From SEO TikTok to $18M Agencies: How Creators Actually Scale
The Edward Show
E945: I’m joined by Matt Diamante and Jake Tlapek for a long-form, unfiltered conversation about what actually happens after you win on social media. All three of us came up through SEO content on TikTok and Instagram. This episode isn’t about going viral - it’s about turning attention into durable businesses, building teams, and deciding what you want to scale next. We cover the real mechanics of growing agencies, removing yourself from delivery, using content as leverage, and how AI and social search are changing SEO in practice - not theory. What we talk about in this episode: - How...
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Is E-commerce SEO Dead? Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol & the Future of Search
The Edward Show
E944: Google has introduced the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), a system that allows merchants to send product data directly to Google so users can discover and buy products inside search, AI Mode, and Gemini - without ever visiting a website. In this episode, we break down what UCP actually is, how agentic commerce works, and what this shift means for e-commerce SEO, CRO, brand authority, and margins. Joining the discussion are Harpreet Singh, Gagan Ghotra, and David Quaid, three experienced SEOs with deep backgrounds in e-commerce, SaaS, B2B, and technical SEO. Together, we unpack...
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How to Get High-Quality Backlinks From Podcast Appearances
The Edward Show
E943: How to get high-quality backlinks from podcast appearances and why podcast guesting is one of the most effective and overlooked SEO strategies available right now. This is based on real experience. In 2022, I went on 30 podcasts in three months before I had an audience, social media presence, or this podcast. Those appearances helped me build backlinks, branded searches, topical authority, and ultimately led to everything I’m doing now. This episode covers why podcast backlinks work, how they affect SEO directly and indirectly, and exactly how to get booked on podcasts consistently....
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An $80 Press Release Ranked #1 on Google (And Tricked AI)
The Edward Show
E942: A real case study showing how an $80 press release from Matt Diamante (Hey Tony Agency) ranked #1 on Google for a non-branded keyword and influenced Google’s AI Overview. This isn’t theory. This actually happened. I walk through exactly how a single press release, distributed through AB Newswire, showed up at the top of Google search results, was cited by a publication, and continued to influence AI search results weeks later - even after the original press release was no longer publicly accessible. This episode explains why press releases still matter, how they influence search...
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Google Is Breaking SEO: Permanent Manual Actions, AI Search & the Rise of Black Hat
The Edward Show
E941: Edward is joined by Charles Floate and David Quaid for a deep, technical conversation about what is actually happening in search right now - and why many long-held SEO assumptions no longer hold. We discuss a growing pattern of manual actions that appear to be permanent, rejected reconsideration requests even after large-scale cleanups, and why some businesses may never fully recover organic traffic from Google. From enterprise sites to small publishers, the rules are shifting fast. The conversation moves into AI search, ChatGPT visibility, Reddit’s dominance in the SERPs, and how...
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Google Penalties Are Becoming Permanent (And That Changes Everything)
The Edward Show
E940: Google penalties are no longer feeling like temporary setbacks. More and more site owners are fixing everything they’re told to fix, submitting reconsideration requests, and still getting rejected. In this episode, I break down why Google manual actions appear to be becoming semi-permanent, what multiple SEO practitioners are seeing in real data, and why Google may no longer be asking “did you fix it?” - but instead “should we ever trust you again?” We cover what’s changing, what’s being reported by people deep in the weeds, and what this means if you’re using aggressive...
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How to Build Backlinks for a Brand New Website (From Zero Authority)
The Edward Show
E939: If you’ve just launched a website and have no backlinks, this episode walks through how to build links the right way - without shortcuts, spam, or jumping into strategies that don’t work for new sites. This episode is based on a real thread from Charles Floate’s r/linkbuilding subreddit, where someone asked how to build high-quality backlinks for a brand-new beauty blog with no existing authority. I break down the best answers, add real-world context, and explain what actually matters when you’re starting from scratch. We cover why most people make link building harder than it...
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YouTube Just Overtook Reddit in AI Search (Here’s How to Win Citations)
The Edward Show
E938: I break down new data showing that YouTube has officially overtaken Reddit as the most cited social platform in AI search, including large language models like ChatGPT. We’ll cover what this shift means for SEO, brand visibility, and how to actually get your content cited by AI using YouTube. What changed in AI search - YouTube is now cited more frequently than Reddit in AI-generated answers - Transcripts and descriptions make YouTube content easy for LLMs to read - AI systems increasingly rely on YouTube for explanations, reviews, and comparisons Why YouTube now beats Reddit for AI...
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Claude Cowork Is a Literal Cheat Code for SEO (Here’s How Agencies See It)
The Edward Show
E937: Watch on YouTube: A deep, practical look at how Claude Cowork is changing the way SEO work is actually executed. This is not a theoretical discussion about AI. The focus is on real workflows: how Claude Cowork performs hands-on SEO tasks that normally require hours of manual effort, and how agencies can realistically use it today. The conversation walks through live examples of Claude Cowork performing local SEO audits, Google Business Profile analysis, competitor research, and on-page SEO evaluations by directly interacting with the browser and SEO tools. Sarvesh Shrivastava joins the...
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How to Build Local Backlinks That Actually Increase Local Rankings
The Edward Show
E936: Local SEO lives or dies by local authority - and one of the biggest drivers of that authority is local backlinks. I break down exactly how to build high-quality local backlinks that help search engines see your business as an authority in a specific city or region. This applies whether you’re starting a local business, competing in a crowded market, or expanding into new locations. I cover practical strategies that send real referral traffic, strengthen local topical authority, and support long-term ranking improvements - not theory. What you’ll learn: - Why local backlinks matter...
info_outlineE903: Is SEO actually dying, or is the industry just rebranding the same fundamentals under new names like GEO, AEO, and AI SEO?
