SEO in 2026: AI Mode, Reddit, and What Still Works

E897: Barry Schwartz (Search Engine Roundtable, Search Engine Land) and David Quaid join the show! We break down what SEO is turning into as we head toward 2026. We zero in on how Google search is changing with AI Mode and AI Overviews, why Reddit became such a dominant surface in the SERPs, what's happening with links and updates, and which fundamentals still hold up when attribution and visibility are getting harder to measure. This is a practical discussion about what's actually shifting, what's mostly noise, and what SEOs should stop chasing. Topics we cover - SEO in 2026 and how the job is changing - Google updates and why fewer are being confirmed - How updates are evaluated today versus earlier algorithm eras - Link spam in 2026 and how Google handles it now - Manual actions versus links simply not being counted - Why buying links can feel "safe" until it isn't - Why Reddit rose so quickly in search results - How parasite SEO cycles repeat across platforms - Whether Reddit can remain an SEO powerhouse through 2026 - The impact of low-moderation communities and automation - Writing for people versus writing for AI systems - When AI-friendly formatting conflicts with conversion - GEO versus SEO and where the confusion is coming from - Why SEO may remain the umbrella category - Measurement problems in AI-driven search - Why prompt data is unlikely to be fully visible - How reporting changes when clicks no longer match visibility - Whether AI Mode becomes the default Google experience - What this all means for small and new websites - Why bottom-of-funnel queries matter more than ever - HubSpot's traffic decline and the role of topical authority - Whether topical authority still matters in 2026 - Skills SEOs should focus on to stay relevant - Why critical thinking matters more than tactics - How to communicate SEO value with weaker attribution Key takeaways - Short-term SEO tactics tied to platform advantages repeat in cycles and eventually break. - Most "AI optimization" still depends on traditional search discovery and ranking. - Links may matter differently, but there is still no durable replacement signal. - The hardest part of SEO in 2026 may be measurement and explanation, not ranking. Guests - Barry Schwartz, Search Engine Roundtable and Search Engine Land - David Quaid, Primary Position ⭐️ Read Search Engine Roundtable: https://www.seroundtable.com/ ⭐️ Barry Schwartz on 𝕏: https://x.com/rustybrick ⭐️ Barry Schwartz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rustybrick/ ⭐️ Barry Schwartz on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@rustybrick ⭐️ Barry Schwartz's agency: https://www.rustybrick.com/ ⭐️ David Quaid on 𝕏 - https://x.com/DavidGQuaid ⭐️ David Quaid on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidquaid/ ⭐️ David Quaid's agency - https://primaryposition.com/ 💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 Introduction to the Guests 00:40 Barry Schwartz on Google Updates 02:24 David Quaid's Insights on SEO Trends 10:51 Reddit's Role in SEO 20:15 Writing for AI vs. Humans 32:21 Improving Video Production 32:38 Challenges with YouTube Growth 33:11 SEO Strategies and Video Content 36:26 AI's Impact on SEO 52:03 HubSpot's Organic Traffic Decline 54:34 Skills for Future SEOs 56:52 Predictions for 2026 01:02:13 Conclusion and Farewell The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #digitalmarketing #linkbuilding #generativeengineoptimization

