5 Link Building Methods That Actually Work (Ranked + Real Examples)

E1063: If you run a large ecommerce site with hundreds of thousands or millions of product pages, and only a fraction of them are indexed, you are not alone. David Quaid and I break down why Google indexes only 30-40% of pages on many large sites - and what actually determines whether a product page gets crawled and indexed. This conversation covers how authority flows through large websites, why crawl budget is often misunderstood, and how URL structure, topical relevance, and internal architecture affect indexation. If you manage or market a large ecommerce site, this episode will change how you think about SEO. What we cover: - Why "discovered, not indexed" is a bigger problem than "crawled, not indexed" - Why adding more internal links doesn't automatically improve indexation - How Google's crawl pools actually work - Why pruning pages rarely fixes indexing issues - The role of the URL slug in determining whether a page gets crawled - How topical authority influences whether a product page is worth indexing - Why homepage backlinks don't help deep product pages as much as you think - How hub pages can bypass traditional site hierarchy - When to include keywords in subfolders vs. slugs - Why some large sites perform well with only 40% of pages indexed - What happens when authority "tightens" across your site - How to decide which product pages actually need to rank - The first three things to check when auditing a 1M+ product site - The real difference between crawl efficiency and authority shaping - How blog content can directly support deep product tiers We also discuss: - Whether AI-generated product content hurts indexing - Why XML sitemaps do not solve indexation problems - The difference between semantic ranking and topical authority - Why step-by-step traffic decline often signals authority loss, not penalties If you operate a large ecommerce site, this episode will help you think beyond crawl budget and start focusing on the pages that actually matter. Drop your questions in the comments. We read them and often turn them into future episodes. (And congratulations to friend of the podcast, Harpreet Singh, on his baby boy!) ⭐️ David Quaid on 𝕏 - https://x.com/DavidGQuaid ⭐️ David Quaid on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidquaid/ ⭐️ David Quaid's agency - https://primaryposition.com/ 🚀 Learn SEO for free - https://freeseoknowledge.com/ 💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 Indexing Crisis Setup 01:07 Google Tightens Authority 03:36 Crawl Pools Explained 05:03 Why Pruning Fails 06:17 Authority Shaping Model 08:40 Build Traffic Tiers 11:05 Slugs vs Folders SEO 20:07 Saved Search Hub Pages 22:01 Facets Parameters Strategy 22:55 Links to Deep Pages 30:16 Bypass Folder Layers 33:50 Root Pages Folder Names 36:19 URL Hierarchy for SEO 38:30 Redundancy and Slugs 46:48 Clicks and Authority Flow 47:43 Auditing a Massive Site 51:20 Google Authority Tightening 58:49 AI Content and Labels 01:02:33 LLMs and SEO Advice 01:05:24 Indexing Decision and Wrap The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #ecommerce #searchengineoptimization #seo #dropshipping

E1062: Most link building advice sounds great until you try to execute it. The real challenge isn't "getting backlinks." It's getting links that make sense, earning real replies, and avoiding tactics that waste your time. I break down a Reddit post that ranks five link building methods by how well they work in practice. I walk through each method, why it works, what to watch out for, and give many examples along the way. In this episode: - The 5 link building methods, ranked by effectiveness - Why "relevance" often beats raw authority - How to think about links in a way that avoids spam tactics - What runs out quickly vs. what scales over time - A simple question to filter good link ideas from bad ones: would this link still make sense if Google didn't exist? The 5 methods (ranked): - Adjacent niche outreach (complementary businesses, same audience, not competitors) - Competitor backlink gap (find sites that link to competitors but not you) - Niche blog outreach (contextual placements, but you must vet sites carefully) - Partner/supplier/customer mentions (real relationships, natural links) - Agency-to-agency link swaps (rare, but works when relationships exist) Examples mentioned: - Roofing company swapping links with a gutter installer (same homeowner, not competitors) - Directory and listing opportunities discovered through competitor backlink profiles - Guest contributions on niche sites that have real organic traffic - Vendors or partners featuring you in customer stories or recommended tools pages Key cautions covered: - Don't publish on sites that exist only to sell links - Check for real organic traffic and whether it's stable or increasing - Expect low reply rates in outreach, and plan for it - Some methods are high quality but limited by how many real relationships you have - Look for relevance ⭐️ 5 link building methods ranked by how well they actually work - https://www.reddit.com/r/linkbuilding/comments/1tgeomv/5_link_building_methods_ranked_by_how_well_they/ ⭐️ Episode 1001 - Guest Blogging Is DEAD for SEO (According to Google) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StrGzJ_05qY ⭐️ Episode 1037 - How One Simple Website Got 384,000 Backlinks (Linkable Assets Explained) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1Q5HHatvoc ⭐️ 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 Why Link Building Fails 00:17 Reddit List Overview 00:53 Adjacent Niche Outreach 02:06 Competitor Backlink Gap 02:46 Niche Blog Outreach 04:20 Pitch Journalists Instead 05:31 Partner Supplier Mentions 06:40 Agency Link Swaps 07:33 Relevance Beats Authority 08:13 Linkable Assets Resource 09:50 Final Thoughts The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #linkbuilding #backlinks #searchengineoptimization #seo

