The Edward Show

E1059: Is SEO actually dead this time?
Every few years, the industry declares the end of SEO. This time the argument sounds stronger: AI overviews, AI-generated content, Google "stealing" traffic, collapsing affiliate sites, and major ranking volatility.
In this episode, I sit down with Michał Suski, co-founder of Surfer SEO, to break down what's really happening.
We talk about what has really changed since 2017, what hasn't changed at all, and why much of the panic around AI is missing the point.
This is not a hype conversation. It's a grounded discussion about brand, behavior, backlinks, attention span, and what Google is really rewarding right now.
What we cover:
- How Surfer started as a side project and grew into one of the best-known SEO tools
- Whether AI overviews are actually killing organic traffic
- Why top-of-funnel content is disappearing (and why that might be fine)
- The truth about self-promotional listicles and whether they're risky
- How Google likely detects low-quality AI content
- Why behavioral signals matter more than ever
- What happened to Surfer's traffic - and why losing it wasn't necessarily bad
- Why niche focus beats broad authority in competitive markets
- The collapse of generic affiliate sites and what survives
- How attention span is reshaping SEO strategy
- Whether SaaS is still a good opportunity in 2026
- What matters more today: topical authority, backlinks, brand, or user behavior
- What Michał would do with only 90 days to grow traffic
- Why rewriting old content is one of the biggest missed opportunities
- The role of brand mentions vs traditional link building
- Whether there is still a future for pure affiliate SEO
One of the biggest themes of this episode:
Content alone is not enough. It's an enabler, not a differentiator.
Brand, trust, behavior, and relevance are doing more of the heavy lifting than most people realize.
If you run a SaaS, niche site, agency, or you're building in SEO right now, this conversation will give you a clearer framework for what matters - and what doesn't.
Listen if you want perspective instead of panic.
⭐️ Surfer - https://surferseo.com/
⭐️ Michał Suski's website - https://msu.ski/
⭐️ Michał Suski's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michal-suski/
💎 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 Meet Michał Suski
00:17 Surfer Origin Story
00:56 What Surfer Does Now
02:00 How Search Behavior Shifted
06:02 SEO Panic vs Reality
06:44 Self Promotional Listicles Debate
12:47 How Google Spots AI Spam
19:03 Traffic Loss and Identity Drift
25:35 Niche Down for Advantage
31:10 AI Content Workflow That Works
35:24 Defining Good Content and UX
41:24 Founder Habits and ADHD
43:56 Which Content Google Rewards Now
45:23 Affiliate SEO Aftermath
47:20 Short Form Attention Shift
49:08 AI Citations Token Economy
51:35 Affiliate Sites Future
54:47 Google IO Build In SERP
57:27 SaaS Still Blue Ocean
01:00:34 Ranking Signals Today
01:03:48 90 Day Growth Shortcut
01:07:03 Hidden SEO Opportunities
01:09:06 Claude Vibe Coding Workflows
01:13:26 Programmatic SEO Reality
01:15:23 Why Poland SEO Thrives
01:17:32 Conference Networking Truth
01:23:28 Podcast Streak Finale
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
#searchengineoptimization #seo #aiseo #contentmarketing

E1058: AI search tools don't just look at your website anymore. They look at your reviews. They scan Reddit threads. They surface YouTube videos. They analyze what real people are saying about your brand.
And if the internet says bad things about you, AI will repeat it.
I break down why customer service is no longer just a support function. It directly affects whether AI tools recommend your product, whether buyers trust you during due diligence, and whether your brand gets shared organically across platforms like YouTube and Reddit.
If you sell anything high-priced, subscription-based, or competitive, this matters even more.
We cover:
- Why AI search cites reviews and user-generated content
- How fake review channels are influencing brand perception
- Why bad reviews are more damaging today than they were pre-AI
- The connection between customer service and SEO
- How user-generated content shows up in Google and AI results
- Why trying to shortcut with tactics like parasite SEO can backfire
- How good support reduces negative posts on Reddit and review sites
- Why personalized customer experiences increase organic brand mentions
- What happens when your brand name gets banned from communities
- Why "good product" isn't enough anymore
There's a clear shift happening:
Instead of brands controlling the narrative, AI is aggregating the narrative from everywhere else.
If your customers are unhappy, that becomes searchable.

If your customers are happy, that becomes searchable too.
The simplest way to protect your brand in this new environment is not manipulation, automation, or shortcuts.
It's strong customer service.

It's personal support.

It's giving people a reason to say good things about you without being asked.
I also share a recent review of my SEO course and explain why long-term brand trust is built through both product quality and support.
If you care about:
- SEO
- AI search
- Brand reputation
- Long-term growth
- Sustainable marketing
This episode is for you.
💎 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 AI Search Makes Reviews Matter
00:46 Fake Review Channel Scam
02:08 Why Bad Reviews Spread
03:13 Max Out Customer Service
04:49 UGC Wins in Search
05:50 Parasite SEO Explained
07:02 Risks of Gaming Reddit
07:49 Trust in Due Diligence
08:20 Shortcuts vs Real Support
09:01 Example Review
10:57 Wrap Up and Goodbye
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
#reputationmanagement #searchengineoptimization #seo #publicrelations

