JOURNAL // HEAD
Everything on Head.
48 posts on Head. Tactical, sourced, built to be cited.
-
OCT 13, 2026
/ AEO/Head
11 min read
How to disavow backlinks in 2026, and when not to
Scared spammy links are sinking your rankings? Get Google's exact disavow steps, file rules and limits for 2026, plus when filing does more harm than good.
Read post →
-
OCT 13, 2026
/ AEO/Head
11 min read
How to redirect a URL without losing rankings in 2026
Changed a URL and watched traffic slide? Here is the method Google documents in 2026: one to one 301s, updated links and sitemaps, a year of upkeep, and checks.
Read post →
-
OCT 12, 2026
/ AEO/Head
11 min read
How to get a Google review removed in 2026
A fake or abusive review is hurting your rating. Here is Google's own removal path for 2026: policy check, report, one appeal, legal request, and what to avoid.
Read post →
-
OCT 12, 2026
/ AEO/Head
11 min read
What is crawl budget and does it matter in 2026
Worried Google is skipping your pages? Learn when crawl budget matters in 2026, how to read Crawl Stats in Search Console, and what AI crawlers change.
Read post →
-
OCT 11, 2026
/ AEO/Head
11 min read
Does Search Console show AI Overview clicks in 2026
AI Overview clicks hide inside your Search Console totals. See what it reports for AI Overviews and AI Mode in 2026, what it leaves out, and how to estimate it.
Read post →
-
OCT 11, 2026
/ AEO/Head
11 min read
What is search intent and how to match it in 2026
Built the wrong page type? See what search intent is, how Google raters classify it, and a five step plan to match it with the results page and Search Console.
Read post →
-
OCT 10, 2026
/ AEO/Head
11 min read
How to add your business to Apple Maps in 2026
Missing from Apple Maps? Follow Apple's own 2026 steps to sign up, verify, and fill out your place card, with review timelines, limits and bulk upload rules.
Read post →
-
OCT 10, 2026
/ AEO/Head
10 min read
What is a nofollow link in 2026
Unsure what rel nofollow does now? See how Google and Bing treat nofollow links in 2026, how to check any link, and when to use sponsored or ugc instead.
Read post →
-
OCT 9, 2026
/ AEO/Head
10 min read
How to improve Core Web Vitals in 2026
Slow pages and failing scores waste traffic. This guide gives the ordered fix method for LCP, CLS and INP, with Google's thresholds and real adoption data.
Read post →
-
OCT 9, 2026
/ AEO/Head
11 min read
How to write alt text for SEO in 2026
Most sites still ship images with bad or missing alt text. This guide gives a five step method, bad versus good examples, and what Google and W3C actually say.
Read post →
-
OCT 8, 2026
/ AEO/Head
10 min read
How to find keywords for a small business in 2026
Guessing at keywords wastes months of content. This guide gives small businesses the ordered method, from Search Console to AI assistant questions, for 2026.
Read post →
-
OCT 8, 2026
/ AEO/Head
11 min read
What is a Google core update in 2026
Traffic fell after a Google update and nobody will tell you what to do. Here is what a core update is, the ordered method to follow, and what to leave alone.
Read post →
-
OCT 7, 2026
/ AEO/Head
10 min read
How to get sitelinks in Google in 2026
Brand search showing one bare blue link? Here is the ordered method to earn Google sitelinks in 2026, what Google automates, and the paid sitelink fallback.
Read post →
-
OCT 7, 2026
/ AEO/Head
11 min read
How to show up in near me searches in 2026
Searching near me and not finding your business hurts. Here is the ordered 2026 method, built on Google's three ranking factors and the parts you control.
Read post →
-
OCT 6, 2026
/ AEO/Head
10 min read
How often to update website content in 2026
Wondering if stale pages hurt your Google rankings? Get the update cadence for evergreen, news, product, local and legal pages, backed by Google's own rules.
