The Edward Show

E836: How did Originality.ai become one of the biggest SEO success stories in the AI space? I sit down with the company’s CMO, Madeleine Lambert, who explains the strategies that took her startup from zero to ranking for 13,000+ high-value keywords and earning 78,000 backlinks - all without outside funding. We discuss: • How they built a content marketing operation from the ground up. • The digital PR and data studies that generated thousands of backlinks. • Why Google penalizes AI-written content and how to avoid it. • The SEO mistakes that cost tens of thousands and what they learned. • How Originality.ai approaches AI content, human writing, and the future of search. • How they use social listening and Reddit engagement to shape brand perception. • Why consistency across LinkedIn, YouTube, and other platforms boosts LLM visibility. • Building a lean marketing team and workflow that scales without investors. • The strategy they use to rank for competitor brand keywords and capture their search traffic. This episode offers practical lessons on scaling organic traffic, ranking for competitive keywords, and building a sustainable SEO strategy in the age of AI. ⭐️ Use Originality.ai here - https://originality.ai/ ⭐️ Madeleine Lambert on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/madeleine-lambert-b6426aa9/ 💎 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 Company Overview 01:16 SEO Success and Background 02:51 Originality.ai Features and Development 08:19 Content Marketing and Social Media Strategy 10:15 Challenges and Competition in AI Detection 16:28 Data Studies and Digital PR 27:24 Link Building and Early Strategies 41:09 Hijacking Competitor Traffic 42:06 Outranking Competitors for Brand Keywords 42:39 Building Links to Comparison Pages 44:57 AI Strategies and Consistent Messaging 47:20 Social Listening and Organic Marketing 48:25 Reddit as a Marketing Power Play 49:57 UGC Platforms and Social Media Engagement 51:41 Handling Feedback and Content Creation 53:10 Tracking Mentions and Engaging on Social Media 58:18 SEO Audits and Technical Improvements 01:01:14 Explosive Growth and Lean Team Management 01:01:51 Detecting AI Writing 01:04:09 Humanizing AI Content 01:07:21 Mentorship and Learning in Digital Marketing 01:09:34 Holistic Marketing and Team Agility 01:14:42 Failures and Lessons in Digital PR and Media Buying 01:21:17 Advice for SEO Beginners and Advanced Strategies 01:23:15 Final Thoughts and Where to Follow The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #saasmarketing #performancemarketing #marketing

E835: AI SEO is officially being gamed - and Google’s AI mode can’t keep up. Two of the best SEO minds on 𝕏, Gagan Ghotra and Harpreet Singh, join the show to break down how people are manipulating AI search systems using cheap press releases, Reddit strategies, and content tactics that still fly under Google’s radar. We go deep on how AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity are pulling data from questionable sources, why “AI slop as a service” is flooding the web, and what brands and SEOs should actually be doing to survive in this new landscape. Topics Covered: - The $6 press release trick that influences AI results - How Reddit controls local and product-based AI search answers - Why Google’s AI Overviews are broken (and how long it’ll take to fix) - How to protect your brand from bad AI mentions - The future of E-E-A-T, system-level prompts, and “AI mode” - Why most “AI SEO” tools are setting brands up to fail - Building long-term brand authority in the AI search era ⭐️ Harpreet Singh’s Personal Site - https://harpsdigital.com ⭐️ Harpreet on X - https://x.com/harpreetchatha_ ⭐️ Harpreet’s Newsletter - https://seoespresso.com ⭐️ Harpreet on LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/in/harpreetsingh8/ ⭐️ Harpreet on TikTok - https://tiktok.com/@seoharp ⭐️ Harpreet on YouTube - https://youtube.com/@harpsdigital ⭐️ 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/ 💎 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 Guest Welcome 00:27 AI Content and Google's Response 01:47 Manual Actions and Algorithm Tweaks 03:31 Press Releases and AI Influence 08:30 AI Mode and Search Result Manipulation 20:10 Community Building and SEO Strategies 46:28 SEO Consequences and Brand Integration 47:41 Targeting Bottom of Funnel Use Cases 50:32 Building a Quality Brand 52:03 Reputation Management Tactics 53:54 AI and Review Gating 55:57 The Future of SEO and AI Tools 01:08:50 Preparing for AI in Marketing 01:14:09 The Role of Brand in Marketing 01:18:21 Conclusion and Final Thoughts  The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #seotips #performancemarketing #digitalmarketing

Is AI SEO just a passing trend? Discover ten compelling reasons why Generative Engine Optimization might not deliver as promised. The discussion dives into effective SEO strategies that enhance visibility for both search engines and AI. Uncover insights on how user statistics for tools like ChatGPT influence search traffic. Plus, learn how to skillfully use comparison pages and customer reviews to boost your site's performance. It’s a thought-provoking exploration of what really works in the evolving digital landscape.

