Field notes

The blog

Plain answers from the night shift: what SEO and Google Ads really cost, how hacked sites get cleaned, and the server fixes nobody else explains.

Migrations7 min read 301 vs 302 Redirect: What Google Does With Each (and the Default Trap) 301 vs 302 redirect, explained with Google's own docs. Plus the trap: Apache, PHP, WordPress and Nginx all send a 302 unless you ask for a 301.
Migrations9 min read Website Redesign SEO: The Freeze Addendum to Hand Your Designer First Website redesign SEO goes wrong in the contract, not the code. Copy my one-page SEO freeze addendum and attach it before your designer starts.
Technical SEO11 min read Technical SEO Checklist for Small Business Sites (17 Checks) A technical SEO checklist sized for small sites: 17 checks with the commands to run, including the server-side ones most lists skip. No crawl budget fluff.
Security12 min read How to Clean a Hacked WordPress Site: The Exact Order That Works How to clean a hacked WordPress site: contain it, clean files, sweep the hosting account, reset users and keys, then fix Google. Commands included.
Google Ads10 min read How Much Does Google Ads Cost? Spend Plus Fee Math for a Local Budget How much does Google Ads cost a local business? Average clicks run $5.42, but the real bill is spend plus management fee. Here's the math at four budgets.
Hiring help9 min read SEO Audit Cost: What a $500 Audit Leaves Out vs a $3,000 One SEO audit cost runs from $500 to $5,000+ for most small sites. Here are the line items a cheap audit skips, so you can tell which one you're buying.
Hiring help11 min read How Much Does SEO Cost? What Each Price Tier Actually Buys How much does SEO cost? Typical retainers run $500-$2,500 a month. Here's what each tier buys in hours, with my own prices beside the market's.