The Edward Show

E992: Reddit SEO is going crazy. Ann Smarty and David Quaid, both experts in Reddit marketing, join the show to explain what's happening and how to get results.
Reddit has become one of the most influential platforms in search. It ranks at the top of Google, shows up heavily in AI answers, and can directly impact brand perception and revenue. But at the same time, it is being flooded with spam, automation, and low-quality marketing tactics.
We talk about what's working, what's failing, and what businesses need to understand before trying to use Reddit as a growth channel.
This is a practical, unfiltered discussion with people who have real experience building, moderating, and marketing on Reddit.
Topics covered:
- Why Reddit has become one of the most important platforms for SEO
- How Reddit content ranks in Google and influences AI systems
- What "parasite SEO" on Reddit actually looks like in practice
- The rise of spam, automation, and paid Reddit manipulation
- Why most Reddit marketing tactics today are short-term and risky
- How moderators detect and deal with spam accounts
- What happens when brands try to game Reddit
- Why fake reviews and bought comments can make things worse
- How negative Reddit threads can damage a brand long-term
- What to do when a Reddit thread about your brand is ranking
- The difference between authentic feedback and competitor attacks
- Why building a branded subreddit can be effective (and when it isn't)
- How long it actually takes to see results from Reddit SEO
- What a sustainable Reddit strategy looks like
- How to create a Reddit account without getting banned
- Common mistakes new accounts make immediately
- Why VPNs, bought accounts, and automation tools are risky
- How moderators think and why they remove content
- When (and if) you should contact moderators
- Whether legal action against Reddit users ever works
- Real examples of brands succeeding and failing on Reddit
- The future of Reddit and whether it can survive the current spam wave
Key takeaways:
- If you are not on Reddit, your brand is still being discussed there
- Reddit rewards expertise, not promotion
- Most shortcuts (buying posts, comments, accounts) lead to long-term damage
- Old Reddit threads can rank for years and shape brand perception
- Trust on Reddit comes from participation, not visibility
If you work in SEO, marketing, or run a business that depends on search, this episode will give you a clearer picture of what Reddit can and cannot do for you.
⭐️ Ann Smarty's SEO for AI Subreddit - https://www.reddit.com/r/SEO_for_AI/
⭐️ Ann Smarty on 𝕏 - https://x.com/seosmarty
⭐️ Ann Smarty on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/annsmarty/
⭐️ David Quaid on 𝕏 - https://x.com/DavidGQuaid
⭐️ David Quaid on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidquaid/
⭐️ David Quaid's agency - https://primaryposition.com/
🚀 Edward's SEO Articles - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/search-engine-optimization/
💎 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 Reddit Marketing Chaos
00:29 Guest Backgrounds
02:45 Why Reddit Matters
03:17 Spam Makes It Harder
06:24 The Right Way To Market on Reddit
15:07 Parasite SEO Explained
16:21 Branded Subreddits Strategy
19:44 Anonymity And Trust
21:47 Bot Farms Threat to Reddit
25:36 Handling Fake Reviews
34:15 Working With Moderators
38:08 Buying Comments Risks
40:58 Moderator Rules Reality
45:24 When Lawyers Help
48:24 Moderator Conflict Context
50:32 Reddit SEO Wins
54:31 Mod Tools And Spam Signals
01:00:17 New Account Best Practices
01:04:06 Avoid Buying Accounts
01:09:15 Stop Tool Spam Promotion
01:11:20 Will Reddit Survive AI
01:20:08 Why Digg Failed
01:26:27 Viral Times Square Story
01:30:12 Wrap Up
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
#redditseo #redditmarketing #searchengineoptimization #socialmediamarketing

E991: Five user experience (UX) principles that directly improve your SEO performance and help you convert more visitors into customers, users, or leads.
If people are landing on your page and leaving immediately, that sends a strong negative signal. Search engines pick up on this behavior. It affects your rankings, your site-wide performance, and ultimately your ability to grow through search.
This episode explains how to fix that.
You will learn how to reduce pogo-sticking, keep users on your pages longer, and guide them toward taking action.
