E972: We break down Wix's AI-driven SEO strategy and ask a simple question: why are they still ranking?

Wix scaled dozens of "how to make money" articles shortly after ChatGPT launched. On the surface, the strategy worked. Organic traffic doubled. Pages ranked. Visibility increased.

But when you look closely, patterns start to appear.

We analyze:
- How Wix scaled top-of-funnel AI content
- Why most smaller sites would not survive the same strategy
- The concept of "Mount AI" (scaling with AI, then crashing)
- What happened to similar strategies at Shopify
- How algorithm updates impact pattern-heavy content
- Why linking to the same authority sources can create detectable footprints
- The real difference between citations and meaningful AI visibility
- Whether this traffic likely drives business value

We also discuss:
- What "information gain" actually means
- Why AI content struggles to create original insight
- The risks of obvious structural patterns in large content libraries
- Why domain authority changes the risk profile
- How to think about risk vs reward when scaling AI content
- Whether Google's current stance on AI content is temporary or evolving

Most importantly, we explore what you should do instead.

If you're running a SaaS company, managing SEO in-house, or advising clients, this episode focuses on practical decisions:
- When AI content makes sense
- When it becomes a liability
- How to reduce detectable patterns
- How to add real experience to informational content
- Why interactive elements (templates, calculators, quizzes) can change the value equation
- Why commercial intent pages often deserve more focus than broad top-of-funnel plays
This is not a blanket argument against AI content. It's an examination of how it's being used at scale - and what happens when patterns become too obvious.

If you're considering scaling content production with AI, this episode will help you think through the trade-offs before you commit resources.

⭐️ 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 Wix SEO Overview
00:38 How to Make Money Content
01:20 Mount AI Explained
02:16 Post ChatGPT Scaling
03:37 AI Footprints Patterns
07:26 ClickUp Link Patterns
10:14 Information Gain GEO
12:35 Bing AI Report Limits
14:32 AI Visibility Tools
16:02 Wix vs Shopify Hits
18:05 Rank and Tank Risks
20:54 Avoiding AI Patterns
21:46 Interactive Content Upgrades
23:51 How Many Pages
24:23 Wix Content Scale Timeline
25:15 Why Wix Ranks Anyway
27:37 Would It Still Work Today
29:19 SEO Must Drive Value
32:11 Templates Over Blog Spam
33:13 Avoiding AI Content Patterns
39:37 How Wix Could Add Experience
43:56 Why Video Beats AI How Tos
45:34 Wrap Up and Where to Follow

The Edward Show. The #1 search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/

#searchengineoptimization #seo #growthhacking #searchmarketing

E971: Matt Diamante shares a simple experiment that produced surprising results: adding expert quotes to AI-written content led to AI Overview citations within two hours of publishing.

We break down what was tested, what changed, and why this small adjustment may be influencing how Google's AI Overviews and large language models evaluate content.

What we cover:
- The exact test Matt ran and what was different about the winning content
- Why adding expert quotes may increase AI Overview citations
- The role of outbound links and why linking out can improve rankings
- The relationship between expert quotes and E-E-A-T signals
- Whether this works for informational content only, or also bottom-of-funnel pages
- How AI Overviews affect click-through rates and what that means for strategy
- Why topical authority still matters in an AI-first search environment
- How to build topical authority using People Also Ask questions
- The risks of scaling AI content too aggressively
- What separates good AI-assisted content from low-quality AI spam
- When technical SEO fixes matter - and when they don't
- Why matching search intent is still the foundation of ranking
- How local businesses can use simple marketing tactics to dominate their market

We also discuss:
- Whether SEO for LLMs is actually different from traditional SEO
- How branded search impacts authority
- Why some experienced SEOs still operate like it's 2014
- The importance of structure, clarity, and answering the question immediately
- Why above-the-fold content matters more than ever

This episode goes deeper than just "add expert quotes." It's a broader conversation about how search is evolving, what Google is rewarding, and how to adapt without overcomplicating the fundamentals.

