0 What is Google's Core Algorithm?

• SEO Algorithms
• by Alex Stepman
• 05.22.2021

Google changes its algorithm hundreds of times each year. Many of these changes do not impact day-to-day search rankings. Occasionally, however, Google releases a "core algorithm update," which does affect rankings--often quite significantly. Google's latest "core" update happened in December 2020. A year before, in 2019, the search engine announced Florida 2, what Search Engine Journal called "one of the biggest updates in years." So what exactly does a "core update" mean? Will your rankings change? If so, what can you do? We have the answers below... What is a Core Algorithm Update? After several recent updates, some SEO pros balked at the term "core update." The tweet from Kristine Schachinger, a Digital Strategist & SEO Consultant (with a large Twitter following), typified a segment of the industry response: Big update. Google? Same as same as same as same as same. Miss the days when we would actually be told what was updated. So many things on a site going on, makes it very hard to determine. Not impossible, but just wastes a lot of time. — Kristine Schachinger (@schachin) Shachinger's tweet, however, may have asked for the impossible. With prior named updates, like Panda, Penguin, and more recently, Hummingbird, Google revealed "what was updated"--usually a specific fault with the algorithm. For example, Panda (released in 2011) targeted low-quality or duplicate content. At the time, the search engine was prey to "content farms," which relied on quantity--often up to 7000 articles per day--to achieve high search rankings. With the Panda update, Google placed a new emphasis on unique, relevant content. Penguin, released a year later, focused on eliminating bad links--a standard "black hat" SEO practice. By dramatically reducing manipulative link-building practices, Penguin also emphasized the value of "quality links." Today, unique content and quality links make up the "holy trinity" of Google's ranking factors with RankBrain, the machine learning tool Google released with Hummingbird (2013). With this tool, Google began to analyze more complex search terms (such as voice-based searches) to discover user intent. Read: "Google's Top Three Ranking Factors: Links, Content, and RankBrain" For most of these updates (and others), Google was relatively straightforward about the specific nature of the change, and most SEO pros understood how to remedy any problems with their sites. With the core updates, Google has changed the entire algorithm itself, or the search engine itself--often referred to as PageRank (not RankBrain). As we noted, Google has clarified its top three ranking factors, links, content, and RankBrain. Still, the search engine uses "200 unique signals or 'clues' that make it possible to surface what you might be looking for. Calibrating many of these 200 ranking factors likely accounts for the "core" algorithm changes. Will A Core Update (Like Florida 2) Affect Your Rankings? Since core updates may affect many ranking factors, it is hard to say how a core update will affect your site. Jones, of Search Engine Journal, quotes Danny Sullivan of Google, who has tweeted before that there is "no fix" for core updates: "There's no 'fix' for pages that may perform less well other than to remain focused on building great content. Over time, it may be that your content may rise relative to other pages." In his article, Jones writes "the clues are there," but he offers no specific guidance--and, in the end, focusing on specifics may be beside the point. The best way to recover from any rankings loss--at any time--is to satisfy the basic SEO requirements inferred by the "holy trinity" of ranking factors: Produce high-quality, relevant content (with the appropriate technical optimizations). Inspire quality links. Satisfy user intent. Back to SEO Basics If you're concerned about a recent drop in rankings, get back to SEO basics: Create fresh content with appropriate keywords Focus on the value you offer browsers who may search for your brand, product, or service  Answer questions: Offer helpful information relevant to your service, product, or brand  Refresh (or replace) any content that has dropped in the rankings Search Engine Optimization with SEO Sparta, a Bucks County, PA SEO Firm If you're looking for an SEO company that understands algorithms and content marketing nuances, call SEO Sparta: 215-900-9398. We combine traditional marketing methods and organic SEO, emphasizing natural website optimization to design thoughtful, inspiring, and effective online marketing campaigns. [Cover Photo Credit]

