Explore every episode of the podcast SEO F**king What - Get Found on Google and make money from your website with practical SEO tips
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress, Wix, Squarespace or AI: Which Is Best for SEO?... | 08 Nov 2026 | 00:11:29 | |
WordPress or Wix, Squarespace or some AI site builder. Which one's best for SEO? I've worked on all of them, and I'm about to ruin the argument for everyone. Hi, I'm Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO F**king What", I'm ending the fight that kicks off every time someone tells you to bin your website. Last week it was the PHP panic and the hustle bros telling you to move off WordPress. This week it's the follow-up, and the answer is simple: no platform is best for SEO, and none of them is bad for it either. The fundamentals are the same on all of them. What changes is where things live. Here's what I'm covering: — Why WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Webflow, Magento and Drupal all need the same SEO basics — What "SEO-friendly" actually means (the site can be optimised, not that anyone's bothered) — Why "you can't do SEO on Wix" and "Squarespace is crap for SEO" are bollocks — The two flavours of AI-built website, and why one of them means your SEO has no way in — Why so much of SEO is detective work: finding where the title, the redirects and the "don't index" setting are hiding — Why moving platform isn't free, even when it looks like it, and why I'd usually tell you to stay put — The bit everyone skips: who's actually looking after your website I also give you a proper piece of homework. Not the "might do that one day" kind. The actual do-it-this-week kind: log in and find where your meta titles, H1s and redirects live, then write down who looks after your website, who updates it, who keeps it secure and who you call when it breaks. If someone you know is about to move their site because it's "better for SEO", send them this first. Get found. Make money. And don't give up WordPress just because some arsehole on LinkedIn tells you to. Chapters: 00:00 Which Platform Is Best For SEO? 00:42 None Of Them 01:59 WordPress, Wix, Squarespace And AI Sites 04:47 Finding Where Things Live 06:07 Should You Move Platform? Links mentioned: Book an SEO Power Hour with me (£200): https://nikki-pilkington.com/seo-training-and-development-uk/ Mike Cottam, who looks after my clients' WordPress sites: [ADD MIKE COTTAM LINKEDIN LINK] Non-Wanky SEO Courses: https://nonwankyseo.com Episode 48, the PHP panic: https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/episode/it-was-a-php-problem-not-a-wordpress-problem-ffs Episode 46, on what "SEO-friendly" really means: https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/episode/why-your-website-isnt-on-google-and-whose-job-it-was Episode 24, the bigger rant about AI-built websites: https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/episode/why-websites-built-with-ai-are-fuking-up-your-seo Episode 11, the website migration horror show: https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/episode/ffs-let-your-seo-help-with-your-fking-website-migration Google's own guide to site moves: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/site-move-with-url-changes Follow Nikki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social | |||
| It Was a PHP Problem, Not a WordPress Problem, FFS! | 01 Nov 2026 | 00:12:58 | |
So a week or so ago, a bug in PHP took websites offline all over the world. Within minutes, some LinkedIn wanker was telling you to bin your WordPress site. Sit down. We need to talk. Hi, I'm Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO F**king What", I'm talking about the PHP mess, the WordPress panic, and why the people shouting loudest on social media are so often the last people you should be listening to. This was a PHP problem, not a WordPress problem, and for most small businesses on decent hosting it was fixed on the server while you slept. Moving your site to a different CMS would have fixed precisely fuck all. Here's what I'm covering: — What actually happened with PHP2Shell, and why your host probably sorted it without you lifting a finger — Why PHP lives on the server and your CMS sits on top of it, so this was never a WordPress problem — The "WordPress is dead, comment 'website' for the link" posts, and everything they conveniently left out — Why your comment is their metric and your panic is their sales funnel — Why none of this is new: same shite, different decade — Five checks for the next panic, including the "who benefits" test and whether they named everything that got hit — Why sometimes the right response is "noted, checked, we're fine" — A few heartfelt wishes for the hustle bros. Lego is involved. I also give you a proper piece of homework. Not the "might do that one day" kind. The actual do-it-this-week kind: get your host to confirm in writing that you're patched, write down who you'd call if your website broke tomorrow, and mute one panic merchant. If a mate sent you one of those "move off WordPress now" posts, send them this episode instead. Get found. Make money. And the next time LinkedIn tells you something's dead, ask them what they're selling. Chapters: 00:00 The PHP Panic 00:50 What Actually Broke 02:54 Who Profits From The Panic 04:10 Your Panic Is Their Sales Funnel 06:56 How To Handle The Next Panic Links mentioned: Non-Wanky SEO Courses: https://nonwankyseo.com Episode 11, on website migrations going wrong: https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/episode/ffs-let-your-seo-help-with-your-fking-website-migration Episode 2, on who actually owns your website stuff: https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/episode/your-seo-sht-who-actually-owns-it The PHP project's own announcements (the boring factual source): https://www.php.net/ Which PHP versions still get security fixes: https://www.php.net/supported-versions.php Follow Nikki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social | |||
| Some SEO Advice For Whoever Runs Your Website - "Admin" Is Hiding Your Expertise from Google | 25 Oct 2026 | 00:12:23 | |
Who wrote the last blog post on your website? If the page says admin, Google's asking the same fucking question. So are your customers. Hi, I'm Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO F**king What", I'm talking about who wrote your website. AI has made faking an expert so easy that being a real one is now one of the best advantages you've got, and most of you are throwing it away by publishing everything as "admin". You've got the qualifications, the scars and the client stories, and the page that's meant to prove it is signed by a WordPress username. That's bollocks, and it's fixable in an afternoon. Here's what I'm covering: — Why "posted by admin", "posted by team" or no name at all throws away years of expertise you actually earned — Sports Illustrated's made-up writers, CNET Money Staff, and why a faceless byline protects nobody — The honest bit: an author bio isn't a ranking factor on its own, so why bother? Because it makes your expertise checkable by Google, by AI tools and by the person deciding whether to ring you — How Google joins the dots between you on your site, on LinkedIn, in the trade press and on that conference stage, and why that's the one thing AI can't fake — The dickheads inventing authors on purpose, and why a fake "medically reviewed by" is a liability, not a shortcut — How an "admin" username on WordPress can hand anyone who wants to break into your site half your login — The fix, step by step: real names, proper author pages, links that go both ways, Person schema with sameAs, honest reviewers, and existing somewhere other than your own website I also give you a proper piece of homework. Not the "might do that one day" kind. The actual do-it-this-week kind: five steps, starting with counting how many of your posts were written by "admin". If this is useful, send it to whoever runs your website. Especially if their name is Admin. Get found. Make money. And go and find out who the fuck admin is. Chapters: 00:00 Who Wrote Your Website 01:14 AI Made Faking Experts Easy 03:45 How Google Joins The Dots 06:25 The Fix And Your Homework Links mentioned: Non-Wanky SEO Courses (the On-Page SEO Toolkit is free, it was £200): https://nonwankyseo.com Episode 18, the content audit episode (including AI-written content): https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/episode/you-havent-read-your-own-website-have-you-time-for-a-content-audit Episode 12, on why you shouldn't stick GEO in your LinkedIn headline: https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/episode/ffs-seos-dont-add-geo-to-your-linkedin-headline Google's guidance on helpful, people-first content (the "who wrote this?" questions): https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content Google's author markup best practices (only the name in the name field, and sameAs): https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/article Follow Nikki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social | |||
| Why Your Website Isn't On Google (And Whose Job It Was) | 18 Oct 2026 | 00:13:22 | |
Your web designer said your new site was SEO-friendly. It probably is. That's not the same as anyone finding it, and nobody told you. Hi, I'm Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO F**king What", I'm drawing a line that most web design proposals never draw. "SEO-friendly" means your site won't get in Google's way. "Search engine optimised" means somebody has made the decisions that get it found. They are absolutely fucking not the same thing, and the gap between them, where nobody agreed whose job it is, is the stuff that's keeping you off page one. This one is fairer to designers than my episode six, because most of them aren't conning anyone. I'm going to tell you where the design job stops, where the SEO job starts, and who's left holding the bit in the middle. Here's what I'm covering: — What "SEO-friendly" actually means on a web design proposal, and why it's a capability, not a result — The kitchen fitter who isn't cooking your dinner, and why an SEO-friendly site with no optimisation is a gorgeous kitchen with fuck all in the fridge — What your web designer owns: the build, sensible URLs, switching off the noindex setting at launch, the redirect map, a real sitemap, and whose name your Search Console, Analytics and domain are in — What your SEO owns: keyword research, which page targets which search, meta titles and H1s, the content plan, links, and months of watching and fixing — The bit in the middle that nobody owns, and why "who writes the meta titles?" is the question that gives it away — Seven questions to get answered in writing before anyone opens Figma, plus why a designer who says "you'll need someone else for the SEO" is worth their weight in gold I also give you a proper piece of homework. Not the "might do that one day" kind. The actual do-it-this-week kind: four checks, starting with whether your site is quietly telling Google to go away. If you build websites, there's something in here for you too: the SEO Build Pack for Web Designers, £35, one payment. If you've just had a new website built, or you build them, send this to your web designer. They'll either thank you or get very defensive, and both tell you something. Get found. Make money. And go and check that fucking noindex tag. Chapters: 00:00 SEO-Friendly Is Not Optimised 01:22 What The Two Phrases Mean 03:12 What The Designer And SEO Own 07:00 Seven Questions And Your Homework Links mentioned: Non-Wanky SEO Courses (the On-Page SEO Toolkit is free): https://nonwankyseo.com The SEO Build Pack for Web Designers (£35, one payment): [ADD BUILD PACK LINK] Episode 6, the designer episode (the one about the two grand plugin): https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/episode/the-fking-seo-your-web-designer-promised-vs-what-you-actually-got Episode 21, on H1s and meta titles: https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/episode/your-h1-and-meta-titles-are-killing-your-rankings-ffs Episode 11, on website migrations and redirects: https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/episode/ffs-let-your-seo-help-with-your-fking-website-migration Episode 2, on who actually owns your accounts: https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/episode/your-seo-sht-who-actually-owns-it Episode 24, with the 30-second H1 check: https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/episode/why-websites-built-with-ai-are-fuking-up-your-seo Google Search Console: https://search.google.com/search-console Follow Nikki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social | |||
