logo
episode-header-image
Yesterday
12m 30s

From 1,000 to 200,000 Clicks: The INSANE...

Edward Sturm
About this episode

E832: HouseFresh went from 1,000 clicks a month to over 200,000 clicks a month - a 4x increase from their peak before Google’s Helpful Content Update destroyed their traffic.

I break down exactly what happened, what HouseFresh did right, and why their recovery has the entire SEO world debating whether it was “real SEO” or just Google fixing its mistake.

You’ll learn:
- How HouseFresh rebuilt its traffic after the Helpful Content Update
- The power of brand signals, UX, and off-site marketing
- Why podcasts and YouTube appearances can supercharge your SEO
- The truth about E-E-A-T and what actually matters in 2025 SEO
- My personal take on the HouseFresh vs. Google debate

Whether you’re an SEO, a digital marketer, or just trying to grow your site - this episode will inspire you not to give up and to keep building your brand.

⭐️ HouseFresh - https://housefresh.com/about/
⭐️ Gisele Navarro’s LinkedIn breakdown - https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7381783915742674944?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28activity%3A7381783915742674944%2C7381803248032305153%29&dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A%287381803248032305153%2Curn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A7381783915742674944%29
⭐️ The debate around HouseFresh’s recovery - https://x.com/ichbinGisele/status/1977130773762465904

💎 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 Rebounds and Recoveries
00:28 HouseFresh: A Case Study in SEO Challenges
00:55 The Impact of Google's Helpful Content Update
01:59 Strategies for SEO Recovery and Growth
06:36 The Debate: SEO vs. Algorithm Correction
09:20 Conclusion: Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts

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

#helpfulcontentupdate #searchengineoptimization #contentmarketing #digitalmarketing

Up next
Today
Reputation Experts: The Hidden SEO Trick That Made $190 Million In Months!
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 in ... Show More
1h 16m
Oct 13
Creating “Best X” Articles the Right Way: How to Rank and Influence LLMs
E831: How to create “best X” articles the right way - not just to rank in Google, but to influence large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT. This is a five-point framework for how B2B marketers can use “Best X” content to build credibility, earn mentions, and generate sustained ... Show More
10m 4s
Oct 12
Pieter Levels’ Genius Programmatic SEO Strategy Explained
E830: We break down Pieter Levels’ programmatic SEO strategy - the approach behind his projects like RemoteOK, NomadList, PhotoAI, and InteriorAI. Most people who try programmatic SEO end up creating thousands of low-value pages that add no real benefit for users. Those pages was ... Show More
9m 26s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2024
Rethinking SEO in the age of AI | Eli Schwartz (SEO advisor, author)
Eli Schwartz is a leading SEO consultant and the author of Product-Led SEO. He has worked with industry giants like Zapier, Tinder, Coinbase, Quora, LinkedIn, and WordPress to build and execute global SEO strategies that significantly enhanced their organic visibility at scale. I ... Show More
1h 55m
Aug 30
Game plan for balancing AEO, SEO, and GEO in your 2026 strategy
84% of search queries now trigger AI-powered results, fundamentally reshaping optimization strategies. Aimee Jurenka from seo SUSTAINABLE shares her proven framework for managing enterprise clients transitioning from traditional SEO to multi-channel search optimization. She outli ... Show More
3m 31s
Aug 18
The fusion of SEO & CRO with AI/LLMs
SEO and CRO strategies require AI integration for maximum impact. Shaun Hinklein, Head of SEO at Apollo.io, shares how data-driven content can create superior user experiences while balancing automation with human authenticity. He demonstrates practical methods for analyzing comp ... Show More
38m 2s
Sep 3
SEO Is Dead: The #1 Skill You Need in 2025
Want Kipp's Loop Marketing Prompt Library (over 100 prompts)? Get it for free: https://clickhubspot.com/elm Episode 74: Is SEO really dead—and if so, what’s the number one marketing skill you need to stay ahead in 2025? Matt Wolfe (https://x.com/mreflow) and Kipp Bodnar (https:// ... Show More
46 m
Apr 2025
Optimizing For Traditional Search Engines Vs AI Platforms
SEO professionals face a strategic dilemma between traditional search and AI platforms. Chris Andrew, Co-founder and CEO of Scrunch AI, explains why optimizing for both simultaneously is possible by focusing on human-centered content. He reveals how AI models access content in re ... Show More
4m 56s
Aug 26
Tools and Tips Special - Navigating AI Search, Ads & SEO in 2025
In this episode of The Digital Marketing Podcast, hosts Daniel Rowles and Ciaran Rogers return with a fresh round of insights and hands-on tools to help digital marketers adapt and experiment in the evolving AI-driven marketing landscape. From Google's AI Max campaigns to the exp ... Show More
27m 20s
Aug 29
One word that describes the current state of SEO integration
SEO professionals face unprecedented change as AI transforms search discovery. Aimee Jurenka from SEO Sustainable brings enterprise-level expertise in navigating algorithmic shifts while maintaining sustainable growth strategies. The discussion covers embracing industry transform ... Show More
2m 58s
Mar 2025
The Latest Digital Marketing Tools & Techniques
Updated to fix audio gap on Daniels mic! In this episode Ciaran and Daniel Rowles dive into the most exciting new tools that can transform the way marketers work—from AI-powered social media automation to SEO optimisation and content enhancement tools. They also share a whole ran ... Show More
31m 47s
Aug 20
The evolving relationship between SEO and B2B
In this episode, Shaun Hinklein of Apollo.io examines the evolving relationship between SEO and B2B marketing. He predicts that as AI adoption reaches near-universal levels in the B2B space, the focus will shift from whether content is AI-generated to how effectively AI is being ... Show More
2m 42s