0 Why Text-Based Content is Essential for Website Optimization

• SEO
• by Marissa
• 03.18.2025

Today we want to focus on our favorite form of content: text. Of course, a great website should contain a mix of content, both images and text. However, in reality, search engines continue to favor text-heavy sites above all others. The advantages of a text-heavy site are clear.   Load Time & Page Speed  First, in the absence of bulky images, a text-heavy site will load quickly. The SEO world knows from experience that search engines favor sites with simple codes and speedy load times. Google has even developed a tool, PageSpeed, that helps webmasters "identify ways to make your site faster..." Although load time (or page speed, to use Google-talk) is only one of over 200 ranking factors, it tends to receive a lot of attention from SEO specialists. The reason is simple: page speed not only affects your page ranking; it also influences your browser's perceptions of your site. Years ago, KISSmetrics reported that 47% of all browsers expect a page to load in two seconds or less. No doubt, in the age of mobile SEO, this number has increased. Stripping your site of all the unnecessary frills, like excessive images, can dramatically improve your site’s load time. If you do use images, make sure you optimize each image for SEO. In the end; however, for browsers and search engines alike, the appeal of a text-heavy site is clear. Text is clean, simple, and fast.   Voice Search Compatibility As the value of keyword-based optimization diminished, search engines continued to prefer "long-tail keywords," three- or four-word phrases that more accurately specify the nature of a certain search. In the distant past, a browser looking for a gray sweatshirt might have typed "gray sweatshirt." Over time, most savvy browsers learned to be more specific: "slim-fit gray sweatshirt," for example. However, today voice search is changing SEO. A voice-based search has a different goal than a traditional search. Instead of "browsing," per say, most voice searches attempt to ask a question or state a problem. Instead of revealing sites based on keywords, today's search engines attempt to answer questions and solve problems. This is most easily seen in Google's semantic search, introduced around the time of the Hummingbird algorithm, which analyzes the spoken word to attempt to discover the intent behind any given search. Naturally, a text-heavy site will be more likely to meet the demands of voice search. An image will not necessarily answer a question or solve a problem. The key is to make sure your text counts. When thinking about your content, try to answer your ideal customer's questions; try to solve a crucial problem. Answers. Solutions. This is why you built a business in the first place, right?   Mobile Compatibility  A text-heavy site will also be easily compatible on all devices, including a desktop, tablet, and most importantly, a mobile phone. In the past we’ve reported on the necessity of optimizing for mobile. Today we can safely say: of all possible search venues, mobile is the most important. Since 2014, mobile search has exceeded desktop search. This is likely due to its convenience, a fact that can be observed on any pedestrian street, and, unsettlingly, on any highway in America. One only needs to glance aside to see another person looking down at his or her phone. If convenience is the name, you want to make sure you’re playing the right game. Simply put, a text-heavy site will be much easier to read on a mobile device. Of course, we're not advocating a total disavowal of images (and other forms of content). Even text itself can be made to look like an "image." Today's programming languages are so sophisticated that a knowledgeable web developer can transform text to look like an image with simple CSS styling rules. But it is important to remember that most browsers are looking for text-based information, and the clean presentation of text is often the quickest path to a high page ranking.   Need Mobile SEO Help? Call SEO Sparta We believe that ecommerce is now a mobile game! To navigate the rules of mobile SEO, you might need to hire an SEO specialist like SEO Sparta. If you sell a high-quality product that deserves customers, you also deserve a well-optimized mobile website. Do not let the changing search landscape compromise your sales. Now, more than ever, you need the astute wisdom of a professional search engine optimization professional. SEO Sparta currently offers a free website consultation. Contact SEO Sparta today to learn how you can improve your website's mobile performance: 215-900-9398.

