Hall Consulting SEO & Web Training

09/02/2025

What if you ignored SEO completely—and still built something users loved?

That’s exactly what Perplexity is doing with its Discover pages. These pages highlight trending news summaries with clarity and simplicity—no fancy SEO tactics, no keyword stuffing, not even optimized meta tags.

And yet… people are noticing.

While some mistakenly assumed it was an aggressive SEO play, the truth is more surprising: These pages weren’t made for search engines—they were made for people.

It’s a reminder that sometimes, building for users first leads to the most authentic success—and maybe even some unexpected traffic, too.

Are you building for algorithms… or for your audience?

👇 Share your thoughts in the comments!

Perplexity's Discover pages are praised as an example of programmatic SEO. In fact, they’re something more ambitious in scope.

07/13/2025

Ever wonder if being mentioned on popular web pages actually influences how AI tools like ChatGPT or Google AI recognize your brand?

A recent study dug into 76M+ AI Overviews and nearly 2M prompts from ChatGPT and Perplexity—and the results are eye-opening. Google AI tends to favor brands found on highly linked pages, showing a strong correlation. Perplexity? Moderately influenced. ChatGPT? Barely.

So what’s the takeaway? Brands mentioned on widely cited pages may be more visible in AI-generated responses—especially in Google’s AI results.

Curious what this means for search visibility and brand strategy?

Do you think appearing more often online really boosts your brand in AI tools? Let us know in the comments! 👇

To find out, I looked at the top 50 websites mentioned in Ahrefs Brand Radar across 76.7M AI Overviews, 957k ChatGPT prompts, and 953.5k Perplexity prompts.

06/23/2025

How much coding do SEO professionals really need to know? 🧠💻

Google’s Martin Splitt and Gary Illyes recently set the record straight: you don’t need to be a developer to do good SEO—but having a working knowledge of web technologies can make all the difference.

Think things like understanding headers, HTTPS, and how JavaScript can impact how a page is rendered. No need to master complex programming languages, but knowing how websites function will help you avoid costly mistakes (like accidentally generating millions of URLs 👀).

Here’s the bottom line: the tech knowledge you need depends on your role. If your focus is content strategy or expanding into international markets, deep coding skills might not be essential. But if you handle things like site audits or migrations, technical know-how becomes much more important.

An extra tip? Bridge the gap between SEO and dev teams. Better collaboration = fewer headaches and stronger results. ✅

What’s your take—should SEO specialists learn to code, or focus on strategy and content? Share your thoughts below! ⬇️

Google's Martin Splitt and Gary Illyes discuss how much technical knowledge SEO professionals need, and why coding isn't always essential.

06/23/2025

🌍 Want to grow your business in new regions? Start with smart localization.

Localizing your content the right way can skyrocket your visibility and build real trust with global audiences. But translating word for word? That’s just scratching the surface.

Here’s the trick: make your content feel native. Tailor it with local examples, real-world case studies, and SEO keywords your audience actually searches for. One company saw massive results just by switching from Continental to Brazilian Portuguese—traffic exploded! 🎯

Start small: pick key markets. Use data like search trends, billing demand, and tech adoption to choose where to focus. One team found surprising success in Indonesia and Japan doing just that.

Pro tip: Google is auto-translating content now. If you’re not localizing, you're giving away your traffic.

✅ Prioritize quality over quantity
✅ Do localized keyword research
✅ Refresh old content to stay relevant
✅ Let AI assist—but keep human editors in the loop
✅ Stay consistent with style guides and localized SEO best practices

Which market are you eyeing for your next expansion?👇 Let us know in the comments!

Proven localization SEO tips from Ahrefs to help you grow organic traffic globally with smart, data-led strategies.

06/17/2025

🚨 Big Update for Digital Marketers & Content Creators 🚨

Google just added traffic from "AI Mode" to Search Console reports — which means you can now track how your site performs in Google's AI-powered search results!

Why does this matter?
If your content is surfacing in AI Overviews, this new data helps you see what kind of engagement it's getting. Before, much of this traffic went untracked or was misclassified.

💡 Bonus: Google is also testing “Audio Overviews” in Search Labs — spoken summaries that may change how users interact with search content.

👉 Want to stay ahead? Now’s the time to adjust your SEO strategy to include AI-first formats. Start optimizing for visibility not just in classic search, but in AI-driven results too.

Are you already seeing changes in your Search Console traffic? Let us know in the comments ⬇️

Matt G. Southern, Senior News Writer, has been with Search Engine Journal since 2013. With a bachelor’s degree in communications,…

06/17/2025

Think your coding skills alone will land high-paying projects? Think again.