If you care about ranking in AI Overviews, building authority, and understanding what is actually moving the needle right now, this episode will give you practical ideas to test.

New episodes every day.

⭐️ Matt Diamante on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heytony.agency/
⭐️ Matt Diamante on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@heytonyagency
⭐️ Matt Diamante on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@heymattdiamante
⭐️ Matt Diamante's agency - https://heytony.ca/

💎 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 Expert Quotes Breakthrough
00:57 How to Add Real Quotes
02:28 Outbound Links Experiment
04:28 Top vs Bottom of Funnel
09:08 Building Topical Authority
09:53 People Also Ask Scaling
13:54 AI Content Spam Risks
18:50 Write for Scanners
21:04 LLM SEO vs Google
25:45 Site Audit Priorities
36:57 Shopify SEO Essentials
41:49 Second Person Wins
45:59 Outdated SEO Habits
47:20 Low-Hanging Fruit Wins
50:26 Technical Fixes vs Content
51:50 When Fixes Matter
01:00:35 Schema and SERP Reality
01:04:20 Branded Search Signals
01:05:29 Buying Local Businesses
01:10:05 Nail Salon Marketing Playbook
01:14:50 Prioritizing for Owners
01:17:46 Wrap Up

The Edward Show. The #1 search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/

#generativeengineoptimization #answerengineoptimization #searchengineoptimization #digitalmarketing

E970: Breaking down one of the most debated SEO topics: the "bad neighborhood" hosting effect.

There's a persistent theory that shared hosting damages rankings, that you need a dedicated IP to compete, and that being on the wrong server can suppress your visibility in Google.

Lance Dockins, founder of WordKeeper and longtime hosting and security expert, joins the show.

We unpack what's real, what's exaggerated, and what actually matters.

This conversation goes deep into how hosting, IP reputation, site speed, bot traffic, security, and Core Web Vitals intersect with SEO performance.

What we cover:
- The "bad neighborhood" hosting theory - myth vs reality
- Whether shared hosting actually hurts rankings
- Dedicated IP vs dedicated server - what's the difference
- IP reputation lists and how to check yours
- When you should consider switching hosts (and when you shouldn't)
- Signs your hosting environment is hurting your SEO
- How overcrowded servers affect performance and stability
- Managed hosting vs AWS and VPS setups
- Core Web Vitals - how much they really matter
- Why obsessing over PageSpeed scores can backfire
- How bot traffic (including AI bots) impacts site speed
- Whether to block SEO tools like Ahrefs and Screaming Frog
- SEO hijacking attacks and how they work
- Practical security habits that prevent ranking loss
- What good hosting actually looks like

We also discuss how email deliverability, spam reputation, crawl behavior, and server instability can create indirect SEO problems that most site owners never consider.

If you run a local business, ecommerce store, agency, or content site, this episode will help you make better decisions about your hosting setup without overreacting to internet myths.

If you have questions about your hosting setup, drop them in the comments. We may do a follow-up Q&A episode.

⭐️ Lance Dockins on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lancedockins/
⭐️ Lance Dockins on 𝕏 - https://x.com/lancedockins
⭐️ WordKeeper, Lance Dockins' hosting company - https://wordkeeper.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 Hosting SEO Myths
01:07 Bad Neighborhood Experiment
04:38 Why Cheap Hosts Hurt
09:19 Naming Risky Hosts
13:05 When To Switch Hosts
16:25 Check IP And Blacklists
22:06 CDN IP Confusion
24:22 Dedicated IP Vs Server
25:58 HostGator And Better Options
29:21 Robots And Crawl Chaos
33:25 SEO Friendly Hosts List
35:39 VPS And Cloud Hosting
37:27 Pricing And Practical Guidelines
41:49 Security Claims Red Flags
43:28 Server Crowding Reality
43:56 SEO Hijacking Explained
46:44 Google Penalties After Hacks
48:17 Practical Security Habits
51:13 Firewalls and Cloudflare
52:15 AWS Versus Managed Hosting
54:29 Core Web Vitals Context
58:23 When Speed Moves Rankings
59:24 Hosting Speed Versus Frontend
01:04:46 Bot Traffic and Noisy Neighbors
01:09:03 Blocking SEO Tool Crawlers
01:10:10 Why Start a Hosting Company
01:14:40 AI Bots and Crawl Control
01:19:44 Wrap Up

The Edward Show. The #1 search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/

#searchengineoptimization #technicalseo #seotips #webhosting

E969: How digital PR, brand mentions, and earned media are becoming some of the most important drivers of visibility across Google and AI search.

