The Edward Show

E949: Most people fail at journalist link building because they pitch what they want to say - not what the journalist is actually looking for.
I break down the exact approach I use to consistently get featured by journalists across platforms like HARO, Source of Sources, Featured, and Quoted. When I'm actively link building, this method gets me around 20 journalist backlinks per month, with acceptance rates that are significantly higher than average.
Journalists usually tell you exactly what they want. The mistake most people make is ignoring that and trying to "educate" the journalist instead. This episode is about recognizing the angle, responding correctly, and knowing when not to pitch at all.
We cover:
- Why journalists ignore most pitches, even from credible experts
- How to identify what a journalist is already trying to confirm
- Why many articles are already written before a quote is requested
- How journalist bias and deadlines shape what gets accepted
- Real examples from Source of Sources, broken down line by line
- What types of answers are almost guaranteed to be ignored
- How effective link builders structure their responses
- When responding is a complete waste of time
- Why credibility alone is not enough
- How to avoid getting links that hurt your brand long-term
Examples discussed:
- Chefs being asked to recommend meals at popular restaurant chains
- Cleaning and organizing experts being asked about common mistakes
- Ecommerce founders being featured for lessons learned and hard-earned insights
Each example shows how journalists clearly define:
- The angle they want
- The answers they will accept
- The answers they will not accept
Important boundaries:
- Why you should never pitch something that directly contradicts your public stance
- When a backlink is not worth the tradeoff
- How to avoid lying or misrepresenting your experience
- Why some highly effective tactics are not right for every brand
I also explain:
- How often I respond to journalist queries
- Why one high-quality response per day is enough
- My acceptance rate on Featured
- How this fits into my broader SEO and link building strategy
💎 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 Introduction to Backlink Strategy
00:29 Understanding Journalists' Needs
01:41 Examples of Effective Pitches
02:52 Ethical Considerations in Link Building
05:49 Maximizing Acceptance Rates
10:12 Conclusion and Additional Resources
The Edward Show. The #1 search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
#searchengineoptimization #linkbuilding #backlinks #publicrelations

E948: A real SEO case study that challenges one of the most common link-building assumptions: that higher domain authority backlinks are always better.
Using an example from the SEO subreddit, I explain how a nationally known appliance brand improved rankings for an extremely competitive keyword by moving away from high-authority websites and intentionally building links from smaller, real blogs instead.
This is about nuance in SEO. Doing one tactic repeatedly - even if it's considered "best practice" - can stall growth or actively hurt performance. Search engines reward variety, realism, and natural patterns, not perfection.
What you'll learn:
- Why relying only on high-authority backlinks can limit rankings
- How low-authority websites can strengthen a backlink profile
- What a "natural" backlink profile actually looks like in practice
- Why difficult keywords require both volume and diversity
- How real blogs owned by real people influence search rankings
- The difference between strong backlinks and balanced backlinks
- Why repeating one SEO tactic is a long-term risk
Case study covered:
- A national appliance company targeting an ultra-competitive keyword
- An audit that revealed an overly "clean" backlink profile
- A strategic shift to smaller, niche blogs with real audiences
- Roughly 200 lower-authority links built over four months
- Rankings improved after adding variety, not more authority
Topics discussed:
- Backlink audits and pattern detection
- High-authority vs low-authority links
- Anchor text and link diversity
- Branded searches and natural signals
- Podcast backlinks vs journalist links
- Directories, partnerships, and linkable assets
- Why SEO should look normal, not engineered
Also covered:
- Why some self-promotional listicles are losing traffic
- The difference between a few transparent listicles and mass production
- Why templated, AI-generated content gets flagged
- How overdoing any tactic creates an unnatural footprint
This is a reminder that SEO isn't about maxing out one metric. It's about balance, variation, and consistency over time. If your strategy looks too perfect, it probably isn't working as well as it could.
⭐️ Moved Away From The Large Power Websites - 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 Introduction: The Importance of Varying SEO Strategies
00:30 Case Study: Low Authority Sites Boost Rankings
01:03 Detailed Analysis: The Appliance Company Example
02:23 The Strategy: Building a Natural Backlink Profile
04:18 Practical Tips for Diverse Link Building
05:45 Addressing Criticism: Self-Promotional Listicles
07:43 Conclusion: The Power of Variety in SEO
The Edward Show. The #1 search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
#searchengineoptimization #linkbuilding #backlinks #digitalmarketing

