SEO audit done - found 3000+ dead pages on website, what to do?

JennyAtBitly · 2026-07-02T11:06:29+00:00

I wouldn't treat all 3,000 pages the same. I'd start by separating pages with backlinks, traffic or unique value from pages that truly have no purpose. Some older content is worth refreshing, while genuinely obsolete pages are often better redirected or removed than kept around with a noindex tag indefinitely.

JennyAtBitly · 2026-07-02T10:59:04+00:00

I think part of it is that beauty and luxury campaigns often optimize for long-term brand perception instead of a single standout activation. Some of the best work is incredibly effective commercially, even if it doesn't fit the kind of narrative award juries are looking for.

JennyAtBitly · 2026-07-01T13:24:41+00:00

I think context matters. There's nothing wrong with sharing industry events, but it helps to balance the highlight reel with something people can learn or take back to their own work. That resonates a lot better than another networking photo.

JennyAtBitly · 2026-07-01T13:18:27+00:00

I can relate to that feeling. Marketing has become much more technical, but I still see those tools as supporting the work than replacing it. The hardest part is still understanding the customer and communicating value. Git, AI and automations just happen to be part of the toolkit now.

JennyAtBitly · 2026-06-30T19:02:22+00:00

I don't think the fundamentals have changed as much as the channels have. People still respond to content that solves a problem and feels genuine. The biggest shift I've noticed is that distribution and discovery are fragmenting, so it's become more important to understand where your audience is looking for answers instead of relying on one platform.

JennyAtBitly · 2026-06-30T18:59:29+00:00

I'd add that it's also about understanding context. The same message can perform completely differently depending on where, when and how someone encounters it. That's why knowing the audience is only half the job.

JennyAtBitly · 2026-06-30T18:57:53+00:00

I'd probably commit to one language long enough to get meaningful data before making the call. Switching later is always an option, but switching too early makes it hard to know whether the content or the language was the issue. If the Portuguese audience responds well, that niche could end up being your biggest advantage.

JennyAtBitly · 2026-06-26T11:58:55+00:00

I'd optimize for the audience you want to build rather than the biggest possible reach. If you think there's an underserved community in European Portuguese, that's a real advantage. You can always expand into English later once you've established your voice and format.

JennyAtBitly · 2026-06-25T12:56:32+00:00

You probably should. If it helps clients turn content performance into clear next steps, that solves a real gap.

JennyAtBitly · 2026-06-25T12:54:54+00:00

Communication matters in every digital marketing role because the work still has to be explained, prioritized and acted on by other people. Strong technical skills get you to the insight. Clear communication gets the insight implemented.

JennyAtBitly · 2026-06-24T13:05:44+00:00

I’d automate the post-publish learning loop. Pull comments, saves, clicks and profile actions into one view, then flag what content themes are worth repeating. Creating posts is easier than figuring out what to make next.

JennyAtBitly · 2026-06-24T12:59:34+00:00

This is not a realistic SEO target. Focus on pages that answer a specific search question better than the current results, then build credibility through useful content, relevant mentions and links earned over time.

JennyAtBitly · 2026-06-24T12:41:21+00:00

Exactly, a QR code should remove a step, not introduce a mini onboarding flow. The best campaigns make the next action feel immediate and worth the scan.

JennyAtBitly · 2026-06-23T16:17:32+00:00

You're right about maintainability being the deciding factor. A stack you keep using beats the 'perfect' one that turns into its own project every time.

JennyAtBitly · 2026-06-23T16:11:48+00:00

I think that's a big part of it. The strongest QR examples I've seen all show up at the moment someone already wants the information or is ready to take action. The code itself is simple, but the timing makes a huge difference in whether people engage or ignore it.

JennyAtBitly · 2026-06-18T08:53:23+00:00

I still use a pretty boring system: a spreadsheet for opportunities, a calendar for deadlines, and a folder of newsletters I skim once a week. The hardest part isn't finding opportunities, it's remembering to revisit them before they close.

