Frequently asked questions about VegasGeek

VegasGeek is a WordPress development, technical SEO, and digital consulting agency based in Henderson, NV. Whether you need emergency WordPress support, a new website build, or a strategy to appear in Google and AI search, here’s what you need to know before we talk.

About VegasGeek

VegasGeek is a WordPress development, support, and consulting agency based in Henderson, Nevada. VegasGeek helps small businesses across Las Vegas, Henderson, and worldwide build faster, more visible, and more profitable websites on WordPress.

VegasGeek’s core services include custom WordPress builds and rebuilds, technical SEO, local SEO, emergency WordPress support, site speed optimization, schema markup, and AI search visibility strategy. We help clients get found not just in Google, but in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.

VegasGeek is run by John Hawkins, a WordPress developer and technical SEO specialist based in Henderson, Nevada. John has been building things on the internet for over two decades. He discovered WordPress in the summer of 2003 and has been fully immersed in it ever since.

John is a recognized leader in the WordPress community. He organized the very first WordCamp Las Vegas in 2009 and has been involved in organizing it nearly every year since. He founded and ran the monthly Las Vegas WordPress Meetup, where he is a frequent presenter, and has traveled the country speaking at WordPress conferences from coast to coast. John’s passion is teaching others to use WordPress. The same philosophy carries into every client engagement at VegasGeek.

VegasGeek was founded in 2018. John Hawkins, the founder, has been working professionally in WordPress development for well over two decades. So, while VegasGeek as a business launched in 2018, the expertise behind it traces back to the early days of WordPress itself.

VegasGeek is based in Henderson, Nevada and serves clients locally throughout the greater Las Vegas metro area including Henderson, Summerlin, Green Valley, and downtown Las Vegas. VegasGeek also works with clients nationally and worldwide for WordPress development, technical SEO, and AI search consulting.

VegasGeek primarily serves small businesses across a wide range of industries. If your business runs on WordPress and needs it to perform better, faster, more visible, and more profitable. VegasGeek can help regardless of your vertical. When in doubt, reach out and describe your goals. If VegasGeek isn’t the right fit, we’ll point you toward someone who is.

VegasGeek has completed hundreds of WordPress projects over the years spanning new builds, rebuilds, migrations, technical SEO engagements, WooCommerce implementations, and ongoing maintenance relationships. That volume of real-world problem-solving across a wide range of industries is what makes VegasGeek’s approach practical, not theoretical.

WordPress Development & Support

Yes. VegasGeek builds new WordPress websites from the ground up with a performance-first approach. We prioritize fast load times, Core Web Vitals, and SEO from the first line of code. Every new build uses modern WordPress standards, including the Block Editor and Full Site Editing, so your team can update content without calling a developer for every change.

Yes. VegasGeek specializes in WordPress rebuilds by modernizing outdated sites to improve speed, security, and conversion flow. A rebuild through VegasGeek means cleaner code, improved Core Web Vitals, and a better experience for both your visitors and search engines, without sacrificing your existing SEO equity. For larger projects, the rebuild can be phased so you get a live, improved site sooner while additional features are developed in subsequent stages.

Most common WordPress issues including plugin conflicts, broken layouts, database connection errors, and the “White Screen of Death” are resolved by VegasGeek within 24–48 hours. For site-wide crashes or critical outages, VegasGeek diagnoses the root cause and works to get your site back online as quickly as possible.

VegasGeek handles a wide range of WordPress issues including the White Screen of Death, database errors, broken plugins, CSS layout bugs, site crashes, email deliverability failures, security threats, slow page load times, and Core Web Vitals problems. Whether it’s a small layout tweak or a critical server-level failure, VegasGeek provides fast, documented fixes without “hacky” workarounds.

Yes. VegasGeek handles strategic WordPress site migrations including database migrations, domain changes, and 301 redirect implementation. We design to protect your existing search rankings during the move. Moving a site incorrectly can cause lasting SEO damage. VegasGeek treats every migration as an SEO operation, not just a technical file transfer.

Yes. VegasGeek’s WordPress maintenance service is designed for businesses that want a true white glove solution. Maintenance plans include nightly backups, malware scans, WordPress core updates as needed, and plugin and theme updates twice monthly. Thus, your site stays secure, fast, and up to date without you having to think about it.

VegasGeek pairs maintenance with hosting for clients who want everything handled in one place. Hosting is not offered as a standalone service. It is part of a fully managed solution. For clients who prefer to manage their own hosting, VegasGeek is happy to recommend the right host based on your specific needs.

VegasGeek prefers to build with the WordPress Block Editor and Full Site Editing (FSE) for performance, compatibility, and long-term maintainability. That said, John has worked with virtually every major page builder over the years including Elementor, Divi, Beaver Builder, and others. We can support existing sites built on those platforms. For new builds, VegasGeek will recommend Block Editor and FSE unless there is a compelling reason to do otherwise.

VegasGeek offers managed WordPress hosting as part of a white glove maintenance and hosting package, not as a standalone service. This is intentional. Hosting without active maintenance creates security vulnerabilities, outdated plugins, and performance problems over time. VegasGeek bundles both so your site is always protected, updated, and running at its best. For clients who prefer a different hosting arrangement, VegasGeek can recommend the right platform for your needs.

