SEO Basics guides.
Every seo basics guide we've published — 101 articles on the tactics, the tradeoffs, and what actually moves rankings.
Do JavaScript Links Pass SEO Value?
Google renders JavaScript but only follows links that exist as a real href in the rendered HTML. The patterns that quietly pass nothing, and how to check yours.
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Do Newsletter and Substack Links Count as Backlinks?
A link inside an email is invisible to Google. The web archive is a different story: where newsletter and Substack links really count, and what to check.
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Do YouTube Description Links Count as Backlinks?
YouTube description links are nofollowed and hidden behind Show more. Here's what they actually do, why embeds don't help you, and where video link value hides.
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Does Linking Out to Other Sites Hurt My SEO?
Linking out doesn't drain your rankings — it usually helps. Here's what Google says, the three cases that cause real problems, and how to link out safely.
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Do Image Links Pass SEO Value?
Image links pass value like text links — but alt text becomes the anchor text. Here's how Google reads them, and why badge and logo links often underperform.
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What Is llms.txt? (And Do You Actually Need One)
llms.txt explained: what the file contains, who proposed it, whether AI systems actually read it, and how to decide if it's worth the twenty minutes to add.
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What Is a Manual Action in Search Console?
Manual actions explained: what triggers each type, how site-wide and partial matches differ, and what a reconsideration request actually needs to succeed.
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Do Social Media Links Count as Backlinks?
Social links are almost all nofollow, so they pass little ranking value — but they still do three specific jobs. Here's what they can and can't do for SEO.
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What Is Keyword Difficulty?
Keyword difficulty explained: what the score actually measures, why tools disagree, and how to judge whether you can realistically rank for a given term.
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What Are Long-Tail Keywords?
Long-tail keywords explained: why specificity beats volume, how to find them without paid tools, and when targeting one page per phrase stops working.
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What Are Local Citations in SEO?
Local citations explained: what NAP consistency actually does, which directories are worth claiming, and why the fiftieth listing does nothing for you.
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What Is Local SEO and Who Needs It?
Local SEO explained: how the map pack differs from normal results, Google's three ranking factors, and the work order that moves a local business fastest.
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