Brian Houdek Web Design

07/28/2025

🚀 Local SEO is changing fast — and if you’re not using reviews, citations, and structured data right now, your business could get buried in AI search results. 😬

I just published a new blog post breaking it all down for small businesses using WordPress.

👀 What’s inside:
✅ Why reviews still rule
✅ How I use BrightLocal for citations
✅ The power of structured data in 2025
✅ My WordPress + MainWP + Cloudflare setup

👉 Read it here:
https://brianhoudek.com/local-seo-in-2025-why-reviews-citations-and-structured-data-matter-more-than-ever/

12/28/2023

Rev up your website's speed with the power trio: WP Rocket 🚀, Cloudflare ☁️, and Imagify 📸! 🌟 Say goodbye to slow loading times and hello to lightning-fast web performance. Check out our latest blog post to learn how these tools can turbocharge your website. 💥

Read more at https://brianhoudek.com/building-lightning-fast-websites-how-i-achieve-top-google-pagespeed-scores/

08/18/2021

In October 2020 Adobe Photoshop added new “Neural Filters” that use AI to alter or improve photos. While it may not be the fanciest of the group, JPEG Artifacts Removal has become essential in my daily workflow. Pixelation is a big problem when clients send me image files. Pixelation is essentially blurriness that can be caused by multiple factors. When I’m designing a website, or adding content to a website, I want to use crisp, clear images. Photoshop’s JPEG Artifacts Removal Neural Filter is unbelievable at cleaning up any pixelation or blurriness in photos.

Read more at https://www.brianhoudek.com/jpeg-artifacts-removal-an-awesome-photoshop-tool-to-improve-pixelation/

11/12/2020

Recently I’ve had multiple clients report that they received emails (usually from website contact forms) notifying them of copyright images being us...

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Recently I’ve had multiple clients report that they received emails (usually from website contact forms) notifying them of copyright images being used on their website. I knew it was a scam immediately because I only use licensed images or images taken by my clients when designing websites. There ...

10/05/2020

This has been my business motto since day one. I am blessed to have so many wonderful clients that have helped me grow over the years.

https://www.brianhoudek.com

09/29/2020

38% of people will stop engaging with a website if the content or layout are unattractive. I can help. https://www.brianhoudek.com

05/25/2020

Please take a moment to remember the brave men and women who have given their life so you can live yours. I have the utmost respect for all military personnel. Please pray for the families of these service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Fly your American flag proudly today but never forget many people have given their lives so you can have that honor.

Read More at https://www.brianhoudek.com/honoring-those-who-gave-the-ultimate-sacrifice/

Please take a moment to remember the brave men and women who have given their life so you can live yours. I have the utmost respect for all military personnel. Please pray for the families of these service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Fly your American flag proudly today but never forget...

02/14/2020

BuiltWith is a tool that helps web developers “inspect” what technologies other websites are using (previously discussed in this post). Their simp
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BuiltWith Trends compiles information gathered on websites around the globe and provides some outstanding statistics on the most popular web and internet technology tools being utilized.

12/31/2019

Happy New Year – Website Tips For 2020

I would like to wish you a Happy New Year. I'm so grateful for my loyal customers and look forward to continued growth in 2020. My clients vary tremendously by industry and location, but the basics of website design, advertising and SEO can be applied to any industry. A visually attractive, informative and SEO optimized website is the best investment you can make in your company.

Website Tips for 2020

Google has over 90% of the search market. The best thing you can do for your companies reputation on the web is to focus on what Google looks for in a company. Google is all about business reputation. First and foremost your business website should be optimized to target the keywords your customers are searching for. Once that is accomplished Google looks at many other factors. Your Google My Business profile should be fully optimized and reviewed on a regular basis. Also, make sure to optimize your Bing Places For Business profile.

Google loves fresh content on your website. The best way to accomplish this is with a consistently updated blog. Social Media interaction is also a huge ranking factor. You should have business profiles on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest. I typically connect my client's blogs with their social media profiles. Multi-platform posting tools like Buffer are essential. I also recommend following other companies in your industry for inspiration and additional followers.

Your business information should be in as many databases as possible. Google gives credit for backlinks, which are links to your website from credible sources. The best way to get your business information out there is to use a tool such as BrightLocal's Citation Builder. This ensures your business name, address, phone number, hours, website URL, description and images are consistent across the internet. I've seen clients rankings jump multiple positions after a BrightLocal campaign.

I can go on and on but the things I've listed above should a priority for your company in 2020. If you're looking for a new website, have an existing website, need some SEO improvement, graphic design, or advertising please contact me today. I'd love the opportunity to help your business improve its web presence.

https://www.brianhoudek.com/happy-new-year-website-tips-for-2020/

08/23/2019

Why You Need To Use 2-Factor Authentication – ALWAYS

Using strong, complex passwords and different passwords for every account is a good defense against someone hacking into your account. However, it's far from the best defense. 2-Factor Authentication is the ultimate level of security. 2-Factor Authentication adds an additional layer of security when you login to an account by requiring you to open an app (Google Authenticator for example) to enter a code which regenerates every 30 seconds.
Why Do I Need 2-Factor Authentication?
Countless people use the same passwords across multiple accounts. This is a problem because there have been many password leaks over the years. Chances are pretty good your e-mail address is on that list. If you want to check, visit haveibeenpwned.com. Even if you're not on that list now, there will be more hacks and inevitably some website you registered with over the years will get hacked. Hackers will take your e-mail address and password to attempt to login to various accounts. If they get the right ones your identity can be stolen.
How Do I Protect Myself?
The first step to get 2-Factor Authentication is to install an app, such as Google Authenticator, on your phone. Most websites that store sensitive data have the ability to enable 2-Factor Authentication. I recommend looking under "My Account" or "Account Settings" on those websites. Under "Security" you will usually find an option to enable 2-Factor Authentication. The website will show a QR code, which you scan with the Google Authenticator app and you're good to go. The next time you login you'll be asked for a six-digit code, which is generated in the app and updated every 30 seconds.
Learn From My Mistake
I have 2-Factor Authentication enabled on every account that I possibly can. I had an issue where one of my CPanel (hosting control panel for a website) accounts got hacked. I was using a very strong username and password. Most likely my clients' e-mail was hacked and the intruders were able to do a search for certain words in past e-mails, such as "CPanel". I had sent a password list with all the website information, which included the CPanel login (I have since changed how I send passwords).

I hope this information helps you protect your passwords (and ultimately your identity). If you want to learn more about 2-Factor Authentication. If you're looking for a new website, have an existing website, or just need some SEO improvement, please contact me today. I'd love the opportunity to help your business improve its web presence.

Using strong, complex passwords and different passwords for every account is a good defense against someone hacking into your account. However, it’s far from the best defense. 2-Factor Authentication is the ultimate level of security. 2-Factor Authentication adds an additional layer of security wh...