Lab Notes
Email
Spam Trigger Words: Do They Actually Hurt Deliverability?
Do spam trigger words like ‘free’ or ‘act now’ hurt deliverability? What Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook and SpamAssassin document, and what’s rumor. ...
GOA Blog
Notes from the lab.
I run real tests on how algorithms behave and write down what happens: the setup, the results, and what each test can’t tell you. Pick a lane, or start with the latest posts below.
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Behind the scenes
01
Lab Notes
Behind-the-scenes notes from running real experiments.
Fast answers
02
Quick Tests
Small, fast tests with a clear question and a quick answer.
On trial
03
Myth Trials
Popular algorithm claims, put on trial.
Recent posts
Lab Notes
Do Instagram Saves Outweigh Likes for Reach?
Do Instagram saves help reach more than likes? What Instagram documents about saves, likes and sends, and which creator claims hold up.
Myth Trials
SEO
Does Answering Your Own Google Business Profile Reviews Move Local Rankings?
Local SEO advice says replying to Google reviews boosts rankings. Here’s what Google actually documents, what’s still a guess, and why you should reply anyway. ...
Lab Notes
Paid Ads
Should You Buy Likes and Comments for Your Meta Ads?
Some advertisers buy likes and comments to make Meta ads look popular. Here’s what Meta documents about the algorithm, the possible upside, and the risks.
Myth Trials
Email
Top 7 Myths on Getting Your Marketing Emails Opened
We check 7 popular email open rate myths against published data, and explain what actually gets marketing emails delivered and opened.
Lab Notes
SEO
Same Hosting, Different Fingerprints: How I Set Up the Servers for My Twin SEO Test Without Blowing Their Cover
Same host, same plan, separate fingerprints. Here’s how I set up hosting for my twin-site SEO test so speed and site networks don’t skew the results.
Get the next result first
One short email when a test finishes, with the real numbers, even when the answer is “nothing happened.”