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.

0 SEO in 2022: Is MUM the Word?

• SEO Algorithms
• by Alex Stepman
• 12.11.2021

Forecasting is a significant part of an SEO firm's work. As Alex Stepman of SEO Sparta, says, "On any given day, I ask myself: How will search change in the coming months and years--and how can I help my clients evolve and compete?" Another major part of an SEO firm's work is retrospection. Last year's performance can serve as a guide for this year's performance. A good SEO asks himself: What have we done, and how can we make it better? Goal-setting combines the work of forecasting and retrospection. Taking the time now to set an outline for 2022 can help you execute effectively throughout the year. Part of goal-setting, too, is allocating money to specific strategies--strategies that minimize waste and maximize ROI.Below we offer a few crucial goals for your 2022 SEO campaign. We believe allocating money to these strategies will offer the best ROI in 2022. Content in 2022 Assuming you already have a viable, optimized website, the perennial top strategy for any SEO campaign is always content marketing. The key to assuring an ROI on content is investing in quality--and not necessarily quantity, though quantity works, too, if each piece maintains a certain level of quality. As Neil Patel notes: "The notion that writing more will boost your traffic and rankings only rings true if you don't sacrifice quality." So, what type of content should you produce? Text is still the best content source, and original, articulate, and intriguing writing will likely be your best option for placement on the SERP. The advantages of a text-heavy website also include other factors that affect website performance, like page speed and voice and mobile compatibility. However, with the emergence of Google's new algorithm, MUM, diversity is vital. As the predecessor to BERT, an algorithm that emphasized voice search (see below), MUM is "1000 times more powerful," according to Google, and "can multitask to unlock information in new ways." The new algorithm answers complex searches by analyzing videos, images, and text at once to yield a richer result. As Google explains it: "Eventually, you might be able to take a photo of your hiking boots and ask, 'can I use these to hike Mt. Fuji?' MUM would understand the image and connect it with your question to let you know your boots would work just fine. It could then point you to a blog with a list of recommended gear." Search is changing, and the emphasis on content is not changing. However, to prepare for new frontiers in search, think of dynamic content in different modes: video, images, songs, games, and good old text.  Optimize for Voice Search  As noted above, Google's recent big algorithm, BERT, emphasized the importance of voice search. To meet the demands of search in 2022, you must optimize for today's information-hungry consumers, who search on various platforms, including desktop, mobile, and voice assistants. Yes, similar optimization techniques work for each platform. You don't need to reinvent the wheel to optimize desktop and mobile and voice. But recognizing differences and optimizing pages for the prevailing medium will amplify your ROI in 2022. So right now, optimizing for voice is a good idea. To do so, you must focus on long-tail keywords, as outlined here: "Voice Search: What You Need to Know." Another focus should be featured snippet optimization, as outlined by Brian Dean here. Mobile Optimization  The bulk of searches has occurred on mobile devices for some time now. And Google's transition to a mobile-based index is old news. The search engine now uses mobile content for over half of the pages shown in search results.  In 2022, your optimization efforts must account for the mobile experience. At a minimum, this means each page must be optimized for mobile. Speed is critical, too. In introducing a "speed update" for mobile  in 2019, Google said that "speed" is now a ranking factor for mobile sites. For more information on mobile optimization strategies, read Moz's Mobile Optimization How-To. Organic SEO with SEO Sparta If you're looking for an SEO company that understands how to effectively promote websites with content optimized for voice and mobile, contact SEO Sparta: 215-900-9398. We combine traditional marketing methods and organic SEO--emphasizing natural website optimization--to design thoughtful, inspiring, and effective content marketing campaigns. [Cover Photo Source]

