AlexHarford-TechSEO
@alexharfordseo.bsky.social
#TechSEO, mentor, former web dev. UX/accessibility/sustainability.
15+ years an SEO. Always learning.
Find me on Moz, Search with Candour, SEO Mindset.
Loves outdoors, travel, running, writing, 90s Nintendo.
Short stories & photos @AlexHarford.bsky.social
15+ years an SEO. Always learning.
Find me on Moz, Search with Candour, SEO Mindset.
Loves outdoors, travel, running, writing, 90s Nintendo.
Short stories & photos @AlexHarford.bsky.social
Pinned
18 Real-Life Analogies to Explain SEO to Anyone
moz.com
My colleague @jasmine-seo-200ok.bsky.social pitched this article to Moz after a few months as an SEO!
My favourite analogies are her bus numbers as server codes and JavaScript as house tech built on the foundations of HTML.
A great read for any SEO learner/teacher. 🔥
moz.com/blog/technic...
My favourite analogies are her bus numbers as server codes and JavaScript as house tech built on the foundations of HTML.
A great read for any SEO learner/teacher. 🔥
moz.com/blog/technic...
Reposted by AlexHarford-TechSEO
🔔 Did you know #OpenAI may keep a cached index of webpages?
When a page is fresh or heavy on #JavaScript, #ChatGPT can generate answers from related cached pages.
I built a small app using your OpenAI API to check the external_web_access endpoint
Tests and context -> github.com/simodepth96/...
When a page is fresh or heavy on #JavaScript, #ChatGPT can generate answers from related cached pages.
I built a small app using your OpenAI API to check the external_web_access endpoint
Tests and context -> github.com/simodepth96/...
GitHub - simodepth96/ChatGPT-Index-Console
Contribute to simodepth96/ChatGPT-Index-Console development by creating an account on GitHub.
github.com
November 29, 2025 at 7:43 PM
🔔 Did you know #OpenAI may keep a cached index of webpages?
When a page is fresh or heavy on #JavaScript, #ChatGPT can generate answers from related cached pages.
I built a small app using your OpenAI API to check the external_web_access endpoint
Tests and context -> github.com/simodepth96/...
When a page is fresh or heavy on #JavaScript, #ChatGPT can generate answers from related cached pages.
I built a small app using your OpenAI API to check the external_web_access endpoint
Tests and context -> github.com/simodepth96/...
Ironically behind a paywall, but I'd missed the news that Common Crawl might be the reason paywalled content is in LLM outputs.
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
The Company Quietly Funneling Paywalled Articles to AI Developers
“You shouldn’t have put your content on the internet if you didn’t want it to be on the internet,” Common Crawl’s executive director says.
www.theatlantic.com
November 27, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Ironically behind a paywall, but I'd missed the news that Common Crawl might be the reason paywalled content is in LLM outputs.
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
Random spot but according to Statcounter, Yandex overtook Google as Russia's most used search engine when Russia invaded Ukraine. 🤔
November 26, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Random spot but according to Statcounter, Yandex overtook Google as Russia's most used search engine when Russia invaded Ukraine. 🤔
Reposted by AlexHarford-TechSEO
"If other websites have similar content [shingleInfo], consider whether the page is the original source [contentFirstCrawlTime]."
www.searchable.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:08 PM
"If other websites have similar content [shingleInfo], consider whether the page is the original source [contentFirstCrawlTime]."
I hate this kind of misinformation (lies?) from companies I believe should know/do better (BigCommerce plugging LLMs.txt): www.bigcommerce.co.uk/blog/ecommer...
Where's their article on cats.txt @markwilliamscook.com?
Where's their article on cats.txt @markwilliamscook.com?
LLMs.txt for Ecommerce (Get Products Discovered in AI Search)
Discover how implementing LLMs.txt can help ecommerce brands shape how AI finds and displays products.
www.bigcommerce.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 1:45 PM
I hate this kind of misinformation (lies?) from companies I believe should know/do better (BigCommerce plugging LLMs.txt): www.bigcommerce.co.uk/blog/ecommer...
Where's their article on cats.txt @markwilliamscook.com?
Where's their article on cats.txt @markwilliamscook.com?