| The SEO Contract You Never Read | 11 Oct 2026 | 00:12:37 | |
You've got a signed SEO contract you've never read, and somewhere in it is the reason you can't leave. Let's go and find it. Hi, I'm Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO F**king What", I'm going through the document, not the sales pitch. I've already done an episode on the red flags to spot before you hire an SEO agency. This one's for everyone who already has, and signed a contract they skimmed at best, on the strength of a conversation and a proposal deck that were both a lot friendlier than the paperwork. Contracts aren't inherently a stitch-up, and a decent one protects both of you. What I've got a problem with is a very specific set of clauses that exist to make it hard for you to leave when the work isn't working. Here's what I'm covering: — How a notice period and an auto-renewal turn a 12-month term into 15 months, or another full year of something you'd already decided to stop — My honest position on minimum terms: when three to six months is fair, and when 12 months is about churn — Why a schedule of work full of adjectives can't be enforced — Who owns your content, your links and your accounts when you leave, and why you want to see the word "assign", not "licence" — Exclusivity, non-disparagement, and the clause that blames you for not implementing their recommendations — The handover clause most contracts don't have at all — The two-document test: put the proposal next to the contract and see how much of what you were sold you can actually hold anyone to I also give you five bits of homework, including the one date that needs to go in your calendar today and a one-line email to send this week. I'm not a solicitor and this isn't legal advice. If there's serious money involved, get a proper commercial solicitor to look at it. If you know someone who's about to sign an SEO contract, send them this. 15 minutes now beats a year of regret. Get found. Make money. Stop stressing. And go and find out when your notice period ends. Chapters: 00:00 — Why Your SEO Contract Matters 01:13 — Notice Periods And What You Get 03:35 — Who Owns The Work When You Leave 06:35 — The Two-Document Test And Homework Links mentioned: Non-Wanky SEO Courses (the On-Page SEO Toolkit is free): https://nonwankyseo.com Episode 2, on who actually owns your SEO and your accounts: https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/episode/your-seo-sht-who-actually-owns-it Episode 23, on why I don't want you buying links: https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/episode/stop-buying-backlinks-ffs The red flags episode, for spotting a dodgy agency before you hire them: [ADD EPISODE URL] What you're actually paying your SEO for (Ep 9, if that's the one she means by "I've covered this before"): https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/episode/what-the-fk-your-seo-is-actually-charging-you-for-and-why-its-a-scam Google's own advice on hiring an SEO ("No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google"): https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/do-i-need-seo UK government guidance on who owns copyright in work you commission: https://www.gov.uk/ownership-of-copyright-works Follow Nikki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social Mentioned in this episode: ICN Network | |||
| Negative SEO Is Mostly a Con. Here's What Actually Hurts You | 04 Oct 2026 | 00:12:27 | |
Somebody is going to tell you your competitor is attacking your SEO, and then offer to protect you for a monthly fee. That's the con. But there are real attacks, and they're not the ones being sold to you. Hi, I'm Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO F**king What", I'm taking apart negative SEO: the idea that someone else can deliberately damage your rankings. It's one of the most effective fear sales in this industry because it does two things at once. It explains away a drop that might be your agency's fault, and it justifies a new line on an invoice. I'm going to tell you what's mostly rubbish, and then I'm going to tell you what's real, because there are ways someone can do you harm, and no one's selling protection for those. Funny that. Here's what I'm covering: — Why dumping thousands of dodgy links on a competitor used to work, and why it doesn't now (Google moved from punishing the site to ignoring the rubbish around 2016) — The disavow tool: the one situation it genuinely belongs in, and why the monthly "backlink monitoring" line on your invoice is probably protecting you from nothing — Why "a competitor attacked you" is such a convenient explanation for someone whose work you're questioning, and the three questions to ask before you accept it — The real threats nobody sells protection for, starting with the fact that anyone can suggest an edit to your Google Business Profile, including that you're permanently closed — Hacked sites, fake copyright complaints that get your pages removed from Google, review bombing, and the ex-agency that still holds your logins — Four free checks you can do this week, plus my favourite kind of homework: cancelling something I also give you a proper piece of homework. Four checks, all free, and one thing to cancel. Not the "might do that one day" kind. The actual do-it-this-week kind, including a 10-second look in Search Console that tells you whether anybody has penalised you. If you know someone who's just been told they're under attack, send them this. It might save them a monthly fee. Get found. Make money. Stop stressing. And go and check your opening hours. Chapters: 00:00 — Somebody's about to sell you protection 02:30 — The disavow tool: where the money is 04:03 — The real threats nobody's selling you protection for 07:55 — Homework: four free checks 09:43 — The negative homework: cancel the protection Links mentioned: Non-Wanky SEO Courses (the On-Page SEO Toolkit is now free): https://nonwankyseo.com Google on the disavow tool (and why most sites don't need it): https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/2648487 Search Console manual actions report: https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/9044175 Search Console security issues report: https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/9044101 Google's spam policies (including hacked content): https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies Episode 2, on who actually owns your Google accounts: https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/episode/your-seo-sht-who-actually-owns-it The review side of things: https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/episode/handle-your-reviews-legally-or-risk-a-300000-fine Follow Nikki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social Mentioned in this episode: ICN Network | |||
| Traffic's Down? Don't Sack Your SEO Yet, FFS! | 27 Sep 2026 | 00:12:12 | |
Your traffic's down, you're about to have a furious phone call with your SEO, and there's a decent chance the drop has got nothing to do with them. Twenty minutes and you'll know which it is. Hi, I'm Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO F**king What", I'm walking you through exactly what to do when your traffic drops, before you pick up the phone to anyone. Because a lot of the time, traffic goes down for a reason that has nothing to do with anybody's SEO work, and somebody's about to get sacked over nothing. Sometimes it really is your SEO. Either way, you should know which one you're looking at before that conversation happens. Here's what I'm covering: — Why your search traffic is really three things multiplied together, and why only one of them is what most people mean by SEO — The 20-minute diagnosis in Google Search Console, in the order that saves you time, starting with the single most useful thing in the whole episode — Why you should ignore average position, and how to tell whether your loss is concentrated or spread — Cliff or slope, the Manual Actions report, and where Google tells you whether an update rolled out that week — The caveat (you'll just have to listen to find that out) I also give you a proper piece of homework. Not the "might do that one day" kind. The actual do-it-this-week kind. One sentence with the blanks filled in, and if you can write it, you'll walk into your next SEO conversation knowing more than the person who's meant to be explaining it to you. If you know someone who's currently panicking at a graph, or about to sack their SEO over some August stats, send them this. It might save somebody's job. Get found. Make money. Stop stressing. And check the calendar before you check the algorithm. Chapters: 00:00 — Traffic's down. Is it your SEO? 01:04 — Traffic is three things multiplied together 01:57 — Cause 1: fewer people are searching 03:03 — Cause 2: the results page changed shape 04:04 — Cause 3: your rankings actually dropped 04:39 — Cause 4: your measurement's broken 05:37 — The 20-minute diagnosis 05:53 — Step 1: compare year-on-year, not month-on-month 06:31 — Step 2: clicks, impressions and position, separately 06:56 — Step 3: ignore average position 07:17 — Step 4: is the loss concentrated or spread? 07:43 — Step 5: cliff or slope? 08:08 — Step 6: did it happen to everybody? 08:26 — The caveat 08:48 — Homework: write one sentence 09:53 — Sacked over some August stats Links mentioned: Non-Wanky SEO Courses (the On-Page SEO Toolkit is now free): https://nonwankyseo.com Episode 19, setting up Google Search Console: https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/episode/seo-ranking-starts-with-proper-website-structure Google Search Console: https://search.google.com/search-console Google Search Status Dashboard (where Google confirms ranking updates): https://status.search.google.com/ Follow Nikki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social Mentioned in this episode: ICN Network | |||
| Dead SEO Tactics, Dug Up and Resold as "AI Hacks", FFS | 20 Sep 2026 | 00:13:45 | |
