I Took My Website to the Garage… It Wasn't Broken

I Took My Website to the Garage…

It Wasn't Broken 😼

Today I took one of my websites into the garage.

Not because it was broken.
More like an older car that still drives perfectly well, but could probably use a proper inspection.

First job? The content.

Some articles were doing surprisingly well in Google.
Others were being shown quite often but sitting several pages down.

So instead of adding more articles, I started checking what was already there.
And discovered something interesting.

One fairly new AI-assisted article confidently explained how an algorithm worked.

There was only one small problem.
Some of its confident advice wasn't actually supported by the platform anymore. 😼

Out came the wrench.

Then the homepage.

Nothing technically wrong with it. It just suffered from a serious case of:
“comprehensive resources… maximize visibility… stay ahead of the competition… achieve success…”

You know the language.
Perfectly grammatical.
Perfectly boring.

So instead of adding more, I deleted a lot.

The website immediately became clearer.

Then the dashboard announced 22 different 404 errors.

Wonderful. Another repair.
Except most of them turned out to be bots knocking on doors like:
“Hello, do you happen to have an exposed shell.php lying around?”

No. Which, in this case, is exactly the answer I wanted the website to give.

Then the security system joined the party.

It was doing such a good job keeping suspicious automated visitors out that it also blocked a legitimate external check.

Nothing was broken.
The security guard was simply taking the job very seriously.

By the end of the session, I had learned something useful.

Website maintenance is sometimes less like building a new car and more like maintaining an old one:
Don't replace the engine because the ashtray is dirty.

Check what already works.
Fix what actually needs fixing.
Don't confuse warnings with problems.
Don't assume confident AI is correct.
And don't keep adding things just because you own a toolbox.

Eventually you have to close the hood and drive.
Mine is back on the road.
Now I'm leaving it alone for ten days. 😜

A website is supposed to be driven, not permanently repaired.
But drive forever without checking under the hood and, before you know it, you have no tires. 😹

Build. Drive. Maintain. Drive again.

✨ Fleeky

Thanks for reading, shares, comments and likes..

Other maintenace tips?

pS
This article was inspired by Jay... ☕️
Make sure to check his blogs and lessons