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. 4 HR AGO

    SEO Experiments That Prove Everyone Wrong - Google Leaks, AI Myths & Ranking Signals (Mark Williams-Cook)

    E961: I sit down with Mark Williams-Cook to break down what actually drives rankings today and what most of the industry gets wrong. We talk about real SEO experiments, insights from Google leaks and exploit data, how large language models affect search, and why brand signals, links, and user behavior matter more than most tactical checklists. Mark shares lessons from more than two decades in SEO, including agency work, affiliate sites, SaaS tools, and running ongoing experiments to test assumptions that are often repeated without evidence. This conversation covers both practical strategy and deeper search engine behavior, including how Google evaluates site quality, how ranking layers work, and why many commonly recommended tasks deliver little impact. Topics covered: - The difference between fast SEO tactics and long-term brand-driven SEO - Why link acquisition still moves rankings and how digital PR creates compounding authority - The concept of site quality score and how branded searches influence eligibility for SERP features - What Google exploit data revealed about ranking stages, query classification, and post-ranking adjustments - Why many SEO activities waste time, including excessive focus on meta descriptions and low-impact technical tasks - The role of user signals and how engagement data influences long-term visibility - AI content realities, including when generative AI helps and when it damages trust and performance - Programmatic SEO - what works, what fails, and how originality affects sustainability - Practical digital PR examples that generated large authority gains and traffic growth - How to approach SEO experiments without falling into confirmation bias - The relationship between backlinks, brand awareness, and search performance in the AI search era - Niche selection, competitive SERPs, and where opportunities still exist today - How Mark uses AI operationally for migrations, content workflows, and reactive PR monitoring - People Also Ask data and how it can be used to map search intent and improve topical coverage We also discuss SEO misconceptions around schema, LLM optimization, click-through rate manipulation, indexing behavior, and how Google's language differs from how SEOs interpret ranking factors. If you care about building durable search visibility rather than chasing short-lived tactics, this episode provides a grounded look at how search actually behaves in practice. And if you enjoyed this, consider subscribing and sharing it with someone working in SEO or growth. ⭐️ Mark Williams-Cook on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/markseo/ ⭐️ Mark Williams-Cook's agency - https://withcandour.co.uk/ ⭐️ AlsoAsked - https://alsoasked.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 Mark Williams-Cook's SEO Origin Story 04:16 Why Mark Runs SEO Experiments 08:21 LLMs, Common Crawl & LLMs.txt 12:32 Meta Descriptions, Enterprise SEO & What Moves the Needle 15:55 Links, PageRank & the Google Exploit 21:03 Site Quality Score Explained 24:22 Link Building That Scales 28:24 First 90/180 Days SEO Plan 37:29 Underrated SEO Signals 46:40 Programmatic SEO Done Right 51:39 How Mark Uses AI in SEO 57:04 AI Content, Accuracy & the 'AI Ick' 01:03:16 Picking Easy vs Hard Niches 01:11:29 Inside the Google Exploit 01:21:34 UX Signals & Core Web Vitals 01:24:57 More Crazy SEO Experiments 01:32:43 AlsoAsked Demo 01:39:00 Wrap-Up The Edward Show. The #1 search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ Edward Sturm on Grokipedia - https://grokipedia.com/page/Edward_Sturm #searchengineoptimization #seo #digitalmarketing #searchmarketing

