2026 core update announcement and the stated rollout window - What people noticed before the update - Volatility chatter across SEO communities - Reports of sites getting deranked, especially those relying heavily on AI content - Reports of backlink counts dropping in Google Search Console ⭐️ Google Search as you know it is over - https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/19/google-search-as-you-know-it-is-over/ ⭐️ Google May Core Update announcement - https://x.com/googlesearchc/status/2057487931250499886 ⭐️ Google May 2026 Core Update Is Rolling Out - You Felt It - https://www.seroundtable.com/google-may-2026-core-update-41367.html ⭐️ ethanjlim - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/JcOKmfUX-ko 💎 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 Search Overhaul 00:50 New Search Box Features 02:16 Will SEO Die 02:44 Why Prompts Stay Short 04:43 SEO Tactics Still Win 06:40 Publishers And Affiliates Hit 08:39 May Core Update Buzz 09:59 Closing The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #seo #searchmarketing #digitalmarketing

    11 min

  3. 4 DAYS AGO

    How to Migrate a Website Without Losing SEO Traffic (CMS & Domain Changes)

    E1052: We break down how to migrate a website without losing SEO traffic. Whether you are switching from WordPress to Squarespace or Webflow, changing to another CMS, restructuring your URLs, or moving to a new domain entirely, this conversation covers what actually happens inside Google during a migration - and how to minimize risk. We discuss real-world scenarios, including accidental migrations, domain changes, slug updates, and situations where rankings unexpectedly dropped. The goal is simple: protect your traffic and avoid unnecessary volatility. What we cover: - What happens when you change CMS but keep URLs and content the same - Why HTML structure changes can still trigger re-indexing - How low-authority pages can suddenly impact rankings during a migration - The difference between crawl, refresh, and discovery modes - How cannibalization can appear after a migration - Why you should freeze structural changes before migrating - When to noindex pages before changing slugs - How to properly handle 301 redirects for slug updates - What to expect when changing root domains - How to use Google Search Console's domain migration tool - Why XML sitemaps do not "force" indexing - Why HTML sitemaps can be more effective - The risks of changing site architecture during a migration - How to warm up a new domain before moving - How to smooth traffic volatility with strategic content republishing We also answer a listener question about whether submitting a new sitemap after changing site architecture can cause traffic drops - and what to do instead. If you are planning a website migration, CMS switch, URL restructure, or domain move, this episode walks through the technical considerations that can make the difference between a smooth transition and a traffic decline. If you have questions about SEO, migrations, indexing, or site structure, send them in and we may cover them in a future episode. ⭐️ 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 Migration SEO Basics 00:30 Chad's CMS Switch Scenario 02:02 Pre-Migration Freeze Checklist 03:11 Protect Top Traffic Pages 04:19 Prune And Republish Old Posts 05:46 Press And Email Crawl Boost 07:17 Same Domain Vs New Domain 08:59 HTML Changes Trigger Reindexing 11:15 Discovery Vs Refresh Crawls 12:23 Health Checks And Cannibalization 12:55 Staged Migration Case Study 14:32 Will Traffic Really Stay Flat 18:05 Domain Move Pitfalls And GSC Tool 18:57 Subdomain Cannibalization 20:00 Slug Changes and Noindex 22:43 Timing the 301 Redirect 26:56 Smooth Domain Migration Prep 29:39 Architecture Changes Risk 31:30 Sitemaps Dont Force Indexing 34:07 HTML Sitemaps and Authority 35:27 Wrap Up and Next Steps The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #sitemigration #technicalseo #seo

    37 min

  4. 4 DAYS AGO

    Most SEO Copywriting Is Killing Your Rankings (And Costing You Sales)

    E1051: Most SEO copywriting is written for algorithms instead of searchers. That creates two problems: 1. Pages convert poorly 2. Rankings slowly decline over time In this episode, I break down one of the biggest SEO mistakes businesses make: misunderstanding search intent. A lot of websites technically "do SEO" correctly. They target keywords, publish articles, and rank on Google. But when searchers land on the page, the copy does not immediately give them what they want. People leave.
 Conversions suffer.
 Google notices. We cover: - Why answering search intent immediately is critical - How pogo sticking hurts rankings - Why most SEO introductions are written incorrectly - The difference between top of funnel and bottom of funnel intent - How to write introductions that increase conversions - Why "explaining the keyword" often backfires - Examples of good vs bad SEO copywriting - How to naturally work keywords into content - Why strong SEO copy feels more like sales copy than encyclopedia writing - How better copy improves both rankings and revenue Examples discussed in the episode include: - "Why is my sink draining slowly?" - "24 hour plumber Hoboken" - "Room planner app" This episode is focused on practical SEO writing that keeps searchers on the page, builds trust quickly, and moves people toward action. ⭐️ How Adding TL;DR Boosted My Conversions by 33% - https://www.reddit.com/r/SEO/comments/1h3qstq/how_adding_tldr_boosted_my_conversions_by_33/ 💎 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 Copywriting Stakes 00:44 Answer Intent Immediately 01:42 TLDR Boosts Conversions 02:30 Top of Funnel Example 05:29 Bottom of Funnel Mistakes 06:48 Local Services Copy Fix 09:04 SaaS Copy Fix 10:48 Wrap Up The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #copywriting #searchengineoptimization #seo #localseo