E1061: Breaking down one of the most interesting SEO experiments in recent memory: the Cats.txt hoax created by Mark Williams-Cook. He invented a completely fake "standard" called cats.txt, published formal documentation for it, and made it look legitimate. Soon after, major crawlers were requesting the file. Google indexed it. AI overviews described it as real. ChatGPT even said it could help you rank in search and large language models. Then the experiment went viral. Now AI systems acknowledge that it started as a joke. But before that happened, they confidently explained how it worked and why it mattered. This episode covers: - What the Cats.txt experiment actually was - How Googlebot, GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, BingBot, AppleBot and others crawled it - Why ChatGPT initially claimed Cats.txt could help with rankings - What this reveals about how LLMs retrieve and synthesize information - Why "LLMs.txt" style tactics are often misunderstood - How consensus-looking content becomes treated as truth - The circular authority problem in AI systems - Why you can't reliably ask an LLM how its own infrastructure works - How this connects to previous experiments with fake schema markup The key takeaway: large language models do not inherently know what is authoritative. If enough content presents something as real, the model may confidently describe it as real. LLMs are very good at modeling what people say is true. That is not the same as knowing what is true. I also explain why you do not need fancy technical files like LLMs.txt to show up in AI-driven systems. A clear About page, strong positioning, relevant landing pages, brand mentions, and real marketing fundamentals will do more for you than trying to implement something that sounds advanced. If you are a business owner and want to show up in Google and in AI systems: - Target high-intent searches tied directly to what you sell - Build conversion-focused landing pages, not just blog posts - Structure your site around demand - Earn links and brand mentions - Do marketing that makes people want to search for you That is what moves the needle. ⭐️ Introducing cats.txt: The Missing Standard for SEO and GEO - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/introducing-catstxt-missing-standard-seo-geo-mark-williams-cook-dijre/ ⭐️ Cats.txt - https://catstxt.org/ ⭐️ Lily Ray's post about Cats.txt - https://x.com/lilyraynyc/status/2058119840565436567 💎 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 Cats.txt Prank 00:43 Proof It Fooled Crawlers 02:07 Why LLMs.txt Fails 03:19 Authority And Feedback Loops 04:02 Inside Cats.txt Spec 05:18 Fake Schema Parallel 05:53 Simple GEO Advice 07:35 Wrap Up The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #generativeengineoptimization #searchengineoptimization #answerengineoptimization #seo

