From the team.
Notes on websites, SEO, AI search and paid advertising — written as we learn it, not recycled from somewhere else.
Will Silk
What Is a Good Lead for an HVAC or Plumbing Business? How to Judge Your Marketing Agency
Lead volume is easy to inflate. Here is how HVAC and plumbing owners can judge lead quality, local SEO and ROI from a marketing agency's reports.
SEO · AI Search · Strategy
Will Silk
How to Compare Med Spa Marketing Agencies: 8 Questions to Ask Before You Sign
Comparing med spa marketing agencies? Eight questions on compliance, injectables vs skincare, tracking and contracts that separate strong agencies from weak ones.
SEO · AI Search · Strategy
Will Silk
Rebuild or Fix? How to Decide What to Do With an Old Website
A rebuild fixes some problems and creates others. Here is how to decide, and what Google says to do so a new site doesn't lose its search traffic.
Web Design · Strategy
Will Silk
The Product Page Checklist for Small Online Stores
Shoppers abandon carts for reasons you can fix on the product page: surprise costs, unclear delivery and weak trust. A practical checklist with sources.
Web Design · Strategy
Will Silk
How to Measure Your AI Search Visibility Without Fooling Yourself
AI answers change every time you ask. Here is how to measure your visibility with samples, logs and analytics, and what any tool can't tell you.
AI Search · SEO
Will Silk
How We Audit a Small Business Website (and What We Look At First)
What we check first in a website audit for search and AI visibility, how we verify findings, and the mistakes our own audit made on our own site.
SEO · AI Search
Will Silk
What AI Automation Can and Can't Do for a Small Business's Marketing
AI can speed up drafting, reporting and follow-up, but it can't check facts or replace judgement. Here is what Google and YouTube actually say.
AI Search · Strategy
Will Silk
Your Google Business Profile in the AI Search Era: What to Complete and Keep Consistent
What Google says about local ranking, what AI answers appear to draw on, and a Business Profile checklist: name, categories, hours and reviews.
SEO · AI Search
Will Silk
Paid Search or Paid Social: Which One Fits Your Goal?
Search ads catch people already looking; social ads reach people who weren't. Here is how a small business can choose by goal, offer and market size.
Paid Ads · Social Media
Will Silk
Five Numbers That Tell You Whether Your Marketing Is Working
Skip the vanity metrics. These five numbers show whether your marketing brings in enquiries and customers, and how to find each one in GA4 and Search Console.
Strategy
Will Silk
What Google Actually Requires to Appear in AI Overviews and AI Mode
Google's own documentation lists what a page needs to appear in AI Overviews and AI Mode. Here is what is required, what is not, and what to check this week.
SEO · AI Search
Will Silk
Why Your Ad Spend Isn't Turning Into Enquiries: A Five-Point Leak Audit
Paying for ads but getting few enquiries? Check the five places money leaks out: tracking, search terms, page match, mobile speed and follow-up time.
Paid Ads · Strategy
Will Silk
Your Website Is Slow: What to Fix First, in Order
Which fixes matter most when a site is slow? Google's own guidance gives an order. Here it is in plain English, with how to measure first.
Web Design · SEO
Will Silk
Should You Let AI Crawlers Onto Your Website? A robots.txt Decision Guide
Search bots and training bots are different. Here is what OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and Perplexity each document, and how to decide what to allow.
AI Search · SEO
Will Silk
Is Email Marketing Still Worth It for a Small Business?
Does email marketing still work for small businesses? Why the list is the one audience you own, how often to send, and what actually gets opened and acted on.
Email Marketing · Strategy
Will Silk
Does a Small Business Still Need a Website in 2026?
Does a small business still need a website now that social media and Google Business Profile exist? What a site does that rented platforms can't.
Web Design · Strategy
Will Silk
How Much Should a Small Business Spend on Digital Marketing?
How to set a digital marketing budget for a small business: percentage of revenue, what to spend on first, and the mistakes that waste small budgets.
Strategy · Paid Ads
Will Silk
How Often Should a Small Business Post on Social Media?
How often should a small business post on social media? Realistic frequencies by platform, why consistency beats volume, and how to avoid burnout.
Social Media · Strategy
Will Silk
What Does a Digital Marketing Agency Actually Do for a Small Business?
A plain-English look at what a digital marketing agency does day to day for a small business: the six functions, what they cost in-house, and how to judge one.
Strategy
Will Silk
What Is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), and How Is It Different from SEO?
Answer Engine Optimization explained in plain English: what AEO means, how it differs from SEO, and the changes that make a small business quotable by AI.
SEO · AI Search · Strategy
Will Silk
Meet the Founders: How Velocity Branding Started
Meet Will Silk and Louise Ackermann, the founders of Velocity Branding — the story behind the AI-powered digital marketing agency for small businesses.
Strategy
Will Silk
Why Your Business Needs to Show Up in AI Search, Not Just Google
Search is splitting into two channels: the ranked list and the AI answer. Here's what that means for a small business and what to actually do about it.
SEO · AI Search · Strategy
Will Silk
Six Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Marketing Agency
A short, practical checklist for vetting a marketing agency before you sign a retainer — the questions that actually reveal how they'll run your account.
Strategy
Will Silk
How to Choose a Marketing Agency for Your HVAC or Plumbing Business: A Practical Checklist
A practical checklist for HVAC and plumbing firms choosing a marketing agency: what to ask, what to avoid, and how to tell real lead generation from a pitch.
SEO · AI Search · Strategy