Trade and Lateral Development

Trade and Lateral Development We build fast WordPress websites and optimize your search rankings to turn traffic into leads. Let’s scale your visibility.

Trade and Lateral Development is a global digital marketing and web design agency that bridges the gap between stunning visual design and page-one Google rankings. Established in 2000, we build lightning-fast, custom WordPress websites to turn everyday traffic into predictable monthly revenue. Instead of chasing vanity numbers or paying for endless ad clicks, we fix your technical code bugs, clear out backend site speed bottlenecks, and target the high-intent keywords your buyers actually search for. From deep SEO audits to proactive day-to-day software maintenance and security backups, we handle the complex tech work so you can outpace your competition.

Why Ignoring WordPress Updates is Costing Your UK Business Customers (and How to Fix It)For many small- to medium-sized ...
16/07/2026

Why Ignoring WordPress Updates is Costing Your UK Business Customers (and How to Fix It)

For many small- to medium-sized business owners in the UK, a website is often just a digital billboard: you design it, launch it, pay for hosting, and largely forget about it.

When business is moving quickly, keeping up with admin tasks is hard enough without worrying about your website's backend. If it looks ok, let sleeping dogs lie… right?

Wrong.

WordPress Websites Need Maintenance

If your website is built on WordPress (which powers over 40% of all websites globally), treating it as a static asset is a high-risk gamble.

Unlike old, flat HTML websites, a WordPress website is a dynamic, living piece of software.

It’s made up of dozens of moving parts: the core WordPress platform, your visual theme, and many third-party plugins that handle everything from contact forms to social feeds to search engine optimisation (SEO). Every single one of these components requires regular updates.

Ignoring those notifications in your WordPress dashboard is not just an administrative oversight… It’s a direct threat to your bottom line, your search engine rankings, and your business’s reputation.

Here is a detailed look at why neglecting WordPress maintenance is costing your UK business customers, the silent risks you are taking, and a practical roadmap to secure your digital storefront.

The Real Cost of a Security Breach

Many business owners assume they are too small to be targeted by hackers. “But why would anyone want to hack a local consultancy or a family-run trade business?” We hear this a lot…

The reality is that most web hacks are not personal. They are carried out by automated bots scanning the internet for known software vulnerabilities. If your website runs an outdated plugin with a security loophole, a bot will find it, exploit it, and compromise your site. It’s not a matter of if – it’s a matter of WHEN.

When an unmaintained WordPress site is breached, the consequences for a UK business are severe...

See why ignoring your WordPress website maintenance is costing your UK business customers. We'll also show you to to fix it - today.

A technical SEO audit is a backend health check to ensure search engines can easily crawl and index your website.This au...
16/07/2026

A technical SEO audit is a backend health check to ensure search engines can easily crawl and index your website.

This audit aims to identify systemic issues that may prevent search engine bots from crawling, indexing, and ranking your pages effectively. This audit encourages you to look at elements like website architecture, page speed, mobile usability, and the code that runs on your site.

The goal of this type of audit is to find and fix the technical errors that are holding your site back in search results.

By fixing all the bugs, you make it easier for search engines to rank your site higher, which means more eyes on your site and more organic traffic for you.

An audit gives you a clear, realistic roadmap for optimising your site.

Why Your Website Needs a Technical SEO Audit

In today’s crowded digital space, you can’t afford to launch a site and hope for the best. A technical SEO audit makes sure your site meets the strict standards set by search engines.

One of the best reasons to run an audit is to make your visitors happy. A technically solid website loads quickly, is easy to navigate, and works beautifully on any device. All of that leads to people staying on your site for longer. That means they also consume more of your site’s content and are more likely to buy what you’re selling.

Quick reality check: Search engine algorithms don’t read your content the way we do. Before Google can fall in love with your brilliant blog posts, its search crawlers have to be able to navigate and read your code without getting lost or hitting a dead end.

Plus, an audit helps you catch and fix major problems before search engines decide to penalise your site. Glitches like duplicate content, broken links, and slow loading times can seriously tank your rankings. Catching these issues early keeps your site performing at its best and protects you from sudden drops in traffic that can hurt your business.

The Key Areas to Check

A great technical SEO audit examines a few core pillars that keep your site healthy and search engine-friendly...

A technical SEO audit aims to find bugs in your website that might stop search engines from crawling, indexing, and ranking your pages.

Have you got questions about target keywords – what they are and how to find them?We all know we need keywords to rank o...
16/07/2026

Have you got questions about target keywords – what they are and how to find them?

We all know we need keywords to rank on Google, but actually finding and using the right ones? That is a whole different story. It is easy to get stuck wondering how many times to use a phrase, or whether a keyword is just too competitive to bother with. If you are tired of guessing what your audience is typing into the search bar, you are in the right place. Let’s dive into the most common target keyword questions and clear up the confusion so you can start driving the right traffic to your site.

What are keywords?

A keyword refers to the phrases that your potential customers are likely to type into Google to find businesses like yours.

The name is a little deceptive – keywords CAN be single words, but they are much more likely to be phrases. (The longer phrases are called ‘long-tail keywords’.)

