Ionut

human, father, entrepreneur 🇷🇴🇵🇹🇨🇭🚀 doing stuff @themeisle @finmasterscom @getoptimole

[Ionut @hackinglife7]

We're looking again to acquire one WordPress plugin generating between $60k - 150k per year in revenue.

Read below on how we're different:

[Ionut @hackinglife7]

I will arrive tomorrow in Kraków for #wceu, excited to talk about AI, product & acquisitions.

[Ionut @hackinglife7]

@benedictk__ Would love to join

[Ionut @hackinglife7]

@MichaelKihl try out the latest version and let me know what do you think.

[Ionut @hackinglife7]

Saw the Kadence + LearnDash changes land badly this week.

For folks done with the StellarWP add-on stack, two clean alternatives:
→ Neve — lighter, faster theme.
→ Masteriyo — free LMS, actively developed ( we just released abilities for wp mcp)

DM if you need help moving.

[Ionut @hackinglife7]

@jeffr0 @Gtarafdarr https://t.co/oYQu6cxXPA I see lots of people on reddit/twitter that dont like this part

[Ionut @hackinglife7]

@KatieKeithBarn2 A combination of rest api + mcp

https://t.co/CZD8ezPMtx We have also this internal tool that we used for eg to redo from Claude masteriyo website

[Ionut @hackinglife7]

@KatieKeithBarn2 for pages i have used mcp, but nothing fancy, just download the content, change locally then upload back.

For posts we used both Freshrank + a custom workflow in n8n

[Ionut @hackinglife7]

@KatieKeithBarn2 Because they are ready to spend more than that on AI, to do more with fewer people.

[Ionut @hackinglife7]

I was curious how AI/search behavior and Google changes are affecting NerdWallet.

Q1 revenue grew only +$13M YoY, while performance marketing increased +$24M YoY. Total S&M fell only because brand/other marketing dropped after last year’s Super Bowl campaign.

$NRDS

[Ionut @hackinglife7]

@LumiCiobanu For example we try to provide a curated list of 100+ and soon 500 ready made sites. 0 tokens for you, vetted by us and tweaked

[Ionut @hackinglife7]

@rockhillsranch The issue is not pricing risk, but aggregated risk which is very different problem as I understand it.

[Ionut @hackinglife7]

@AdmireTheWeb In short we created an internal mcp with custom tools that is able to create those tailwind designs in gutenberg, here is a not so great video https://t.co/CZD8ezPMtx

For now we use this internally.

[Ionut @hackinglife7]

I see people tweeting about replacing WordPress fo easier AI management and speed, we tried this also, however with mcp+abilities and some magic & caching you can get everything while staying on a solid and tested stack.

[Ionut @hackinglife7]

@lionelrudaz @brevo_official We've been using them for 10+ years (changed names several times) and are very happy.

[Ionut @hackinglife7]

@HedgeFundFomo The great ones put them also in their own managed funds which have 2% fees 👌.

[Charles Floate 📈 @Charles_SEO]

One of THE most interesting patents in SEO from Google is the "Rank-Modifying Spammers" patent...

It describes a system where Google INTENTIONALLY fakes your ranking changes to see how you react.

Here's how it works: When Google suspects a page is being manipulated (new links, anchor text changes, onpage updates etc), instead of applying the expected ranking change, it applies a "rank transition function" that deliberately does something unexpected.

Three specific scenarios from the patent:
- DELAYED RESPONSE - Your rankings don't move at all for weeks, even though your "signals" improved. Google is watching to see if you panic and make more changes.
- NEGATIVE RESPONSE - Your rankings actually DROP after building links, not because the links were toxic, but because Google intentionally reversed the expected outcome to see what you do next.
- RANDOM RESPONSE - Your rankings fluctuate wildly and unpredictably for a "transition period" the patent says could last up to 70 days. No pattern!

Now here's the trap:
The patent explicitly states that Google then "observes spammers' reactions to rank changes caused by the rank transition function to identify documents that are actively being manipulated."

So if you see your rankings drop after building links and you IMMEDIATELY remove those links, reverse your changes, or start building different links to compensate, Google just confirmed you were manipulating rankings. Your reaction IS the evidence.

An "innocent" website owner wouldn't react to a temporary fluctuation. They'd carry on because they didn't do anything wrong, but a spammer will panic, change tactics, disavow links, or try something new, and that reactive behaviour pattern is what Google is actually measuring.

What this means for anyone doing SEO and especially link building/digital PR in 2026:
- DO NOT panic-react to ranking drops after link building. Google may literally be testing you. The patent says the transition period can last UP TO 70 DAYS. If you rip out your links or change strategy at week 2, you just failed the test.
- This explains why any one with experience in link building says "give it 3 months before you evaluate." It's not because links are slow, it's because Google may be running a transition function on your page for up to 70 days before showing the real result.
- This also explains why some pages drop BEFORE they rank. I've seen it hundreds of times: build links, page drops for 2-4 weeks, then shoots up past where it was, the patent literally describes this pattern as an intentional test.
- Consistency is the counter-strategy. If you build links at a steady, natural looking pace and DON'T react to short term fluctuations, Google's transition function has nothing to catch, the trap only works if you take the bait.

Google has literally PATENTED a system for psychologically manipulating SEOs into revealing their tactics, and most people in this industry have never even heard of it...

Link building works. It works incredibly well, but if you build links and then frantically react to every ranking fluctuation in the next 2 months, you are doing EXACTLY what this patent was designed to catch.

Be patient, be consistent, don't take the bait.

[Ionut @hackinglife7]

@KatieKeithBarn2 I dont think there is a discount or reversal, but wp businesses were never valued very high, there would always be a need for a vetted, supported piece of software and wp products are usually as cheap as you can get.

[Marco Almeida @MarcoAlmeidaPT]

👇 🚨

Come speak at #WordCampPT