E833: Online reviews are one of the most important ranking and conversion factors in digital marketing - yet most businesses ignore them. Reputation management experts Duane “DJ” Sprague and Scott Brandley break down how they helped a national brand turn a flood of bad reviews into $190 million in new revenue - and how you can use the same strategies to improve your SEO, visibility, and trust online. We cover everything from how to bury negative results in Google search to how to build long-term brand credibility with real customer feedback. If you care about SEO, brand reputation, or conversion optimization, this episode is packed with practical insights. Topics discussed: - How reviews directly influence Google rankings and click-through rates - The importance of verified third-party reviews for SEO and brand trust - A full breakdown of how schema-optimized Q&A content can rank for featured snippets - Why negative reviews can increase conversions when handled correctly - Proven systems for managing and distributing reviews across multiple platforms - How to use video reviews, press releases, and user-generated content to dominate search results - The difference between open vs. verified review sites - and which ones to focus on - Step-by-step advice for recovering from a bad reputation or negative press - Real-world SEO case studies showing thousands of percent growth from review optimization - How AI and search engines use brand mentions to measure authority This episode reveals the lesser-known side of SEO - where online reputation, authenticity, and trust signals decide who wins on page one. ⭐️ Free Book - Reputation King - https://www.reputationking.com/download/ ⭐️ Shopper Approved - https://shopperapproved.com ⭐️ Search-Optimized Q&A Tool - https://results.shopperapproved.com/qa ⭐️ Duane “DJ” Sprague - https://www.linkedin.com/in/duanesprague/ ⭐️ Scott Brandley - https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-brandley/ ⭐️ Matthew Stafford on the podcast - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmaKHu269Cg 💎 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 Online Reputation Management 00:37 Crazy Review Management Stories 01:10 The Importance of Reviews in SEO 03:06 Q&A Tool for SEO Optimization 12:05 Effective Review Collection Strategies 21:11 Leveraging Video Reviews for SEO 36:16 The Importance of Negative Reviews 40:15 Addressing Negative Online Reviews 40:38 The Power of Positive Reviews 41:59 Frequency and Recency in Reviews 43:11 Leveraging Video and Social Media 44:39 AI Search and Brand Mentions 46:11 The Revival of Press Releases 53:35 Responding to Bad Reviews with Empathy 56:44 The Role of Phone Support in Conversion 01:01:39 Cash Flow Optimization for E-commerce 01:02:46 Preventing False Declines and Chargebacks 01:10:45 Increasing Branded Searches 01:15:08 Conclusion and Free Digital Book Offer The Edward Show. Your daily digital marketing podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/ #searchengineoptimization #digitalmarketing #ecommerce #performancemarketing

HouseFresh's incredible journey from 1,000 to over 200,000 monthly clicks is a captivating tale of SEO resilience. The podcast dissects how the site revamped its design and user experience to recover after a traffic collapse from Google's update. It highlights the transformative power of off-site marketing, YouTube collaborations, and podcast appearances in boosting brand visibility. A heated debate surrounds whether their success was genuine SEO or merely Google's algorithm adjustment. Key takeaways encourage persistence, brand diversification, and creating valuable content.

Discover the secrets to crafting impactful 'Best X' articles that not only rank well on Google but also influence AI models like ChatGPT. Dive into a five-point framework designed for B2B marketers, highlighting when to create these articles, and the importance of fair competitor comparisons. Learn how effective positioning enhances credibility and maximizes engagement through thoughtful design. The podcast reveals the snowball effect of being mentioned in lists and how these strategies prepare your brand for the evolving landscape of LLM visibility.

Delve into Pieter Levels' innovative take on programmatic SEO that's actually effective. Unlike many, he avoids a sea of low-quality pages and focuses on unique, valuable content that resonates with users' search intents. Discover how audience engagement and quality backlinks elevate domain authority. Learn about RemoteOK's strategic page designs and NomadList's data-driven insights for city searches. Realizing the importance of scaling thoughtfully is key—focus on value first to ensure SEO success without the pitfalls.

Explore the murky world of negative SEO where cunning marketers knock out competitors without a fair fight. Discover the mechanics of harmful backlinks and how brands can be unfairly banned on platforms like Reddit. Real-life experiments reveal the distressing effectiveness of these tactics, still relevant in 2025. Gain insights into protecting your online presence and learn how to navigate self-promotion safely on Reddit. Equip yourself with knowledge to defend against these sneaky marketing maneuvers.

Wilson Zehr, founder of Zairmail and a veteran in direct mail, sheds light on the surprising comeback of physical mail in today’s tech-driven world. He explains how his company makes direct mail as efficient as email, using tools like Speedy. Wilson dives into the essentials of launching a campaign, targeting the right audience, and measuring ROI. He shares strategies for effective list selection, optimal formats, and creative approaches, along with real-world success stories, highlighting when to use direct mail versus email.

Discover how social media platforms stack up in Google search rankings! Learn the ins and outs of parasite SEO versus transparent brand posting. YouTube leads the pack, while Instagram and TikTok offer quick ranking benefits with strategic keyword placement. Reddit and LinkedIn also hold strong in the search landscape, with unique opportunities and challenges. Gain practical tips for optimizing posts across these platforms, allowing creators and businesses to thrive without a website!