Russ GohlField notes

Field notes by Russ Gohl

Plain-English notes on websites and getting found online, for local trades and small businesses.

I'm Russ Gohl. I write down what I know about websites and getting found online so owners of local service businesses can use it, with or without me.

I run Richemont Solutions, a company that builds websites and runs online ads for local service businesses, mostly in South Orange County. That is a business interest in the topics here, so I say so on every page.

Latest notes

All notes

  1. No. 08

    City pages for a service business: how to do them without spamming Google

    One page per city can help customers find you, but copy-pasted pages are a known spam pattern. Here is how to tell the difference.

    2 min read

  2. No. 07

    Eight questions to ask before you hire anyone to build your website

    Who owns the site, what you pay each month, and what happens if you leave? Questions that protect a small business owner before signing.

    2 min read

  3. No. 06

    Getting recommended by AI assistants: what's known and what I won't do

    People now ask AI tools for local recommendations. Nobody knows the full rules, but accurate information and real mentions help. Fake 'independent' sites don't.

    2 min read

  4. No. 05

    Google Business Profile basics for trades that go to the customer

    How to set up and keep a Google Business Profile honest and useful if you work at customers' homes, including the service-area rules.

    2 min read

Ground rules for every note

  • No promises. Not about rankings, not about lead counts. Nobody can make those honestly.
  • Nothing made up. No invented numbers, reviews or client stories.
  • Usable on your own. Advice you can act on without hiring anyone.