#TechSEOaBook
Cache Me If You Can
Charlotte's Core Web Vitals
I, Robots.txt
Search and Sensibility
Never Let Me 404
Tech SEO goes literary.
More please?!
Cache Me If You Can
Charlotte's Core Web Vitals
I, Robots.txt
Search and Sensibility
Never Let Me 404
Tech SEO goes literary.
More please?!
November 25, 2025 at 8:18 AM
#TechSEOaBook
Cache Me If You Can
Charlotte's Core Web Vitals
I, Robots.txt
Search and Sensibility
Never Let Me 404
Tech SEO goes literary.
More please?!
Cache Me If You Can
Charlotte's Core Web Vitals
I, Robots.txt
Search and Sensibility
Never Let Me 404
Tech SEO goes literary.
More please?!
Googled Avril Coleridge-Taylor, got her father.
Definitely not recency bias...
...but still taking after her father in being marginalised.
P.S. The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra recorded some of Avril Coleridge-Taylor's works. The release is out now and beautiful: open.spotify.com/album/6EroQD...
Definitely not recency bias...
...but still taking after her father in being marginalised.
P.S. The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra recorded some of Avril Coleridge-Taylor's works. The release is out now and beautiful: open.spotify.com/album/6EroQD...
![Google search result for [rym avril coleridge taylor] shows the RYM webpage for Samuel Coleridge-Taylor instead.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:y3arowkhgiexpyvmmxvquavg/bafkreigzvelvgpdnmyjqgyd36lypiwicvo5cs4pry6fjvxzo4l7rv4ausq@jpeg)
November 21, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Googled Avril Coleridge-Taylor, got her father.
Definitely not recency bias...
...but still taking after her father in being marginalised.
P.S. The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra recorded some of Avril Coleridge-Taylor's works. The release is out now and beautiful: open.spotify.com/album/6EroQD...
Definitely not recency bias...
...but still taking after her father in being marginalised.
P.S. The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra recorded some of Avril Coleridge-Taylor's works. The release is out now and beautiful: open.spotify.com/album/6EroQD...
Double triple quadruple yes please!
The DevTools waterfall could be much more usable and useful.
The DevTools waterfall could be much more usable and useful.
Do you want a better Waterfall in Chrome DevTools?
Then plus 1 this bug:
issues.chromium.org/issues/34649...
It's one of the things we're considering working on next but need to see that the interest is there, and it's not just a thing I'd like to see...
Then plus 1 this bug:
issues.chromium.org/issues/34649...
It's one of the things we're considering working on next but need to see that the interest is there, and it's not just a thing I'd like to see...
Chromium
issues.chromium.org
November 20, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Double triple quadruple yes please!
The DevTools waterfall could be much more usable and useful.
The DevTools waterfall could be much more usable and useful.
The below post from Barry reminds me that this User Agent Directory - chrisleverseo.com/user-agents - by @chrislever.bsky.social is a brilliant #TechSEO resource.
A while ago I spent a couple of hours searching for and reading up on various user agents and didn't need to leave Chris' site.
A while ago I spent a couple of hours searching for and reading up on various user agents and didn't need to leave Chris' site.
November 13, 2025 at 1:38 PM
The below post from Barry reminds me that this User Agent Directory - chrisleverseo.com/user-agents - by @chrislever.bsky.social is a brilliant #TechSEO resource.
A while ago I spent a couple of hours searching for and reading up on various user agents and didn't need to leave Chris' site.
A while ago I spent a couple of hours searching for and reading up on various user agents and didn't need to leave Chris' site.
Reposted by AlexHarford-TechSEO
Consistency is the biggest technical SEO factor.
November 12, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Consistency is the biggest technical SEO factor.
Reposted by AlexHarford-TechSEO
I guess it's thrilling to imagine oneself to be part of a mad chase to the creation of artificial life. But it's not just fun and games when that chase is being used to concentrate wealth & power and involves despoiling the physical & information ecosystems + massive labor exploitation.
>>
>>
November 9, 2025 at 3:05 PM
I guess it's thrilling to imagine oneself to be part of a mad chase to the creation of artificial life. But it's not just fun and games when that chase is being used to concentrate wealth & power and involves despoiling the physical & information ecosystems + massive labor exploitation.
