DEV Community: Michel Jee

Practical Keyword Research: Comparing Search Intent Between the US and UK

Michel Jee — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 04:10:38 +0000

Keyword research is the backbone of any SEO campaign. I've been testing a tool that gives search volume, CPC, difficulty, and ad competition for keywords across multiple countries. It's saved me hours of manual scraping. For instance, comparing 'best running shoes' in the US vs. UK reveals different opportunities. The data helps prioritize which terms to target. If you need a reliable research too SerpSpur has one worth checking.

javascript
// Fetch keyword metrics
const data = await fetch('https://api.serpspur.com/keywords?q=running+shoes&country=us');
const metrics = await data.json();
console.log(metrics.search_volume, metrics.difficulty);

This snippet shows how to pull real-time metrics. Handy for quick analysis.

How the Right Lighting Can Transform Your Home's Atmosphere

Michel Jee — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 10:13:21 +0000

When people think about home design, they often focus on furniture, wall colors, or decorative accessories. While these elements are important, lighting is one of the most powerful tools for shaping the look and feel of a space.

Good lighting does more than help us see. It influences mood, highlights architectural features, and creates a welcoming environment. Whether you're redesigning an entire room or simply refreshing a small corner, thoughtful lighting choices can make a significant difference.

Why Lighting Matters

Lighting affects how we experience a room. A bright, well-lit workspace can improve focus and productivity, while softer lighting can help create a relaxing atmosphere in living rooms and bedrooms.

The right lighting strategy can:

Make small rooms feel larger
Highlight design features and décor
Improve functionality
Create warmth and comfort
Enhance the overall aesthetic of a space
Different Types of Lighting

A balanced lighting design usually combines multiple lighting layers.

Ambient Lighting

Ambient lighting provides general illumination for a room. Ceiling fixtures, chandeliers, and recessed lights are common examples. This layer forms the foundation of any lighting plan.

Task Lighting

Task lighting focuses on specific activities such as reading, cooking, or working. Desk lamps, under-cabinet lighting, and bedside reading lights help improve visibility where it's needed most.

Accent Lighting

Accent lighting draws attention to artwork, architectural details, plants, or decorative displays. Spotlights and directional fixtures are often used for this purpose.

Popular Lighting Options for Modern Homes
Pendant Lights

Pendant lights are both functional and decorative. They work particularly well above kitchen islands, dining tables, and entryways, creating visual interest while providing focused illumination.

Wall Lights

Wall-mounted fixtures can add depth and warmth to a room. They are ideal for hallways, bedrooms, and living spaces where softer, indirect lighting is desired.

Spotlights

Spotlights offer precision and flexibility. They can be used to highlight specific features or create a modern, clean aesthetic within a space.

Decorative Lanterns and Accent Lighting

Decorative lighting elements can introduce character and personality into a room. Whether traditional or contemporary, these fixtures help create a unique atmosphere.

Creating a Comfortable Ambience

One of the most effective ways to improve a room is by focusing on ambience. Consider using:

Warm color temperature bulbs
Dimmable lighting systems
Multiple light sources at different heights
Accent lighting for visual depth

These small adjustments can significantly improve the comfort and appeal of your living space.

Common Lighting Mistakes to Avoid

Many homeowners make the mistake of relying on a single overhead light. This can create harsh shadows and make a room feel flat.

Other common mistakes include:

Using bulbs with inconsistent color temperatures
Ignoring task lighting needs
Over-lighting or under-lighting a room
Choosing fixtures that are out of scale with the space

A layered approach usually produces the best results.

Final Thoughts

Lighting is one of the most overlooked aspects of interior design, yet it has the ability to completely transform a space. By combining ambient, task, and accent lighting, homeowners can create rooms that are both functional and inviting.

Whether you're updating a single room or planning a full home makeover, investing time in your lighting design can dramatically improve the overall atmosphere and comfort of your living environment.

Automate Link Building with Python: Backlink Gap Analysis Using SERPSpur API

Michel Jee — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 07:54:42 +0000

I needed to find backlink opportunities by comparing my site with competitors. Here's a Python script using the SERPSpur Backlink Gap Analysis API to discover sites linking to competitors but not to me:

python
import requests

API_KEY = "your_api_key_here"

def backlink_gap(your_domain, competitor_domain):
response = requests.get(
"https://api.serpspur.com/v1/backlink-gap",
headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {API_KEY}"},
params={"domain": your_domain, "competitors": competitor_domain}
)
data = response.json()
return data['opportunities']

your_site = "mywebsite.com"
competitor = "competitor.com"
opportunities = backlink_gap(your_site, competitor)
print(f"Sites linking to {competitor} but not to {your_site}:")
for opp in opportunities[:5]:
print(f" {opp['url']} (DA: {opp['domain_authority']})")

This revealed several high-authority sites I should reach out to. Have you tried a similar approach for link-building?

