One of the worst things about being an SEO is telling people you’re an SEO. Really. The conversations you have are scarily close to digital versions of “I’m an arms dealer, but I only sell to the good guys.” Or “I’m a drug dealer, but only sell to responsible adults who aren’t addicted.” It may sound extreme, but everyone knows that there … Read More
Sudden Traffic Drop? Step by step diagnostic instructions
Your website traffic has fallen – possibly dramatically. You’ve logged into your Google Analytics account – you can see there’s a dramatic decline but there’s so much information. Where do you start? Every business website will see a traffic drop at some point, and when it happens it can be terrifying. Is it an SEO problem? Have you been hit by a … Read More
Don’t just survive, thrive; Living with Google.
At the end of February, Google unleashed the most enormous change of all time. (Ts & Cs apply) At least that’s what I thought, but when I spoke to Aaron, he had a very different take on it. We both agreed that the changes could have an enormous impact on businesses that rely on organic traffic. And that many AdWords-reliant companies could see a fundamental shift … Read More
SEO is dead – probably the worst advice you will hear all year
I’ve been working with SEO since 1997. And while a lot has changed, one fundamentally bad piece of information keeps making a highly undesirable appearance: The mistaken belief that SEO is dead. Here are seven reasons why the person giving you such terrible advice is wrong, and four compelling reasons to never take them seriously again. 1 – When someone tells you that … Read More
Enormous Google changes
You probably noticed that Google’s search results have changed. Quite dramatically in fact. The old results looked like this: Now they look more like this: For now these changes only apply to searches carried out on desktop computers. So the new format means: No text ads on the right hand side of the search results Up to four ads will be … Read More
New steps in a brave new world
I’ve been working with SEO since 1997, and during this time I’ve seen more changes than I can begin to count. I’ve also started to develop a taste for training other businesses how to do SEO for themselves. Apparently I enjoy interacting with live human beings more than fighting Google through my keyboard. Who knew? So in April 2016 I’m launching an SEO … Read More
SEO Easy Pickings
How would you like me to show you a really simple SEO tactic that really works? Better still, one that doesn’t even need you to create any new content? Because who has time to create new content for SEO purposes, right? This is a personal favourite of mine, as it builds on existing strengths and is incredibly simple to carry … Read More
An instant SEO diagnosis – no tools required!
How would you like a simple diagnostic test? Something that will instantly show you whether you have SEO problems or everything’s fine? Some time ago I put up a video that showed you how to do precisely that… but things have changed slightly, and my old technique is no longer accurate. Thanks Google. Why? Because some websites are seeing a slight and gradual decline … Read More
How To Tell If Your Website Designer Knows Nothing About SEO
Choosing the right person or company to re/design your website is hideously difficult. And I’m about to make it a lot harder. Or easier. Let me explain. Every few years the dreaded website redesign looms. We know how important it is, but we tend to put it off as long as possible. Because ultimately all we’ll have is a shiny new … Read More
Invaluable SEO tools – Screaming Frog
Screaming Frog is a useful piece of software that scans and crawls your website. It’s invaluable for quick and simple SEO diagnostics, and in my opinion should be owned and regularly used by anyone who has a website. There’s also a free version of the software that will work on any website up to 500 pages in size. In this 5 minute video … Read More