The Edward Show

E1201: Google is feeding Ahrefs, Semrush, Moz, and other SEO rank trackers incorrect search results. Websites appear to lose rankings overnight, even when Google Search Console shows stable rankings and traffic.
Google's crackdown on AI companies scraping its search results is disrupting SEO tools. I explain what's happening, why rank tracking data has become unreliable, and what SEOs need to trust instead.
Here's what I cover:
Why SEO rank trackers are showing incorrect data:
- Ahrefs, Semrush, and Moz are showing major inconsistencies in Google ranking data.
- Some tools show websites disappearing from page one for their own brand names.
- Google Search Console often shows no corresponding drop in rankings, impressions, or clicks.
- Agencies must explain these discrepancies to concerned clients.
How Google's anti-scraping measures are disrupting SEO tools:
- Google's legal fight against SERP API and efforts to stop AI companies from scraping Search.
- IP blocking targeting the proxy networks rank trackers use.
- New /goto/ redirects that create additional opportunities for session checks and bot detection.
- Increased CAPTCHAs and other anti-bot measures.
- Poisoned SERPs that give scrapers incorrect results rather than blocking them outright.
What the SEO community is reporting:
- Charles Floate's observations about rank trackers showing different results from Google SERPs.
- Reports of phantom search results, HTTP 429 errors, and pages full of irrelevant content.
- Why misleading data is worse than tools failing to retrieve rankings.
Why rank tracking might recover:
- Google's existing search syndication agreements, including Ecosia.
- Barry Schwartz's comment of Google's private search APIs for select partners.
- Google's original Search API, launched in 2002 and shut down in 2009.
- The 2025 antitrust ruling and licensing search results to qualified competitors.
- Rank Tracker's unverified claim that it restored top-100 keyword tracking.
- Improvements I've personally observed in Moz's search results.
What SEOs need to do right now:
- Use Google Search Console for your own site's rankings, clicks, and impressions.
- Cross-check suspicious third-party reports against actual Google Search results.
- Use the Search Console API to build reports and preserve data beyond its 16-month limit.
- Find keywords where your existing pages rank but don't fully satisfy search intent.
- Build dedicated landing pages for high-intent keywords already getting clicks.
- Keep building relevant content, authority, and pages that satisfy search intent.
- Don't assume a sudden drop in a rank tracker means your website actually lost visibility.
I also explain why keyword search volume estimates remain largely unaffected. Ahrefs and Semrush use Google Keyword Planner and third-party clickstream data, not just scraped SERPs.
The takeaway: Google's anti-scraping measures have disrupted rank tracking, not the fundamentals of SEO. Check Search Console before changing your strategy.
⭐️ Charles Floate on 𝕏 - https://x.com/Charles_SEO/status/2104504430683197518 
⭐️ Ep 1169 - How SEOs Actually Find Keywords in 2026 (What Reddit Gets Right and Wrong) - https://youtu.be/yIsli0iMQQs 
⭐️ Ep 1190 - Barry Schwartz: Google's War on AI Scrapers Is Breaking SEO Tools - https://youtu.be/wu_hOPmuDHE 
💎 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 Rank Trackers Going Haywire
02:02 Why Google Changed SERPs
02:36 Anti-Scraping Measures Explained
03:24 Poisoned SERPs Fake Data
03:55 What The SEO Community Sees
05:24 Will Tools Work Again
07:06 What To Do Right Now
08:08 Use Search Console As Truth
09:15 Keep Fundamentals And Keyword Research
11:32 Learn Proper SEO And Wrap Up
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/  
#searchengineoptimization #seo #performancemarketing #digitalmarketing

E1200: What SEO strategies actually work?
I found a Reddit thread asking SEO practitioners which strategies delivered real results. For episode 1,200 of The Edward Show, I break down nine strategies and explain how to use them for Google rankings, backlinks, leads, and AI search visibility.
Here's what we cover:
- Map the entire buyer journey, not just individual keywords. Someone researching an expensive purchase will check YouTube reviews, Reddit discussions, third-party websites, and AI answers before buying. Get your brand into that research process.
- Find buyer-intent keywords your competitors aren't targeting. Look for queries they rank for without dedicated content. Put the target keyword in your page title, URL slug, H1, and opening sentence. Don't stuff long-tail keywords throughout the page.