E947: Most SEOs are building backlinks the wrong way.
I break down the backlink mistake almost every SEO makes: building links purely for rankings instead of credibility, referral traffic, and conversions.
This is inspired by a real Reddit post from a B2B SaaS founder who worked with multiple PR agencies, got burned by most of them, but still uncovered why good PR and good link building overlap more than people realize.
If you're building links that nobody sees, nobody clicks, and nobody trusts, this will change how you think about SEO.
What this covers:
- Why backlinks without visibility rarely move the needle
- The difference between brand mentions and real features
- Why features convert better than most SEO campaigns
- How PR shortens the sales cycle without touching your funnel
- Why some nofollow links still matter
- How high-authority publications increase trust even when users don't find you through them
- The SEO value of credibility, branded searches, and referral traffic
- Why most PR agencies fail and how to avoid getting stuck with one
- What to look for in a publicist or link builder
- How viral marketing and linkable assets outperform traditional link building
- Using Product Hunt, BetaList, and simple web apps to earn links that actually convert
- Why the best SEOs think like publicists
Key takeaway:
The best backlinks don't just pass PageRank.

They make people trust you before they ever talk to you.
If your link building strategy doesn't:
- Drive referral traffic
- Increase branded searches
- Make conversions easier
Then you're leaving real results on the table.
This isn't about choosing PR instead of SEO.

It's about learning the rules of publicity so your SEO actually works.
Who this is for:
- SEOs building links for clients or their own sites
- Founders doing SEO for B2B or SaaS companies
- Marketers tired of backlinks that look good in reports but don't produce revenue
- Anyone who wants SEO to support real business outcomes
If you want more on this, I go deep into link building that drives conversions inside my SEO course, Compact Keywords, including:
- Links that are just links
- Links that build credibility
- Links that generate sales
⭐️ The Reddit comment - https://www.reddit.com/r/Entrepreneur/comments/15rpl5n/comment/jw9scyd/
💎 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 Introduction: Maximizing Results with Backlinks
00:07 Backlinks vs. Publicists: A Tough Choice
00:52 The Power of a Good Publicist
01:05 Reddit Case Study: PR Agencies
02:21 PR Agencies: Hits and Misses
05:58 Unexpected Benefits of PR Campaigns
07:49 Key Takeaways and Advice
08:40 Combining SEO with Publicity and Viral Marketing
11:51 Conclusion
The Edward Show. The #1 search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
#searchengineoptimization #linkbuilding #backlinks #publicrelations

E946: Google search volatility is hitting hard, and this time the pattern is clear.
We break down why Google appears to be cracking down on self-promotional "best of" listicles, especially across SaaS blogs and resource centers. Based on research and analysis shared by Lily Ray and Glenn Gabe, many sites are seeing major visibility losses tied specifically to blog content that prioritizes SEO tactics over usefulness.
This episode explains what's happening, why it's happening, and what site owners and marketers should learn from it.
Topics covered:
- What self-promotional listicles are and why they spread so quickly
- Why blog and resource content is driving most visibility losses
- How Google's review system may be detecting biased or low-evidence content
- Examples of SaaS companies losing 40–50% or more organic visibility
- How rapid AI content scaling increases algorithmic risk
- Overuse of programmatic templates across hundreds or thousands of pages
- Excessive "best X in 2026" style titles without meaningful updates
- Misuse of schema and artificial freshness signals
- Sales-driven content disguised as informational articles
- Why overusing any SEO tactic eventually becomes spam
- How Google updates affect AI Overviews and AI Mode
- Why drops in search also impact ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity
- What long-term, durable SEO actually looks like
Key takeaway:
SEO shortcuts can work temporarily, but when patterns become obvious, they stop working. Google updates tend to punish overuse, not single mistakes. Sites that focus on genuinely helpful content and balanced strategies tend to hold rankings over time.
This episode is especially relevant for:
- SaaS founders and marketers
- SEO professionals
- Content and growth teams using AI
- Anyone dependent on Google or AI-driven search visibility
If you want to learn my SEO approach that has survived multiple Google updates, you can find it with Compact Keywords (link below). The focus is on building pages that searchers actually want, not tactics that collapse during volatility.
Thanks for watching. New episodes every day.
⭐️ Is Google Finally Cracking Down on Self-Promotional Listicles? - https://lilyraynyc.substack.com/p/is-google-finally-cracking-down-on
⭐️ Glenn Gabe's post - https://x.com/glenngabe/status/2018720184148631634
💎 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 Introduction: Google's Crackdown on Self-Promotional Listicles
00:23 Understanding Self-Promotional Listicles
01:08 Google's Algorithm Update: Impact and Analysis
01:47 Lily Ray's Insights and Examples
06:02 Common Trends Among Affected Sites
10:12 Avoiding Google's Penalties: Best Practices
15:09 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
The Edward Show. The #1 search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
#searchengineoptimization #answerengineoptimization #generativeengineoptimization #digitalmarketing

