# M/AFZAL

> M/AFZAL is the independent practice of Muhammad Afzal. It carries a brand from positioning and identity through a design system to the production website or product, with modern SEO built in: ranked in search engines and cited by AI answer engines (SEO, GEO, AEO). One senior lead owns the work from the first workshop to the production deploy.

Engagements are remote, with owner-led and established businesses across the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, wider Europe, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.

## Pages

- [Studio home](https://www.m-afzal.com/): the promise (found first, chosen first), three annotated client case studies, the problem owners face with four separate vendors, six services, three steps with published prices, a plain-language FAQ, and the brief form.
- [Founder](https://www.m-afzal.com/muhammad-afzal-founder.html): Muhammad Afzal's story, principles (Focus, Build, Elevate), career trajectory, and an evidence ledger of measured results.

## Guides

- [All guides](https://www.m-afzal.com/guides/): every guide, grouped by topic.

### AI search visibility

- [How to get your business recommended by ChatGPT](https://www.m-afzal.com/ai-search/): How ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google’s AI Overviews decide which business to name, and how to be the one they name.
- [Why does ChatGPT recommend my competitor and not me?](https://www.m-afzal.com/ai-search/why-chatgpt-recommends-my-competitor.html): ChatGPT names the businesses it can find, understand and verify on the web. The seven reasons it picks your competitor, and how to fix each one, in order.
- [How do I get my business into Google's AI Overviews?](https://www.m-afzal.com/ai-search/appear-in-google-ai-overviews.html): Google says AI Overviews need no special markup or application. What actually decides which pages are linked, and the steps that get your business included.
- [How do I get my business cited by Perplexity?](https://www.m-afzal.com/ai-search/get-cited-by-perplexity.html): Perplexity searches the web live and links every source it uses. How to let its crawler in, get onto the pages it already cites, and write pages it will quote.
- [GEO vs SEO: what is the difference, and which should I pay for?](https://www.m-afzal.com/ai-search/geo-vs-seo.html): GEO and SEO overlap far more than sales pitches suggest. Where they really differ, what GEO adds to good SEO, and how to tell which your business needs.
- [Does schema markup help with AI search?](https://www.m-afzal.com/ai-search/structured-data-for-ai-search.html): Google says AI Overviews need no special schema. What structured data really does for AI search, the types worth adding, and the mistakes that can hurt you.
- [How do I track whether ChatGPT mentions my business?](https://www.m-afzal.com/ai-search/track-brand-mentions-in-ai.html): There is no Search Console for ChatGPT. Here is how to track whether AI tools name your business: the prompts to test, the free data, and when paid tools pay.
- [What is llms.txt, and does my business need one?](https://www.m-afzal.com/ai-search/what-is-llms-txt.html): llms.txt is a short file that summarises your website for AI tools. What it is, who reads it, what it does not do, and how to write one in under an hour.
- [Is SEO dead because of AI?](https://www.m-afzal.com/ai-search/is-seo-dead.html): AI answers have changed how buyers search, but not what gets a business found. What still works in SEO, what has stopped working, and where to put your budget.
- [Should I block AI crawlers from my website?](https://www.m-afzal.com/ai-search/should-you-block-ai-crawlers.html): Some AI bots train models; others decide whether you appear in AI answers. Which to allow, which you can safely block, and the exact robots.txt lines to use.
- [What should an AI search visibility audit include?](https://www.m-afzal.com/ai-search/ai-visibility-audit.html): What a proper AI search visibility audit checks, what you should get at the end, the red flags that mark a weak one, and how to run a basic version yourself.

