The Edward Show

E1159: Google's August 2026 Spam Update hit some sites extremely hard.
I break down four case studies from Glenn Gabe showing exactly what Google's August spam update targeted, including scaled AI content, programmatic SEO with little added value, thin affiliate pages, poor user experience, and sites operating in risky niches.
One of the sites lost rankings for more than 200,000 queries.
Another had more than 1.5 million URLs indexed, many of which were lost.
These weren't simply examples of "AI content is bad" or "programmatic SEO is bad." The common thread was scale combined with very little unique value for the searcher.
In this episode:
- A YMYL site that lost rankings for more than 200,000 queries after scaling programmatic pages across countries
- Why the combination of programmatic content and AI-generated copy can become especially risky in YMYL niches
- A massive Amazon affiliate site built largely from Amazon product data
- Why simply recreating merchant information and adding affiliate links can fall under Google's Thin Affiliation policies
- What Google says good affiliate sites need to add beyond information already available from the merchant
- A site with more than 1.5 million indexed URLs that was hit across multiple sections
- Why adding some legitimate-looking UGC doesn't necessarily save a site where most pages still provide very little additional value
- How a spam update can affect an entire domain rather than only the specific pages using questionable tactics
- A fourth site with more than 250,000 URLs in a risky niche that redirected users to even riskier external sites
- How that site lost rankings for roughly 25,000 queries
- Why the August update appears to have gone after several different forms of scaled content abuse rather than one specific tactic
- Why programmatic SEO itself is not the problem
- The difference between useful programmatic pages and creating hundreds of thousands of pages that mostly repeat information available elsewhere
- What recovery from a spam update can look like
- Lily Ray's example of a site hit by the December 2025 spam update that began recovering about five months after making major fixes
- Why spam update recovery can happen outside a core update
- Why removing the spam and changing what you publish going forward matters more than waiting for another Google update
The important distinction is value.
You can build programmatic pages. You can use AI. You can build affiliate pages. But if you're scaling hundreds of thousands or millions of URLs without giving searchers something meaningfully better, different, or more useful, you're putting the site in a very different risk category.
Glenn Gabe's case studies make that extremely clear.
⭐️ Glenn Gabe's article - Google's August 2026 Spam Update - Scaled Content Abuse, AI Content, Programmatic Content, Thin Affiliates, And More [Case Studies] - https://www.gsqi.com/marketing-blog/august-2026-google-spam-update-case-studies/ 
⭐️ Ep 1141 - Can You Launch 100,000 Pages and Survive Google? - https://youtu.be/wNtiygMsRfg 
⭐️ Lily Ray recovery post - https://x.com/lilyraynyc/status/2069739309075161234 
💎 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 August Spam Update Recap
00:26 How Spam Updates Work
01:00 Case 1 YMYL AI Scaling
02:04 Case 2 Thin Affiliate Pages
03:50 Case 3 Scaled Content Abuse
04:59 Case 4 Risky Redirect Scheme
05:59 Recovery Takes Months
07:05 Wrap Up
08:21 Podcast Sign Off
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/  
#searchengineoptimization #seo #digitalmarketing #growthhacking

E1158: Google published an article called "Good SEO Is Good GEO," arguing that the best strategy for showing up in Google's AI search experiences is still foundational SEO.
I agree with a lot of it.
But some of Google's advice leaves out important parts of how SEO and GEO work today.
I go through Google's article point by point and react to it in real time.
Google says AI Mode and AI Overviews are built on top of the same core ranking and quality systems used by traditional Search. It also says these AI experiences retrieve information from Google's existing search index.
That means traditional SEO fundamentals still matter enormously for GEO, AEO, AI SEO, or whatever you want to call it.
But that does not mean every piece of Google's advice should be taken at face value.
In this episode:
- Why Google says "good SEO is good GEO"
- Why foundational SEO remains the starting point for getting visibility in AI Mode and AI Overviews
- How Google's query fan-out works and why one AI prompt can trigger multiple searches
- Why search intent still matters as much as ever
- Why your page title, H1, URL slug, and keyword targeting still matter
- Where I disagree with Google's advice to simply "optimize for people"
- Why you cannot publish website content without understanding what people are actually searching for and expect Google to figure everything out
- Why unique, first-hand, non-commodity content is valuable, but still needs distribution or keyword targeting if you want people to find it
- Google's claim that marketers should stop chasing inauthentic mentions
- Why that claim does not match what I see happening in actual search results and LLM recommendations
- How brands are getting inserted into articles already receiving citations from large language models
- Why inauthentic mentions can work even though I would not recommend building a strategy around them
- Why Google is right about LLMs.txt
- Why I still see no compelling evidence that LLMs.txt meaningfully improves your visibility in Google or AI search
- Why user experience, trustworthy design, useful images, videos, reviews, and strong copy affect both SEO and GEO
- Why Merchant Center and Google Business Profile remain important for ecommerce and local businesses appearing in generative search experiences
- The problem with Google telling marketers to focus on business metrics while Search Console still gives limited visibility into AI search performance
- Why leads, sales, signups, and revenue ultimately matter more than new GEO metrics invented by third-party tools
The biggest takeaway is simple:
You do not need to throw away SEO and start over because AI search exists.
The same fundamentals that make a page useful, discoverable, relevant, trustworthy, and capable of ranking in traditional Google Search also give it a strong foundation for Google's generative search experiences.
But "good SEO" still means understanding keywords, understanding intent, creating content people actually want, and making sure that content can be discovered.
⭐️ Good SEO is good GEO - https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/next/v2/article/search-and-video/ai-search-era-brand-authority-strategy/ 
⭐️ Pareto SEO: The 20% of SEO That Matters - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/pareto-seo/ 
⭐️ Ep 1081 - Google Merchant Center Mistakes Killing Your Ecommerce Revenue - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilyAv_Li1qA 
💎 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 Google SEO Meets GEO
01:11 Foundational SEO Still Wins
02:07 What Helpful Really Means
02:59 Ignore New SEO Labels
03:31 Query Fan Out Explained
04:21 Pareto SEO Basics
04:33 Optimize For People Not Bots
05:06 Keyword Targeting Reality Check
05:57 Inauthentic Mentions Debate
07:54 LLMs txt Not Needed
08:28 Unique Perspective Content
09:45 Non Commodity Content Needs Keywords
10:28 Website UX Still Matters
11:42 Noisy Metrics And GSC
12:59 Merchant Center Reporting
13:38 Key Takeaways And Critiques
14:22 Wrap Up
15:12 Daily Podcast Streak Outro
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
#generativeengineoptimization #answerengineoptimization #searchengineoptimization #seo

