Blog
Website launch, in plain language
Plain-language guides to launching a small-business website: getting found on Google, Bing and AI tools, and the checks most launches miss.
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Your firewall may be blocking AI crawlers
robots.txt can welcome AI crawlers while a security service in front turns them away. Find who runs it, and what to ask them to change.
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Why AI names your competitors, not your business
Ask ChatGPT or Perplexity for your service in your city. When they name other businesses and not yours, four causes explain why.
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The 10-minute check: is your site visible to AI?
Five checks an owner can run in a browser in ten minutes: ask an AI tool, read your page source, and count your pages two ways.
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Count your pages two ways: sitemap and site:
Compare the page count in your sitemap with the count from a site: search. A big gap shows Google has left pages out.
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www vs non-www: pick one and make everything match
If your site answers on two addresses, Google may split your ranking. How to pick one, redirect the other, and check the canonical tag.
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Why your contact form fails after you change it
Forms keep two lists of allowed choices, one on the page and one on the server. Change one and real customers get an error.
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What IndexNow is and how to set it up
IndexNow tells Bing and other search engines the moment a page changes. Here is the key file, the ping, and how to check it worked.
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robots.txt for AI crawlers: which bots to allow
The AI crawlers to name in robots.txt, what each one does, and how to allow search bots while blocking training bots.
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llms.txt: what it is and what to put in it
A short plain-text file that summarizes your business for AI tools. A template, and an honest note on who reads it.
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Keep your prices in sync across your website
A price lives in five places, and Google and AI tools quote the one you forgot. A short routine that catches the drift.
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Is your website blank to search engines? The View Source test
Some sites build their text in the browser after loading. You see the words, but search engines and AI tools may get an empty page.
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How to check if your website is indexed
Search site:yourdomain.com, read the result, and fix the usual reasons a new site shows nothing in Google or Bing.
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Google Search Console setup for a new website
Add your site to Search Console, verify it in a way that survives redesigns, and submit your sitemap. About 15 minutes.
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Google Business Profile and reviews: why they matter for AI answers
Claim your profile, get your first reviews with a direct link, and keep your details identical across every listing.
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Files your website should not be serving
Deploys can publish password files and internal scripts by accident. Five addresses to check, and how to block them.
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Bing Webmaster Tools: import your site in two minutes
Why a new site needs Bing as well as Google, and how to import from Search Console instead of verifying again.