
Cyrus Shepard Disavowed His Entire Site: Here’s What Happened
02/04/25 • 38 min
Join Ross as he sits down with SEO expert Cyrus Shepard to explore why brand building has become essential in today’s search landscape.
Cyrus shares what happened when he disavowed every inbound link on his site, why Google seems to reward authenticity over traditional SEO tactics, and how focusing on experience and trust can give you the edge in the ever‐changing SERPs.
Show Notes:
00:00 Welcome Cyrus and brand swag
01:10 The Bold Move: Disavowing Every Inbound Link
02:00 Aftermath: Results of the Disavow Experiment
06:17 When the Disavow Tool Still Matters
08:44 Contrarian Takes & Being ‘Right’ in SEO
09:43 Why Google Wants Real People
14:21 SERP History & Competitive Analysis
20:00 Over‐Optimizing vs. Brand Building
Show Links:
- Zyppy's Disavow Experiment
- Tom Capper on Brand Authority
- Ahref’s SERP history feature
- Cyrus on Bluesky
Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown: https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: [email protected] #seo | #contentmarketing
Join Ross as he sits down with SEO expert Cyrus Shepard to explore why brand building has become essential in today’s search landscape.
Cyrus shares what happened when he disavowed every inbound link on his site, why Google seems to reward authenticity over traditional SEO tactics, and how focusing on experience and trust can give you the edge in the ever‐changing SERPs.
Show Notes:
00:00 Welcome Cyrus and brand swag
01:10 The Bold Move: Disavowing Every Inbound Link
02:00 Aftermath: Results of the Disavow Experiment
06:17 When the Disavow Tool Still Matters
08:44 Contrarian Takes & Being ‘Right’ in SEO
09:43 Why Google Wants Real People
14:21 SERP History & Competitive Analysis
20:00 Over‐Optimizing vs. Brand Building
Show Links:
- Zyppy's Disavow Experiment
- Tom Capper on Brand Authority
- Ahref’s SERP history feature
- Cyrus on Bluesky
Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown: https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: [email protected] #seo | #contentmarketing
Previous Episode

How Sam Parr Mastered Copywriting for a $27M Exit
In the latest episode of Content and Conversation, Sam Parr, founder of The Hustle and host of My First Million, joins Ross to discuss the art and science of great copywriting, building viral content, and scaling content-driven businesses.
Sam shares actionable insights into hiring creative talent, writing headlines that convert, and why simplicity is the ultimate sophistication in copywriting.
Show Notes:
00:00 Sam Parr’s journey in copywriting and content creation
01:03 Combining Silicon Valley innovation with internet marketing
02:45 The Hustle’s Newsletter Success
06:12 Hiring Creative Talent
10:50 The Power of Copy Work
16:00 Writing Headlines That Sell
29:05 Simplicity in Writing
35:00 AI for Copywriters
44:10 Sam’s Favorite Copywriting Resources
Show Links:
- Copy That copywork course by Sam Parr
- Inside the Mind of a Newsletter Mogul
- Try Rosedale
- To be Great Be Good, Reaptably
- Hemingway App
- Warren Buffet word count by Sam Parr
- Jason Fried’s copywriting - https://www.hey.com/
- Headline example from The Hustle
- Adweek Guide to Copywriting
- Scott Galloway
Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown: https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: [email protected] #seo | #contentmarketing
Next Episode

Every SEO Should Be Doing This Today w/ Wil Reynolds
In this episode, Ross and guest Wil Reynolds, VP Innovation, SEER, discuss the future of search, AI-driven automation, and why organic social is becoming more important than ever.
Wil shares bold insights on how agencies must adapt, the power of thought leadership over traditional content marketing, and the evolving landscape of SEO. Plus, they cover why collaboration beats competition in today’s digital world.
Show Notes:
00:00 Welcome Wil Reynolds, VP Innovation, SEER
01:36 Collaboration Over Competition
04:04 The Rise of Organic Social vs. Traditional SEO
10:53 Content Marketing vs. Journalism
15:17 AI, Automation & the Future of Marketing
28:22 The Changing Role of Link Building
38:14 The Urgency to Adapt: AI’s Impact on Agencies
46:36 Final Thoughts & Where to Find Wil
Show Links:
- Wil at Seer: https://www.seerinteractive.com/wil-reynolds
- Will on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wilreynolds/
- Wil on X: https://x.com/wilreynolds
- Wil on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/wilreynolds
Subscribe today for weekly tips: https://bit.ly/3dBM61f Listen on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/content-and-conversation-seo-tips-from-siege-media/id1289467174 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kiaFGXO5UcT2qXVRuXjsM Listen on Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9jT3NjUkdLeA Follow Siege on Twitter: http://twitter.com/siegemedia Follow Ross on Twitter: http://twitter.com/rosshudgens Directed by Cara Brown: https://twitter.com/cararbrown Email Ross: [email protected] #seo | #contentmarketing
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