E1157: Google is expanding some AI Overviews automatically, removing the need to click "Show More" and pushing traditional organic results much farther down the page.
Predictably, a lot of SEOs are freaking out.
I break down what Google actually changed and why I don't think businesses and publishers should panic about SEO.
Google confirmed that AI Overviews can now dynamically expand when its systems believe a fuller AI answer would be useful. On those searches, users can get a much larger AI response plus the "Ask Anything" box before they ever reach the traditional blue links.
I cover:
- What Google changed with expanded AI Overviews
- Why organic results can now appear much farther down the SERP
- How Google is not simply sending every search directly into AI Mode
- Why informational publishers have more reason to be concerned
- Why SEO for products and services is a very different situation
- The types of searches that still require people to visit a website
- Why scenario-based keyword targeting continues to work
- How to target people who know what they want but don't know which brand provides it
- Why bottom-of-funnel SEO becomes even more important as informational searches get absorbed by AI
- Why alternative pages and comparison pages influence buying decisions
- Why detailed product and service documentation gives AI more information about when your business is relevant
- Why AI systems can't recommend your company properly if you never explicitly explain what situations your product is for
- Why useful backlinks and real brand mentions matter more than collecting links nobody sees
- Why online reputation management matters for both AI recommendations and human searchers
- Why building a real brand makes SEO, backlinks, AI visibility, and higher-volume rankings easier over time
- Why I'm still not convinced blogging is dead
- How Google Preferred Sources gives publishers another way to build repeat visibility inside Google
- Why the right SEO strategy survives whether search is traditional, AI-enhanced, or eventually dominated by large language models
⭐️ Google AI Overviews Pushing Searchers Into AI Mode, Drops Show More Button - https://www.seroundtable.com/google-ai-overviews-push-ai-mode-responses-41974.html 
⭐️ Ep 1049 - The Fastest Way to Get SEO Results: Slow Is Smooth, Smooth Is Fast - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgGTmVZ1938 
⭐️ Ep 1074 - Blogging Isn't Dead: How Niche Blogs Still Make Money With SEO - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRaNVjcnbw0 
⭐️ Ep 1156 - Google Just Gave SEOs a New Ranking Signal (Do This Now) - Preferred Sources - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv7n03rkgaM 
⭐️ The conversation on Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/r/SEO/comments/1w1ur5u/google_making_ai_overviews_into_ai_mode_responses/ 
💎 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 Overviews Update
00:41 What Changed Exactly
02:31 Why SEO Still Crushes
03:01 Scenario Keywords That Convert
04:19 Pages That Influence AI
05:44 Holistic SEO And Branding
06:42 Blogging Is Not Dead
08:03 Preferred Sources Strategy
09:04 Stay Calm And Keep Going
09:38 Final Thoughts And Outro
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/  
#searchengineoptimization #seo #searchmarketing #digitalmarketing