    1h 40m

  2. 1 DAY AGO

    The AI PR Hack: Get Backlinks from 33,000 Journalists

    E960: Brett Farmiloe returns to share his screen, breaking down a new AI feature from Featured and Help A Reporter Out (HARO) that helps you find and pitch the exact journalists who are most likely to cover your story. Instead of blasting press releases to massive media lists or relying on expensive distribution platforms, this tool analyzes journalist data, past articles, and active queries to help you identify the right reporter for your specific angle. We go deep into how it works, when it works best, and how to actually use it without damaging your credibility. What we cover: - How the AI matches your story or press release with relevant journalists - How Featured leverages the Help A Reporter Out (HARO) network of 33,000+ journalists - How to search for reporters based on specific perspectives or coverage angles - How to paste in a press release URL (or raw text) and get targeted pitch recommendations - Why most PR efforts fail because they prioritize volume over quality - The 2-3 hour HARO response window and whether being first actually matters - When being the last response can work in your favor - How journalists use AI detection and filtering tools to evaluate submissions - Why you should never copy-paste AI-generated pitches without editing - How to build long-term media relationships instead of spraying mass emails We also discuss: - Whether this is more effective than traditional press release distribution services like PR Newswire - How journalists filter AI-written responses - What the algorithm looks for when surfacing expert sources - How to think about credentials vs. relevance when responding to media requests - Why better targeting leads to better backlinks If you care about backlinks, earned media, and getting covered without wasting time, this episode breaks down a practical workflow you can implement immediately. Brett is the founder of Featured and owner of Help A Reporter Out. We discuss how the journalist directory works, how open queries are surfaced, and how AI is being used on both the PR and journalist side of the equation. This is a tactical episode focused on execution, not theory. ⭐️ Try it - https://featured.com/ ⭐️ Brett Farmiloe on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettfarmiloe/ 💎 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 Brett Featured Founder & HARO Owner 00:39 What "Find Journalists" Does 02:10 Live Demo: Pulling Journalists & Recent Articles 03:36 Finding Reporters by a Specific Point of View 05:45 Auto-Generated Pitch Emails 09:44 Super Effective Press Release Distribution 12:10 Stop Spraying Pitches 13:57 Finding Open & Past HARO Queries 16:25 Timing & Tactics 18:52 AI Sorting, AI-Detection Filters, One-Click Replies 20:44 What Gets Picked by Journalists 23:03 What's Next + Closing The Edward Show. The #1 search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ Edward Sturm on Grokipedia - https://grokipedia.com/page/Edward_Sturm #searchengineoptimization #linkbuilding #publicrelations #backlinks

    26 min

  3. 1 DAY AGO

    Content Refresh vs. New Content: The SEO Debate That Actually Grows Traffic

    E959: When traffic dips or stalls, should you refresh old content or publish something new? The answer isn't simple - and the SEO community is divided. I walk through real discussions, controversial takes, and practical examples from my own sites, including a case where republishing nearly identical content led to a number one ranking in under two weeks. We cover: - How to use Google Search Console to find keywords already ranking in positions 3-20 - Why optimizing existing content can drive faster gains than publishing new posts - The argument that "freshness" is often misunderstood in SEO - How topical authority affects pages that never ranked - When republishing under a new URL makes sense - Why internal linking structure matters more than total page count - How authority flows through a site - What pogo-sticking is and how it impacts rankings - How to reduce pogo-sticking by satisfying search intent faster - How to improve headings and keyword placement - How to add missing sections based on ranking data - How to improve click-through rate from the SERP - How to strengthen internal links to priority pages - How to improve readability and page experience I also share: - A real example of improving a competitive page over time until it ranked number one - A framework for deciding when to refresh versus when to create new content - How to think about ranking durability over years instead of short-term spikes If you've been publishing consistently but not seeing growth - or if you're unsure whether to update old posts or build new content - this episode gives you a structured way to decide based on data, authority, and search intent. ⭐️ Content refresh vs new content? - https://www.reddit.com/r/bigseo/comments/1qov6gy/content_refresh_vs_new_content/ ⭐️ Please STOP publishing new blog posts. - https://www.reddit.com/r/SEO_Digital_Marketing/comments/1i38rcm/please_stop_publishing_new_blog_posts/ ⭐️ Content Refreshes in SEO: How to Double Your Traffic Fast  - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/content-refreshes-seo-double-traffic-fast/ ⭐️ Edward Sturm on Grokipedia - https://grokipedia.com/page/Edward_Sturm 💎 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 Refresh vs New Content 00:32 Publish Consistently + Audit Underperformers 00:58 Quick Wins via Search Console 02:34 Query Deserves Freshness 04:01 Republish with a New Slug 05:46 Low-Authority Site Playbook 07:31 Is There a Ranking Ceiling? 09:05 Pogo-Sticking & CTR 10:33 Content Refresh Checklist 11:35 My Rule of Thumb 12:12 Wrap-Up The Edward Show. The #1 search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #contentrefresh #blogseo #seo