0 Google's Algorithm: Why Only Organic Website Optimization Works

• SEO
• by Alex Stepman
• 05.04.2021

In two prior posts, we discussed the difference between website ranking and website optimization and how, specifically, Google ranks well-optimized websites. Of course, a high website ranking is invaluable. Google constantly works to refine its algorithm so only the most relevant websites with high-quality, engaging, and well-written content appear on the first page results. Unfortunately, the stakes are so high that many website owners have relied upon nefarious "Black Hat SEO" techniques to achieve a high ranking. With the algorithm update, Google Penguin, Google attempted to limit the rankings of Black Hat websites that violate Google's Webmaster Guidelines. When Google Penguin was introduced on April 24, 2012, Google proved, more than ever before, that its main objective was to offer its users only high-quality content. With each algorithm update, Google will continue to limit Black Hat SEO techniques and reward the opposite: White Hat SEO. To understand the importance of Google Penguin, it's helpful to understand the difference between the "Black Hat SEO" and this legitimate, natural form of website optimization: "White Hat SEO." Black Hat SEO is essentially a set of techniques that certain webmasters employ to trick search engines. Black Hat SEO allows a website to appear on the first page rankings without actually creating relevant and engaging content. Thankfully, this practice is increasingly irrelevant, but Black Hat SEO has proved effective in the past. Techniques such as keyword stuffing, link schemes, and the creation of duplicate content continue to haunt the Internet, compromising businesses and personal users alike. If you've searched for a legitimate product or service and landed on a spammer's site--well, then, you've probably been victimized by Black Hat SEO, too. To a search engine like Google, the only acceptable form of SEO is organic or natural website optimization--or White Hat SEO. An experienced organic SEO specialist studies Google's algorithms to learn exactly what the search engine prefers and optimizes websites to meet Google's exact requirements. The key to organic website optimization is quality: a well-designed website and engaging, relevant content. This is why White Hat SEO professionals rejoiced with the release of Google Penguin. The new algorithm ensured, more than ever before, that Black Hat SEO would not sway rankings. With each successive Google algorithm update, we will hopefully continue to see that the only effective way to achieve a high ranking is natural website optimization. At SEO SPARTA, we are very proud of our intimate knowledge of Google's evolving algorithms. In one way, the job is quite simple: prioritizing quality above all else. But the algorithm can present some complicated challenges. Fortunately, we've met these challenges. By continually studying the algorithm, we have maintained a consistently high ranking for our client's websites. Moreover, regardless of the algorithm, our websites continue to perform. If you're considering hiring an SEO professional to optimize your website, please read our handy SEO Company Checklist. And make sure your SEO professional has first-hand knowledge of Google Penguin and Google's ever-evolving algorithm. You may also outsource your website optimization for a low monthly fee to SEO SPARTA - an SEO agency of Bucks County, PA. We are here to help your business grow! Should you wish to learn more about what we do and how we do it, please send us an email or call us at (215) 900-9398.