E1057: One of the most common mistakes in SEO:
Targeting multiple keywords on your homepage.
A lot of marketers and even experienced SEOs believe the homepage has the most authority, so it should target everything. They stuff a primary keyword into the H1 and then scatter additional keywords into H2s and body copy.
It sounds logical.
It doesn't work.
And worse, it costs you money.
In this episode, I explain:
- How Google prioritizes relevance more than most SEOs realize
- How authority actually works (and why the homepage isn't your magic ranking page)
- Why stuffing keywords into your homepage weakens your SEO strategy
- How this mistake hurts conversions
- Why your homepage should be optimized for conversions, not rankings
- The right way to structure dedicated SEO pages
- How hub pages pass authority to service pages and blog posts
- How to actually target a single keyword on your homepage
- The risk you still run even if you do it correctly
Most people think in terms of backlinks and authority. They don't think enough about relevance and intent.
If you want to rank for multiple keywords, build dedicated pages. Put them one to two clicks from your homepage. Build links to hub pages when appropriate. Keep your homepage focused on converting the traffic you're already getting.
SEO is simpler than most people make it:
Relevance and authority.
That's it.
If you know someone making this mistake, send them this episode.
💎 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 Homepage SEO Mistake
00:40 How Google Ranks
01:50 Why Marketers Stuff Keywords
02:35 Relevance vs Backlinks
03:47 Conversion First Homepage
04:11 Build Keyword Pages
05:25 Single Keyword Homepage
06:13 Why It Still Fails
08:41 Final Thanks Goodbye
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
#searchengineoptimization #seo #marketingstrategy #localseo

E1056: Most people think the solution to competitive SEO is simple: build more backlinks.
Authority matters. But if your page doesn't satisfy search intent quickly, backlinks will only help you rank temporarily. They won't help you stay there.
In this episode, I break down what really wins in competitive SERPs: user signals.
When Google is testing multiple pages targeting the same keyword, it looks at behavior. Click-through rate. Pogo-sticking. Whether searchers feel satisfied.
If your page makes people work too hard to understand what it offers, they leave. And when that happens consistently, rankings drop.
You'll learn:
- Why backlinks alone won't keep you ranking
- What actually happens when Google tests pages against each other
- How to reduce pogo-sticking without relying on more copy
- Why the image at the top of your page matters more than you think
- How to structure your page so people understand it without reading
- How to improve click-through rate in competitive SERPs
- A simple page title formula you can use immediately
- When and why adding "free" to your page title increases clicks
- The danger of mass AI content and how it hurts user signals
- How to combine authority and user satisfaction for lasting rankings
If you're targeting high-intent keywords and competing against optimized pages, you need more than keyword placement and authority.
You need pages that communicate value immediately.
The goal: someone lands on your page, instantly understands what you offer, and clicks the call to action without hesitation.
That's how you rank - and stay ranking.
⭐️ Most SEO Copywriting Is Killing Your Rankings (And Costing You Sales) - https://youtu.be/owYbNfATBhM
⭐️ How to Get Backlinks for a Brand New Website (Even With Zero Authority) - https://youtu.be/5TE2mXQxuTU
⭐️ The Era of 10 Blue Links Is Over (Google I/O Search + May 2026 Core Update) - https://youtu.be/eD6sNhLHM0I
💎 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 Competitive SERPs Setup
00:18 Pogo-Sticking Explained
01:03 Lazy Searchers Principle
01:27 Hero Image
02:45 User Signals Win Rankings
03:10 Competitor Gap Example
05:03 Image First SaaS Example
05:35 AI Content UX Risk
06:00 CTR Page Title Formula
06:36 Free In Page Titles Advantage
07:12 Authority Versus UX Signals
08:08 Key Takeaways Recap
10:20 Closing And Sign Off
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
#searchengineoptimization #seo #keywords #digitalmarketing

E1055: Most people lose sight of what SEO is actually capable of.
If you do it properly, SEO is not just about traffic. It is about building an asset that can consistently generate customers, users, and leads without depending on paid ads or luck.
In this episode, I break down what I call the promise of SEO - and why so many businesses quit right before it starts working.
The problem is not that SEO does not work. The problem is that most people abandon it during the foundation stage. They underestimate how long it takes, overestimate how much competition matters, or focus on the wrong things entirely.
This episode is about correcting that.
Here's what I cover:
- Why most new websites stay stuck in the "new site" phase
- The simple three-page strategy to start getting traction
- How to find high-intent keywords that actually lead to customers
- Why informational traffic alone is no longer enough
- What makes a backlink meaningful (and what does not)
- Why referral traffic and brand mentions matter more than vanity metrics
- How to build authority in a way that compounds over time
- The difference between real SEO and "SEO theater"
- Why most people give up during the link-building phase
- How ranking pages create more authority and make future rankings easier
- How to use SEO to strengthen every other marketing channel
- How I outranked major publishers by properly targeting search intent
- Why SEO is still powerful even in the age of AI
If you focus on:
- Targeting underserved, high-intent keywords
- Building links that bring real referral traffic
- Creating pages that satisfy search intent
- Building brand signals that generate branded searches
- Staying consistent long enough for authority to compound
You can build a business that generates leads every day without needing to go viral or be the biggest player in your space.
SEO is not about shortcuts. It is about building a real foundation and scaling on top of it.
Recorded in NYC ❤️
💎 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 The Promise of SEO
00:36 Why New Sites Quit
01:15 Three Easy Keyword Pages
01:51 Action Intent Keywords
02:38 Link Building That Matters
05:23 Satisfy Search Intent
06:14 Scale the Flywheel
08:16 Evergreen Authority Wins
10:59 Avoid Spammy Shortcuts
11:21 Showing The Manhattan Skyline
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
#searchengineoptimization #seo #digitalmarketing #marketing