>>
>>
"Search has changed. It is no longer about rankings or clicks but about whether systems understand and trust your information."
chrisleverseo.com/blog/the-con...
From @chrislever.bsky.social
chrisleverseo.com/blog/the-con...
From @chrislever.bsky.social
The Confidence in Search Systems Framework - Chris Lever
TL;DR Search has changed. It is no longer about rankings or clicks but about whether systems understand and trust your information. The Confidence in Search Systems Framework helps close that gap. It ...
chrisleverseo.com
November 8, 2025 at 4:54 PM
"Search has changed. It is no longer about rankings or clicks but about whether systems understand and trust your information."
chrisleverseo.com/blog/the-con...
From @chrislever.bsky.social
chrisleverseo.com/blog/the-con...
From @chrislever.bsky.social
Reposted by AlexHarford-TechSEO
Google AI Overviews hallucinating as usual. I won't let it poo-poo my sci-fi short story ideas. 🙃
![Screenshot of Google search for [Bacon grease lubricate black hole] with AI Overview: The concept of 'lubricating' a black hole with bacon grease is a nonsensical idea based on a fundamental misunderstanding of black holes.'](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:relqcjqqz5stdzdr24rnv7k5/bafkreiga6qdmhjthcmr3ifzzsmp4eay6qelcs2f2xsayjqacgbw5xizc5e@jpeg)
November 7, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Google AI Overviews hallucinating as usual. I won't let it poo-poo my sci-fi short story ideas. 🙃
Now Google has said it, I hope more people listen.
Google published guidance emphasizing context-driven technical SEO audits over tool-generated scores, explaining when high 404s are normal. via @mattgsouthern.bsky.social
#seonews #Google
#seonews #Google
Google Warns Against Relying On SEO Audit Tool Scores
Google published guidance emphasizing context-driven technical SEO audits over tool-generated scores, explaining when high 404s are normal. via @mattgsouthern.bsky.social
#seonews #Google
www.searchenginejournal.com
November 6, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Now Google has said it, I hope more people listen.
I'd guess Collins are on the OpenAI payroll or trying to get on it or something...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
'Vibe coding' named word of the year by Collins Dictionary
The art of making an app by describing it to artificial intelligence (AI) tops 10 new terms on the shortlist.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 6, 2025 at 9:38 AM
I'd guess Collins are on the OpenAI payroll or trying to get on it or something...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by AlexHarford-TechSEO
How to Use Chrome to View a Website as Googlebot - via @alexharfordseo.bsky.social #seo
How to Use Chrome to View a Website as Googlebot
The author's views are entirely their own (excluding the unlikely event of hypnosis) and may not always reflect the views of Moz.
moz.com
November 2, 2025 at 8:27 AM
How to Use Chrome to View a Website as Googlebot - via @alexharfordseo.bsky.social #seo
Reposted by AlexHarford-TechSEO
Little reminder that an inaccessible website means lost customers, and lost revenues.
From the article: "Research shows UK businesses collectively lose £17.1 billion a year because shoppers using assistive technology abandon websites that don’t work for them...
From the article: "Research shows UK businesses collectively lose £17.1 billion a year because shoppers using assistive technology abandon websites that don’t work for them...
Black Friday and Cyber Monday: why accessibility could be your biggest sales advantage
Businesses lose nearly £446 million every BFCM weekend because of inaccessible websites. Learn how accessibility boosts conversions, loyalty, and sales, and how to prepare for the biggest shopping weekend of the year.
davedavies.dev
October 28, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Little reminder that an inaccessible website means lost customers, and lost revenues.
From the article: "Research shows UK businesses collectively lose £17.1 billion a year because shoppers using assistive technology abandon websites that don’t work for them...
From the article: "Research shows UK businesses collectively lose £17.1 billion a year because shoppers using assistive technology abandon websites that don’t work for them...
Competitions that get entrants to improve search engine CTR seem to be back in vogue. I've seen a couple recently.
October 26, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Competitions that get entrants to improve search engine CTR seem to be back in vogue. I've seen a couple recently.
OpenAI accelerating our regression to 1984 (especially with point 3 in the article)...