0 Google's Top Three Ranking Factors

• SEO Algorithms
• by Seth Pollins
• 04.10.2021

Google calls its ranking factors "200 unique signals or 'clues' that make it possible to surface what you might be looking for." These "signals" have long been a rich source of speculation for SEO experts, yet we still have no clear view of the ranking factors. Even the top result for "Google ranking factors," Backlinko's "complete list" of 200 ranking factors, admits: "Some are proven. Some are controversial. Others are SEO nerd speculation." The most important ranking factors are self-evident. Google also states, for example, "These signals include things like the specific words that appear on websites, the freshness of content, your region, and PageRank." So keywords, updated content, local SEO, and authority: SEO experts have long celebrated these crucially essential factors. It's the 196 or so other factors that lead to "nerd speculation." And really, that's all it is, speculation, of relatively minor importance. We might never know the majority of the 200 ranking factors. Thankfully, we know the most important. In 2015, Google confirmed that RankBrain was the "third most important factor." Later, Google confirmed the top two: links and content. "I can tell you what they are," a Google rep said. "It is content. And it's links pointing to your site." What of the 197 or so other factors? Who knows, for sure? Any successful optimization campaign should start (and continue) with particular attention to the top three. Below we discuss each factor in detail. Quality Links Google counts incoming links from reputable sites as a primary "clue" to determine the quality of your content. The more reputable links your content receives, Google believes, the better your site. In the past, Google's algorithm counted incoming links without focusing on the link's provenance. A website might've attracted an abundance of links from exchanges or bogus websites. Google now defines a 'good' link as a one-way link: a link that points from one site to another. Before the Penguin algorithm, many sites exchanged links, a practice Google penalized. To avoid penalties, Black Hat web admins created multiple websites, a hundred or more, all owned by one website and built to create links to the primary website. Flooded with incoming links, the primary website leaped in the rankings. The Penguin algorithm was created, in part, to punish these link schemes. Now that Penguin is real-time, the emphasis on quality links may have more immediate consequences--good or bad--for websites. So how do you attract quality links? Let Google's advice guide you: "The best way to get other sites to create high-quality, relevant links to yours is to create unique, relevant content that can naturally gain popularity in the Internet community. Creating good content pays off: Links are usually editorial votes given by choice, and the more useful content you have, the greater the chances someone else will find that content valuable to their readers and link to it."  Quality Content You do not need an SEO expert to know that content dominates the Internet. From listicles to polls to op-eds, we have a seemingly insatiable appetite for all types of content. The good news is that our appetite requires endless fresh content. The bad news is that the endless appetite for content inspires an equally endless competition. To compete, you must create "quality" content. How do you create quality content? Again, Google's advice is helpful: Create content that is "high quality" and "engaging" as well as "useful and informative," yet also "more valuable and useful than other sites." You must also display a certain level of "credibility...by using original research, citations, links, reviews, and testimonials." The SEO Sparta Blog is devoted, in part, to exploring the nature of quality content. We have written extensively on content.  Remember, despite the abundance of content on the Internet, your content strategy should always focus on quality above quantity.  RankBrain In a way, RankBrain, Google's new "machine learning" system, which uses artificial intelligence to sort queries, is an algorithm. However, RankBrain does not sort every search right now and is merely a part of Google's core algorithm, Hummingbird. RanKBrain intends to take Google's 3.5 billion daily searches and learn from each by noting connections between the search and where the browser finally clicks. In the past, all of Google's "learning" has been performed by coders, which creates inherent bias: We end to think about algorithms as neutral, but really, although engineers base algorithms on mathematical principles, most of the judgments about those principles are precisely that--judgments, made by biased humans. Now that Google uses artificial intelligence, the algorithm should, in theory, choose the most precisely optimized site pages available for every query. Of course, as above, optimization here means "quality" -a hopeful sign for new websites trying to compete. In theory, if you follow Google's advice on how to inspire links and write quality content, your page should get a fighting chance against more established sites. Natural Website Optimization with SEO Sparta: A Bucks County, PA SEO Firm  If you're looking for an SEO company that understands how to create relevant and engaging content, contact SEO Sparta. We combine traditional content marketing methods and organic SEO, emphasizing natural website optimization to design thoughtful, inspiring, and effective marketing campaigns.