0 Understanding the Elements of 'Good' SEO

• SEO
• by Marissa
• 03.11.2025

"Build for users, not search engines." This popular maxim has been a guiding SEO principle for many years, and for good reason. The goal of algorithm design is to improve the specificity of search results. The goal of a good SEO firm is to deliver an optimized website with content tailored to a specific audience. When the two disciplines come together, all stakeholders benefit: the search engine, the website, and the user. The maxim is true: Good SEO is built for users. This truth, in theory, should inspire more people to use SEO, especially any online business focused on customer service. Unfortunately, SEO is often viewed as counter to the user experience. Many view SEO as a manipulation of algorithm design—a way to trick the system. Those outside the SEO community often dismiss SEO talk—algorithms, alt text, anchor text, just to name a few—as simply technobabble. For many people, SEO is sheer manipulation of code. They flip the guiding principle on its head, thinking SEO is built for search engines, not users. In our experience, this misconception is the primary reason so many websites do not take advantage of SEO. As Alex Stepman of SEO Sparta says, "You would be surprised by how many website owners dismiss SEO as a manipulative practice. They view SEO as counter to the goals of the search engines." The problem, Stepman notes, is that too many people associate modern SEO with the black hat practices of the past, like unethical coding, spammy link-building schemes, and domain jacking. In fact, when asked, "What is black hat SEO?" Google offers a definition from Webopedia: "In search engine optimization (SEO) terminology, black hat SEO refers to the use of aggressive SEO strategies, techniques and tactics that focus only on search engines and not a human audience." Black hat SEO builds for search engines, not users. This distinction is important—there is a difference between good and bad SEO.  Elsewhere, on its own page focused on SEO, Google discusses the difference between a good and bad SEO: "Deciding to hire an SEO is a big decision that can potentially improve your site and save time, but you can also risk damage to your site and reputation. Make sure to research the potential advantages as well as the damage that an irresponsible SEO can do to your site." Many website owners take the wrong idea from this quote, viewing SEO as an either/or proposition—improve your site and save time vs. risk damage to your site and reputation. However, when practiced ethically, good SEO is not an either/or proposition. From Google's (and other search engine's) perspective, algorithms reward organic SEO efforts. At the same time, algorithms dissuade back hat SEO practices. What Google is advising is to perform your own research to find a good SEO company that understands the value of users (customers). Ask any potential SEO: What can you do for my customers? How can you attract my unique customers? What do you know about my customers? If an SEO cannot speak to the human side of online marketing and SEO, look elsewhere. Is SEO Worth Your Money? To navigate the complex world of SEO, you might need to hire an SEO specialist like SEO Sparta. Do not let the changing algorithms compromise your sales. You need the astute wisdom of a search engine optimization professional who can help you answer the question honestly: Is SEO worth your money? Contact SEO Sparta today to learn how you can improve your website's performance: 215-900-9398.

0 Why SEO Specialists Are Essential for Your Business

• SEO
• by Marissa
• 03.03.2025

If you need a haircut, you see a hairstylist. If you feel a pain in your chest, you see a doctor. But what if you need to embed EXIF in your website's images? What do you do? We see specialists because we trust others to perform the work we cannot perform. An unfortunate truth about SEO; however, is that website owners rarely trust specialists to perform the crucial, yet often tedious, work of website optimization. In many cases, website owners simply do not perform SEO at all, and their websites languish in the rankings. Or worse, website owners pay amateurs to perform SEO, and the amateurs actually harm their website rankings. We cite the examples of a stylist and doctor to prove a point. If you're like most people, you trust your beauty and health to professionals. So why not trust your website's rankings to a professional? We cite EXIF to prove a point, too. The work of website optimization is often tedious, and the associated terminology can sometimes seem downright arcane. In reality, EXIF is a relatively simple concept: “EXIF (Exchangeable Image File Format) files store important data about photographs. Almost all digital cameras create these data files each time you snap a new picture. An EXIF file holds all the information about the image itself — such as the exposure level, where you took the photo, and any settings you used."   SEO Specialists Unlock the Mystery of Website Optimization The world of an SEO specialist is replete with concepts like EXIF. Robot.txt? SERPs? Website crawlers? These are just a few of the more popular SEO terms. For the layman, these terms might seem complex and mysterious. However, for the SEO specialist, these terms are old hat. Fortunately, if you're a website owner with a quality product, and you truly want your website to attract the traffic it deserves, you do not need to suffer the confusion of learning SEO. You trust your hair to a hair stylist and your health to a doctor, so why not trust your website's performance to a professional SEO specialist? If you’re a website owner in need of SEO, we suggest contacting SEO Sparta today. You can contact our Bucks County, PA office at 215-900-9398. If you're hesitant to try SEO, or are not sure where to start, we suggest reading our series of articles for website owners: How SEO Can Help You Clarify Your Business Offering How to Build an Optimized Website: Website Development Why Updating Your Website is a Key SEO Strategy Content is King – SEO Content Marketing Strategies  