E1156: Google Preferred Sources was originally introduced around news publishers, and that is still causing a lot of SEOs to dismiss it. That is a mistake.
I go directly through Google's own documentation and explain why Preferred Sources now appears relevant far beyond traditional news sites.
Google says any website that publishes fresh content is eligible. The feature is available globally in Top Stories and can also influence what users see in AI Mode and AI Overviews. Google Discover documentation also specifically references creator and source preferences.
I also tested SaaS websites, local businesses, and ecommerce sites in Google's Preferred Sources tool. They were eligible.
In this:
- Why people keep saying Preferred Sources is only for news publishers
- What Google's current documentation actually says
- Why SaaS, ecommerce, local, and other commercial websites can be eligible
- How Google does not require a news sitemap, RSS feed, or Google News Publisher Center setup
- Google's statement that any website publishing fresh content is eligible
- Why Google says people are twice as likely to click through to a preferred source
- The significance of more than 345,000 unique sources already being selected
- How Preferred Sources can affect AI Overviews, AI Mode, Top Stories, and Google Discover
- Why I think Preferred Sources is an important behavioral signal
- How this could matter even if Preferred Sources itself is not a direct ranking factor
- Why I compare selecting a preferred source to subscribing to a YouTube channel
- How increased visibility and clicks could create downstream SEO effects
- How to add a Preferred Sources button to your website in five minutes
- Where I placed Preferred Sources buttons on my own site
- How I customized the buttons to match my website
- Other placements you can test, including your header, footer, inside articles, and pop-ups
- How to create a reusable global widget so you can place the button throughout your site
The biggest point is simple: do not dismiss Preferred Sources because its original rollout focused on news.
The current implementation is broader than that.
And because adding it to a website is so easy, the potential upside makes it worth testing now rather than waiting until everyone agrees it matters.
⭐️ My article - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/google-preferred-sources-seo-ai-visibility/ 
⭐️ Google Preferred Sources - test your site - https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=edwardsturm.com 
⭐️ Google Developers: Help your readers find your site through preferred sources in Google Search - https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/preferred-sources 
⭐️ Google Developers: Discover Core Update - https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2026/02/discover-core-update 
⭐️ Google Blog: Original High-Quality Content in Search - https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/original-high-quality-content-search/ 
⭐️ Search Engine Journal: Google's Preferred Sources Is Now A Global SEO Signal - https://www.searchenginejournal.com/googles-preferred-sources-feature-is-now-a-global-seo-signal/573591/ 
⭐️ Google Developers: Preferred Sources Documentation - https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/preferred-sources 
⭐️ Preferred Sources button example on a blog post - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/parasite-seo-how-to-succeed-on-any-platform/#endingpreferredsource 
💎 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 Preferred Sources Revisited
00:43 What Preferred Sources Does
01:44 Viral Clip And Backlash
02:40 Docs Prove Eligibility
03:30 Not Just News Sites
05:42 Potential Ranking Signal
06:54 Add The Button Fast
07:29 Design And Placement Ideas
09:19 Worth Doing Anyway
09:59 Wrap Up
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ 
#searchengineoptimization #seo #contentmarketing #digitalmarketing

E1155: A roofer in South Florida donated a free roof through Habitat for Humanity.
The charity wrote about it and linked to his business.
Then a local news station picked up the story, his Facebook post was shared more than 200 times, and one act of goodwill produced the kind of links and attention that are extremely difficult to buy.
That is goodwill link building.
I break down how businesses can do genuinely useful things for people, nonprofits, organizations, and other companies, then turn that work into backlinks, partnerships, mentions, and press.
The important part most businesses miss is simple: ask for the link.
Businesses already sponsor youth sports teams, donate products, support nonprofits, volunteer their services, and contribute to community projects. But because they are not thinking about SEO, they often get a logo or plain-text mention and never ask for a backlink.
I cover real examples and practical ways to use this strategy across SaaS, e-commerce, and local services.
In this episode:
- How a donated roof turned into a nonprofit backlink, local press, and 200+ social shares
- Why sponsorships and donations frequently create easy backlink opportunities
- The two-minute follow-up email most businesses never send
- How Lily Ray generated a large number of links through a pro bono marketing project during COVID
- How SaaS companies can give free accounts to nonprofits and earn relevant partner links
- How to get links from companies whose products you already use
- Why publicly saying something positive about another company can lead to a case study or customer-story backlink
- How e-commerce brands can donate products to relevant causes
- Why recurring donations can produce links from multiple pages over time
- How returned or lightly damaged inventory can become a link-building asset instead of waste
- How e-commerce businesses can donate their expertise, not just their products
- How local service businesses can provide free work to nonprofits or newly opened businesses
- How disaster preparation and disaster response can create legitimate local press opportunities
- Why third-party tips to journalists often work better than pitching your own company
- How one goodwill project can produce backlinks, social shares, partnerships, and press at the same time
The bigger idea is that backlinks work best when they look like real marketing.
Instead of inventing artificial reasons for websites to link to you, do something that actually gives another organization a reason to mention you.
Support something meaningful. Give away something useful. Solve a problem. Share somebody else's business. Donate your expertise.
Then ask for the backlink.
⭐️ Bodhi- Local SEO's roofer post and comments - https://x.com/irentdumpsters/status/2092371437365461368 
⭐️ Lily Ray's post - https://x.com/lilyraynyc/status/2092672103283613939 
💎 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 Goodwill Link Building Intro
00:34 Habitat Roof Story
01:44 Ask For The Link
03:16 SaaS Goodwill Ideas
05:11 Ecommerce Donation Plays
07:21 Local Services Givebacks
07:58 Turn Good Deeds Into Press
10:08 Student Results Example
11:20 Daily Podcast Wrap Up
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ 
#searchengineoptimization #seo #linkbuilding #backlinks