0 How Does Google's Search Engine Work?

• SEO Algorithms
• by Alex Stepman
• 09.12.2021

Each day worldwide, Google's search engine delivers over 3.5 billion search results. For Google, the numbers are not as important as the quality of each result. To ensure 3.5 billion quality results each day, Google uses a complex algorithm to sort and categorize hundreds of billions of web pages.  Many valuable resources online attempt to explain the complexity of this process. Google has even posted a video online attempting to explain the process. Unfortunately, the video is an hour long. Below, Alex Stepman of SEO Sparta offers a summary of Google's video and answers the question: How Does Google Work? Google's Search Engine: The Mission Google organizes the world's information, making it universally accessible and helpful while delivering the highest quality search engine experience.  How Does a Search Engine Work? As noted above, Google's job is to sort and categorize the hundreds of billions of web pages on the internet. When we perform a search in Google, the search engine uses our query to find similar information, apply a filter, and deliver the most helpful information available at that time.  First, the search engine downloads billions of pages of content, scans the language and creates a list of the words and pages where the query can be found, like the index of a book.  For example, if you search for "lasagna," the word appears on 59,000,000 pages. When you type "lasagna" in the search bar, the search engine scans its database to uncover similar downloaded information.  Second, the search engine orders this information on the SERP (search engine results page) with the most useful pages at the top and the less useful pages at the bottom. The "usefulness" (often referred to as "relevance") is based on Google's algorithm. Many people searching for lasagna are interested in recipes. Some want nutrition information. However, a few people may be interested in learning about the life and research of Louis Lasagna, MD. The search engine's software ranks the pages based on numerous on-page and off-page SEO factors, including your geolocation, recent page updates, links to and from the page, whether the word "lasagna" exists on the page's title, and whether the page contains images of lasagna. The algorithm controls the ranking system. A search engine algorithm is a set of rules that determine where and how often a page is exposed in search results. Google's search algorithm delivers high-quality information based on the user's search queries. To Google, high-quality information means the text, images, videos, or ideas added to web pages for public use—content that website owners want people to find and read or watch and learn. Spam Results in Search Engine From Google's perspective, spam is low-quality content artificially boosted in search results. Typically, pages with spam content use artificial intelligence (AI) generated nonsense text, hidden keywords, and highjacked URLs. Google views spam as a never-ending game of cat and mouse. Because website owners are highly motivated to showcase websites on the first page of search results, spammers continue to innovate algorithm workarounds. Google often applies new algorithms to limit spam, but spammers adapt and evolve. To prevent spammers from abusing the algorithm and essentially breaking the search engine, the details of the algorithm and ranking system are not accessible to the public.  Limiting spam is the main reason search engines change their algorithms so often. For example, spam accounted for 40% of all pages Google discovered in Europe last year, and 15% of queries discovered daily worldwide have never been seen by Google before.  How Often Does Google Change its Search Engine Algorithm? On average, Google changes its algorithm six times per day - roughly several thousand times per year. Before Google applies changes, it performs tests—about 200,000 - 300,000 tests. To launch a new algorithm, Google's engineers first need to prove the concept. The engineers decide what results to show based on search queries, but the proof of improvements comes from data. Perhaps due to these experiments, website owners often see fluctuations in website traffic from organic searches.  Search Quality Evaluated Guidelines (Source) From Google's perspective, websites that deserve good search results exhibit expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. The best way to impress Google is by presenting high-quality, informative, and relevant content and the best website performance. To keep search engine users happy, Google has strived to improve performance, ensuring the search engine delivers quality results faster and faster.  How Does Google Deliver the Most Relevant Results in One Second or Less? To deliver accurate results quickly (less than a second), Google uses data centers worldwide to keep downloaded information from the internet. Each data center contains identical information. When we perform a search, the search engine identifies our location and sends the query to the nearest data center for processing. The data center then searches its database and delivers the most accurate results.  Many results in Google search are not relevant to the search query. Google's job is to deliver top-quality results from authoritative and trusted websites. To ensure these results are delivered with blasting speed and accuracy, Google attempts to understand the search query precisely the way it was asked. How Does Google Determine the Authoritativeness of Websites? Every website must explain who they are and where they find their information. If a webpage includes information from other sources, it must provide the source(s) of the information.  How Does Google Deliver the Most Accurate Results? As noted above, the search engine must understand what we are trying to find to deliver accurate results. To help us find the most accurate information possible, Google includes an autocomplete feature that suggests search queries. Many people believe that Google's autocomplete suggests the most frequently searched queries, but this is not always true. The goal of autocomplete is to deliver search results faster by making sure people find what they want without typing the search query entirely. However, this feature is regulated and does not work for many categories or industries. Google intentionally restricts some categories from participating in this feature, including adult websites, websites that sell and promote tobacco or drugs, violent content, and others. The autocomplete predictions are constantly updated to ensure Google's policies are not violated. After processing the search query, Google may be unsure of the user's intent. Then Google suggests a clickable auto-correct feature or additional queries (in the form of links) at the bottom of the search result page. Understanding the intent of user search terms and phrases is more complex than finding similar terms on pages. To solve this problem, Google is utilizing the Natural Language Processing feature and launching a new project - BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representation of Transformers). BERT is a new development of Natural Language Processing that uses machine learning to elevate search to a new level of success. BERT can understand language, recognize words and find similar words, and understand how words relate to each other. BERT also understands "STOP Words" and how they can help to narrow the search intent.  While BERT is one of Google's projects, it is known as the BERT algorithm to marketing specialists. And just like other algorithms previously launched by Google, the intent is to improve search engine results, making them relevant and accurate. Organic SEO with SEO Sparta Are you looking for an SEO company that understands how to effectively promote websites with content optimized for Google? Contact SEO Sparta of Bucks County, PA.   We combine traditional marketing methods and organic SEO--emphasizing natural website optimization--to design thoughtful, inspiring, and effective content marketing campaigns. Image Source

