Last updated on 14th February 2026
With summer on it’s way out and the routine kicking back in, September felt like a steady one. A few small website launches, graphic design support for some local businesses, but quite a bit of free time.
With more time on my hands than I was expecting, I used it wisely and invested it into my website, outreach and myself.
Putting the work into my own website
When I’ve asked other freelancers for advice on how they find new clients, they all said their website. Nothing fancy, just getting the SEO basics right: the right words in the right places.
So I made it a priority this month to really optimise my website. I tweaked the copy, added proper service pages, and went to town on the technical bits (alt tags, schema markup, FAQs, that sort of stuff). Already I’m seeing ranking improvements, which just proves giving your own site the same attention as a client project pays off.
If your site’s not pulling its weight, some small tweaks could make a big difference. Give me a shout if you need some help → hello@studiopayne.com
BrightLocal’s Local SEO for Good 2025 virtual event
I joined BrightLocal’s Local SEO for Good event at the start of the month. Loads of useful takeaways, but the big one for me was: authenticity wins.
AI is leaning heavily into stuff like Reddit threads, community posts and real reviews. Makes sense, right? I’ve already started playing around with a few ideas off the back of it, and I’ll keep testing them over the next couple of months.
Here’s some key moments and insights from the event: brightlocal.com/learn/16-key-takeaways-from-local-seo-for-good
Tuning into BrightLocal’s Local SEO for Good 2025 virtual event.
LinkedIn experiment: daily posting and what it did to my reach
This month I decided to play the algorithm game and tested upping my post frequency on LinkedIn (with a little help from ChatGPT).
A lot of people say consistency is key, and Buffer’s research found: “Whether you have 500 followers or 50,000, increasing your posting frequency makes your posts perform better relative to your own average.” So I put it to the test, posting every weekday in September.
Here are the results:

- Followers – +6.7%
- 
Post Impressions – +113.7%

- Post Engagements – +119%
- 
Members Reached – +54.8%

- Studio Payne Followers – +31.9%
The numbers went up — more followers, more views, more reach. So yes, there’s truth in it, and it’s definitely a way to get more visibility.
But honestly? A lot of it felt like filler. It works, but it’s not really me. Going forward I think I’d rather stick to 2–3 posts a week with a bit more quality and value, rather than just adding to the noise.
What’s next (and Christmas is sneaking up)
What’s coming up? Well, I’m off to Orlando, Florida for a couple of weeks. I can’t wait to see Super Nintendo World at Epic Universe in person, it looks incredible!
Work-wise, I’ve got a few projects pencilled in for when I’m back, but November’s looking pretty open right now. So, with Christmas just round the corner it’s the perfect time to get projects wrapped up before the year’s out.
If you’ve got something in mind — branding, web design or graphic design support — now’s a good time to get in touch.
That’s September wrapped. Thanks for reading and I’ll be back with another update soon.
