A UK SEO agency that has worked without long-term contracts since 2008 claims the wider industry is now beginning to shift in the same direction, driven by rising client demand for transparency and measurable accountability.

Carrie-ann Sudlow Consultancy says the growing number of agencies promoting “no contract SEO” reflects changing expectations across the industry, with businesses becoming increasingly wary of lengthy retainers, unclear reporting and outsourced fulfilment.

The agency recently updated its Best SEO Agency page to highlight its long standing approach to flexible SEO services, transparent communication and commercially focused results.

Founder Carrie-ann Sudlow says the industry is evolving because clients now expect measurable performance and clearer communication from their marketing partners.

She said: “We have never believed clients should feel locked into a contract. If an SEO campaign is delivering properly, businesses stay because they see value in the work being done.”

The consultancy says it adopted a no contract approach from the outset in 2008, well before flexible SEO retainers became widely promoted across the industry.

According to the agency, businesses are increasingly looking for SEO providers that focus on genuine growth rather than confusing reports and vanity metrics.

Carrie-ann added: “Clients are asking tougher questions than they did years ago, and rightly so. Businesses want transparency, accountability and realistic expectations.”

The company believes ongoing Google algorithm updates and the rapid growth of AI generated content are also pushing agencies to demonstrate genuine expertise and long term strategic thinking.

Rather than focusing purely on rankings or traffic, the consultancy says successful SEO should ultimately be measured by enquiries, conversions and sustainable business growth.

Carrie-ann said: “SEO should not feel overcomplicated. Businesses want honest advice, clear communication and strategies that support long term growth.”

The agency has worked with businesses across a wide range of industries throughout the UK since 2008 and says demand for transparent SEO services continues to increase as companies become more selective about where they invest their marketing budgets.

UK landlords are facing mounting financial pressure as a wave of hidden ownership costs continues to erode profits across the private rental sector, according to property specialists LandlordBuyer, with many investors unaware of the full scale of ongoing expenses impacting yields.

While rising mortgage rates and proposed EPC regulations have dominated headlines in recent years, industry experts say many landlords are now being hit by a growing list of ongoing costs that are making rental properties increasingly expensive to maintain.

From licensing schemes and insurance premiums to maintenance inflation and compliance requirements, the true cost of owning a rental property is rising sharply, particularly for smaller landlords with one or two properties.

According to government and industry data, landlords across the UK are facing increasing financial strain due to a combination of regulatory and operational pressures.

Government estimates suggest the average cost of upgrading a rental property to meet future EPC standards could reach £5,400 per property. Selective licensing schemes in some UK councils can cost landlords up to £1,000 per property every few years.

Rising repair and maintenance inflation has significantly increased the cost of tradespeople, materials, and emergency property repairs. On top of this, higher mortgage refinancing rates and void periods are continuing to reduce rental profitability for many landlords.

Industry experts warn that these pressures are causing many landlords to reassess whether keeping rental properties remains financially sustainable long term.

Jason Harris-Cohen, Managing Director of LandlordBuyer, said: “A lot of landlords went into property expecting stable, predictable long-term returns, but the financial reality has changed dramatically over the last few years. What we’re seeing now is a constant build-up of hidden costs that many owners simply didn’t anticipate.

“Between compliance requirements, maintenance inflation, insurance increases, licensing fees, and higher mortgage costs, the pressure is growing from every angle. For smaller landlords in particular, the margins are becoming increasingly tight.

“We’re speaking to more landlords who feel overwhelmed by the ongoing financial commitment of holding onto rental properties, especially older homes that require continuous investment.

“As a result, many are now exploring alternative options, including selling tenanted properties in a way that avoids disrupting tenants and removes the stress of ongoing ownership.”

LandlordBuyer says it has seen growing interest from landlords looking for quicker and simpler exit strategies that do not require tenants to vacate before a sale can take place.

Many landlords remain unaware that it is possible to sell a property with tenants still living in it, avoiding the delays and uncertainty often associated with traditional property sales.

Landlords interested in understanding more about how to sell a house with tenants can learn more about the process and challenges involved in selling a property with tenants in situ.

With rising costs continuing to reshape the private rental sector, property experts believe the financial pressures facing landlords are likely to remain one of the defining issues in the housing market over the coming years.

3West has taken the first formal step towards delivering a substantial new housing development in Exmouth, presenting its vision for the EXMO_20 site north of Hulham Road during a dedicated community webinar.

The proposed development forms part of East Devon District Council’s emerging Local Plan and has been identified as a potential allocation to help meet the district’s pressing housing needs. 

Earlier this week, 3West hosted an online community webinar to introduce the project and explain the planning process to local residents and stakeholders. The event provided an opportunity for attendees to hear more about the company’s early vision for the site and ask questions directly to the project team. 

