Shalin Siriwardhana

Search, growth, and digital strategy notes.

Personal notes on SEO, AI search, content strategy, and durable organic growth.

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Notes / SEO / Oct 8, 2026

A Practical Way to Plan 2027 When Traffic Is Down and AI Won’t Attribute

A practical view on A Practical Way to Plan 2027 When Traffic Is Down and AI Won’t Attribute, focused on the signal to inspect, the risk to avoid, and the decision it should change.

6 min read

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Notes / SEO / Oct 8, 2026

Context Engineering: How to Prevent AI Workflows from Degrading

A practical view on Context Engineering: How to Prevent AI Workflows from Degrading, focused on the signal to inspect, the risk to avoid, and the decision it should change.

6 min read

$A close up shot of a person's hand holding a smartphone displaying a single, detailed AI answer, with the traditional list of blue links completely absent from the screen.$

Notes / SEO / Oct 8, 2026

Google Now Has the Math to Rank Without an Index, and the Results Page Does Not Survive It

In 2021, four Google researchers published Rethinking Search: Making Domain Experts out of Dilettantes, which argued that a. The practical question is what this changes for SEO, content quality, and AI search visibility.

6 min read

A close-up shot of a person's hand holding a smartphone displaying a line graph with a sharp downward dip, resting on a wooden table next to a coffee cup.

Notes / SEO / Oct 8, 2026

The Real Reason Google Search Updates Cannot Be Judged During Early Rollout

Understanding what is happening right now requires us to separate an unfinished update from a stable baseline. Tracking shows. The practical question is what this changes for SEO, content quality, and AI search visibility.

6 min read

A close up shot of a person's hand holding a smartphone displaying a Google Search results page, resting on a wooden table next to a ceramic coffee mug.

Notes / SEO / Oct 8, 2026

Google Completes September 2026 Spam Update After Nearly 14 Days

Google said at launch that the September spam update's rollout "may take up to two weeks to complete," and it used nearly all of. The practical question is what this changes for SEO, content quality, and AI search visibility.

6 min read

A close-up shot of a person's hand holding a smartphone displaying a Google search result page, with a physical notebook and a pen resting on a wooden table beside it.

Notes / SEO / Oct 8, 2026

Prediction: the Next Massive Google Update Is Around the Corner

in practice, Google updates its documentation with clues before launching major updates. Google rewrote its guidance on AI. The practical question is what this changes for SEO, content quality, and AI search visibility.

6 min read

A woman in her late 40s holds a smartphone in one hand and a skincare bottle in the other, comparing a video on the screen to the physical product.

Notes / SEO / Oct 7, 2026

57% of Beauty Consumers Don’t Start with Google Search

A practical view on 57% of Beauty Consumers Don’t Start with Google Search, focused on the signal to inspect, the risk to avoid, and the decision it should change.

6 min read

A close up shot of a person's hands typing on a laptop keyboard in a dimly lit room, with a single open notebook and a pen resting beside the computer.

Notes / SEO / Oct 7, 2026

Breaking into SEO Starts with Creating Your Own Opportunities

A practical view on Breaking into SEO Starts with Creating Your Own Opportunities, focused on the signal to inspect, the risk to avoid, and the decision it should change.

6 min read

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Notes / SEO / Oct 7, 2026

The Business Case for SEO Is Changing; Budget Justifications Should Too

For years, the financial justification for SEO followed a relatively straightforward model. Investments produced rankings,. The practical question is what this changes for SEO, content quality, and AI search visibility.

10 min read

A close up shot of a person's hand using a mouse to highlight a specific line of code on a computer screen, with a notebook and pen resting nearby.

Notes / SEO / Oct 7, 2026

Using AI to Assist with SEO Work, Not Replace the Worker

Some parts of technical SEO are simple, and will be forever simple, at least if you know what you're looking for: A link. The practical question is what this changes for SEO, content quality, and AI search visibility.

6 min read