0 Organic SEO: The Right Choice for Website Marketing

• SEO
• by Alex Stepman
• 04.03.2021

As more brick-and-mortar businesses migrate online, more business owners are facing the challenge of website marketing. A business might have a physical location, but a company might not exist to most potential customers without a website. But even with a website, a company might not exist to most potential customers. The key difference between a successful website and a failure is website marketing. Proper online marketing can significantly improve a website's visibility, attracting a great deal of new traffic. But how do you discover a trustworthy Search engine optimization (SEO) specialist or website marketing firm? First stop: A handy SEO Checklist! If you're a website owner, you've probably noticed that the web is crowded with website marketing firms and SEO specialists. The reason this market feels so overpopulated is quite simple: it is overpopulated. There seems to be a new website marketing firm or SEO specialist for each new website. At certain times, you might even feel that the word "SEO" appears everywhere in your journey across the web. Well, of course, SEO specialists know how to market their services! Abundance can be very good. At SEO Sparta Bucks County, PA marketing agency, we believe that website optimization should be available to every website owner. But the problem with abundance is simple: when faced with a choice of thousands, most people either a) make the wrong choice or b) make no choice! The Wrong Choice in Selecting SEO Company Business owners who are not familiar with website optimization or online marketing can be easily misled or manipulated. I said above: SEO specialists know how to market their services. But more importantly: Does an SEO specialist know how to market your website's services? This is the first question you should ask any SEO specialist or website marketing firm: How will you market my unique product? An SEO specialist might answer this question in many different ways: website optimization, Pay-Per-Click, keyword optimization, banner ads, or even new blogs. Whatever a specialist says to you, remember: Do not be fooled by jargon! You might believe that to be fully optimized, your site must be intricately designed, developed, and optimized and that only specialists know the trick. Nonsense! Many people use SEO without even knowing it! SEO can be very easy to understand. Remember: a high-quality SEO specialist should be able to explain precisely what he/she will do to optimize your website in a way that you easily understand. When there are so many choices, why would you accept anything less? No Choice Most website owners know that they need some form of website marketing or search engine optimization. Unfortunately, however, many of these same website owners never choose to use a specialist's services. The problem is trust--many website owners simply believe that they cannot trust SEO. First, the term SEO itself is misunderstood. Luckily it is easy to educate yourself. You can read The Organic SEO Blog. Once you learn about SEO--and specifically, Organic SEO--you can learn how to ask the right questions. No choice can be worse than the wrong choice--or at least equally bad. In both cases, your website is still losing income by the day! The Right Choice in Selecting SEO Company Although both SEO specialists and website marketing firms can increase your website's online presence, the organic approach to website optimization is preferable. The major search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing admire organically-promoted websites, and these search engines reward well-optimized sites with top placement in search results. With organic website optimization, your company's success is not dependent on an advertising budget--unlike a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaign. PPC can be effective. However, PPC is very costly. And like other traditional advertisements—the periodicals and radio ads noted above—the success of PPC is entirely dependent on your advertisement budget. Finding customers can be costly and ineffective. So why not let the business come to you? Organic SEO empowers customers to find your website. When optimized for search engines, your website will be visible to the exact customers looking for your product or service. Once again, I suggest you read our handy SEO Checklist for some practical tips.

0 Learn SEO: Know Your Enemy

• SEO
• by Alex Stepman
• 03.31.2021

The goal of website optimization is to make a website visible on the first page of Google, Yahoo, and Bing--and really, all available search engines worldwide. Search engine optimization (SEO) specialists and website marketing companies devote a significant amount of time to optimizing websites. Still, even if SEO is performed correctly, most websites will not see quick results. Savvy website owners understand this simple truth: website optimization requires time, effort, and patience. Still, many website owners encourage SEO companies to expedite the process; some even try to help SEO specialists by providing valuable company information or learning search engine optimization techniques. The SEO specialists at SEO Sparta believe that knowledge should be shared. The more people understand SEO, the better. Understanding the basics of SEO and approaching the practice can be a valuable asset for any website owner. Indeed, you might even help expedite your SEO specialist's website optimization campaign. With a website owner's help, a website can achieve online success and visibility more quickly. An easy way to learn SEO is to "know your enemy." Of course, we're not talking about real enemies. When it comes to business, your "enemies" might simply be your competitors in your specific industry. In terms of SEO, the sheer quantity of competition is what makes your battle both dangerous and challenging. If you own a brick-and-mortar store, your competitors are likely located nearby. When you enter the online marketplace in your industry, you compete with all other similar websites--thousands, or even millions, around the world! The numbers might seem daunting, but you can learn from these websites. By learning your enemy's website optimization techniques, you can optimize your website and even outperform your enemies, taking their placement on the first page of the major search engines. If you are an SEO company or SEO specialist, you probably know most aspects of website optimization and how to optimize a website for each specific search engine. SEO specialists also know how to analyze top-performing websites for website optimization clues. Suppose you are a website owner and have no website optimization knowledge. In that case, you can learn by paying close attention to the valuable information contained on your enemy's website: his website design, website layout, and even promotional sales. Learning what works for your enemy's website will help you convert your website's visitors into actual customers. The Goal of SEO Even though it's called "search engine" optimization, and most SEO specialists optimize websites with search engines in mind, the true purpose of SEO is to make a website appealing to potential customers. Search engines also compete for customers, and the best way for a search engine to attract business is to deliver perfectly relevant search results. By delivering the most relevant and appealing websites, search engines cultivate repeat customers. This is why Google, Yahoo, and Bing are so popular--each delivers only high-quality websites on the first-page search results. (For more information on how search engines work, check out this short video). Today's SEO lesson is simple: If you want your website to appear on the first-page search results, study each website that currently exists on the first page. By learning what makes your enemy's websites successful, you can duplicate that success and perhaps even surpass it. Know your enemy! If you don't have the time to learn and perform the SEO for your website, why not outsource this work to us for a low monthly fee? We are SEO masters. Our SEO company is located in Bucks County, PA, but we serve customers worldwide. For us, SEO is more than a profession. We have a passion for SEO and dedicated over 15 years of our life to mastering it.