### Getting found on Google

- [Why your business isn't getting enquiries from Google](https://www.m-afzal.com/seo/): Why a good business stays invisible on Google, and the fixes that turn searches into enquiries.
- [Why is my business not showing on Google?](https://www.m-afzal.com/seo/business-not-showing-on-google.html): Not on Google at all, or missing from Maps? The two-minute checks that tell you which, the usual causes of each, and the steps to get your business back on.
- [Website traffic but no enquiries: why it happens and how to fix it](https://www.m-afzal.com/seo/traffic-but-no-enquiries.html): Visitors arriving but nobody getting in touch? Check the traffic is real, that enquiries are not getting lost, and the page fixes that turn visits into calls.
- [Why are my competitors ranking above me on Google?](https://www.m-afzal.com/seo/competitors-ranking-above-me.html): Why a competitor outranks you on Google, in the map and the results: the page, reputation and distance gaps, how to compare fairly, and what to fix first.
- [Why did my Google rankings drop?](https://www.m-afzal.com/seo/google-rankings-dropped.html): Google traffic suddenly down? How to tell a real drop from a seasonal dip, the causes Google itself lists, and a calm, step by step recovery plan.
- [How long does SEO take to work?](https://www.m-afzal.com/seo/how-long-does-seo-take.html): How long SEO takes, change by change: what shows in weeks, what takes three to six months or longer, what speeds it up, and which promises to distrust.
- [How much does an SEO audit cost?](https://www.m-afzal.com/seo/seo-audit-cost.html): SEO audit prices run from free tool reports to five-figure agency projects. What each level gets you, what moves the price, and how to spot filler.
- [Core Web Vitals explained for business owners](https://www.m-afzal.com/seo/core-web-vitals-explained.html): Core Web Vitals in plain English: what LCP, INP and CLS measure, Google's current thresholds, how much they affect rankings, and what is worth fixing.
- [Google Search Console for business owners](https://www.m-afzal.com/seo/google-search-console-for-business-owners.html): A plain-English guide to Google Search Console for owners: how to set it up, the four reports worth reading, what the numbers mean, and a monthly check.

### SEO-safe redesigns

- [How to redesign your website without losing Google rankings](https://www.m-afzal.com/website-redesign/): How to replace a website, or move platforms, without losing the rankings the old one earned.
- [Lost Google rankings after a website redesign? How to find the cause and fix it](https://www.m-afzal.com/website-redesign/lost-rankings-after-redesign.html): Rankings fell after your new website went live? The checks to run in order, from leftover noindex tags to missing redirects, and how long recovery takes.
- [Website migration SEO checklist: every step before, during and after launch](https://www.m-afzal.com/website-redesign/website-migration-seo-checklist.html): A plain-English website migration SEO checklist: what to record, map, test and watch at each stage, based on Google's own site move guidance.
- [301 redirects when changing your website: a plain-English guide](https://www.m-afzal.com/website-redesign/301-redirects-guide.html): What 301 redirects are, which old pages need one, how to build the redirect map, where redirects live on each platform, and the mistakes that cost rankings.
- [Moving from Wix, Squarespace or WordPress to a custom website without losing rankings](https://www.m-afzal.com/website-redesign/moving-off-wix-squarespace-wordpress.html): Leaving Wix, Squarespace or WordPress for a custom site? What changes, what you can export, where redirects must live, and how to keep your Google rankings.
- [Shopify migration SEO: how to move your store without losing rankings](https://www.m-afzal.com/website-redesign/shopify-replatforming-seo.html): Moving your store to Shopify changes almost every URL. How Shopify structures addresses, how its redirects work, and the steps that keep your rankings.
- [How much does a website redesign cost?](https://www.m-afzal.com/website-redesign/website-redesign-cost.html): Website redesign prices range from a few hundred to tens of thousands. What each price band buys, what moves the cost, and what a quote must include.
- [How long does a website redesign take?](https://www.m-afzal.com/website-redesign/website-redesign-timeline.html): A small business website redesign often takes four to ten weeks, larger sites months. The phases, what slows each one down, and what happens after launch.

