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Ideas, notes
& useful things.
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What is an ’email alias’?
An email alias is an additional address that delivers to an existing mailbox. For example, an address for enquiries could arrive in a mailbox you already use, rather than requiring a separate login. An alias is not another inbox Messages sent to the alias are handled by the destination mailbox. It does not normally have…
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Does extending your domain registration improve SEO?
Renewing a domain matters because you do not want your website or email to stop working when it expires. That practical reason should be kept separate from promises about SEO. What this article previously claimed The original article suggested that a longer registration period would make Google take a website more seriously and improve its…
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Windows 7 support has ended — what now?
This article originally discussed the approaching end of Windows 7 support. That deadline has passed: Microsoft ended standard Windows 7 support on 14 January 2020. It should not be treated as a currently supported operating system. Do not follow an old upgrade offer The earlier article suggested a Windows 7 key might activate a free…
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Improve Your Website’s Search Engine Rankings with These 5 SEO Tips
As a business owner, you’re no doubt bombarded by spammy emails offering you SEO services from companies that promise they can get your website on the first page of Google. As a reputable Sheffield SEO company we know that no-one can really guarantee these results with 100% certainty. But there are certain things that you…
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How to redirect index.php for SEO
A homepage may be accessible both at the site root and at /index.php. If both addresses serve the same page, decide which is the intended canonical destination before adding a redirect. Check the actual behaviour Request each URL and record its status, destination and canonical output. Some installations already redirect correctly. Others use index.php as…
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Why move to Microsoft Exchange?
It’s the year 2000. We’re at work. We sit in front of our computer, reading and replying to our emails. At the end of the day we turn the computer off. Everything is done… except it’s not! We’re driving home and remember that really important email we forgot to reply to. Did we press send…
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Images upload fine but don’t display in the WordPress media manager – how to fix
If an image appears to upload but the Media Library shows a blank tile, first establish whether the file exists and whether its URL loads. Permissions are one possible cause, not a diagnosis on their own. Check the file and request Try an authorised, non-sensitive test upload. Inspect the failed image request and the site’s…
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How to increase WordPress maximum upload size
If WordPress will not accept a large upload, first check the displayed limit in Media → Add New. There is no universal 32 MB WordPress default: the effective limit depends on the hosting environment and site configuration. Check whether a larger upload is needed For an image, try preparing an appropriately sized copy rather than…
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WordPress Tutorial – Contact Form 7 with CAPTCHA and Message Log
A contact form needs to accept genuine enquiries as well as reject spam. Adding several unrelated CAPTCHA plugins is not automatically the best answer. Start with the spam protection your current Contact Form 7 version supports. Choose a supported integration Contact Form 7 documents native integrations for Cloudflare Turnstile, reCAPTCHA v3 and Akismet. Choose an…
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Upgrade Contact Form 7 to reCAPTCHA V3
The vast majority of unwanted website contact form messages (spam) are created by ‘bots’ – software that finds contact forms and sends messages through them. Google’s reCAPTCHA is a way of protecting you against this spam and other types of automated abuse as it attempts to verify that the form is being filled in by…
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Adding an SSL certificate to your site – potential problems
Before changing the WordPress address Confirm that the correct domain has a valid TLS certificate and that HTTPS works at the hosting layer. Keep a private file/database backup and a recovery route before changing URLs. HTTPS protects the connection; it does not prove a business or page is honest. Investigate mixed content Use the browser’s…
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A Virtual Tour as easy as 1,2,3,4
Virtual tours are becoming increasingly sought after as effective marketing material. With the realization of their online value for potential customers, many businesses are now investing in virtual tours. With the sudden growth comes misunderstandings and uncertainties about what you can expect from a virtual tour company. As an experienced and highly regarded virtual tour…
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5 Ways Google’s Hummingbird Algorithm Will Change Your SEO Copywriting
Historical context: this article discusses Google’s Hummingbird change from 2013. It is not a report of the latest search update. The useful lesson is to answer the reader’s question naturally; current SEO decisions should use present evidence. Hummingbird – Google’s new algorithm In the wake of the new Google algorithm, ‘Hummingbird’, SEO copywriters have had…
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5 Tips for Writing Good SEO Copy
With Google’s recent algorithm updates, search engine optimised content is more important than ever for your website or blog. Google is putting more emphasis than ever on original, quality content. With that in mind, I’ve decided to share 5 tips that will help you get to grips with SEO copywriting. Write for Humans Even search…
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Writing for the Web – 10 Top Tips
People often arrive at a web page with a question to answer. Help them find the answer quickly, while giving enough detail to act on it. Here are ten practical ways to make your writing easier to use. 1. Make the title descriptive Tell readers what they will learn. A clever headline is little use…