The Edward Show

E1172: Mike Martin ranks #1 in Google Maps for "business coaching" from 53 miles away from his Google Business Profile.
In this episode, Mike breaks down the Google Business Profile strategy he uses across his own businesses, clients, and agencies. The core is what he calls the GBP Loop: profile completeness, pictures, posts, and praise, multiplied by consistency.
Mike started in SEO after teaching himself to become a locksmith and building one of the largest independently owned locksmith companies in the UK. He used mass page websites, local lead generation, expired domains, and single-niche PBNs before shifting his focus almost entirely to Google Business Profiles.
We go step by step through what he does now to expand Google Maps visibility.
We cover:
- How Mike ranks #1 for "business coaching" from 53 miles away
- The GBP Loop: profile completeness, pictures, posts, praise, and consistency
- Why Mike says consistency beats constantly chasing new local SEO tactics
- How to make your Google Business Profile mirror your website
- Why your business name, hours, categories, location, prices, and other details need to match
- How incorrect citations around the web interfere with Google's understanding of a business
- What Mike does during the first month of Google Business Profile optimization
- Why he prefers a steady stream of reviews instead of getting hundreds at once
- Why review responses matter and how his system uses AI while requiring human approval
- What types of photos and videos local businesses should upload
- Why Mike prefers real business photos over fully AI-generated images
- What businesses should publish as Google Business Profile posts
- Why Mike treats a Google Business Profile more like an active social profile than a static listing
- How quickly he has taken profiles from weak visibility to #1 across larger geographic areas
- When schema, CIDs, and service area pages enter his local SEO process
- Why unique business data is more valuable than pumping out hundreds of generic AI articles
- The individual practitioner profile opportunity for lawyers, doctors, dentists, insurance brokers, real estate professionals, and other public-facing professionals
- How agencies use practitioner profiles to create additional recurring revenue from existing clients
- Why a lawyer or doctor could build a Google Business Profile and review history tied specifically to themselves
- The difference between a service area business, storefront business, and hybrid business
- How Mike structures Google Business Profiles for businesses serving multiple cities
- Why showing an address incorrectly creates verification and suspension problems
- How people outside your company use "Suggest an edit" to propose changes to your phone number, hours, location, and other GBP information
- Why businesses need to monitor the email attached to their Google Business Profile
- Mike's old-school local lead generation system that grew his locksmith operation
- How his "fastest finger first" phone system rewarded salespeople for answering and converting calls
- Why Mike moved away from black-hat lead generation when working with Google Business Profiles owned by real businesses
Mike's main argument is simple: most businesses already have enough tactics. What they lack is consistent execution of the fundamentals.
Profile completeness. Pictures. Posts. Praise. Then repeat.
⭐️ 20% of Mike Martin's platform - GBPly - https://gbply.net/edward 
⭐️ Mike Martin's personal site - https://mikemartin.uk 
⭐️ Mike Martin on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemartinuk/ 
💎 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 Local SEO Kickoff
00:37 Mike's Locksmith Origin
01:31 From Lead Gen to GBP
03:14 Fast Map Pack Wins
04:05 The GBP Loop Framework
07:37 Reviews and Consistency
10:40 Schema Boost Tactics
13:07 Step One Completeness
15:36 Fixing Citations Impact
20:28 Website Content vs Data
24:04 Practitioner Profiles Goldmine
28:45 Media Strategy and AI Images
36:10 Posts That Convert
38:20 Old School PBN Tactics
39:39 From Locksmithing to SaaS
40:35 Reviews That Rank Fast
41:19 Drip Review Requests
45:03 Avoiding Spam and Bad Reviews
46:09 Playing It Safe With Google
48:52 Leaving Black Hat Behind
51:27 Phone Answering Signals
53:23 Fastest Finger Lead Gen
57:24 Multi Town Service Areas
01:01:22 The GBP Loop and Book
01:03:59 Protecting Against Edits
01:08:49 Where to Find Mike
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/  
#localseo #googlebusinessprofileoptimization #searchengineoptimization #seo

E1171: Query augmentation: how Google connects searches with related queries and why one page can end up ranking for hundreds or thousands of keywords that never even appear on the page.
James Dooley returns to the show, bringing the goods.