How to Index Backlinks Faster Using SERPSpur Free Backlink Pinger & Indexer Tool

Michel Jee — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 05:21:00 +0000

Getting backlinks indexed quickly is crucial for SEO. I've been using the SERPSpur Free Backlink Pinger & Indexer Tool to speed up discovery. Here's a script I use to automate pinging multiple URLs:

python
import requests

API_KEY = "your_api_key_here"

def ping_backlinks(urls):
results = []
for url in urls:
response = requests.post(
"https://api.serpspur.com/v1/backlink-pinger",
headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {API_KEY}"},
json={"urls": [url], "depth": 2}
)
data = response.json()
results.append({
"url": url,
"status": data.get('status', 'failed'),
"indexed": data.get('indexed_after_ping', False)
})
return results

Example usage

backlinks = ["https://example.com/backlink1", "https://example.com/backlink2"]
results = ping_backlinks(backlinks)
for r in results:
print(f"{r['url']}: {r['status']} - Indexed: {r['indexed']}")

This has significantly reduced the time it takes for my backlinks to appear in search results. How do you handle backlink indexing in your workflow? https://serpspur.com

How I Solved the Local SEO Location Bias Problem Using Geolocation Testing

Michel Jee — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 03:46:03 +0000

Ever had a client insist their business shows up in local search results, but when you check from your own location, it's nowhere to be found? That's the classic 'location bias' problem in SEO testing.

I've been digging into this recently, and built a quick script to spoof search results for different cities using Puppeteer. Here's the gist:

javascript
const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');

async function spoofLocalSearch(query, lat, lng) {
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({ headless: false });
const page = await browser.newPage();

// Override geolocation
await page.setGeolocation({ latitude: lat, longitude: lng });

// Set a relevant user-agent for that region (optional)
await page.setUserAgent('Mozilla/5.0 ...');

await page.goto(`https://www.google.com/search?q=${encodeURIComponent(query)}`);

// Wait for results to load
await page.waitForSelector('#search');

const results = await page.evaluate(() => {
    const items = document.querySelectorAll('.g');
    return Array.from(items).map(item => item.innerText);
});

console.log(`Results for ${query} at ${lat},${lng}:`, results.slice(0, 5));
await browser.close();

}

// Test for 'coffee shops' in New York
spoofLocalSearch('coffee shops', 40.7128, -74.0060);

This works for quick checks, but for more reliable, large-scale analysis across multiple cities and languages, I've been using a dedicated API that handles location spoofing natively. It's much cleaner than managing browser instances for every test case.

What's your go-to method for verifying local search visibility without being physically present?

https://serpspur.com

How do you handle environment-specific configuration in your Node.js projects?

Michel Jee — Sat, 30 May 2026 07:41:56 +0000

I've been using dotenv for years, but recently started experimenting with a more structured approach using JSON config files with environment overrides. Here's what I came up with:

javascript
const config = {
development: {
apiUrl: 'http://localhost:3000',
debug: true
},
production: {
apiUrl: 'https://api.example.com',
debug: false
}
};

const env = process.env.NODE_ENV || 'development';
const envConfig = config[env];

// Allow environment variables to override
for (const key in envConfig) {
if (process.env[key.toUpperCase()]) {
envConfig[key] = process.env[key.toUpperCase()];
}
}

export default envConfig;

This gives me a clean default config with the flexibility to override via env vars. I've been using a small library called EnvManager that adds validation and schema support. What's your preferred config management strategy?

How to Filter Bot Traffic in GA4 for Accurate SEO Analytics Using Python

Michel Jee — Mon, 25 May 2026 05:14:07 +0000

Ever had your analytics show a sudden spike in traffic, only to realize it's all bots? I recently discovered a way to filter out bot traffic using a simple Python script that checks user-agent strings and request patterns. It's not perfect, but it helped me clean up my data significantly. If you're dealing with similar issues, check out how I did it.