The Edward Show

E1076: Do lost backlinks still help your SEO after they disappear?
We look at the "link echo" effect: the idea that Google may continue to carry value from backlinks even after those links are removed.
This came up again after a recent Google Search Console bug made many SEOs think they had lost a large number of backlinks. Some people saw link counts drop or even go to zero, which caused a lot of panic. But lost links do not always mean lost rankings.
I break down an old Moz experiment, written up by SEO Sherpa, where pages gained rankings after backlinks were added, then kept most of those rankings even after the backlinks were removed.
We cover:
- What link echoes (or link ghosts) are
- Why lost backlinks may not always hurt rankings
- What happened in the Moz link echo experiment
- Why rankings stayed high after the links were removed
- Why SEOs often overreact to lost backlinks
- The difference between losing a backlink and losing ranking value
- Possible explanations for the link echo effect
- Why click-through rate and user behavior may explain this
- Why bad links, penalties, and link echoes are not the same thing
- What this means for link reclamation
- Why you should not panic every time a backlink disappears
The main idea: if you lose a backlink, it does not automatically mean you lose all of the benefit from that backlink. The ranking gains may continue for weeks or months or years.
For SEOs, founders, and marketers, this is a useful reminder: focus on building pages that deserve to rank and pay attention to what happens after a page gets visibility.
⭐️ Link Echoes (a.k.a. Link Ghosts): Why Rankings Remain Even After Links Disappear - https://moz.com/blog/link-echoes-ghosts-whiteboard-friday 
⭐️ 21 SEO Experiments That Will Change The Way You Think About SEO (Forever) - https://seosherpa.com/seo-experiments/ 
⭐️ Google Search Console Links Report Is Broken - https://www.seroundtable.com/google-search-console-links-report-broke-41371.html 
💎 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 Search Console Link Bug
00:44 What Are Link Echoes
01:39 Moz Link Echo Experiment
02:35 Results After Link Removal
03:13 Rand Fishkin Confirms
04:31 Key Takeaways for SEOs
05:35 Other Explanations
07:03 Link Echoes vs Penalties
07:37 Practical Advice and Wrap
09:01 Episode Closing
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
#searchengineoptimization #seo #linkbuilding #backlinks

E1077: Ash Nallawalla has been doing SEO for more than 25 years, mostly inside or alongside large companies. In this episode, we talk about why SEO so often gets ignored inside big organizations, even when leadership says organic search matters.
Ash explains his idea of visibility governance: the rules, documentation, ownership, approvals, and accountability needed to make sure SEO recommendations actually get implemented.
We get into why enterprise SEO is not just about knowing what to do. It is about getting the work through product, engineering, marketing, legal, content, analytics, and leadership.
Topics covered:
- Why SEO gets deprioritized inside big companies
- What agencies often miss about enterprise SEO
- Why in-house SEOs understand internal politics better than outside consultants
- How SEO recommendations die in Jira, meetings, and approval chains
- Why documentation matters so much for SEO
- What visibility governance means
- How Ash's Visibility Governance Maturity Model works
- The role of ownership, accountability, and single points of failure
- Why companies need clear owners for robots.txt, structured data, Search Console access, redirects, site performance, and content workflows
- What small businesses can learn from enterprise SEO governance
- Why SEO keeps changing, but the need for brand visibility does not
- How AI search, LLMs, Reddit, YouTube, TikTok, and other platforms fit into organic visibility
- Why many AI visibility tools miss basic SEO fundamentals
- What Ash would do in the first 90 days if a CEO asked him to improve organic visibility
Ash also shares stories from working with major Australian companies, including how he helped one large bank double organic traffic in eight months and triple it over time by getting the organization aligned around SEO.
⭐️ Ash Nallawalla on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashnallawalla/
⭐️ Ash Nallawalla on 𝕏 - https://x.com/ashnallawalla
⭐️ Ash Nallawalla's books - https://www.managingseobooks.com/
⭐️ Ash Nallawalla's business - https://crm911.com
⭐️ Shelley Walsh on Ash's work (Search Engine Journal) - https://www.searchenginejournal.com/how-to-avoid-top-down-seo-systems-failures-with-the-visibility-governance-maturity-model/570509/
⭐️ Ash Nallawalla on Search Engine Land - https://searchengineland.com/your-seo-maturity-score-doesnt-measure-what-you-think-it-does-471922
💎 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 Meet Ash Nallawalla
00:28 SEO Origin Story
04:30 Defining Visibility Governance
08:46 VGMM Workshop Overview
13:23 Agency vs In-House Reality
15:20 Why SEO Gets Ignored
22:45 Inside the Workshop Scoring
30:23 Best Case Outcomes
35:58 SEO Myths Repeat
36:39 Complacent Agency Playbooks
38:50 Where To Learn SEO
41:51 WebmasterWorld Reality Check
45:08 Following AI Thinkers
46:40 Small Business SEO Governance
48:57 From SEO To Brand Visibility
54:14 Skepticism About New Tools
01:01:12 90 Day Visibility Plan
01:04:51 Where To Find Ash
01:05:57 Episode Wrap Up
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
#enterpriseseo #agencyseo #searchengineoptimization #seo

