Hector Herrera · AI systems architect

Writing

Essays and shorter notes on web systems, search, analytics, infrastructure and practical AI.

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AI Oct 6, 2026 · 3 min What goes into an AI knowledge base for employees An AI assistant's answers are only as good as what it reads. How I build an AI knowledge base for employees that stays true after launch, with an owner for every page and a way for staff corrections to stick.

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Strategy Sep 25, 2026 · 6 min Every web problem eventually becomes a systems problem Development, marketing, analytics, infrastructure and automation are one machine. Here is the working model I use to find the real problem and fix it for good.

Search Sep 25, 2026 · 7 min Ranking isn't enough: how to get cited inside AI answers What makes ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude and Google's AI features pick a source, and the practical work that makes your site the one they cite.

Analytics Sep 25, 2026 · 6 min The lead that disappeared: following one click from ad to CRM Follow one paid click from the ad to the CRM and back to the ad platform, see where the source data quietly drops out, and use a checklist to keep it intact.

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Automation Oct 5, 2026 · 3 min Designing the first hour after a lead comes in A new lead is paying attention right now. How I design the acknowledgment, the routing, the nudges and the follow-ups so a new lead always has an owner.

Analytics Oct 2, 2026 · 3 min A dashboard that admits what it doesn't know A zero can mean nothing happened or that nobody looked. How I build dashboards that say what they checked and open on the people who are waiting.

Web Oct 1, 2026 · 3 min Designing a client intake questionnaire people actually finish Good client intake questionnaire design is about the person on the other end. The features I build in so people can finish on a phone, in pieces, without starting over.

AI Sep 30, 2026 · 3 min An AI help desk for your own team Before AI talks to customers, it can answer the questions your own staff ask each other every day. How I build an internal AI help desk people actually trust and use.

Analytics Sep 30, 2026 · 3 min What each customer actually costs Ad platforms learn from whatever you count. Why cost per customer by source is the number leadership should run on, and how to start with one source.

AI Sep 27, 2026 · 5 min Every correction should become a permanent rule If I have to correct an AI system twice, I built it wrong. Here is how I turn a single correction into a standing rule that loads every session and stays true.

Infrastructure Sep 27, 2026 · 5 min Name the system before you build it When one word does several jobs, nobody can own it. How I split an estate into named subsystems, test each one, and enforce the names with a check that runs daily.

Infrastructure Sep 27, 2026 · 5 min Write the owner's manual from the running system Documentation written from memory starts going stale the day it ships. I write owner's manuals from an inventory of the live system and check them against it.

Web Sep 27, 2026 · 5 min Your database is the source of truth, not your vendor's In the intake platforms I build, the business keeps its own record and pushes to the CRM second. Here is how that works, from permanent short links to proving each leg.

AI Sep 25, 2026 · 6 min AI as an operating layer, not a chatbot Most businesses add AI as a chat tab and stop there. The real value comes from weaving it into workflows as research, drafting, checks, routing and monitoring.

Search Sep 25, 2026 · 6 min Entity first: Google and AI need to know who you are Before content or links, search engines and AI tools need to know who you are. How to build one canonical home, consistent profiles and schema that connects them.

Web Sep 25, 2026 · 5 min Your form is a conversion system, not a contact box A lead form is logic, data capture, validation, spam defense and a handoff. How to design each piece so more real people finish it and the data stays useful.

AI Sep 25, 2026 · 6 min Scheduled AI agents with a human in the loop How I run scheduled AI agents on my own servers: scoped permissions, budgets, timeouts, health checks, a daily status report and a review queue before anything ships.

Infrastructure Sep 25, 2026 · 5 min Inspect the system before trusting the symptom A symptom tells you where it hurts, not what broke. A practical troubleshooting method for web problems, with common patterns and a step-by-step inspection checklist.

Search Sep 25, 2026 · 6 min What SEO taught me in one of the most expensive markets on Google Lessons from years of mesothelioma search about intent, trust, patience and compassion, and why shortcuts cost more in high-stakes markets than they ever save.

Analytics Sep 25, 2026 · 5 min GA4 and Tag Manager setups that answer business questions Start with the decisions a business needs to make, then design GA4 events and GTM tags around them, with naming rules, consent, testing and fewer dashboards.

AI Sep 25, 2026 · 5 min Using AI on real servers without losing sleep I use AI-assisted development on real servers daily. The habits that keep it safe: least privilege, staging, backups, reviewed diffs, vaulted secrets and real checks.

Web Sep 25, 2026 · 5 min WordPress or lean custom? The costs nobody prices in WordPress and lean custom stacks both work. The real choice comes down to who edits the site, who maintains it, and what it costs to own over years, not weeks.

Search Sep 25, 2026 · 6 min Content architecture beats content volume Publishing more pages rarely fixes a search problem. How pillars, clusters, internal links, pruning and a clear job for every page do more than volume ever will.

Analytics Sep 25, 2026 · 5 min Attribution when the sale happens off the website When leads close by phone, in intake, or through a signed agreement, the source has to survive every hop. How to carry it through and send real outcomes back to ads.

Automation Sep 25, 2026 · 5 min Automate only what's stable enough to deserve it Automating a broken process just breaks it faster. How to tell when a workflow is ready for automation, how to monitor it, and how to choose between tools and scripts.

Strategy Sep 25, 2026 · 5 min What running my own business taught me about tech decisions Running my own e-commerce company changed how I judge technology. Cost, risk, upkeep, cash and time matter more than features, and someone has to own the outcome.

Search Sep 25, 2026 · 6 min City pages that aren't thin How to build city and local pages that actually help people, stay clear of Google's doorway page rules, and fit into a site structure that makes sense.

Analytics Sep 25, 2026 · 5 min Server-side conversions in plain English What server-side conversion tracking is, why browser pixels lost signal, how deduplication and hashing work, and when it's worth building versus when it's overkill.

AI Sep 25, 2026 · 5 min Measuring whether AI drafts are actually good The best quality signal for AI drafts is how much survives human editing. How to measure it per prompt version, plus the guardrails that keep drafts safe to review.

Infrastructure Sep 25, 2026 · 5 min Why I still run my own servers and mail I self-host web, DNS, SSL and mail because it teaches every layer and gives me control. It also has real costs, and plenty of businesses should not do it.