Some of the SEO tactics being sold to you right now were killed off before the person selling them was even old enough to drive. Welcome to the graveyard. Hi, I'm Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO F**king What", I'm digging up the corpses. I've been doing this for over 30 years, which means I was there when half these tactics were brand new and worked beautifully. I watched them get abused, I watched Google shut them down one by one, and I've watched every single one of them come back: dug up about five years later, given a fresh label, and sold to small businesses who weren't around the first time. These aren't tactics that went out of fashion. They're recalled products, and someone's repainted the box and put them back on the shelf. Here's what I'm covering: — The keywords meta tag: Google said it didn't use it for ranking in 2009, and I'm still seeing invoices for "keyword tagging" — Hidden text and keyword stuffing, and why a keyword density report is just keyword stuffing with a spreadsheet stapled on it — Exact match domains, and why buying bestplumberleeds.co.uk stopped being a strategy in 2012 — Doorway pages and their brand-new AI face: why 400 "programmatic SEO" location pages for a fixed fee is the same tactic Google went after in 2015 — Spun content, the content farms Google flattened, and the 300 unedited AI blog posts a month that have replaced them — Submitting your site to 5,000 search engines (there weren't even 50), and why "get submitted to the AI engines" is the same racket with a new letterhead — The three questions that tell you whether the tactic on your quote is alive or dead, and you don't need to know any SEO to ask them I also give you a proper piece of homework. Two jobs, and neither will cost you a penny. Not the "might do that one day" kind. The actual do-it-this-week kind, including a quick view-source check that tells you whether somebody's already buried a corpse in your website. If you know someone who's just been quoted for 400 location pages, send them this. It might save them a small fortune. Get found. Make money. Stop stressing. And if a tactic has a golden era, you've missed it. Chapters: 00:00 — Older than the people selling them 01:39 — The keywords meta tag 02:31 — Hidden text and keyword stuffing 03:02 — Keyword density: stuffing with a spreadsheet 03:28 — Exact match domains 04:14 — Doorway pages and their brand-new AI face 05:32 — Spun and mass-produced content 06:23 — Submitting to 5,000 search engines 07:45 — Three questions that spot the next one 09:17 — Homework: check your site for corpses 10:16 — The industry's memory is short on purpose Links mentioned: Non-Wanky SEO Courses (the On-Page SEO Toolkit is now free): https://nonwankyseo.com Google: "Google does not use the keywords meta tag in web ranking" (2009): https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2009/09/google-does-not-use-keywords-meta-tag Google's spam policies (hidden text, keyword stuffing, doorway abuse, scaled content abuse): https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies The episode on 2010 black hat tactics resold as AI growth hacks: [ADD EPISODE URL] The episode on AI-built websites: [ADD EPISODE URL] Follow Nikki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social Mentioned in this episode: ICN Network | |||
| Four Questions That Find Out If Your SEO Is Talking Boll*cks | 13 Sep 2026 | 00:14:14 | |
Every week there’s a fresh piece of SEO panic tell-off warning you that you’ll disappear from Google unless you pay for a fix. They make new nonsense faster than I can record episodes, and keeping up with it isn't your job—running your business is. So let’s fix that! Hi, I’m Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO F**king What", I’m not just debunking one myth. I’m handing you a simple four-question toolkit to debunk all of them—no technical background required. Think of it like taking your car to a garage: you don’t need to know how the engine works to ask three sharp questions and know if you’re being taken for a ride. Here’s what I’m covering:
I also give you a proper piece of homework. Not a "might look at that next month" job, but a 20-minute exercise you can do this week that could take a fair chunk off your monthly agency invoice. If you know someone about to sign an expensive SEO retainer, or someone who’s being quoted thousands for a fix based on pure industry hype, send them this. It might save them a few bob. Plus, grab my free On-Page SEO Toolkit over at https://nonwankyseo.com Google’s own "Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content" page — this is the free thing with the who/how/why questions on it: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content Follow Nikki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social Mentioned in this episode: ICN Network | |||
| Seems Nobody Can Tell You What EEAT Actually Is. So I Will. | 06 Sep 2026 | 00:13:39 | |
Every SEO on LinkedIn is banging on about E-E-A-T. Almost none of them can tell you what it actually means. So let’s fix that. Hi, I’m Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO F**king What", I’m taking apart two things you’ve been told matter enormously by people who, if you push them, probably couldn’t tell you where either one came from. E-E-A-T and helpful content. One is a description of what good looks like, written for contractors who can’t touch your rankings. The other stopped existing as a separate thing in March 2024. Neither of them is a score, and nobody can sell you one. Here’s what I’m covering: — What the four letters actually stand for, and where the extra E came from in December 2022 — The 180-page free PDF that E-E-A-T lives in, who Google gives it to, and why those people are mystery shoppers rather than traffic wardens — Why there is no E-E-A-T score sitting in a database marking your website out of 10 — and why it still matters anyway — Why trust is the one that counts, and how you can have all the expertise in the world and still be worth very little — YMYL, why a page about chemotherapy is held to a stricter standard than a page about scented candles, and where a small B2B business actually sits — What happened to the helpful content update, and why anyone offering to recover you from one is selling you a thing that no longer exists — The three questions Google published for free — who, how and why — and the one that catches everybody out — Why the E-E-A-T audit grift works so well, and why a headshot and a byline is not expertise I also give you a proper piece of homework. Not the "might do that one day" kind. The actual do-it-this-week kind. Three pages, three questions. If you know someone who’s been quoted two grand for an E-E-A-T audit, or who’s been told that adding author schema will conjure expertise out of nowhere, send them this. It might save them an invoice. Get found. Make money. Stop stressing. Stop paying for a score that doesn’t exist. Links mentioned: Non-Wanky SEO Courses — the On-Page SEO Toolkit is completely free right now: https://nonwankyseo.com Google’s own "Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content" page — this is the free thing with the who/how/why questions on it: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content Google announcing the extra E, December 2022 (the Search Quality Rater Guidelines PDF downloads from this page): https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2022/12/google-raters-guidelines-e-e-a-t Google folding the helpful content system into the core algorithm, March 2024: https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2024/03/core-update-spam-policies Episode 15 — the AI search audit racket: Episode 18 — auditing your whole site page by page: https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/episode/you-havent-read-your-own-website-have-you-time-for-a-content-audit Follow Nikki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social Mentioned in this episode: ICN Network | |||
| If Reddit Was Your SEO Strategy, You Haven't Got One, FFS! | 30 Aug 2026 | 00:15:44 | |
Reddit's share of ChatGPT citations went from nearly 4% to half a percent in about a week. Nobody can fully explain it — not the people who measure it, not Reddit, and definitely not the bloke who sold you a Reddit visibility package back in March. And if that was your strategy, you haven't got one anymore. Hi, I'm Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO F**king What", I'm talking about what happens when you build your marketing on ground you don't own — because I've watched this exact film five or six times now, and it ends the same way every single time. This isn't really a Reddit story. It's an article directories story, a guest posting story, a Facebook reach story, a Google Plus story. It works until it doesn't, every single fucking time. Here's what I'm covering: — What actually happened to Reddit's ChatGPT citations between the 8th and 17th of August, and why nobody — including the people who measure this professionally — can fully explain it — How the industry decided Reddit was "a channel", and what happened to the agencies selling packages and the people buying aged accounts — Mark Williams-Cook's two rules, which I've been banging on about for years: stop building your strategy around holes in the system, and it works until it doesn't — The graveyard tour: article directories and Panda, guest posting and one Matt Cutts blog post, Facebook reach going from 15% to basically zero, and Google Plus in people's actual job titles — The only two things you own — your website and your email list — and why everything else, including your AI visibility score, is rented from a landlord who doesn't have to tell you before changing the locks — The very specific mistake the Reddit crowd made: they didn't diversify, they substituted — The one thing Reddit is genuinely brilliant for, which is free, which almost nobody uses, and which works whether or not ChatGPT ever cites a single thread I also give you a proper piece of homework. Not the "might do that one day" kind. The actual do-it-this-week kind — including the site:reddit.com trick that hands you your next content plan on a plate. If you know someone who went all in on Reddit for AI visibility, or who's building their entire business on one rented platform, send them this. It might save them from a very bad Monday morning. Get found. Make money. Stop stressing. And never build your castle on someone else's sand. Chapters: 00:00 — If that was your strategy, you haven't got one 00:41 — An 86% drop in a fortnight 02:48 — Stop building around holes in the system 04:24 — I've watched this film five times: the graveyard tour 07:20 — What you own, and what you're renting 10:07 — Three things to do this week 11:54 — What Reddit was supposed to be Links mentioned: Non-Wanky SEO Courses — the On-Page SEO Toolkit is now completely free: https://nonwankyseo.com The data on the Reddit citation drop (Promptwatch, via Search Engine Land): https://searchengineland.com/reddit-chatgpt-search-citations-fall-report-485473 Mark Williams-Cook on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markseo/ Also Asked — Mark's tool, and a brilliant one: https://alsoasked.com/?via=nikki-pilkington (aff link) Episode 2 — who actually owns your Google accounts (same problem, one floor down) https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/episode/your-seo-sht-who-actually-owns-it Follow Nikki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social Mentioned in this episode: ICN Network | |||
| Your Portfolio Page Title Is KILLING Your SEO | 23 Aug 2026 | 00:13:05 | |
Go and look at your case studies page or your portfolio page. Does the title just say "case studies" or "portfolio"? So does everyone else's. That's the problem. I'm Nikki Pilkington and I've been doing SEO for 30 years. In this episode I'm going after the most wasted pages on your entire website — your case studies, your portfolio and your testimonials. Beautiful work, real proof of competence, and page titles that could belong to any business in Britain. Here's the SEO problem. A meta title gives you about 60 characters. "Portfolio" uses nine of them and tells Google nothing about what you do or who you do it for. Then each individual case study gets named after the client's venue, so you end up competing with the venue's own website for its own name — a fight you lose, and when you don't lose it, you get a visitor who bounces in three seconds because they wanted tickets, not you. Your case studies are the only pages on your site that naturally combine a service, a sector, a location and a real situation. That is exactly how B2B search works. And you've called them Client Project 3. In this episode: — The nine-character title every portfolio page in the country shares — What to put in the other 51 characters, with worked examples — Why "Brands Hatch 2025" is a page title that can only lose — Six case study crimes: the PDF, the email form, the bespoke-solution waffle, image_4471.jpg, the missing internal links, and the one from 2021 — How to write a specific, rankable case study when there's a genuine NDA — Four bits of homework you can do this week, starting with a ten-minute one ⏱ CHAPTERS 00:00 The most wasted pages on your website 00:59 The world's most generic page title 02:53 Why naming it after the client backfires 04:12 Long-tail gold: what those pages should be called 05:40 Six case study crimes 07:22 "But I can't name my clients" 08:49 Your homework: four jobs 09:59 Go and look at that meta title 🔗 LINKS Non-Wanky SEO Courses (the On-Page SEO toolkit is free right now): https://nonwankyseo.com Nikki's site: https://nikki-pilkington.com/ The podcast: https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/ Google on page titles: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/title-link Google on image alt text: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/google-images 👋 FOLLOW NIKKI LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social If you know someone with a portfolio page full of beautiful work and page titles nobody could ever search for, send them this one. Get found. Make money. Stop stressing. And go and look at that meta title. | |||