E945: I'm joined by Matt Diamante and Jake Tlapek for a long-form, unfiltered conversation about what actually happens after you win on social media.
All three of us came up through SEO content on TikTok and Instagram. This episode isn't about going viral - it's about turning attention into durable businesses, building teams, and deciding what you want to scale next.
We cover the real mechanics of growing agencies, removing yourself from delivery, using content as leverage, and how AI and social search are changing SEO in practice - not theory.
What we talk about in this episode:
- How agency founders transition from "doing the work" to leading without breaking the business
- The systems required to remove yourself from day-to-day client delivery
- Why many SEO agencies stall before seven figures - and how to break through
- How creators turn daily content into predictable demand and leads
- The difference between chasing views and building lifetime search visibility
- Social SEO: why searchable phrases now outperform traditional hooks
- Posting consistently without burning out or over-polishing
- Editing workflows, tools, and why speed often beats perfection
- Why press releases still work for SEO and AI search visibility
- How AI agents are being used for keyword research, competitive analysis, and content production
- When SEO should be sold alone vs bundled with paid media
- Common SEO mistakes clients make (and why they keep making them)
- The hardest part of scaling a team - and when letting go is the right move
- How creators think about the next phase after audience growth
Who this episode is for:
- Agency owners trying to scale past themselves
- SEOs and marketers using social content to generate demand
- Creators thinking about products, services, or SaaS
- Anyone curious how SEO, AI, and social search are converging
This is a long, candid conversation between people actively operating businesses - not theory, not recycled advice.
If you're building an agency, using content to grow, or deciding what to scale next, this episode will give you a clearer picture of what actually works.
⭐️ Jake Tlapek on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thewizardmarketing
⭐️ Jake Tlapek on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thewizardmarketing/
⭐️ Jake Tlapek on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@thewizardofmarketing
⭐️ Jake Tlapek's agency - https://finch.com/
⭐️ Matt Diamante on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heytony.agency/
⭐️ Matt Diamante on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@heytonyagency
⭐️ Matt Diamante on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@heymattdiamante
⭐️ Matt Diamante's agency - https://heytony.ca/
💎 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 Introduction and Agency Growth
00:20 Transition to Content Creation
00:51 Early Days on TikTok
02:20 The Power of Live Streaming
04:23 SEO Journey and Background
06:09 Daily Posting and Consistency
12:27 Social Media Engagement and Editing Tools
15:14 Effective Hooks and Content Creation
21:00 Social SEO and Long-term Strategies
38:42 Combining SEO with Advertising
41:18 Programmatic SEO Challenges
42:02 Core Pages and Content Strategy
43:33 Common SEO Mistakes
44:49 The Power of Press Releases
50:25 AI and Automation in SEO
54:03 Keyword Research Insights
01:11:32 Future Plans and Business Strategies
01:22:39 Disorganized Conference Experience
01:24:09 Unexpected Viral Video
01:25:19 Gary Vee's Heartfelt Apology
01:28:02 Collaborating with Other Creators
01:31:00 Scaling and Managing an Agency
01:41:15 Hiring a Business Coach
01:45:37 Firing Difficult Employees
01:51:17 Marketing and SEO Influencers
02:02:46 Concluding Thoughts and Farewell
#agencygrowth #searchengineoptimization #digitalmarketing #searchmarketing