What Big SEO Agencies Do Differently: Lessons From Omnicom's Former Head of SEO

E994: I sit down with Yas Haque, former Head of SEO at Omnicom, to break down what actually separates the world's largest SEO agencies from smaller shops. This is how enterprise SEO works in practice - how big agencies win clients, structure work, get buy-in from massive organizations, and where they waste time and money. We cover what smaller agencies can immediately adopt, what they should ignore, and how to compete against companies with far more resources. If you run an SEO agency, work in-house, or are trying to get better results from SEO, this episode will give you a clearer picture of how the highest level of the industry operates. Topics covered: - The single most important thing small SEO agencies should improve immediately (packaging) - Why presentation and storytelling matter as much as technical SEO - How enterprise teams think about SEO as both an art and a system - How to structure SEO work so non-SEOs understand and act on it - The role of storytelling in getting buy-in and driving implementation - How large agencies analyze competitors and find gaps at scale - Why granular keyword segmentation creates real competitive advantages - How quick wins (like featured snippets and AI results) can drive outsized impact - How SEO influences other channels like paid search and direct traffic Inside enterprise SEO: - What it's actually like working at companies like Omnicom and Dentsu - The types of tools and resources large agencies have access to - How big agencies support teams with data, tooling, and internal resources - Why implementation is the hardest part of enterprise SEO - How to get changes deployed inside large organizations - Real examples of solving technical challenges across complex systems What might surprise you: - Why most clients don't use the dashboards they pay for - Where large agencies spend time that doesn't drive real results - How packaging and communication often matter more than the work itself - Why many enterprise SEO problems are organizational, not technical Tactical insights: - How to evaluate a site quickly before going deep - How to create urgency during pitches and client conversations - How to win clients by showing competitor weaknesses - How to simplify complex SEO ideas so decision-makers act on them - Why understanding CMSs and technical limitations is critical Advice for newer SEOs: - Why building your own site is still the fastest way to learn - What skills matter beyond SEO (like design and UX tools) - How to think about SEO as "search experience optimization" - Why giving real value to users should guide everything you do We also discuss how SEO is evolving with AI, where it's overhyped, and why the core principles still hold. This episode is especially useful if you want to: - Improve how you present SEO work - Close more clients - Get better implementation rates - Compete against larger agencies - Understand how enterprise SEO actually functions ⭐️ Yas Haque on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/yashaque/ ⭐️ Yas Haque on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/yhawke/ 🔎 Search Experience Optimization - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/search-experience-optimization/ 🚀 Edward's SEO Articles - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/search-engine-optimization/ 💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 Meet the SEO King 01:49 Why This Episode Matters 02:38 Packaging That Wins Clients 07:50 Storytelling and Attribution 09:11 Keyword Buckets and Topical Gaps 11:19 Featured Snippets to AI Overviews 14:53 Big Agency Resources and Tools 16:45 The 22 Second SEO Audit 19:29 Getting Enterprise Changes Shipped 21:43 Reverse Proxies Over Subdomains 25:07 AI Panic and Search Experience 29:17 Voice Search Hype 29:39 Execs Aren't Consumers 30:21 Agency Waste Exposed 30:54 Dashboards vs Impact 31:38 Page Speed Debate 35:20 Bespoke Packages Win 37:04 How to Win Pitches 39:06 Creating Urgency Fast 42:49 SEO Career Advice 45:27 New Business With Wife 46:39 Celebrity Reputation SEO 48:42 Vibe Coded SaaS Play 51:38 Restaurant SaaS SEO Gap 52:58 Compact Keywords Strategy 55:54 Wrap Up and Thanks The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #agencyseo #performancemarketing #marketingagencies

