Google Is Easier to Game Than Ever - And Black-Hat SEOs Are Winning
Release Date: 01/13/2026
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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....
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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_outlineE924: I sit down with Lars Lofgren and Jacky Chou to talk about what’s really happening inside search right now - not the PR version, not the Google blog version, but what people running sites, ranking pages, and making money are actually seeing.
We dig into why white-hat, content-driven SEO feels like it’s collapsing for a lot of people, while black-hat operators, parasite SEO, and forum spam are quietly having one of their best years ever.
This isn’t a theoretical conversation. Lars and Jacky work directly inside these systems. They see what ranks, what breaks, and what keeps working after updates.
If you run a website, a SaaS, a content business, or an affiliate site, this episode explains why things could feel harder than they used to - and why some people are still doing extremely well.
What we cover
- Why MozCon felt depressing while black-hat conferences felt optimistic
- How Google’s Helpful Content updates changed who wins and who loses
- Why technical SEOs and parasite SEOs are outperforming content-first sites
- How forums, Reddit, and Facebook groups are being used to manipulate rankings
- Why casino, VPN, and adult niches still dominate traditional search results
- How listicles, review sites, and media publishers control AI recommendations
- Why Forbes keeps ranking for everything, even after being hit
- How AI Overviews and LLMs pull from Google’s front page
- How easy it is to make a fake brand show up inside ChatGPT and other LLMs
- Why Trustpilot, Reddit, and listicles matter more than backlinks right now
- How some publishers recover while others stay permanently buried
- The HouseFresh case study and why public pressure actually works
- How parasite SEO works on newspapers and Google News sites
- Why many white-hat SEOs feel stuck while black-hat operators scale
- How founders should build brands in an LLM-driven world
- Why social, video, and personal brands now beat pure SEO
This episode is for anyone who:
- Runs a content site
- Does affiliate SEO
- Builds SaaS or online tools
- Depends on Google traffic
- Wants to understand how AI is changing search
- Feels like rankings and traffic don’t make sense anymore
⭐️ 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
⭐️ Jacky Chou on 𝕏 - https://x.com/indexsy
⭐️ Jack Chou’s website - https://jackychou.com/
⭐️ Jacky Chou on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@indexsy
💎 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 White Hat vs. Black Hat SEO: A Tale of Two Conferences
01:15 The Impact of AI and Google's Algorithm on SEO
02:10 Black Hat SEO: Thriving in the Current Landscape
04:43 Forbes and the Content Quality Debate
07:57 The Rise of Technical SEOs in the LLM Era
09:23 Gaming LLMs: New Tactics and Strategies
22:21 The Golden Age of Forum Spam
23:04 The Power of Masterminds and Private Communities
35:29 Reddit Manipulation and the Coding Bootcamp Scandal
41:47 Starting Local: Leveraging Facebook and Reddit
42:55 AI Influencers and Monetization Strategies
44:09 AI Content and Detection Challenges
44:45 AI in SEO: Misconceptions and Strategies
47:36 Google Algorithm Shifts and SEO Tactics
49:12 Niche Sites and Content Strategies
01:00:46 Trustpilot Reviews and Black Hat Tactics
01:07:12 Social Media Strategies for SEO and Branding
01:19:53 Concluding Thoughts and Final Tips
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
#blackhatseo #searchengineoptimization #linkbuilding #growthhacking