Mark Williams-Cook
@markwilliamscook.com
💌 Core Updates SEO newsletter: https://coreupdates.com
💻 Director at Candour https://withcandour.co.uk
💬 Founder at AlsoAsked https://alsoasked.com
🤝 Organiser at SearchNorwich https://searchnorwich.org
Fractional idiot. 100% gossip 0% innovation.
💻 Director at Candour https://withcandour.co.uk
💬 Founder at AlsoAsked https://alsoasked.com
🤝 Organiser at SearchNorwich https://searchnorwich.org
Fractional idiot. 100% gossip 0% innovation.
Pinned
Mark Williams-Cook
@markwilliamscook.com
· Jan 14
🎉 Happy to announce for 2025 that @withcandour.co.uk will be working with local charity Norfolk Clubhouse, who support persons facing mental health challenges.
Charity Trustee and Head of Search Tabby Farrar presented June Webb with our initial £10,000 donation 😇
Charity Trustee and Head of Search Tabby Farrar presented June Webb with our initial £10,000 donation 😇
Reposted by Mark Williams-Cook
Still reeling from the Stanford report on Brexit. Reduced GDP by up to 8% and investment by as much as 18%. The UK Treasury would have £40 billion more each year if Britain had remained in the EU. Devastating self-immolation.
The Economic Impact of Brexit
Other
siepr.stanford.edu
November 24, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Still reeling from the Stanford report on Brexit. Reduced GDP by up to 8% and investment by as much as 18%. The UK Treasury would have £40 billion more each year if Britain had remained in the EU. Devastating self-immolation.
POV: SEOs explaining to clients how AI/AIOs are going to impact traffic/revenue over the next 24 months.
a man in a suit and tie is sitting at a table in front of a window with his arms outstretched .
Alt: a man in a suit and tie is sitting at a table in front of a window waving his arms around
media.tenor.com
November 27, 2025 at 9:59 PM
POV: SEOs explaining to clients how AI/AIOs are going to impact traffic/revenue over the next 24 months.
Google implemented some very tricky anti-scraping measures yesterday, specifically around their AI answers. V interesting.
November 26, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Google implemented some very tricky anti-scraping measures yesterday, specifically around their AI answers. V interesting.
Reposted by Mark Williams-Cook
I’ve got 6 days to sell at least 14 framed pieces to have what I need for rent. Any order tonight over $100 will receive one of these *original* continuous line drawings w/ metallic sumi ink (see the lil’ @darthbluesky.bsky.social?!) www.sol-exposure.com/shop/
November 26, 2025 at 12:08 AM
I’ve got 6 days to sell at least 14 framed pieces to have what I need for rent. Any order tonight over $100 will receive one of these *original* continuous line drawings w/ metallic sumi ink (see the lil’ @darthbluesky.bsky.social?!) www.sol-exposure.com/shop/
True story, though.
November 25, 2025 at 11:56 PM
True story, though.
Reposted by Mark Williams-Cook
🔎 Think keyword research is old news? Think again. Our latest #DudaWebinar will show you how clever content + smart AI workflows can give your builds a whole new win. 💪
@markwilliamscook.com
@withcandour.co.uk
@sejournal.bsky.social
@shelleywalsh.bsky.social
@markwilliamscook.com
@withcandour.co.uk
@sejournal.bsky.social
@shelleywalsh.bsky.social
RAG to Riches: Keyword Research for the AI Era
www.duda.co
November 25, 2025 at 3:13 PM
🔎 Think keyword research is old news? Think again. Our latest #DudaWebinar will show you how clever content + smart AI workflows can give your builds a whole new win. 💪
@markwilliamscook.com
@withcandour.co.uk
@sejournal.bsky.social
@shelleywalsh.bsky.social
@markwilliamscook.com
@withcandour.co.uk
@sejournal.bsky.social
@shelleywalsh.bsky.social
I introduced someone to the artist Meatloaf today for their first ever time. What did you do? 😂
a man in a white shirt and suspenders is standing on a stage .