E993: I break down a real SEO case study from Charles Floate, who generated $53,000 in 45 days through organic search while operating under heavy scrutiny. Because of his reputation in black hat SEO, this campaign had to be strictly within the rules. That makes this a useful example of what actually works when you cannot take risks. We go step by step through the exact strategy, including how the campaign was structured, what changed over time, and why the results compounded. What we cover: - The full timeline: from relaunch to traffic spikes to revenue growth - How 10,628 organic visits translated into $53,000 in revenue - Why scrutiny changes how you approach SEO - The role of backlinks even in a "white hat" campaign - How entity stacking (citations, profiles, mentions) builds early momentum - A simple Google search operator to find competitor backlinks and directories - When sameAs schema matters and when it likely doesn't - The difference between "content that exists" and content that satisfies search intent - What went wrong (migration issues, thin pages, indexing problems) and how it was fixed - Why the second content push led to the biggest growth spike - The importance of trust signals and how they affect rankings through user behavior - How pogo-sticking can quietly kill your SEO performance - Why depth of content outperforms volume - The compounding effect of links, content, and entity signals over time Key takeaway - this was not one tactic; the results came from stacking multiple signals in the right order: 1. Establish the entity 2. Build trust 3. Publish deep, useful content 4. Keep improving everything Over time, each layer strengthens the next. If you want to replicate this, focus less on shortcuts and more on building something that both users and search engines recognize as legitimate. ⭐️ Charles Floate's post - https://x.com/Charles_SEO/status/2033788234153791739 ⭐️ Charles Floate's company, PressWhizz - https://presswhizz.com/ ⭐️ E991 - Stop Pogo-Sticking: 5 UX Principles That Skyrocket SEO & Conversions - https://youtu.be/teyQl4_A8kA ⭐️ E988 - Why Brand SEO Beats Traditional SEO in the Age of AI - Jason Barnard Explains - https://youtu.be/Zsn2jTXNOWg 🚀 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 $53K SEO Win Overview 00:59 Why Scrutiny Matters 02:17 White Hat Link Strategy 02:41 Entity Stacking Basics 04:17 Content Campaigns And Relaunch 05:10 Traffic Growth Timeline 06:40 Staged SEO Framework 07:12 Trust Signals And UX 08:02 Content Depth Example 08:45 Compounding Results 09:27 Brand SEO Takeaways 11:18 Final Thanks And Outro The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #seo #linkbuilding #buildinpublic

E992: Reddit SEO is going crazy. Ann Smarty and David Quaid, both experts in Reddit marketing, join the show to explain what's happening and how to get results. Reddit has become one of the most influential platforms in search. It ranks at the top of Google, shows up heavily in AI answers, and can directly impact brand perception and revenue. But at the same time, it is being flooded with spam, automation, and low-quality marketing tactics. We talk about what's working, what's failing, and what businesses need to understand before trying to use Reddit as a growth channel. This is a practical, unfiltered discussion with people who have real experience building, moderating, and marketing on Reddit. Topics covered: - Why Reddit has become one of the most important platforms for SEO - How Reddit content ranks in Google and influences AI systems - What "parasite SEO" on Reddit actually looks like in practice - The rise of spam, automation, and paid Reddit manipulation - Why most Reddit marketing tactics today are short-term and risky - How moderators detect and deal with spam accounts - What happens when brands try to game Reddit - Why fake reviews and bought comments can make things worse - How negative Reddit threads can damage a brand long-term - What to do when a Reddit thread about your brand is ranking - The difference between authentic feedback and competitor attacks - Why building a branded subreddit can be effective (and when it isn't) - How long it actually takes to see results from Reddit SEO - What a sustainable Reddit strategy looks like - How to create a Reddit account without getting banned - Common mistakes new accounts make immediately - Why VPNs, bought accounts, and automation tools are risky - How moderators think and why they remove content - When (and if) you should contact moderators - Whether legal action against Reddit users ever works - Real examples of brands succeeding and failing on Reddit - The future of Reddit and whether it can survive the current spam wave Key takeaways: - If you are not on Reddit, your brand is still being discussed there - Reddit rewards expertise, not promotion - Most shortcuts (buying posts, comments, accounts) lead to long-term damage - Old Reddit threads can rank for years and shape brand perception - Trust on Reddit comes from participation, not visibility If you work in SEO, marketing, or run a business that depends on search, this episode will give you a clearer picture of what Reddit can and cannot do for you. ⭐️ Ann Smarty's SEO for AI Subreddit - https://www.reddit.com/r/SEO_for_AI/ ⭐️ Ann Smarty on 𝕏 - https://x.com/seosmarty ⭐️ Ann Smarty on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/annsmarty/ ⭐️ 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/ 🚀 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 Reddit Marketing Chaos 00:29 Guest Backgrounds 02:45 Why Reddit Matters 03:17 Spam Makes It Harder 06:24 The Right Way To Market on Reddit 15:07 Parasite SEO Explained 16:21 Branded Subreddits Strategy 19:44 Anonymity And Trust 21:47 Bot Farms Threat to Reddit 25:36 Handling Fake Reviews 34:15 Working With Moderators 38:08 Buying Comments Risks 40:58 Moderator Rules Reality 45:24 When Lawyers Help 48:24 Moderator Conflict Context 50:32 Reddit SEO Wins 54:31 Mod Tools And Spam Signals 01:00:17 New Account Best Practices 01:04:06 Avoid Buying Accounts 01:09:15 Stop Tool Spam Promotion 01:11:20 Will Reddit Survive AI 01:20:08 Why Digg Failed 01:26:27 Viral Times Square Story 01:30:12 Wrap Up The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #redditseo #redditmarketing #searchengineoptimization #socialmediamarketing

E991: Five user experience (UX) principles that directly improve your SEO performance and help you convert more visitors into customers, users, or leads. If people are landing on your page and leaving immediately, that sends a strong negative signal. Search engines pick up on this behavior. It affects your rankings, your site-wide performance, and ultimately your ability to grow through search. This episode explains how to fix that. You will learn how to reduce pogo-sticking, keep users on your pages longer, and guide them toward taking action. We go from the least important principle to the most important, but all five matter if you want results from SEO. What you'll learn: - How to build trust within seconds of someone landing on your page - Why reducing friction leads to higher conversions (and how to do it) - How people actually read online and how to format your content for scanning - What to include above the fold to keep users from leaving - How to match search intent immediately so visitors know they're in the right place Key ideas covered: - Why trust reduces anxiety and keeps users from going back to search results - Where to place calls to action so they are easy to find and act on - How to write shorter paragraphs and use structure to guide attention - Why most users scan instead of read and how to adapt your content - The three questions every page must answer within seconds - How matching search intent early improves both rankings and conversions This episode is practical. You can take these principles and apply them directly to your pages, whether you are working on blog content, landing pages, or product pages. 🚀 Edward's SEO Articles - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/search-engine-optimization/ 💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 UX Meets SEO 00:39 Build Trust Fast 02:03 Reduce Friction 02:49 Write for Scanning 04:59 Win Above the Fold 06:24 Match Search Intent 07:48 Recap and Next Steps 08:23 Wrapping The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #uiux #seo #digitalmarketing

E990: Nicolas Gorroño from AI Ranking shares his screen and breaks down how to automate SEO using AI without getting penalized. There's a lot of noise right now around AI SEO. People are publishing hundreds or thousands of pages, seeing short-term gains, and then watching everything disappear. In this demonstration, we focus on what is actually working long-term. Nico walks through how he builds websites, generates content, and automates workflows using tools like Claude Code, while still following core SEO fundamentals that search engines reward. We also get into how to structure sites, create content that gets indexed, and avoid the common mistakes that cause traffic drops. What we cover: - How to automate website builds using modern frameworks like Astro - Why most AI-generated sites fail from an SEO perspective - The right way to scale content without triggering penalties - How to control publishing velocity and why it matters - What makes AI content "safe" vs. spammy - How to create content that gets indexed - The role of unique angles and original data in ranking - How to use internal linking and sourcing to build trust - The "content capsule" technique for structuring AI content - Why updating old content is just as important as publishing new content - How Nico builds automated systems that write, publish, and improve content over time - Turning YouTube videos into blog posts and social content automatically - Where AI content fits into a real business strategy - Why service pages matter more than blog posts for conversions - How to structure high-converting SEO landing pages - Programmatic SEO done correctly (and what most people get wrong) - How to differentiate pages so they