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 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 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

0 Is Website Ranking Important?

• SEO Algorithms
• by Seth Pollins
• 12.11.2020

The term "website ranking" is a popular way to define website performance. Unfortunately, most business owners do not understand how a website's ranking affects a website's performance. And digital marketing firms often promote website ranking services for specific keywords without detailing the advantages (or possible disadvantages). The presumed "value" of a high website ranking is taken at face value. By promising a high website ranking, a digital marketing firm may make a good impression--but the promise is often empty. For website owners, empty promises translate to wasted money. The situation is confused because website ranking is often not clearly defined by digital marketing firms. Alex Stepman, the founder of SEO Sparta, notes that many people confuse website ranking with PageRank.  So what's the deal? What is website ranking? And what is PageRank? Website Ranking & PageRank In the SEO community, website ranking is often correlated with (or confused with) PageRank--Google's first dedicated algorithm for sorting and ranking web pages. When it was introduced, PageRank worked on the premise of links: "PageRank work[ed] by counting the number and quality of links to a page to determine a rough estimate of how important the website is. The underlying assumption is that more important websites are likely to receive more links from other websites" (Source). In the past, SEOs emphasized links to achieve high placement on the SERP (search engine results page). During this time, PageRank was logically linked with "website ranking." The higher your PageRank, the higher your website ranking. At the time, PageRank was easily identified in the Google Toolbar. Website owners could see the "value" of their website based on a simple, numerical system. The most popular websites enjoyed a PageRank of 10. The least popular had a PageRank of 0." When PageRank was the only ranking factor, a 10 was a good indication of popularity. Today, however, Google uses more than 200 ranking factors, and PageRank's importance has diminished. When a user performs a Google search, Google delivers the most relevant results, but even on the first page results, not all websites enjoy a high PageRank. Even without a high PageRank, many websites appear on the first SERP. These sites have optimized for other factors, including quality content. Recently, when speaking to a few Philadelphia-are clients of SEO Sparta's SEO services, Alex said: "Do not confuse the issue. A PageRank score is not the same as a website ranking. Your website ranking is the spot your site holds on the SERP, which can be revealed by a simple Google search or by trying any number of tools." Is Website Ranking Important? A few years ago, Search Engine Land asked, "Do organic keyword rankings matter anymore?" "With the evolution of paid advertising and expansion of universal search," wrote Julia Connors, "as well as Google's continuous efforts to provide consumers with content that resolves their demands...the opportunities attached to traditional keyword rankings are diminishing at an alarming rate." Still, a high ranking is not without value. Industry studies about website ranking often reveal similar results: The first SERP attracts most of the traffic (some estimates say up to 90%).  However, a high website ranking alone does not necessarily equate to profits. First, you must attract a click--and then a conversion. And this is why equating website performance with website ranking is misleading. As Connors notes for Search Engine Land: "One of the problems with keyword rankings is that any consumer can click through to a website and immediately leave because the title tag and meta description didn't align with the content of its associated landing page. Ranking first on Google does not mean that every visitor is going to turn into a paying customer because of how limited keywords are for understanding granular details associated with online consumers." So website ranking matters, but not as much as a click and a conversion. Beyond Website Ranking: Website Optimization with SEO Sparta Alex Stepman founded SEO Sparta to help small to medium-sized businesses build and promote websites that inspire clicks and conversions. For more information, call Alex at SEO Sparta today: 215-900-9398. Photo Source: "What is in PageRank? A Historical and Conceptual Investigation of a Recursive Status Index"