    13 min

  4. 2 DAYS AGO

    4 Backlink Opportunities Working in 2026 (Including a Forgotten SEO Trick)

    E958: I break down four backlink opportunities that are working right now in 2026. These are practical, repeatable strategies you can use whether you're building a niche site, growing an ecommerce brand, or scaling a personal brand. The first strategy is a forgotten image link building tactic that's becoming even more effective in the age of AI-generated content. Then I walk through three profile and authority-based backlink opportunities, including one that gives you a dofollow link and another that helps you shape topical authority. If you're serious about building links without relying entirely on cold outreach, this episode will give you clear next steps. What we cover: - Image link building using original photos and stock platforms - How to seed backlinks at scale without outreach - How to find and reclaim image credits using reverse image search - Favikon.com and how to get a dofollow profile backlink - Featured.com for journalist quotes and topical authority - How to use nofollow links strategically - Grokipedia and how to secure a dofollow reference link - How indexing affects the value of authority profile pages - The risks of paid indexing services - When engineered backlink systems outperform one-off tactics ⭐️ Charles Floate's post - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/charlesfloate_here-is-an-image-link-building-technique-activity-7427599592042643459-A_V-/ ⭐️ Edward Sturm on Grokipedia - https://grokipedia.com/page/Edward_Sturm 💎 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 4 Backlink Opportunities 00:24 Image Link Building via Stock Sites 02:52 Real-World Results 03:26 Favicon.com Creator Profile 05:10 Featured.com Profile + Journalist Quotes 06:38 Grokipedia Entries 07:51 Recap of All 4 Tactics 09:48 Wrap-Up The Edward Show. The #1 search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #linkbuilding #backlinks #searchengineoptimization #digitalmarketing

    10 min

  5. 4 DAYS AGO

    How to Use Bing's AI Performance Data to Get More LLM Citations

    E957: We break down Bing Webmaster Tools' new AI Performance report and explain how to use grounding query data to increase your visibility in large language models (LLMs). Bing is now showing citation data from Copilot, Bing AI summaries, and select AI partners, possibly ChatGPT. This includes grounding queries - the sub-searches LLMs generate when they break a prompt into multiple web lookups. We walk through what grounding queries are, how they differ from prompts, and how this data reveals a new layer of keyword behavior that traditional SEO tools don't show. One key takeaway: LLM citations are often driven by specific language patterns inside query fan-outs. If you understand those patterns, you can create content that aligns with them. David Quaid joins the show once again! We cover: - What grounding queries are and how they work
- The difference between prompts and query fan-outs
- Why one site with minimal traffic generated 33,000+ AI citations
- How GEO tools are generating brand evaluation reports
- Why words like "evaluate" are triggering large volumes of LLM citations
- How to identify language drift inside grounding queries
- When to create a new page vs. expanding an existing page
- How to use AI Performance as a new keyword research layer
- The overlap between GEO and traditional SEO
- How to influence LLM brand evaluations responsibly We also discuss: - Whether GEO is actually different from SEO
- How LLMs rely on search engines for grounding
- How to reverse engineer query patterns
- Risks around narrative control and reputation manipulation
- How this data may expose weaknesses in some GEO tools If you're an SEO, SaaS founder, marketer, or content strategist, this episode shows how to use Bing's AI Performance data to uncover new search patterns and improve your visibility across AI systems. ⭐️ 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/ 📈 My write up: How to Use Bing's New AI Performance Report to Increase AI Visibility & LLM Citations - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/bing-webmaster-tools-ai-performance-report-grounding-queries-get-more-llm-citations/ 💎 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/ 🧑‍💻 More Edward Sturm - Edward Sturm on Grokipedia - https://grokipedia.com/page/Edward_Sturm 00:00 Bing's New AI Performance Dashboard 00:32 Why Social Media Links Don't Build SEO Backlinks 01:23 ChatGPT, Bing, and Copilot Data 02:33 Perplexity Example 03:26 75 Bing Clicks vs 31K+ AI Citations 05:50 Grounding Queries Explained 08:18 Why 'Evaluate' Triggers Citations 12:45 On-Screen Pages 14:08 Negative LLM-SEO Risk 17:26 Using Grounding Query Data For LLM Citations 19:55 GEO vs SEO 22:35 Practical Tactics 37:12 Should You Use GEO Tools? 38:56 Wrap-Up The Edward Show. The #1 search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #answerengineoptimization #generativeengineoptimization #digitalmarketing