The real difference between a $5K and a $50K contract isn’t how brilliant your code looks—it’s the scale of the problem you’re solving. Clients with complicated, costly issues aren’t shopping for the cheapest developer. They’re looking for someone who can make real business pain go away.

Want to raise your rates? Start by asking: “What’s this problem costing the client if it doesn’t get solved?”

Understanding the value of the outcome (not just the hours you’ll work) is the quickest way to position yourself for bigger, better opportunities.

👉 Developers: Have you ever landed a high-value project by shifting your focus to solving expensive problems, not just writing code? Share your story below!

I wanted to have a publication that helped share tips and tricks from my consultancy where we implement ai for companies like the Olympic team, the Stock Exchange and other B2C companies.

06/16/2025

A client shows up with perfectly designed wireframes and a clear vision. Sounds like a dream, right? Not always.

Experienced developers know that fully fleshed-out wireframes can be a red flag. When a client has already locked in every detail, it usually means there’s little room for expert input or creative problem solving. You’re not being hired for your brain — you’re being hired as a keyboard.

Strong collaborations need two things: trust and flexibility. If a project is too mapped out before you even join, it might not need your expertise — or allow space for ideas that could lead to better results.

Before jumping into projects that look too good to be true, ask: is this a partnership or a handoff?

Have you ever taken on a project that felt too pre-planned? Share your experience in the comments — we’d love to hear your lessons learned. 👇

I wanted to have a publication that helped share tips and tricks from my consultancy where we implement ai for companies like the Olympic team, the Stock Exchange and other B2C companies.

06/16/2025

Think you need a pile of backlinks to rank on Google? Think again.

Some websites are climbing the search results without building a single backlink — and no, it’s not just luck. From niche blogs to media sites, there’s growing proof that creating value-packed content, optimizing for search intent, and nailing technical SEO can get you noticed by Google… minus the backlink hustle.

Contrary to what we’ve all heard, backlinks are no longer the only game in town. Sure, they help — but they're not everything. Google continues to reward content that answers real questions, loads quickly, retains readers, and aligns with user intent — even if it has zero backlinks.

Have you tested a no-backlink SEO approach? Or maybe you’ve had success ranking without relying on link-building strategies?

Drop your experience below — we’d love to hear what worked (or didn’t)! 👇

Do you want to rank your website without backlinks?

06/16/2025

📊 Is your most popular content actually driving results?

It’s easy to let likes, shares, and views shape your content strategy—but those numbers don’t always tell the full story. Just because a post goes viral doesn’t mean it’s converting.

👉 Want to know which pieces are truly bringing people into your funnel? Use Google Analytics to pinpoint which posts lead to clicks, sign-ups, or sales. Yep—free, easy, and way more insightful than just tracking engagement.

By setting up proper tracking, you’ll be able to identify what’s actually working and create more of the content that brings real results—not just vanity metrics.

💬 Are you tracking your conversions with Google Analytics?
If so, what’s been your most surprising performing piece of content?

Drop your thoughts or tips below! ⬇️

An easy, free way to track how well your organic content converts with Google Analytics

06/15/2025

Ever wonder what really happens when you hit 100+ blog articles on your website?

It’s not just about hitting a magic number—it’s about unlocking serious SEO potential. The more content you publish, the more keywords you can rank for, which means more chances for your website to appear in search results and attract visitors. But here’s the catch: it's not just about volume. Quality and relevance matter just as much—if not more.

Publishing over 100 articles can boost your domain authority, build trust with your audience, and show Google that you’re serious about your niche. But if the content isn’t targeted, helpful, or written with a strategy in mind? You might just be spinning your wheels.

Have you crossed that 100-article milestone yet? Or are you planning to? Share how content has worked (or hasn’t) to grow your website—we’d love to hear your experience! 👇📈

What will happen to your website and its traffic once you publish 100+ articles?

06/14/2025

🤖 Is your marketing ready for the new gatekeepers of search?

Search is no longer just about ranking high on Google—it’s about being seen by machines. AI agents like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Alexa are reshaping how people discover information, products, and services.

In a recent panel featuring experts like Dawn Anderson, Dan Petrovic, Mike King, and Garrett Sussman, industry leaders broke down what the next three years could look like for search, SEO, and AI. From generative AI and large language models to reinforcement learning and conversational search, the conversation reveals a powerful shift: machines are becoming decision-makers.

The future of discoverability lies in understanding how AI thinks, filters, and recommends.

Whether you’re in marketing, SEO, content creation, or tech—this impacts you.

➡️ Would you trust an AI agent to choose your next product or service?

Comment below—we’d love to hear your thoughts on the future of search powered by machines.