The plans are at an early stage, but 3West’s ambition is to create a well-designed, landscape-led neighbourhood that responds sensitively to its surroundings and delivers much-needed new homes for Exmouth. 

David Matthews, Business and Operations Director at 3West Group, said: “East Devon desperately needs new homes. Our emerging plans for the site known as Exmo_20 will create a neighbourhood for Exmouth, shaped by landscape and community. 

“To get this right we need to work with the local community to understand how these plans can be the best they can be. Our webinar on Wednesday evening was one of the first steps. We’re introducing ourselves, explaining the process and beginning to understand what people think about our approach. 

“This is the beginning of the process. We will be engaging throughout the summer ahead of submitting a planning application later this year.” 

The webinar recording, presentation slides and plans are now available to view on the project website at EXMO_20 Community Webinar. 

Residents are encouraged to visit the website to learn more about the project and sign up for updates as the proposals evolve. 

3West expects to carry out further community engagement over the coming months, with a planning application anticipated later in 2026. 

For more information, visit www.exmo20.co.uk.

Manchester-founded proptech company BNKer has announced a new partnership with fellow property technology business Doorly as the two firms look to reshape apartment living through smarter in-building storage and resident experience solutions. The collaboration aims to address growing space pressures across the UK residential market by integrating BNKer’s self-storage offering within modern developments.

After a successful first year, bringing self storage to the doorstep of over 4500 apartments, BNKer has already begun making its mark on the UK’s residential property market. Since launching in Manchester, the proptech company has quickly connected with leading property developers across the North West – including the renowned Renaker – and beyond, bringing its onsite self-storage solution to some of the most sought-after home hotspots. Now, through a partnership with fellow Manchester-founded and rapidly expanding start-up Doorly, the two businesses are working together to reshape the way renters experience modern apartment living. 

Also founded in Manchester, Doorly has created a platform designed to simplify everyday living by connecting users with trusted local service providers. Through the app, users can browse, compare and connect with professionals offering a wide range of home services – from at-home hairdressing and beauty treatments to cleaning, babysitting, dog walking and more. By linking with BNKer, residents can now book extra space. 

Like BNKer, Doorly places the end user at the centre of its model. The platform provides a natural opportunity for BNKer to introduce its storage solution directly to people navigating the realities of modern apartment living. 

With a clear ambition to place its self-storage solution in front of the right audiences across the UK, BNKer’s partnership with Doorly marks an important step in both companies’ growth journeys. By connecting BNKer with Doorly’s growing renter audience, the collaboration creates opportunities to raise awareness of the storage solution while opening the door to new conversations with developers and property operators across the UK. 

Michael Lawes, Founder of Doorly, said: “This was a very natural partnership for us, particularly as both businesses are at similar points in our growth journeys. Doorly was created to make everyday living easier by connecting people with trusted local services, and BNKer is tackling another major challenge many people face in modern apartments – the lack of space. 

“As we continue expanding beyond the North West and into cities across the UK, it made sense to work with a company that shares a similar outlook on improving the way people live in their homes. Through this partnership, we can introduce BNKer’s solution to the people experiencing these challenges first-hand.” 

The timing of the collaboration is particularly relevant as both companies look towards further expansion in London, where the challenges of limited apartment space are felt most acutely. As rental living continues to grow across the capital’s high-density developments, demand for practical, accessible storage solutions is only increasing. 

David Fricker, Founder of BNKer, said: “Partnering with Doorly gives us the opportunity to connect directly with the people experiencing the space challenges that come with modern apartment living. 

“Doorly gives residents access to services from their phones, so now they can reserve extra space as and when they need it. 

“Our goal has always been to help buildings make better use of the space they already have. Doorly has built a platform that speaks directly to residents across the UK, so working together allows us to better understand which residents need for extra space and where, while continuing to build relationships across the wider residential property sector.” 

As both companies continue expanding their presence across the UK, the partnership reflects a shared ambition to improve the everyday realities of apartment living – connecting residents with the services and space they need while helping landlords make better use of the buildings they manage. 

SCEND, the eCommerce fulfilment and third-party logistics (3PL) provider, has been awarded B Corp Certification by B Lab, placing it among a vanishingly small group of UK logistics operators independently verified against the standard. Of the approximately 3,500 UK 3PLs in the market, only a small handful are B Corps. SCEND’s B Impact Assessment score of 93.7 sits comfortably above the 80-point threshold required for certification.

The certification covers governance, employee practices, environmental impact, and community engagement, requiring demonstrable outcomes rather than stated policies, and is subject to ongoing reassessment as businesses grow. It sits alongside SCEND’s existing ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 certifications adding another layer of external verification to an operational framework that was already being held to account.

“There’s a version of growth that looks good on a spreadsheet and not much else,” said Jack Crumpton, Co-Founder of SCEND. 