actually rank - Using location data, reviews, and schema to improve performance - Why relying only on blog content is a mistake - How to think about SEO as part of a larger system, not just content We also talk about: - The future of tools like WordPress vs newer frameworks - Why flexibility matters more than using the "latest" tool - How to avoid wasting time chasing every new AI tool - Building systems that compound instead of constantly restarting If you're trying to use AI for SEO and want results that last, this episode will give you a practical framework to follow. ⭐️ Join the AI Ranking Skool Community - https://www.skool.com/ai-ranking ⭐️ AI Ranking Skool Website - https://www.airankingskool.com/ ⭐️ Nicolas Gorroño's Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@Nico_AIRanking ⭐️ Nicolas Gorroño's Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nico-gorrono/ ⭐️ AI Search Starter Kit - https://www.airankingskool.com/you-came-here-from-socials ⭐️ Terminal For Claude Code - cmux - https://cmux.com/ ⭐️ Build an SEO Ready site with Astro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78-A8UvGxI8 🚀 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 Automating SEO Intro 00:53 Fast SEO Site Builds 02:13 Astro vs WordPress 04:08 Real Estate Scraper Demo 08:24 Unique Content Angle 10:29 Reviewing AI Output 12:27 Astro Build Walkthrough 12:54 Claude Code Workflow Tips 20:19 Long Term Platform Choice 25:08 Designing Non-Generic Sites 28:27 Avoiding Google Penalties 35:03 Repurposing YouTube Content 36:39 LinkedIn AI Post Example 37:55 SEO Acronym Rant 38:54 Cron Jobs Automation 41:11 Checking Rankings Results 42:00 Repurposing Content Strategy 46:02 Local SEO With AI 48:29 Service Pages That Convert 50:14 Claude Tool Focus 53:38 Location Pages Differentiation 58:11 The AI-Made Website is Ready 01:01:47 Avoiding AI Content Traps 01:04:27 Publishing Workflow Demo 01:06:42 Autonomous Work Life Balance 01:08:39 Wrap Up The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #aiseo #searchengineoptimization #automatedseo #digitalmarketing

E989: We break down Google's Helpful Content Update (HCU) - one of the most disruptive changes to search ever - and what it actually did to the internet. Entire websites lost 70-90% of their traffic overnight. Some never recovered. Others quietly adapted. And a few avoided the damage altogether. This is not a surface-level recap. This is a real conversation between people who were directly impacted, worked on affected sites, and spent months analyzing what changed. We cover what the HCU is, how it evolved, and why it continues to affect sites long after the initial rollout. We also challenge a lot of the common narratives around "helpful content," E-E-A-T, and what Google claims to reward. Topics discussed: - What the Helpful Content Update actually is and how it changed over time - The timeline: early signals in 2022, major impact in September 2023, and the follow-up hits in 2024 - Why some sites lost nearly all their traffic overnight - Patterns across sites that were hit vs. those that survived - The role of large-scale SEO content and where the line gets crossed - Why "good content" was not enough to avoid penalties - Whether recovery is possible - and what strategies people are testing - The idea of site-wide quality vs. page-level evaluation - Why moving content to a different domain can sometimes restore rankings - The relationship between brand, entity signals, and search performance - How Google actually evaluates content (and where it likely falls short) - The growing role of Reddit and user-generated content in search results - Whether affiliate sites and niche publishers still have a future - Why relying on SEO alone is becoming increasingly risky - What experienced operators are doing differently now This episode is based on real experience - sites that were hit, sites that were analyzed, and strategies that were tested in the aftermath. ⭐️ 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 ⭐️ 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/ ⭐️ Gagan Ghotra on 𝕏 - https://x.com/gaganghotra_ ⭐️ Gagan Ghotra on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gagan-ghotra/ ⭐️ Gagan Ghotra's website - https://gaganghotra.com/ 🚀 Edward's SEO Articles - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/search-engine-optimization/ 💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 HCU Fallout Overview 00:48 Timeline and Mechanics 02:22 Surviving and Recovery Tactics 03:25 Real World Hit Stories 08:12 Why Google Rolled It Out 10:17 Collateral Damage Debate 16:59 Reddit Boost and Domain Signals 19:48 E-E-A-T Skepticism 26:59 What Google Should Have Done 31:18 Affiliate SEO Future 41:03 Aggregator SEO Trap 42:28 Why Big Brands Survive 44:12 Entity Building Beats Topical Authority 48:00 Domain Authority Reality Check 50:11 PageRank Still Rules 52:16 Does Google Understand Content 01:01:36 Topical Authority Gets Weird 01:06:43 Pruning to Stop Decline 01:15:26 Turnaround Timelines 01:19:45 Crawling vs Indexing Explained 01:23:58 Debating Content Pruning 01:25:40 When to Go Nuclear 01:27:22 Pruning Wins Then Fades 01:29:12 SEO Is Not Checklists 01:33:20 HCU Triage Playbook 01:37:03 AI Scaling Trap 01:44:44 SEO Lag And Risk 01:47:34 Real Recovery Examples 01:50:10 Why They Still Love SEO 01:53:15 Multi-Channel Over SEO 01:58:39 Single Vs Multi Domain 02:11:39 Final Wrap Up The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #helpfulcontentupdate #searchengineoptimization #googlecoreupdate #seo