0 Every Website Needs Organic SEO

• SEO
• by Alex Stepman
• 03.25.2021

Some form of search engine optimization (SEO) has existed since the mid-1990s. Although SEO remains obscure to some website owners, the popularity of website optimization is now nearly equivalent to bread. And yes, for many website owners, SEO is the best thing since sliced bread. In simple terms, SEO means marketing, and every business needs marketing. However, despite a seemingly endless demand for organic website optimization, many website owners have lost faith in SEO. The painful truth is that a significant number of so-called SEO companies have abused their customers. Disreputable SEO companies have extracted a lot of hard-earned money from unsuspecting clients without improving website visibility. If you're a new website owner, do not let yourself fall prey to a costly and unsuccessful website optimization campaign. Remember this crucial fact: most marketing companies or SEO professionals cannot achieve true organic optimization quickly. Despite what an SEO specialist might tell you, it is nearly impossible to optimize a website in only one or two months. Quick SEO Nearly Impossible—But Not Entirely Impossible A few top-notch SEO professionals can perform successful organic website optimization within a short period of time (one month or less) without causing harm to website ranking and visibility. Since this type of natural website optimization often requires aggressive change, make sure your SEO specialist is humble and attentive. The best SEO specialist is someone who can deliver quick, high-quality work while making you, the website owner, feel comfortable and happy. To make a good choice in selecting the right SEO company, please refer to this brief SEO Company Checklist. This checklist should give you a good idea of your minimum requirements for a trustworthy SEO professional. A true SEO professional is the best thing since sliced bread. Many website owners recognize this truth. Unfortunately, many website owners also believe that natural website optimization is not appropriate for their website because their product is not essential enough to attract a large customer base. One website owner told me: "I don't need SEO. I sell widgets. I don't sell bread!" This website owner assumed correctly that his product is only for a limited amount of people. And yet, he assumed incorrectly that website optimization and website visibility would not benefit his business. Of course, not every product is indispensable, like bread! However, of the billions of people that demand bread, undoubtedly a certain percentage also demands widgets! Organic website optimization is about finding your specific customers. Even if you think you're only catering to a small or local client-base, your worldwide numbers might surprise you! High-quality SEO can take you worldwide. Imagine, if you will, the famous Kama Sutra. How many people buy the Kama Sutra? Have you bought the Kama Sutra in the last five years? Have any of your friends or relatives bought the Kama Sutra recently? Probably not! Still, every time you visit Barnes & Noble, the Kama Sutra is available for purchase. Why? The answer is simple: I might not need it, and billions of others do not need it, but a certain amount of people do need it—enough so that the book remains profitable. Online business owners: do not limit yourself! Suppose you tell yourself your product is only for specific people and is not suitable for website optimization. In that case, you limit yourself from promoting your product or services to thousands of potential customers every day, week, and month. It's as simple as sliced bread, really--if you find the right guy to slice the bread! If you are looking for a trustworthy SEO agency, we encourage you to get in touch with SEO SPARTA, an SEO Agency of Bucks County, PA.

