740 | News from the EDGE | Week of 1.13.2025
EDGE of the Web - The Best SEO Podcast for Today's Digital Marketer
Release Date: 01/18/2025
763 | Audacious Marketing: Mark Schaefer’s Playbook for Breaking the AI Mold
EDGE of the Web - The Best SEO Podcast for Today's Digital Marketer
Human vs. Machine Mayhem Marketing maven Mark Schaefer returns to EDGE of the Web, diving headfirst into the audacious art of brand disruption in a world brimming with AI-generated noise. We unpack Schaefer’s latest book, "" offering wild tales of brands that drop the cookie-cutter for shock, spectacle, and seriously weird TikToks (lookin’ at you, Nutter Butter). From QR codes in the sky luring diners out of restaurants, to the marketing taboo-breakers of Liquid Death and ELF Cosmetics, we explore how marketers can stir emotion, break convention—without getting canceled—and...
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762 | SEO News from the EDGE | Week of 6.2.2025
EDGE of the Web - The Best SEO Podcast for Today's Digital Marketer
WordPress hits play after a messy pause, but is it too little, too late for the CMS giant? Meanwhile, Google’s AI experiments are changing the rules for email marketing, local search, and desktop Discover, leaving marketers everywhere scrambling for a playbook that doesn’t exist. Erin and SEO pro Cindy Krum break down WordPress’s mudslinging match with WP Engine and the quiet return to development, all while raising eyebrows over community trust. We check on Google’s ever-evolving SERPs—AI Overviews, the deployment of Discover on desktop, and the not-so-sneaky ways impressions and...
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761 | Disrupt or Die: Leveraging Authenticity and Awe w/ Mark Schaefer
EDGE of the Web - The Best SEO Podcast for Today's Digital Marketer
Mark Schaefer returns to EDGE of the Web to share his vision of marketing's future in an AI-saturated landscape. With a blend of insight and candor, Mark tackles the evolution of social media, the risks and rewards of AI, and how brands can stand out by tapping into authentic human emotion. Hear why traditional marketing is falling flat and discover what “everyday awe” means for building deep brand loyalty. Plus, Mark unveils the tech twist behind the cover of his new book, . This is not just another marketing chat; it’s a call to disrupt before you're disrupted. Key Segments: [00:04:12]...
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760 | Social News from the EDGE | Week of 5.12.2025
EDGE of the Web - The Best SEO Podcast for Today's Digital Marketer
CTR Secrets and Social Shakeups It’s another jam-packed ride on EDGE of the Web as Erin is joined by Duncan Alney of Firebelly to discuss News in Social this week. With Google hyping up AI Overviews but dodging every meaningful CTR question, it seems the only thing spinning faster than SERP layouts are the PR answers. Get the inside scoop on how ChatGPT gobbles up over 80% of AI search traffic (Google, take notes), why Meta’s launching a CapCut rival to remix your socials, and how Reddit is scrambling to keep the bots at bay after AI sock puppets could sway opinions 3-6x better than...
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759 | Practical Tips for Utilizing Heat Maps w/ Celeste Gonzalez
EDGE of the Web - The Best SEO Podcast for Today's Digital Marketer
Curious where your website visitors are really clicking—or rage-clicking? On this week’s EDGE of the Web, SEO expert Celeste Gonzalez returns to break down how heatmaps and session recordings are transforming the way we analyze user behavior, optimize pages, and (hopefully) keep our clients engaged. We dig into practical tips for choosing the right pages to monitor, interpreting the sometimes confusing world of “dead clicks” versus “rage clicks,” and why your mobile hero image might be killing conversions. A/B testing? Internal linking tests for those blog post traffic hogs? ...
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758 | SEL News from the EDGE | Week of 5.5.2025
EDGE of the Web - The Best SEO Podcast for Today's Digital Marketer
This week, Erin Sparks and Jacob Mann are joined by Danny Goodwin, editorial director at Search Engine Land, for a special “News from the News” edition. They dive into the sharp rise of Google Ad costs and the troubling effects of CPC inflation, Instagram’s experimental new collaborative Storylines feature, and an in-depth study comparing AI search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Bing, and Google. The conversation shifts to major legal blows hitting Google’s ad tech monopoly, new research revealing how AI overviews are significantly cutting into click-through rates, and the future of...
