DIY SEO
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) sounds complex, but with a few simple tricks, you’ll find yourself climbing the search results.
Here are just a few of the best ways to get that boost for free.
Watch Your Words
One of the most overlooked problems are the keywords themselves. Don’t try to be the number one hit for “socks” because there is no way. You could be high on the list for “men’s business socks” or something more specific. Once you have a few phrases that work, try a combination that represents the strongest part of your business.
Be Consistent
The best keywords aren’t going to get you very far if you aren’t updating the site. Chances are, you can’t redesign your site regularly. You aren’t making new products every week. Having promotions year in and out is ridiculous.
You can, however, blog. Your webhost probably has one and you can generate some interesting content on your own. At first, blog weekly. If you are successful, try it daily. The activity on your site helps Google and similar search engines rank you higher.
Keep It Pithy
When it comes to item descriptions and URLs, the shorter the better. For item descriptions and comments, try to keep it under 50 words with all the pertinent details.
This can be especially hard for some products, but you may be able to find a different header for special information or specific dimensions.
Likewise, you don’t want to have every step of the site in your URL. For example me.com/clothing/mens/underwears/socks/business/search.aspx is not as good as me.com/socks. Google and other engines can really penalise you for a long URL.
Stick to these 3 simple rules and you can get yourself to the top of the search results by the end of the week. Just remember this is a journey, not a destination.
Poll: Do you set New Year’s resolutions?
🎉 2026 is almost here!
We’re curious ... how do you welcome it?
Do you set resolutions, follow special traditions, or just go with the flow?
-
9.8% Yes! New Year, New Me
-
22% Yes - but I rarely stick to them
-
68.1% Nah - not for me
By-election for Otara-Papatoetoe area
Just to let everyone know that we have another by-election happening, and here is the reason why. Below are details and dates, so keep an eye on your letter boxes.
The Manukau Court’s Ruling
The Manukau District Court determined that the Papatoetoe subdivision result of the Ōtara–Papatoetoe Local Board election was invalid, ruling that the outcome had been “materially affected” by voting irregularities. Judge Richard McIlraith found that the scale and nature of the irregularities met the legal threshold required to void an election under New Zealand’s local electoral laws.
In his decision, Judge McIlraith stated that the evidence presented — including reports of stolen voting papers, fraudulent use of ballots, and other procedural irregularities — was sufficient to conclude that the integrity of the election had been compromised. The court noted that at least 79 voting papers were identified as having been cast without the rightful voter’s knowledge during a judicially supervised examination of ballot boxes.
While the judge acknowledged that the election had been administered “properly and in accordance with all requirements” by Independent Election Services and the electoral officer, he concluded that the fraudulent activity originated outside the official process and nonetheless impacted the final result to a degree that required the election to be voided.
As a result of the ruling, the court ordered that a new election must be held, with Auckland Council confirming that the fresh poll must be completed by 9 April 2026
Poll: 🗑️ Would you be keen to switch to a fortnightly rubbish collection, or do you prefer things as they are?
Aucklanders, our weekly rubbish collections are staying after councillors voted to scrap a proposed trial of fortnightly pick-ups.
We want to hear from you: would you be keen to switch to a fortnightly rubbish collection, or do you prefer things as they are?
Keen for the details? Read up about the scrapped collection trial here.
-
85.2% Same!
-
14.8% Would have liked to try something different
Loading…