E1075: Google's May Core Update may be officially over, but many SEOs and site owners are still seeing major ranking volatility in June.
We break down what people are reporting across the search results, why the update may still feel active, and what types of sites and pages appear to be gaining or losing visibility.
We cover the ongoing chatter around traffic drops, sudden ranking swings, e-commerce changes, YMYL volatility, and the broader shift away from generic or aggregated content.
Topics covered in this episode:
- Why SEOs are still seeing volatility after the May Core Update
- What site owners are reporting about June ranking changes
- Why aggregated and derivative content may be losing visibility
- How firsthand experience and original references are being rewarded
- Why some forums and Q&A sites may be seeing pullbacks
- What is happening with local domains in markets like the UK
- Why YMYL niches such as gambling, finance, and health often see sharper movement
- How Google may be refining intent for high-risk queries
- Why unique media and custom images can help pages better satisfy search intent
- Why templated SEO content can become a risk
- What to focus on during volatility instead of guessing
The main takeaway: if you are creating searcher-first content, adding original information, building real authority, and making pages that directly satisfy intent, you are much more likely to stay stable through algorithm updates.
Through the volatility, keep focusing on:
- Original content
- Firsthand experience
- Strong topical relevance
- Better search intent matching
- Useful media
- Brand mentions
- Natural backlinks
- Branded searches
- Pages that are genuinely worth referencing
⭐️ Google Search Ranking Volatility This Week: June 8-12 - https://www.seroundtable.com/google-search-ranking-volatility-mid-june-41496.html
⭐️ Aleyda Solis's breakdown - https://www.aleydasolis.com/en/ai-search/google-may-2026-core-update-analysis-intent-market-fit-and-source-type-drove-the-biggest-visibility-shifts/
⭐️ Google Search Central Non-Commodity Content - https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/ai-optimization-guide
⭐️ Gagan Ghotra's post - https://x.com/gaganghotra_/status/2060942457039458439
⭐️ Glenn Gabe's post - https://x.com/glenngabe/status/2061031181034905610
💎 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 May Update Still Shaking
00:23 Volatility Reports Roundup
01:49 Why This Update Feels Huge
02:24 Deprioritized Content Patterns
03:26 Forums And Aggregators Shift
04:42 Local Domains Winning
05:15 YMYL Intent Volatility
06:20 Search Intent Checklist
06:47 What Google Rewards Now
07:15 Unique Media And UX Signals
08:02 Avoid Templated SEO Pages
08:38 Stay Calm and Build Authority
09:41 Sign Off
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
#searchengineoptimization #seo #googlealgorithmupdate #searchmarketing

E1074: Blogging is not dead. Bad blogging is.
I break down how people are still making money from blogs in 2026, why so many "SEO is dead" takes are coming from people who never won with SEO in the first place, and what works now if you want to build a niche site that gets traffic and makes money.
I start with a Reddit post from someone who ignored the usual advice that blogging is dead, kept going, and eventually started earning from an affiliate site. From there, I go into the bigger picture of what separates blogs that fail from blogs that keep growing.
A lot of sites were hit hard by Google's helpful content update. Some deserved it. Some had thin content, obvious keyword patterns, weak branding, poor user signals, and unnatural backlink profiles. But some sites came back stronger by building more like real brands. I talk about HouseFresh as an example of a site that was crushed by the update, then rebuilt its Google traffic far beyond where it was before.
I also cover why AdSense is usually a weak way to monetize a blog, why affiliate SEO can be much better, and why creating your own product for your niche can be even stronger than affiliate income.
Topics covered:
- Why blogging still works when you treat it seriously
- Why many "SEO is dead" takes are not worth listening to
- How long it can take to make money from a new affiliate blog
- Affiliate income vs. Google AdSense
- Why niche selection matters for SEO
- Examples of niches that can work for affiliate SEO
- What happened to many blogs after Google's helpful content update
- Why HouseFresh recovered after losing almost all of its Google traffic
- How brand mentions, branded searches, and natural backlinks help
- Why templated content and repeated keyword patterns are risky
- How to build topical authority in a tight niche
- Why search intent matters more than word count
- How internal links from ranking pages can help other pages rank
- Why you should avoid relying only on "best X for Y" listicles
- What non-commodity content is and why Google wants more of it
- How to use People Also Ask questions for top-of-funnel SEO
- Why affiliate blogs should eventually think about their own products
- How high-intent SEO landing pages can turn searchers into customers
- Why long-term consistency matters more than chasing shortcuts
The main idea is simple: a blog can still work, but it has to be useful, focused, and built with patience.
You need to pick a tight niche, answer real search intent, create pages people trust, build authority naturally, and eventually move beyond just publishing informational posts.
⭐️ The Reddit Post - https://www.reddit.com/r/Blogging/comments/1txebhp/i_started_making_money_blogging_when_i_stopped/
⭐️ Pieter Levels' take on AdSense - https://x.com/levelsio/status/2035912856445624668
⭐️ People Also Asked trick breakdown - https://edwardsturm.com/articles/people-also-ask-seo-traffic-authority-sales/
⭐️ Ep 832 - From 1,000 to 200,000 Clicks: The INSANE SEO Comeback of HouseFresh.com - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QewNJ2AgQxM
⭐️ Ep 989 - Google's Helpful Content Update DESTROYED the Internet (What Actually Happened) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YLUFjYrIEA
⭐️ Ep 1028 - Google's New SEO Reality: Why 'Non-Commodity' Content Is Taking Over - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L6aNSpm59U
⭐️ Ep 1050 - The Death of Clicks? Rand Fishkin on Brand, AI & the Future of Marketing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7fZyN1nn-U
💎 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 Blogging Isn't Dead
00:39 Calling Out SEO Doom
01:53 Helpful Content Update Fallout
02:47 HouseFresh SEO Comeback
03:52 Affiliate Blogging Basics
05:55 Niches That Still Win
06:19 Top of Funnel SEO Playbook
08:04 Non-Commodity Content
08:34 Links, Mentions, Brands
09:24 People Also Ask Pages
10:34 Build Your Own Product
11:50 Diversify and Dominate
13:38 Over and Out
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
#blogging #searchengineoptimization #blogseo #nicheblogs