The shorter the keyword (i.e. phrase), the more difficult it will be for your website to rank for it on Google because it is likely to be a more general term. It’s like trying to rank for the word ‘cars’. That keyword would have a LOT of competition, which makes it more difficult to rank for. You would have more success if you aimed to rank for more specific (i.e. longer) keywords like ‘second-hand luxury cars for sale’ as this keyword will have less competition.

It’s extremely important to choose the best keywords for your business and your website. Your SEO strategy is going to revolve around optimising for the keywords you choose. You must make sure that your website will answer the user’s intent when searching for your keywords, so they will click on your search result and visit your website.

Keywords are the foundation of any SEO campaign, and you can’t build a strong SEO strategy on a shaky foundation.

How do I choose good keywords?

Tired of guessing what your audience is searching for? Let’s clear up the confusion so you can drive the right traffic to your site.

Does the thought of researching your technical SEO questions make you want to close your laptop and walk away?You are de...
16/07/2026

Does the thought of researching your technical SEO questions make you want to close your laptop and walk away?

You are definitely not alone. It sounds like something only web developers should care about, but it is actually just the behind-the-scenes stuff that helps Google find and understand your site. If terms like sitemaps, robots.txt, and site speed make your eyes glaze over, don’t panic. We are breaking down the most common technical SEO questions into plain English, so you can fix your site’s engine without needing a degree in coding.

What is Technical SEO?

Technical SEO is the process of optimising a website’s technical components to help search engines crawl and index it more effectively.

Technical SEO usually involves evaluating and improving crawlability, website architecture, and website speed. It also covers securing the site with HTTPS, making it mobile-responsive, and more. These technical elements of your website are critical to the success of your SEO campaign.

Why is Technical SEO important?

Technical SEO fixes the issues that make it impossible for a search engine to crawl your website effectively. If Google can’t crawl your site, it can’t rank your site in search results. If your site never ranks, users can’t find it by searching. All the Technical SEO bugs must be found and fixed before we tackle your On-Page SEO.

If Google can't crawl your website effectively, it can't rank it. Learn how to spot and fix common errors, slow speeds, and broken links.

Ever wonder why some pages rank on page one of Google while others completely disappear? It usually comes down to On-Pag...
16/07/2026

Ever wonder why some pages rank on page one of Google while others completely disappear? It usually comes down to On-Page SEO.

This is the stuff you actually control right on your own website. But between tweaking keywords, fixing headers, and writing meta descriptions, it is easy to get a little lost. If you are wondering how to actually optimise your pages without losing your mind, you are in the right place. Let’s dive into the most common On-Page SEO questions.

What is On-Page SEO?

On-Page SEO is all the optimisation that happens ON a specific page on your website (eg, a blog post).

On-page optimisations should be targeted toward the keyword you have chosen for this page.

Example: If you are targeting the keyword ‘how does SEO work’ on a blog post, everything on your post page should be fully optimised for the keyword ‘how does SEO work’.

What information does on-page SEO include?

On-Page SEO mostly refers to optimising a single page for that page’s target keyword.

Demystify the backend code snippets that influence Google rankings. Learn how to set your SEO titles, URLs, and meta descriptions right.

Trying to figure out the answers to general SEO questions can feel like learning a completely different language.Between...
16/07/2026

Trying to figure out the answers to general SEO questions can feel like learning a completely different language.

Between algorithm updates and weird technical jargon, it is easy to get overwhelmed fast. If you are trying to get more eyes on your website but don’t know where to start, you are definitely not alone. We have rounded up all the general SEO questions you have been wanting to ask – and answered them in plain English. No confusing tech-speak, just straight-to-the-point answers to help you finally master the search results.

What is SEO?

SEO is the process of optimising your website to improve your rankings on search engines (i.e. Google).

It also aims to appeal to more people who use these search engines, so they click your website in the search results and visit it. By ranking in high positions on Google for your relevant search terms, you can get more unpaid clicks to your website. These unpaid clicks are called organic traffic.

How does SEO work?

SEO (search engine optimisation) is the process of optimising both your website and various off-site factors to boost your rankings on search engines.

If your website ranks highly in search engines, it is closer to the number one search result on Google. Higher rankings mean users are more likely to find your website link and click it to visit your site.

Trying to figure out search engine optimisation but tired of confusing tech-speak? Get simple answers to help you boost your web visibility.

SEO does work if you do.People are naturally sceptical about whether SEO services actually work. The truth is, SEO (sear...
16/07/2026

SEO does work if you do.

People are naturally sceptical about whether SEO services actually work. The truth is, SEO (search engine optimisation) works if you and your SEO agency both work together.

This is not a service you just hand off to someone while you watch your website suddenly shoot up to a top-ranking spot on Google. (Any agency that promises you that this is how it works is lying to you.)

YOU need to play a role in your company’s SEO success.

Some things are easy to outsource, and many elements of SEO CAN be outsourced. An agency can manage the technical SEO, on-page SEO, and keyword research, among other things.

But it can’t ALL be outsourced. You, as the business owner or manager who is responsible for your website’s SEO and marketing, will need to get involved.

You can decide whether you’d rather spend more of your time or more of your money, but both things will be required.

Everyone wants to know if SEO does work. The truth is, SEO (search engine optimisation) works if you and your SEO agency work together.

Address

16 The Mall
Surbiton
KT64EQ

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+27824668578

Website

,

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Trade and Lateral Development posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category