Posts by Josh Bowman
Why Backlinks Still Matter in 2026
Over the 11 years of my SEO career, one of the most debated topics I have come across in the SEO community is “do backlinks matter.” I think they do, and here is why. Domain authority is an SEO SaaS metric that has gotten a lot of heat over the years, and many say that…
Read MoreGoogle’s Universal Commerce Protocol and the Direction of Search
When Google introduces something with the word protocol in the name, it’s usually a mistake to treat it as a feature. The Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) is not an optimization checklist, a new ranking factor, or a short-term tactical lever. It’s a signal — and like most signals Google sends, it’s more about where systems…
Read MoreDecember 2025’s Google Update Wasn’t a Surprise — It Was a Confirmation
Every major Google update creates the same cycle:speculation, screenshots, hot takes, and eventually a list of “things to do.” The December 2025 update has followed that pattern. Rankings moved. Some sites lost visibility. Others quietly gained ground. And, predictably, the conversation has focused on what changed. What’s more interesting is what didn’t. This update didn’t…
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