“We didn’t set out in 2017 to become a B Corp – we just made decisions we could defend to ourselves. B Corp is the external audit of whether we actually did. The fact that fulfilment as a sector is so under-represented in the certification tells you something about how far it has to go, and we’d rather be part of changing that than waiting for it to change.”

One shift the certification process made tangible was how SCEND measures success. Revenue growth remained important, but it was no longer the only metric that mattered. Client satisfaction, employee wellbeing, and supplier due diligence became equally central – alongside the development of shared values that could be embedded across the business and felt at every level of it.

SCEND worked with B Corp specialists The Pollinators throughout the certification process. “Logistics has such an important role to play in shaping more responsible supply chains, and SCEND’s curiosity about the certification translated into practical changes with real impact across the business. Their commitment to doing business with greater transparency, accountability and care really aligned with our own values,” said a representative from the firm.

The sector isn’t typically associated with this kind of accountability. For SCEND, the certification reflects a longer-term commitment to how the business is run, not simply a milestone to mark. What began as a regional operation has grown into a business with international reach, and the same principles that shaped it then are now being held to an internationally recognised standard.

 B Corp Certification represents a point of accountability for what comes next: growth that holds itself to something.

London Harts United FC have completed a remarkable unbeaten campaign in the Essex Alliance Senior League, lifting the title and earning promotion to Step 6 football after a flawless season without defeat.

The club played thirty games, winning 24 and drawing six. The team scored 112 goals across the campaign and kept 10 clean sheets. They are one of only four teams down to Step 7 to go through the entire 2025/26 season unbeaten.

The title win earns the club a place in the Thurlow Nunn League next season, stepping up to Step 6 of the English football pyramid. It is the biggest moment in London Harts United’s 3-year history and the start of a new chapter for everyone at the club. 

A club representative said: “This is a huge moment for us as a team and as a community. With over 7,000 clubs competing across the English football pyramid, staying unbeaten from August through to May is something very few sides ever manage at any level. 

“To go a full season unbeaten takes discipline, unity, and belief. The players have shown incredible commitment from the first match to the last.

“The club’s achievement this season shows exactly what grassroots football is capable of, bringing people together and giving the next generation something to aim for.”

London Harts United draws support from families and supporters across London and Essex. With promotion secured and the league title under their belt, the Harts head into next season as a club to watch out for.

The Mysteries of Rome and Intrigue by Robert Faulkner has been released, offering readers a dramatic journey through a world where trust is uncertain, danger is constant and survival is never assured.

The Mysteries of Rome and Intrigue follows field operative Giorgio, whose plans for rest are abruptly interrupted by a sealed message ordering his immediate return via Athens. What begins as a routine directive quickly escalates into a dangerous pursuit of stolen secret files, drawing Giorgio and his long-time associate Emilio into a web of deception where loyalty is uncertain and survival is never assured.

Set against a richly drawn backdrop of Athens and Rome, the story unfolds through a series of tense encounters, shifting alliances, and quiet moments of reflection that reveal the personal cost of life lived in the shadows. The novel is inspired by Faulker’s years of global travel and professional work across borders.

As powerful enemies close in and hidden motives surface, Giorgio must navigate betrayal, moral ambiguity, and the consequences of trust in a world where nothing and no one is as they seem.

As the story moves from Greece to Rome, secrets surface, alliances fracture, and powerful forces close in. Amid hidden desires, manipulation, and escalating danger, Giorgio must navigate a web of lies where one wrong decision could prove fatal. In this world of power and passion, trust is a risk and survival comes at a cost.

Speaking of this latest work, 68-year-old Faulkner said: “The novel opens in Athens with sharp dialogue and immediate tension, immersing readers in the lived reality of seasoned operatives who understand that even friendships have an expiry date.

“Rome becomes the emotional and symbolic heart of the story, where moments of beauty and reflection stand in stark contrast to the dangers faced by those lives lived in shadow.”

Keen readers will observe that poetic elements are woven throughout the book, including a striking concluding poem that echoes the journey, the losses, and the quiet sacrifices made along the way. Themes of loyalty, consequence, and moral ambiguity linger long after the final page.

A cinematic book trailer script reinforces the novel’s atmosphere, tracing the characters’ movements across continents and culminating at Rome’s fountain of love and dreams, where past fears become present reality and separation is inevitable.

This compelling thriller will appeal to readers who enjoy international espionage, political intrigue, espionage fiction, political intrigue, Rome thriller, Athens espionage, global conspiracy, intelligence operatives, high stakes suspense, emotionally complex characters, and stories rooted in real world experience.

The Mysteries of Rome and Intrigue has been published by Maple Publishers, a UK-based publishing company. It is now available worldwide through major retailers, including Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Waterstones, WHSmith, Blackwell’s, Foyles, Books A Million, Powell’s Books, Indigo and more.