Laravel, WordPress and SEO guidesBlog
Guides on Laravel, PHP, WordPress, SEO and hiring a developer, from the work I do every day.
Laravel and PHP
- Filament vs Nova vs Backpack in 2026: choosing the best Laravel admin panelFilament vs Nova vs Backpack in 2026: licensing, Laravel 13 support, customization, permissions, large-table performance and when a custom admin wins.
- Core PHP vs Laravel: when plain PHP still makes sense, and when a framework winsCore PHP vs Laravel: when plain PHP is the right tool, why frameworks win on security and hiring, and how to modernize a core PHP codebase step by step.
- Web scraping with PHP in 2026: Guzzle, DomCrawler, headless browsers and Laravel queuesWeb scraping with PHP in 2026: tested Guzzle and Symfony DomCrawler code, JavaScript pages, rate limits, retries, Laravel queues and deduplicated storage.
- Laravel vs CodeIgniter in 2026: which PHP framework should you choose?Laravel vs CodeIgniter in 2026: current versions, PHP requirements, features, performance, security and what to do with a CodeIgniter 3 app, with clear advice.
- Laravel 12 to 13 upgrade guide: breaking changes, config gotchas and a safe rolloutA Laravel 12 to 13 upgrade guide: PHP 8.3 requirement, the breaking changes that bite, cache and session config traps, and a safe rollout plan.
- PHP 7.4 to 8 upgrade checklist for legacy applications (2026)A PHP 7.4 to 8 upgrade checklist: choosing 8.3, 8.4 or 8.5, scanning with PHPCompatibility and Rector, the breakages by version, and a safe rollout.
- Laravel performance checklist for 2026: N+1, indexes, caching, queues and OPcacheA Laravel performance checklist for 2026: find slow queries, fix N+1 and indexes, cache, queue slow work, tune OPcache and know when Octane pays off.
- How to upgrade CodeIgniter 3 to 4: a step-by-step migration guide (and when to choose Laravel)How to upgrade CodeIgniter 3 to 4: what changed in routing, models, validation and sessions, a step-by-step plan, and when Laravel is the better move.
- CodeIgniter 3 on PHP 8: errors on PHP 8.1 to 8.5 and how to fix themRunning CodeIgniter 3 on PHP 8? The errors you will see on 8.1, 8.2, 8.4 and 8.5, tested fixes for each, and when patching stops being worth it.
- How to deploy Laravel on cPanel or a VPS: shared hosting vs Nginx and PHP-FPM (2026)How to deploy Laravel on cPanel shared hosting or a VPS: document root, .env, permissions, cron, Supervisor queue workers and zero-downtime releases.
- Perfex CRM module development: build a custom module step by step (with hooks)Perfex CRM module development, step by step: init file headers, activation hooks, menus, staff permissions, tables, language files and safe module upgrades.
- Laravel OpenAI integration in 2026: Laravel AI SDK vs openai-php/laravel, with a working exampleLaravel OpenAI integration in 2026: Laravel AI SDK or openai-php/laravel, plus a working example with structured output, queues, retries, cost and human review.
- Razorpay vs Stripe in 2026: which payment gateway for Indian businesses and for selling to IndiaRazorpay vs Stripe in 2026: Stripe's invite-only status in India, international payments, UPI, fees, payouts and webhook verification in Laravel and PHP.
- Laravel SEO: a complete guide to meta tags, sitemaps, schema and rendering (2026)A practical Laravel SEO guide: meta tags and canonicals in Blade, spatie/laravel-sitemap, staging noindex, JSON-LD, redirects, Inertia SSR and hreflang.
Business software
AI-built apps
- PRD template for AI app builders: how to explain your app so Lovable, Bolt or Cursor builds the right thingA free PRD template for AI app builders like Lovable, Bolt, Cursor and Claude Code: what to write, a filled-in example, and how to feed it to the AI in steps.
- Vibe coding security checklist: 30 checks before your AI-built app goes liveA vibe coding security checklist for apps built with Lovable, Bolt, Cursor or ChatGPT: exposed keys, database rules, auth, payments and risks AI code misses.
WordPress
- Yoast vs Rank Math (2026): which WordPress SEO plugin should you use?Yoast vs Rank Math compared honestly: free vs paid features, schema, redirects, sitemaps, AI tools, speed, and how to switch without losing rankings.
- How to convert Figma to WordPress: 4 routes compared (2026 guide)How to convert Figma to WordPress in 2026: Elementor, a block theme with theme.json, a custom theme or a converter plugin, plus a design hand-off checklist.
