https://jefvandegraaf.com/ Crazy stories, business experiments, and every lesson learned from over a decade of navigating the great unknown — by Jef van de Graaf. en https://jefvandegraaf.com/local-seo-guide/ https://jefvandegraaf.com/local-seo-guide/ Wed, 07 Oct 2026 02:00:00 GMT A sourced 2027 guide to local SEO for small businesses: how Google, Maps and AI assistants choose who to show, and what you can fix yourself. https://jefvandegraaf.com/when-to-use-one-page-vs-a-full-blown-website/ https://jefvandegraaf.com/when-to-use-one-page-vs-a-full-blown-website/ Mon, 14 Sep 2026 02:00:00 GMT One page website or a full site? When a one-pager is all you need, when it isn’t, what each costs, and how to decide before you pay a designer. https://jefvandegraaf.com/sorry-but-you-dont-own-your-website/ https://jefvandegraaf.com/sorry-but-you-dont-own-your-website/ Fri, 11 Sep 2026 02:00:00 GMT Copyright, domain ownership, and hosting — the three traps shady web agencies hide in their contracts, and how to make sure the master keys to your website stay in your pocket. https://jefvandegraaf.com/what-happens-if-your-web-designer-dies/ https://jefvandegraaf.com/what-happens-if-your-web-designer-dies/ Fri, 11 Sep 2026 02:00:00 GMT Three realistic scenarios for your website when your web designer gets hit by a bus — from a sad bouquet of flowers to losing everything — and the access questions to ask before it happens. https://jefvandegraaf.com/3-ways-i-landed-copywriting-gigs/ https://jefvandegraaf.com/3-ways-i-landed-copywriting-gigs/ Mon, 07 Sep 2026 02:00:00 GMT Skip Fiverr and Upwork. Paid communities, cold pitching that opens with a compliment, and a lead-gen website — the three ways I've actually landed copywriting clients since 2014. https://jefvandegraaf.com/how-much-to-edit-an-ai-written-blog/ https://jefvandegraaf.com/how-much-to-edit-an-ai-written-blog/ Tue, 01 Sep 2026 02:00:00 GMT A year-long negotiation with an Ontario psychology company: AI-written replies, no budget, no call, and a final ask to edit their AI slop. With receipts. https://jefvandegraaf.com/best-co-working-spaces-in-chiang-mai/ https://jefvandegraaf.com/best-co-working-spaces-in-chiang-mai/ Sat, 06 Jun 2026 02:00:00 GMT Looking for the best co-working spaces in Chiang Mai? Here are my top 3 picks for digital nomads, a 24-hour cafe I just found, and recommendations from local expats. https://jefvandegraaf.com/the-rise-of-ai-slop-in-b2b-marketing/ https://jefvandegraaf.com/the-rise-of-ai-slop-in-b2b-marketing/ Thu, 21 May 2026 02:00:00 GMT AI slop is generic, machine-generated content published at scale with no human judgment. In B2B, it's killing pipeline, brand trust, and search rankings. https://jefvandegraaf.com/unclear-website-messaging-is-a-problem/ https://jefvandegraaf.com/unclear-website-messaging-is-a-problem/ Sun, 17 May 2026 02:00:00 GMT Unclear website messaging is a positioning problem, not a copy problem. Here's why B2B buyers bounce in 5 seconds — and the 3-layer framework to fix it. https://jefvandegraaf.com/nobody-cares-how-long-you-have-been-in-business/ https://jefvandegraaf.com/nobody-cares-how-long-you-have-been-in-business/ Sat, 16 May 2026 02:00:00 GMT Does your website talk more about you than your customer? If so, you've got "We" Syndrome. Here's how to flip the script and write copy buyers care about. https://jefvandegraaf.com/high-cognitive-load-kills-website-conversions/ https://jefvandegraaf.com/high-cognitive-load-kills-website-conversions/ Fri, 15 May 2026 02:00:00 GMT Got website traffic but your conversions are flat? The culprit might be cognitive overload. Learn the best ways to reduce your website's cognitive load. https://jefvandegraaf.com/using-ai-for-writing-website-copy/ https://jefvandegraaf.com/using-ai-for-writing-website-copy/ Wed, 13 May 2026 02:00:00 GMT AI for writing website copy promises instant volume for your bare web pages but often delivers generic, hollow "filler." See why relying on AI blindly ruins... https://jefvandegraaf.com/website-marketing-bets/ https://jefvandegraaf.com/website-marketing-bets/ Tue, 12 May 2026 02:00:00 GMT TL;DR: Every dollar you spend on your website is a marketing bet. There are three worth making: (1) fixing the site's copy for conversion, (2) running landing https://jefvandegraaf.com/why-every-b2b-site-needs-message-decision-fit/ https://jefvandegraaf.com/why-every-b2b-site-needs-message-decision-fit/ Mon, 11 May 2026 02:00:00 GMT B2B buying is six decisions made by ten people. Message-decision fit is the copy layer that helps each one decide. See the framework and audit inside. https://jefvandegraaf.com/joseph-sugarman-direct-response-copywriting/ https://jefvandegraaf.com/joseph-sugarman-direct-response-copywriting/ Sat, 09 May 2026 02:00:00 GMT Joseph Sugarman sold 20 million pairs of sunglasses with one ad. Here are his direct response writing rules and how they apply to today (even in the AI-era). https://jefvandegraaf.com/who-was-marshall-mcluhan/ https://jefvandegraaf.com/who-was-marshall-mcluhan/ Fri, 08 May 2026 02:00:00 GMT Marshall McLuhan wrote The Medium is the Massage in 1967. Here's what it taught me about writing copy, and how it influences the way we think, act, and buy. https://jefvandegraaf.com/is-copywriting-worth-it/ https://jefvandegraaf.com/is-copywriting-worth-it/ Wed, 06 May 2026 02:00:00 GMT If AI can draft a homepage in 30 seconds, is copywriting worth it in 2026? Here's an honest answer from a B2B copywriter who uses AI daily. https://jefvandegraaf.com/signs-of-ai-writing/ https://jefvandegraaf.com/signs-of-ai-writing/ Tue, 05 May 2026 02:00:00 GMT A field guide to the 32 signs of AI writing — and why em dashes aren't one of them. Written by Jen van de Graaf, edited by no one (that includes Jef van de Graaf). https://jefvandegraaf.com/why-chatgpt-recommends-your-competitors-and-not-you/ https://jefvandegraaf.com/why-chatgpt-recommends-your-competitors-and-not-you/ Mon, 04 May 2026 02:00:00 GMT Your SEO doesn't buy you AI visibility. Here's how AI actually decides which businesses to recommend — and the five prompts that reveal where you rank. https://jefvandegraaf.com/loser-back-home/ https://jefvandegraaf.com/loser-back-home/ Sun, 26 Apr 2026 02:00:00 GMT This post is for every loser back home. What you're about to read is a popular label applied to Westerners who relocate to Asia and... READ IT TO LEARN MORE.