988: Jason Barnard, founder of Kalicube and one of the early voices behind Brand SERPs and entity SEO, joins the show! Jason has been working in search since 1998, has spent the last decade focused on how search engines and AI systems understand brands, people, and organizations - (and Jason is really smart). The conversation explores how SEO is changing as search moves toward AI-driven systems. Jason explains why brand understanding, entity clarity, and credibility signals now play an even larger role in how companies are discovered and recommended online. Jason shares his framework for building SEO from the bottom of the funnel upward, starting with branded searches and brand reputation before expanding to broader topics. The discussion also covers how large language models evaluate authority, why mentions can matter more than backlinks, and how brands can structure their online presence so AI systems confidently recommend them. This episode is useful for marketers, founders, SEOs, and anyone trying to understand how visibility works in a world where AI systems increasingly act as intermediaries between users and businesses. Topics discussed: - Why Jason believes brand SEO produces clearer revenue impact than traditional keyword strategies - How AI systems decide which companies to recommend to users - The difference between search engine optimization, answer engine optimization, and assistive engine optimization - Why branded searches represent the bottom of the funnel - How to structure a website so search engines and AI systems understand your brand - The role of entity understanding in modern SEO - Why mentions and context are often more important than backlinks - How to frame authority signals so machines can confidently recommend you - The concept of the "algorithmic trinity": search engines, knowledge graphs, and large language models - Why consistency across your digital footprint matters - How to manage reputation issues and name confusion online - Why personal brands often move faster than corporate brands in search visibility - The importance of confidence signals for AI recommendations - How AI agents may eventually make purchasing decisions without human input - Why choosing a unique brand name can simplify SEO and AI discovery Jason also shares practical examples from his own career, including how he transformed his search results from being known as a cartoon voice actor into being recognized as a digital marketing authority. ⭐️ Kalicube - Your Brand is what Google and AI say it is - https://kalicube.com ⭐️ Free AI Audit: https://kalicube.com/ai-audit ⭐️ Jason Barnard's Free Guides - https://kalicube.com/guides/ ⭐️ Jason Barnard's personal website: https://jasonbarnard.com/about-jason-barnard/ ⭐️ Jason Barnard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmbarnard/ ⭐️ Jason Barnard on 𝕏: https://x.com/jasonmbarnard 🚀 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 Welcome and Introductions 00:13 From England to Paris 02:33 Getting Into SEO Early 02:40 Why Branded SEO Wins 04:34 UpToTen Brand Success 07:54 Bottom of Funnel Strategy 10:14 Comparison Pages Done Right 14:48 Claim Frame Proof Method 18:15 Perfect Click in AI Search 19:36 Client Onboarding and Entities 23:38 Entity Home and Past Proof 28:07 Personal Brand Assets 31:19 Entity SEO Explained Simply 40:52 Branded to Non Branded Growth 43:48 Algorithmic Trinity Framework 46:56 Why Personal Brands Win 48:30 Finding Hidden Credibility 50:18 Ambient Research Threat 52:05 SEO to Agent Optimization 55:47 Pillar Pages for Proof 57:40 Proactive Reputation Playbook 01:03:04 Wikidata Done Right 01:05:36 PR Outreach and Citations 01:12:35 Confidence Beats Content 01:15:36 Mentions Over Backlinks 01:16:48 Reputation Turnarounds 01:19:43 Namesake Disambiguation 01:27:19 Starting SEO in 2026 01:28:55 Building a New Entity Fast 01:31:53 Wrap Up and Thanks The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #generativeengineoptimization #entityseo #searchengineoptimization #answerengineoptimization