- Build topical clusters that support your money pages. Create pages around related searches, connect them with internal links, and link from pages already ranking to relevant bottom-of-funnel pages.
- Find opportunities in Google Search Console before creating new content. Look for pages with impressions but few clicks. Enable Average Position and identify queries close to the top three. Check whether the page targets those queries or needs improvements.
- Refresh existing content instead of constantly publishing. Update outdated information, match search intent, strengthen internal links, and cover missing long-tail topics. Three Reddit commenters recommended this. If your existing pages aren't ranking, diagnose the problem before publishing more.
- Answer the searcher's question above the fold. Cut introductions and clutter. Use concise explanations and white space. Revisit pages after a few months to spot weak sections that seemed fine when you wrote them.
- Earn backlinks through personalized outreach and partnerships. Approach businesses in adjacent industries instead of competitors. A plumber could earn a link from a roofer's website and promote the roofer through social media posts that also rank on Google.
- Prioritize search intent over search volume. A low-volume query with clear purchase intent often brings more business than a large informational query. Identify what the searcher wants, answer it immediately, and link to supporting content.
- Get mentioned on pages that rank on Google and appear in AI citations. Find recommendation lists repeatedly cited in your industry. Pitch your business to their publishers. These placements put your brand in front of buyers and give AI systems another source mentioning your company, even without a backlink.
⭐️ The Reddit Thread - https://www.reddit.com/r/SEOTips101/comments/1wn8k7n/whats_one_seo_strategy_that_actually_worked_for/ 
⭐️ Ep 1100 - The SEO Colony Hack That Ranks Money Pages Without Backlinks - https://youtu.be/FFGNSAjdz6Y 
⭐️ Ep 787 - The #1 SEO Hack: Why Content Refreshes Beat New Content - https://youtu.be/UKvGmqzIxg4 
⭐️ Ep 1194 - 6,337 Cold Emails Reveal What Actually Gets Replies (And Backlinks) - https://youtu.be/TRMM8wsCDes 
💎 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 Fundamentals Reality Check
00:32 User Journey Over Keywords
01:09 Reviews and Third-Party Proof
03:18 Competitor Gaps and Targeting
04:22 Topical Clusters That Compound
05:32 Refresh Pages Already Ranking
07:07 What Good Content Means
08:40 Personalized Outreach Partnerships
10:38 Intent First Internal Linking
11:09 Page One Mentions for GEO
12:29 1200 Day Podcast Wrap Up
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/  
#searchengineoptimization #seo #seotips #digitalmarketing

E1198: Do nofollow backlinks boost Google rankings? I walk through findings from Rand Fishkin, Kyle Roof, and Joy Hawkins, plus an AI search study that challenges the idea that nofollow links have no SEO value.
The practical takeaway: look beyond the link attribute. Pay attention to whether the linking page ranks on Google and attracts organic traffic.
In this episode:
- Google's 2019 change: Google shifted from ignoring nofollow links as ranking signals to treating nofollow, sponsored, and UGC attributes as hints about which links to consider or exclude.
- Rand Fishkin's experiments: Two tests pointed nofollow links from 55 and 42 websites at target pages. I cover the ranking gains and the unexpected result after participants removed the links: rankings kept improving.
- Kyle Roof's two criteria: The linking page ranks well on Google AND gets organic clicks. I explain how these criteria shaped Joy Hawkins' follow-up tests.
- Joy Hawkins' results: Joy added a nofollow link from a Local Search Forum page that already ranked and attracted traffic. The next day, her target page ranked AND a YouTube video that she had embedded on the target page ALSO ranked. She then reported positive ranking effects in additional tests.
- Nofollow links from major websites: I discuss Link Rush's reports of ranking improvements, faster indexing, and greater brand visibility after receiving nofollow links from the BBC and GOV.UK, plus the additional links and client trust those mentions attracted.
- Backlinks and AI search: A Semrush study with Kevin Indig examined 1,000 domains across five AI platforms. Nofollow backlinks showed a slightly stronger correlation with AI mentions than follow backlinks.
- A possible explanation for the AI findings: Platforms such as Reddit, Wikipedia, and Quora use nofollow links and frequently appear in AI answers.
- What this means for link building: Evaluate the source page, its rankings, its traffic, and its audience before dismissing a backlink because it carries a nofollow attribute.
These experiments and reports challenge the blanket claim that nofollow backlinks are worthless. They also give you specific criteria for evaluating the next link you earn.