| Handle Your Reviews Legally (Or Risk a £300,000 Fine) | 16 Aug 2026 | 00:12:34 | |
You know that email you send after a job — the one that says "leave us a Google review and get 10% off"? In this country, that might now be illegal. Not "Google's a bit annoyed with you" illegal. Actually illegal, with a fine on the end of it. Hi, I'm Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO F**king What", I'm talking about the thing the SEO industry has completely missed. Everyone spent July losing their minds over one line Google added to its review snippet documentation. It's a documentation update. It isn't the story. The story is a British law that came in over a year ago and that almost nobody in this industry has mentioned, because most of what you read about SEO is written by Americans about America. Here's what I'm covering: — What Google actually added on the 24th of July, and why where they put that line matters more than what it says — Why fake reviews have been illegal in the UK since April 2025 — not against the rules, not frowned upon, illegal — Why the CMA no longer needs to take you to court, and can investigate, decide and fine you all by itself — The numbers: up to £300,000 for the business, and up to £150,000 for the actual human who set it up — Why "leave a review, get 10% off" is perfectly legal right up until the moment nobody reading it can see the discount existed — Review gating, which loads of review software does by default and sells to you as a feature — Your staff, your mates, your mum, and that untraceable "JS, Manchester" testimonial sat on your homepage — Eight ways to get reviews properly, including the one that changes everything and almost nobody bothers with I also give you a proper piece of homework. Not the "might do that one day" kind. The do-it-before-your-coffee-goes-cold kind. If you know someone still running "review for a discount" campaigns, or using software that quietly filters out the unhappy customers before they ever reach Google, send them this. It might save them a very expensive letter. Get found. Make money. Stop stressing. And go and ask a customer for a review — properly. Links mentioned: Non-Wanky SEO Courses — the On-Page SEO toolkit is completely free right now: https://nonwankyseo.com The CMA's own fake reviews guidance (free, and worth twenty minutes of your life): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67eeb64fe9c76fa33048c790/CMA208_-_Fake_reviews_guidance.pdf Google's review snippet documentation: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/review-snippet How to get your short Google review link: https://support.google.com/business/answer/16816815 The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2024/13 Follow Nikki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social Mentioned in this episode: ICN Network | |||
| There Is No AI Content Penalty. Here's What Actually Ranks | 09 Aug 2026 | 00:16:14 | |
Every month, roughly 970 agencies turn the same three news stories into a LinkedIn post saying "this changes everything, book a call". It almost never changes anything. So here's the news, and here's what it actually means for you. Hi, I'm Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO F**king What", I'm trying something new — a monthly news roundup. Three stories: what happened, what the LinkedIn gurus say it means, and what it actually means for a business with fewer than 10 staff and a website that gets 400 visits a month. Most months the honest answer will be "this changes fuck all for you, carry on", and I'd rather tell you that than invent a crisis. Here's what I'm covering: — Ahrefs studied 331,000 pages to find out if Google hates AI content, and what they actually found (54.7% of top-ranking pages are under 20% AI) — Why there is no AI penalty, and why the two camps screaming about this study are both wrong in exactly the same way — Why heavily AI-generated pages really do perform worse, and why it has nothing whatsoever to do with the tool — The rule underneath all of it: you can't judge writing about your industry unless you already know your industry — Why you should not run your own website through an AI detector this week (I've been flagged as a robot, and I can promise you I'm not) — Search Console now reports on your social posts — what it genuinely is, and why "the dawn of social SEO" is nonsense — Why the four platforms Google picked are completely arse about face for a B2B service business — AI Overviews on 43% of searches, why there's no such thing as separate "AI SEO", and why your traffic can drop while your visibility improves I also give you a proper piece of homework. Three jobs, 20 minutes total. Not the "might do that one day" kind — the actual do-it-this-week kind, including the cheapest AI visibility tracking on Earth. If you know someone who's about to panic-rewrite forty pages because a detector gave them a scary number, send them this. It'll save them a fortnight. Get found. Make money. Stop stressing. And if anybody tries to sell you an AI detector this month, tell them Nikki said no. Links mentioned: Non-Wanky SEO Courses (On-Page toolkit free right now): https://nonwankyseo.com The Ahrefs study — "Google Doesn't Punish AI Content; It Punishes Bad Content": https://ahrefs.com/blog/google-doesnt-punish-ai-content/ Google Search Console: https://search.google.com/search-console TechCrunch on the Similarweb AI Overviews data: https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/27/googles-ai-search-is-rapidly-becoming-the-default-new-data-shows/ The episode on why ranking number one is useless: https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/episode/ranking-number-1-on-google-is-useless-ffs-let-me-explain Follow Nikki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social | |||
| Why Good SEO Means Ignoring Content 'Advice' From Business Coaches | 02 Aug 2026 | 00:15:56 | |
The business coach told you to stop giving your knowledge away for free. That advice is keeping your website invisible, and I'm about to explain exactly how. Hi, I'm Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO F**king What", I'm coming for the business coaches — specifically the ones telling you that publishing your best stuff for free trains people to do it themselves and costs you work. It's bollocks. Absolute cast-iron, weapons-grade bollocks. And the funniest part is that they're delivering that bollocks to you via free LinkedIn posts, free newsletters and free webinars, because they want you to buy their expensive thing. Here's what I'm covering: — The bit nobody says out loud: everyone telling you free content devalues your expertise is telling you that in free content — What "don't give away your best stuff" actually means in practice — publish things that look clever but can't be acted on — and why that's much worse advice — Why Google has nothing to rank when your site is four pages of "bespoke solutions tailored to your client's unique requirements" — Why the person who reads your guide and does it themselves was never going to hire you in the first place — How free content does your lead qualifying for you, and why the alternative is a market that competes on price alone — The line between free resources and free labour, and why "free SEO audits" sit firmly on the wrong side of it — Why nobody has ever read a recipe and become a chef I also give you a proper piece of homework. Four jobs, actually. Not the "might do that one day" kind. The actual do-it-this-week kind, starting with one page that will probably outrank your services page inside a couple of months. If you know someone who's been told to keep their expertise to themselves and can't work out why their website is invisible, send them this. It might be the thing that finally makes it click. Get found. Make money. Stop stressing. Give your shit away. Links mentioned: Non-Wanky SEO Courses (free at the moment): https://nonwankyseo.com Episode 33 — The Truth About "Free" SEO Audits (Don't Get Conned): https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/episode/the-truth-about-free-seo-audits-dont-get-conned Holly Christie, Websites Made Simple: https://websitesmadesimple.co.uk/ Follow Nikki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social Mentioned in this episode: ICN Network | |||
| The SEO Industry is Fu... errrmmm... Eating its Own Future | 26 Jul 2026 | 00:15:21 | |
I'm going to say something that's going to piss off anyone currently building their entire SEO career on AI prompts: if you've never done the boring stuff manually, you can't tell when the AI is lying to you. There. I said it. Hi, I'm Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO F**king What", I'm talking about the thing that's actually keeping me up at night — not a Google update, not a dodgy agency tactic, but a slow-motion skills crisis the SEO industry is bringing entirely on itself. It started with a LinkedIn post from the brilliant Jo Furnival at Sitebulb, about junior SEOs feeling like they're falling behind because they're not building elaborate AI workflows. She's right that the boring work still wins. But it got me thinking about something bigger: a whole generation of SEOs and copywriters are being handed AI tools before they've ever learned how any of this actually works — and that's a problem for all of us, not just them. Here's what I'm covering:
And yes, there's homework. Not the "might get round to it one day" kind — the pick-one-thing-and-learn-it-properly-this-week kind. I walk you through exactly what to do in the episode. If you're managing a junior SEO, or you are one, and you've been handed a stack of AI tools with no actual training — send them this. It might be the thing that stops a very expensive skills gap from becoming their problem in three years' time. Get found. Make money. And for the love of all that is holy, learn the fucking basics before you let the AI do the thinking for you. Links mentioned: Non-Wanky SEO Toolkit (free for now, usually £200): https://nonwankyseo.com Sitebulb (Jo Furnival's website crawler): https://sitebulb.com Follow Nikki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social Mentioned in this episode: ICN Network | |||
| The Truth About "Free" SEO Audits (Don't Get Conned) | 19 Jul 2026 | 00:15:01 | |
That free SEO audit is not free. It's a sales pitch with a spreadsheet on top. It took them 20 minutes, and it's about to cost you a whole lot more. There. I said it. Hi, I'm Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO F**king What", I'm pulling apart one of the sneakiest tricks in the industry — the "free SEO audit" that lands in your inbox looking like a favour and is actually a lead-generation funnel with your URL on the cover. Most of them aren't audits at all. They're crawl reports with branding on top, engineered to scare you into signing a contract before you've had time to think. Here's what I'm covering: — Why most "free SEO audits" are lead-gen tools in disguise, not audits — How a 10-minute crawl gets dressed up in red and orange to look like a catastrophe — Why every website "fails" a crawl — and why that's completely normal — The manufactured urgency trick, and why an agency that's never spoken to you can't possibly know if Google is penalising you — What a genuine free audit actually contains: full disclosure, what's working, prioritised fixes and zero panic — The three questions to run every free audit through before you take it seriously — Why the free audit is their best foot forward, and what that tells you about the work you'd pay for I also give you a proper piece of homework. Not the "might do that one day" kind. The actual do-it-this-week kind. If you know someone sitting on a scary-looking "free audit" PDF, wondering whether to panic and sign, send them this. It might save them thousands. Get found. Make money. Stop stressing. And stop falling for a sales pitch dressed up as a service. Links mentioned: Non-Wanky SEO Course: https://nonwankyseo.com Related listening — Episode 9 (the agency red flags you should be running from) and Episode 15 (the paid audit that cost a client thousands and still missed the basics) Follow Nikki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social | |||