E987: Lily Ray joins the show to discuss how search is evolving in the age of AI. We cover the latest Google Core Updates, the rise of generative engine optimization (GEO), and how AI search tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and AI Overviews are changing the way websites earn visibility. Lily shares insights from years of analyzing Google updates and explains why many SEO strategies that work today eventually stop working. The conversation also explores how brands can build sustainable authority rather than relying on short-term tactics that risk penalties or traffic loss. We look closely at what actually drives long-term success in search, from EEAT and brand signals to the growing role of human expertise in a world flooded with AI-generated content. Topics covered: - Patterns across recent Google core updates - What "too much SEO" means and why Google targets it - The risks of programmatic SEO and scaled content - Why many GEO tactics are likely to stop working - Self-promotional listicles and how LLMs detect manipulation - How AI search tools decide which brands to cite - The role of EEAT in modern SEO - How Google evaluates expertise and authority - The relationship between branding, marketing, and SEO - Strategies for earning links without risky link building - Why internal linking and site quality still matter - How Google Discover traffic works and why it can disappear quickly - Lessons from the Helpful Content Update - What separates sites that survive updates from those that collapse - How to recover from major traffic losses - Whether affiliate websites can still succeed in search - How AI tools like Claude are changing SEO workflows - What SEO beginners should focus on in 2026 - How to launch and grow a new website today Lily also explains why sustainable SEO increasingly looks less like "SEO tricks" and more like building real expertise, publishing original ideas, and developing a recognizable brand presence across the web. If you work in SEO, run a website, or want to understand how search is changing in the AI era, this conversation offers a practical look at where the industry is heading. ⭐️ Lily Ray's Personal Site - https://lilyray.nyc/ ⭐️ Lily Ray's Agency - https://www.amsive.com/ ⭐️ Lily Ray on 𝕏 - https://x.com/lilyraynyc ⭐️ Lily Ray on Threads - https://www.threads.com/@lilyraynyc ⭐️ Lily Ray on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-ray-44755615/ ⭐️ Lily Ray on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@lilyray 🚀 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 Core Update Patterns 01:06 What "Too Much SEO" Means 02:20 Programmatic SEO Versus Spam 04:18 GEO Tactics And Disasters 07:00 Self-Promotional Listicles Backfire 09:36 Whitelists And Site Searches 12:17 EEAT For LLM Visibility 14:33 How Google Judges EEAT 21:11 Link Building The Safe Way 25:26 Offensive SEO After Fundamentals 27:24 Google Discover Manipulation 29:55 Balancing SEO And Humans 32:28 Helpful Content Update Lessons 35:10 TLDRs And SEO 35:56 Tables Of Contents 37:35 Why Sites Survive Updates 40:26 Diagnosing Traffic Drops 43:28 Recovery Playbooks 45:58 Google Communication Shift 47:21 AI Mode And Ads 49:26 Using Claude For SEO 50:48 What To Automate 53:21 Recovery Timelines 54:59 When to Cut Bloat 57:14 Affiliate SEO Sites Future 58:49 Common Sense In SEO 01:01:40 Starting SEO In 2026 01:02:48 Launching A New Site 01:04:54 Final Thanks And Outro The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #helpfulcontentupdate #eeat #seo

E896: Google has been recommending outbound links for years, yet many SEOs still avoid them. We go through Google's own documentation about linking out, an SEO experiment that tested whether outbound links help rankings, and Matt Cutts' guidance on when to use the nofollow attribute. The core idea is simple: linking to relevant, trustworthy sources can improve the usefulness of your content. It helps readers explore related topics, shows that you've done research, and connects your work to the wider web. We also look at why many SEOs became skeptical of outbound links in the first place. A long-standing belief in the industry is that linking out "leaks PageRank" and weakens your site. But when you compare that idea to Google's documentation and real experiments, the story looks very different. We break down: - Google's official advice on outbound links from the Search Central blog - Why linking out can improve credibility and reader trust - The difference between normal links, nofollow, sponsored, and UGC attributes - Why Google warns against unmonitored or spammy outbound links - The experiment by Reboot that tested outbound links across multiple websites - Why the sites with outbound links ranked higher in that test - Matt Cutts' explanation of PageRank sculpting and why he avoided using nofollow internally - When it actually makes sense to use