We go from the least important principle to the most important, but all five matter if you want results from SEO.
What you'll learn:
- How to build trust within seconds of someone landing on your page
- Why reducing friction leads to higher conversions (and how to do it)
- How people actually read online and how to format your content for scanning
- What to include above the fold to keep users from leaving
- How to match search intent immediately so visitors know they're in the right place
Key ideas covered:
- Why trust reduces anxiety and keeps users from going back to search results
- Where to place calls to action so they are easy to find and act on
- How to write shorter paragraphs and use structure to guide attention
- Why most users scan instead of read and how to adapt your content
- The three questions every page must answer within seconds
- How matching search intent early improves both rankings and conversions
This episode is practical. You can take these principles and apply them directly to your pages, whether you are working on blog content, landing pages, or product pages.
🚀 Edward's SEO Articles - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/search-engine-optimization/
💎 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 UX Meets SEO
00:39 Build Trust Fast
02:03 Reduce Friction
02:49 Write for Scanning
04:59 Win Above the Fold
06:24 Match Search Intent
07:48 Recap and Next Steps
08:23 Wrapping
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
#searchengineoptimization #uiux #seo #digitalmarketing

E990: Nicolas Gorroño from AI Ranking shares his screen and breaks down how to automate SEO using AI without getting penalized.
There's a lot of noise right now around AI SEO. People are publishing hundreds or thousands of pages, seeing short-term gains, and then watching everything disappear. In this demonstration, we focus on what is actually working long-term.
Nico walks through how he builds websites, generates content, and automates workflows using tools like Claude Code, while still following core SEO fundamentals that search engines reward.
We also get into how to structure sites, create content that gets indexed, and avoid the common mistakes that cause traffic drops.
What we cover:
- How to automate website builds using modern frameworks like Astro
- Why most AI-generated sites fail from an SEO perspective
- The right way to scale content without triggering penalties
- How to control publishing velocity and why it matters
- What makes AI content "safe" vs. spammy
- How to create content that gets indexed
- The role of unique angles and original data in ranking
- How to use internal linking and sourcing to build trust
- The "content capsule" technique for structuring AI content
- Why updating old content is just as important as publishing new content
- How Nico builds automated systems that write, publish, and improve content over time
- Turning YouTube videos into blog posts and social content automatically
- Where AI content fits into a real business strategy
- Why service pages matter more than blog posts for conversions
- How to structure high-converting SEO landing pages
- Programmatic SEO done correctly (and what most people get wrong)
- How to differentiate pages so they actually rank
- Using location data, reviews, and schema to improve performance
- Why relying only on blog content is a mistake
- How to think about SEO as part of a larger system, not just content
We also talk about:
- The future of tools like WordPress vs newer frameworks
- Why flexibility matters more than using the "latest" tool
- How to avoid wasting time chasing every new AI tool
- Building systems that compound instead of constantly restarting
If you're trying to use AI for SEO and want results that last, this episode will give you a practical framework to follow.
⭐️ Join the AI Ranking Skool Community - https://www.skool.com/ai-ranking
⭐️ AI Ranking Skool Website - https://www.airankingskool.com/
⭐️ Nicolas Gorroño's Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@Nico_AIRanking
⭐️ Nicolas Gorroño's Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nico-gorrono/
⭐️ AI Search Starter Kit - https://www.airankingskool.com/you-came-here-from-socials
⭐️ Terminal For Claude Code - cmux - https://cmux.com/
⭐️ Build an SEO Ready site with Astro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78-A8UvGxI8
🚀 Edward's SEO Articles - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/search-engine-optimization/
💎 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 Automating SEO Intro
00:53 Fast SEO Site Builds
02:13 Astro vs WordPress
04:08 Real Estate Scraper Demo
08:24 Unique Content Angle
10:29 Reviewing AI Output
12:27 Astro Build Walkthrough
12:54 Claude Code Workflow Tips
20:19 Long Term Platform Choice
25:08 Designing Non-Generic Sites
28:27 Avoiding Google Penalties
35:03 Repurposing YouTube Content
36:39 LinkedIn AI Post Example
37:55 SEO Acronym Rant
38:54 Cron Jobs Automation
41:11 Checking Rankings Results
42:00 Repurposing Content Strategy
46:02 Local SEO With AI
48:29 Service Pages That Convert
50:14 Claude Tool Focus
53:38 Location Pages Differentiation
58:11 The AI-Made Website is Ready
01:01:47 Avoiding AI Content Traps
01:04:27 Publishing Workflow Demo
01:06:42 Autonomous Work Life Balance
01:08:39 Wrap Up
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
#aiseo #searchengineoptimization #automatedseo #digitalmarketing

E989: We break down Google's Helpful Content Update (HCU) - one of the most disruptive changes to search ever - and what it actually did to the internet.
