Is there an 80/20 rule for SEO? A reader of our Demystifier newsletter sent this in after I asked the list for questions: Is there something like the 80/20 rule for SEO? So maybe 80% of SEO benefits are attained by writing good material with the right keywords on your website. Maybe 80% of the benefit is my link building, … Read More
The educated guess is back
There was a time when the numbers in your marketing dashboards and tools actually meant something. They weren’t perfect. There were disconnects: people switching between their phone, laptop and desktop. Cookies being removed. Clicking an ad on their phone, then buying on their laptop days later. The admin who bought placed the order after a team member saw the ad … Read More
The better you get, the easier you are to cancel
I recently decided to cancel my subscription for the software I’m using right now to write this. The problem wasn’t the software. It did everything I wanted and more. The problem was I could do almost everything in Claude AI. Paying for two tools was a waste of money. I was wrong. The mistake was caused by invisible value. When … Read More
AI Is Trained on Bad Content. Here’s the Workaround.
At some point in the past year or two, you asked AI for advice. And it was probably terrible. Here’s why, and also how to fix it in under 5 minutes. I’m going to show you what the problem is. And how to bypass it. Using a simple process to turn your AI ideas from generic to useful. Jump straight … Read More
Why Your Business Data is Lying to You (And How to Find the Truth)
How to Be Confidently Wrong About Your Business A small online store owner saw their sales jump 40% in November. Excited by the growth, they quickly stocked up with far more inventory than usual, and upgraded to a more expensive tier on their e-commerce platform. By February, they were struggling to pay bills and had excess stock. What went wrong? … Read More
When Google Ads Whisper, Small Businesses Should Listen (But Not Too Closely)
I have a confession that might resonate with many small business owners. Every time I go into a Google Ads account, I understand less about what I see. And that’s despite more than twenty-five years in digital marketing. This complexity led me to a slightly disturbing thought. That Google Ads has become both essential and dangerous for small businesses. Essential … Read More
Less is more. Pruning for clarity.
Ten seconds to impress? Not even close. This figure shocked me. If you’ve ever wondered how quickly visitors decide to stay on or leave a website after landing, you’re not alone. Common sense suggests this is probably 5 – 10 seconds. This is wrong. It’s much lower. The confusion arises from two distinct types of visitor types with different behavioural … Read More
Practical AI for your business
“Anyone promising AI will fully automate your job is selling snake oil,” Greg Baugues says with a smile. He should know. From tinkering with BASIC code on his TRS-80 (back in the day) to leading developer relations at Twilio, Greg truly understands cutting-edge tech and practical business challenges. These days, as founder of haihai.ai, he’s focused on helping developers build … Read More
The Simplest Way to Optimize for AI Search: Just Ask It
While the SEO experts debate complex theories about AI search optimisation, I’ve discovered something surprisingly simple. You can simply ask AI systems what factors they consider when recommending businesses. Even more surprisingly, they’ll tell you – in as much detail as you want. This isn’t theoretical. Let me show you exactly how this works. A Real-World Test: Local Tyre Services … Read More
The Website Myth
Every business owner lives with a disturbingly misleading illusion: the website myth. It’s the gap between how you think people see your website and how they actually experience it. When visitors arrive, they often see something completely different to you. Consider this: When was the last time you truly saw your website through fresh eyes? Do you speak to them … Read More
