A website built without search in mind usually has to be partly rebuilt later. I build and develop sites with SEO designed in from the first page: structure, speed, schema, breadcrumbs and author credibility, planned before a line of code is written. That’s how River Bend, a brand new site, reached over 8,000 daily impressions within 75 days.
A site rebuilt without search in the specification is a redesign that will cost you traffic.
What web development covers
Web development covers building new WordPress sites, developing custom sections, tools and templates on Shopify, setting the SEO requirements for headless and Magento builds, and improving the speed and structure of existing sites. Every build is planned around how people will find the site in Google and AI search, not just how it looks.
Who it’s for
These services suit businesses that:
- need a new website, or a rebuild of one that’s holding them back
- run a Shopify store and need custom sections, templates or tools
- are working with a developer or agency on a build and want the SEO specified properly
- have a slow site losing visitors, or a structure that makes pages hard to find
Web development services
| Service | What it covers |
|---|---|
| WordPress websites | Full builds with a lightweight set-up, clean structure, schema, speed and publishing done properly |
| Shopify development | Custom Liquid sections, templates, blog HTML and app-style tools that sync with your catalogue |
| Headless Shopify | SEO requirements for Hydrogen builds with a separate CMS: sitemaps, metadata and rendering |
| Magento | SEO on Magento stores: layered navigation, duplicate URLs, categories, speed and when to replatform |
| Site speed and Core Web Vitals | Speed fixes on WordPress, Shopify and Magento |
| SEO-ready site builds | Structure, schema, breadcrumbs, internal linking and author credibility designed in from the start |
What every build includes
Whatever the platform, a build I work on follows the same standards as this site:
- a planned site structure where every page has a parent and sits within three clicks of the homepage
- breadcrumbs and matching structured data on every page
- hand-written meta titles and descriptions, never left to the platform
- a clear answer near the top of key pages, and visible FAQs where they help
- fast, mobile-friendly templates and properly sized images
- internal linking rules that stop pages being orphaned
- sitemaps, robots.txt and Search Console set up before launch
Results
- River Bend: a WordPress site built from nothing, with nine content pillars, a publishing pipeline and an orphan-page audit, reaching over 8,000 daily impressions within 75 days
- GaraDry kit builder: a Shopify product builder with live catalogue sync and add to cart
- Kwiat: a sitemap specification for a headless Shopify build on Hydrogen and Sanity, built to spec by the development team
When a build is also a migration
If a new site replaces an existing one, the rankings the old site has earned need protecting. That’s covered by site migrations, and on any rebuild the migration planning and the build are planned together.
Talk to the person doing the work
There is no account manager here and no team to be handed to. If you get in touch, it is me who reads it, me who looks at your site, and me who does the work if we go ahead.
Get in touch, or start with a free assessment.
How the work gets done
Builds use the schema toolkit and sitemap toolkit, with speed and technical checks from the technical SEO checks. Every build is reviewed by me before launch. Web development pairs naturally with SEO and content.
Where to start
Tell me what you’re planning, whether it’s a new site, a rebuild or custom work on an existing one. Get in touch, or start with a free assessment of your current site.
FAQ
Which is better for SEO, WordPress or Shopify?
Both can rank very well. WordPress suits content-led sites and service businesses that need flexibility, while Shopify suits online shops that want reliable ecommerce with less maintenance. The platform matters less than how the site is built: its structure, speed, content and technical set-up.
Should SEO be involved before a website is built?
Yes, ideally from the planning stage. Decisions about site structure, URLs, templates and which content exists are far cheaper to get right before building than to fix afterwards. Involving SEO early also means schema, breadcrumbs, speed and internal linking are designed in rather than added later.
Do you build sites from scratch or work on existing sites?
Both. I build new WordPress sites, develop custom sections and tools on Shopify, set the SEO requirements for headless builds, and improve existing sites, whether that’s speed, structure, templates or schema. For changes to a live site, I either make them directly where access is agreed or write briefs for your developer.