| SEO's Keyword Assumption Problem (What customers actually search vs what you think they search) | 12 Jul 2026 | 00:14:06 | |
You've spent hours optimising your website for phrases that literally nobody types into Google. And I can prove it. There. I said it. Hi, I'm Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO F**king What", I'm tackling the single most expensive assumption you're making about your own business: that you know what your customers search for. You almost certainly don't — and that gap between how you describe your business and how your customers actually find you is exactly where your leads are disappearing. Here's what I'm covering: — Why the keyword list you'd write off the top of your head is almost completely useless — The difference between industry language and how customers actually search (problems, questions, and panic) — Why you're too close to your own business to see it the way a stranger does — it's proximity, not stupidity — Why answering early, "beginning of the journey" questions is uncontested territory while everyone else fights over the expensive decision phrases — How to stop being precious about phrases that don't "perfectly describe" your services — Free ways to find what people really type: Google autocomplete, People Also Ask, and related searches I also give you a proper piece of homework. Not the "might do that one day" kind. The actual do-it-this-week kind. It takes 20 minutes, costs nothing, and will make you swear a bit. If you know someone obsessing over ranking for their fancy industry job title and wondering why the enquiries aren't coming, send them this. It might save them six months of guessing. Get found. Make money. Stop stressing. Start giving a shit about your readers. Links mentioned: Non-Wanky SEO Courses: https://nonwankyseo.com Ahrefs Free Keyword Generator: https://ahrefs.com/keyword-generator Also Asked: https://alsoasked.com/?via=nikki-pilkington (aff link) Google's People Also Ask: Just search for anything on Google and look for the expandable questions Follow Nikki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social Mentioned in this episode: ICN Network | |||
| Why Your SEO Might Not Be the Problem | 05 Jul 2026 | 00:14:27 | |
You're paying for SEO and not getting the results you want. Before you sack your SEO — ask yourself: are you the problem? Hi, I'm Nikki Pilkington and in this episode of SEO Fucking What podcast I'm flipping the usual script. Instead of calling out dodgy agencies and cowboy SEOs, I'm looking at the other side of the relationship: the client. Because sometimes good SEO work goes completely to waste, and it's got nothing to do with the person doing the work. I'll walk you through the seven habits that make you a dream SEO client — from telling your SEO what your business actually does, to giving real feedback instead of "looks good, thanks," to the single most important one: telling your SEO every single time anyone touches your website. She finishes with one concrete piece of homework you can do this week to immediately improve results. Whether you already work with an SEO or you're about to hire one, this is the stuff nobody tells you — and fixing it costs you nothing. Want to understand the SEO side yourself so you can spot when you're being fobbed off? The Non-Wanky SEO course is at nonwankyseo.com . Follow SEO Fucking What wherever you're listening so you don't miss the next episode. And if you know a business owner frustrated that their SEO isn't working — send them this one. Links mentioned Mentioned in this episode: ICN Network | |||
| I'm Proving SEO Isn't Dead - And Giving You Two Underused Strategies | 28 Jun 2026 | 00:21:33 | |
SEO has been declared dead at least fifteen times since 1995. Fifteen. And it's still here. In this episode I'm going back to the very beginning - 1993, 670 websites, celebrity names stuffed into meta keywords by people who genuinely believed all traffic is good traffic, the whole sorry mess - and walking you through every major "SEO is dead" moment in history, who caused it, who got destroyed by it, and what actually survived. Because if you understand the pattern, you stop panicking every time a LinkedIn guru announces the next thing that's going to kill search. Spoiler: it won't. It never does. What I cover in this episodeWhere SEO started - and how quickly people started gaming it. White text on white backgrounds. Doorway pages. Keyword stuffing so aggressive it'd make your eyes water. Google's arrival in 1998 and the first proper "SEO is dead" panic - and how the industry responded by inventing link farms and article spinning. Same instinct, worse content. The Florida Update in 2003 - like a smaller scale Panda and Penguin, but no less devastating for the businesses it wiped out overnight. Panda (2011), Penguin (2012), Hummingbird (2013), Mobilegeddon (2015), and E-A-T - each one prompted a fresh round of death announcements, each one turned out to be wrong. The AI content flood of 2022 onwards, and why pumping out AI slop was always going to end the same way as every other shortcut before it. The actual search market share data from Q4 2025 via SparkToro: Google at 73.7%, ChatGPT at 2.86%. Yes, 2.86%. Let that sink in next time someone tells you to abandon your Google strategy. And three things that have worked since 1998, survived every update, and will still be working long after the next death announcement hits your feed. Links mentionedHow to use LinkedIn Articles for SEO Subscribe and shareIf this episode made you roll your eyes at the next "SEO is dead" LinkedIn post - good. That was the point. Make sure you click follow or subscribe in whatever platform you enjoy this in, to ensure you never miss another one. Mentioned in this episode: ICN Network | |||
| Why Your Blog Post Isn’t Working and How to Fix It FAST | 14 Jun 2026 | 00:14:34 | |
Hi, I’m Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of “SEO F**king What” I focus on the harsh reality many business owners face: pouring hours into writing blog posts only to see:
A talk about solid SEO foundations, not just good writing, to ensure blog content gets found and drives results. Some common mistakes include; clever but unsearchable titles, missing metadata, weak or absent internal links, and lack of clear calls to action—that hold back otherwise strong content from ranking on Google. You'll get a practical, no-nonsense SEO checklist to transform your blog post process, boost visibility, and finally see your efforts pay off. 📍REMEMBER:
Follow Me: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social | |||
| Why Your AI Website Looks Great But Fails at SEO (AI Sites Series Pt 3) | 07 Jun 2026 | 00:17:19 | |
Hi, I’m Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of “SEO F**king What” (the third and final part of the AI Website series) I pull back the curtain on why so many AI-built websites may look perfect on the surface yet fail spectacularly when it comes to SEO. Drawing on 30 years of search experience and a recent audit of five B2B AI-generated sites, I explore the hidden problems lurking in headings, meta titles, robots.txt, sitemaps, schema, site performance, and trust signals—issues that even non-AI sites can suffer from if you don’t know to look! Whether you built your site with AI or not, this episode is packed with practical advice for anyone wanting to get found and make money online. Listen in to find out what’s really going wrong beneath the gloss and how you can fix it. I cover these things, and more:
Follow Nikki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social | |||
| "Dangerous Dave" and the SEO Insights Trap | 31 May 2026 | 00:06:49 | |
“Dave has half a story, no context, and excellent confidence. That’s what makes him dangerous.” Hi, I’m Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of “SEO F**king What”, I’m talking about one of the most common and most exhausting problems in SEO — and it’s not algorithm updates, and it’s not technical debt. It’s Dave. Dave means well. That’s the thing. He just went to a two-day digital marketing conference in Birmingham, sat through a keynote about AI search, and now he’s forwarding you articles at 9:00 PM on a Tuesday with a subject line, “Have you seen this?” You have. You saw it six months ago. Here’s what I’m covering:
If you’ve got a Dave in your orbit right now — a sceptical stakeholder, a conflicting tool, a partner’s contact with strong opinions — send them this episode. It might save everyone a pointless meeting. Get found. Make money. Stop stressing. Get yourself a Nikki, not a Dave. Links mentioned: Non-Wanky SEO Courses: https://nonwankyseo.com Follow Nikki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social Mentioned in this episode: Join our blogging masterclass | |||
| How to figure out what to blog about next for your SEO | 24 May 2026 | 00:07:36 | |
"She didn't need a content strategy document. She needed to read her inbox." Hi, I'm Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO F**king What", I'm tackling one of the most common content problems I see — businesses that are constantly stuck on what to write next, when the answers have been sitting in their inbox, their reviews, and their sales call notes for years. Here's what I'm covering:
I also give you a proper piece of homework. Not the "might do that one day" kind. The actual do-it-this-week kind. If you know someone staring at a blank screen trying to think of blog topics, send them this. The answers are already in their business. Get found. Make money. Stop stressing. Start listening to the people already talking to you. LINKS Non-Wanky SEO Courses: https://nonwankyseo.com FOLLOW NIKKI LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social Mentioned in this episode: Join our blogging masterclass | |||
| What AI-built websites actually get right | 17 May 2026 | 00:09:49 | |
"The thing about AI-built websites that the doom merchants don't want to admit — some of this stuff is really good. Not good for something a machine did, actually good, and in some cases better than I see on plenty of human-built sites." Hi, I’m Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of “SEO F**king What”, this is Part Two of my AI Website series — and if you didn’t build your site with AI, don’t switch off. A lot of what I cover here applies to traditionally-built websites too. I audited five AI-built B2B websites in April 2026. Proper audits — SE Ranking crawls, manual HTML review, page speed insights, schema testing, the lot. I went in expecting a horror show. What I found was much more interesting. Here’s what I’m covering:
I also give you a piece of homework. Not the vague “something to think about” kind. The go-and-check-it-this-week kind: look at your commercial pages and ask whether they’re actually helping someone make a decision. If you’ve been dismissing AI websites out of hand, or if you’ve built one and been told it’s worthless, this episode is for you. And yes, Episode Three is where things get uncomfortable — but that’s next week. Get found. Make money. Stop stressing. Start giving a shit about your readers. Links mentioned: Non-Wanky SEO Courses: https://nonwankyseo.com Follow Nikki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social Mentioned in this episode: Join our blogging masterclass | |||
| Why Websites Built With AI Are Fu*king Up Your SEO | 10 May 2026 | 00:10:21 | |