0 Why Bad Links Can Spell Disaster for Your Website

• SEO
• by Marissa
• 02.24.2025

Link-building has been a hallmark of SEO since the beginning. For a search engine like Google, links between sites offer clues to the relevancy and popularity of every website. Attracting quality links from well-respected sites has traditionally been one of the best ways to improve a site's placement. Today, most well-optimized sites enjoy a variety of quality links from across the Internet. Unfortunately, link-building has been abused over the years by certain Black Hat SEO specialists. In fact, if not for link-building abuse, Google might not have ever created its Penguin algorithm. At the time, Google clarified its definition of a "bad" or "artificial" link: “Any links intended to manipulate a site’s ranking in Google search results may be considered part of a link scheme.” Many SEO specialists lamented this change. Some even wondered, "is link-building dead?" However, we here at SEO Sparta rejoiced! After all, the purpose of the algorithm, to punish those websites and SEO specialists that built bad or artificial links, could only advance the work of the legitimate SEO specialists who had played by the rules and built links based on relationships, integrity, and quality content. In our opinion, a true SEO specialist would never, ever build a "fake" link.   Understanding Fake Links "What is a fake link?" You might ask. "And how can a link be fake if it works?" Well, it's partially related to a link's traffic flow. To Google and all other search engines, a "real" link is a one-way link—a link that points directly from one site to another. In the past, Black Hat SEO specialists had created links to a site in exchange for a return link. Google delegitimized this sort of link-building, but many crafty website developers knew about this limitation and tried to bypass Google with SEO tricks. One especially destructive trick populated the Internet with loads of bad sites. Black Hat SEO specialists created multiple websites, sometimes up to ten or more, all with the same owner. These websites were built for the explicit purpose of creating links back to the primary website. With all the incoming links, the primary website leaped in its rankings. Of course, this trick did not work for long. Google launched an algorithm update to punish this sort of link scheme. With Penguin, it appeared that this type of Black Hat practice had become "old hat." As we noted above, the Penguin algorithm only helped the first-rate SEO specialists who had worked hard to create quality websites that attracted quality links. The only links that have ever truly mattered are those that arrive from relevant and high-quality sites. Links from sites that aren't relevant to your own simply confuse browsers, and can now potentially hurt your site's ranking. Has your SEO specialist removed your site’s bad links? If not, you're in trouble. Now's the time to contact a skilled SEO specialist, like SEO Sparta of Bucks County, PA. We'll not only remove the bad links, but also provide a free website audit that pinpoints all the areas where you site has room to improve.

