Technical decisions that change how content ranks
This site exists because on-page optimization is treated like a checklist when it's actually a series of judgment calls. Every site has different constraints, different audiences, different technical debt. What works for an e-commerce platform won't work for a news site. What you read here are my attempts to work through those decisions out loud, not hand you a template.
Why this exists
Back in 2016, I started documenting the gap between what SEO guides recommend and what actually happens when you implement those recommendations on real sites with real limitations. Most advice assumes you have full control over your CMS, unlimited dev resources, and a blank slate. That's rarely true.
These posts are my working notes from projects where the "correct" answer didn't fit. They're written for people who need to make calls without perfect information, who have to balance technical ideals against business reality, and who want to understand the reasoning behind the tactics rather than just copy them.
The content here won't age well, and that's intentional. Search algorithms change, browser behavior shifts, user expectations evolve. What matters is the thinking process, not the specific implementation from three years ago.
Direct answers to specific problems
Reading sequences that build on each other
These posts work better together than alone. Each one assumes you've already wrestled with the previous concepts. Start with the technical implementation piece, then move into the strategic thinking, then finally look at how those decisions play out over time as your site grows.
Start with structure
Before you optimize anything, you need to understand what your site architecture is actually communicating to search engines. Most people skip this step and jump straight into keyword placement, which is like decorating a house with a cracked foundation. These posts walk through the structural decisions that make everything else possible.
Then layer in strategy
Once you have solid structure, you can start making strategic calls about which pages deserve optimization effort and which ones can coast. Not every page needs to be perfect. Understanding where to invest your time is more valuable than knowing a hundred optimization tactics. These pieces help you build that judgment.
Find what you need by topic
Years of documented decisions
Since 2016, this site has accumulated detailed breakdowns of optimization choices made across different industries, site types, and technical constraints. That depth matters because context is everything in SEO. A tactic that works brilliantly for a SaaS company might fail completely for a content publisher. The archive here lets you find similar situations to yours and see how those decisions played out.
Get context for your specific situation
If you're facing an on-page optimization decision and the standard advice isn't mapping to your constraints, I've probably written about a similar situation. The author page has background on my approach and links to case studies organized by problem type rather than by topic. That's usually the fastest way to find relevant thinking.
I also maintain an open dialogue with readers who are working through complex implementations. If something here sparked a question or you're seeing different results in your environment, that conversation belongs on the sponsorship page where ongoing technical discussions happen.
See approach and background
Core Web Vitals Changed the Rules
Recent Google updates shifted on-page optimization priorities toward measurable performance metrics that skeptics can actually verify.
Read full analysisStructured Data Got More Complicated
Schema markup expanded significantly, creating new optimization opportunities but also introducing complexity that makes skeptics question the actual ROI.
Read full analysisKeywords Aren't Enough Anymore
Search engines moved toward entity recognition and topic clustering, forcing optimization strategies beyond simple keyword density calculations.
Read full analysis