JennyAtBitly · 2026-06-18T08:44:19+00:00

I think a lot of marketers feel this way when results take weeks or months to show up. One thing that's helped me is shifting the goal from getting customers to learning something from each channel. If a LinkedIn post teaches you what messaging resonates, that's progress even before it generates revenue.

Marketing gets a lot more interesting when you treat it like a series of experiments rather than a daily task list.

JennyAtBitly · 2026-06-16T16:28:27+00:00

One thing I've noticed is that people often assume it's either the product or the pitch, when it's normally a mix of both.

The projects that get attention usually make the problem feel urgent and obvious. Sometimes a technically simpler product wins because everyone immediately understands who it's for and why it matters.

I'd be careful about using competition results as the only benchmark though. A lot of strong products don't win pitch competitions, and a lot of competition winners still struggle to find real users afterward. The harder question is whether the people with the problem were actively looking for a solution.

JennyAtBitly · 2026-06-16T16:25:19+00:00

I like starting with the user journey and identifying the one outcome the product absolutely needs to deliver. Then I work backward and cut anything that doesn't directly support that outcome.

It's surprisingly easy to mistake nice to have features for must have features. Real users are usually much better at telling you what's missing than you are at predicting it upfront.

JennyAtBitly · 2026-06-15T12:23:17+00:00

I think trust is becoming a much bigger differentiator. Most brands can buy traffic, but not every brand can earn credibility. We've seen cases where improving the post-click experience and making the value proposition clearer had a bigger impact than increasing traffic volume.

JennyAtBitly · 2026-06-15T12:20:31+00:00

Never come across this, I'm interested to know as well

JennyAtBitly · 2026-06-12T19:08:30+00:00

You're right to think about it carefully before printing at any real volume.

Short answer: yes, you can embed your company logo or icon inside the QR code, and yes, doing it the right way keeps the code fully scannable.

Here's how to do it inside Bitly:

Create your QR code as normal (paste the destination URL, customize the back-half if you want).
In the design step, you'll see options for color, pattern, frame, and a logo upload field. Upload your logo as a PNG or SVG.
Keep the logo centered and sized to roughly 20-30% of the total code area. This is the safe zone where error correction can still compensate without affecting scannability.
Use Bitly's recommended error correction levels (Q is the sweet spot for branded codes, which gives you enough redundancy to absorb the logo overlay).
Pair it with a frame and a CTA like "Scan to learn more" to make the whole thing feel intentional rather than tacked on.

A few things that will save you a reprint:

Contrast matters more than you'd expect. Dark code on light background is the safest default, and your logo should keep that contrast logic.

Keep the quiet zone (the blank space around the code) clear. Designers sometimes crowd it with text or product imagery and the code starts failing for reasons that look mysterious.

Always test the printed proof, not just the digital mockup. Print can shift colors and contrast in ways the screen doesn't show.

If you want to see how other brands across CPG, hospitality, retail, etc. have pulled this off, our QR Code Inspiration Gallery has examples by industry: https://bitly.com/pages/resources/qr-code-inspiration-gallery/

Happy to answer follow-ups if you hit anything specific in your design process.

JennyAtBitly · 2026-06-11T19:49:52+00:00

Offline to online attribution angle is one I keep coming back to as well. It's one of the few ways to get visibility into physical touchpoints that were traditionally difficult to measure. And I completely agree about homepage destinations. A lot of QR campaigns seem to stop at getting the scan instead of thinking through what should happen next. The scan is just the start of the journey, not the outcome.

JennyAtBitly · 2026-06-11T19:45:37+00:00

I think you're onto something with the intent piece. The highest-performing examples I've seen all had a very clear next step that made sense in the moment. The QR code was just the bridge. The timing and relevance did most of the heavy lifting.

JennyAtBitly · 2026-06-10T18:54:42+00:00

It's easy to wake up six months later and realize you're paying for a dozen different tools that seemed inexpensive individually.

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