0 The SEO Specialist: Your New Best Friend

• SEO
• by Seth Pollins
• 06.09.2022

The SEO Specialist: Your New Best Friend When first learning about SEO, many enthusiastic website owners assume that they can do the work of optimization without the help of a trained specialist. This is an admirable pursuit, and to the extent that this is possible, we support website owners in their quest to optimize their websites. In fact, we write The Organic SEO blog not merely for our peers in the SEO community but for website owners who wish to learn more about natural website optimization.  If you are a website owner, especially a new website owner, we strongly urge you to browse our blog. Learn as much about organic SEO as possible! At The Organic SEO Blog, we also value specialization. For example, this blog is supported by Alex Stepman of SEO SPARTA. Alex is a gifted SEO specialist with vast experience. However, although Alex certainly provides inspiration and ideas for The Organic SEO Blog, he understands that writing is not exactly his strength. For this reason, Alex hires a small team of professional copywriters for this blog and all of his content-driven SEO work. Of course, to Alex, it just makes sense to focus on his strengths and outsource his weaknesses to others. Now, if you own your website and feel you have the time and patience to optimize your website's structure and content--well, more power to you! We share a democratic view of optimization: SEO is a talent anyone can understand and apply. What many website owners do not understand, though, is that the work of an SEO specialist is a full-time occupation. Most of this work is about keeping up-to-date with the changes in search engine algorithms--especially Google's algorithm. To maintain a website's first-page ranking (and any website that employs an SEO specialist should maintain the first-page ranking), an SEO specialist will use his specialized knowledge of search engines, algorithms, website structure, and content to make necessary changes to a website. Changes might be a daily requirement. If you're a website owner, you likely have other problems to worry about, like the quality of your product or offering or the productivity of your employees.   Stay up to date with the search engine algorithm requirements.  "Google's algorithm evolves over time. Over the years, we've seen a few entirely new algorithms and many 'updates.' However, even as Google's experience improves, the algorithm changes might not be apparent to most browsers. For the trained SEO specialist, though, even the slightest change should be apparent." For a view of how often Google updates its algorithm, check out the fascinating Google Algorithm Change History. The site notes, "Each year Google changes its algorithm around 500-600 times." Should an SEO specialist know and understand each one of these changes? You better believe it! Suppose you're a website owner considering performing your website's SEO work (or you're considering giving your "tech guy" the SEO work). In that case, we urge you to take a moment to browse the Google Algorithm Change History. Do you understand what you're reading? If not, you're not alone! Believe me, as a copywriter, I have no idea what I'm reading on this site. Here, for example, is the entry for July 19, 2013, in full: Knowledge Graph Expansion — July 19, 2013 Seemingly overnight, queries with Knowledge Graph (KG) entries expanded by more than half (+50.4%) across the MozCast data set, with more than a quarter of all searches showing some kind of KG entry. Say what? We write The Organic SEO blog intending to simplify SEO. However, we also believe that any website owner who wishes to achieve even moderate success should consult with a qualified SEO specialist. If you wish to learn more about organic SEO from a trained SEO specialist, we urge you to contact our sponsor, SEO SPARTA.

0 Why Updating Your Website is a Key SEO Strategy?

• Website Design
• by Alex Stepman
• 04.24.2022

The Internet can be defined in many ways, but the sheer quantity of available experience begs a simple definition. At the Organic SEO blog, we prefer to call the Internet "a dynamic space." Like humanity, the Internet evolves; unlike humanity, this evolution is speedy. To keep pace with the evolving, speedy nature of the Internet, the best websites continually offer new content. The best websites also periodically update their look, feel, and functionalities. Think about your favorite website. How often does your favorite website update its content? How often does your favorite website update its design or layout? The answer to both of these questions is "quite often."   The crucial lesson of organic SEO Optimize your website for both search engines and users. By maintaining fresh and relevant content, you will continue to attract new and returning visitors. You will also impress search engines. Remember, from Google's perspective, the goal is to deliver the most relevant results and ensure the user is 100% satisfied with these results. Beyond content, however, minor changes to a website's infrastructure can make the website more appealing to users and search engines. For example, think about your website's ease of navigation. Improving your website's layout will satisfy your visitors, and when you satisfy your visitors, you satisfy the search engines. To a search engine like Google, change is good. Google, the great beast of the evolving Internet, is always hungry for new information. This information might be new content, but it also might be a new design or development element. Google does not distinguish between types of change; it makes no difference if a change is applied to website content or website design. As long as the website is not outdated, any change is considered new content. If you have not updated your website's design recently, this should be your timely reminder. If you operate an industry-specific website, please remember: that your website has likely been optimized for your specific industry, so any change should be relevant to that industry. Now, SEO is not the only reason to update a website. As a leader in website optimization and online marketing, we strive to make it easy for others to keep their websites up-to-date. Many websites follow our FREE recommendations for organic website optimization, and many websites have used our helpful information to maintain daily online success. Browse our Organic SEO Blog for helpful advice if you're new to SEO. SEO is a marketing strategy applied to the website's visual elements and structure that makes your website discoverable in search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing to the point where your website becomes your money-making tool.