0 Algorithms 101: Google's Hummingbird Algorithm

• SEO Algorithms
• by Alex Stepman
• 02.06.2020

The Hummingbird algorithm changed search forever (photo source). Does your SEO firm speak exclusively about keywords? If so, they may not be serving your best interests. Like Google's algorithm, SEO firms must evolve with the times. Unfortunately, too many SEO firms work in outdated paradigms.  Since the inception of SEO, strategic keyword use has been a pillar of optimization. And of course, keywords are still relevant. The ever-present social media #hashtag is the very essence of keyword optimization.  However, the nature of search is always evolving. Keywords will likely always be an important element of website optimization, but SEO must also evolve with the algorithms. Google's Hummingbird Algorithm  The most significant recent keyword evolution may have been Google's Hummingbird algorithm. To meet the evolving demands of today's browsers, Google strives to deliver the most relevant results. Back in 2013, Google announced its first entirely new algorithm in twelve years: Hummingbird. This new algorithm, which affected up to 90% of Google's results, accommodated an increase of voice-based searches as well as more complex searches In this new algorithm, the importance of specific "short-tail" keywords of a single word or a few words was minimized in favor of more comprehensive phrases and sentences. In this way, Google acknowledged the changing nature of how people searched as well as the importance of mobile search, which often emphasizes "long-tail" keyword phrases or sentences.  Instead of searching for "jeans", for example, today's browser is more likely to compose a more specific, and perhaps more esoteric search, like "raw sanforized denim." Perhaps more importantly, Google's new algorithm acknowledged another new browser tendency: Instead of specific phrases, many users are asking specific questions.  Instead of searching "raw sanforized denim," for example, many browsers may ask: "Where can I find the best raw sanforized denim?" The New Keyword: Questions By focusing on the specificity of your product or service, you can improve your visibility on Google.  As a digital marketing firm, for example, SEO Sparta strives to create content that answers common questions about all things digital marketing, including SEO. As a local firm serving the Philadelphia area, we might not be able to compete on keywords alone. However, we can strive to answer specific questions--especially specific location-based questions for the Philadelphia area.  To meet the demands of today's evolving algorithms, then, stop focusing on keywords. Instead, think about questions. What questions does your product or service answer? Your content should answer these questions. 

0 Algorithms 101: Google's Panda Algorithm

• SEO Algorithms
• by Alex Stepman
• 01.27.2020

SEO Sparta's Algorithm 101 series teaches website owners the basics of search engine algorithms, specifically Google's algorithm, with its many iterations. This week we discuss the Panda algorithm, first released in 2011, and how it affected small local sites (image source). The web used to look a lot like New York City in the 1980s when "homicides were at near-record highs, the crack epidemic was raging, and NYC had not yet experienced the wave of gentrification that has marked it in modern times" (source). Like NYC, the early web was beautiful in many ways but also crowded with seedy sites of ill-repute.  Over the years, however, the great savior of the web, Google, instituted a series of algorithm updates meant to clean things up. One notable algorithm, the Panda algorithm, was released in February 2011 with the purpose of penalizing "low-quality" sites with excessive ads and minimal content. Panda battled "content farms," websites that hired freelance workers to produce articles with the explicit purpose of manipulating search rankings. These websites often included copious ads and offered little relevance for a browser seeking answers. Of course, the web is much better without these sites. For Google, these sites lacked the necessary "authority" to deserve a top ranking on the SERP (search engine results page). Incidentally, learning about authority is a great way to see how consistent effort of a period of weeks, months, and years can reap tremendous rewards for a website.  Unfortunately, while battling content farms, Google also inadvertently penalized other sites without perceived "authority"--defined in many ways, but most notably by well-written, quality content.  Notably, Panda penalized small businesses in favor of brand name sites, placing undue emphasis on Amazon and the like for many product searches. Smaller sites couldn't compete, even if they offered equal/or better products at equal/or better prices. Most troublesome, however, was the effect of the update on local sites, like beauty salons or car repair shops. At the time, many browsers experienced the frustration of searching for a good local haircut only to discover a SERP packed with national brands, like Supercuts. People live near Supercuts, of course, but undoubtedly a majority of browsers also prefer to learn about local salons. Google's Panda wasn't doing a great job of revealing this information. Of course, a specific local search could help refine the results. We might search "Philadelphia Hair Salon" instead of "hair salon." But we expect Google to be smarter, don't we? And the reality is that many people still do not specify places when searching--and luckily, for the most part, they don't have to. After two years of complaints, Google acknowledged this problem in 2013.  Since then, Google has made big changes to Panda explicitly to help small businesses. Today, for the most part, the mainstays of good SEO and digital marketing define the local search experience: Good design. Good development. And good content.  Are you nailing all three of these key areas in your digital marketing efforts? If not, Google may penalize your site. 