    40 min

  6. 4 DAYS AGO

    Do LLMs Actually Use Schema? The Duck Test That Broke SEO

    E956: Do large language models actually use schema the way SEOs think they do? A recent test by Mark Williams-Cook set out to answer that question. He created a fictional company and added completely fabricated schema types to the page - things like "FlockName," "WaddleStyle," and "MigrationPattern." None of it was valid structured data. When ChatGPT and Perplexity were asked for the company's address, they returned the made-up data from the schema anyway. What does that mean? It means that LLMs are not interpreting structured data in the way many "generative engine optimization" advocates claim. Instead, they treat schema like any other text in the HTML. In this episode, I cover: - The full breakdown of the Duck Yeah T-Shirts schema experiment - Why invalid schema was still surfaced by ChatGPT - Whether LLMs are parsing structured data in real time - Why body content appears to matter more than tags or markup - Charles Floate's take on schema and entity reinforcement - How "sameAs" schema actually works in practice - When schema still makes sense for traditional Google search - What John Mueller has publicly said about structured data and rankings - Whether schema can influence AI citations - The risks of trying to "hide" text in schema for LLM visibility We also discuss: - Consensus schema in competitive SERPs - Entity trust and validation signals - YMYL niches and domain-level trust - Why click-through rate may be the only indirect ranking benefit of structured data If you care about SEO, AI search visibility, or understanding how LLMs actually process web pages, this episode walks through the logic step by step. ⭐️ Mark Williams-Cook's experiment - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/markseo_seo-share-7424067359088455680-vNFv/ ⭐️ John Mueller's schema comment - https://bsky.app/profile/johnmu.com/post/3lmoenzsfwc2c 💎 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/ 👨‍💻 Edward Sturm on Grokipedia - https://grokipedia.com/page/Edward_Sturm 00:00 Do LLMs Use Schema? 00:25 Mark Williams-Cook's "Fake Schema" Experiment 02:23 The Shocking Results 02:47 Schema Treated Like Regular HTML Text 03:12 Charles Floate's Take: What Schema Is Really For 04:47 "SameAs" Schema For Entity Linking & Trust 07:29 Entity Trust, YMYL, and Why SameAs Can Be a Growth Hack 08:14 When Schema Helps (SERP Features & CTR) 09:27 John Mueller: Structured Data Doesn't Boost Rankings 10:11 Final Verdict: Schema Won't Boost LLM Presence (and Hidden Text Risks) 10:58 Wrap-Up The Edward Show. The #1 search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #answerengineoptimization #generativeengineoptimization #seoschema

    12 min

  7. 6 DAYS AGO

    The "More Content" Lie That's Destroying Your SEO (Shopify Example)