⭐️ Google's 2019 announcement on nofollow links - https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2019/09/evolving-nofollow-new-ways-to-identify 
⭐️ Rand Fishkin's nofollow experiments (#10) - https://seosherpa.com/seo-experiments/ 
⭐️ Joy Hawkins nofollow backlink tests - https://www.sterlingsky.ca/nofollow-links-impact-seo/ 
⭐️ Link Rush nofollow study - https://www.linkrush.co.uk/blog/do-nofollow-backlinks-help-seo-in-2026 
⭐️ Semrush nofollow AI search study - https://www.semrush.com/blog/backlinks-ai-search-study/ 
⭐️ Ep 1163 - The $50,000 Internal Linking Experiment: Links That Get Clicked Carry More Weight - https://youtu.be/biy8ILxTzqc 
⭐️ Ep 948 - Why Low-Authority Backlinks Can Outperform High-Authority Ones - https://youtu.be/1gCsGVu3Izg 
💎 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 Do Nofollow Links Rank
00:16 Google Nofollow Update
01:35 Early Nofollow Experiments
02:31 Joy Hawkins 2024 Test
05:14 API Leak Engagement Signals
06:01 Big Brand Nofollow Wins
06:58 Nofollow Links For AI
07:32 Natural Link Profile Tips
08:16 Final Verdict And Advice
09:26 Podcast Milestone Outro
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/  
#searchengineoptimization #linkbuilding #seo #backlinks

E1199: Rihanna's Fenty Beauty is beating Dior in the AI Search. Harpreet Singh joins me to break down the customer reviews, third-party coverage, and product pages behind Fenty's outstanding visibility.
His explanation starts with one idea: "AI is a parrot." When publications, customers, and retailers consistently recommend a product, AI repeats those recommendations.
We examine what Fenty gets right and how to apply those lessons to ecommerce, B2B, and local businesses.
In this episode:
- Nearly 53,000 customer reviews. We look at Fenty's Google Shopping presence and discuss why a good product and strong customer feedback belong at the center of your AI search strategy.
- Recommendations from trusted publications. The New York Times, InStyle, beauty bloggers, and creators all reinforce Fenty's reputation. We discuss how to find the equivalent publications and reviewers in your industry.
- Product descriptions that answer buying questions. Fenty clearly lists ingredients, benefits, awards, and attributes like "vegan" and "cruelty-free." Those details match the preferences shoppers share with ChatGPT and other AI tools.
- A specific statistic that AI repeats. Fenty says it sells one lip gloss every 10 seconds. We examine how the brand reinforces that claim through its product page and media coverage.
- Third-party retailer pages. Sephora adds its own product descriptions and thousands of reviews, creating another source of information about Fenty beyond the brand's website.
- Sales copy on bottom-of-funnel pages. Explain your product, establish trust, and show buyers what makes your offer worth choosing. We discuss why generic informational content misses the purpose of these pages.
- Local mentions for smaller businesses. Relevant directories, industry websites, and chambers of commerce offer practical places to establish your business's credentials.
We also investigate Sephora's holiday SEO pages:
- Searches like "affordable gifts for teachers," "gifts for men who have everything," and "gifts for your boyfriend's mother."
- The trade-off between publishing more keyword-targeted pages and maintaining content quality.
- Why a major retailer's results don't automatically translate to a smaller website.
- How existing authority, traffic, and site history affect decisions about scaling content.
- Ways to improve or repurpose seasonal pages after the holiday shopping period.
Finally, we examine Toyota's consistent use of "reliable" across its brand messaging and press releases. Harpreet explains how repeated language spreads through third-party coverage and strengthens the association between a brand and the qualities buyers want.
We also discuss:
- Why Harpreet expects AI discovery to drive more branded searches.
- How shoppers move from AI recommendations to Google and YouTube research before buying.
- How strong customer support encourages positive reviews and protects your reputation.
- How to incorporate valuable search terms into your company descriptions across relevant websites.
Build a product people recommend. Give them excellent support. Earn relevant coverage. Make your product pages clear, specific, and persuasive.
