Engineering & Growth Blog
Field notes on modern web engineering.
Practical writing on web engineering, AI engineering, technical SEO, Generative Engine Optimization, Core Web Vitals, and the growth infrastructure layer most agencies still ignore. From the team shipping it for clients, not summarized from someone else's posts.
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Retrieval Evals This Week: EmbeddingGemma 2, OpenAI's Ironclad Rubrics, and RAGStress
A new open embedding model, a rubric-scored agent eval from OpenAI, and a benchmark that corrupts the knowledge base on purpose. What each one says about testing your own retrieval.
Jake Salaheddine · 4 minReflection Beam and Mistral Large 4: Two Open-Weight Heavyweights, No Weights Yet
Reflection Beam and Mistral Large 4 both landed this week as open-weight promises. Weights are not out yet. Here is what each announced and what to verify before you swap a base model.
Carter McCann · 5 minSearch Console's AI Numbers: How to Read AI Overview and AI Mode Impressions
Google's Generative AI report shows AI Overview and AI Mode impressions only. Here is how that interacts with Average Position, double-counting, and the AI control.
Tsewang Ghale · 6 minChatGPT Ads Get Visual: What OpenAI's New Format and Conversions API Mean for Builders
OpenAI launched visual ChatGPT ads during image generation and expanded measurement with a server-side Conversions API. What builders need to wire up.
Jake Salaheddine · 5 minGoogle's September 2026 Spam Update: How to Read a Two-Week Rollout
Google's Sep 24 spam update may take up to two weeks. What Google said, how it differs from short 2026 cycles, and an ops checklist while it is still open.
Jake Salaheddine · 5 minSearch Console's Multimodal Filter: How to Read Image-Led Traffic
Google added a Web multimodal search-type filter in Search Console on Sep 24, 2026. What it covers, where it lives, and how to use it without query data.
Tsewang Ghale · 3 minAll notes37 earlier notes
37 OpenAI Dots at DevDay: Always-On Agents After Shelving GPT-6.1 Astra OpenAI launched Dots at DevDay Sep 29: always-on agents on GPT-6 Astra with a cloud computer. GPT-6.1 Astra held; GPT-6.1 Sol ships cheaper. Carter McCann
5 min 36 AI · Engineering Instinct Raises $1B at $10B: What Personal Agents Mean for Builders Instinct confirmed a $1B Series C at $10B on Sep 28, 2026. Sequoia, Benchmark, and Coatue joined. SMS invite-only agent vs Meta Muse. Carter McCann
3 min 35 AI · Engineering GPT-6 Sol and Luna: What Actually Changed for Coding Agents OpenAI cut Sol and Luna prices in half and shipped them in Copilot and Codex. Opus 5.5 still leads on quality. Here is the practical split for coding agents. Jake Salaheddine
6 min 34 AI OpenAI says an internal model cleared 100+ open math problems. IAS just stood up a group to advise on the release. OpenAI says an internal model solved 100+ open math problems in about a month. An IAS advisory group will advise on how results get shared. Jake Salaheddine
3 min 33 Headless CMS We Replaced the Library That Broke Deployment With One That Broke Publishing A multi-site CMS pipeline worked locally, failed in serverless, then failed again at publish time. Here is what the full lifecycle taught us. Carter McCann
9 min 32 Engineering The API Wrapper Compiled. The Live API Disagreed. What one MCP server across Google marketing APIs taught us about live contract tests, OAuth account routing, target selection, and write safety. Jake Salaheddine
8 min 31 Engineering How a Green AI Evaluation Hid Broken Retrieval Jake Salaheddine
7 min 30 Pricing · Web Design How Much Does a Website Cost for a Small Business? A small business website in the US runs anywhere from $0 a month on a DIY builder to $30,000+ from a large agency. Here is what each option actually costs, what moves the price, and what you should own when the project is done.
Josh Nolan
6 min 29 Lead Generation · Home Services Google Ads for Contractors: What a Real Budget Buys What Google Ads actually costs in the trades, what a $3,000 budget buys in clicks and leads, and how to structure a contractor account so clicks turn into booked jobs.
Luis Morabito
6 min 28 Web Design Small Business Website Examples: Six Client Walkthroughs See how six ComCreate client websites help visitors find services, explore locations, request appointments, and choose products.