Alt: meatloaf doing his thing
media.tenor.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:01 PM
I introduced someone to the artist Meatloaf today for their first ever time. What did you do? 😂
Google changed a thing, so @alsoasked.com is currently returning fewer results. We're working on it. To be clear it was 40% off annual subscriptions, not 40% fewer results 😅
November 25, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Google changed a thing, so @alsoasked.com is currently returning fewer results. We're working on it. To be clear it was 40% off annual subscriptions, not 40% fewer results 😅
Oof
i’m not crying you’re crying
xkcd: Fifteen Years
xkcd: Fifteen Years
Fifteen Years
xkcd.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:03 AM
Oof
Very much enjoyed attending #SEOFOMO as @andy-chadwick.com to tell people about @keywordinsights.bsky.social and my extremist views.
🥚 🥚
🥚 🥚
November 21, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Very much enjoyed attending #SEOFOMO as @andy-chadwick.com to tell people about @keywordinsights.bsky.social and my extremist views.
🥚 🥚
🥚 🥚
Reposted by Mark Williams-Cook
Autocorrect has become our worst enema.
November 19, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Autocorrect has become our worst enema.
In 2025, we call this a "Cloudflare hangover"
November 19, 2025 at 8:12 PM
In 2025, we call this a "Cloudflare hangover"
Semrush being purchased by Adobe 🫠
November 19, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Semrush being purchased by Adobe 🫠
Reposted by Mark Williams-Cook
This was the metric I have been looking for, but didn't realize it's here, sitting in Profound all along:
The number of "open-ended" LLM searches that rely on Web Search
For this banking company, it's 96%... sheesh.
The number of "open-ended" LLM searches that rely on Web Search
For this banking company, it's 96%... sheesh.
November 18, 2025 at 7:48 PM
This was the metric I have been looking for, but didn't realize it's here, sitting in Profound all along:
The number of "open-ended" LLM searches that rely on Web Search
For this banking company, it's 96%... sheesh.
The number of "open-ended" LLM searches that rely on Web Search
For this banking company, it's 96%... sheesh.
YouTube is really enshittifying itself. I got sent a link today on WhatsApp to look at a video, and I honestly don't even know if it's working. I'm watching I think ads, with no bar to show how long they are, no way to skip, the second one has frozen? Will I see a video? Who knows.
November 18, 2025 at 2:33 PM
YouTube is really enshittifying itself. I got sent a link today on WhatsApp to look at a video, and I honestly don't even know if it's working. I'm watching I think ads, with no bar to show how long they are, no way to skip, the second one has frozen? Will I see a video? Who knows.
Happy "Cloudflare is fucked again so I need to talk to clients that will no doubt blame me personally" day
November 18, 2025 at 11:54 AM
Happy "Cloudflare is fucked again so I need to talk to clients that will no doubt blame me personally" day
November 17, 2025 at 5:39 PM
This was an incredible conference in 2024, and 2025. Looking forward to 2026 🔥
🚀 We’re this close! Only 12 tickets left to complete the crowdfunding & lock in Search ’n Stuff Antalya Conference 2026 — our community-powered edition.
1–4 October 2026, Türkiye, If you’ve been thinking, “I’ll get mine soon,” this is your sign 👀
searchnstuff.co.uk/search-n-stu...
1–4 October 2026, Türkiye, If you’ve been thinking, “I’ll get mine soon,” this is your sign 👀
searchnstuff.co.uk/search-n-stu...
Search ’n Stuff Antalya Conference 2026 | searchnstuff.co.uk
Search ’n Stuff Antalya Conference 2026: If 50 people join us, it’s happening. If not, we’ll wait for another season. Simple as that.
searchnstuff.co.uk
November 17, 2025 at 12:38 PM
This was an incredible conference in 2024, and 2025. Looking forward to 2026 🔥
SEO updates you ✨NEED✨ to know [17 November]: www.linkedin.com/posts/markse...