E1073: Most small business owners know they should care about SEO, but they often misunderstand what moves the needle.
I'm joined by Mariah Magazine to break down what small business owners get wrong about SEO, why keyword research is more than just picking phrases with search volume, and how business owners can use search data to make better decisions about their websites, offers, and content.
Mariah shares how she got started in SEO after leaving school, what she learned working in a small agency in Buffalo, and why she now focuses on making SEO understandable for small business owners who are not technical marketers.
We also talk about one of her favorite SEO stories: a candle company that used keyword research to discover demand for mini candles and made sales before the product was even added to the website.
Topics covered:
- Why many small business owners think SEO is more complicated than it is
- How keyword research can validate demand before you invest in a product or page
- The difference between SEO keywords and brand messaging
- Why "nobody is searching for what I do" usually means the keyword research is too narrow
- How Mariah thinks about commercial and transactional keywords
- Why business owners should look at the actual Google results before choosing a keyword
- How to think about keyword difficulty, domain authority, and topic authority
- Why search competitors are not always the same as business competitors
- Mariah's basic keyword research process using competitor analysis, Semrush, and SERP research
- Why many service businesses need separate pages for separate services
- What makes a website more useful for cold traffic from Google and AI search
- Why About pages, Contact pages, service pages, FAQs, testimonials, and trust signals matter
- Why filling out image alt text is not a complete SEO strategy
- How PR and journalist relationships can support SEO through links and referral traffic
- Why Mariah prefers using AI to repurpose existing content rather than write from scratch
- How consultants and agency owners can get clients through referrals, communities, and helpful content
This conversation is especially useful for small business owners, consultants, freelancers, service providers, and agency owners who want SEO to feel less confusing and more connected to real business outcomes.
⭐️ Mariah Magazine's website - https://www.mariahmagazine.com/
⭐️ Mariah Magazine on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/MariahMagazine
⭐️ Mariah Magazine on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariahmagazine/
⭐️ Mariah Magazine on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mariahmagazineco/
⭐️ Mariah Magazine on Threads - https://www.threads.com/@mariahmagazineco
💎 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 Meet Mariah
00:10 Quitting College for SEO
01:52 Validating Demand With Search Volume
05:20 Foundations Over Rankings
09:58 Teaching SEO Basics
11:38 Nobody Searches Myth
13:37 Purchase Intent Focus
17:25 Competitor Rabbit Holes
19:19 Keyword Difficulty Nuance
24:10 PR Link Building
30:31 SEO Meets AI
32:04 Website Essentials Checklist
36:29 CMS Choices and Pitfalls
37:20 Best Website Builders
38:00 Platforms To Avoid
38:19 SEO Package Basics
38:38 Keyword Mapping Wins
39:03 On Page Keyword Placement
41:34 Getting Client Buy In
43:54 First Clients Referrals
44:57 Networking Event Strategy
47:28 Online Communities Referrals
52:48 Pay To Be In Rooms
54:45 YouTube As Funnel
56:17 AI Content Caution
01:05:11 Alt Text Myth
01:07:23 Creative Client SEO
01:07:49 Wrap Up And Where To Find
The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/
#smallbusinessseo #beginnerseo #searchengineoptimization #seo