Entire websites lost 70-90% of their traffic overnight. Some never recovered. Others quietly adapted. And a few avoided the damage altogether.
This is not a surface-level recap. This is a real conversation between people who were directly impacted, worked on affected sites, and spent months analyzing what changed.
We cover what the HCU is, how it evolved, and why it continues to affect sites long after the initial rollout. We also challenge a lot of the common narratives around "helpful content," E-E-A-T, and what Google claims to reward.
Topics discussed:
- What the Helpful Content Update actually is and how it changed over time
- The timeline: early signals in 2022, major impact in September 2023, and the follow-up hits in 2024
- Why some sites lost nearly all their traffic overnight
- Patterns across sites that were hit vs. those that survived
- The role of large-scale SEO content and where the line gets crossed
- Why "good content" was not enough to avoid penalties
- Whether recovery is possible - and what strategies people are testing
- The idea of site-wide quality vs. page-level evaluation
- Why moving content to a different domain can sometimes restore rankings
- The relationship between brand, entity signals, and search performance
- How Google actually evaluates content (and where it likely falls short)
- The growing role of Reddit and user-generated content in search results
- Whether affiliate sites and niche publishers still have a future
- Why relying on SEO alone is becoming increasingly risky
- What experienced operators are doing differently now
This episode is based on real experience - sites that were hit, sites that were analyzed, and strategies that were tested in the aftermath.
⭐️ Lars Lofgren's website and newsletter: https://larslofgren.com/
⭐️ Lars Lofgren on LinkedIn (tell him you came from this podcast and he'll accept your connection): https://www.linkedin.com/in/larslofgren/
⭐️ Lars Lofgren on 𝕏: https://x.com/larslofgren
⭐️ David Quaid on 𝕏 - https://x.com/DavidGQuaid
⭐️ David Quaid on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidquaid/
⭐️ David Quaid's agency - https://primaryposition.com/
⭐️ Gagan Ghotra on 𝕏 - https://x.com/gaganghotra_
⭐️ Gagan Ghotra on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gagan-ghotra/
⭐️ Gagan Ghotra's website - https://gaganghotra.com/
🚀 Edward's SEO Articles - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/search-engine-optimization/
💎 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 HCU Fallout Overview
00:48 Timeline and Mechanics
02:22 Surviving and Recovery Tactics
03:25 Real World Hit Stories
08:12 Why Google Rolled It Out
10:17 Collateral Damage Debate
16:59 Reddit Boost and Domain Signals
19:48 E-E-A-T Skepticism
26:59 What Google Should Have Done
31:18 Affiliate SEO Future
41:03 Aggregator SEO Trap
42:28 Why Big Brands Survive
44:12 Entity Building Beats Topical Authority
48:00 Domain Authority Reality Check
50:11 PageRank Still Rules
52:16 Does Google Understand Content
01:01:36 Topical Authority Gets Weird
01:06:43 Pruning to Stop Decline
01:15:26 Turnaround Timelines
01:19:45 Crawling vs Indexing Explained
01:23:58 Debating Content Pruning
01:25:40 When to Go Nuclear
01:27:22 Pruning Wins Then Fades
01:29:12 SEO Is Not Checklists
01:33:20 HCU Triage Playbook
01:37:03 AI Scaling Trap
01:44:44 SEO Lag And Risk
01:47:34 Real Recovery Examples
01:50:10 Why They Still Love SEO
01:53:15 Multi-Channel Over SEO
01:58:39 Single Vs Multi Domain
02:11:39 Final Wrap Up
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
#helpfulcontentupdate #searchengineoptimization #googlecoreupdate #seo

988: Jason Barnard, founder of Kalicube and one of the early voices behind Brand SERPs and entity SEO, joins the show!