Aletxa Pascual
3 min 27 Pricing · Web Design Website Redesign Cost: What You Should Expect to Pay A website redesign runs from about $2,000 for a small refresh to $20,000+ for a large custom site. Here is what moves the number, why redesigns cost more than new builds of the same size, and when a redesign is the wrong purchase.
Diego Espinosa
6 min 26 Lead Generation · Home Services Google Guaranteed Is Now Google Verified: What Changed? Google Guaranteed has been replaced by Google Verified. Learn what changed, how Local Services Ads verification works, and how to evaluate lead costs. Luis Morabito
3 min 25 SEO · Home Services Local SEO for Contractors: The Complete Checklist Every item a contractor needs to rank in local search, organized into five checklists: Google Business Profile, website, citations, reviews, and tracking.
Brody Chapman
6 min 24 Pricing · Lead Generation Google Ads Management Cost: Pricing Models Explained Agencies price Google Ads management three main ways: a percentage of your ad spend, a flat monthly fee, or an hourly rate. Here is what each model costs, which one fits your budget, and what the fee should actually buy you. Jake Salaheddine
6 min 23 SEO How long does local SEO take? An honest month-by-month answer Local SEO typically shows movement in 3 to 6 months and meaningful lead flow in 6 to 12. Here is the month-by-month timeline, what speeds it up, and what to measure while you wait. Tsewang Ghale
6 min 22 Pricing · SEO Local SEO Pricing: What Packages Cost and What They Buy Local SEO for a small business typically costs $500 to $3,000 a month. Here is what different price tiers actually buy, the red flags that mark a bad package, and what a monthly report should show you. Tsewang Ghale
6 min 21 E-Commerce · Engineering Shopify Alternatives in 2026: Why the Real Choice Is Shopify or Medusa Most Shopify alternatives lists are noise. The real choice is Shopify or Medusa: the managed platform when it fits, and open-source Medusa when you need complete control, including high-risk and restricted product categories. Jake Salaheddine
5 min 20 Headless CMS Is Sanity CMS a Replacement for WordPress? Compare Sanity and WordPress for editing, publishing, integrations, maintenance, and cost. Choose a CMS around the work your team needs to do. Carter McCann
3 min 19 AI · Engineering What Is AI Engineering? (And How It Differs from AI Consulting & Data Science) AI engineering is the discipline of building and shipping AI into real products. Here's what it actually means, how it differs from data science and "AI consulting," and when you need it. Jake Salaheddine
4 min 18 SEO · Engineering Website Migration: How to Reduce SEO Risk Plan a website migration with a content inventory, URL mapping, redirects, staging checks, and monitoring to reduce avoidable SEO problems. Carter McCann
3 min 17 AI · Engineering RAG vs. Fine-Tuning: How to Choose the Right Approach for Your AI Product RAG or fine-tuning? Learn the real difference, when to use each, when to combine them, and how to choose the right approach for your AI product without overspending. Jake Salaheddine
4 min 16 Engineering Next.js vs SvelteKit: How to Choose for Your Project Next.js vs SvelteKit: ecosystem and hiring versus lean performance and DX, plus a simple way to choose for your project. Carter McCann
4 min 15 SEO · AI Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): How to Get Your Brand Cited by AI Search Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is how you get cited in AI answers from ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. Learn what GEO is, how it differs from SEO, and how to do it. Jake Salaheddine
4 min 14 Lead Generation The 12-Question Audit Most Web Agencies Will Fail Most web agencies sell the same package with a different logo. Twelve questions separate the ones who will produce real outcomes from the ones who will produce invoices. Print this and bring it to your next agency call. Josh Nolan
17 min 13 Home Services · Lead Generation How a Landscape Company Closed $500K in Revenue from Less Than $30K in Ad Spend EM Landscape had been burned by two agencies before. We rebuilt their website, Google Ads, and Local Service Ads as one connected system. The result was 16x ROAS and a $100K average project value. Diego Espinosa
12 min 12 SEO · Healthcare Marketing How a Dental Practice Grew Organic Traffic by 52,950 Percent in 12 Months Salt Creek Dental went from near zero organic visibility to 10,610 monthly visits and 822 AI Overview appearances in one year. Here is the exact strategy, the timeline, and the numbers behind it. Diego Espinosa
11 min 11 Lead Generation How to Track Marketing ROI: A Small Business Guide to Analytics That Actually Matter (2026) Track marketing ROI for your small business: what to measure, GA4 + GTM setup, conversion tracking, and how to actually use the data. Free audit from ComCreate. Tsewang Ghale
8 min 10 Web Design How to Write a Creative Brief for Your Web Design Project (2026 Template + Examples) Write a creative brief that actually works. 9-section template, real examples, common mistakes, and a free downloadable template. From a San Diego web design agency. Diego Espinosa
7 min 09 Lead Generation Social Media Marketing for Small Businesses: Complete 2026 Strategy Guide Social media marketing strategy for small businesses: best platforms, how often to post, what to post, costs, and ROI. From a San Diego agency.
