I've updated this article in January 2017 as it was originally written 5 years earlier. It's interesting to note that not a lot has changed over the past five years, mainly the need to optimise for mobile search and a couple of other bits, This is the question that most website owners ask, "How do [...]
[last updated Jan 2017] A question that most business owners have asked themselves in the past is "does my business need a website?". If you'd have asked yourself that question 15 years ago or even 5 years ago the answer would have been dependant on what type of business you were in. Today however, I [...]
It seems like everyone is all of a sudden "A Web Designer" everybody knows someone down at the pub or a friends brother who can put a website together in exchange for a few quid or a couple of pints. So what is the difference between different web designs? Why pay a web designer to [...]
[last updated Jan 2017] I've lost count of the number of times that I've been asked to look at the SEO of a website only to find the same thing, A client who has worked with a web designer to create a lovely looking website only to be disappointed that it isn't showing in the [...]
I speak to so many business owners that desperately need their website redesigned but are terrified of losing their existing rank on Google, Bing and other search engines. Without causing alarm, they're right to be concerned. I've witnessed websites that have previously ranked well on Google simply fall out of the search results following a [...]
I was speaking today to a client who told me that they'd performed a search on Google for SEO Liverpool and that I hadn't shown up in the search results. I have to admit that the simple reason for this is, I've never once targeted that phrase. Liverpool, despite being the nearest city to where [...]
I get asked about Google Adwords a great deal by a diverse group of clients and if I'm honest the answer I give is slightly different each time depending on the type of business. Earlier this week beauty blogger Karen from "Liverpool Lashes" mentioned me in a blog post, this was then shared on various [...]
You may have heard the term "flat design" and wondered what it was. Well before I tell you let me confuse you even more. Flat web design is the follow on trend from skeuomorphic web design. Confused? Good! In a nutshell, Skeumorphic design is a term used to describe the period of web design / [...]
Nobody can deny that the internet has provided countless benefits to both businesses and consumers alike. Never before has there been such an easy way to reach new markets. Car dealers, for instance who once relied on roadside sales pitches and local or regional newspaper advertisements to reach an audience of just a few thousand [...]
Anyone remotely interested in web design or SEO will have been used to hearing about Google algorithm updates over the past few years, regardless of if you're an SEO expert or a a small business owner who updates your own website, then you may have been completely unaware that Google have rolled out a huge [...]
The idea to be Matt Cutts for a day was the brainchild of SEO guru and all round decent guy Terry Simmonds, The idea was that a group of us change our Google profile photos and publish a post about being Matt Cutts for just one day. Who is Matt Cutts? Matt is the head [...]
Gwiz offer Web Design and SEO services in Liverpool Merseyside. If you're having a new website designed it's important to find a web designer who understands search engine optimisation and can design a website that not only delivers a great customer experience but also can design the structure and content of the website to be [...]
It was only a matter of time really, a flurry of privacy changes in December last year and now the announcement of a search engine powered by Facebook, integrated with Bing and named "Facebook Graph Search". You may recall that I have wrote a few articles about ensuring that your website and your website SEO [...]
This article was originally published in October 2012 and was revised in January 2013. 2012 was the annus horribilis for SEO professionals and website owners alike. No sooner had the Google Panda update drawn first blood, the Penguin update came along with an uppercut. Several more updates and refreshes throughout the year landed some blows and [...]
Facebook has announced some new privacy changes today. Most of the changes are pretty minor, users can now access a menu on each post giving the ability to limit visibility on each post that is made. In addition a new tool is available to control any tags on images posted by others. A new interface [...]
In January 2012 I wrote an article entitled "Don't Ignore Bing When Planning Your SEO", I thought today may be a good time to revisit the topic. Experian Hitwise have just announced that the Google UK Market Share fell below 90% last month for the first time in 5 years. This represents a fall of [...]
YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world, in the words of Michael Caine "Not a lot of people know that!" Is YouTube good for SEO? In a word yes and for several reasons, If uploaded correctly YouTube videos can provide a good link back to your site. In addition it's always good [...]
Choosing the right designer is critical to your online success. Lets look at the things to consider. Firstly, in selecting a shortlist of suitable web designers don't pick one from the sponsored listings in Google, Why? Simply because these are paid listings, it tells you nothing of the skills that the web designer has in [...]
I'm often approached by new start or smaller businesses who simply don't have the budget to have a website designed for them. Very often these people resort to using one of the cheap website building tools sold by the cheap hosting companies or worse, they are with 1&1 or similar and have had terrible customer [...]
"Why is my website not showing in Google" is a question that web designers and SEO consultants get asked all the time. You're very lucky if your new website makes it to page one straight out of the box. It happens, but it's rare. If you fancy doing a bit of DIY SEO then this [...]
Gwiz Web Design St Helens are pleased to announce that we are now members of the Google Engage programme. This initiative is run by Google to educate website owners to the benefits of Google Adwords through agencies who provide web design and SEO services to small and medium size businesses. Despite a large part of [...]
Web design offers the creative licence to make the smallest business look like a multi national PLC. A good web designer can employ all manner of smoke and mirrors to give any client the image they want, but is this lack of honesty always the best practice? If pushed I'd say the most crucial elements [...]
What is a Microsite? A Microsite is a small website usually focused on a particular product, service or geographical location. You may have seen car manufacturers use microsites to launch a new model. Usually its a flashy affair full of stunning graphics and snazzy sounds. You'll also notice that its heavily linked from the main [...]
You may have noticed a huge amount of annoying pop ups on websites that you have visited lately. This is due to the fact that the deadline for complying with the ICO cookie law in the UK was 25th May 2012. The law actually came into effect 12 months ago but the ICO granted a [...]
Google announced another algorithm update a few weeks ago under the code name Venice. The update is rumoured to include 40 algorithm changes not all of which affect local SEO but none the less that is the biggest news story to come out of the Venice release. You may have noticed that when you perform a [...]
Website SEO is a must if your website targets a local area. Search Engine Optimisation is much easier on a local level for the simple reason that there is less competition. To give you an example, a search for "Website SEO" Brings up 440 million search results whereas a local search for "Website SEO Merseyside" [...]
Why your business should blog. Over the past few years Blogging has grabbed the attention of marketing professionals around the world and has become an essential tool for businesses large and small. 'What exactly is a blog?' I hear you ask, well stick around and I'll explain what a blog is, why your business should [...]
SEO specialists in the UK and the rest of the World went mad a few years ago on the importance of links. The more links you pointed into a website the higher up the Google results page you would go. For a while this was true but any SEO expert worth his salt knew that [...]
QR Code QR codes it seems are a new technology, it may surprise you then to learn that they were invented 8 years ago by a company called Denso Wave in Japan which is a subsidiary of Toyota. It's perhaps common knowledge that Toyota have been at the forefront of lean production since the early [...]