Jason has been working in search since 1998, has spent the last decade focused on how search engines and AI systems understand brands, people, and organizations - (and Jason is really smart).
The conversation explores how SEO is changing as search moves toward AI-driven systems. Jason explains why brand understanding, entity clarity, and credibility signals now play an even larger role in how companies are discovered and recommended online.
Jason shares his framework for building SEO from the bottom of the funnel upward, starting with branded searches and brand reputation before expanding to broader topics. The discussion also covers how large language models evaluate authority, why mentions can matter more than backlinks, and how brands can structure their online presence so AI systems confidently recommend them.
This episode is useful for marketers, founders, SEOs, and anyone trying to understand how visibility works in a world where AI systems increasingly act as intermediaries between users and businesses.
Topics discussed:
- Why Jason believes brand SEO produces clearer revenue impact than traditional keyword strategies
- How AI systems decide which companies to recommend to users
- The difference between search engine optimization, answer engine optimization, and assistive engine optimization
- Why branded searches represent the bottom of the funnel
- How to structure a website so search engines and AI systems understand your brand
- The role of entity understanding in modern SEO
- Why mentions and context are often more important than backlinks
- How to frame authority signals so machines can confidently recommend you
- The concept of the "algorithmic trinity": search engines, knowledge graphs, and large language models
- Why consistency across your digital footprint matters
- How to manage reputation issues and name confusion online
- Why personal brands often move faster than corporate brands in search visibility
- The importance of confidence signals for AI recommendations
- How AI agents may eventually make purchasing decisions without human input
- Why choosing a unique brand name can simplify SEO and AI discovery
Jason also shares practical examples from his own career, including how he transformed his search results from being known as a cartoon voice actor into being recognized as a digital marketing authority.
⭐️ Kalicube - Your Brand is what Google and AI say it is - https://kalicube.com
⭐️ Free AI Audit: https://kalicube.com/ai-audit
⭐️ Jason Barnard's Free Guides - https://kalicube.com/guides/
⭐️ Jason Barnard's personal website: https://jasonbarnard.com/about-jason-barnard/
⭐️ Jason Barnard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmbarnard/
⭐️ Jason Barnard on 𝕏: https://x.com/jasonmbarnard
🚀 Edward's SEO Articles - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/search-engine-optimization/
💎 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 Introductions
00:13 From England to Paris
02:33 Getting Into SEO Early
02:40 Why Branded SEO Wins
04:34 UpToTen Brand Success
07:54 Bottom of Funnel Strategy
10:14 Comparison Pages Done Right
14:48 Claim Frame Proof Method
18:15 Perfect Click in AI Search
19:36 Client Onboarding and Entities
23:38 Entity Home and Past Proof
28:07 Personal Brand Assets
31:19 Entity SEO Explained Simply
40:52 Branded to Non Branded Growth
43:48 Algorithmic Trinity Framework
46:56 Why Personal Brands Win
48:30 Finding Hidden Credibility
50:18 Ambient Research Threat
52:05 SEO to Agent Optimization
55:47 Pillar Pages for Proof
57:40 Proactive Reputation Playbook
01:03:04 Wikidata Done Right
01:05:36 PR Outreach and Citations
01:12:35 Confidence Beats Content
01:15:36 Mentions Over Backlinks
01:16:48 Reputation Turnarounds
01:19:43 Namesake Disambiguation
01:27:19 Starting SEO in 2026
01:28:55 Building a New Entity Fast
01:31:53 Wrap Up and Thanks
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
#generativeengineoptimization #entityseo #searchengineoptimization #answerengineoptimization