Alex Mcauley

Who knew there are over 60,000 plugins in the WordPress Plugin Directory? That's a huge number. It dwarfs the extenablity of other platforms, and is surely one of the reasons WordPress retains it's market dominance. And it just so happens this was the topic at my local WordPress meetup yesterday. I've been a part of the meetup since 2019, with a break for the pandemic. Last night we shared our thoughts about the different plugins that we use to help us build incredible sites. Here is a (very cool) 'periodic table' of the 108 most popular plugins, https://plugintable.com/ Plugins are great and all, but at PLOTT we only use 5 core plugins. We use them to make it easier for you to build pages and generate leads, and to make your site more accessible. Now for a shameless plug! I'm delivering a talk on web accessibility next month. It's been said that 20% of site visits are from someone with accessibility needs. It's time we build our websites to reflect that. So I'll share some tools and tips to make our sites as accessible as possible. Signup here, and I'll see you there. https://lnkd.in/ebWwKeH4 #MeetUp #WPCov #Accessibility

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WARNING **RADICAL HONESTY POST** 😅 So today marks the second day in my new journey of reducing my screentime. But you work at a computer, I hear you say! Yeah but that's the thing. I have been looking at my job as 'separate' to any screen time consumed in the morning or evening and in the endeavor of radical honesty, this became a pretty big issue for me! Those of you who know me will know I'm raw-dogging life without ADHD meds (a personal choice) and there are pros and cons to this. One of the cons is that even though I am an absolute Pro with a capital P at masking, sometimes my impulses take over and I form really bad and unhealthy habits that are hard to break. For what it's worth, when I'm with my kids, it's rare I look at my phone unless it rings but that means that when I'm not I have a million notifications and end up getting sucked in. I also love ❤️TV and film❤️ so many evenings are spent devouring HBO's latest offering or maybe a Prime Home Premier if I'm feeling spicy. I started feeling really low recently and when I thought about it, the amount of hours that my eyes were focused on a screen were really totting up😅The thing is, when you have ADHD you kind of live your life with racing thoughts every waking moment of the day and I realised that my recreational screen use was me trying to self-medicate my exceptionally busy brain, which for obvious reasons isn't great. I mean, what therapist ever recommended more screentime as a means to treat ADHD symptoms? 🤣 Ironically, I've always been really strict on my kids using devices (they only have the telly or laptop for schoolwork) and my 11 year old only has a burner phone as I don't want his social development to be stunted by a screen and internet use, which surprisingly, he's cool with. So I'm owning my shit and making a decision to reduce my out of work hours screentime down to an hour a day and TV is going to become a treat after the gym or at weekends once my kids are in bed. I want to rediscover my creativity away from a screen and I'm hoping this will only enhance the passion and ideas I already bring to my job, which I love! Is anyone else out there just feeling that we are all spending way too much time looking at screens or is it just me? 😅😂 #partialdigitaldetox

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𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐠𝐥𝐞'𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 An interesting question was raised on LinkedIn about why anonymous Reddit content can outrank expert advice from credible websites like PCMag Google's John Mueller provided some insight into this phenomenon. The key takeaway is that Google’s search algorithm aims to deliver relevant and useful results, which means that credibility is just one of many factors. User-generated content (UGC) on Reddit can sometimes provide real, hands-on experiences that users find valuable, which can explain why it outranks more "credible" sources in certain cases. Mueller emphasized the multidimensional nature of SEO and search rankings. It's not just about credibility, but also relevance, usefulness, and the practical experiences shared by users. For example, when someone shares their long-term experience with a product on Reddit, it can be seen as highly valuable and relevant to search queries. This phenomenon highlights the importance of understanding SEO as a multifaceted discipline. It's not enough to have credible authorship; content must also meet user needs in various ways. This more than ever proves that the direction of algorithms is going towards user-first content. Have you noticed other instances where seemingly less credible sources outrank experts? How do you think SEO strategies should adapt to this trend?