E1060: AI search is not magic. It is pattern recognition at scale. It looks for consensus, relevance, authority, repetition, and reinforcement across the web. If you understand that, you can influence it. In this episode, Kasra Dash and I break down how AI search engines like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini, Claude, Grok, and Perplexity decide who to recommend. We go deep into what is working right now, what most SEOs are missing, and how brands can control what AI says about them. This is based on live testing, deleted pages, AI citation tracking, and real-world case studies. We cover: - Why YouTube is massively underutilized in AI search - How AI engines build "consensus" around a brand - Why reviews impact not just SEO, but paid ads and AI recommendations - How to swap out review platforms when one is hurting you - The real effect of listicles in AI citations - How ChatGPT uses multiple bots (and why that matters) - What happens when you delete pages that are being cited in AI - Differences between ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, and Perplexity - How to influence AI by amplifying reviews across external sites - Why most SEOs are undervaluing their skillset - Whether affiliates and publishers still have a future in AI search - Why customer service may be the most overlooked SEO lever - How to think about fan-out queries and recommendation prompts - When schema helps and when it does nothing We also talk about: - Click manipulation in competitive industries - Query fan-out strategy for product recommendations - Why brand > anonymous affiliate sites in the current environment - Why owning assets beats running an agency long term - How to structure comparisons and "alternatives" pages properly If you run a SaaS, local service business, agency, affiliate site, or media brand, this episode will change how you think about AI search. The goal is simple: Do not let AI decide your narrative. Understand how it works.
Build consensus.
Control your positioning.
Use SEO as leverage. ⭐️ Kasra Dash on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@kasradash/featured ⭐️ Kasra Dash on 𝕏 - https://x.com/Kasra_Dash ⭐️ Kasra Dash on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kasra-dash/ ⭐️ Kasra Dash's Website - https://kasradash.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 Meet Kasra Dash 00:20 From Web Dev to SEO 01:54 YouTube Parasite SEO 03:55 Fixing AI Review Consensus 06:55 ChatGPT Reviews Thought Experiment 10:00 Swapping Review Platforms 13:53 Avoiding Cannibalization 15:51 Retargeting Warm Traffic 18:05 Claim Frame Prove 22:05 Customer Service Drives Reviews 25:53 iGaming Click Manipulation 27:05 Building Your Own Assets 35:10 AI Citation Testing 42:41 Getting Recommended by LLMs 45:37 Local SEO Foundations 46:48 Reviews and Kitchen Sink 47:59 Omnichannel Content Coverage 50:10 Grok and LLM Citations 54:06 Listicles and Schema Myths 58:13 Knowledge Panels and SameAs Schema 01:01:16 Future of Affiliates 01:07:14 Early SEO Mistakes 01:12:21 Building Authority Backlinks 01:18:25 Rapid Fire Takeaways 01:21:33 Presence and Mindfulness 01:24:01 Fail Faster and Seven Figures 01:29:00 Where to Find Kasra The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #generativeengineoptimization #answerengineoptimization #searchengineoptimization #seo

E1059: Is SEO actually dead this time? Every few years, the industry declares the end of SEO. This time the argument sounds stronger: AI overviews, AI-generated content, Google "stealing" traffic, collapsing affiliate sites, and major ranking volatility. In this episode, I sit down with Michał Suski, co-founder of Surfer SEO, to break down what's really happening. We talk about what has really changed since 2017, what hasn't changed at all, and why much of the panic around AI is missing the point. This is not a hype conversation. It's a grounded discussion about brand, behavior, backlinks, attention span, and what Google is really rewarding right now. What we cover: - How Surfer started as a side project and grew into one of the best-known SEO tools - Whether AI overviews are actually killing organic traffic - Why top-of-funnel content is disappearing (and why that might be fine) - The truth about self-promotional listicles and whether they're risky - How Google likely detects low-quality AI content - Why behavioral signals matter more than ever - What happened to Surfer's traffic - and why losing it wasn't necessarily bad - Why niche focus beats broad authority in competitive markets - The collapse of generic affiliate sites and what survives - How attention span is reshaping SEO strategy - Whether SaaS is still a good opportunity in 2026 - What matters more today: topical authority, backlinks, brand, or user behavior - What Michał would do with only 90 days to grow traffic - Why rewriting old content is one of the biggest missed opportunities - The role of brand mentions vs traditional link building - Whether there is still a future for pure affiliate SEO One of the biggest themes of this episode: Content alone is not enough. It's an enabler, not a differentiator. Brand, trust, behavior, and relevance are doing more of the heavy lifting than most people realize. If you run a SaaS, niche site, agency, or you're building in SEO right now, this conversation will give you a clearer framework for what matters - and what doesn't. Listen if you want perspective instead of panic. ⭐️ Surfer - https://surferseo.com/ ⭐️ Michał Suski's website - https://msu.ski/ ⭐️ Michał Suski's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michal-suski/ 💎 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 Michał Suski 00:17 Surfer Origin Story 00:56 What Surfer Does Now 02:00 How Search Behavior Shifted 06:02 SEO Panic vs Reality 06:44 Self Promotional Listicles Debate 12:47 How Google Spots AI Spam 19:03 Traffic Loss and Identity Drift 25:35 Niche Down for Advantage 31:10 AI Content Workflow That Works 35:24 Defining Good Content and UX 41:24 Founder Habits and ADHD 43:56 Which Content Google Rewards Now 45:23 Affiliate SEO Aftermath 47:20 Short Form Attention Shift 49:08 AI Citations Token Economy 51:35 Affiliate Sites Future 54:47 Google IO Build In SERP 57:27 SaaS Still Blue Ocean 01:00:34 Ranking Signals Today 01:03:48 90 Day Growth Shortcut 01:07:03 Hidden SEO Opportunities 01:09:06 Claude Vibe Coding Workflows 01:13:26 Programmatic SEO Reality 01:15:23 Why Poland SEO Thrives 01:17:32 Conference Networking Truth 01:23:28 Podcast Streak Finale The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #seo #aiseo #contentmarketing