0 Drag and Drop Websites: Are They Worth Your Time?

• Website Design
• by Alex Stepman
• 03.27.2022

Are you thinking about building your own website? If you're a business owner and hope to make money from your website, a custom-made site is your best option. Custom-made websites are designed and built from the ground up, with the idea to generate online profit and new leads.  Before deciding on who will build your website, you should know your available options.  Content Management System websites (CMS). These websites do not require programming knowledge. Anyone who has access to the website management can add/remove website pages, modify design options to meet your needs, and add/remove website content such as text, images, videos, pdf files, etc. What you see is what you get (WYSIWYG) website. A website that does not require programming knowledge to manage the website design and layout. These websites are also known as Drag And Drop websites. They are similar to CMS websites. A custom website is written with the help of the programming languages supported by web browsers. For example, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, or any other programming language comes to your mind. These websites require programming knowledge, but they are the best option to meet your current and future needs. The website is not limited to design, layout, features, or functionalities.   What type of website should you choose? There could be multiple reasons why you might want to build a website.  Informational website. The website does nothing but displays information to website visitors. It is information about your brand, products and services, and your business contact details most of the time. Web-based application website. To most internet users, these websites look and feel like simple websites, but these websites do a lot more. A website might collect users' personal information that will be used to tailor products and services to precise people. Or a website might perform complicated mathematical calculations, keep track of inventory, payment processing, email reminders, etc. Because a website serves the purpose of a program, and it is a program that lives online, it got a name - a web-based application. Lead generation website. A website built to gain new customers, profit, and success for your business. Any website can become a lead generation website, but first, website visitors must be able to engage with your website and communicate to you through your website. You also need to promote your website online to start generating leads.   The Pros And Cons of Drag & Drop Websites Drag and drop sites can be a good option for individuals or small businesses with a limited budget and a need for a basic website structure. A drag and drop site easily integrates various elements into a simple template design. With a drag and drop website, you could wake up in the morning with an idea for a website and build your website before lunch! It is hard to decide what website to select with many different options. We will simplify this process by explaining the pros and cons of each website type.   Content Management System (CMS) CMS websites are the best option for those who would like to update their website without programming knowledge. Most Content Management Systems have an administrative area that is password protected. Once logged in, you can change your website theme, colors, font style, add/remove pages, update text, and inspire your website with images and videos.    Examples of the CMS systems There are many CMS systems out there, some of them are paid, and some are free to use. The most common CMS systems are: WordPress Wix Squarespace Joomla! Shopify Progress Sitefinity GoDaddy Website Builder Weebly Drupal Blogger While most CMS systems are meant to be used without programming knowledge, some of the systems extend the simplicity of use by offering drag and drop functionality. For example, you can select an image drag and drop it to the desired location. The same functionality can be applied to any element on the page, be it a text, video, image, or anything else used to design and layout your website.     Benefits of CMS Systems No programming knowledge is required to manage your website. Update website design and layout in minutes by applying a new website theme. Transform your website into a web-based application in minutes. Has basic SEO functionalities to promote your website online. The Disadvantage of SMC Systems Not everything is free. Most premium website themes have an additional cost. Additional functionalities might have a monthly cost to use them. As your business grows, a dedicated website developer will be required to update, maintain and add missing features to the CMS system.   Most CMS systems are not built for your business, and it is inevitable to have system limitations to meet your goals.   What you see is what you get (WYSIWYG) website. WYSIWYG websites do not require any programming knowledge. Such websites are usually built with the help of software that is installed on your computer or has a web-based version that performs the same as if it is installed on your computer. Such websites are built by selecting components of your choice, dragging them on your screen, and dropping them in precise locations. WYSIWYG website builders work similarly to photo editing software such as Photoshop. You simply drag and drop elements like rectangular, circle, or text blocks on your screen. To transform a text into a link, you highlight text and apply links to them.    Benefits of WYSIWYG Website No programming knowledge is required to manage your website. Has basic SEO functionalities to promote your website online. The Disadvantage of WYSIWYG Website Builders You can't simply change the entire website theme. You must build a new website to meet your design and layout requirements. Most WYSIWYG editors cannot apply a change to multiple pages of your website. Each page must be updated individually. Most editors will require you to build two website versions, one for desktop and one for mobile use. As a result, you will have to manage two websites. Most editors are unable to build a web-based application or data-driven websites.    A Custom Website A custom website always requires programming knowledge to maintain the design, layout, or additional functionalities that you might need. You may add or remove features to your website, and you are not restricted in any way because the website is not associated with any specific platform or a CMS system.  Additionally, custom-made websites are also SEO friendly, making it much easier to update and promote such a website than any other website you can think of. Unlimited customization options are suitable when technology changes or new things available today that were not available yesterday.   Benefits of a Custom Website Design Bring your imagination to reality with unlimited design and layout options. Unrestricted website functionalities. If such technology exists, it can be applied to your website. Unlimited marketing opportunities. Make your website appear on the first page of search results by optimizing it for search engines. A Disadvantage of a Custom Website Design You need to have programming knowledge to apply any website modifications.  Many web design companies offer template websites to use for various clients. Template-designed websites share a similar look, feel, and functionality. In contrast, a web design company like SEO SPARTA of Bucks County, PA, offers custom designs crafted for each unique brand. We feel these custom-made sites are more attractive and certainly more marketable. If you're considering hiring a design company to build a custom-made website, we encourage you to contact us. We will provide you with a free consultation about website design, layout, and guided milestones to the successful launch of your project.