E896: I break down five practical moves that will make you a better marketer. These are things I personally do and use across my own sites, emails, and social channels. No theory. No motivation talk. Just tactics that actually move the needle. This is especially useful if you work in SEO, digital marketing, ecommerce, or content, but everything here applies broadly to anyone trying to grow traffic, trust, and conversions. What you'll learn: 🔥 The informational regex: ^(who|what|where|when|why|how|was|did|do|is|are|aren't|won't|does|if)[" "] 🔥 The ecommerce regex: ^(buy|order|purchase|get|best price|cheap|discount|deal|promo|offer|sale|where to buy|how much|cost of|price of)[" "] - How to use Google Search Console to find informational keywords your site is already showing up for - How to identify keywords ranking in positions 4 - 20 and turn them into traffic with simple on-page changes - When to expand an existing page vs creating a brand new page for a keyword - How adding a phone number to your site increases trust and conversions - How to add a phone number without exposing your real number or dealing with spam - Where to place a phone number on your site depending on your business model - How to find ecommerce and buyer-intent keywords using the same Google Search Console method - How to spot purchase-focused searches your site is already ranking for - How to improve Gmail open rates with a simple profile change almost no one is using - How to use a moving profile image or animated logo in Gmail - Why posting consistently on LinkedIn is one of the highest leverage marketing habits right now - How LinkedIn posts can rank on Google and drive compounding visibility - Why cross-posting the same content to LinkedIn, 𝕏, Facebook, and Threads works - Real examples of how fast impressions grow with consistent posting This is episode 896 of my daily digital marketing podcast. I've published an episode every single day for over two years, and everything I share here comes directly from what I'm testing and using in real time. 💎 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: 5 Tips to Become a Better Marketer 00:03 Tip 1: Google Search Console for Informational Keywords 02:18 Tip 2: Using Phone Numbers to Boost Customer Trust and Engagement 05:32 Tip 3: Finding and Targeting E-commerce Keywords 06:35 Tip 4: Increasing Gmail Open Rates with Animated Icons 09:21 Tip 5: Growing Your Presence on LinkedIn 12:01 Conclusion and Bonus Tip Number 6 The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #digitalmarketing #ecommerce #marketingtactics

E895: Most people do blog SEO wrong. I walk you through the exact process I use doing traditional blog SEO with ChatGPT - step by step - and why you have to be careful if you don't want to damage your brand, your voice, or your credibility. I also explain why I personally focus on bottom-of-funnel SEO instead, and when blog SEO actually makes sense. What I cover in this: - How to reverse-engineer the top 3 ranking posts - A real example keyword for blog SEO - How to build a better outline using H2s and H3s - How to write a page title that stands out in search results - Where your keyword should appear (title, URL, H1, first sentence) - How to use ChatGPT to fill in the outline without publishing generic content - How to humanize AI writing and remove common AI tells - Why real photos matter and why AI images hurt trust - How to add your own experience so your content feels authentic - Why I don't run AI blog SEO on my own site - When blog SEO is fine and when it's a waste of time - Why bottom-of-funnel SEO is usually a better strategy 💎 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 Blog SEO 00:16 Choosing and Researching Keywords 00:37 Creating an Effective Outline 02:06 Humanizing AI-Generated Content 02:34 Editing and Finalizing Your Blog Post 03:49 Internal Linking Strategies 04:14 What I Focus On Instead 05:35 Wrapping The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #digitalmarketing #backlinks #contentmarketing

E894: Click-through rate is now widely understood to be a ranking factor, but most people still underestimate how much it influences search results and how it actually works in practice. I break down real CTR experiments from Rand Fishkin, explain what they revealed about Google's ranking systems, and share why titles, branding, and user behavior matter far more than most SEOs are willing to admit. This is not theory. These are documented experiments, real outcomes, and practical takeaways you can apply to your own SEO efforts. What this covers: - Why Google measures and uses anything that improves search quality - Rand Fishkin's click-through rate experiments and what actually happened - How fast rankings can change when click behavior changes - Why Google publicly downplayed CTR for years - The role of page titles in competing for clicks in the SERPs - How brand familiarity increases trust and click probability - Why viral moments and brand searches can influence rankings - The risks of relying on shortcuts Google says "don't matter" - How thinking like Google makes you better at SEO Key takeaways: - Click-through rate is not optional if you want to compete in search - Titles are one of the highest-leverage SEO actions you control - Brand awareness directly impacts organic performance - User behavior data is too valuable for Google to ignore ⭐️ 21 SEO Experiments That Will Change The Way You Think About SEO (Forever) - https://seosherpa.com/seo-experiments/ ⭐️ My Exact Social Media Posting Strategy - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/social-media-posting-strategy/ 💎 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 Click-Through Rate Experiments 00:30 Google's Stance on Click-Through Rate 01:54 Rand Fishkin's First Experiment 04:19 Rand Fishkin's Second Experiment 05:34 Key Takeaways 06:41 Wrapping The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #digitalmarketing #backlinks #performancemarketing