Read post →
-
OCT 6, 2026
/ AEO/Head
9 min read
How to claim a Google Business Profile in 2026
Can't tell if your listing is yours? Follow the exact order to claim a Google Business Profile in 2026, from search to verification to ownership requests.
Read post →
-
OCT 5, 2026
/ AEO/Head
9 min read
How to fix Crawled, currently not indexed in 2026
Pages stuck in Crawled, currently not indexed? Use Google's own documentation: five ordered fixes, what Request Indexing really does, and when to prune pages.
Read post →
-
OCT 5, 2026
/ AEO/Head
9 min read
How to respond to negative Google reviews in 2026
A one-star review is live and you are angry. Use this method: flag policy violations, reply in 4 steps, avoid FTC traps and protect client confidentiality.
Read post →
-
OCT 4, 2026
/ AEO/Head
10 min read
How to rank in Google Assistant in 2026
Voice answers going to someone else? Google Assistant is giving way to Gemini. Here is the ordered method for being the business a voice answer names.
Read post →
-
OCT 4, 2026
/ AEO/Head
11 min read
How to remove a page from Google in 2026
Need a page gone from Google fast? Use the Removals tool first, then noindex or a 404/410 to make it stick. This 2026 guide ranks every method by use case.
Read post →
-
OCT 3, 2026
/ AEO/Head
11 min read
Do meta descriptions affect ranking in 2026
You rewrote hundreds of meta descriptions and rankings did not move. Here is what Google documents, how often it rewrites them, and which pages to fix first.
Read post →
-
OCT 3, 2026
/ AEO/Head
11 min read
What are local citations in 2026
Your listings show three phone numbers and no one knows which Google trusts. Here is what local citations are, which sources still matter, and how to fix them.
Read post →
-
OCT 2, 2026
/ AEO/Head
11 min read
How to do local SEO in 2026
Not showing up on the map? Here are the six steps of local SEO in order, from Google Business Profile to reviews and local pages, built on Google's own rules.
Read post →
-
OCT 2, 2026
/ AEO/Head
10 min read
How to write a title tag in 2026
Your title keeps getting cut or rewritten. Here is the five step method to write a title tag in 2026, what Google says about length, and when it rewrites you.
Read post →
-
OCT 1, 2026
/ AEO/Head
8 min read
Do reviews affect Google ranking in 2026
Stuck below competitors with more stars? Here is how reviews affect Google Maps and local pack ranking in 2026, what they do not do, and how many you need.
Read post →
-
OCT 1, 2026
/ AEO/Head
8 min read
How to recover from a Google penalty in 2026
Traffic fell and you do not know why? Here is how to tell a manual action from an algorithm hit in 2026, fix it in order, and what recovery really takes.
Read post →
-
SEP 30, 2026
/ AEO/Head
10 min read
How long does Google take to index a page in 2026
Waiting on a page that will not show up? Get Google's own timelines in days and weeks for new sites, new pages, updates and site moves, plus what to do next.
Read post →
-
SEP 30, 2026
/ AEO/Head
10 min read
What should robots.txt block in 2026
One bad Disallow line can hide your whole site. Here is the 2026 list of what robots.txt should block, what it must never block, and the crawler table.
Read post →
-
SEP 29, 2026
/ AEO/Head
9 min read
How to get more Google reviews in 2026
Stuck at a handful of reviews while rivals pull ahead? Get the ordered method for more Google reviews in 2026, with Google's own rules and the FTC line.
Read post →
-
SEP 29, 2026
/ AEO/Head
10 min read
How to submit a sitemap to Google in 2026
Pages sit undiscovered when Google never finds your sitemap. Here are the exact steps for Search Console and robots.txt, plus the limits and errors to check.
Read post →
-
SEP 28, 2026
/ AEO/Head
8 min read
How to get Google to index my site in 2026
Fix crawl access first, then submit a sitemap, request indexing on priority URLs, and check Search Console instead of resubmitting the same page.
Read post →
-
SEP 28, 2026
/ AEO/Head
8 min read
What is AEO in 2026
AEO means structuring content so ChatGPT, Perplexity and AI Overviews can cite it directly. Here is what actually works, and what doesn't.
