Is E-commerce SEO Dead? Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol & the Future of Search
Release Date: 02/03/2026
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...
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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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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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The Edward Show
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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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The Edward Show
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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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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_outlineE944: 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 what’s real, what’s overhyped, and what businesses should actually prepare for.
Topics covered in this episode:
- What Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) really does
- Buying products directly inside Google search, AI Mode, and Gemini
- Whether product pages, collection pages, and CRO still matter
- How rankings work when everyone submits the same product feed
- Trust issues with AI checkout and agent-driven purchasing
- Why average order value (AOV) may drop in an AI commerce world
- The impact on email capture, upsells, and owned customer relationships
- Margins, platform fees, and why merchants may opt out of agentic commerce
- Google vs OpenAI vs Shopify: who benefits financially
- Why brand authority may matter more than ever
- Backlinks, internal links, and how AI agents explore the web
- Discovery vs brand-aware searches in an AI-first environment
- The difference between “AI SEO” and actual SEO
- What CMOs are getting wrong about generative search
- Whether e-commerce SEO is ending - or just changing shape
This episode is essential listening for:
- E-commerce founders and operators
- SEOs and digital marketers
- CMOs evaluating “AI SEO” strategies
- Anyone trying to understand where search and commerce are heading
If you’re thinking seriously about the future of search, AI shopping, and how people will buy online over the next decade, this conversation will help ground you in reality.
⭐️ 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 Guest Introductions
01:06 Google's Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) Explained
02:05 Impact of UCP on E-commerce SEO
03:55 Historical Context and Future Predictions
07:10 Financial Implications of AI and E-commerce
10:02 Trust and Consumer Behavior in AI-Driven Commerce
11:46 Challenges and Opportunities in Agentic E-commerce
16:11 The Role of Brand Marketing in AI E-commerce
25:49 Backlinks and Authority in the Age of AI
42:41 The Efficiency of ASCII Content
42:55 Challenges in Detecting AI Content
44:42 The Role of Thoughtful Prompts in AI
46:19 The Hype Around AI Tools
46:26 Google's Investment in AI and Data Centers
47:56 Authority and SEO Strategies
53:39 The Myth of Chunk Optimization
01:00:04 OpenAI's Advertising Strategy
01:07:18 Black Hat SEO Tactics for Valentine's Day
01:15:08 Networking for Initial Clients
01:16:13 AI SEO vs Traditional SEO for CMOs
01:19:09 The CMO's Dilemma: Allocating Budget to AI SEO
01:21:55 Understanding Query Fanout and Its Impact on SEO
01:25:02 The Relaunch of Digg and Its Implications for SEOs
01:36:16 The Rise of Grokipedia: A Competitor to Wikipedia
01:49:47 The Future of User-Generated Content and SEO
01:52:11 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
#searchengineoptimization #generativeengineoptimization #ecommerceseo #shopifyseo