Notes on websites & marketing
Practical guides, video lessons and real numbers from my projects: websites, Tilda, Google Ads and Yandex Direct, SEO, analytics and AI.
Tilda MCP Server: everything you need to know
Tilda launched an MCP Server, so Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor can connect to your site and edit SEO, write articles and build pages on their own. I test it hands-on.
Video
I built my first SaaS: a booking widget for Square
Square doesn't send conversions to GA4 or Meta, so I was spending a client's budget blind. I waited for someone to fix it. Nobody did, so I built it myself.
1 min read
A gift from Tilda after seven years together
I build fewer sites on website builders these days, but Tilda has been a huge part of my journey. A few words on what we've done together since 2019.
1 min read
I launched a website and it brought leads in the first few days
A website for a surgeon plus paid search brought the first leads right after launch. Next up: an AI chat that answers visitors around the clock.
1 min read
How to vibe-code a website with an admin panel in an hour (Claude + VS Code)
Step by step, I build a car rental website with a quiz, an admin panel and a database in Claude Code and put it on hosting. No coding required.
Video
A WordPress website for an orthopaedic surgeon: how I build sites
A custom theme from scratch, zero third-party plugins, a friendly admin, a built-in CRM and a solid SEO foundation. Seven principles I build websites by.
1 min read
My AI development experiment: a gaming portal, SEO traffic and selling the project
Without a developer, I vibe-coded a game guides site, grew it to 1,000+ daily visits and 500+ sign-ups in a couple of months, then sold it.
1 min read
How to send CRM data to Yandex Metrica and see real sales from your ads
Ads learn from any lead, not from real customers. Here's how to use the Client ID to send real deal stages to Metrica: contract, payment, sale.
Video
How we cut a driving school's cost per lead 2-3x with proper analytics
Leads cost ₽6,000-8,000 and the ads were learning from fraud. We connected Metrica, Direct and AmoCRM, and the cost fell to ₽1,500-3,000 as enquiries grew.
2 min read
How to track website traffic from ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity
Traffic from AI assistants often gets lost in analytics. Three ways to catch it: Yandex Metrica, Yandex Webmaster and GA4, with ready-made regular expressions.
Video
How to send a beautiful email newsletter from Mail.ru without Mailchimp or SendPulse
Build the email in Tilda's builder, grab the HTML and send it from your own mailbox through Thunderbird. Free and without any verification.
Video
Case study: a canopy manufacturer on Yandex Direct
318+ form leads, 305 phone clicks and 24,000 visits in one season. What worked, what didn't, and how I kept lead quality in check.
1 min read
Sometimes I step out of ad dashboards to give clients new websites
Four projects from this year: an engineering company's website, a B2B furniture landing page, a booking system on the Square API and a site for an urban landscaping firm.
1 min read
How I write marketing reports for clients
No slide decks or Excel: one Telegram message with key numbers, conclusions and a plan. 10-20 reports a month in 2-3 hours.
1 min read
Setting up Google Ads conversions with Analytics and Tag Manager: a complete guide
A detailed video guide, from creating GA4 and GTM to sending conversions to Google Ads and Yandex Metrica. The one that would have saved me weeks of searching.
Video
My first $10,000 spent on Google Ads: what I learned
Google is more stable than Yandex, fraud is everywhere, and US ads don't cost a fortune. Four takeaways after my first $10,000 in ad spend.
1 min read
Figma Sites, a website builder inside Figma. A revolution? No. My take
Draw it, press a button, get a website. What's genuinely great about Figma Sites, where it falls short, and how I actually use it.
Video
Yandex Advertising Network 2.0: cutting bots and improving traffic quality
Where spam traffic in the Yandex Advertising Network comes from, how I spot and cut it, and which strategies actually work.
Video
Set up Cloudflare in 20 minutes for free: a step-by-step guide
Protect your site from bots, speed up loading and turn on maximum security: DNSSEC, SSL Strict, HSTS, Bot Fight Mode, Early Hints and more.
Video
How to exclude junk placements in Yandex Direct Campaign Master
Campaign Master doesn't let you exclude placements directly. Here's the workaround via the stats report to stop wasting budget on junk sites and apps.
Video
How to make a scrolling logo marquee in Tilda with the standard DV13 block
A quick scrolling strip of client logos on a standard Tilda block: setup, gotchas and tips on design and animation.
Video
My first interview for Yandex Advertising
A short interview about how I got into paid search, built my own team and how the Yandex community helps in my work.
Video
Facebook and Instagram ads: a detailed guide for beginners
Lead forms, follows and Direct messages, audience setup, ads and analysing the results.
Video
Where freelancers can find clients: the methods that work
Freelance platforms, social media, a personal brand, a portfolio, networking and referrals: how to land new projects and stop losing orders.
Video
A simple website in 40 minutes with no coding: for beginners
From choosing a template to publishing online: building your first site on Tilda, even if you've never coded.
Video
Audience research for a website that sells: pains, fears and desires
How to define your audience, analyse competitors, find customer needs and shape a strong offer before development begins.
Video
How to make a blog on Tilda in 15 minutes
A template, publishing pages and easy navigation: launching a blog for news and articles on Tilda.
Video
An online store on Tilda in 40 minutes: cart, filters and sorting
Building a complete Tilda store: a shopping cart, filters for shoppers and product sorting.
Video
SEO on Tilda: the 20% of effort that brings 80% of the results
Page optimisation, keywords, meta tags, structure and speed: the basic Tilda SEO setup that helps your site climb in search.
Video
Tilda Zero Block: expanding a site with a unique design in 40 minutes
Turning a simple site into a multi-page one and mastering Zero Block for a unique design without code.
Video
Banner ads on the Yandex Advertising Network: everything you need to launch
Creating banners, choosing an audience, setting a budget and optimising ads on the Yandex Advertising Network.
Video
Yandex Direct for beginners: Campaign Master from scratch, step by step
From sign-up and choosing goals to ads, budget and analysing results: launching your first Yandex Direct campaign.
Video
Yandex Direct search campaigns: setup and optimisation, advanced level
Keywords, campaign structure, competitor analysis and ad optimisation for Yandex Direct search campaigns.
Video
How to build a website yourself, for free, in 48 minutes
Ordering a website is expensive, and you want to test your idea fast. A step-by-step lesson: building a complete Tilda site in one evening.
Video
Getting Tilda site settings right: mistakes 90% of designers make
I go through typical mistakes web designers make in Tilda and share tips that speed up the site and make the work easier.
Video
How to set up Yandex Direct for a Tilda website: step by step in one evening
A quick ad launch to test an idea: Direct's automated campaigns, Metrica and your first sales on a minimal budget.
Video
How a beginner can land their first web design client
First steps in the web design business: where to find clients, how to stand out in a crowded market and why selling matters.
Video
A website structure that sells: 5 key blocks
There's no perfect structure, but there are five building blocks a site needs to bring in leads. I break them down using real projects.
Video
Don't build a website until you've done this market research
The site's goal, competitor analysis, unpacking the product and studying demand and the audience: my process before development, plus a spreadsheet template.
Video