⭐️ 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/@seoharp  
💎 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 Challenger Wins AI Search
00:18 Why Fenty Shows Up
01:13 Reviews Drive Visibility
02:23 Press Mentions Matter
04:26 AI Is a Parrot
06:09 On Page Product Signals
07:53 Sales Copy Over Blogs
09:43 Stats and PR Amplify
12:03 Resellers and Unique Copy
13:31 Playbook for Any Industry
15:45 Sephora Gift Pages Test
17:31 Fenty Traffic Collapse Clue
18:30 Sephora Gift Pages
19:00 Fenty Long Tail TikTok
20:15 Core Update Traffic Drop
20:53 SEO Nuance Warnings
21:59 Sephora Rank And Tank
24:45 Safer Scaling Tactics
27:06 Win In AI Search
29:14 Branded Click Future
33:17 Toyota Reliable Narrative
36:45 Final Wrap Up
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ 
#generativeengineoptimization #answerengineoptimization #searchengineoptimization #seo

E1197: Elon Musk's Grokipedia went from 6.5 million monthly Google clicks in July to just 200,000. That's a 97% collapse in organic search traffic for xAI's entirely AI-written alternative to Wikipedia.
And despite Grokipedia earning backlinks from The New York Times, The Guardian, NPR, NBC News, The Verge, and other major publications, its rankings have fallen off a cliff.
I break down what happened to Grokipedia, the Google policies its AI content runs into, and the lessons every SEO needs to understand before scaling AI-generated content.
Here's what I cover:
1. Grokipedia's 97% SEO traffic collapse
- How Grokipedia reached 5.8 million monthly Google clicks by January 2026.
- Why traffic fell to 1.5 million in May, recovered to 6.5 million in July, and then collapsed to 200,000.
- Why major media coverage, powerful backlinks, and Elon Musk's influence haven't protected its Google rankings.
- Why early traffic growth doesn't guarantee long-term SEO success.
2. The Google policies Grokipedia runs into
- Google's scaled content abuse policy and its rules against mass-producing unoriginal content.
- Google's scraping policy and its restrictions on republishing existing information without substantial added value.
- Why Grokipedia's fully automated approach raises concerns under both policies.
- Google's October 1 AI content guideline changes and its explicit instructions to manually fact-check and review AI-generated content before publishing.
- Why using AI to fact-check AI doesn't satisfy the human-review standard Google describes.
3. Other explanations for Grokipedia's collapse
- Why users might trust human-edited Wikipedia more than an entirely AI-generated encyclopedia.
- How poor user signals and declining trust might contribute to falling rankings.
- How Google's AI Overviews compete directly with informational websites.
- Why Wikipedia itself has suffered a major decline in organic search traffic.
- Why we can't conclude that Google issued Grokipedia a penalty.
4. What Grokipedia's backlinks reveal
- Why most of Grokipedia's major press backlinks point to its homepage.
- How Wikipedia benefits from links pointing directly to its individual articles.
- Why building links to subpages, category pages, and content hubs matters.
- How site structure and internal linking distribute authority throughout a website.
5. Lessons for SEOs using AI content
- Why you need to manually review AI-generated articles, landing pages, and metadata before publishing.
- Why one-shot AI content often misses important aspects of search intent.
- How to use noindex until your AI content passes human review.
- Why you shouldn't mistake the initial traffic surge from scaled AI content for lasting success.
- Why I recommend keeping aggressive AI experiments separate from valuable, established websites.
- What Google says about recovery times after fixing serious SEO problems.
I also discuss three possible futures for Grokipedia: continued decline, Elon Musk publicly challenging Google, or xAI finding another purpose for its AI-generated encyclopedia.
The bigger lesson: If you're building a website for long-term organic traffic, don't sacrifice content quality and human oversight just to publish more pages.
⭐️ Grokipedia - https://grokipedia.com/ 
⭐️ Ep 1187 - Google Just Changed Its AI Content Guidelines (Unreviewed AI Is Now a Liability) - https://youtu.be/wxqf9J2Huu0 
⭐️ Ep 1192 - How Long Does SEO Take? Google Finally Shares the Real Numbers - https://youtu.be/sRZizu5mi_c 
💎 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 Grokipedia Crashes
00:48 Why It Looked Promising
01:54 Traffic Spike Then Collapse
02:34 Scaled Content Abuse
04:20 Scraping Policy Violations
05:11 AI Content Review Warning
06:15 Other Causes and Rebound
08:07 SEO Lessons for Marketers
08:39 Link Authority and AI Surges
09:33 Risk Management and Recovery
10:42 Wrap Up
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/  
#searchengineoptimization #seo #generativeengineoptimization #aiseo