0 How to Outperform Your Online Competitors

• SEO
• by Alex Stepman
• 02.27.2022

Creating an SEO-friendly website with relevant and quality content can transform a traditional brick-and-mortar business's earning power. Unfortunately, many business owners create websites that ignite earnings and quickly lose steam. Website owners might blame this misfortune on the changing economy, marketplace, or increased online competition. Of course, all of these factors can influence the earnings of an online business.  But why do certain websites in specific industries succeed while others fail? Many industry-specific websites, after all, look and feel similar. And many industry-specific websites have been optimized by SEO specialists to perform for a certain customer-base. If two optimized websites look and feel similar and sell similar products to similar customers, shouldn't both enjoy an equal share of the online marketplace? In theory, yes, both websites should perform equally well. But let's take a closer look at our two theoretical websites. Like snowflakes, no two websites are alike, and even the subtle differences can profoundly influence website performance. Now, to the trained eye, the reasons for success or failure are pretty evident. But for casual browsers, the difference might seem elusive. So what's going on? In the experience of Alex Stepman, an experienced organic SEO specialist, the number one reason optimized websites fail is that the website owner abandoned SEO after the website's launch. And websites that have abandoned SEO share a similar deficiency: over time, they have remained static while other websites in the same industry have evolved. This evolution can be subtle, but it is the benchmark of success. So what does this evolution look like? Well, the very definition of "evolution" is "the gradual development of something," and we're not talking about titanic shifts. Instead, it's the small changes that make a big difference. The best SEO specialists know this simple fact: a well-optimized website is a frequently-updated website. Search engine algorithms place precedence on new, relevant content. The consistent updating of a website's content is the most efficient way to maintain a competitive edge if you're competing in an industry-specific marketplace. If an SEO professional maintains your website, they will continually update your website's content. Keep in mind content is not limited to the written word; it can include graphics, like a new "About Me" tab or relevant product videos. Of course, though, relevant and well-written content is the cornerstone of a website's success. A good SEO specialist will ensure that your content is always fresh and relevant--and preferably written by a professional writer. So what do you do if you do not have an SEO specialist? Well, I think you can guess our first suggestion. Contact Alex Stepman of SEO SPARTA! Most business owners are too busy to perform the tedious work of organic SEO. Why not outsource this crucial aspect of your business? However, if you do not have the budget for an SEO specialist right now, do not despair. You might not know how to change the look and feel of your website (the graphics and navigability), but you might have the capability to make precisely the type of small changes that can keep a website relevant: you can write a daily blog! Today, most websites are equipped with an easy-to-use blog platform like WordPress (Blogger is often associated with stand-alone blogs). If you're a website owner, your daily blog might be the easiest and most cost-effective way to optimize your website with relevant content. All you need is a good idea and a good writer (if you don't have one on staff, you can certainly hire a professional copywriter for a reasonable fee). Your blog does not have to be lengthy--the point is to update daily with fresh content.