E893: How do search engines actually work - and what role do LLMs really play? David Quaid joins the show to break open the search engine black box, explaining how Google, Bing, and AI-powered tools retrieve and rank content, why pages fail to get indexed, and which SEO "rules" are myths versus reality. We explore the Query Fan-Out, PageRank, CTR testing, indexing behavior, and why most advice about freshness, dwell time, and AI search is misleading. If you've been confused by LLM search results, indexing issues, or sudden ranking changes, this conversation will recalibrate how you think about SEO. Topics Covered - What Query Fan-Out is and how LLMs retrieve web results - Why pages aren't getting indexed (Google & Bing) - PageRank: why it still matters and can't be replaced - CTR vs dwell time: what Google actually tests - Freshness myths (2025 / 2026 queries explained) - Ranking in AI search tools like ChatGPT, Grok, and Perplexity - When to create a new page vs update existing content - Indexing APIs, backlinks, and why manual indexing is a red flag - SEO strategies for SaaS founders and solopreneurs ⭐️ David Quaid on 𝕏 - https://x.com/DavidGQuaid ⭐️ David Quaid on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidquaid/ ⭐️ David Quaid's agency - https://primaryposition.com/ 💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 Welcome and Introduction 00:24 Understanding Query Fan-Out 03:39 SEO Strategies for Bing 09:31 OpenAI and the Future of Search Indexes 17:01 The Evolution and Impact of PageRank 32:57 How to Index a Link Instantly 41:36 Ranking in Grok 44:11 The Role of Freshness in LLMs and SEO Rankings 46:17 Insights from Glen Allsopp's Study on Best Lists 48:39 Debating the Importance of Freshness in SEO 52:03 Challenges of SEO for AI-Generated Content 59:30 Strategies for Creating and Updating SEO Pages 01:05:47 AI-Generated Content and SEO 01:07:09 Challenges with AI-Generated Sites 01:14:23 SEO Tips for SaaS and Tool Founders 01:20:24 Concluding Thoughts and Future Discussions The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #linkbuilding #backlinks #digitalmarketing

E892: Google just dropped the December 2025 Core Update, and the early signs point to major SERP changes - not just rankings, but how traffic is distributed. I break down what we're seeing so far: - Massive volatility across top-of-funnel sites - Click-through rates collapsing even when rankings stay the same - Video thumbnails disappearing from organic results - YouTube carousels taking over key queries - AI-generated sites feeling renewed pressure - Why some sites dropped hard - and then rebounded I also cover real-time reactions from SEOs and publishers, including Reddit reports that surfaced before Google officially announced the update, plus early predictions on who benefits, who loses, and why this feels more like a SERP restructuring than a traditional penalty. We'll talk about: - Why YouTube is winning this update - What this means for AI content and "AI slop" sites - The future of Reddit, parasite SEO, and platform dominance - Why authentic, fast-answer content continues to get prioritized - How bottom-of-funnel SEO holds up during core updates This update is expected to roll out over three weeks, so this is an early analysis — and I'll be covering it more as the data comes in. This is Episode 892 of The Edward Show - 892 days in a row without missing an episode. ⭐️ Google Search Central's post - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/googlesearchcentral_google-search-status-dashboard-activity-7404935154072371201-0fKv/ ⭐️ Google December 2025 Core Update Is Rolling Out - You Surprised? - https://www.seroundtable.com/google-december-2025-core-update-40569.html ⭐️ Reddit chatter - https://www.reddit.com/r/SEO/comments/1pk3cvd/december_3rd_algorithm_update_massive_traffic/ 💎 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's December 2025 Core Update Announcement 00:32 Previous Updates 01:31 Community Reactions to the Update 03:42 Harpreet Singh's Predictions 04:31 Analyzing Core Update Effects 05:26 Future of SEO and Content Prioritization 08:21 Move Down the SEO Funnel 10:06 Conclusion and Final Thoughts The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #googlecoreupdate #marketingnews #digitalmarketing