Bronson Arnold
7 min 08 Pricing · Web Design Website Maintenance Cost: What Small Businesses Should Budget (2026 Guide) Website maintenance costs $50-$500/month for most small businesses. Full breakdown: what's included, DIY vs professional, hidden costs. Free audit from ComCreate. Josh Nolan
7 min 07 SEO · Lead Generation SEO vs PPC: How to Choose Where to Start Compare SEO and paid search by timing, cost, and what your business needs. Learn what to measure before deciding where to invest. Jake Salaheddine
3 min 06 SEO Why Your Business Needs a Blog in 2026 (And How to Start One That Actually Works) 67% more leads, better SEO, and authority in your niche. Here's why your business needs a blog in 2026, plus a practical guide to starting one that works.
Julieta Zendri
11 min 05 Web Design Brand Identity for Small Businesses: Complete Guide to Standing Out (2026) Complete brand identity guide for small businesses. Essential elements, step-by-step creation, costs & real examples. San Diego branding agency. Free consultation. Diego Espinosa
11 min 04 Pricing · Lead Generation How Much Do Google Ads Cost? San Diego Pricing Guide (2026) Google Ads cost $1-$5+ per click for most industries. Full 2026 pricing guide: CPC by industry, monthly budgets, hidden costs & ROI. Free audit from ComCreate. Jake Salaheddine
9 min 03 Web Design Small Business Website Examples: 10 Design Lessons Explore real small-business website examples and ten design lessons, with screenshots showing clear services, useful navigation, and ways to get in touch.
Ariane Pascual
5 min 02 SEO How Long Does SEO Take to Show Results? Honest Timeline from a San Diego SEO Agency SEO takes 3-6 months for meaningful results. Month-by-month timeline, factors affecting speed & how to measure progress. From a San Diego SEO agency. Tsewang Ghale
11 min 01 Web Design Is Vibe Coding Good at UI Design AI can build you a decent UI, but it can't design a unique one. The real results come from what you bring to the prompt. Carter McCann
3 min
Carter McCann 5 min 36 AI · Engineering Instinct Raises $1B at $10B: What Personal Agents Mean for Builders Instinct confirmed a $1B Series C at $10B on Sep 28, 2026. Sequoia, Benchmark, and Coatue joined. SMS invite-only agent vs Meta Muse.
Carter McCann 3 min 35 AI · Engineering GPT-6 Sol and Luna: What Actually Changed for Coding Agents OpenAI cut Sol and Luna prices in half and shipped them in Copilot and Codex. Opus 5.5 still leads on quality. Here is the practical split for coding agents.
Jake Salaheddine 6 min 34 AI OpenAI says an internal model cleared 100+ open math problems. IAS just stood up a group to advise on the release. OpenAI says an internal model solved 100+ open math problems in about a month. An IAS advisory group will advise on how results get shared.
Jake Salaheddine 3 min 33 Headless CMS We Replaced the Library That Broke Deployment With One That Broke Publishing A multi-site CMS pipeline worked locally, failed in serverless, then failed again at publish time. Here is what the full lifecycle taught us.
Carter McCann 9 min 32 Engineering The API Wrapper Compiled. The Live API Disagreed. What one MCP server across Google marketing APIs taught us about live contract tests, OAuth account routing, target selection, and write safety.
Jake Salaheddine 8 min 31 Engineering How a Green AI Evaluation Hid Broken Retrieval
Jake Salaheddine 7 min 30 Pricing · Web Design How Much Does a Website Cost for a Small Business? A small business website in the US runs anywhere from $0 a month on a DIY builder to $30,000+ from a large agency. Here is what each option actually costs, what moves the price, and what you should own when the project is done.