    12 min

  5. 4 DAYS AGO

    The Death of Clicks? Rand Fishkin on Brand, AI & the Future of Marketing

    E1050: Rand Fishkin returns to the show to talk about what is actually changing in marketing right now. Search traffic is shrinking. AI answers are replacing clicks. Platforms are keeping users inside their ecosystems. And many marketers are still operating like it's 2015. We break down what "zero-click marketing" really means, why brand matters more than ever, and what founders should be doing instead of chasing vanity rankings. We also go deep into AI, PR, profitability, and how to build something that lasts. Topics we cover: - Why links may matter less than mentions - The shift from traffic-driven marketing to influence-driven marketing - What zero-click marketing actually looks like in practice - Why ranking for informational keywords is no longer a complete strategy - How AI is changing research, buying behavior, and brand perception - The risks and ethics of AI-generated content - Why many affiliate and pure publisher sites are in trouble - The difference between building a brand and chasing search volume - How to measure off-site marketing without relying on clicks - Time-based and location-based experiments for attribution - Why PR is still one of the most undervalued marketing channels - How to think about short-term marketing "hacks" versus long-term positioning - Why profitability gives bootstrapped founders leverage - What Rand learned from leaving Moz and starting SparkToro - How teaching and communication became his most valuable skills Rand also shares: - How Alertmouse reached 5,000 users in about 100 days - Why product improvement drove more growth than new channels - How to decide which marketing channels to ignore - Why some companies survive Google updates while others disappear - What makes a marketing strategy durable This episode is not about panic. It's about adapting to how people actually research, evaluate, and buy today. If you are a founder, marketer, or SEO trying to understand where the industry is heading, this conversation will give you a grounded perspective. ⭐️ Rand's first time on the podcast - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JQvdLYvGZI ⭐️ Rand on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/randfishkin/ ⭐️ Rand on Threads - https://www.threads.com/@randderuiter ⭐️ Zero Click Marketing - https://zeroclickmarketing.co/book ⭐️ SparkToro - https://sparktoro.com/ ⭐️ Snackbar Studio - https://snackbarstudio.com/ ⭐️ Alertmouse - https://alertmouse.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 Rand Returns to the Pod 00:27 Mentions Beat Links 02:05 Marketing Beyond Google 03:20 Your First 90 Days Plan 03:51 Three Channel Rule 09:18 Choosing Uncrowded Markets 15:51 Alertmouse Growth Story 22:11 GEO vs SEO Debate 25:26 Zero Click Marketing Book 29:58 Measuring Offsite Impact 34:14 Podcasts and AI Citations 37:12 YouTube Spam in AI Search 38:51 Ethics of AI Spam 42:07 Who Wins Google Updates 45:38 Brand Over Keywords 49:43 Underpriced Channels Now 53:32 SparkToro for Audience 54:50 Sustainable vs Temporary Marketing 57:33 Building an Escalator 01:04:43 When AI Content Works 01:08:15 K Shaped AI Adoption 01:10:01 Lightning Round Wrap The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #seo #digitalmarketing #generativeengineoptimization

    1hr 14min

  6. 5 DAYS AGO

    The Fastest Way to Get SEO Results: Slow Is Smooth, Smooth Is Fast

    E1049: One of the most common SEO mistakes is trying to do too much too fast. In this episode, I break down why rushing SEO usually creates more problems than progress, especially for new websites. Publishing too many pages too early, automating workflows you do not fully understand, doing sloppy outreach, and chasing competitive keywords before building authority all create unnecessary variables that make SEO much harder than it needs to be. I explain why "slow is smooth, smooth is fast" applies directly to SEO and how moving more carefully at the beginning often leads to faster long term growth. Topics covered in this episode: - Why publishing too many pages early can dilute authority - How weak pages create negative SEO signals - Why new websites should target easier keywords first - The relationship between backlinks, authority, and rankings - How internal linking channels authority across a website - Why bad outreach can permanently hurt link building opportunities - Common mistakes people make with AI generated content - Why automation works best after you understand the underlying process - How reducing variables makes SEO easier to troubleshoot - Why taking breaks can improve search intent satisfaction and click through rates - What to cut if your website already has too many low quality pages - A simpler SEO process for new websites trying to get traction I also talk about: - Pogo sticking and why it matters - Information architecture - Keyword targeting mistakes - Scaling SEO the right way - Why many websites make SEO harder than it needs to be 💎 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 Slow Is Smooth Intro 00:56 Rushing Creates Chaos 01:43 Authority Gets Diluted 03:04 Sloppy Content Signals 04:14 Bad Outreach Backfires 06:09 Go Slow To Scale 07:05 Automation After Mastery 07:53 Action Steps Recap 09:54 Wrap The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #seo #linkbuilding #digitalmarketing