E891: One of the wildest SEO journeys you'll ever hear. Tryggvi Rafn went from running a portfolio of sites that were absolutely crushing it… to waking up one morning and seeing every single one wiped out by Google. From there, he rebuilt, reinvented, and eventually scaled 1,000+ profitable sites across multiple industries. We break down the real truths about SEO that no one talks about - what actually moves revenue, why most AI SEO is doomed, how link building really works going into 2026, and the exact strategies he uses with his e-commerce clients today. If you care about SEO, AI content, link building, or building real online businesses, this is a must-listen. You'll hear: - The morning Google wiped out his entire income - Panda, Penguin, and how those updates mirror what's happening right now - Why AI spam and auto-posting will get sites clapped - Buyer-intent SEO vs. topical authority nonsense - The truth about scaling pages (and how many you can publish at once) - The link building shortcuts that kill sites - Parasite SEO, Reddit domination, and modern tiered linking - Why most agencies drive traffic that never converts - How to build an e-commerce SEO system that prints revenue for years - The future of SEO with AI - what's real and what's hype If you run an e-commerce brand or do SEO, don't miss this one. ⭐️ Tryggvi Rafn on 𝕏 - https://x.com/ecomtryggvi ⭐️ Tryggvi Rafn on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tryggvi-rafn/ ⭐️ Tryggvi Rafn on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@Ecomtryggvi ⭐️ Tryggvi Rafn's agency - https://www.nordicamarketing.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 The 2012 SEO Apocalypse: Losing Everything Overnight 00:37 Early SEO Tactics: Niche Sites and Keyword Stuffing 03:04 The Rise and Fall of Spun Content and Link Networks 04:37 The Impact of Google's Panda and Penguin Updates 09:07 The Shift to Quality Content and User Engagement 10:53 Modern SEO Challenges: AI Content and Link Building 14:25 Building Effective SEO Strategies for E-commerce 18:37 The Importance of Context and Brand Story in SEO 28:09 Common SEO Mistakes and How to Avoid Them 32:01 Scaling SEO with Domain Authority 32:24 Programmatic SEO: Launch Strategies 33:42 Content Velocity and Quality 35:14 Effective Keyword Clustering 39:24 Natural vs. Unnatural SEO Practices 41:59 Link Building: Do's and Don'ts 49:51 The Future of AI in SEO and Marketing 01:02:18 Concluding Thoughts and Future Plans The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #generativeengineoptimization #answerengineoptimization #digitalmarketing

E890: One of the most debated SEO tactics today: companies publishing "Best X in Y" listicles and ranking themselves #1. For years, this has been a common SEO strategy, but in 2025-2026 it has become far more powerful. These listicles are now being ingested by AI systems like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, and Grok, and are influencing the rankings these models generate. A single self-promotional page can now push a brand to the top across multiple AI platforms. This raises a major question for the industry: will Google allow this, or will these pages get devalued or penalized? Gagan Ghotra returns to discuss how Google will treat these listicles in the future, how AI models decide which brands to surface, and the role of reputation signals, UGC, reviews, achievements, and entity data. We also explore why AI Overviews may eventually replace listicle-style pages entirely, and how brands need to adapt their content strategies going into 2026. This is a deep conversation about the evolving relationship between SEO, AI search experiences, and brand authority. We cover technical SEO factors, ethical concerns, programmatic list creation, Google's knowledge graph, and how brands can influence AI through strategic content creation across the web. Topics discussed: - Why self-ranking "Best X for Y" listicles suddenly influence AI results - Whether this tactic is deceptive or simply smart SEO - How Google might detect and penalize manipulative listicle strategies - Why some sites get hit while others remain unaffected - How AI Overviews generate their own lists using entity and knowledge-graph data - Why achievements, awards, team announcements, and reviews now matter more - How user-generated content on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and X can affect AI rankings - The rise of reputation-focused SEO copywriting - The impact of hidden content, accordions, and rendering issues on AI understanding - Trustpilot, marketplaces, and how programmatic SEO could change the landscape - How Google's future search experience may rely less on listicles and more on AI-generated recommendations - Why brands need to create public, verifiable content about their wins - The future of bottom-of-funnel content across both websites and social platforms ⭐️ 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/ 💎 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 Blog Listicles 00:34 The Ethics of Self-Promotion in SEO 01:14 Historical Context of SEO Tactics 01:53 The Impact of Blog Listicles on Search Rankings 04:11 Debate on the Future of Self-Promotional Pages 11:03 The Role of User-Generated Content in SEO 12:24 AI Overviews and Their Influence on Rankings 16:30 Strategies for Influencing AI Rankings 23:09 Google's Future in AI-Generated Rankings 23:34 Google's New Recommendation System 24:46 AI Mode and Business Profiles 26:25 SEO Copywriting Trends for 2026 30:05 Importance of Reputation Management in SEO 31:14 Creating Effective Best-of Lists 33:22 Trustpilot's Missed Opportunities 35:04 Programmatic SEO and AI 36:25 Challenges and Solutions in Programmatic Content 37:55 The Future of Content and SEO 40:53 Conclusion and Final Thoughts The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #answerengineoptimization #generativeengineoptimization #digitalmarketing