E1058: AI search tools don't just look at your website anymore. They look at your reviews. They scan Reddit threads. They surface YouTube videos. They analyze what real people are saying about your brand. And if the internet says bad things about you, AI will repeat it. I break down why customer service is no longer just a support function. It directly affects whether AI tools recommend your product, whether buyers trust you during due diligence, and whether your brand gets shared organically across platforms like YouTube and Reddit. If you sell anything high-priced, subscription-based, or competitive, this matters even more. We cover: - Why AI search cites reviews and user-generated content - How fake review channels are influencing brand perception - Why bad reviews are more damaging today than they were pre-AI - The connection between customer service and SEO - How user-generated content shows up in Google and AI results - Why trying to shortcut with tactics like parasite SEO can backfire - How good support reduces negative posts on Reddit and review sites - Why personalized customer experiences increase organic brand mentions - What happens when your brand name gets banned from communities - Why "good product" isn't enough anymore There's a clear shift happening: Instead of brands controlling the narrative, AI is aggregating the narrative from everywhere else. If your customers are unhappy, that becomes searchable.
 If your customers are happy, that becomes searchable too. The simplest way to protect your brand in this new environment is not manipulation, automation, or shortcuts. It's strong customer service.
 It's personal support.
 It's giving people a reason to say good things about you without being asked. I also share a recent review of my SEO course and explain why long-term brand trust is built through both product quality and support. If you care about: - SEO - AI search - Brand reputation - Long-term growth - Sustainable marketing This episode is for you. 💎 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 Makes Reviews Matter 00:46 Fake Review Channel Scam 02:08 Why Bad Reviews Spread 03:13 Max Out Customer Service 04:49 UGC Wins in Search 05:50 Parasite SEO Explained 07:02 Risks of Gaming Reddit 07:49 Trust in Due Diligence 08:20 Shortcuts vs Real Support 09:01 Example Review 10:57 Wrap Up and Goodbye The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #reputationmanagement #searchengineoptimization #seo #publicrelations

E1057: One of the most common mistakes in SEO: Targeting multiple keywords on your homepage. A lot of marketers and even experienced SEOs believe the homepage has the most authority, so it should target everything. They stuff a primary keyword into the H1 and then scatter additional keywords into H2s and body copy. It sounds logical. It doesn't work. And worse, it costs you money. In this episode, I explain: - How Google prioritizes relevance more than most SEOs realize - How authority actually works (and why the homepage isn't your magic ranking page) - Why stuffing keywords into your homepage weakens your SEO strategy - How this mistake hurts conversions - Why your homepage should be optimized for conversions, not rankings - The right way to structure dedicated SEO pages - How hub pages pass authority to service pages and blog posts - How to actually target a single keyword on your homepage - The risk you still run even if you do it correctly Most people think in terms of backlinks and authority. They don't think enough about relevance and intent. If you want to rank for multiple keywords, build dedicated pages. Put them one to two clicks from your homepage. Build links to hub pages when appropriate. Keep your homepage focused on converting the traffic you're already getting. SEO is simpler than most people make it: Relevance and authority. That's it. If you know someone making this mistake, send them this episode. 💎 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 Homepage SEO Mistake 00:40 How Google Ranks 01:50 Why Marketers Stuff Keywords 02:35 Relevance vs Backlinks 03:47 Conversion First Homepage 04:11 Build Keyword Pages 05:25 Single Keyword Homepage 06:13 Why It Still Fails 08:41 Final Thanks Goodbye The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #seo #marketingstrategy #localseo