Chris Panteli of Linkifi returns to the show!

We go deep into how journalists actually source experts, why most HARO and expert quote pitches fail, and how real media coverage influences rankings, reputation, and LLM visibility - even when there is no backlink.

Chris also breaks down the systems his agency uses to build relationships with journalists, filter opportunities at scale, and turn a single media placement into long-term coverage across multiple publications.

This is a practical conversation focused on what is working right now - not recycled link building advice and not tactics that stopped working years ago.

Topics covered:
- Why brand mentions are becoming as powerful as backlinks for AI search visibility
- How Google, ChatGPT, and Perplexity build trust through consensus and coverage
- The difference between SEO digital PR and authority PR
- How expert quotes lead to podcast features, op-eds, and major media placements
- Mistakes that get HARO pitches ignored or journalists to blacklist sources
- Why fake AI personas are creating new verification challenges for journalists
- How to build journalist relationships instead of chasing one-off placements
- Using CRMs, alerts, and follow-ups to turn one mention into ongoing coverage
- Real examples of coverage leading to ChatGPT referrals and organic growth
- How agencies use AI to categorize journalist requests and filter opportunities
- Why smaller niche publications can be more valuable than high-DR general sites
- The role of reputation management in modern SEO and AI visibility
- How local businesses can earn press coverage through newsjacking and local expertise
- Practical ways to pitch local journalists even if you are not a PR professional

Chris also shares how his team uses custom systems to monitor journalist requests, manage outreach without spamming, and maintain quality while scaling expert quote placement.

For local businesses, consultants, and founders, the discussion around local media coverage and news-driven outreach offers one of the most overlooked opportunities to build authority, trust, and conversions.

If you are trying to understand how visibility works beyond traditional backlinks - especially inside AI systems - this episode provides a clear look at the mechanics behind earned media and authority building.

⭐️ Contact Christopher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-panteli/
⭐️ Christopher Panteli on 𝕏: https://x.com/Linkifi_
⭐️ Christopher Panteli's agency: https://www.linkifi.io/
⭐️ Tier-one media coverage cheat sheet: https://go.linkifi.io/press-coverage-cheat-sheet-page

💎 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 Agency Growth Since HCU
01:06 What Makes Linkifi Different
02:15 Two Core Offerings
05:09 Brand Mentions And AI Visibility
10:26 Reputation Management Demand
13:01 Do Links Move Rankings
15:44 Case Studies And LLM Referrals
16:33 Best Platforms For Expert Quotes
17:32 Stop Using AI Spam Responses
20:57 Deplatforming To Direct Journalist Relationships
22:28 Systematizing Journalist Relationships
25:43 Team Size And Hiring For PR Talent
27:42 Gifting Journalists Ethics And Ideas
31:20 Biggest HARO Mistakes Authenticity
38:57 Read The Query And Match Bias
43:24 Custom GPTs For Client Compliance
44:17 Digital PR Versus Link Building
46:34 Landing Tier One Features Case Study
49:51 Follow Up Cadence And CRM
53:14 AI Filtering And Airtable Workflow
58:16 Reddit And Blacklists For Quality
01:03:52 Hyperlocal PR And Newsjacking
01:15:11 Press Releases And Pitch Quality
01:17:34 Wrap Up And Where To Find Chris

The Edward Show. The #1 search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/

#searchengineoptimization #linkbuilding #backlinks #publicrelations

E968: What it actually looks like to get leads from ChatGPT and other AI platforms as a local business.

Blair Witkowski joins the show!