We get into the difference between lexical matching and query semantics, how Google interprets search intent, and why trusted sites with strong user and brand signals start ranking across much broader keyword buckets.
James explains why a page targeting one keyword can eventually rank for entirely different phrases when Google decides those searches share the same intent.
We cover:
- What query augmentation is and how it relates to query fan-out
- How synthetic queries expand a search into related terms
- Why a page can rank for keywords that are nowhere in the content
- The difference between dictionary semantics and query semantics
- Why "cheap" and "best" can mean the same thing in one industry and completely different things in another
- How branded search, social traffic, backlinks, user behavior, and site trust expand the queries a page ranks for
- Why smaller sites need tighter relevance while trusted sites get more freedom
- How to use Google Search Console to find queries Google already associates with a page
- A simple Claude workflow for turning existing GSC rankings into new H2s and sections
- How People Also Ask questions reveal additional topics worth targeting
- James' Google Images trick for finding entities connected to a question through modifier chips
- How query augmentation produces more impressions, clicks, leads, and sales
- How James uses self-optimizing pages to identify low-CTR queries and rewrite sections
- Why the text Google pulls into a search result matters for CTR
- How to decide whether a query deserves its own page or belongs as an H2
- Why SERP overlap is one of the clearest ways to make that decision
- Why 200 words is not automatically thin content
- Why satisfying search intent matters more than hitting an arbitrary word count
- Why James wants pages as short as possible and as long as necessary
- How changing only the H2 hierarchy moved pages into different query buckets
- How Claude-built websites often become too wordy
- How James uses AI agents focused on semantics, sales copy, compliance, information gain, and concision
- Why he uses multiple LLMs instead of relying on a single model
- How LinkGap ranked for related backlink terms despite having almost no written content
- How James says Koray's Audio To Text expanded into huge numbers of related searches as traffic, links, and usage grew
- What the ongoing "King of AEO" competition is revealing about Google, Bing, ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Perplexity, Grok, YouTube, and Google Images
- How James is seeing press release effects fade after roughly four to six weeks
- How LinkedIn posts are still competing with exact-match domains, guest posts, press releases, and other SEO tactics
The central idea is simple: rank for the initial query, satisfy the searcher, build trust, study the additional queries Google starts showing your page for, and then expand the page around the terms Google already associates with it.
⭐️ James Dooley's website - https://jamesdooley.com/ 
⭐️ James Dooley on 𝕏 - https://x.com/james_dooley 
⭐️ James Dooley on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameszdooley/ 
⭐️ James Dooley on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jameszdooley/ 
⭐️ James Dooley on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/james.dooley1/ 
⭐️ James Dooley on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@JamesDooley 
💎 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 Query Augmentation
00:30 Synthetic Queries Explained
03:02 Intent and Behavioral Signals
03:47 Cheap vs Best Semantics
08:03 PPC Match Types Analogy
11:09 When Smaller Sites Win
14:24 Expanding Buckets with GSC
18:15 Entity Chips in Images
20:18 Turning Rankings into Revenue
22:04 CTR Optimization with AI
27:23 People Also Ask Link Strategy
29:08 Case Studies LinkGap and AudioToText
34:00 SEO Compounding Wins
34:40 Link Gap Lead Magnet
35:04 H2 vs New Page
37:43 Testing the 50 50 Call
39:04 Thin Content Myth
40:44 Claude Sites Done Right
45:11 Concise SOP Mindset
47:06 Query Augmentation Mistakes
49:28 Self Healing SEO Tweaks
50:40 AI Harness Model Debates
53:21 King of AEO Showdown
56:39 Press Releases and Social
01:01:23 Wrap Up and Thanks
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/  
#searchengineoptimization #seotips #seo #digitalmarketing

E1169: How are SEOs doing keyword research in 2026?
I break down a viral thread from the SEO subreddit where SEOs shared their real processes, tools, shortcuts, and ways of deciding which keywords deserve attention.
Some of the advice is strong. Some of it misses the point.
The biggest mistake is treating keyword research like a spreadsheet exercise instead of looking at search intent, business value, and what is really ranking in Google.