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757 | User Behavior from Heatmaps w/ Celeste Gonzalez
EDGE of the Web - The Best SEO Podcast for Today's Digital Marketer
Celeste Gonzalez, Director of Rue Labs at Rickety Roo, joins EDGE to explore how heat maps and user behavior tracking are transforming SEO strategy. She walks through Microsoft Clarity’s suite of tools—including tap, scroll, attention, and area heat maps—and explains how they reveal real user interactions beyond what traditional metrics can offer. From understanding time-on-page to visualizing content engagement, Celeste shows how these tools help SEOs optimize design, layout, and messaging. She highlights the growing need to “earn the scroll,” not just the click, especially as...
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756 | AI/SEO News from the EDGE | Week of 4.21.2025
EDGE of the Web - The Best SEO Podcast for Today's Digital Marketer
Advertisers are bailing on TikTok as another U.S. ban looms, shifting dollars to Meta while creators scatter to backup platforms. Meanwhile, Google credits Gemini for nuking 240 million spammy reviews and business edits, but don’t expect them to help you get your real reviews back. Big legal moves are underway: The NYT lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft will proceed, and Chegg is suing Google for killing traffic via AI Overviews. Sara Taher joins the show to unpack the long-term consequences of AI scraping and shrinking search real estate. We also dive into new AI traffic...
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755 | Understanding DMA's Effect on Local SEO in a Zero-Click Landscape
EDGE of the Web - The Best SEO Podcast for Today's Digital Marketer
SEO veterans Mike Blumenthal, Greg Sterling, and David Mim continue exploring the pressing questions surrounding Google's role as a utility and its evolving platforms. Focusing on the European search experience, the discussion also revolves around AI's role in modifying search results, and local service ads' impact on user behavior. The talk also touches on how changes in Google's algorithm and business model are propelling a significant decline in traditional website traffic. The guests from Near Media provide expert insights on how businesses can adapt by enhancing the visibility of their...
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754 | Local News from the EDGE w/ Darren Shaw | 4.11.25
EDGE of the Web - The Best SEO Podcast for Today's Digital Marketer
In Local News! Darren Shaw is back with us on the Local beat, giving us some key insights into the ongoing local marketing challenges. Great to have him back! In general digital marketing news, Google’s been dishing out settlements, and Amazon's itching for TikTok. There’s a Google's $100M settlement over AdWords billing practices. Might want to pay attention to that. Seems a bit precedent setting. Darren shares insights on how local SEO is evolving with trends like review recency and the significant role of video content. Meanwhile, Google’s mysterious local service ads anomaly didn't...
info_outlineThis week, we've got a jam-packed session covering the latest and most pressing news in digital marketing and SEO. Top Stories: we discussed the recent merger of Getty and Shutterstock and its implications for image licensing, alongside the backlash Automattic is facing from the WordPress community. Adding to this, we explored how Google's search market share has hit its lowest since 2015!
We have a special segment “In Local News” with friend of the show and Local SEO specialist, Darren Shaw, founder and president of WhiteSpark. He'll be sharing his insights on local search ranking factors, mapping exploits, and the evolving landscape of Google’s local and LSA ads. Whether you manage a digital marketing agency or optimize your own business's online presence, this episode is loaded with invaluable tips and updates to help you navigate your digital marketing journey in 2025.
So, buckle up and let’s get to the EDGE—of the Web!
News from the EDGE:
[00:02:44] The Getty-Shutterstock merger: A new era for image SEO and licensable content
[00:11:54] Automattic Turns Against WordPress Community Itself
[00:17:19] EDGE of the Web Title Sponsor: Site Strategics
[00:18:52] Google’s search market share drops below 90% for the first time since 2015
In Local News w/ Darren Shaw:
[00:24:05] EDGE of the Web Sponsor: InLinks
[00:25:21] Google Map Pin Attack Exploit Fixed
[00:28:14] Near Media - Google is replacing the UGC Google Q&A with "Ask Maps."
[00:31:26] Mike Blumenthal - Details” on the “Review Badge of Shame”
[00:35:52] Mike Blumenthal - LSA ads are becoming ever more visible
[00:38:15] Anthony Higman - Google Is Getting Rid Of Crediting Back Leads, Message Leads, Booking And Call Recording For The Tax Specialist Vertical
[00:41:47] Antoine Cameron - new AI tool under the Products section in Google Business Profiles
[00:45:28] January 2025 Google Local Ranking Update (Unconfirmed Bug)
Thanks to our sponsors!
Site Strategics https://edgeofthewebradio.com/site
Inlinks https://edgeofthewebradio.com/inlinks
Follow Us:
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BluSky: Darren Shaw (https://bsky.app/profile/whitespark.ca)
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