### Premium positioning

- [How to make an established business look like the premium choice](https://www.m-afzal.com/brand/): What makes an established business look like the premium choice, and how to charge like it.
- [Rebrand vs brand refresh: which does your business actually need?](https://www.m-afzal.com/brand/rebrand-vs-brand-refresh.html): The real difference between a rebrand and a brand refresh, when each is justified, what each puts at risk, and a three-question test to decide which you need.
- [Brand positioning for professional services: how to stop sounding like every other firm](https://www.m-afzal.com/brand/brand-positioning-professional-services.html): How accountants, consultancies, law and engineering firms can position themselves so buyers see why to choose them, with a sentence template and three tests.
- [Can branding let you charge more?](https://www.m-afzal.com/brand/branding-and-higher-prices.html): When a stronger brand supports higher prices, when it cannot, and how to raise prices alongside a brand change without guessing or losing your best clients.
- [Does my business need a design system?](https://www.m-afzal.com/brand/does-my-business-need-a-design-system.html): What a design system is in plain English, why brands drift without one, and which of three levels a small or growing business actually needs, with steps.
- [Why does my website make my business look cheap?](https://www.m-afzal.com/brand/website-makes-you-look-cheap.html): The specific things that make a good business look cheap online, which ones buyers notice first, and what to fix this week versus what needs a professional.

### Ads that bring enquiries

- [Why your Facebook and Instagram ads get likes but no enquiries](https://www.m-afzal.com/paid-ads/): Facebook, Instagram and TikTok campaigns judged by enquiries and cost per lead, not likes.
- [Do TikTok ads work for service businesses?](https://www.m-afzal.com/paid-ads/tiktok-ads-for-service-businesses.html): TikTok ads can bring enquiries for a service business, but only with the right objective, tracking and creative. When it is worth testing and how to set it up.
- [What should a lead cost for my business?](https://www.m-afzal.com/paid-ads/what-should-a-lead-cost.html): Industry averages cannot tell you what a lead is worth to you. Work out your own maximum cost per lead from job value, close rate and margin, step by step.
- [What makes a good landing page for Facebook ads?](https://www.m-afzal.com/paid-ads/landing-pages-for-paid-ads.html): Your ad earned the tap; the landing page decides whether it becomes an enquiry. What the page needs to say, show and track, section by section.
- [Should I do SEO or ads?](https://www.m-afzal.com/paid-ads/ads-and-seo-together.html): Ads bring enquiries fast but stop when you stop paying. SEO is slower but keeps working. When to start with each, and how running both makes each one cheaper.

### Choosing who runs your marketing

- [Agency, freelancer, or one senior partner: who should run your brand, website and SEO?](https://www.m-afzal.com/marketing-partner/): Agency, freelancer, fractional CMO or one senior partner: how to choose, and what to ask before you sign.
- [Freelancer vs agency: which should you hire for your marketing?](https://www.m-afzal.com/marketing-partner/freelancer-vs-agency.html): Freelancer vs agency for your website, SEO or ads: the honest differences in cost, quality, capacity and continuity, and a quick test for choosing between them.
- [Does a small business need a fractional CMO?](https://www.m-afzal.com/marketing-partner/fractional-cmo.html): What a fractional CMO does, what one roughly costs, when a small business really needs one, and when you are better off paying for the work to be done.
- [How do you choose an SEO consultant you can trust?](https://www.m-afzal.com/marketing-partner/how-to-choose-an-seo-consultant.html): How to choose an SEO consultant: the red flags Google itself warns about, the evidence to ask for, a test project worth paying for, and terms to agree first.
- [What questions should you ask an SEO agency before you hire them?](https://www.m-afzal.com/marketing-partner/questions-to-ask-an-seo-agency.html): The questions to ask an SEO agency before you sign, grouped by people, method, results, ownership and price, with what a good answer sounds like for each one.
- [How do you know your marketing agency isn't working?](https://www.m-afzal.com/marketing-partner/signs-your-agency-isnt-working.html): The signs your marketing agency isn't working, how to tell its failings from slow SEO or a weak website, what to do first, and how to leave cleanly.
- [What should a marketing retainer include?](https://www.m-afzal.com/marketing-partner/marketing-retainer-whats-included.html): What a marketing retainer should include in writing: deliverables, reporting, ownership, ad spend and notice, plus what is typical per service and red flags.

