SimonCox.com
Version 8.0
I don't write that often about Technical SEO Auditing or any of my hobbies, such as modelling narrow gauge railways, or bread baking, but when I do it's usually to share with you something that I have found to be of interest to me, or something I have had fun doing. Hopefully these articles will help and encourage others, perhaps yourself, to have a go, solve an issue or provide a modicum of light relief and an occasional private little titter.
Mostly though these articles are really for myself, to remind me of how I did something, or to provide a reference for the future. I have on occasion in the past looked something up on a search engine only to find that I have already written about it, but had forgotten!
Where I have more to say I will spend time weaving into an article but when it is a quick thought I will jot it down as a short note in the Shorts section and possibly expand on those in the future. Writing things down is a great way to remember ideas and thoughts - and we all need to do that.
Commenting was with Disqus but it all went horribly wrong so for now please ping me comments on Mastodon.
Learn how to use Marketing URLs to improve branding, user experience, and control over your links. Discover why URL shorteners like Bitly may not be ideal for SEO and how to implement your own memorable, branded redirects for better marketing results.
I reflect on my blogging journey, platforms like 11ty, my writing process, favorite posts, and Ava’s Bear Blog Challenge.
Progress on the scratch built 1/72 scale model of the Goods Shed and Ticket Office.
Resin printed figures for Whitesands Quay, 3D printed and painted with intricate details, using Modelu files and Elegoo Mars 3 Pro printer.
Enhancing the Whitesands Quay model with realistic rock formations using natural materials.
Simon Cox discusses designing and building a bin store, highlighting the challenges and solutions in creating a functional and aesthetically pleasing structure.
Simon Cox built a new log store to replace the pallet crates the logs come in and this includes a plan and materials list.
Can hidden HTML characters can impact SEO. I explore how they affect rankings and share ways to identify and remove them.
If you want to build a website quickly then 11ty is a great tool. Here is how I set up my starter pack to get me up and running in a few minutes.
Google now want an accurate lastmod date in the xml sitemap. Here is how I set it up in my 11ty site.
I have replaced the row of four cottages at the back of the layout with a new model.
Building a model of the Fraddon Methodist Chapel for the Whitesands Quay layout.
Website rebuild using Eleventy for a faster, flat-file setup. Improved SEO, performance, and design while optimizing hosting with Netlify and Cloudflare Pages.
Step-by-step guide to verifying your Wix website on Mastodon for enhanced credibility.
Simons railway modelling has been invigorated with a laser-cutter and he explains how he has detailed models of cottages and a Customs house.
Workers are available from Cloudflare and Google Chrome has native lazy loading, so I tested both together.
I was testing out different made up words to see what Google returned.
Migrating from HTTP to HTTPS? I used Google Looker Studio to track issues and gain insights for a smooth transition.
I was inspired to scratch build a copy of one of Reinier Hendriksen's rail-buses from his original article of April 1999.
Review of a new tool from Data elasticity S.L in Spain that analyses the quality of your websites content.
From July 2018, Google flagged non-secure sites. Learn how to use Screaming Frog’s Insecure Content Report to fix your site.
Canonical links tell search engines where the original page is. Google favors the oldest version and flags others as duplicates.
Struggling with Apple Mail login issues? I found a fix for keychain-related errors affecting LinkedIn, Google, Flickr, and more.
Moving a site to new hosting can be fraught with issues. Here is one technique that I find useful when moving to a website to a new hosting server.
A plaster model kit of a classic French wooden goods shed.
Completion of the SRB001 Freelance DEUTZ Style 0-4-0DM chassis including the running gear and motor with the bodywork following.
Whitesands Quay first outing gets it out of the house and sets some deadlines for me to work to.
Stuart Brewer is a fellow GDNGRS member and is one of the most accomplished model makers I know - this is his first kit and my attempts at building it.
Replaced styrene chimney pots with Langley white metal ones on Whitesands Quay cottages. Added weathering and bird mess, with seagulls to be placed later.
I have now built two versions of the track-work. Both have issues.
Brass, nickel silver and white-metal kit of the Belgian La Meuse 2-6-0 narrow gauge locomotive used on the French sugar-beet lines
Explore Whitesands Quay's row of cottages built with Scalescenes kits. Learn about customization and model railway building techniques now easily today.
We’ve always wanted to grow our own vegetables—not to an extreme, but as a nod to the post-war "make do and mend" lifestyle.
The UK had until May 28, 2012, to comply with the EU cookie law. How many organizations met the ICO's deadline?
I recently booked a trip on the Swanage Belle, a steam hauled special train service from London down to Swanage on the Dorset Coast.
The UK's first ExpressionEngine conference took place in Manchester in 2011—I share a report on the event and surrounding activities.
Assets for ExpressionEngine improves file management. I installed it and built a simple image gallery to test its capabilities.
On the 11th June 2011 we attended the Shakey Super Pull run by the Midlands Tractor Pulling Club at the Shakespeare Country Raceway.
Inspired by Simon Collison, I implemented Responsive Web Design on my site as the approach gained momentum over two years.
My first visit to Expo Narrow Gauge in 2004 rekindled an old hobby I thought I'd never return to—model railways.
With HTML5 evolving, I explore modern web fonts, current techniques, and the latest in digital typography.
Luuuuuke, Luuuuuke, wake up it's the 4th of May - Star Wars Day...
Online testing suites are a very useful way of checking your website to see if it's up to scratch. I take you through Nibbler from Silktide.
Years ago, I shared a small thought on stapling paper—one of those everyday ideas we rarely say out loud. That time, I did.
We completed a short country walk around Medmenham in Buckinghamshire including a stretch along the banks of the Thames river.
A new look for the site.
Ongoing development of my third layout.