0 Do Not Judge a Website By Look Alone: Why Organic SEO is Crucial

• SEO
• by Seth Pollins
• 03.18.2021

The other day at a business card exchange I met two slim men wearing stylish sport coats. Both men were eating chocolate chip cookies, and their stylish clothes and amiable chatter made me briefly forget the actual purpose of the event: to exchange business cards. For a lovely moment, we talked about finely-tailored sports coats. I was charmed. However, when one of the men veered the conversation back to business, I was a bit confused. Introducing him and his partner as "IT Professionals," the man proceeded to talk in a way that made no sense to me. He might've spoken of an IGZO display and Targeted Tweets, but I can't be sure. Baffled, I pressed him to explain what he meant by "IT Professional." "We develop websites," he said. "Oh," I said, excited. "So you must know SEO?" "It is trivial," he said, finishing his final bite of cookie. "SEO," his partner said, laughing. "Most website owners can do SEO for themselves." So it seems: even two-well-dressed IT Professionals misunderstand SEO! If you're a new website owner and read this blog right now, let me tell you a secret: most likely, you cannot do SEO for yourself. I certainly do not mean to discourage you. I only mean to save you a tremendous hassle. Search engine optimization is crucial for any new website, and often a thoughtful SEO campaign marks the difference between a successful website or a failure. Unfortunately, as more website owners understand the importance of SEO, more try to perform their optimization techniques with the hope of quick results: the first-page placement in a week or month. We have seen many website owners dive into SEO this way--and drown. It is sad but true: time after time, we see website owners attempt to promote their websites quickly with absolutely no results. Often, results are not visible two, three, four, or five months later. At this point, after failing to perform a successful SEO campaign by themselves, many website owners yield to the alluring temptation of outsourcing. Yes, only after months of failure do most website owners decide to hire a professional SEO company. And again: they demand quick results.   I will tell you another secret: most SEO companies follow their client's wishes, even if these wishes are not in the client's best interests. Seeking quick results, most SEO companies end up continuing the faulty tactics that did not work in the first place. In truth, SEO is a process and not an easy process. A real SEO professional who works with honesty and integrity will tell each client a hard truth: real SEO cannot be performed quickly. Even if you have the proper SEO knowledge and a talent for algorithms, it is simply not possible to adequately optimize a website within one day, week, or month. The major search engines prefer this scenario. Most new websites only gradually attain higher rankings over other websites in the same industry. From Google's perspective, for example, the only way any website can truly be optimized is with the help of organic website optimization, and the very word "organic" implies a slow, natural process. This is why organic website optimization is often also called natural website optimization. Both words imply a slow, steady process: like evolution. Additionally, the major search engines will always give more credit to websites that already exist. Top-ranked websites have earned their placement over many years by consistently offering the best content and continually updating their website features to align with the changing dynamics of the search engine algorithms. So what happens when a hot new website shows up on the market? Of course, search engines do not mind replacing an old website with a new website in search rankings--but the new website has to earn it! Like the former top-ranked website, the new website has to prove that its website is better and that its product is better, cheaper, and more informative. Only then will the new website become King of the Internet. You know the old saying, "Do not judge a book by its cover." Well, Google does not judge websites on look alone. Just like an IT Professional, a website can look beautiful in its finely-tailored sport coat, but what if the website displays no true knowledge of SEO? Simply put: Google will not increase this website's ranking. Google doesn't judge websites by look alone--and neither should you!

0 Content is a King - SEO Content Marketing Strategies

• SEO
• by Alex Stepman
• 03.17.2021

SEO might be one of the most misunderstood concepts on the Internet. Most people do not even know that SEO is an abbreviation for "search engine optimization." Even those who do know about SEO often misunderstand its practice and purpose. A recent joke from Twitter proves the point:   Of course, this tweet is merely a lighthearted attempt to poke fun at SEO. Still, the implication is clear: SEO is about manipulating keywords (often referred to as "keyword stuffing"). Unfortunately, for some SEO professionals, this is true! A search engine's job is to deliver accurate information, and search engines rigorously investigate the content of all websites. For this reason, a website's content is crucial. Search engines like Google are hungry for new, exciting, and informative content. You never know what a visitor has in mind when browsing your site. You can only hope that your content, including the text, images, and video, will transform your visitor into a customer.   Natural (or organic) website optimization promotes a holistic view of content. A natural SEO specialist will understand that you cannot create content for search engines alone; you must create content for people too. Natural content benefits visitors and maintains visits to your website. Natural website optimization earned its name because its elegant simplicity makes sense: create "natural" and genuine content, and your site will attract visitors.   For this reason, it is crucial that a website's content is relevant to its specific product or service. Certain wayward SEO specialists practice "keyword stuffing," where keywords are excessively loaded into a site's content. To maximize relevancy, a developer might also apply the alternative text to every image on a website with a similar set of keywords. This practice is unethical and ineffective. A sophisticated search engine, like Google, can quickly identify keyword stuffing techniques.   A high-quality SEO professional eschews keyword stuffing in favor of well-written, thoughtful, and relevant content. The best SEO professional will employ a professional writer to create exciting content for your website. If you're thinking about hiring an SEO professional, make sure you ask the following question:   Who will create my content? Remember, for SEO; content is king!   If you are interested in an effective content marketing strategy, we encourage you to outsource this work to us. Learn more about how we perform the content marketing strategies and get to know your local SEO company in Bucks County, PA.