    11 min

  7. 6 DAYS AGO

    How to Get Backlinks for a Brand New Website (Even With Zero Authority)

    E1048: How do you get backlinks when your website is brand new and has almost no authority? We break down a real question from a founder who launched an AI tools directory and is stuck in the classic SEO chicken-and-egg problem: if no one trusts your site yet, why would anyone link to it? We talk through what matters in the early stages of link building, what makes a new site look trustworthy, and practical strategies you can use right away - even if your domain authority is close to zero. This episode covers: - Why most people cannot tell that your site is "new" (unless you make it obvious) - The biggest mistake founders make when asking for backlinks - How to build relationships before you ever ask for a link - How 15 minutes a day on social media can turn into real backlinks - Why following up with journalists is critical (and how to do it properly) - How to use AI to find journalists, develop angles, and write better pitches - What makes a website feel trustworthy enough to link to - How to create linkable assets people actually want to reference - When to use Help A Reporter Out, Source of Sources, Qwoted, and Featured - Why podcasts are an underrated backlink strategy - Why you do not need massive authority to start earning links We also discuss: - Whether you should wait for traction before doing outreach - The difference between chasing domain authority and building relevant referring domains - How to structure your site so publishers feel comfortable linking to you - Why most people fail to build ongoing relationships with journalists - How to control the language around your backlinks If you are building a startup, directory, SaaS, or content site and wondering how to earn your first 10–20 real backlinks, this episode walks through practical strategies that work in the early phase. ⭐️ The Reddit Thread - https://www.reddit.com/r/Entrepreneur/comments/1qugpbd/how_do_you_earn_backlinks_for_a_brandnew_site/ ⭐️ 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 Backlink Ideas Kickoff 00:11 The New Site Dilemma 01:10 Look Legit, Not Spam 01:40 Relationship First Outreach 02:24 VA Social Comment Strategy 03:46 Keep Journalists Warm 04:31 Competitor Link Research 06:08 Trust Signals Checklist 07:31 Linkable Assets and Placements 08:28 HARO, Qwoted, Featured, SoS 09:01 Share Functions for Links 09:48 Getting Links Without Assets 10:10 Podcast and Directory Backlinks 10:56 Wrap Up The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #linkbuilding #backlinks #searchengineoptimization #seo

    12 min

  8. 17 MAY

    Google Says GEO Doesn't Exist… Here's What They're Not Telling You

    E1047: Google just released official guidance on how to show up in generative AI search features like AI Overviews and AI Mode.  And according to them? GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is just SEO. AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is just SEO. There's no special LLM optimization playbook. So… are they telling the full truth? I break down Google's official post from Search Central and separate what's accurate from what's incomplete. Some of it is absolutely correct. Some of it shuts down common AI "growth hacks." And one part? It works - even though Google says it doesn't. If you care about showing up in AI search results - Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude - this episode will save you years of distraction. What we cover: - Why SEO is still the foundation of AI search - How retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) actually works in practice - What "query fan-out" means and why it ties AI visibility directly to traditional search rankings - Whether GEO and AEO are actually different from SEO - Why non-commodity content matters more than ever - The real reason most AI content farms spike and then collapse - Why LLMs.txt and "chunking for AI" are mostly unnecessary - What Google says about structured data (schema) and AI - The truth about off-site reputation and mentions - The real SEO signals that matter: relevance, authority, click-through rate, reduced pogo-sticking I also explain: - Why chasing AI shortcuts is usually harder than doing real SEO - How to think about page creation without creating thousands of low-quality variations - When JavaScript SEO becomes a problem - Why page experience still impacts AI visibility - How to approach reviews and reputation the right way The core takeaway: If you build pages that satisfy searchers, reduce bounce-backs to the SERPs, get mentions, and target high-intent queries - you will show up in AI search and get conversions. You don't need special AI markup. 
You don't need secret GEO frameworks. 
You don't need to flood the web with AI-generated pages. You need strong fundamentals. ⭐️ Google's post - Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search - https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/ai-optimization-guide 🚀 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 Google Lying Debate 00:55 SEO Still Matters 01:48 RAG And Query Fanout 03:19 GEO Versus SEO 03:50 Unique Noncommodity Content 06:06 Structure And Media 07:12 Avoid Scaled Content Abuse 08:35 Technical SEO Basics 09:36 AI SEO Myths 11:09 Mentions, Reviews, And Schema 14:06 Final Take 15:53 Wrap Up And Goodbye The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #generativeengineoptimization #answerengineoptimization #searchengineoptimization #seo

    16 min
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About

Daily SEO advice, hacks, and interviews with some of the top voices in search engine optimization, as well as sit-downs with many undiscovered talents.

Information

  • Creator
    Edward Sturm
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    1.1k
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026
  • Show Website
    The Edward Show

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