E893: How do search engines actually work - and what role do LLMs really play?

David Quaid joins the show to break open the search engine black box, explaining how Google, Bing, and AI-powered tools retrieve and rank content, why pages fail to get indexed, and which SEO "rules" are myths versus reality.

We explore the Query Fan-Out, PageRank, CTR testing, indexing behavior, and why most advice about freshness, dwell time, and AI search is misleading.

If you've been confused by LLM search results, indexing issues, or sudden ranking changes, this conversation will recalibrate how you think about SEO.

Topics Covered
- What Query Fan-Out is and how LLMs retrieve web results
- Why pages aren't getting indexed (Google & Bing)
- PageRank: why it still matters and can't be replaced
- CTR vs dwell time: what Google actually tests
- Freshness myths (2025 / 2026 queries explained)
- Ranking in AI search tools like ChatGPT, Grok, and Perplexity
- When to create a new page vs update existing content
- Indexing APIs, backlinks, and why manual indexing is a red flag
- SEO strategies for SaaS founders and solopreneurs

⭐️ David Quaid on 𝕏 - https://x.com/DavidGQuaid
⭐️ David Quaid on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidquaid/
⭐️ David Quaid's agency - https://primaryposition.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 Welcome and Introduction
00:24 Understanding Query Fan-Out
03:39 SEO Strategies for Bing
09:31 OpenAI and the Future of Search Indexes
17:01 The Evolution and Impact of PageRank
32:57 How to Index a Link Instantly
41:36 Ranking in Grok
44:11 The Role of Freshness in LLMs and SEO Rankings
46:17 Insights from Glen Allsopp's Study on Best Lists
48:39 Debating the Importance of Freshness in SEO
52:03 Challenges of SEO for AI-Generated Content
59:30 Strategies for Creating and Updating SEO Pages
01:05:47 AI-Generated Content and SEO
01:07:09 Challenges with AI-Generated Sites
01:14:23 SEO Tips for SaaS and Tool Founders
01:20:24 Concluding Thoughts and Future Discussions

The Edward Show. Your daily search engine optimization podcast: https://edwardsturm.com/the-edward-show/

#searchengineoptimization #linkbuilding #backlinks #digitalmarketing