The Edward Show

E1102: Ranking #1 on Google does not matter if the market is too small to produce meaningful business.
Legal SEO expert Nick Cohen explains why he told a law firm to move offices even though it ranked first for nearly every important personal injury keyword in its city. The firm had around 200 reviews but received only about five calls per month from SEO.
The problem was not its rankings. The problem was the city.
Nick has worked in local SEO for 17 years and runs Matador, an agency serving more than 180 law firms. He also has his own personal injury firm, giving him direct insight into which SEO strategies generate cases rather than just rankings.
We discuss:
- Why ranking #1 in a small city may still produce almost no calls
- How to choose cities based on population, competition, reviews, and demand
- Why Nick recommends targeting markets with at least 50,000 people for a Google Business Profile
- How opening a real satellite office can give a business access to an entirely new county
- Why his Ventura office now generates roughly 50% of his cases
- Why mailbox locations and fake offices are not a reliable long-term strategy
- How to structure city and service pages
- When a competitive page needs supporting content
- How internal links from supporting pages strengthen higher-value pages
- Why Nick focuses on only two or three cities at a time
- How he expands outward from an office in five-mile stages
- Why publishing hundreds of nearly identical city pages is likely to fail
- How to make location pages unique with case results, statistics, intersections, and local resources
- Why he usually targets cities instead of neighborhoods
- How he updates pages in stages instead of publishing 4,000 words at once
- When to add more copy, images, video, links, and footer placement
- Why strong rankings still need reviews, real photos, clear phone numbers, and conversion-focused pages
- Why low-volume keywords can still produce extremely valuable cases
- Why rankings should be judged by calls and clients, not position alone
Nick also explains how he tracks cities, keywords, population, rankings, and published pages, why rank trackers often need manual verification, and how search results can differ depending on where the searcher is located.
This episode is about choosing better markets, building pages that deserve to rank, and expanding without putting the entire website at risk.
⭐️ Matador Solutions - https://www.matadorsolutions.net/ 
⭐️ Nick Cohen on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickecohen/ 
⭐️ Get in touch with Nick - nick@matadorsolutions.net 
💎 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 Nick Cohen Returns
00:36 From Teen SEO to Matador
02:15 What Rapid City Scaling Means
06:25 Spreadsheet Tracking System
07:48 Clean URL Structure Strategy
12:08 Supporting Pages for Rankings
14:43 Making Location Pages Unique
18:48 GBP Impact and New Offices
20:26 Satellite Offices and Compliance
22:22 Ventura Content Buildout Model
24:38 Links and Outreach Partners
25:53 Buying Links Smart
27:05 Vetting Sites and Traffic
27:34 Rank Tracking Reality Check
28:39 Geo SERP Volatility
30:57 GBP Population Strategy
33:21 Satellite Offices and Value
36:55 Scaling Cities Safely
39:56 Avoiding Common Mistakes
41:17 AI Images and Trust
45:24 Footer Links Rotation
47:38 Three Month Content Loop
49:18 Wrap Up and Takeaways
The Edward Show. The #1 search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ 
#legalseo #searchengineoptimization #legalmarketing #localseo

E1101: People search Google with the word "Reddit" because they want real opinions, real discussions, and answers that feel less filtered.
But here's the part most SEOs miss:
Google does not always rank Reddit for those searches.
ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini do not always pull Reddit pages when the query includes Reddit either.
That means you can build pages on your own website that target these "Reddit" searches and rank your site where people expect Reddit to appear.
David Quaid returns to the show and walks through how he does this in practice, why it works, and how he uses these pages to collect Search Console data that keyword tools often miss.
We get into:
- How people add "Reddit" to searches
- Why AI tools also use Reddit-style search modifiers
- How Google can rank non-Reddit pages for Reddit keywords
- Why Semrush and Google Ads often show no data for these searches
- How to find Reddit keywords before your competitors
- How David builds short pages to test search demand
- Why the page title and URL slug matter so much for long-tail keywords
- How to use Search Console data to expand pages after they rank
- Why Reddit searches can reveal hidden buyer intent
- How to build topical authority from lower-competition keywords
- How David "cornerstones" from easy queries into harder queries
- Why ranking in the click zone matters more than simply getting indexed
- How internal links help newer pages rank
- Why you should not publish hundreds of new pages on a new site
- Where the line is between legitimate SEO and scaled content abuse
- Why Reddit parasite SEO is getting more crowded
- How to participate on Reddit without making moderators hate you
- Why listicles can dilute your own brand in AI search
- How spammy hacked pages get indexed so quickly
- Why legitimate pages often struggle to get indexed
- What the Japanese keyword hack reveals about crawl discovery
- How indexing tools may be creating false hope for newer sites
David also shows examples of live rankings, Search Console queries, and how he thinks through creating pages from scratch.
This is a practical episode for anyone doing SEO, SaaS SEO, local SEO, affiliate SEO, content strategy, or AI search optimization.
The core idea:
If people are searching for your category plus "Reddit," you may not need to rely on Reddit to capture that demand. You may be able to rank your own website instead.
⭐️ 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/ 
⭐️ The GaryVee podcast - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUnV-xaH32k 
⭐️ The Kass and Mike Lazerow podcast - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OslN_eLOCes 
💎 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 Search Hack
00:43 Why LLMs Miss Reddit
01:59 Build Reddit Resource Pages
02:37 Keyword Data Blind Spots
06:17 Search Console Proof
09:23 Live Ranking Examples
12:38 Finding Starter Keywords
14:06 Parasite SEO Reality
16:30 SaaS Cornerstoning Demo
20:50 Indexing Click Zone
30:27 Slug Title Relevance
35:30 Going For Money Terms
36:20 Search Console Query Fanout
38:53 Reddit Keyword Ranking Timeline
41:54 PAA Publishing Limits
44:43 Scaled Content Abuse Explained
47:14 LinkedIn Parasite Indexing Idea
55:34 Listicles Without Dilution
58:18 Why Hack Pages Index Fast
01:03:44 GaryVee Episode Backstory
01:09:45 Anti GEO Propaganda Rant
01:11:52 Final Thanks And Wrap
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ 
#generativeengineoptimization #searchengineoptimization #seo #answerengineoptimization