    E955: For years, SEO advice has repeated the same idea: publish more content, rank for more keywords, get more traffic. That model is breaking. I sit down with Harpreet Singh to explain what's happening right now in search - including why large sites with thousands of "best" listicles and AI-assisted blog posts are seeing dramatic traffic declines. We walk through Shopify's collapse and look at what happens when organic pages increase by thousands while traffic trends downward. The takeaway isn't that AI is bad. It's that scale without control will become a liability. If you run a business that depends on organic traffic, this conversation matters. We cover: - Why "more pages = more traffic" is no longer reliable - What Google appears to be targeting in recent updates - The risk of scaling listicles and "best of" content - Patterns that make AI-generated content easy to detect - Why domain authority can delay penalties - but not prevent them - How algorithm hits impact SEO, AI Overviews, and ChatGPT visibility - The long-term cost of aggressive content scaling - Why small businesses get hurt faster than large brands - Whether "best" pages can still work - and under what conditions - How to think about SEO if you plan to be in business for 10–20 years We also discuss: - Signs of low-effort AI content - How overpublishing can dilute site quality - Why ranking for fewer high-converting terms can outperform ranking for thousands - The difference between short-term traffic spikes and long-term search stability This is not a "don't use AI" episode. It's a conversation about control, intent, and strategy. ⭐️ Harpreet Singh's Personal Site - https://harpsdigital.com  ⭐️ Harpreet on X - https://x.com/harpreetchatha_ ⭐️ Harpreet's Newsletter - https://seoespresso.com ⭐️ Harpreet on LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/in/harpreetsingh8/ ⭐️ Harpreet on TikTok - https://tiktok.com/@seoharp ⭐️ Harpreet on YouTube - https://youtube.com/@harpsdigital  💎 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 Is Nuking Low‑Effort AI Content 01:12 What Google's Targeting: Massive Page Volume + "/best/" Listicles 03:27 What "Low‑Effort AI" Looks Like 04:10 Using Wikipedia's "Signs of AI Writing" to Improve Prompts 07:37 Shopify: Pages Up, Traffic & AI Visibility Down 09:23 Why "More Pages = Better SEO" Is a Myth (Local Example) 11:44 Live Teardown: The 'Motivational Quotes' Page and Zero Business Value 13:12 Inside Shopify's "Best" Pages: Affiliate Program Listicle Format 16:20 Why Some 'Best' Articles Still Rank 19:10 HubSpot, Asana & AI‑Content Sites Getting Crushed 22:19 Manual Actions, Recovery Timelines, and Domain Damage 23:29 Wrap‑Up The Edward Show. The #1 search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #seo #generativeengineoptimization #digitalmarketing

    25 min

  8. 13 FEB

    Unconfirmed Google Update Wiping Out Top of Funnel Sites (Here's What's Surviving)

    E954: We may be in the middle of another Google algorithm update - and for some sites, the impact has been severe. From February 5th to February 7th, one of my top-of-funnel sites lost 50% of its organic traffic. Then, just a few days later, traffic rebounded completely. At the same time, my bottom-of-funnel pages remained stable. In this episode, I break down what's happening, what the SEO community is reporting, and why certain types of sites are getting hit harder than others. We cover: - The recent spike in Google search ranking volatility - Reports from the SEO community and data from tracking tools - How Google has not confirmed this update - The connection (and non-connection) to the February 2026 Google Discover Core update - Why informational and top-of-funnel content appears to be more volatile - Why bottom-of-funnel SEO pages are remaining stable - The risks of depending on Google Discover and pure ad revenue - A practical strategy to shift from traffic-focused SEO to conversion-focused SEO I also share: - Real examples of volatility from WebmasterWorld and industry chatter - My experience recovering from a 50% traffic drop - How to identify overlooked purchase-intent keywords - How to use competitor rankings to uncover under-optimized bottom-of-funnel opportunities - Why "best X for Y" keywords are not the real opportunity - How to create products, tools, or affiliate plays that reduce algorithm risk If your strategy relies heavily on informational traffic, news content, or ad monetization, this episode will help you rethink your keyword targeting. The core takeaway: volatility tends to hit broad, informational queries much harder than narrowly targeted purchase-intent queries. There are still large gaps in Google's results for specific bottom-of-funnel searches - and those gaps are where stability and revenue are being built. ⭐️ Google Search Ranking Volatility Gets Heated Again February 10th - https://www.seroundtable.com/google-search-ranking-volatility-february-10-40910.html ⭐️ Google Is Firing Shots: Self-Promotional Listicles Are Getting Wiped Out - https://youtu.be/5cwyFAElmw0 ⭐️ Google Just Cut News Traffic in Half (51% → 27%) - Now What? - https://youtu.be/r6f9wS_SVcM ⭐️ Vibe Coding for SEO: Building Rankable Apps, Tools, and Revenue in Minutes - https://youtu.be/-Cn03azU0GY 💎 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 Google Algorithm Update 00:33 SEO Community Reactions and Insights 01:50 Personal Experiences and Observations 03:41 Strategies for Navigating Algorithm Changes 05:54 Keyword Targeting Recommendations 07:59 Creating and Selling Products 09:36 Conclusion and Final Thoughts The Edward Show. The #1 search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #googlealgorithmupdate #seonews #digitalmarketing

    11 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
    959
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026
  • Show Website
    The Edward Show

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