0 Content Marketing 101: The Power of Differentiation

• SEO
• by Alex Stepman
• 02.08.2022

What is the Internet? Of the infinitely possible definitions, one that speaks to connectivity and sharing rings true: The Internet is a conversation. Within this conversation, relationships blossom between people and between people and businesses. The best online businesses understand that relationships matter. Build a relationship with your customer, and you will have a customer for life. The online men's clothing company Bonobos understands this simple fact. Bonobos' pioneering approach to engagement transformed the company from a scrappy startup to an incredible asset for Walmart, which purchased Bonobos in 2017 for $310 million. Writing about this purchase for Forbes, Pamela Danziger described the acquisition as "paradigm-shifting," and not simply for the value of the brand itself. With Bonobos, Walmart also acquired significant "human capital" in Andy Dunn, Bonobos' CEO. Danziger quotes Dave Knox, the author of The High Stakes Game of Business Between Startups and Blue Chips, the "guidebook for navigating the changing business landscape," who calls Dunn "a prominent thought leader in the next generation of retail." Read: "Why Walmart-Bonobos Is A Bigger Deal Than Amazon-Whole Foods" Dunn himself described his brand as a DNVB--a digitally native vertical brand founded on the Internet and "aimed squarely at millennials and digital natives." Many DNVB brands exist--and fail. "Here is what most DNVB entrepreneurs get wrong," Dunn writes. "The world doesn't care about your DNVB if you aren't delivering a better product and service bundle than traditional competition. The world doesn't need your DNVB — unless your product as foundation is differentiated." Read: "The Book of DNVB" Dunn's story of carefully-executed differentiation should be instructive for all brands. Beyond its great-fitting pants, Bonobos has created a steady market for its clothing by selling its own unique and often quirky brand. Content Marketing 101: The Power of Differentiation Most online businesses fail at differentiation. Some businesses sell genuinely unique products but fail to market the product's uniqueness. Many businesses, of course, sell similar products but fail at differentiating other vital factors, like cost or service. A failure of differentiation is a failure of communication. If the Internet is a conversation, the businesses that fail are like boring people who avoid conversation, or worse, people who drone incessantly about "the seven things you're not supposed to talk about," like how you've slept or your day-to-day health. Ho-hum! If you own an online business and you're trying hard to create a market for your product, you might begin by asking yourself a simple question: What am I adding to the conversation? The answer to this question might be the make or break factor for your business. If you're not adding something new to the conversation, after all, why are you talking? Differentiation and SEO: Duplicate Content  In the world of SEO, one of the most egregious conversation failures is duplicate content--"substantive blocks of content within or across domains that either completely match other content or are appreciably similar," according to Google. Of course, many sites necessarily use duplicate content as a business matter. In 2013, Google's head of webspam, Matt Cutts (now retired), explained that a lot of duplicate content is benign: "We do understand that lots of different places across the web do need to have various disclaimers, legal information, terms and conditions, that sort of stuff, and so it's the sort of thing where if we were to not rank that stuff well, then that would probably hurt our overall search quality..." So not all duplicate content is harmful. The problem, as Google notes, is "multiple pages [on your own site] with largely identical content," or worse, content copied and pasted from other websites. Copied content is everywhere. Many sites sell the same products with the same product descriptions without offering any additional helpful information that might inspire a sale. In these cases, differentiation is vital--especially if you're an affiliate. As Cutts explained: "Hopefully you've got a different page from all the other affiliates in the world, and hopefully you have some original content – something that distinguishes you from the fly-by-night sites that just say, 'Okay, here's a product. I got the feed and I'm gonna put these two paragraphs of text that everybody else has.' If that's the only value add you have then you should ask yourself, 'Why should my site rank higher than all these hundreds of other sites when they have the exact same content as well?'" In the end, duplicate content will harm your business. As Search Engine Land noted in its article on duplicate content and machine intelligence, the dangers of duplicate content include loss of ranking for unique pages that unintentionally compete for the same keywords; inability to rank pages in a cluster because Google chose one page as a canonical; and loss of site authority for large quantities of thin content.  In a way, then, the danger of duplicate content equates to Dunn's notion of what most entrepreneurs (and, by extension, online businesses) get wrong: a failure to differentiate. Content Marketing with SEO Sparta  If you're looking for an SEO company company that understands how to promote websites with relevant content, contact SEO Sparta in our local offices in Bucks County, PA. SEO Sparta combines traditional marketing methods and organic SEO--emphasizing natural website optimization--to design thoughtful, inspiring, and effective content marketing campaigns.  (Cover Photo Source: Merriam Webster)

