E1010: Jabez Reuben joins the show to talk about what is working in SEO, especially as search changes with LLMs, AI overviews, and shifting Google results.

We get into why Chiang Mai has become such a strong place for SEO, how Jabez got started in the industry after moving there, and why the local community helped shape the way he works. From there, we go deep into his approach to SEO: keep it simple, avoid overcomplicating things, and focus on execution instead of getting stuck chasing the perfect strategy.

A big part of this conversation is about how off-page SEO is changing. Jabez explains why he is putting so much attention on unlinked brand coverage, off-page topical authority, and what he calls consensus. We talk about why links still matter for Google, but why mentions, supporting content, and repeated third-party coverage may matter even more when it comes to LLM visibility.

We also break down the listicle strategies he is testing, how he uses guest posts on mid-tier sites, why fresh articles often beat trying to get inserted into old ones, and how his team is thinking about exact match domains, Reddit, YouTube, and other surfaces that show up in search and AI-generated answers.

There is also a long section on practical SEO tactics, including image link building, testimonial outreach, guest posting criteria, content structure, keyword intent, brand building, and how to think about E-E-A-T in a simpler and more useful way.

Topics covered: - Why Chiang Mai has such a strong SEO community - How Jabez accidentally got into SEO after moving to Thailand - Why newer SEOs often get stuck in perfectionism - Why simple execution usually beats complicated planning - How Jabez thinks about SEO using the 80/20 rule - What he is currently testing for LLM rankings - Why listicles are still working in both Google and AI-driven search - How off-page topical authority works - Why consensus may matter more than links in LLM SEO - The difference between linked and unlinked brand coverage - Why fresh guest posts can outperform old listicle insertions - What Jabez looks for in sites before publishing guest content - Why crawler access matters for AI visibility - How he uses Ahrefs to evaluate publishing opportunities - What he is testing with exact match domains - Why even low-authority sites can influence LLM results - How unlinked mentions can still affect rankings and visibility - How supporting article networks are built around a brand - Why Reddit and YouTube are becoming more important - How social posts and syndicated content can influence search results - Why brand building helps both SEO and LLM performance - How Jabez defines E-E-A-T in practical terms - How founder visibility and team coverage can strengthen a brand - Why podcasts, speaking, and public content creation matter - How to think about high-intent keywords in 2026 - Why LLM search intent is often longer and more detailed - How to build content around narrow scenarios and subcategories - Why bottom-of-funnel and scenario-based pages still matter - How to start SEO from scratch in today's environment - White-hat image link building tactics - Testimonial outreach for homepage links - Why some traditional link tactics still work - What may change in SEO over the next few years

If you are interested in SEO, AI search, off-page strategy, link building, or brand visibility, this episode is packed with practical ideas and live-tested approaches.

⭐️ Jabez Reuben's agency https://theblueprints.co/ ⭐️ Jabez Reuben on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jabezreuben/ ⭐️ Jabez Reuben on 𝕏 - https://x.com/jabezreuben

🚀 Learn SEO for free - https://freeseoknowledge.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 Thailand SEO Community 00:30 How He Started SEO 01:19 Simple 80 20 SEO 02:00 Stop Perfectionism 04:53 LLM Listicle Strategy 11:22 Guest Posting Criteria 14:34 Testing Exact Match Domains 19:56 Reddit And Parasite SEO 22:00 YouTube Citations Hack 30:50 Consensus Over Links 35:26 Listicle Length And AI 38:55 Unlinked Coverage And Links 42:06 Creative Link Building Stories 43:22 Image Attribution Link Method 48:05 Testimonial Link Outreach 51:34 CRO Pricing Comparison Table 54:26 SEO Future With LLMs 01:01:00 Unlinked Brand Coverage 01:03:49 E-E-A-T Through Coverage 01:06:39 Brand Building Flywheel 01:14:35 LLM Keyword Intent Strategy 01:23:55 Image Outreach Link Building 01:31:43 Where To Follow And Wrap

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

#generativeengineoptimization #answerengineoptimization searchengineoptimization #seo

LLM SEO, Unlinked Mentions & Chiang Mai's Wildest Ranking Tactics