Libsyn Directory

WordPress SEO for Developers: Tools vs. Building Your Own with Wes Towers (Part 2)

Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

Release Date: 11/06/2025

Go Web First: How to Use AI Safely and Choose Mobile at the Right Time (with Angelo Zanetti)

Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

If you’re building software in the AI era, speed is everywhere—and that’s exactly why discipline matters more than ever. In Part 2 of our interview with Angelo Zanetti, one strategy keeps coming up as the smartest path for founders and product teams: go web first. You validate demand faster, avoid app-store friction, and you get a clearer signal before you spend real money on the mobile “tax.” About Angelo Zanetti Angelo Zanetti is the co-founder and CEO of Elemental, a South African-based software development agency helping startups and scaleups worldwide bring...

Prove Your MVP: The Founder Playbook for a Strong First Launch (with Angelo Zanetti)

Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

If you’re building a new app or software product, your biggest risk usually isn’t “bad code.” It’s building the wrong thing, shipping it with a shaky first impression, and then wondering why growth never shows up. In this episode of Building Better Developers, Angelo Zanetti breaks it down into a simple founder goal: prove your MVP—prove the problem is real, prove the solution is worth paying for, and prove you can deliver value without burning your runway. About Angelo Zanetti Angelo Zanetti is the co-founder and CEO of Elemental, a South African-based software...

Tiered Pricing in the AI Era: What Actually Works (with Dan Balcauski)

Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

Tiered pricing is becoming the simplest way to sell AI-powered SaaS without turning your pricing page into a technical explanation. In my interview with Dan Balcauski, founder and Chief Pricing Officer at Product Tranquility, we talked about why AI is forcing new pricing decisions earlier than ever—and why “good, better, best” packaging often works because it keeps buying decisions clear while helping companies manage real AI costs. The AI era is making pricing margin-aware again. Tiered pricing helps you protect margins without forcing buyers to learn your cost...

Minimal Viable Pricing: How to Stop Guessing and Start Learning (with Dan Balcauski)

Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

Minimal viable pricing is the fastest way to stop debating what your product should cost and start learning what customers will actually pay for. In my interview with Dan Balcauski, founder and Chief Pricing Officer at Product Tranquility, we talked about how early-stage teams can set pricing that’s “good enough” to sell, validate value, and iterate—without getting stuck chasing the perfect number. Pricing can feel risky because it shapes perception, positioning, and revenue. But Dan’s message is practical: you don’t need perfect pricing to move forward—you need minimal viable...

Workflow Efficiency Metrics: ROI Without Micromanaging (Michael Toguchi)

Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

If you want real improvement—not just more dashboards—workflow efficiency metrics have to start with something most teams avoid: visibility. In Part 2 of our interview with Michael Toguchi, we move from “big ideas” into the operational reality leaders face every day: shadow tools, duplicate systems, fuzzy ROI, and the pricing pressure that shows up when AI makes work faster. This conversation is a reality check for ops leaders, engineering leaders, and consultants trying to scale without drowning in tool sprawl—or measuring productivity in ways that break trust. Workflow...

Process Before Tools: How to Scale Without Burnout (Michael Toguchi)

Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

If you’ve ever felt like your team is running on duct tape and good intentions, you’re not alone. In this Building Better Developers interview, Michael Toguchi (Chief Strategy Officer at eResources) makes a simple point that changes how you approach growth: process before tools. Before you buy another platform, automate another workflow, or roll out a new system, you need clarity on how the work actually gets done—and who it’s meant to serve. You can’t tool your way out of chaos. The real fix starts upstream—before the migration, before the CRM, before the next sprint. It starts...

Conversion Rate Optimization: Find Funnel Bottlenecks and Improve What Matters

Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

You validated the idea. You built the page. Maybe you’re even getting traffic. And yet… the conversions don’t match the effort. In Part 2 of our interview with Samir ElKamouny, we shift from “prove the concept” to conversion rate optimization—the discipline of diagnosing what’s actually limiting growth and improving the parts of your funnel that matter most. This isn’t about chasing shiny marketing tactics. It’s about execution: the kind that turns a funnel from “pretty good” into “predictable.” About Samir ElKamouny Samir ElKamouny is an entrepreneur...

Market Validation Strategy: Stop Building in the Dark—Validate Your Idea First

Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

If you’re a developer or founder, you already know how to build. The hard part is building the right thing, for the right people, at the right time. In Part 1 of our interview with Samir ElKamouny, we dig into a practical market validation strategy that helps you avoid the most expensive mistake in software: investing months of effort into something the market didn’t ask for. Samir’s message is refreshingly grounded: big ideas are great, but execution is everything. And execution doesn’t start with code—it starts with clarity, research, and small tests that tell you whether...

New Year, New Momentum: What Developers Can Look Forward to in 2026

Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

New Year’s Day hits different when you’re recording with a live studio audience, passing the mic around, and starting the year with a mix of laughs, honest reflection, and big goals. In this Building Better Developers special episode, Rob Broadhead and Michael Meloche kick off 2026 by sharing a “good thing / bad thing” recap from a recent Christmas party—then opening the floor to the team to talk about the New Year developer goals. It’s casual, it’s real, and it’s a reminder that growth (personal and professional) usually starts with clarity. Michael’s 2026 New...