0 Google's Mobile-First Indexing: What You Need to Know

• SEO Algorithms
• by Alex Stepman
• 01.09.2022

Two years ago, Google implemented its mobile-first index, the search engine's new system for crawling and indexing the web. In the past, Google crawled and indexed desktop pages first. Now Google prefers mobiles pages. Announcing this change, Google noted the search engine would "eventually primarily use the mobile version of a site's content to rank pages from that site, to understand structured data, and to show snippets from those pages in our results" (Source). At the time of the transition, Google already used mobile content "for over half of the pages shown in search results globally," as the search engine noted, and the numbers have been growing since.  Is your website compliant with mobile indexing? For an easy answer, take Google's "Mobile-Friendly Test." You can also perform a "website performance audit" your site performs well on all devices. If your site is mobile-friendly, you're good to go. If your site is not "mobile-friendly," your rankings may be impacted. As Search Engine Land has noted: "If your desktop pages are different from your mobile pages both in terms of content and structured data, then your rankings may be impacted." In other words, if you've placed undue emphasis on your desktop site, optimizing desktop pages without regard for your mobile site, you should change course. At the very least, as Google continues to move all websites to mobile-first indexing, the search engine will prefer competitor's sites that have been optimized for mobile. Is it Time to Panic?  If your website is not ready for mobile-first indexing, you may feel a sudden sense of anxiety. Will your site lose its spot on the SERP? Will you lose rankings? Probably not. So don't panic. After all, it's not "mobilegeddon." Several years ago, Google made a flurry of announcements about its mobile-friendly signal, warning about "critical mobile usability errors" and urging sites to optimize for mobile. Some SEOs predicted a Mobilegeddon--a dramatic shift in rankings that might destroy any site not optimized for mobile. In the end, mobilegeddon was a "non-event." A few weeks later, Mark Munroe, who wrote an analysis of the numbers, noted: "I have direct access to several sites that are extremely mobile unfriendly to the point of being mobile-nasty. And yet … I can barely discern a difference." In its announcement about mobile-first indexing, Google noted that it only moves a site to mobile-first indexing when it is ready--so the search engine is taking a softer tone this time. Still, the point remains: If you're not mobile-friendly, and you're competing to fulfill a browser's needs with a site that emphasizes desktop pages, you will likely lose traffic--and potentially business. Mobile-First Indexing: What You Need to Know  In the past, Google said the mobile-first index would not significantly affect rankings. However, now this may not be the case (for the reasons noted above). And, of course, mobile-friendliness is not simply about rankings--it's about user experience (which indirectly affects rankings). A website may appear on mobile devices without mobile optimization, but it will look and perform poorly. We're talking about sites that require pinching and zooming to read the content (yes, these sites still exist). The solution to the problem, however, is exceedingly simple. As Google notes, "If your site uses responsive design techniques, you should be all set!" SEO Sparta optimizes all sites for mobile and desktop with a responsive design, which formats a website for every device. Need Mobile SEO Help? Call SEO Sparta  E-commerce is now a mobile game. If you sell a high-quality product that deserves customers, you also deserve a well-optimized mobile website. Do not let the changing search landscape compromise your sales. Now, more than ever, you need the astute wisdom of a professional search engine optimization professional. SEO Sparta performs comprehensive mobile website audits. Call our offices in Bucks County, PA, today to learn how to improve your website's mobile performance: 215-900-9398.