"AI can build your whole website in 10 minutes," they said. "Save a fortune," they said. And now you're wondering why nobody can find you on Google. Yeah. About that. Hi, I'm Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO Fking What", I'm kicking off a three-part series on AI-built websites — why people are doing it, why I completely get it, and why I still think it's a fking bad idea if you don't understand what you're getting yourself into. I also give you a quick homework task — a 30-second H1 check you can do right now that might reveal the single biggest SEO problem on your website. This is part one of three. If you know someone about to launch an AI-built site without a second thought, send them this first. It might save them months of invisible damage. Get found. Make money. Know AI's limitations. Links mentioned: Non-Wanky SEO Courses: https://nonwankyseo.com Follow Nikki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social Mentioned in this episode: Join our blogging masterclass | |||
| Stop Buying Backlinks FFS! Here are your REAL link building tactics. | 03 May 2026 | 00:13:54 | |
"Someone sitting in your LinkedIn DMs right now is offering you backlinks for 99. Someone else wants to charge you five a month for a robust link building campaign. And I'm here to tell you that for most small B2B service websites, both of them can fuck right off." Hi, I'm Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of “SEO F**king What”, I'm calling out one of the most expensive myths in SEO — that spending money on backlinks is something small B2B service businesses need to do. It isn't. And I've got 30 years of evidence to prove it. Here’s what I’m covering:
I also give you a proper piece of homework this week. Three things to do right now. None of them cost a penny. If you’re currently paying for a link building package — or you’ve ever been tempted — listen to this first. It might save you a lot of money and a lot of future headaches. Get found. Make money. Stop buying fucking backlinks. Links mentionedNon-Wanky SEO Courses: https://nonwankyseo.com Google Search Console (backlink report — Legacy Tools, bottom of left-hand menu): https://search.google.com/search-console/ Ahrefs Free Backlink Checker: https://ahrefs.com/backlink-checker Follow Nikki LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social Mentioned in this episode: Join our blogging masterclass | |||
| Your Meta descriptions are fu*ked! I'll help you fix 'em. | 26 Apr 2026 | 00:14:24 | |
Hi, I'm Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO F**king What", I'm talking about the one bit of SEO that isn't a ranking factor but is absolutely the thing that decides whether anyone actually clicks on your listing — your meta descriptions. You've probably never written one, duplicated the same one across your whole site, or let Yoast bully you into stuffing it with keywords. All three are fucked. Here's what I'm covering: — Why your meta description isn't a ranking factor — but still decides whether anyone clicks — What a good meta description actually does (and the 155-character rule) — Why Google bolds search terms, and why that matters for getting clicks — The parade of horrors: missing descriptions, duplicate descriptions, and corporate waffle — Why the Yoast green light isn't the goal — writing for a human is — A proper before-and-after for an HR consultant that shows you exactly what to write — The Mark Williams-Cook argument for not writing them at all — and why I still say you should, for small B2B sites I also give you proper homework. Three things to do this week that will sort out your meta descriptions without taking all day. If you know someone whose search result description reads like it was written by a committee, send them this. It might be the reason they're not getting the clicks they deserve. Get found. Make money. Stop stressing. Write it for a human. Links mentioned:Non-Wanky SEO Courses: https://nonwankyseo.com SearchPilot meta description research: https://www.searchpilot.com Follow Nikki:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social Mentioned in this episode: Join our blogging masterclass | |||
| Your H1 and Meta Titles Are Killing Your Rankings FFS! | 19 Apr 2026 | 00:13:31 | |
Your homepage H1 says “Welcome.” Your meta title says “Home.” And you’re wondering why Google won’t rank you. In this episode, Nikki Pilkington explains why H1s and meta titles are two different jobs, why making them identical is a missed opportunity, and why making them disconnected is actively killing your SEO. You’ll learn how to think of your meta title as the promise and your H1 as the delivery, why “Helping your people thrive” is not a heading, why your company name almost certainly doesn’t belong in your H1, and why Yoast’s green smiley face is not a ranking factor. There’s homework at the end — a proper site audit you can do this week without spending a penny. Chapters0:00 Why Titles Kill Rankings 1:57 What Meta Titles & H1s Actually Are 4:09 Making Them Match the Search 6:05 Your Homepage H1 Needs Work 7:20 Why Your Company Name Isn’t Your H1 7:49 Yoast Isn’t Your Brain 9:00 Your Homework This Week 10:50 Non-Wanky On-Page SEO Course Course mentioned
Tools mentioned
Previous episodes referenced
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| SEO Conference Organisers; Where The F__k Are The Women? | 05 Apr 2026 | 00:08:32 | |
This week I've gone off script. Someone posted about an SEO conference billing itself as the UK's most advanced -- sixteen speakers, all male, not one woman on the bill. I said something about it. The response was, essentially, "we had women last year." And here we are. This episode isn't about quotas or ticking boxes. It's about the fact that brilliant women in SEO exist, they're not hiding, and if your speaker lineup is sixteen mainly white men, the question you need to be asking is whether anyone actually went looking. In this episode:
Women I mention in this episode: Lily Ray, Helen Pollitt, Areej AbuAli, Carrie Rose, Lidia Infante, Jo Furnival, Alice Rowan. Want to find more women in SEO? Start with Women in Tech SEO at womenintechseo.com and WTSFest. Want me to speak at your event? I'm an SEO speaker, I'm a woman, and I'm available. No waffle, no jargon, no death by slide deck. Hit me up at nikki@nikki-pilkington.com Follow Nikki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social Mentioned in this episode: Join our blogging masterclass | |||
| Google Search Console, Because SEO Ranking Starts With Proper Website Structure | 29 Mar 2026 | 00:13:46 | |
Your website could be full of brilliant content and still not rank. Why? Because Google can't figure out how your pages connect. That's what we're fixing today. Hi, I'm Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO F**king What", I'm tackling one of the most overlooked parts of SEO — website structure. Not the sexy stuff. The stuff that actually makes your site work. How your pages connect, how Google moves around your site, and why getting this wrong means even your best content struggles to rank. Here's what I'm covering: — Why your website is like a building, and what happens when Google can't follow the corridors — What a clear hierarchy looks like and why your most important pages need to be close to the top — Orphan pages: what they are, why they're costing you, and how to find and fix them in an afternoon — Internal linking — the most underused free tool in SEO — and how to actually use it properly — Why your link text matters more than you realise (and why "click here" is doing absolutely nothing for you) — URLs, 301 redirects, XML sitemaps, and why submitting to Google Search Console is non-negotiable I also give you proper homework. Four things to do this week. None of them cost money. All of them will make a difference. If you've done your content audit and now you're ready to sort out your structure, this is the episode you need. And if you know someone whose website is a complete jumble with no logic to how it's connected, send them this. It might save them months of confusion. Get found. Make money. Link properly. Useful links: Non Wanky On-Page SEO Toolkit: https://nonwankyseo.com Google Search Console: https://search.google.com/search-console Screaming Frog: https://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/ Follow Nikki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social Mentioned in this episode: Join our blogging masterclass | |||
| You Haven't Read Your Own Website, Have You? Time For a Content Audit! | 22 Mar 2026 | 00:14:17 | |
When did you last actually read every page of your website? Not edit it, not skim it — read it like a visitor would. If the answer is “I can’t remember” or “never” — this episode is for you. Hi, I’m Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of “SEO F**king What”, I’m walking you through one of the most unglamorous but genuinely useful things you can do for your SEO — a content audit. Not to make your life miserable, but because Google crawls every single page on your website, and right now some of those pages are actively working against you. Here’s what I’m covering:
I also give you a proper piece of homework. Not the “I’ll do it someday” kind. The start-your-spreadsheet-this-week kind. If you know someone who hasn’t properly looked at their website in years, send them this. It might save them from a very unpleasant surprise. Get found. Make money. Go look at your content. Links mentioned: Screaming Frog SEO Spider: https://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/seo-spider/ Crawly: https://crawly.diffbot.com/ Non-Wanky SEO Course: https://nonwankyseo.com Follow Nikki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkipilkington/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkipilkington/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nikkipilkington.bsky.social Chapters: 00:00 — When did you last actually read your website? 00:15 — Welcome to SEO F**king What 00:26 — Why today builds on the last episode 00:38 — Why a content audit sounds boring but isn’t 00:58 — How many pages does your website actually have? 01:22 — Why Google crawls everything 01:40 — The content that actively hurts your rankings 02:20 — What a content audit reveals 02:32 — Step 1: The spreadsheet 03:13 — Step 2: The intent column 03:42 — Tools for bigger sites: Screaming Frog and Crawley 04:34 — Question 1: Is it helpful? 05:34 — Question 2: Is it current? 06:10 — Question 3: Did AI write it? 07:15 — Question 4: Does it have a call to action? 08:31 — You’ve got your spreadsheet. Now what? 09:04 — The Non-Wanky SEO course 09:27 — Keep / Fix / Kill: what to do with each page 09:36 — Leave your working pages alone 09:56 — Update helpful-but-outdated pages 10:28 — Rewrite pages with potential (keep the URL) 10:54 — Deal with unedited AI content properly 11:13 — Consider deleting purposeless pages 11:48 — Your homework 12:27 — Next episode: website structure and internal linking Mentioned in this episode: Join our blogging masterclass | |||
| Ranking Number 1 on Google is Useless, FFS. Let me explain... | 15 Mar 2026 | 00:15:09 | |
I'm going to say something that's going to upset a lot of people who've been bragging about their rankings: being number one for a single word is fucking useless. There. I said it. Hi, I’m Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO F**king What", I'm calling out one of the most persistent and damaging myths in SEO — that keywords are either dead entirely, or that you should be obsessing over ranking for the shortest, broadest, most competitive terms possible. Both of these positions are bollocks, and I'm going to explain why. Here's what I'm covering: — Why old-school keyword stuffing is dead (but keywords absolutely aren't) — Why every search is a real person with a real need, and why that changes everything — The four types of search intent and why matching them is the difference between traffic and clients — Why "zero search volume" phrases might be your most valuable SEO real estate — Why ranking number one for "copywriter" or "accountant" will bring you exactly the wrong people — How to think in topic journeys instead of keyword lists, and why that builds the kind of trust that converts I also give you a proper piece of homework. Not the "might do that one day" kind. The actual do-it-this-week kind. If you know someone obsessing over ranking for a single broad keyword and wondering why they're not getting enquiries, send them this. It might save them months of wasted effort. Get found. Make money. Stop stressing. Start giving a shit about your readers. Links mentioned:
Follow Nikki:
Mentioned in this episode: Join our blogging masterclass | |||
| The SEO Tools You're Not Using — And Why That's Killing Your Rankings | 08 Mar 2026 | 00:11:27 | |
Hi, I’m Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO F**king What", I’m talking about: the three free tools you need set up before any of the rest of it makes any sense. Because I cannot tell you how many times I've sat down with a business owner for an SEO one-to-one, asked them to share their Google Search Console, and found out they haven't logged in for 18 months. That's like having a sat nav and refusing to look at it, then wondering why you keep getting lost. And yes, there's actual homework at the end. Because listening is lovely, but without doing, you're wasting both our time. You'll learn: What each tool does and why it matters, how to get all three set up today (it takes about 25 minutes), what to actually look at once they're collecting data, and why ignoring this stuff is one of the most expensive mistakes a website owner can make. Links mentioned:
Follow Nikki:
Mentioned in this episode: Join our blogging masterclass | |||
| Don't Be Conned Into Paying For an AI Search Optimisation Audit FFS! | 22 Feb 2026 | 00:10:46 | |
I got sent an AI search optimisation audit that cost a business thousands of pounds. It was beautifully presented, full of charts and graphs, and packed with confident recommendations about AI citations and ChatGPT visibility. It also missed a whole BUNCH of stuff. Hi, I’m Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO F**king What", I’m talking about: an audit that recommended deleting pages that were actively driving real traffic from Google — because a proprietary AI visibility tool said they weren't getting ChatGPT citations. I'll break down exactly why this kind of audit is dangerous, not just useless, and what the businesses being sold this stuff actually need to know. I cover what a real audit should include, why Google organic traffic still dwarfs AI referral traffic for most sites, and the red flags to watch for before you hand over your budget to someone flogging "proprietary AI search tools". If you've been pitched an AI search audit — or you're tempted — listen to this first. Chapters 00:00 Introduction: Have you been had by an AI search audit? 00:54 What happened: The audit I was sent 01:43 What the audit missed — 462 errors, redirect chains, and more 02:20 The analytics data they ignored: Google vs ChatGPT traffic 03:42 The dangerous advice: deleting pages that were actually working 05:00 Why this makes me so f&%king angry 06:24 The fix: check your numbers 08:17 Red flags to watch for before you pay for any AI SEO audit | |||
| Your Competitors - SEO Geniuses? No. You're Just Sh*t At The Basics! | 15 Feb 2026 | 00:16:15 | |
I'm sick of business owners coming to me convinced their competitors have some secret SEO strategy. They don't. You're just making it ridiculously easy for them to beat you by ignoring the fundamentals on your own website. Hi, I’m Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO F**king What", I’m talking about:
The uncomfortable truth: Your competitor's website probably isn't that impressive. They've just done the basics - proper page titles, decent content, a filled-in Google Business Profile, and a site that actually works on mobile. That's it. No magic formula. Just competent execution of SEO fundamentals that you haven't got around to yet. I've been in SEO for over 30 years, and I help businesses make money from their websites by getting found in search. This episode is your wake-up call to stop stalking your competitors' websites and start fixing your own. Stop blaming your competitors. Fix your own shit first. Chapters / Timestamps00:00 - Introduction: The Real Reason You're Losing at SEO 02:05 - Common SEO Mistakes Sabotaging Your Success 02:28 - Mistake #1: Your Meta Titles Are Useless 03:10 - Mistake #2: Your Service Pages Are Thinner Than an Over-Filtered Influencer 04:00 - Mistake #3: You've Got No Internal Links 04:40 - Mistake #4: Your Google Business Profile Is a Ghost Town 05:20 - Mistake #5: Your Site Is Slower Than a Wet Weekend 06:00 - Mistake #6: Your Mobile Experience Is Atrocious 06:40 - Mistake #7: You've Got Broken Shit Everywhere 07:20 - Why We Focus on Competitors Instead of Our Own Sites 08:22 - How to Fix Your SEO Issues: The 30-Minute Self-Audit 09:00 - Step 1: Check Your Page Titles 09:40 - Step 2: Check the Words on Your Key Pages 10:10 - Step 3: Click Every Link on Your Site 10:40 - Step 4: Load Your Site on Your Phone 11:00 - Step 5: Check Your Google Business Profile 11:30 - Step 6: Look at Your Internal Links 12:10 - Step 7: Search for Yourself on Google 12:40 - Stop Looking Over the Fence 13:47 - Final Thoughts and Actionable Steps If you want straight-talk SEO without the jargon, follow SEO F**king What. More episodes here: https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/ Mentioned in this episode: Join our blogging masterclass | |||
| Want good SEO? Stop Blogging Like it's a Diary FFS! | 08 Feb 2026 | 00:14:34 | |
Most businesses aren’t bad at blogging because they’re lazy. They’re bad at blogging because no one ever told them what blogs are actually for. Hi, I’m Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO F**king What", I’m talking about one of the biggest SEO mistakes I see every single week. Business blogs that read like diaries, newsletters, or internal updates… and then the owner wonders why Google ignores them. This is the episode your marketing agency probably won’t volunteer to send you. Because it explains why “blog regularly” was never enough, and how years of well-meaning content can actually f**k up your site instead of helping it. In this episode, I cover: Why most business blogs get no traffic at all Why Google can tell when you’re writing for yourself, not searchers The types of blog posts nobody is actually Googling How thin, self-serving content hurts your whole site What crawl budget is and why it matters How to choose blog topics people are genuinely searching for Why keyword research isn’t optional When to rewrite old posts and when to delete them Where company news should live if you still want to share it If you’ve been blogging for months or years and seeing nothing come from it, listen to this. If your blog is full of “exciting news”, “reflections”, or “a message from the CEO”, listen to this. And if you’re about to publish another post nobody asked for, definitely listen to this. Share this with whoever writes your blog. Share it with your marketing manager. Share it with anyone about to hit publish on “Reflections on a Wonderful Q1”. 00:00 Why your blog isn’t content 01:50 The diary blog problem 03:50 How bad blogs hurt your whole site 06:11 What to do instead 07:20 Matching search intent 08:05 Answering the actual question 09:42 Audit, rewrite, or delete 11:22 When company news is OK 12:20 Final reality check If you want straight-talk SEO without the fluff, follow SEO F**king What. More episodes here: https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/ Mentioned in this episode: Join our blogging masterclass | |||
| FFS SEOs - DON'T Add GEO To Your LinkedIn Headline! | 01 Feb 2026 | 00:12:47 | |
Most businesses aren’t confused about SEO because it’s complicated. They’re confused because the industry keeps inventing new acronyms and pretending the rules have changed. Hi, I’m Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO F**king What", I’m talking about... well let's be honest... I'm having a bit of a rant. And it's a rant that you need to hear if you've fallen into the same trap I've seen some other SEOs fall into recently. This is the episode your favourite SEO hustle bro probably doesn’t want you to hear. GEO isn’t a new discipline. It’s SEO with a new acronym and a higher invoice. In this episode, I cover: Why SEOs are adding GEO to their headlines even when their skills haven’t changed Why “AI optimisation” isn’t meaningfully different from good SEO What Google has already confirmed about AI search How buzzwords validate inflated pricing and bad behaviour Why playing along makes it harder for clients to tell who actually knows what they’re doing Why honesty builds trust, even when it costs you work If you’re an SEO feeling pressured to add GEO to your profile just to compete, listen to this. If you’re a business owner wondering why suddenly everything costs more for the “same” SEO, listen to this. And if you’re about to pay someone extra because they stuck three new letters in their headline, definitely listen to this. Share this with your SEO mates. Share it with a business owner who’s being sold magic. Share it with anyone who’s about to pay more money for the same work. Chapters/Timestamps00:00 “Why Adding GEO Is Making Things Worse” 01:25 Losing work to buzzwords 03:20 What Google has already confirmed 04:45 Why SEOs playing along is a problem 06:35 The uncomfortable truth 08:16 How the SEO industry created this mess 09:40 Why I’m not adding GEO If you want straight-talk SEO without the jargon, follow SEO F**king What. More episodes here: https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/ Mentioned in this episode: Join our blogging masterclass | |||
| FFS Let Your SEO Help With Your F**king Website Migration! | 11 Jan 2026 | 00:14:16 | |
Most businesses don’t lose their traffic because SEO “stopped working”. They lose it because someone redesigned the website and didn’t know what they were doing. Hi, I’m Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of "SEO F**king What", I’m talking about website migrations, redesigns, domain changes, and how businesses accidentally torch years of SEO in a single launch. This is the episode your controlling web developer probably doesn’t want you to hear. In this episode, I cover: Why website migrations go wrong so often Why developers are not SEO specialists (and why that matters) How URL changes wipe out rankings overnight What 301 redirects are actually for and how people mess them up Why missing metadata quietly kills performance How to tell Google you’ve changed domain properly What to do if you’ve already launched and everything’s gone a bit tits up If you’re planning a website redesign, changing platforms, moving from .co.uk to .com, or touching your URLs in any way, listen to this before you launch. If you’ve already launched and your traffic has fallen off a cliff, this will help you work out what’s broken and how to fix it. Share this with your web developer. Share it with your marketing manager. Share it with anyone who’s about to make a very expensive mistake. Timestamped summary00:00 "Your Developer Is Not Your SEO Team" 01:49 "Why Website Migrations Go Wrong" 05:00 "A Real SEO Disaster Story" 06:47 "What Happens When You Mess It Up" 08:11 "How to Migrate a Website Properly" 12:10 "Fixing a Broken Migration" If you want better results from your SEO and you don’t want to be firefighting disasters like this, I offer SEO supervision, training, and support for businesses and teams – https://nikki-pilkington.com/seo-training-and-development-uk/ Want more episodes? https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/ Mentioned in this episode: Join our blogging masterclass | |||
| What The F**king Good SEO People Look Like | 21 Dec 2025 | 00:14:52 | |
Most small business owners don’t fail at SEO. They get confused, overwhelmed, or quietly ripped off. Hi, I'm Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of SEO F**king What, which is part two of a two parter, I’m letting you know what a good SEO person looks like in terms of their offers. What SEO really costs in the UK, how long it takes to work, and how to spot legitimate professionals from cowboys. No jargon. No “it depends” nonsense. No magical promises. In this episode, I cover:
If you’re about to hire an SEO, already paying one, or wondering why results don’t match the promises, this episode could save you a lot of money and frustration. If you haven’t listened to part one yet, go back and start there first. And if this helps, please share it with someone who’s about to sign an SEO contract. Timestamped summary00:00 "Good SEO: Clarity Over Jargon" 04:03 "SEO That Drives Real Results" 08:42 "SEO Timelines Simplified" 12:18 "SEO: Consistent, Methodical Work" This episode is all about helping you identify a decent SEO person from a scammer. But you'll have even better results from your SEO by having me in your corner, and I offer supervision and set up of these kinds of arrangements as a service - https://nikki-pilkington.com/seo-training-and-development-uk/ Want to check out more episodes? https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/ Mentioned in this episode: Join our blogging masterclass | |||
| What The F**k Your SEO is Actually Charging You For (And Why It's a Scam) | 14 Dec 2025 | 00:12:57 | |
Ever been quoted some ridiculous SEO retainer and thought… hang on, what the f**k am I actually paying for? Yeah. Same as lots of my clients. And honestly, I’m tired of watching small businesses get fleeced by agencies who talk a big game but can’t explain a single thing they’re doing. Hi, I'm Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of SEO F**king What, I’m breaking down the biggest red flags in SEO. Guaranteed rankings. “Secret” methodologies. Vague contracts. The lot. If you’ve ever felt stupid for falling for any of this, don’t. These people are professionals at sounding credible while delivering absolutely nothing. By the end, you’ll know exactly what questions to ask, what bullshit to ignore, and how to spot an SEO that’s more scammer than specialist. Part two is coming next week, where I’ll show you what good SEO should actually look like (and what it should cost). But for now, let’s make sure you stop handing your hard-earned money to chancers. If you’ve got questions, come yell at me on LinkedIn or drop me an email. I don’t bite… unless you promise “guaranteed rankings.” Timestamped summary00:00 "Protecting Small Businesses in SEO" 04:03 Vague SEO Contracts Warning 09:27 Avoid SEO Shortcuts 10:21 SEO: Hard Work, Real Experts This episode is all about helping you ensure your SEO isn't a red flag waving scammer. But you'll have even better results from your SEO by having me in your corner, and I offer supervision and set up of these kinds of arrangements as a service - https://nikki-pilkington.com/seo-training-and-development-uk/ Want to check out more episodes? https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/ Mentioned in this episode: Join our blogging masterclass | |||
| SEO Doesn't Work If You Don't F**king Let It! | 07 Dec 2025 | 00:13:27 | |
I’ve lost count of the businesses that hire an SEO expert, pay good money, and then make it impossible for us to actually do the job. Hi, I'm Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of SEO F**king What, I’m calling out the ridiculousness I sometimes see when a business hires an SEO. Not you. You wouldn't do any of this, I'm sure. But we'll explore some of the absolute sh*ttery that can go down when one of us SEO experts gets hired by someone who doesn't understand what our role in their business actually is! If you want fluffy LinkedIn advice, this isn’t the show for you. But if you’re ready to stop sabotaging your own results and work with an SEO like a grown-up, hit play. This one might sting a bit — but it’ll make you money, which is all I f**king care about. Timestamped summary00:00 Freelancing Isn't Remote Employment 04:26 Clients Restricting Access Harms Results 09:00 Empower Your SEO Expert 10:45 Respect Freelancers for Better Results This episode is all about helping you ensure your SEO is equipped to do their job properly. But you'll have even better results from your SEO by having me in your corner, and I offer supervision and set up of these kinds of arrangements as a service - https://nikki-pilkington.com/seo-training-and-development-uk/ Want to check out more episodes? https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/ Mentioned in this episode: Join our blogging masterclass | |||
| SEO F**king IS for small businesses | 30 Nov 2025 | 00:11:30 | |
In this episode I’m taking on one of the most annoying lies in the SEO world. You’ve probably heard it. “SEO isn’t really for businesses your size.” Yeah. That's total bullshit. Someone asked me about it on LinkedIn and honestly, I could feel my blood pressure rising. So I’m breaking down why small businesses keep getting fobbed off by big agencies and why it has nothing to do with SEO… and everything to do with profit. I talk through the real reasons you’re being dismissed and then walk you through what small businesses can actually do to get found. Local SEO wins. Smarter page titles. Writing content that answers real questions. Getting reviews. Fixing the basics on your website. It’s all here and none of it requires dropping two grand a month on an agency. If you’ve ever been told you’re “too small” for SEO or felt like your website is just sitting there like a digital paperweight, this one will sort you out. If it helps, follow SEO F**king What so you don’t miss next week’s episode. And if you know someone who’s been fed this same rubbish, send this to them. Sharing is caring and all that. Mentioned in this episode: Join our blogging masterclass | |||
| The F**king SEO Your Web Designer Promised vs What You Actually Got | 23 Nov 2025 | 00:05:38 | |
Ever handed over a chunk of cash to your web designer for “SEO” and ended up with nothing but a plugin and a lot of empty promises? Hi, I'm Nikki Pilkington. My site is https://nikki-pilkington.com/ and in this episode of SEO F**king What, I’m pulling back the curtain on what really happens when web designers say they do SEO—and how you can tell if you’ve been stitched up. I’ll walk you through the fixes and explain why most web designers aren’t SEO experts (and why that’s not a dig at them), reveal what real SEO looks like, and share the right questions to ask before you hire anyone. Plus, I’ve got actionable steps you can take right now to get your site sorted—no bollocks, just practical advice. If you’re ready to finally get found and make some money, hit follow and click play for some non-wanky SEO guidance that actually works! Timestamped summary00:00 "Web Design vs. True SEO" 03:52 "SEO Advice: Get Found" This episode is all about ensuring your web designer doesn't totally fuck you over on your SEO. But you'll have even better results from your SEO by having me in your corner - https://nikki-pilkington.com/seo-training/ Want to check out more episodes? https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/ Mentioned in this episode: Join our blogging masterclass | |||
| I'm SEO Fucking Tired... | 16 Nov 2025 | 00:13:14 | |
Fed up with watching charlatans and self-proclaimed “AI SEO gurus” rake in cash and followers by selling absolute bollocks? Yeah, me too. This is SEO Fu*king What. I'm Nikki, and I help business owners like you to get found in search and make money from your website In this no-bullshit episode, I’m explaining:
If you care about sustainable SEO that actually ranks, this one’s for you. This episode is all about the total dickheads who are offering terrible advice that could fuck up your website and its SEO. You'll learn a lot from it. But you'll get even better results from your SEO by having me in your corner - https://nikki-pilkington.com/seo-training/ Want to check out more episodes? https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/ Mentioned in this episode: Join our blogging masterclass | |||
| Chat GPT isn't your fu*king SEO team! | 09 Nov 2025 | 00:14:01 | |
LinkedIn told you to sack your SEO tools and just use ChatGPT. Cute. This is SEO Fu*king What. I'm Nikki, and I help business owners like you to get found in search and make money from your website In this episode, I break down the three biggest ChatGPT SEO myths — fake volumes, fantasy Keyword Density (KD), and imaginary competitor analysis. I also give you a budget-savvy playbook that actually works: using GSC, manual SERPs and free tools. And I share exactly where AI belongs (and where it doesn’t). Click play to learn how to use ChatGPT for SEO the right way... Timestamped summary00:00 "ChatGPT vs Paid SEO Tools" 03:58 "Ahrefs vs. ChatGPT: SEO Reality" 08:23 "Budget SEO Tips Exposed" 10:42 SEO Success Requires Time & Data This episode is all about not letting Chat GPT totally fuck up your SEO. But you'll have even better results from your SEO by having me in your corner - https://nikki-pilkington.com/seo-training/ Want to check out more episodes? https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/ Mentioned in this episode: Join our blogging masterclass | |||
| Why the f*ck isn't my blog post SEO working? | 02 Nov 2025 | 00:09:57 | |
Hey hey. It’s Nikki, and welcome to "SEO F*%king What", the no-bullshit podcast about getting your website found in Google by the people who actually want to buy from you - without the wanky advice the LinkedIn gurus are peddling. If you’ve ever spent hours crafting a blog post only for Google to completely ignore it, this episode is exactly what you need. I'll be slicing through the usual SEO myths and explain why your posts aren’t ranking - and more importantly, how to fix it fast. This episode will help you ensure you're making your content searchable and scannable. And we'll get you offering actual answers (instead of generic waffle). Oh, and not forgetting ensure your meta descriptions actually get clicks. You’ll also hear why quick SEO fixes can make a huge difference for small businesses, and how one-off improvements don’t mean you have to sell your soul to a retainer. Chapter Timestamped summary:00:25 "Fixing Blog SEO Mistakes" 04:16 Fixing Underperforming Blog Posts 07:51 One more important thing This episode is all about you writing better shit on your blog. What better way to make sure this happens than having me in your corner - https://nikki-pilkington.com/seo-training/ Want to check out more episodes? https://seofuckingwhatpodcast.co.uk/ Mentioned in this episode: Join our blogging masterclass | |||
| Your SEO sh*t - who actually owns it? | 26 Oct 2025 | 00:09:31 | |
Hey hey, it’s Nikki, and welcome to "SEO F*%king What". This is the podcast where I cut through the bollocks and give you the real advice you need to get your website found (and making money) on Google. In this episode, “Who Owns Your SEO Shlt,” I’m talking about something that’s been pissing me off for years: the sneaky way agencies and freelancers end up owning your entire Google presence without you even knowing it. Over three decades working in digital marketing, I’ve seen businesses spend thousands on Google Ads, Analytics, and Search Console, only to realise later they've forgotten the most important aspect of running these accounts. In this episode, I’ll break down how to get out of this mess when it happens and ensure it never bites you on the arse again. I promise, it’s actionable stuff you won’t hear from those LinkedIn gooroos. So click play and let’s get into it! Mentioned in this episode: Join our blogging masterclass | |||
| SEO is not dead, FFS! | 19 Oct 2025 | 00:11:45 | |
Welcome to "SEO Fucking What," the podcast that cuts through the bullshit and tells it straight, with no wanky jargon and no panic-peddling. I’m Nikki, here to help you make damn real money from your website by showing up on Google, not by falling for shiny new courses or scare tactics from so-called LinkedIn gurus. In today’s very first episode, we're tackling the biggest scam floating around the digital marketing scene: the tired claim that "SEO is dead." So grab your coffee (and maybe cover your ears if you’re sensitive to swearing), because we’re about to expose the con jobs, give you real tips, and remind you to trust your own data over social media hype. Join me. Let’s keep SEO non-wanky and make it work for your business. Mentioned in this episode: Join our blogging masterclass | |||
| SEO F**king What... To Expect From This Podcast | 16 Oct 2025 | 00:01:41 | |
SEO F**king What is coming to your favourite podcast app. Are you ready for it? The "SEO Is Dead" Bros certainly aren't... | |||