Read post →
-
SEP 27, 2026
/ AEO/Head
9 min read
Does Duplicate Content Hurt Ranking in 2026
No, Google won't hand you a duplicate content penalty in 2026, but it will pick one winner and bury every other version of your page, killing your rankings.
Read post →
-
SEP 27, 2026
/ AEO/Head
10 min read
How to Rank a Service Area Business in 2026
Ranking a service area business on Google Maps takes more than a pile of reviews. Here are the exact GBP setup steps and 2026 ranking factors that count.
Read post →
-
SEP 26, 2026
/ AEO/Head
9 min read
How to get backlinks in 2026
Guest posts alone will not earn backlinks in 2026. Here is the exact order of tactics that work now: digital PR, journalist platforms, and mention reclamation.
Read post →
-
SEP 26, 2026
/ AEO/Head
11 min read
What is a canonical tag in 2026
Duplicate pages splitting your rankings and quietly burning crawl budget? Here is exactly how to set, verify, and fix canonical tags correctly in 2026.
Read post →
-
SEP 25, 2026
/ AEO/Head
11 min read
Why is my business not showing on Google Maps in 2026
Your business is missing from Google Maps and the calls stopped. Here is the seven step diagnosis, Google's published timelines, and the suspension appeal path.
Read post →
-
SEP 25, 2026
/ AEO/Head
11 min read
Why is my Google traffic dropping in 2026
Traffic fell and Search Console will not say why. A seven step diagnosis tree that separates core updates, AI Overviews, tracking breaks, and site errors.
Read post →
-
SEP 24, 2026
/ AEO/Head
8 min read
Do Core Web Vitals affect ranking in 2026
Everyone says fix your vitals, nobody says how much it matters. What Google actually states, the LCP, INP, and CLS thresholds, and when a fix moves rankings.
Read post →
-
SEP 24, 2026
/ AEO/Head
8 min read
How long does SEO take in 2026
Nobody gives you a real timeline. Google says four months to a year; Ahrefs data says most winners rank within six. The month by month milestones to check.
Read post →
-
SEP 23, 2026
/ AEO/Head
10 min read
How long does local SEO take in 2026
Businesses quit local SEO in month two because nobody gave them a timeline. Here is what moves in weeks, what takes months, and the milestones to check.
Read post →
-
SEP 23, 2026
/ AEO/Head
9 min read
How to get recommended by ChatGPT in 2026
ChatGPT names a handful of businesses per answer and most companies are not one of them. Here is the order of operations that gets a brand named, with sources.
Read post →
-
SEP 21, 2026
/ AEO/Head
9 min read
How to get on page one of Google in 2026
Page one is worth less than it was and still decides most traffic. Here is the order of operations, with the click data showing what position actually earns.
Read post →
-
SEP 21, 2026
/ AEO/Head
9 min read
How to outrank a competitor in AI in 2026
AI answers have no position one. Here is how displacement actually works, why freshness beats markup, and the method for getting named instead of them.
Read post →
-
SEP 19, 2026
/ AEO/Head
9 min read
How to get into People Also Ask in 2026
PAA rewards topic coverage, not single answers, and you do not need the top spot. Here is how to map the question tree and build the page that wins it.
Read post →
-
SEP 19, 2026
/ AEO/Head
9 min read
How to win a featured snippet in 2026
You cannot request a featured snippet, so most advice is guesswork. Here is the ordered method, straight from what Google actually documents.
Read post →
-
SEP 18, 2026
/ AEO/Head
11 min read
How to rank number one on Google in 2026
Position one now sits beneath an AI answer most searchers never click past. Here is the ordered method for ranking number one on Google in 2026, step by step.
Read post →
-
SEP 18, 2026
/ AEO/Head
11 min read
How to rank top on Google Maps in 2026
Most local businesses guess at Maps ranking and keep losing to nearer competitors. Here is the order of operations Google's own documentation supports in 2026.
Read post →