nofollow - Why trying to "hoard PageRank" is usually a mistake We also talk about how outbound links fit into a broader philosophy of building useful pages: cite sources, connect readers to good resources, and focus on making pages genuinely helpful rather than trying to control every technical detail. If you create content for search, this is a topic worth revisiting. Outbound links are part of how the web works. And according to Google, they should be used when they help readers. ⭐️ Linking out: Often it's just applying common sense - https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2008/10/linking-out-often-its-just-applying ⭐️ Outbound Link Experiment - Number 9 - https://seosherpa.com/seo-experiments/ ⭐️ PageRank sculpting - https://www.mattcutts.com/blog/pagerank-sculpting/ ⭐️ E980: Unicorn Clicks, NavBoost & Google's Real Ranking Signals - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqvAaLahNTQ 🚀 Edward's SEO Articles - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/search-engine-optimization/ 💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 Why Link Out 01:08 Google's Outbound Link Advice 02:18 Linking Best Practices 03:39 Outbound Link Q&A 05:38 Do Outbound Links Help SEO 06:32 Reboot Experiment Results 07:44 Matt Cutts on Nofollow 08:34 When to Use Nofollow 09:31 Wrap Up The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #seo #backlinks #digitalmarketing

E985: A lot of people say exact match domains stopped working years ago. In this episode, we take a closer look at whether that's actually true. SEO veteran David Quaid joins the show to break down how exact match domains (EMDs) still play a role in modern search strategies. We discuss when they work, when they don't, and why many companies underestimate the value of owning keyword-focused domains. The conversation covers real-world use cases, practical tactics, and some of the risks involved. We also explore how EMDs fit into a broader SEO strategy that includes branded domains, satellite sites, and reputation management. We also go beyond EMDs and talk about several current debates in search, including automated content, generative engine optimization (GEO), and how AI systems choose which sources to cite. Topics covered: - Whether exact match domains still provide a ranking advantage in modern SEO - Why Google reduced the power of EMDs but didn't eliminate it - How companies use satellite domains to control more results on page one - The difference between building a brand domain and using keyword-focused domains - When exact match domains outperform branded domains - How SEOs use EMDs to compete against large companies with stronger authority - Why controlling multiple search results can matter for reputation management - Strategies for linking between a main site and satellite domains - The role of topical authority and anchor text when ranking EMDs - When exact match domains start to look spammy - The cost and effort required to maintain multiple domains - How automated SEO systems are being used to build and maintain satellite sites - Whether machine-scale content is actually detectable by search engines - Why some companies run EMD projects anonymously - The relationship between SEO and generative engine optimization (GEO) - Why many claims about GEO being completely different from SEO are misleading - How AI systems decide which sources to cite - Why self-promotional listicles may be losing effectiveness - A technical discussion about Cloudflare, AI crawlers, and visibility in LLM citations David also shares examples from past projects, including competing against major companies in highly competitive search markets and using EMDs to gain visibility where a branded domain could not. If you're interested in practical SEO strategies, search experimentation, and the evolving relationship between search engines and AI systems, this episode covers a lot of ground. ⭐️ 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/ 🚀 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 Do EMDs Still Matter? 02:36 Why Google Ignores Brands 03:55 Branded vs EMD Strategy 05:24 Owning Page One 07:42 Automating EMD Sites 11:38 Machine Scaled Content Debate 13:07 Trust and Brand Pushback 14:29 Ranking Signals and Linking 15:46 Anonymous Satellite Domains 16:53 EMDs as Marketing Assets 19:49 When EMDs Get Spammy 21:24 Managing Cost and CMS 22:39 301 Redirect Domain Hack 27:05 Buying the Right EMD 28:03 Brand Mentions Win 28:31 EMD vs Brand SEO 29:07 Outranking Giants Story 32:28 Budget Pick EMD 33:23 Is GEO Really New 34:09 Listicle Consensus Chaos 38:15 Cloudflare Blocks LLMs 45:01 Self Promo Backfires 50:12 Ranking Tricks for GEO 53:27 Wrap Up The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #exactmatchdomains #searchengineoptimization #seo #digitalmarketing