- How to create a custom WordPress plugin: a step-by-step tutorial for 2026How to create a custom WordPress plugin from scratch: header, activation, post type, settings, shortcode, block, REST route, security and coding standards.
- Why is my WordPress site slow? Common causes and how to fix each oneWhy is my WordPress site slow? Find the real cause in 10 minutes (hosting, cache, plugins, images, scripts, database) and fix it in the right order.
- How to improve INP on WordPress and pass Core Web VitalsHow to improve INP on WordPress: find the slow interaction with field data and DevTools, then fix plugin JS, third-party tags and builder bloat to pass CWV.
- WordPress hacked redirect: how to detect and clean it, step by stepWordPress hacked redirect fix: confirm it, clean wp-config, .htaccess, wp_options, mu-plugins, rogue admins and cron, then harden and request a Google review.
SEO and content
- Programmatic SEO: how to build pages at scale without thin content (2026 guide)Programmatic SEO explained: when it works, what Google's scaled content abuse policy rules out, and how to build it safely in Laravel or Next.js, with code.
- Crawled - currently not indexed: why Google skips your pages and how to fix itCrawled currently not indexed in Search Console? What it and Discovered mean, the real causes, a URL Inspection workflow and fixes in priority order.
- How long does SEO take? An honest timeline for new and established sitesHow long does SEO take? Google says four months to a year. See what changes the timeline, what to measure in Search Console and what to do month by month.
- Keyword research for small business: a free, step-by-step guide for 2026Keyword research for small business, step by step with free tools: find what customers search, judge what you can win, and map each keyword to a page.
- How many blog posts per month for SEO? A decision framework, not a magic numberHow many blog posts per month for SEO? There is no magic number. Use this framework to set a pace you can sustain, and know when refreshing beats publishing.
- On-page SEO checklist for service pages (2026): 25 checks for rankings and leadsAn on-page SEO checklist for service pages and small business sites: 25 practical checks for titles, content, schema, links, speed and tracking, plus a table.
- SEO content brief template: how to brief writers (and AI) for pages that rankA free SEO content brief template you can copy, plus how to fill each field, build the outline from the SERP, brief AI drafts and QA the final draft.
- Local business schema markup examples: copy-paste JSON-LD for 2026Copy-paste local business schema markup examples in JSON-LD: storefronts, service area businesses, multiple locations and opening hours, checked against Google.
- How to rank in Google AI Overviews and get cited: what actually works in 2026How to rank in Google AI Overviews and get cited by ChatGPT, using Google's own guidance: crawl access, answer-first pages, entities, llms.txt and tracking.
- Website redesign SEO checklist: how to migrate without losing rankingsA website redesign SEO checklist in six phases: benchmark, URL mapping, 301 redirects, content parity, staging QA, launch day and 90 days of monitoring.
- Website launch SEO checklist: 40 checks before and after you go liveA website launch SEO checklist for brand-new sites: 40 checks covering indexing, sitemaps, titles, schema, Core Web Vitals, Search Console, Bing and GA4.
Hiring and planning
- How to hire a web developer in India: an honest guide for 2026How to hire a web developer in India: why companies do it, the real risks, how to vet and pay, time zones, IP ownership and red flags, from a developer there.
- How to hire a Laravel developer in 2026: a practical checklist and 20 interview questionsHow to hire a Laravel developer in 2026: what to look for, where to find one, 20 interview questions with strong answers, a paid trial task and contract terms.
- Freelancer vs agency for web development and SEO: how to chooseFreelancer vs agency for web development and SEO: a side-by-side comparison, the hidden risks of each, which projects suit which, and how to hire safely.
- Web application development cost: 12 factors that set your budget (with Laravel examples)What drives web application development cost: 12 factors from scope to maintenance, how to cut cost safely, and a brief template to get an accurate quote.
- 15 questions to ask when hiring an SEO consultant (and answers that should worry you)15 questions to ask when hiring an SEO consultant, what good answers sound like, the red flags to walk away from, and a scorecard to compare them.
- WordPress vs custom website: which is better for your business in 2026?WordPress vs custom website, compared by a developer who builds both: launch time, cost drivers, SEO, speed, security and a simple way to decide what you need.
- Laravel vs WordPress: which should you build on in 2026?Laravel vs WordPress for apps, stores and business sites: performance, security, WooCommerce vs custom, content editing and how to run both together.
- Landing page vs website: what your business needs, and where to send Google Ads trafficLanding page vs website: the real difference, when each one wins, where to send Google Ads clicks, and what a high-converting landing page needs.
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