Josh Nolan 6 min 29 Lead Generation · Home Services Google Ads for Contractors: What a Real Budget Buys What Google Ads actually costs in the trades, what a $3,000 budget buys in clicks and leads, and how to structure a contractor account so clicks turn into booked jobs.
Luis Morabito 6 min 28 Web Design Small Business Website Examples: Six Client Walkthroughs See how six ComCreate client websites help visitors find services, explore locations, request appointments, and choose products.
Aletxa Pascual 3 min 27 Pricing · Web Design Website Redesign Cost: What You Should Expect to Pay A website redesign runs from about $2,000 for a small refresh to $20,000+ for a large custom site. Here is what moves the number, why redesigns cost more than new builds of the same size, and when a redesign is the wrong purchase.
Diego Espinosa 6 min 26 Lead Generation · Home Services Google Guaranteed Is Now Google Verified: What Changed? Google Guaranteed has been replaced by Google Verified. Learn what changed, how Local Services Ads verification works, and how to evaluate lead costs.
Luis Morabito 3 min 25 SEO · Home Services Local SEO for Contractors: The Complete Checklist Every item a contractor needs to rank in local search, organized into five checklists: Google Business Profile, website, citations, reviews, and tracking.
Brody Chapman 6 min 24 Pricing · Lead Generation Google Ads Management Cost: Pricing Models Explained Agencies price Google Ads management three main ways: a percentage of your ad spend, a flat monthly fee, or an hourly rate. Here is what each model costs, which one fits your budget, and what the fee should actually buy you.
Jake Salaheddine 6 min 23 SEO How long does local SEO take? An honest month-by-month answer Local SEO typically shows movement in 3 to 6 months and meaningful lead flow in 6 to 12. Here is the month-by-month timeline, what speeds it up, and what to measure while you wait.
Tsewang Ghale 6 min 22 Pricing · SEO Local SEO Pricing: What Packages Cost and What They Buy Local SEO for a small business typically costs $500 to $3,000 a month. Here is what different price tiers actually buy, the red flags that mark a bad package, and what a monthly report should show you.
Tsewang Ghale 6 min 21 E-Commerce · Engineering Shopify Alternatives in 2026: Why the Real Choice Is Shopify or Medusa Most Shopify alternatives lists are noise. The real choice is Shopify or Medusa: the managed platform when it fits, and open-source Medusa when you need complete control, including high-risk and restricted product categories.
Jake Salaheddine 5 min 20 Headless CMS Is Sanity CMS a Replacement for WordPress? Compare Sanity and WordPress for editing, publishing, integrations, maintenance, and cost. Choose a CMS around the work your team needs to do.
Carter McCann 3 min 19 AI · Engineering What Is AI Engineering? (And How It Differs from AI Consulting & Data Science) AI engineering is the discipline of building and shipping AI into real products. Here's what it actually means, how it differs from data science and "AI consulting," and when you need it.
Jake Salaheddine 4 min 18 SEO · Engineering Website Migration: How to Reduce SEO Risk Plan a website migration with a content inventory, URL mapping, redirects, staging checks, and monitoring to reduce avoidable SEO problems.
Carter McCann 3 min 17 AI · Engineering RAG vs. Fine-Tuning: How to Choose the Right Approach for Your AI Product RAG or fine-tuning? Learn the real difference, when to use each, when to combine them, and how to choose the right approach for your AI product without overspending.
Jake Salaheddine 4 min 16 Engineering Next.js vs SvelteKit: How to Choose for Your Project Next.js vs SvelteKit: ecosystem and hiring versus lean performance and DX, plus a simple way to choose for your project.
Carter McCann 4 min 15 SEO · AI Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): How to Get Your Brand Cited by AI Search Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is how you get cited in AI answers from ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. Learn what GEO is, how it differs from SEO, and how to do it.
Jake Salaheddine 4 min 14 Lead Generation The 12-Question Audit Most Web Agencies Will Fail Most web agencies sell the same package with a different logo. Twelve questions separate the ones who will produce real outcomes from the ones who will produce invoices. Print this and bring it to your next agency call.
Josh Nolan 17 min 13 Home Services · Lead Generation How a Landscape Company Closed $500K in Revenue from Less Than $30K in Ad Spend EM Landscape had been burned by two agencies before. We rebuilt their website, Google Ads, and Local Service Ads as one connected system. The result was 16x ROAS and a $100K average project value.