E1100: Breaking down the SEO colony strategy: how to use easy, low-competition pages to build topical authority, pass that authority through internal links, and rank money pages without needing to rely on backlinks first.
This comes from one of my favorite Reddit posts about topical authority, PageRank, clicks, links, and how Google ranks pages. The post explains a simple but important idea: every keyword you rank for puts you into a topical space, and every satisfied click you earn helps build authority in that space.
That matters because SEO is not just about publishing more blog posts. It is about creating pages that rank, earn clicks, build authority, and then using internal links to direct that authority toward pages that can actually make you money.
I cover:
- Why topical authority is built through clicks, links, and repeat user behavior
- Why PageRank is page-level, not just domain-level
- How easy keywords can create their own authority over time
- Why People Also Ask questions are a great starting point for SEO colonies
- How to use FAQ-style pages to start ranking in your topical space
- Why internal links can pass authority from one ranking page to another
- How Page A can help Page B rank, then Page A and Page B can help Page C rank
- Why harder keywords may need more internal authority pointed at them
- How to use SEO colonies to support bottom-of-funnel pages
- Why money pages should usually be landing pages, not blog posts
- How to use your page title, URL slug, H1, and first sentence to target keywords clearly
- Why bottom-of-funnel keywords often have less competition than obvious high-volume keywords
- How this strategy helps you build authority before you have strong backlink acquisition
- Why Google rewards the external signals around content, not content quality in isolation
- How clicks can act like votes with time and attention attached
The big idea is simple: you can create your own authority.
You do this by publishing pages that target easy keywords, getting those pages to rank, earning clicks from Google, and then using internal links to push that authority into new pages.
Over time, your site becomes stronger inside a specific topical space.
Then you use that strength to rank pages that bring in leads, sales, calls, demo requests, or customers.
I also talk about how this connects to my Compact Keywords method, where the goal is not just to get traffic, but to find high-intent keywords and build conversion-based SEO landing pages around them.
This is episode 1,100 of the podcast.
⭐️ A Few Things That Finally Clicked About Authority, Topics, and How Google Actually Ranks Pages - https://www.reddit.com/r/SEO/comments/1p06nk4/a_few_things_that_finally_clicked_about_authority/ 
⭐️ The SEO Colonies Strategy: Turn One Ranking Page Into Dozens - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/seo-colonies-strategy-turn-one-page-into-dozens/ 
⭐️ Turn People Also Ask Questions Into Easy Traffic, Authority, and Sales - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/people-also-ask-seo-traffic-authority-sales/ 
💎 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 Post Setup
00:53 Topical Authority Basics
01:29 Page Level PageRank
01:58 Topical Bridges Explained
03:07 Signals Over Craft
03:52 Links And Clicks Proxy
05:07 Colony Strategy Overview
05:51 People Also Ask Workflow
06:47 Internal Linking Flywheel
08:49 Turning Traffic Into Sales
11:56 Thanks And Wrap Up
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ 
#searchengineoptimization #seo #growthhacking #digitalmarketing

