I'm a big believer in "owning a search" (where all the top results are your websites or places you contribute), but this isn't quite what I meant... Oh well, practice what you preach, I guess.

Because everyone loves a download they can save and never look at again, I created you a GEO infographic. Hope it helps.

The disconnect between AI search hype and business reality isn’t just misleading anymore. It’s becoming genuinely harmful to businesses who should be focusing on platforms that actually drive revenue.

Also, If your Google Search Console impressions have dropped but your website traffic and conversions are still steady, that confirms you’re seeing the data clean-up, not a real problem. 

PSA: Your rankings haven’t changed. Google’s parameter change just means the tools that report your rankings and traffic are a little bit screwy right now. Things will settle. Please don’t worry.

Your rankings haven’t changed. Google’s parameter change just means the tools that report your rankings and traffic are a little bit screwy right now. Things will settle. Please don’t worry.

🔥 🔹Casinos don’t send helpful newsletters to card counters explaining new shuffling techniques. 🔹Sports leagues don’t hold webinars for match fixers about new detection methods. 🔹Exam boards don’t publish guides helping cheaters understand their anti-fraud measures. #SEO

Regular readers already know I think Google owes the SEO industry nothing - but the SEO tools that we pay for? They most certainly fucking do.  https://nikki-pilkington.com/se-ranking-keeps-tracking-top-100-while-competitors-abandon-ship/

Go home Google, you'rr drunk...

Google Search Console impressions dropped overnight? This is why -

You don't necessarily need to say "image of" in your alt text for users to know it's an image. Screen readers will announce that it's an image. But it can help readers to specify if it's a hand-drawn image, Polaroid, infographic, screenshot, chart, map, diagram, or so on.

I think the companies out there don't understand that human curiosity is a motor, not a thing to be eradicated.

Stop letting SEO tools dictate your content strategy. They’re guides, not gospel. If your content genuinely helps users and demonstrates expertise, you’re already ahead of competitors obsessing over perfect page scores.

SEOs please stop saying “The Algorithm”. There’s tons and tons of algorithms. Here’s just a very small example of sorting algorithms etc from my study app and these (and absolutely tons more) will be used in search.

I'd really like to know what all those SEOs saying "Do the right thing @johnmu.com " actually expect John to do?  Once more for the hard of understanding - Google owes the SEO industry nothing. 

Interesting, from @brodieclark.bsky.social The connection between SEO tool scraping and increased impressions brodieclark.com/the-great-de...

Google Search Console Did Not Add An AI Overviews Filter

Someone needs to give Gemini a human form so I can punch it in the nose.

Google removes 100 search results parameter, "breaks" ranking tools -

"Can you SEO our site but don't change anything?" is like asking for a makeover but refusing to let anyone touch your hair, makeup, or clothes.

If users need to perform gymnastics to close your popup, you've not created engagement - you've created a hostage situation.

Telling me your site loads fast whilst I'm still staring at a loading spinner from 2003 is like claiming you're a great driver whilst reversing into a lamppost.

If every paragraph starts with your company name, you've not written content - you've written a very boring love letter to yourself.

"when real-life users become more familiar with the tech — realizing that, at their core, products like ChatGPT are word prediction algorithms rather than human-like sentient entities — it can be a major turnoff"

"Google's Gary Illyes confirmed that AEO or GEO is not necessary. Standard SEO is all you need to rank in AI Search."

So deeply sad to report the passing of search marketing industry vet, Alan Bleiweiss. He was so caring, smart and made so many of us smile www.seroundtable.com/alan-bleiwei...

The @nikkipilkington.bsky.social newsletter subject lines spark joy

If your H2 headings are all variations of the same keyword, you've turned content structure into keyword spam.

If your mobile site requires horizontal scrolling to read basic text, you've failed Mobile SEO 101 in spectacular fashion.

If your title tags are all identical across different pages, you've made Google play guessing games about what makes each page unique.

If you're getting traffic without conversions, that's just expensive noise that won't pay your bills.

If you have a new one page website and you're targeting 100 keywords with 100,000 monthly searches each and difficulty scores of 98, that's not ambition - that's delusion.

If your homepage H1 says Welcome to [Company Name], that's like introducing yourself as Hello I am a human - tell them what you actually do.

If your homepage SEO title is just your company name, you've wasted the most valuable ranking real estate you'll ever get.

If your H1 is hidden in white text on a white background for "design reasons", 2003 called and wants its dodgy SEO tactics back.

If your business model depends on inventing new acronyms every few months to stay relevant, maybe it's time to focus on doing the actual work instead of finding new ways to describe it.

If your website or blog search bar doesn't actually work, you've installed the digital equivalent of a fake door handle. Test it. Now. (Don't ask me why I have posted this. NO. Stop it. Don't ask.)

This

I'm not saying (and if that's not clear, I'm sorry, I forget that people don't read ALL my posts) that SEO doesn't need a bit of a tweak to get up to speed on AI search. Just like we needed a tweak after Penguin, Panda, all the other animals, Spam Update, HC Update, repeat ad inifinitum. 1/11

If your breadcrumb navigation goes Home > Services > More Services > Even More Services > What We Actually Do, that's not helpful navigation - that's a scavenger hunt.

These traffic numbers actually underscore why the whole GEO concept is fundamentally flawed. (image from chatgpt-vs-google.com via @glenngabe.bsky.social ) 1/4

If your breadcrumb navigation goes Home > Services > More Services > Even More Services > What We Actually Do, that's not helpful navigation - that's a scavenger hunt.

Your XML sitemap includes 400 pages but your main navigation only shows 6. Either Google's getting lost or your users are - probably both.

Your alt text reads like you're playing SEO keyword bingo. Blind users and Google both deserve better than 'plumber emergency luton cheap fast reliable.'

“Quick, minify every single piece of code on your site or Google will never rank you!” Bollocks.

The biggest competition for most B2B service businesses isn't people offering the same services as you - it's  your target market of potential clients choosing to do nothing at all.

Your internal linking strategy appears to be 'link to everything from everywhere.' That's not helping users navigate, that's creating digital spaghetti.

You've stuffed 'best,' 'top,' and 'leading' into every title tag. Now you sound exactly like every other desperate business fighting for attention.

Changing your page titles every week because 'they're not working' is like replanting seeds daily. SEO needs patience, not panic attacks

Having your main service buried three clicks deep behind vague menu labels is like hiding your shop behind a maze. Make it easy to find what people want.