2025 Year-End Reflection for Developers: AI Hype, Layoffs, and What’s Next

Develpreneur: Become a Better Developer and Entrepreneur

It’s New Year’s Eve-Eve, and instead of recording from our usual virtual setups, we did something we’ve talked about for years: we hit record in the same room. If you’re watching on YouTube, you can actually see us together. If you’re listening on audio, you’ll just have to trust us—this one was in-person. In this special episode of Building Better Developers (our Building Better Foundations season), we keep it simple: a Year-End Reflection for Developers. What are we ready to leave behind from this year? What do we want to carry into the next one? And what’s the reality...

More Episodes

In this follow-up episode of Building Better Developers, Wes Towers returns to share his hands-on approach to WordPress SEO for developers. From choosing lean tools like Kadence and Rank Math to using AI for faster content creation, Wes explains how developers can simplify design, speed up performance, and stay visible in an AI-driven search world.

Key Idea: Smart WordPress SEO for developers isn’t about more plugins—it’s about clarity, speed, and content that stands out across search and AI platforms.

About the Guest — Wes Towers

Wes Towers is the founder of Uplift 360, a Melbourne-based digital agency that helps builders and trades turn websites into trusted, lead-generating tools. With over 20 years of hands-on experience, Wes focuses on authenticity, clear strategy, and measurable growth — no fluff, just results. Through his work and podcast appearances, he shares practical insights on niching for developers, SEO, and building trust in an AI-driven world.

🔗 Learn more: uplift360.com.au

💼 Connect: LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook| X

WordPress SEO for Developers: One Concept, Less Confusion

Early in his career, Wes pitched three designs for everything. Results? Slower decisions and muddier direction. Today, he presents one, well-researched concept informed by a quick sitemap, a handful of reference sites, and the client’s style preferences. It shortens cycles and raises satisfaction—because clarity beats choice overload.

Client Script: “We’ll align on a single, focused concept so you spend less time deciding and more time winning work.”

WordPress SEO for Developers in the LLM Era

Traffic patterns are shifting as answers surface inside platforms like Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity. Clicks may drop even when visibility rises. Wes’s response: publish high-quality, experience-rich content that LLMs want to cite.

Measure beyond clicks: inquiries, booked calls, closed deals.

Create content that only you can—case studies, process visuals, before/after proof.

Accept imperfect attribution. (A client landed a ~$140K job after a buyer asked ChatGPT “who’s the best in Australia”—you won’t see that in GA.)

If content is generic, LLMs will ignore it. Specificity is the new SEO.

WordPress SEO for Developers: AI Drafts + Human Stories

Wes drafts with AI, then has clients weave in real stories—field photos, client quotes, job constraints, and outcomes. That blend delivers speed and originality.

Use AI to restructure, de-jargon, and tighten tone.

Ask clients for 3 project snapshots per quarter (problem → approach → result).

Maintain style via prompts pulled from the brand’s micro-style guide (voice, headlines, CTAs, taboo phrases).

Quick Win: Create a “First-Draft Prompt” template and a “Brand Voice Prompt” you reuse across pages.

WordPress SEO for Developers: Performance & CDN Reality

Caching and CDNs confuse non-technical clients—and sometimes even teams. Wes’s guidance:

Start with good hosting. Cheap hosts cause slow TTFB and flaky uptime.

Cache carefully. Clear browser and edge caches during launches.

Use a firewall/CDN (e.g., Sucuri) to stabilize legacy or fragile sites while you plan a rebuild.

Optimize images with tools like Imagify; avoid plugins notorious for breakage.

Caution: Don’t “optimize” yourself into a support spiral. Fewer, reliable plugins beat a kitchen-sink stack.

WordPress SEO for Developers: A Lean, Fast Stack

Wes’s current go-to recipe favors Gutenberg blocks and keep-it-simple plugins:

Theme/Builder: Kadence (blocks-first, lightweight, client-friendly)

SEO: Rank Math (local SEO + AI meta at scale)

Security: Wordfence (free) → Sucuri firewall for higher risk

Forms: Gravity Forms (robust integrations & payments)

Avoid: heavyweight page builders (Elementor/Divi) that bloat markup and slow maintenance

Stack to Copy: Kadence + Rank Math + Gravity Forms + Wordfence/Sucuri + a single cache plugin on quality hosting.

WordPress SEO for Developers: Getting Started (or Leveling Up)

For newcomers and refreshers alike, Wes recommends:

Map a one-page sitemap and approve the menu first.
Present one concept tied to outcomes (calls, quotes, bookings).
Draft with AI, finish with proof: add photos, numbers, and stories.
Harden and speed up: hosting, caching, firewall, image compression.
Measure what matters: conversions, not just rankings.
Publish consistently: short project write-ups beat sporadic “ultimate guides.”

Bottom Line: WordPress SEO for developers isn’t about clever hacks—it’s about repeatable execution, authentic content, and a lean stack that stays fast after handoff.

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We invite you to join our community and share your coding journey with us. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or just starting, there’s always room to learn and grow together. Contact us at info@develpreneur.com with your questions, feedback, or suggestions for future episodes. Together, let’s continue exploring the exciting world of software development.