Diego Espinosa 12 min 12 SEO · Healthcare Marketing How a Dental Practice Grew Organic Traffic by 52,950 Percent in 12 Months Salt Creek Dental went from near zero organic visibility to 10,610 monthly visits and 822 AI Overview appearances in one year. Here is the exact strategy, the timeline, and the numbers behind it.
Diego Espinosa 11 min 11 Lead Generation How to Track Marketing ROI: A Small Business Guide to Analytics That Actually Matter (2026) Track marketing ROI for your small business: what to measure, GA4 + GTM setup, conversion tracking, and how to actually use the data. Free audit from ComCreate.
Tsewang Ghale 8 min 10 Web Design How to Write a Creative Brief for Your Web Design Project (2026 Template + Examples) Write a creative brief that actually works. 9-section template, real examples, common mistakes, and a free downloadable template. From a San Diego web design agency.
Diego Espinosa 7 min 09 Lead Generation Social Media Marketing for Small Businesses: Complete 2026 Strategy Guide Social media marketing strategy for small businesses: best platforms, how often to post, what to post, costs, and ROI. From a San Diego agency.
Bronson Arnold 7 min 08 Pricing · Web Design Website Maintenance Cost: What Small Businesses Should Budget (2026 Guide) Website maintenance costs $50-$500/month for most small businesses. Full breakdown: what's included, DIY vs professional, hidden costs. Free audit from ComCreate.
Josh Nolan 7 min 07 SEO · Lead Generation SEO vs PPC: How to Choose Where to Start Compare SEO and paid search by timing, cost, and what your business needs. Learn what to measure before deciding where to invest.
Jake Salaheddine 3 min 06 SEO Why Your Business Needs a Blog in 2026 (And How to Start One That Actually Works) 67% more leads, better SEO, and authority in your niche. Here's why your business needs a blog in 2026, plus a practical guide to starting one that works.
Julieta Zendri 11 min 05 Web Design Brand Identity for Small Businesses: Complete Guide to Standing Out (2026) Complete brand identity guide for small businesses. Essential elements, step-by-step creation, costs & real examples. San Diego branding agency. Free consultation.
Diego Espinosa 11 min 04 Pricing · Lead Generation How Much Do Google Ads Cost? San Diego Pricing Guide (2026) Google Ads cost $1-$5+ per click for most industries. Full 2026 pricing guide: CPC by industry, monthly budgets, hidden costs & ROI. Free audit from ComCreate.
Jake Salaheddine 9 min 03 Web Design Small Business Website Examples: 10 Design Lessons Explore real small-business website examples and ten design lessons, with screenshots showing clear services, useful navigation, and ways to get in touch.
Ariane Pascual 5 min 02 SEO How Long Does SEO Take to Show Results? Honest Timeline from a San Diego SEO Agency SEO takes 3-6 months for meaningful results. Month-by-month timeline, factors affecting speed & how to measure progress. From a San Diego SEO agency.
Tsewang Ghale 11 min 01 Web Design Is Vibe Coding Good at UI Design AI can build you a decent UI, but it can't design a unique one. The real results come from what you bring to the prompt.
Carter McCann 3 min
Field notes
What you'll find here.
ComCreate is an engineering-first digital agency in San Diego. The work we ship for clients runs into hard problems we have to solve in the open: migrations that preserve every page of SEO equity, AI agents running in production, Core Web Vitals fixes tied to conversion, and technical SEO that holds up as the site grows. This blog is where we write up the patterns, gotchas, and field-tested approaches behind that work.
Topics we publish on regularly:
- 01Web engineering
- Next.js, SvelteKit, React, headless CMS architecture, multi-tenant platforms.
- 02AI engineering
- LLM agents, RAG pipelines, voice AI, tool-use patterns, model selection.
- 03Technical SEO & GEO
- Schema.org, llms.txt, AI search visibility, rich-result eligibility.
- 04Performance engineering
- Core Web Vitals, LCP/CLS/INP, rendering strategy, real-user monitoring.
- 05Migration & modernization
- WordPress to SvelteKit, Webflow to Next.js, Shopify Hydrogen.
- 06Growth operations
- server-side GTM, attribution, conversion tracking, CRM infrastructure.