889: We break down image SEO, visual search, AI-generated alt text at scale using Gemini, and Easter Eggs in alt text! The timeless SEO sage, Gagan Ghotra returns to the podcast for this once-in-a-lifetime episode. If your website has product images, blog images, ecommerce listings, or ANY visual content, this episode will show you how Google actually understands those images - and how to use AI to massively improve your rankings. Don't. Miss. This. One. We cover: - Why visual search is exploding across Google, Gemini, and mobile search - How Google matches an uploaded photo to real products - Why most alt text on the internet is completely useless - How to generate perfect, descriptive alt text using Gemini (including the exact prompt) - Scaling alt text updates for 10K-50K+ images - Common image SEO mistakes that hurt your rankings - Why AI-generated product images can destroy your business - Real examples from ecommerce sites, marketplaces, and content sites - Bonus: how screenshots, YouTube thumbnails, and social images rank so well We also share insights on: - Using Gemini API + Python for large-scale automation - Why real photos always outperform AI-generated ones - How to future-proof for 2026's incoming visual search wave - What Google really wants from your product images Whether you run an SEO agency, ecommerce brand, SaaS company, or content site - this episode will give you a huge advantage. If you miss this one, your websites will tank in rankings - so DON'T. MISS. THIS! This episode was sponsored by the Edward Sturm for Better SEO Rankings Global Initiative, thank you for watching and your continued patronage 🙏 ⭐️ Gagan Ghotra's Alt Text Generator (live for a limited time) - https://nanobanana-alt-text-generator-289265803456.us-west1.run.app/ ⭐️ 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/ 💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/ 00:00 Introduction and Gagan's Travel Lifestyle 00:52 Challenges of Constant Travel 01:45 Networking for SEO and Business Strategies 04:02 Importance of In-Person Events 06:58 AI and Image SEO 08:29 SEO Techniques 09:54 Advanced Image SEO Strategies 11:20 Generating Alt Text with AI 13:26 Using AI for Image SEO at Scale 19:47 Real-World Applications and Best Practices 21:58 Technical Challenges in Image SEO 23:56 Google's Image Matching Process 27:04 Real vs. AI-Generated Images 28:26 Conclusion and Future Topics The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #imageseo #searchengineoptimization #technicalseo #generativeengineoptimization

E888: Stop making service area pages you'll never rank for. We break down one of the most common local SEO mistakes new businesses make - trying to rank in cities they don't have topical authority for. From Darren Shaw (founder of Whitespark and one of the top local SEO experts in the world) said it best, "If you want to rank 50 miles away, you need a new location." Not more pages. Not more blog posts. A verified Google Business Profile in that city with a real, verified location. You'll learn: - Why service area pages for far-away cities never rank for new businesses - What to focus on first - How to expand your local radius the right way - The right time to open additional locations + Google Business Profiles - How to structure your homepage when you serve multiple cities - Why topical authority is becoming more important than ever - What happens when you update your GBP (hint: massive crawling) If you've been trying to rank beyond your area with "Plumber Miami" - type pages while based in Dallas… this episode will save you months of wasted effort. ⭐️ Darren Shaw's local SEO episode - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1awWMG1e5kY 💎 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 Common SEO Mistakes 00:27 Expert Insights from Darren Shaw 02:13 Effective Local SEO Strategies 02:53 Expanding Your Business Reach 04:29 Case Study: Success with SEO 06:34 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 07:08 Closing Remarks The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #localseo #searchengineoptimization #googlebusinessprofile #digitalmarketing