November 17, 2025 at 12:34 PM
SEO updates you ✨NEED✨ to know [17 November]: www.linkedin.com/posts/markse...
Reposted by Mark Williams-Cook
So you successfully manipulated Reddit. Now what?
I saw a LinkedIn “growth hack” inserting product recommendations into Reddit to gain AI citations.
It wasn’t the post that annoyed me. It was the response. Thousands applauding the “amazing insights”. Without questioning the consequences.
I saw a LinkedIn “growth hack” inserting product recommendations into Reddit to gain AI citations.
It wasn’t the post that annoyed me. It was the response. Thousands applauding the “amazing insights”. Without questioning the consequences.
November 17, 2025 at 6:29 AM
So you successfully manipulated Reddit. Now what?
I saw a LinkedIn “growth hack” inserting product recommendations into Reddit to gain AI citations.
It wasn’t the post that annoyed me. It was the response. Thousands applauding the “amazing insights”. Without questioning the consequences.
I saw a LinkedIn “growth hack” inserting product recommendations into Reddit to gain AI citations.
It wasn’t the post that annoyed me. It was the response. Thousands applauding the “amazing insights”. Without questioning the consequences.
Reposted by Mark Williams-Cook
this goes right along with my theory that the AI obsession in *users* is often bc…
1. they were never educated (esp "ipad generation") & don't know how computers work
2. our tools and services are all SO AWFUL NOW, degraded at best, actively user-hostile at worst
1. they were never educated (esp "ipad generation") & don't know how computers work
2. our tools and services are all SO AWFUL NOW, degraded at best, actively user-hostile at worst
November 15, 2025 at 6:47 PM
this goes right along with my theory that the AI obsession in *users* is often bc…
1. they were never educated (esp "ipad generation") & don't know how computers work
2. our tools and services are all SO AWFUL NOW, degraded at best, actively user-hostile at worst
1. they were never educated (esp "ipad generation") & don't know how computers work
2. our tools and services are all SO AWFUL NOW, degraded at best, actively user-hostile at worst
Reposted by Mark Williams-Cook
Temerko, a Soviet-born oligarch and a major Conservative donor, told Belton that he and Johnson spent time… plotting the overthrow May. According to Temerko, Johnson had finally been persuaded to back Brexit in 2016 by a group of “eastern European businessmen”.
bylinetimes.com/2023/01/19/l...
bylinetimes.com/2023/01/19/l...
Landmark Ruling in Strasbourg as MPs Challenge UK Government over Failure to Investigate Russian Interference in Brexit
'Nothing less than the future of democracy is at stake' says Caroline Lucas as a cross-party coalition and The Citizens win an unprecedented hearing over electoral safety and national security
bylinetimes.com
November 15, 2025 at 4:15 AM
Temerko, a Soviet-born oligarch and a major Conservative donor, told Belton that he and Johnson spent time… plotting the overthrow May. According to Temerko, Johnson had finally been persuaded to back Brexit in 2016 by a group of “eastern European businessmen”.
bylinetimes.com/2023/01/19/l...
bylinetimes.com/2023/01/19/l...
Is there actually a way to stop spammers adding you to random Google Sheets of their bullshit? Or do we just have to live with this?
November 12, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Is there actually a way to stop spammers adding you to random Google Sheets of their bullshit? Or do we just have to live with this?
Is a bad metric worse than no metric?
November 12, 2025 at 7:23 AM
Is a bad metric worse than no metric?
Reposted by Mark Williams-Cook
Enshitification alert. Youtube has blocked speeding up playback of videos unless you pay a premium.
That means if you make videos where you speak in a slow drawl, I int gonna be a watching y'all.
That means if you make videos where you speak in a slow drawl, I int gonna be a watching y'all.
November 11, 2025 at 11:05 AM
Enshitification alert. Youtube has blocked speeding up playback of videos unless you pay a premium.
That means if you make videos where you speak in a slow drawl, I int gonna be a watching y'all.
That means if you make videos where you speak in a slow drawl, I int gonna be a watching y'all.