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Lots of companies buying leads are far better off working with agencies They get better results So how do you know the best lead gen agencies to work with? Transparency is the Numero Uno thing But that's quite a broad term that doesn't really help you make a decision This is really what you're looking for: 1. Not hiding sources of data 2. Deep knowledge of your vertical 3. Ensuring they're getting performance results on a regular basis 4. Using tech to verify, qualify, and deliver data 5. Managing feedback loops 6. Adjusting processes, suppliers and volumes based on performance 7. Understanding how the performance of leads impacts the CPA and cost efficiencies 8. Full understanding of how leads are generated and how that feeds into a sales, or marketing function to create a seamless customer journey 9. Caring about your prospects experience as much as you do --- It's easy to make money as a middleman and not do much, but working with an agency should constantly improve performance and make the lead buying process easier The value needs to be demonstrable

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I'm often asked if a .com domain is preferable to a .uk domain. Well, here's something to consider. Google's Gary Illyes recently confirmed that country code domain names (like .uk) actually get a ranking boost in local search results. Here's what you need to know: 👉🏼 Local Preference: Google promotes content local to the user. So, a .uk domain may have an edge for UK-based searches. 👉🏼 Slight Advantage: While .com domains can still perform well, country-specific domains have a "little more benefit" according to Illyes. 👉🏼 Language Matters More: The language of your site matching the user's query language likely has more impact than the domain itself. 👉🏼 User Trust: Country-specific domains can inspire more trust from local users, potentially increasing click-through rates. 👉🏼 Global vs Local: Consider your target audience. If you're focusing on a specific country, a local domain could be beneficial. For a global audience, .com might still be your best bet. Remember, there's no one-size-fits-all answer. Your domain choice should align with your overall SEO strategy and business goals. At KickstartSEO, we help clients navigate these decisions to maximise their search visibility. What's been your experience with different domain extensions? I'm Michael Nagles. I talk about SEO, golf, and British weather. If you'd like to know more about KickstartSEO Limited's DIY and Done for you SEO support - including domain strategy - let's have a chat. #SEO | #DomainStrategy | #LocalSEO

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Running a crawl and exporting the report is not a technical audit.... I've just got an issue flagged by a tool, and I pulled all the URLs for that issue and sorted them, and starting manually checking them.... Turns out, nothing needs to be fixed.... It's important to do manual testing before sharing recommendations with your clients! Also do not rely on one tool, and always double check. Manual testing is an essential part of a tech audit.

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At the moment I'm auditing 10+ Klaviyo accounts per week One thing I'm seeing is a decline in new customer acquisition New website traffic + Pop Up form submissions in most Klaviyo accounts have been on a steady decline throughout this year This decline usually dates back 3-4 months before they realise their is an issue and they reach out for an audit It's important to stay on top of your marketing that is geared towards new website visitors as opposed to retargeting The performance of this is a leading indicator of your sales in a few months time

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SVG4SEO - Here's the result of a simple little SEO experiment that confirmed the suitability and value of SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) for the purposes of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). https://lnkd.in/egWMR2XF

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Following on from yesterday's post about adding content to category pages (see link in comments), here's another A/B test - adding keywords to HTML title tags. This one is pretty obvious as everyone knows this is a high impact task, but it's great to see the data supporting it. Here we can see impressions increasing by up to 500% within 60 days when compared to unoptimised pages of a similar type. One point to note - the key here for most ecommerce stores is scale. Optimising a handful of pages isn't going to do it. This is a lever you can pull and we rarely see other agencies doing it hard enough.