0 Attract the Right Customers to Your Business With Organic SEO

• SEO
• by Alex Stepman
• 03.16.2021

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) should be an essential part of any digital marketing strategy. And indeed, today, SEO is a standard feature for most savvy websites. SEO is cheaper than any other form of online advertising—and, if executed correctly, will produce only positive results and exceptional Return On Investment (ROI). But wait! Before you read on, you should know: You do not necessarily have to pay for your website to be visible on the first page of the world’s major search engines. With Organic SEO, also known as “natural website optimization,” you can achieve the benefits of this form of online advertising FREE. SEO Sparta tells you exactly what to do. If you have the time, we encourage you to learn Organic SEO. If not, we encourage you to contact us now.   Marketing is an Engine of Your Business Every new business needs some kind of marketing strategy. After all, to attract customers, a new business must first let the world know about its existence! Often, new businesses attempt to discover customers by advertising in newspapers, magazines, brochures, or on the radio. Unfortunately, many new businesses receive absolutely no returns from this form of advertising. Why? Many consumers today do not read periodicals or listen intently to radio commercials, and those who do might not distinguish one ad from the overabundance of other ads. Among those consumers who do notice an ad, most are not interested in the product or services.   For a new business, finding customers can be costly and ineffective. Why not let the business come to you? Organic Search Engine Optimization empowers potential customers to find your website. When optimized for search engines, your website will be visible to the exact customers who are looking for your product or service.    Organic SEO requires time and effort. However, once your website is fully optimized, it will only require maintenance to remain visible on the first page of major search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. If you want to hire an SEO professional, you should know: Only a few companies perform Organic SEO services. You might try to Google a reputable Organic SEO company. But we can save you the hassle!   Organic SEO in Bucks County, PA SEO Sparta is the first choice for a reputable, high-quality Organic SEO company in Bucks County, PA. We optimize your website to appear on the first page of major search engine results without additional costs. Most of our competitors use a different approach: Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising. PPC can be effective. However, PPC is very costly. Also, like other traditional advertisements—the periodicals and radio ads noted above—the success of PPC is entirely dependent on your advertisement budget.   SEO Sparta’s website explains the major difference between Organic SEO and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) services. And we tell you every SEO secret for FREE. If you have the time, we encourage you to learn Organic SEO. If not, SEO Sparta can help you optimize your website. To get started now, please call one of SEO Sparta’s highly experienced representatives at (215) 900-9398.

