DumbCMO

SEO, dumbed down

What’s in here

The big ideas in this part of the notebook, one line each.

SEO
Showing up when people Google stuff.
AEO
Getting mentioned when people ask ChatGPT or Google’s AI instead of searching.
Google Business Profile
Your shop’s listing on Google Maps.
Content marketing
Stuff you post once that brings people in for years.

Go deeper

Smaller corners of SEO, each with its own page.

  • Local SEO

    Local SEO is showing up when someone nearby searches for what you sell, like “bakery near me”. Most of it is your free Google Business Profile and your reviews.

    1 note

  • AEO

    AEO is getting mentioned when people ask ChatGPT or Google’s AI instead of searching. It’s mostly SEO with a new name: clear answers, real reviews and a name people search for.

    2 notes

Notes on SEO

  • Getting found

    Google rankings shook on 24 October. Should you do anything?

    Many rank trackers spiked on Saturday 24 October 2026, which suggests Google changed something. Google hasn't confirmed it. Wait a week, check Search Console, and change nothing in a panic.

    · 3 min read

  • Getting found

    Google’s AI summary now shows on over 80% of searches

    Tracking tools now put Google’s AI summary on 80%+ of searches, up from about half in mid-2025. Your clicks may keep falling. Your job is to be the business the summary mentions.

    · 3 min read

  • Getting found

    Does SEO still matter now that Google answers with AI?

    Yes, SEO still matters, but fewer people click through when Google shows an AI summary. Be the business the summary is built from: clear answers, real reviews and a name people search for.

    · 4 min read

  • Getting found

    How long does SEO actually take?

    Expect three to six months before SEO brings steady visitors, and longer in busy markets. The early weeks are setup. The payoff is that it keeps working after you stop.

    · 4 min read

  • Getting found

    Your Google Business Profile, set up in an hour

    Your Google Business Profile is your shop’s listing on Google Maps and Search. It’s free, it takes about an hour, and for a local business it often brings more customers than your website does.

    · 5 min read

  • Getting found

    What is SEO?

    SEO is getting Google to trust you enough to show you when people search. Clicks are free, but it’s slow. Think months, not days.

    · 2 min read

Words you’ll hear

Fancy terms. Simple ideas.

AI Mode
Google’s chat-style search that answers in full sentences, with fewer links out.
AI Overview
Google’s AI-written summary at the top of some search results, with links to the pages it used.
Backlink
Another website linking to yours. Google treats it like a recommendation.
Core update
Google changing how it ranks pages, all at once, a few times a year.
Domain Authority
A trust score made up by an SEO tool company, not by Google. Fine for comparing, useless for bragging.
Indexing
Google saving a copy of your page so it can show it in results. Not indexed means invisible.
Keyword
The words people type into Google.
Local pack
The map and the few businesses Google shows at the top of local searches.
Local SEO
Showing up when people nearby search, like “chai near me”.
Long-tail keyword
A longer, more specific search, like “eggless cake delivery in Pune”. Fewer searches, easier to win.
Meta description
The two-line summary under your link in Google results.
Organic traffic
Visitors who found you without you paying for the click.
SERP
The page of results you see after you Google something.
Spam update
Google cracking down on sites that cheat, like bought links or junk pages.
Zero-click search
A search where the answer shows on Google and nobody clicks through to a website.

Every term in the Dumb Dictionary

Scams to watch for

If someone pitches you one of these, walk away.

  • “Guaranteed #1 on Google”Nobody controls Google’s free results, and Google’s own guide to hiring an SEO says so. Usually the “#1” is for a phrase nobody searches, or it’s a paid ad.
  • “We’ll get you into ChatGPT answers, guaranteed”Nobody controls what AI tools say, and Google says there’s nothing special to do for its AI features beyond normal good SEO. It’s the old “#1 on Google” pitch with a new sticker.
  • AI-written reviews, “undetectable”Fake reviews are fake whether a person or a robot writes them. The US FTC’s review rule covers AI-generated fakes and it has been enforcing it in 2026; the UK’s CMA has opened formal fake-review cases too.
  • “Your Google listing will be suspended” callsGoogle doesn’t cold-call to charge you for keeping your listing. Business Profile is free. These are sales calls, or plain scams, using Google’s name.
  • 1,000 backlinks for $29Cheap links in bulk come from junk sites built to sell links. At best Google ignores them. At worst they hurt you.
  • Buy 5-star reviewsFake reviews break Google’s rules and, in many countries, consumer law. Google removes them, and can put a warning on your listing.