E1056: Most people think the solution to competitive SEO is simple: build more backlinks. Authority matters. But if your page doesn't satisfy search intent quickly, backlinks will only help you rank temporarily. They won't help you stay there. In this episode, I break down what really wins in competitive SERPs: user signals. When Google is testing multiple pages targeting the same keyword, it looks at behavior. Click-through rate. Pogo-sticking. Whether searchers feel satisfied. If your page makes people work too hard to understand what it offers, they leave. And when that happens consistently, rankings drop. You'll learn: - Why backlinks alone won't keep you ranking - What actually happens when Google tests pages against each other - How to reduce pogo-sticking without relying on more copy - Why the image at the top of your page matters more than you think - How to structure your page so people understand it without reading - How to improve click-through rate in competitive SERPs - A simple page title formula you can use immediately - When and why adding "free" to your page title increases clicks - The danger of mass AI content and how it hurts user signals - How to combine authority and user satisfaction for lasting rankings If you're targeting high-intent keywords and competing against optimized pages, you need more than keyword placement and authority. You need pages that communicate value immediately. The goal: someone lands on your page, instantly understands what you offer, and clicks the call to action without hesitation. That's how you rank - and stay ranking. ⭐️ Most SEO Copywriting Is Killing Your Rankings (And Costing You Sales) - https://youtu.be/owYbNfATBhM ⭐️ How to Get Backlinks for a Brand New Website (Even With Zero Authority) - https://youtu.be/5TE2mXQxuTU ⭐️ The Era of 10 Blue Links Is Over (Google I/O Search + May 2026 Core Update) - https://youtu.be/eD6sNhLHM0I 💎 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 Competitive SERPs Setup 00:18 Pogo-Sticking Explained 01:03 Lazy Searchers Principle 01:27 Hero Image 02:45 User Signals Win Rankings 03:10 Competitor Gap Example 05:03 Image First SaaS Example 05:35 AI Content UX Risk 06:00 CTR Page Title Formula 06:36 Free In Page Titles Advantage 07:12 Authority Versus UX Signals 08:08 Key Takeaways Recap 10:20 Closing And Sign Off The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #seo #keywords #digitalmarketing

E1055: Most people lose sight of what SEO is actually capable of. If you do it properly, SEO is not just about traffic. It is about building an asset that can consistently generate customers, users, and leads without depending on paid ads or luck. In this episode, I break down what I call the promise of SEO - and why so many businesses quit right before it starts working. The problem is not that SEO does not work. The problem is that most people abandon it during the foundation stage. They underestimate how long it takes, overestimate how much competition matters, or focus on the wrong things entirely. This episode is about correcting that. Here's what I cover: - Why most new websites stay stuck in the "new site" phase - The simple three-page strategy to start getting traction - How to find high-intent keywords that actually lead to customers - Why informational traffic alone is no longer enough - What makes a backlink meaningful (and what does not) - Why referral traffic and brand mentions matter more than vanity metrics - How to build authority in a way that compounds over time - The difference between real SEO and "SEO theater" - Why most people give up during the link-building phase - How ranking pages create more authority and make future rankings easier - How to use SEO to strengthen every other marketing channel - How I outranked major publishers by properly targeting search intent - Why SEO is still powerful even in the age of AI If you focus on: - Targeting underserved, high-intent keywords - Building links that bring real referral traffic - Creating pages that satisfy search intent - Building brand signals that generate branded searches - Staying consistent long enough for authority to compound You can build a business that generates leads every day without needing to go viral or be the biggest player in your space. SEO is not about shortcuts. It is about building a real foundation and scaling on top of it. Recorded in NYC ❤️ 💎 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 The Promise of SEO 00:36 Why New Sites Quit 01:15 Three Easy Keyword Pages 01:51 Action Intent Keywords 02:38 Link Building That Matters 05:23 Satisfy Search Intent 06:14 Scale the Flywheel 08:16 Evergreen Authority Wins 10:59 Avoid Spammy Shortcuts 11:21 Showing The Manhattan Skyline The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #seo #digitalmarketing #marketing

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