Category: SEO Advice
Has Google declared war on your website traffic?
(This is the 15/04/2025 issue of my newsletter – subscribe here) Hey hey! Regular readers may have already noticed that I don’t tend to have a ‘theme’ for my newsletters – I write them the night before they’re due to go out and they’re really just the ramblings of my mind… Read More
Google updates small businesses need to know: 14th April 2025
It’s been another busy few weeks in the world of search. As ever, Google’s been tweaking, testing, and launching new features that could impact your website’s visibility. I’ve grouped these updates into categories to help you see the bigger picture of where Google is heading and how it could affect… Read More
SEO Myths Debunked: Mobile pages need less content!
“Cut your content down for mobile users – they won’t read anything longer than a tweet!” This well-worn advice keeps circulating in SEO circles, right alongside other stubborn myths like keyword stuffing and the notion that meta keywords still matter. The conventional wisdom goes something like this: Mobile users are… Read More
Toxic Backlinks don’t exist, so you may as well stop panicking about them
Worrying about toxic backlinks is like fretting about ghosts in your attic – people keep talking about them but nobody’s actually seen one. There’s no such thing as toxic backlinks Google doesn’t have a concept of “toxic backlinks.” That term was literally made up by SEO tools to scare you… Read More
SEO Myths Debunked: 301 redirects lose link juice!
Have you ever had someone tell you not to use 301 redirects because “you’ll lose 10-15% of your link juice”? It’s like those playground myths about swallowed chewing gum staying in your stomach for seven years – absolute nonsense that refuses to die. Where this rubbish came from Back in… Read More
SEO Myths Debunked: More Google reviews = better rankings!
Somewhere along the line, businesses got it into their heads that having hundreds of generic “great service!” Google reviews would boost their rankings. If that’s you, I’m going to ask you very gently to rethink. And if you don’t listen, I’m going to ask you very loudly to STOP COLLECTING… Read More
SEO Myth Debunked: You need exact match backlink anchor text!
Another myth from the ‘make everything look completely unnatural’ school of SEO. If all the backlinks to your website say exactly the same thing, you might as well wave a massive red flag at Google saying “I’m manipulating links!” Natural link profiles have variety. Some use your brand name, some… Read More
What the fuck is GEO? (And why the SEO industry needs to stop making up terms)
Every five years or so, our industry decides it needs a rebrand. Some clever marketing type invents a shiny new acronym, and suddenly everyone’s scrambling to become an “expert” in something that didn’t exist last Tuesday. The latest offender? GEO – Generative Experience Optimisation. GEO is marketing bollocks invented by… Read More
Who Really Owns Your Google Accounts? (Hint: It Might Not Be You)
When you try to log into your Google Search Console, do you find yourself staring blankly at the password field with no idea what to enter? Or worse, has your web developer vanished – along with access to all your Google accounts? This situation is amazingly common. Businesses routinely lose… Read More
Google’s human side, expert rip-offs, and don’t be a fool with your rankings
(This is the 01/04/2025 issue of my newsletter – subscribe here) Hey hey you lovely people – welcome to April! The internet may be awash with brands making unfunny ‘jokes’ this morning, but I can assure you that this newsletter is as serious as I get – I’m talking about SEO… Read More
The Humans Behind Google’s Algorithm and What That Means for your Website
When Google’s John Mueller speaks, (smart) SEOs listen. At the recent Search Central Live NYC event, he shared some invaluable insights about how Google actually evaluates websites. Turns out, it’s a lot more human than most people realise (I mean, I’ve been telling you that for ages, right?). Let’s take… Read More
The March 2025 Google Update is over – what now?
So Google’s latest core update has been and gone, leaving the usual trail of panic, confusion and frantic Reddit posts in its wake. Your analytics are going mad, your rankings are bouncing around like a toddler on a sugar high, and everyone’s asking what the bloody hell is going on…. Read More