0 Google SEO Myths: Fact or Fiction

• SEO Algorithms
• by Seth Pollins
• 03.07.2021

Two years ago, Google released a new video series, "SEO Mythbusting," which explores popular SEO misconceptions. The series features an interview format hosted by Google's Martin Splitt, a "developer advocate," who interviews not only fellow Googlers but real SEOs. The topics are mostly technical, including bots (AKA crawlers), Java, and the sometimes fraught relationship between SEOs and developers.  Mythbusting is a central challenge for the SEO community, and this video series defies one of the most pervasive myths about SEO: that Google is at odds with SEO.   This myth, which is often perpetuated even by well-meaning SEOs, pops up whenever Google announces a new algorithm update and specific sites lose rankings. At SEO Sparta, we often hear a common lament from clients: "we've been punished."  This implies Google targets specific sites. This is rarely the case (although some organizations, like e-Ventures, have claimed otherwise in lawsuits).  These sorts of myths harm SEO because they imply that optimization is contingent on nebulous factors--like the whims of Google's algorithm developers. Nonsense.  We applaud any attempt to dispel SEO myths. We're devoting this week's post to a few common Google SEO myths. We cut through the nonsense to answer a simple question: fact or fiction?  Google and SEO are Enemies: FICTION Google changes its algorithm frequently. The website Moz has a page devoted to Google's Algorithm Change History, which cites a popular SEO statistic: "Each year, Google changes its search algorithm around 500–600 times." The number could be more or less. Most of these changes are minor. Google only occasionally introduces a "major" algorithm update--like the recent "core" update, Florida 2--that fundamentally changes search results. Google's significant updates often present headaches for even knowledgeable and successful SEOs. And yet, website optimization is a collaborative effort. With each algorithm update, Google creates new guidelines for webmasters. Some complain about the hassle of adapting to these ever-changing guidelines, but any good webmaster understands that Google's purpose aligns with SEO's: to deliver relevant information. The best SEOs work with Google to create clean websites with searchable, relevant, error-free, and informative content. From Google's view, this is how the search engine improves. This is why Google is transparent about its algorithm updates (although some SEOs, perpetuating another myth, argue that Google obscures the details). Algorithms Changes "Punish" Websites: FICTION A significant element of the Penguin algorithm is its focus on bad links. In the past, Penguin has downgraded some websites for bad links. And yet, as Search Engine Land once reported in anticipation of a Penguin update, Google does its best to allow these sites to recover: "Google could have done a Penguin update more frequently, but they want to push out an update that makes both webmasters and users happy. So they are working hard on making both happy. [Google] also said that if you disavow bad links now or as of about two weeks ago, it will likely be too late for this next Penguin refresh. But [Google] added that the Penguin refreshes will be more frequent because of the new algorithm in place." Even in the SEO world, it is a popular misconception that algorithm updates are a form of punishment. This "myth" is false. The updates are a form of teaching: Google is teaching webmasters how to improve the Internet. With each update, Google explains why the new algorithm is necessary, what will happen if you don't follow the rules, and how to update your website to meet the new standards. Yes, Google reveals this information. You might not know where to find it, but it exists. A well-trained SEO professional will always stay up-to-date with all the primary SEO techniques and updates. SEO is Technocentric: Part, FACT, Part FICTION  Googlebots. JavaScript. Gateway pages. Meta tags. To optimize for Google, many newcomers believe, one must adapt to the language of SEO, which is often dismissed as technobabble. For many, even the language, as obscure as it might seem, is not as inscrutable as optimization itself. Many website owners see SEO as technocentric, an esoteric art practiced only by development experts. This is the essential myth Google hopes to dispel with its video series: By presenting the technical aspects of SEO straightforwardly, the series will likely convince many naysayers that SEO is a simple part of building, managing, and promoting a website. SEO does require technical knowledge, but the cornerstone of SEO is not development. Most SEO campaigns are based on the simplest element of marketing: content. With appropriate keywords, SEO attempts to create dynamic content.  However, technical SEO knowledge can make a significant difference for content, and technical SEO can make the difference between successful and lackluster content. SEO for Google Requires Specialized Knowledge: Fiction "Each year, Google changes its search algorithm around 500–600 times." SEOs often cite this statistic to affirm the value of SEO: No business has the knowledge to track Google's changes; only a professional can track and react to the algorithm. SEO does require specialized knowledge--yet this knowledge is readily accessible online, from a diversity of sources, including Moz, Search Engine Land, and the SEO Sparta Blog.  The problem for most SEO newcomers (especially small business owners) is time. Separate Fact from Fiction with an Honest SEO Firm: SEO Sparta SEO Sparta has optimized websites locally in the Bucks County, PA, area and globally for nearly two decades. We pride ourselves on the simplicity of our style. We hope to democratize the practice of SEO by explaining its elements in clear and precise terms. When we use jargon, we strive to explain its meaning. If you ever have questions about our posts, please leave a comment. Or better yet, call us today: 215-900-9398. Cover Photo Source