### Specialist industries

- [Brand, website and search for specialist businesses](https://www.m-afzal.com/industries/): Brand, website and search for IoT, engineering, luxury and Gulf businesses whose expertise is hard to explain.
- [Marketing for IoT and embedded companies](https://www.m-afzal.com/industries/iot-and-embedded-companies.html): How IoT, embedded firmware and connected-product companies can position, build a website and rank for the searches technical buyers type.
- [SEO and websites for engineering and manufacturing companies](https://www.m-afzal.com/industries/engineering-and-manufacturing.html): How engineering firms and B2B manufacturers get found by technical buyers: capability pages, spec sheets, RFQ forms and the industry search terms that matter.
- [Website design for luxury and heritage brands](https://www.m-afzal.com/industries/luxury-and-heritage-brands.html): How luxury, heritage and craft brands can design a website and online shop that sets the price point, keeps the human character, and still gets found on Google.
- [SEO, AI visibility and websites for UAE and Saudi businesses](https://www.m-afzal.com/industries/uae-and-saudi-businesses.html): How businesses in the UAE and Saudi Arabia get found in Arabic and English: bilingual site structure, hreflang, right-to-left pages and Google Business Profile.

### Founder and executive brands

- [Building a founder or executive personal brand that ranks](https://www.m-afzal.com/personal-brand/): A personal brand that ranks for your name, earns a Knowledge Panel and makes the business easier to trust.
- [Does a CEO need a personal website, and what should it include?](https://www.m-afzal.com/personal-brand/ceo-personal-brand-website.html): When a CEO or founder needs a personal website, whether it belongs on your own domain or the company's, the five pages it needs, and what it should cost.
- [How do you get a Google Knowledge Panel for yourself?](https://www.m-afzal.com/personal-brand/google-knowledge-panel.html): You cannot apply for a Google Knowledge Panel. Here is how Google creates them, what raises your chances, and how to claim and correct one once it appears.
- [Entity SEO for people: how to make Google recognise who you are](https://www.m-afzal.com/personal-brand/entity-seo-for-people.html): Entity SEO for people, in plain English: how Google and AI tools tell you apart from namesakes, the Person markup and sameAs links to add, and how to check it.
- [How to build a founder personal brand on LinkedIn without becoming an influencer](https://www.m-afzal.com/personal-brand/founder-linkedin-personal-brand.html): A founder's LinkedIn profile is often the first thing people check. The settings to fix, what to write, and a posting rhythm a busy founder can actually keep.

## Packages

- Visibility Audit: $700 fixed, 7 working days. Google rankings for the 10 most valuable searches, AI answer-engine visibility, website conversion, current ads, and two competitors, with a ranked plan of fixes.
- Rebuild: from $1,500, typically 3 to 5 weeks. A mobile-first website of up to five pages with a brand refresh, on-page SEO, AI-ready structured data, and redirects from the old site. Larger sites and full brand identities are quoted separately.
- Growth Partner: $2,500 per month, 3-month minimum. Ads on up to two platforms (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok), two new SEO pages a month, a monthly AI visibility check, and website care. Ad spend billed at cost.

## Services

- Brand strategy and identity: positioning, narrative, naming, marks, typography, color, voice.
- Design systems: tokens, components, guidelines, governance.
- Websites and digital products: UX direction, production code, technical SEO.
- System design: information architecture, integrations, LLM features, operational logic.
- Modern SEO: technical SEO and Core Web Vitals, search-led strategy and information architecture, content and topical authority, structured data and entity SEO, SEO-safe redesigns and migrations, and measurement in Google Search Console.
- AI search visibility: generative engine optimization (GEO) and answer engine optimization (AEO), so ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews can cite the brand.
- Executive and personal brands: positioning, presence, content, and the site that holds them.

## Selected live work

- [Pommel & Cantle](https://pommelandcantle.com/): identity-led commerce for heritage leatherwork.
- [Athlead](https://www.athlead.org/): bilingual performance-coaching platform that leads with the outcomes athletes want.
- [MaidFinder](https://maidfinder.ae/): search-led hiring marketplace for maids and nannies in the UAE.

## Contact

- Website: https://www.m-afzal.com/

- Email: muhammad.afzal.sahir@gmail.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/m-afzal-developer/