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Google are constantly playing with the algorithm, making SEO so challenging in the long term. The wonderfully helpful Chloe Christine has created a Looker Studio report that allows you to check if the latest core update has impacted your search ranking. The link to the report is in her post below. You'll need to be logged into the Google account that has access to your Google Search Console, then just select your data source from the drop down list at the top of the report. #seo #googlealgorithm #lookerstudio #googlesearchconsole

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🎙️ New Podcast Alert! 🎙️ In the latest episode of EDGE of the Web, I had the pleasure of speaking with Patrick Hathaway, CEO and co-founder of Sitebulb, about the challenges and opportunities in JavaScript SEO. Sitebulb has launched it's 2024 JavaScript SEO Report: Get an exclusive look at Sitebulb's newly launched report, based on a two-month survey with 301 participants. The report provides valuable insights from SEO professionals with varying levels of experience, focusing on the challenges they face in the field. We discussed the importance of effective communication between SEOs and developers, the need for better education and tools to address the skills gap in the industry, and the potential impact of optimizing rendering in JavaScript-dependent sites. 🔑 Key Takeaways of the Report: - 41% of respondents had ten or more years of experience in the industry - 64% of the work was agency-side - 95% understanding the importance of JavaScript SEO - 41% had not read or were unsure if they had read Google's documentation on JavaScript rendering - 30.9% said they don't feel comfortable investigating SEO issues caused by JavaScript. - 88% of SEOs said they deal with sites that have significant dependence on JavaScript sometimes or all the time. - The growth of use of Sitebulb's Javascript Crawler from 2020 (30%) to 2024 (60%) Some huge takeaways from the Rendering versus Response report data they shared as well! 👉 Don't miss out on this insightful conversation! Tune in to the full episode on the EDGE of the Web podcast. 🎧 Podcast and Report in the the comments below!

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WordPress 6.6 may affect other add-ons/page-builders so ensure that your site does not auto-update to WP 6.6. Test on a Staging site - and have an Exported back-up - before updating. Don't rush to update and then throw your Cornetto upwards. #WordPress

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I've Created a SUPER QUICK Chrome Extension to add VIEW CACHE next to search results - so you can 1 click in to view cached versions of pages. Install in less than 30 seconds. 1. Download here - https://lnkd.in/etwySge9 2. Extract to folder. 3. In Chrome URL bar navigate to: chrome://extensions/ 4. Top right select DEVELOPER MODE 5. Top left select LOAD UNPACKED, select the folder you extracted to and viola! When you search you'll see VIEW CACHE against all SERP/Site commands so you can 1 click view caches. Enjoy! #seo #seotools #seotips

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In the next 2 weeks we have three webinars for leaders in the digital and ecommerce space. 1)How businesses with multiple brands can structure their digital teams and how does it look like across single brand businesses. 2)Tips on replatforming from Magento to Shopify. 3)Setting yourself up for success in the pursuit of finding your ideal role If you are a leader in the space and want to login let us know. This summer we have already had webinars on GA4, The Amazon opportunity in the coming years, how the upcoming employment changes will affect individuals and their teams, Tiktok tips and tricks and the evolution of AI and how it will effect ecommerce businesses. This last two months has truly been a period of learning. Digital Leaders Club *Powered by Blu Digital

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🤔🤔Why do agencies ask you for references?🤔🤔 There's a common misunderstanding when it comes to agencies asking you for references when you're in process for a new role. Sure, some agencies might use the information for business development purposes (naughty, naughty). But in the vast majority of cases, it is fundamentally in your interest to provide references when you're in process for a client that you haven't previously worked with. ✅ Here are a few reasons why:

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This site is an extremely interesting case. Brand in the finance sector. Destroyed by the HCU update 2023. Backlinks from digital PR (and paid links), albeit some of the digital PR ones are totally off-topic, and some look like paid DPR placements. The site increased its content by 1000 pages in a year, so I suggest that it might have used AI content to scale. The site is well-designed, with lots of E-E-A-T elements. My gut says this site was hit by multiple factors: a bit of waffly content, some link devaluation, and AI content. It looks like they've deleted over 1000 pages a matter of weeks after being hit, so perhaps they took a chance. An interesting case, might reach out to the owners of this one.

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