In this episode:
- Why I ignore keyword difficulty scores from SEO tools
- Why looking at the actual Google SERP gives you better information than staring at a difficulty metric
- How to spot keywords competitors rank for but have not targeted properly
- Why a supposedly "high-difficulty" keyword sometimes ranks with very little work
- How to tell whether competitors have optimized a page for a keyword
- Why page titles, URL slugs, H1s, and the beginning of the first sentence matter when evaluating competition
- How to use competitor keyword research to build your initial keyword list
- Why search intent matters more than raw search volume
- How to identify high-intent searches that lead to customers, users, calls, and warm leads
- The type of keyword I value most: the searcher knows what they want but has not decided which brand will provide it
- How to use AI to group large keyword lists by topic and intent
- Why you should not ask an LLM to estimate keyword difficulty without giving it live search data
- How Google Search Console reveals keywords your site already has a chance of ranking higher for
- Why keywords sitting around positions 5-20 often deserve attention before completely new topics
- How to map keyword groups to individual pages
- When an existing page deserves optimization versus when you need to create a new page
- Why different searches require different page types, including product pages, service pages, landing pages, and blog posts
- How Google Keyword Planner, Google Trends, ChatGPT, Semrush, and AlsoAsked fit into keyword research
- Why informational "how to" and "what is" keywords often have far less business value than bottom-of-funnel searches
- The four questions I start with when researching keywords: 1- Who are my competitors? 2- What are they ranking for but not targeting properly? 3- Which of those keywords will make me money? 4- Which SERPs are under-targeted?
I also explain why I prioritize keywords that directly connect SEO traffic to revenue instead of publishing huge amounts of top-of-funnel content just because a keyword tool shows search volume.
⭐️ Reddit: How Do You Choose Keywords for SEO? - https://www.reddit.com/r/SEO/comments/1wbmgx0/how_do_you_choose_keywords_for_seo/ 
⭐️ Ep 1104 - The 1-Hour SEO Update That Makes Your Best Pages Rank for More Keywords - https://youtu.be/GmsAuotHGso 
💎 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 Viral Keyword Question
02:04 Keyword Filtering
04:07 Intent and SERP Checks
05:19 Competitors and Priorities
08:27 Search Console Quick Wins
09:21 Free Tools and AlsoAsked
10:42 Keyword Grouping and Mapping
11:42 Wrap Up
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/  
#keywordresearch #searchengineoptimization #seo #digitalmarketing

E1170: Nike has one of the strongest brands and domains on the internet, yet its blog gets an estimated 1,400 organic clicks per month.
That is an absurd amount of wasted SEO authority.
I sit down with David Quaid to break down why enormous companies like Nike, GoPro, and Chewy leave so much organic traffic on the table, despite having domains that smaller companies would kill to own.
Nike has decades of authority, massive amounts of branded search, famous athletes, globally recognized product lines, and enormous links and mentions across the web. Yet Nike Stories (its blog) barely takes advantage of it.
We break down what Nike would do differently if an aggressive SEO team took over its content strategy.
Topics covered:
- Why Nike's blog getting roughly 1,400 estimated organic clicks per month is so shocking
- Why a site with Nike's authority belongs at the top of enormous sports-related searches
- How Nike could build content around basketball, running, yoga, pickleball, athletes, shoes, training, and its individual product lines
- Why Nike should publish pages around the athletes and creators already associated with the brand
- How Red Bull uses athlete pages to capture search demand around the people it sponsors
- Why Nike's existing authority creates an enormous head start over almost any new sports website
- How major brands restrict themselves because they worry too much about staying "on brand"
- Why brands sometimes treat SEO as beneath them even when search demand is sitting directly in front of them
- The difference between building a brand and actually getting that brand discovered
- Why GoPro fails to properly target "action camera" even though GoPro created the category
- How companies miss high-intent commercial keywords because basic SEO elements never make it onto the page
- Why Chewy repeating "dry dog food" dozens of times still does not make up for weak page targeting
- How weak URLs, poor keyword selection, thin content, and limited internal linking waste existing authority
- Why search volume gives companies direct evidence of what customers already want
- How massive brands could turn informational traffic into remarketing audiences and product sales
- Why smaller companies still have room to outrank businesses with vastly more authority
- How SEO lets a company start from nothing, build rankings one page at a time, and eventually dominate an entire niche
We also get into press releases and AI search.
