Is it true that meta keywords help you rank on Google?

No, it's a myth. Google says Google Search doesn't use the keywords meta tag at all. Spend that time on titles, descriptions and the content itself.

Is it true that google prefers longer content with a set word count?

No, it's a myth. Google's own guidance on helpful content says plainly that it doesn't have a preferred word count. Write as much as it takes to fully answer the question.

Is it true that google automatically penalizes AI-written content?

No, it's a myth. Google's spam policies target large amounts of unoriginal, low-value content made mainly to manipulate rankings, no matter how it's created. Quality is the test, not the tool.

Is it true that robots.txt keeps a page out of Google?

No, it's a myth. Google says robots.txt isn't a mechanism for keeping a page out of Google. Use a noindex tag or password protection instead.

Is it true that you need special schema to appear in AI Overviews?

No, it's a myth. Google says there's no special schema.org structured data you need to add for its AI features, and no extra requirements beyond normal SEO best practices.

Is it true that blocking GPTBot removes you from ChatGPT search?

No, it's a myth. OpenAI says GPTBot (training) and OAI-SearchBot (search) are independent settings. ChatGPT search visibility is controlled by OAI-SearchBot.

Is it true that submitting a sitemap guarantees your pages get indexed?

No, it's a myth. Google says a sitemap helps it find your pages, but doesn't guarantee that all of them will be crawled and indexed.

Is it true that you can pay Google to rank higher in organic results?

No, it's a myth. Google says it doesn't accept payment to crawl a site more often or rank it higher. Ads are separate, labelled placements.

Is it true that updating the date makes a page look fresh to Google?

No, it's a myth. Google's helpful content guidance specifically flags changing page dates to seem fresh when the content hasn't substantially changed.

SEO Experiments

My SEO Playground.

This is my lab. I take the SEO, AEO and AI search advice everyone repeats, test it, measure what actually happens and publish the results, including the ones that flop. Data first, opinions second.

How I test

Every experiment follows the same five steps.

My master's in teaching mathematics made me allergic to guesswork. A claim only counts if the numbers back it up.

Ask a real question
Start from something business owners and SEOs actually wonder about.
Record the baseline
Capture rankings, clicks and traffic before touching anything.
Change one thing
One variable at a time, so the result means something.
Measure long enough
Search moves slowly. Give the change time, then compare like with like.
Publish the verdict
What changed, by how much, and what it means for your site.

Lab rulesOne variable at a timeBaseline firstData source and dates namedFlops published tooNo cherry-picked screenshots

Experiment log

Latest results from the lab

Client case studies →

Debunking SEO myths

Myth or fact? Check it against the source.

These get repeated in every SEO group. Each answer comes straight from Google's, OpenAI's or Perplexity's own documentation, linked so you can check it yourself.

Checked 0 of 9

On my test board

Questions I want answered.

The questions I get asked most, waiting their turn in the lab.

AEO
Does a 50-word answer at the top of a page change how often it appears in AI Overviews?
Open question
Technical
How much faster does a new page get indexed when it has internal links from the start?
Open question
GEO
Do ChatGPT and Perplexity cite the same sources for the same question?
Open question
Local
Do weekly Google Business Profile posts change calls and direction requests?
Open question
Content
Does a real content refresh move rankings more than publishing a brand-new post?
Open question
GEO
Does adding an llms.txt file change how AI crawlers visit a site?
Open question

Suggest an experiment

Got an SEO claim you want tested? Tell me. The best questions make it onto the board.

In the lab

The tools I measure with

Google Search ConsoleImpressions, clicks, positions and indexing, straight from Google.
Google Analytics 4What visitors do after they land, and which pages turn into enquiries.
SemrushKeyword data, competitor research and rank tracking.
Rank MathOn-page settings, schema and redirects on WordPress.
Geo-grid heatmapsLocal rankings checked street by street across a map.
ChatGPT, Perplexity & Google AIManual checks of who gets cited for the questions that matter.

Hire me

Want your own site tested?

I'll audit your site, find what's really holding it back, and back every recommendation with data.

Get a free audit →Work with me

My SEO Playground.

Every experiment follows the same five steps.

Ask a real question

Record the baseline

Change one thing

Measure long enough

Publish the verdict