Blair has been doing SEO for nearly 20 years and runs multiple agencies focused on home services, including garage doors, gutters, and accessibility remodeling. In this conversation, he walks through the exact process his team is using to increase AI visibility, generate recommendations inside ChatGPT, and turn that visibility into real customers.

We go beyond theory and look at real examples, including before-and-after visibility improvements, how FAQ silos are being built, and the role local mentions and indexing play in getting discovered by AI systems.

This episode also explores the human side of agency work - communication, onboarding, outreach, and why hands-on relationship building still matters more than automation.

Topics covered:
- How local businesses are starting to receive leads directly from ChatGPT
- Turning AI prompt research into structured FAQ silo pages
- Using AI visibility tracking tools to identify gaps and opportunities
- Why indexing and AI platform submission may accelerate discovery
- The role of internal linking and topical authority in AI recommendations
- How FAQ content can strengthen service and location pages
- Building local mentions through real partnerships and content swaps
- The importance of press releases, citations, and entity signals
- Using micro-sites and exact-match domains in competitive markets
- Outreach strategies that still work, including cold email and phone calls
- How onboarding and communication impact client retention more than rankings
- Practical examples of AI prompts leading to business exposure and leads

If you work with local businesses, run an agency, or are trying to understand how AI is changing search and discovery, this conversation offers a grounded look at what is working right now.

⭐️ Blair Witkowski's Personal Site - https://blairwitkowski.com/
⭐️ Blair Witkowski's SEO Agency - https://coastalmarketingstrategies.com/
⭐️ Blair Witkowski on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@TheGarageDoorPodcast
⭐️ Blair Witkowski on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/blairwitkowski/
⭐️ Blair Witkowski on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/blairwitkowski/

💎 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 intro
00:33 Blair's SEO background
01:30 Why AI visibility matters
02:15 Splash Dash overview
04:21 Finding missed prompts
05:38 Turning prompts into FAQs
08:57 Silo and interlink setup
11:16 Indexing and LLM seeding
20:14 Links and press releases
21:35 Testing in Gemini
24:00 Live nonbranded example
25:08 Mini Golf Page proof
26:20 Testing Escape Room prompts
28:21 Perplexity Search Breakdown
29:51 FAQ Linking Strategy
30:46 Interlinking Without Overdoing
32:51 Microsites and Exact Match Domains
34:19 Niche Focus and Client Results
36:08 Onboarding and Client Empathy
38:29 Local Mentions via Realtors
41:02 Cold Outreach That Works
45:17 Phone Calls and Hand Raise Sales
47:12 Wrap Up and Where to Find

The Edward Show. The #1 search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/

#searchengineoptimization #localseo #generativeengineoptimization #answerengineoptimization

E967: What 130,000 A/B tests reveal about why websites fail to convert - even when they look polished and professional.

Sahil Patel, CEO of Spiralyze, joins the show. We talk through the most common CRO mistakes companies make across SaaS, B2B, and service businesses, including why stock photos reduce conversions, how landing pages lose high-intent buyers, and what small teams can do immediately to improve results without expensive tools.

Sahil also explains practical testing frameworks, real case studies, and counterintuitive lessons from years of running experiments on high-traffic websites.

If you get traffic but struggle to turn that traffic into demos, leads, or revenue, this conversation focuses on the fundamentals that actually move the needle.

Topics covered:
- Why stock photos consistently lower conversion rates
- The "one-second test" to diagnose weak homepages
- Hook → mirror → ladder messaging and how it applies to SEO and ads
- Why video often cannibalizes conversions in the hero section
- How to design landing pages for high-intent visitors
- Email + CTA technique and commitment escalation psychology
- The mistake of optimizing for low-intent users
- CRO experiments that produced surprising results
- Why most companies run tests that are too small to matter
- Simple CRO improvements that don't require testing software
- Social proof strategies that actually increase trust
- Where animation hurts conversion and when it can help
- CRO tools startups can use to run experiments themselves

We also discuss how sales friction impacts conversion, why buyers don't want to be reminded they're entering a sales process, and how companies unintentionally create barriers for ready-to-buy customers.