Imagine a browser where you type in “Taylor Swift” and it doesn’t even admit that her website exists. I write about Atlas, ChatGPT’s new anti-web browser that should come with a warning label. www.anildash.com/2025/10/22/a...
ChatGPT's Atlas: The Browser That's Anti-Web - Anil Dash
A blog about making culture. Since 1999.
www.anildash.com
October 23, 2025 at 8:03 AM
OpenAI accelerating our regression to 1984 (especially with point 3 in the article)...
Is it possible to return 410 Gone on Shopify sites without resorting to the edge?
I'm auditing a Shopify website that has 84% of its 20,000+ products either out of stock or discontinued.
I don't want to recommend anything for the majority of that other than 410 GONE!
#WebDev #TechSEO
I'm auditing a Shopify website that has 84% of its 20,000+ products either out of stock or discontinued.
I don't want to recommend anything for the majority of that other than 410 GONE!
#WebDev #TechSEO
October 16, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Reposted by AlexHarford-TechSEO
Here come the AI Search core systems. My latest post -> AI Search & the growing importance of developing strong core visibility systems, site-level quality scoring, & anti-spam systems
IMO, there is no way the AI Search platforms can let people game visibility while destroying user trust over time.
IMO, there is no way the AI Search platforms can let people game visibility while destroying user trust over time.
AI Search and the growing importance of developing strong core visibility systems, site-level quality scoring, and anti-spam systems
Glenn Gabe explains the growing need for AI Search platforms to develop strong core ranking systems, site-level quality scoring, and anti-spam systems.
www.gsqi.com
October 15, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Here come the AI Search core systems. My latest post -> AI Search & the growing importance of developing strong core visibility systems, site-level quality scoring, & anti-spam systems
IMO, there is no way the AI Search platforms can let people game visibility while destroying user trust over time.
IMO, there is no way the AI Search platforms can let people game visibility while destroying user trust over time.
Reposted by AlexHarford-TechSEO
This post by the good folks at @tetralogical.com is a fantastic article that debunks common misconceptions about screen readers (and their users)
"Common misconceptions about screen readers"
🔗 tetralogical.com/blog/2025/10...
Highly recommended read. #a11y
"Common misconceptions about screen readers"
🔗 tetralogical.com/blog/2025/10...
Highly recommended read. #a11y
Common misconceptions about screen readers - TetraLogical
Screen readers are familiar to many in digital, but how they work in practice can be less clear. In this post, we shed some light on the topic.
tetralogical.com
October 14, 2025 at 5:33 PM
This post by the good folks at @tetralogical.com is a fantastic article that debunks common misconceptions about screen readers (and their users)
"Common misconceptions about screen readers"
🔗 tetralogical.com/blog/2025/10...
Highly recommended read. #a11y
"Common misconceptions about screen readers"
🔗 tetralogical.com/blog/2025/10...
Highly recommended read. #a11y
Shopify apps are spamming a website's backend now?
Is it just me or is that a red flag? The app's reviews are overwhelmingly positive, so it's a shame they feel the need to resort to this.
I blocked out the app's name to avoid advertising them.
Is it just me or is that a red flag? The app's reviews are overwhelmingly positive, so it's a shame they feel the need to resort to this.
I blocked out the app's name to avoid advertising them.
October 14, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Shopify apps are spamming a website's backend now?
Is it just me or is that a red flag? The app's reviews are overwhelmingly positive, so it's a shame they feel the need to resort to this.
I blocked out the app's name to avoid advertising them.
Is it just me or is that a red flag? The app's reviews are overwhelmingly positive, so it's a shame they feel the need to resort to this.
I blocked out the app's name to avoid advertising them.
I admire Tim Berners-Lee's generosity and optimism but can't see any government I'm aware of taking notice.
Thirty-two years ago, we were given the web as a gift.
Today, we must live up to such a gift and defend it.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Today, we must live up to such a gift and defend it.
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Why I gave the world wide web away for free | Tim Berners-Lee
My vision was based on sharing, not exploitation – and here’s why it’s still worth fighting for
www.theguardian.com
October 7, 2025 at 12:36 PM
I admire Tim Berners-Lee's generosity and optimism but can't see any government I'm aware of taking notice.