David explains how he approaches press release titles when the objective is ranking for a specific query, why he puts the primary keyword first, and why he sometimes leaves the brand name out of the headline entirely.
We use the ongoing "King of AEO" competition as an example of how SEOs are testing Google AI Overviews, press releases, exact-match domains, entity associations, and supporting websites in real time.
The bigger lesson is simple:
Authority only matters if you use it.
Nike already did the hardest part. It built one of the strongest brands in the world. The SEO opportunity sitting on top of that authority is enormous.
Meanwhile, smaller companies are taking the searches that major brands leave open.
⭐️ David Quaid on 𝕏 - https://x.com/DavidGQuaid 
⭐️ David Quaid on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidquaid/ 
⭐️ David Quaid on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DavidQuaid 
⭐️ David Quaid's agency - https://primaryposition.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 Nike Blog SEO Fail
00:40 Why Nike Underperforms
02:10 Thin Content Missing Links
04:06 Robots.txt Easter Egg
05:03 GoPro Action Camera Miss
07:44 Branding Versus SEO
08:59 Press Release SEO Tactics
13:13 King of AEO Title Strategy
18:42 How To Fix Nike Blog
23:20 Breaking Down Nike Posts
25:26 Why SEO Still Wins
27:41 Podcast Wrap Up
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ 
#searchengineoptimization #enterpriseseo #seo #digitalmarketing

E1167: Claude-generated websites have a serious SEO problem: they use a lot of unnecessary words.
Search intent is not only about covering the right topic. It is also about presenting the answer in a way that is fast and easy to consume.
I break down three real AI-heavy websites and show how unnecessary copy, repeated headings, pointless "eyebrows," bloated introductions, and buried answers create a worse experience for searchers.
I cover:
- Why satisfying search intent includes how information is presented, not just whether the information exists
- Why Claude-generated sites often add unnecessary words throughout the page
- Three real examples of wordy AI pages
- A Toronto SEO agency page that buries its H1 under repeated copy and targets the wrong search intent
- Why the first few sentences of a landing page need to immediately explain why the business is the right choice
- How multiple competing calls to action weaken the page
- A Sprout Social alternatives page that makes readers dig through long explanations before reaching the comparison table
- Why someone searching for an alternative already knows why they want an alternative
- Why "how we evaluated these tools" sections are often unnecessary
- Why a strong single-product alternative page beats another generic list of 10 tools
- A "King of AEO" page that repeats its title, author, company name, and other information before getting to the actual point
- Why AI pages frequently repeat information without adding anything useful
- How excessive copy leads searchers to return to Google and choose another result
- Why bad user behavior becomes far more dangerous when hundreds or thousands of AI pages are published quickly
- How scaled AI content creates bad behavioral signals faster than a normal site
- Why real photos and useful video make pages easier to consume
- Why service businesses should use real images instead of generic AI-generated visuals
- Why bottom-of-funnel keywords deserve most of your content effort
- Why buyers do not need a 2,000-word essay explaining why they need the thing they are already searching to buy
- Why 400 to 500 words is often enough for a strong SEO landing page
- How some pages need fewer than 200 words
- The questions I answer before writing: Who is searching this keyword? What do they want? What are they trying to achieve?
- Why I write the outline first and use AI as a writing assistant instead of letting AI decide what the page needs
- Why spending more time on one strong bottom-of-funnel page produces better long-term results than mass-producing disposable AI content
- How a well-built page keeps ranking and generating revenue for years without constant rewrites
The goal is not to hit a word count.
The goal is to give the searcher exactly what they came for with as little friction as possible.
⭐️ Ep 1164 - How $72 in Press Releases Made Google Call This Man the King of AEO - https://youtu.be/DhmQ7cZhHFw 
⭐️ Ep 1166 - Google Can Lose Faith In Your Website (Here's How To Get It Back) - https://youtu.be/Q4cB34UticI 
💎 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 Why Wordy Pages Fail
01:08 Claude Site Example One
02:14 Above the Fold Fluff
05:31 Claude Site Example Two
07:48 Cut the Ultimate Guide
08:36 Claude Site Example Three
12:36 Pogo Sticking Consequences
13:36 What to Do Instead
14:18 Short Pages That Convert
17:22 Wrap Up
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/  
#searchengineoptimization #seo #claudeseo