Yes. VegasGeek has extensive experience with WooCommerce, including several custom implementations. Whether you need a new WooCommerce store built from the ground up, an existing store optimized for performance and conversions, or custom development work on top of WooCommerce, VegasGeek has the hands-on expertise to get it done.

A simple WordPress website typically takes around four weeks from kickoff to launch. More complex builds with custom functionality, WooCommerce, larger page counts, or advanced integrations can run eight weeks or more depending on scope. For larger projects, VegasGeek can phase the rollout so your site goes live sooner while additional features are built out in subsequent stages.

SEO & AI Search Visibility

VegasGeek offers a full range of technical and strategic SEO services, including technical SEO audits, schema markup (structured data / JSON-LD), meta title and description optimization, internal linking strategy, site speed and Core Web Vitals improvement, local SEO, Google Business Profile optimization, and AI search visibility consulting. VegasGeek’s SEO work is grounded in E-E-A-T principles. This builds the expertise, authority, and trust signals that modern search engines and AI platforms reward.

AI search visibility refers to whether your business appears as a recommended answer in AI-powered platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and other large language model-based search tools. As more people use AI to research and make buying decisions, appearing in these results is becoming as important as ranking on the first page of Google.

VegasGeek helps businesses build the structured data, content authority, and brand signals that AI systems rely on to identify and recommend trusted providers. This includes schema markup, topical content strategy, and entity optimization.

Yes. Schema markup (structured data / JSON-LD) is a core part of VegasGeek’s technical SEO practice. VegasGeek builds and validates schema for local businesses, service pages, FAQs, reviews, and more. We help search engines and AI platforms better understand who you are, what you do, and where you operate. Proper schema is one of the highest-leverage signals for appearing in AI-generated answers and Google rich results.

Yes. VegasGeek’s SEO audit is a standalone paid service. It is a comprehensive report that identifies technical errors, hidden performance issues, and opportunities to improve your search and AI visibility. The audit includes a prioritized action plan and a project estimate for VegasGeek to implement the recommended work.

Importantly, you are not required to hire VegasGeek to act on the findings. The report is yours, and you are welcome to take it to any developer or agency for implementation. The goal is to give you a clear, honest picture of where your site stands and exactly what it will take to improve.

Yes. VegasGeek can assist with content creation as part of an SEO engagement, or provide strategic guidance so your team can create content that performs well in search. The approach depends on your needs and goals. Some clients want VegasGeek to handle content directly, others prefer to write it themselves with a clear SEO framework to follow. Either way, VegasGeek makes sure the content strategy supports your visibility goals.

SEO timelines vary by site condition, competition, and market. For technical fixes on an existing site, some improvements. Core Web Vitals scores, rich result eligibility, and local ranking signals can show progress in 30–90 days. Broader keyword ranking and authority improvements typically require 4–12 months of consistent work. VegasGeek sets realistic expectations from the start and ties work to measurable outcomes, not vanity metrics.

Yes. VegasGeek offers a local SEO strategy specifically designed to help businesses capture Google’s “near me” traffic and rank in the Google 3-Pack (the map listing that appears at the top of local search results). This includes Google Business Profile optimization, local citation management, location-specific schema markup, and on-site local SEO work.

Process & Working with VegasGeek

Yes. VegasGeek offers a free initial consultation, typically a Zoom call, to learn about your project, your short and long-term goals, and whether the engagement is a one-time project or the start of a longer relationship. A full site audit is a separate paid service. If you’re ready to get a complete technical assessment of your site, that’s where the deeper work begins.

After the initial consultation, VegasGeek works through a clear, straightforward process:

  1. A requirements document is developed. It is either provided by you or built together during the engagement.
  2. A proposal with options is sent based on your goals and scope.
  3. Upon approval, billing information is collected and an invoice is initiated.
  4. Once the deposit is received, timelines are confirmed and development begins.

VegasGeek keeps the process transparent and collaborative from start to finish.

Every project is different, so VegasGeek scopes pricing based on your goals, your site’s needs, and the complexity of the work involved. Contact VegasGeek for a quote. The free initial consultation is the right place to start, and from there VegasGeek will put together a proposal with clear options.

Yes. VegasGeek is happy to work with agencies and other creative teams on a white-label basis. VegasGeek can work fully behind the scenes with no direct contact with your clients, or act as an extension of your team when that makes the engagement easier. Either way, the work gets done and your client relationship stays intact.

Yes. While VegasGeek is based in Henderson, Nevada and has deep roots in the Las Vegas business community, VegasGeek works with clients nationally and worldwide. All project work can be completed remotely with clear, consistent communication throughout.

VegasGeek is a WordPress development and technical SEO company, not a marketing agency. Services outside of VegasGeek’s scope include paid advertising (Google Ads, Meta Ads, etc.) and social media engagement or management.

For anything else, the answer is usually “let’s talk”. VegasGeek’s approach is to understand your desired outcome first and then determine how best to help. That means even an introduction to another trusted team better suited to your specific need.