E1099: Gary Vaynerchuk joins the podcast to talk about AI search, Gemini, social media, content volume, and what brands need to understand before the internet changes again.
The biggest moment from this conversation is Gary saying Gemini is the only guaranteed winner in AI search because of the stack Google already has: YouTube, YouTube Shorts, Gmail, Calendar, and the rest of Google's infrastructure.
We also get into why social content may become even more important as AI tools decide which brands, people, and companies to cite.
We cover:
- Why Gary Vaynerchuk believes AI search is a real marketing change, not a passing trend
- How VaynerMedia is thinking about AEO, GEO, and AI search for clients
- Why SEO people need to understand how AI search changes discovery
- Why social content, video descriptions, Substack, Reddit, LinkedIn, and YouTube may matter more inside AI answers
- Why Gary thinks Gemini has a major advantage over other AI tools
- How YouTube transcripts could become a huge advantage for Google
- Why Gmail and Calendar give Gemini a different kind of edge
- Why Gary believes social media already weakened the old niche blog model before AI did
- Why AI probably will not kill the internet, but will change how people reach information
- Why Meta and ByteDance could become major players in AI search
- Why brands should think carefully about where their content actually lives
- Whether posting more still matters when AI content is flooding the internet
- Gary's view on volume, content quality, and why "AI slop" is not that different from human slop
- Why analog experiences, events, pop-ups, and in-person marketing may become more valuable
- How real-world events can create social content, mentions, links, and stronger brand signals
- What Gary Vaynerchuk learned from building a team around his personal brand
- Why he says to hire fast, fire faster, and promote fastest
- The mistake Gary made carrying underperformers too long
- How VaynerMedia kept 134 people for more than 10 years in an industry where tenure is usually much shorter
This conversation is about where attention is moving next.
AI tools are pulling from websites, social platforms, video transcripts, forums, descriptions, and brand mentions. The companies and creators who understand that early will have a major advantage.
Gary Vaynerchuk explains why Gemini may be positioned better than anyone else, why social content is becoming part of search, and why brands that still treat social as separate from SEO may be missing what is happening.
⭐️ Gary Vaynerchuk's Substack - https://garyvee.com/substack 
⭐️ Gary Vaynerchuk on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyvaynerchuk/ 
⭐️ Gary Vaynerchuk on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/garyvee/ 
⭐️ VaynerMedia - https://vaynermedia.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 Future Internet With GaryVee
00:16 AEO GEO Inside VaynerMedia
04:52 Social Search And TikTok Trips
09:08 Why Social Still Underrated
11:20 AEO Boosts Social Budgets
12:22 Will AI Kill Websites
15:31 Gemini YouTube Advantage
19:58 Volume Versus AI Slop
23:58 Rise Of Analog Events
25:34 Building Your Brand Team
26:57 Hire Fire Promote Fast
30:38 Closing Thanks And Outro
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ 
#searchengineoptimization #seo #digitalmarketing #marketing

E1098: Breaking down a link building case study about what to do when your business is so niche that "perfectly relevant" backlink opportunities barely exist.
The example comes from a petrochemical / chemical manufacturing startup trying to rank against much larger competitors.
At first, they tried the obvious approach:
- Create content around their exact niche
- Place links inside that content
- Get those links published on relevant websites
- Focus on websites in the right country
- Prioritize traffic, quality, and metrics
The problem was simple:
There just were not enough chemical manufacturing blogs or websites to keep building links at scale.
So they made a pivot.
Instead of only targeting hyper-specific chemical manufacturing sites, they moved broader.
They started getting links from engineering, industrial, and manufacturing-adjacent websites. The sites were not perfectly about the client's exact product, but the content still included a relevant section about chemical engineering, with the keyword naturally worked in.
After two more months, they ranked for a difficult keyword ahead of major chemical manufacturing competitors.
That is the lesson of this episode.
Perfect relevance matters, but in extremely niche industries, perfect relevance can become a bottleneck.
Sometimes the better link building move is to target broader industry websites while keeping the content angle tight, believable, and relevant enough.
In this episode, I cover:
- Why ultra-niche businesses struggle to build relevant backlinks
- How "perfect relevance" can slow down link building
- Why broader industry sites can still work when the content angle makes sense
- How a startup used engineering and industrial sites to compete with larger manufacturers
- Why link quality is about more than domain metrics
- Why the content around the backlink still matters
- Why indexed backlinks are more valuable than links sitting on pages Google ignores
- How to think about relevance without becoming too rigid
- Why slightly off-niche websites can still support rankings
- How to make broader link placements feel natural
- Why this strategy works best when the surrounding content is unique, well-written, and genuinely useful
I also talk through two related link building methods:
- Adjacent industry placements, where you look one step outside the exact niche
- Expert quote submissions, where a founder or subject-matter expert becomes the reason the link makes sense
The key is not to ignore relevance.
The key is to understand that relevance can come from the page, the section, the angle, the expert, and the context - not only from the entire website being about your exact niche.
This is especially important for startups and B2B companies in industries where there are not hundreds of obvious blogs to pitch.
If you only chase perfect-fit websites, you may run out of opportunities fast.
But if you know how to stretch into related industries while keeping the content useful and believable, you can keep building links without making the placements look forced.
⭐️ Move From Super Defined Content To Generic - https://www.reddit.com/r/SEO/comments/12ihay2/link_building_in_2023_strategies_that_have_worked/ 
💎 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 Ultra Niche Link Building
00:34 Why Content Quality Wins
01:24 Indexed Links Matter
01:59 Case Study Niche Expansion
03:13 Relevance Without Bottlenecks
04:07 Adjacent Industry Placements
04:41 Expert Quotes and Founder Branding
06:14 Wrap Up
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ 
#linkbuilding #backlinks #searchengineoptimization #seo