In this long-form holiday roundtable, we break down what really changed in search over the past year, what didn’t, and why so much confusion is spreading across marketing teams, LinkedIn, Reddit, and conference stages.
This episode covers real-world observations from 2025, not theory or tool demos. We talk candidly about AI search, Google’s direction, backlinks, topical authority, video, PR, exact match domains, and the growing disconnect between what’s being sold and what actually works.
Top 10 SEO Predictions for 2026:
1. CMOs will continue to be duped by GEO misinformation campaigns. Results in GEO will come from SEO, more than ever.
2. Google will remain the primary source of truth for AI search, directly or indirectly influencing most large language model results.
3. Video content, especially YouTube and Instagram, will play a larger role in rankings, AI Overviews, and AI-generated answers.
4. Traditional text-based listicles will decline in effectiveness, particularly those without firsthand experience or original insight.
5. Backlinks will function more as a defensive ranking signal, helping sites withstand core updates rather than just drive growth.
6. Topical authority will become more granular, with trust evaluated at topic and subtopic levels instead of entire domains.
7. AI Overviews will continue to reduce informational clicks while increasing brand visibility, mentions, and indirect conversions.
8. Exact match and keyword-aligned domains will quietly regain value as relevance and attribution signals.
9. SEO and digital PR will fully converge, making citations, mentions, and reputation critical ranking inputs.
10. Claims that SEO is dead will persist, but organic search will remain central to discovery, competition, and revenue.
Topics covered:
- Why SEO and “GEO” are not separate disciplines
- How AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity actually rely on search engines
- The rise of AI SEO tools and why many are just content scaling platforms
- How misinformation around AI search is targeting CMOs and executives
- Why backlinks still matter more than most people admit
- What the Helpful Content Update really changed (and what it didn’t)
- Why some sites recovered from HCU and most did not
- The problem with listicles, reviews, and fake product testing
- Why authority is still largely domain-based and where it may change
- How Google’s AI Overviews are affecting clicks, impressions, and attribution
- Why video and YouTube citations are increasing in AI search results
- The role of PR, brand mentions, and reputation in AI visibility
- Exact match domains, multi-domain strategies, and when they make sense
- Why most “SEO is dead” claims ignore ad revenue and user behavior
- What a realistic SEO strategy looks like going into 2026
Platforms and ecosystems discussed:
- Google search, AI Overviews, and AI Mode
- Reddit and the current spam problem
- Quora and declining result quality
- HubSpot as a case study in topical drift
- YouTube, short-form video, and user-generated content in search
Who this episode is for:
- SEOs working in-house or agency-side
- CMOs and marketing leaders evaluating AI search strategies
- Founders and operators relying on organic search for growth
- Anyone trying to separate real search changes from marketing noise
This is not an episode about shortcuts or trends. It’s a grounded discussion about how search actually works today, why Google still matters, and how to avoid strategies that damage long-term visibility.
Thanks for listening and watching, and happy holidays.
⭐️ 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/
⭐️ Harpreet Singh’s Personal Site - https://harpsdigital.com
⭐️ Harpreet on X - https://x.com/harpreetchatha_
⭐️ Harpreet’s Newsletter - https://seoespresso.com
⭐️ Harpreet on LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/in/harpreetsingh8/
⭐️ Harpreet on TikTok - https://tiktok.com/@seoharp
⭐️ Harpreet on YouTube - https://youtube.com/@harpsdigital
💎 Compact Keywords - My SEO Course - Get paying customers through SEO - Clear step-by-step video breakdowns - SEO templates to be copied and adapted for your products and services: https://compactkeywords.com/
00:00 Introduction and Excitement
00:13 SEO and Digital Marketing Surprises of 2025
00:30 Disinformation Campaigns in SEO
01:53 Generative Engine Optimization vs. Traditional SEO
02:27 Spam and AI Content Detection
03:12 Partnership Requests and AI SEO Tools
04:00 Confusion and Disinformation in SEO
08:43 Impact of AI on SEO Strategies
24:28 Authority and Topical Relevance in SEO
39:50 Video Content and SEO
42:51 SEO Predictions for 2026
43:16 Contextually Relevant Content for Small Businesses
44:22 The Debate on Dwell Time and Content Length
45:30 The Skyscraper Technique and Content Efficiency
46:25 Google's Preference for Long-Form Content
46:51 The Role of Short-Form Content in SEO
47:44 Google's Content Agnosticism and Ranking Factors
53:00 The Impact of AI and LLMs on SEO
01:09:41 The Future of Web Design and User Interaction
01:18:48 The Role of Agents and Memory in AI
01:23:49 AI and SEO: The Changing Landscape
01:24:22 SEO Strategies for 2025 and Beyond
01:25:26 The Role of Marketing Teams in SEO
01:26:55 Exact Match Domains: Pros and Cons
01:36:35 The Importance of Backlinks in Modern SEO
01:43:10 The Impact of Google's Helpful Content Update
01:54:49 Future Predictions for SEO
01:59:24 Concluding Thoughts and Holiday Wishes
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
#searchengineoptimization #digitalmarketing #generativeengineoptimization #answerengineoptimization