⭐️ Sahil Patel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahilanamipatel/
⭐️ Sahil Patel's agency, Spiralyze: https://www.spiralyze.com/
⭐️ Sahil Patel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-M25FDI8NwI1pj_UxrYzHQ
⭐️ Playlist for CRO Crimes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLhH2EfUApERQNovfcPen5zv9H299xthPU&si=nbdNXNrtPtwqViT0

💎 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 CRO Testing Credibility
00:15 Show the Product
01:24 Car Ad Stock Photo Analogy
03:24 Data on Stock Photos
04:30 SEO Landing Page Mistakes
06:38 One Second Test
09:53 Hook Mirror Ladder
14:05 Video Kills Conversions
18:13 VSL Placement Debate
25:54 Email Plus CTA Trick
28:45 Email First Demo CTA
29:34 Nurture Or Remarketing
30:28 Sales Led Vs Product Led
31:43 Stop Forcing Human Calls
34:10 Optimize For High Intent
40:05 Big Swing CRO Testing
44:40 Tools And Low Hanging Fruit
49:11 Service Fusion Case Study
51:45 Social Proof That Works
55:01 Wrap Up

The Edward Show. The #1 digital marketing podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/

#conversionrateoptimization #landingpageoptimization #growthmarketing #digitalmarketing

E966: I sit down with James Owen, an SEO professional with nearly two decades of hands-on experience across some of the most competitive industries on the internet.

James shares how he went from learning SEO on online dating websites in the late 2000s to working in iGaming, travel, eCommerce, and eventually building and scaling his own agency. The conversation explores what has changed in SEO over the past 19 years, what tactics no longer work, and the strategies that continue to drive results today.

The discussion goes deep into content clustering, link acquisition, AI visibility, listicle strategies, and how agencies operate behind the scenes when managing campaigns in high-competition niches like CBD, casinos, and SaaS.

This episode is especially useful for founders, marketers, and SEOs who want a realistic view of modern search - including how AI overviews and large language models are reshaping strategy.

Topics covered:
- How James accidentally got into SEO and what early search engine optimization looked like in 2007
- Lessons from working in iGaming and other highly competitive verticals
- Why content clustering remains one of the most reliable SEO frameworks
- How to structure service pages, listicles, and long-form guides for topical authority
- The real role of link velocity in competitive niches
- Practical blogger outreach advice for people building links without an agency
- The decline of tactics like expired domain authority passing and aggressive paid linking
- Why self-promotional listicles work right now - and why they may not last
- How to increase brand visibility inside AI overviews and large language models
- The importance of being cited across listicles, review content, and external sources
- Internal navigation, crawl behavior, and insights from log file analysis
- What James would do if he had to grow a brand new SaaS from scratch with limited budget

James also explains how agencies systematize outreach, manage link quality at scale, and build internal tooling to track AI visibility gaps and competitive positioning.

If you are trying to understand what actually moves rankings today - beyond surface-level advice - this conversation offers practical insight from nearly two decades of real-world SEO experience.

⭐️ Click Intelligence UK Website: https://www.clickintelligence.co.uk/
⭐️ Click Insights Global Website: https://insights.clickintelligence.com/
⭐️ James Owen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesowenseo/

💎 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 SEO Origin Story
03:27 Building Click Intelligence Domains
06:08 Merging UK and US Sites
08:09 Winning Competitive Niches
13:15 Content Clustering Explained
16:36 New Pages vs Existing
20:15 Epic Guides and Conversions
22:32 Link Building Playbook
28:25 Blogger Outreach DIY
34:44 Agency Systems and Automation
39:27 Old Tactics That Died
50:38 Expired Domains Today
54:39 Self Promotional Listicles
57:12 Getting Cited by LLMs
01:01:51 SEO Basics and Navigation
01:08:33 Hotels.com SEO Lessons
01:10:46 Six Month SaaS Plan
01:15:41 Wrap Up

The Edward Show. The #1 search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/

#searchengineoptimization #seo #digitalmarketing #searchmarketing