0 Decoding the Algorithm: On Bias and the Work of SEO

• SEO Algorithms
• by Seth Pollins
• 01.21.2020

SEO is often presented as a collection of tricks and tips. However, the real work of matching unique browsers with unique content is all about decoding (biased) algorithms (Photo Source).  An algorithm is a formula for problem-solving. From Facebook to Netflix, most organizations structure algorithms to streamline core functions. Facebook uses its algorithm, for example, to highlight specific posts for specific users. Netflix's algorithm matches users and movies.  Yet algorithms determine much more than core functions. We tend to equate algorithms with "big problems." For Google, the "problem" is search--how to connect people with content. For Facebook, the "problem" is sociability--how to inspire people to engage and share. For Netflix, the problem is predicting tastes (a problem many believe Netflix has yet to solve). We also tend to equate algorithms with cold precision--pure mathematics. However, the notion of algorithm bias has attracted much attention in recent years. Even before the 2016 election, Gilad Lotan from the startup incubator Betaworks and Kelly McBride from The Poynter Institute talked "algorithm neutrality" at SXSW in Austin.  McBride wrote about the subject quite elegantly on Poynter.org. Her words, over six years old, are worth returning to in light of the upcoming 2020 election: "Algorithms control the marketplace of ideas," McBride wrote. "They grant power to certain information as it flies through the digital space and takes power away from other information..." This used to be the work of gatekeepers, McBride noted, like newspaper editors--flawed human beings, obviously, biased by their own perspectives. It was hard to hold these gatekeepers accountable because their decisions were often private. However, it’s even more difficult to determine algorithm biases. Although engineers make algorithms make judgments based on mathematical principles, most of these judgments are exactly that--judgments, made by biased humans. To display this bias, Lotan noted Twitter's trending topics. In Twitter's infancy, Justin Bieber's fanatical fans, the Beliebers, helped the pop star dominate worldwide trending topics. For better or worse, Bieber was what people were talking about. But Twitter's engineers tweaked the algorithm to "normalize" the content. As Lotan said at SXSW:  "They normalized content…meaning it was much harder for Justin Bieber to trend." McBride added: “Until he gets arrested in Miami and has to pee in front of a camera, and the video is then released. Then Justin Bieber will trend!" Of course, the notion of bias took a new dimension in the 2016 election, and the Internet is awash with articles testifying to the damage of bias with as well as "echo chambers." Strangely, though, you hear little talk of algorithm bias in the SEO community--the same community that spends so much time trying to decode the algorithms. In one way, the SEO specialist's job is similar to journalists like McBride and Lotan, who work to uncover bias. McBride believes that journalists "are the natural check on powerful algorithms," and she offers this solution to algorithm bias: "How can journalists demystify algorithms? First by observing and describing how certain algorithms are working. Then by questioning the assumptions. And finally by reverse-engineering those algorithms to force more transparency into the system." This is precisely the work of SEO. However, the goals are seemingly different. Journalists like McBride are out to save democracy. SEO specialists are out to better connect browsers with relevant information. However, as the SEO specialist works to "decode," he is working as a journalist by trying to make the Internet more democratic--a place where Google's top page is not only dominated by mega-sites like Amazon, a place where those who create relevant, high-quality content can attract the audience they deserve.  SEO Sparta has worked with many businesses throughout the Philadelphia region who sell high-quality products yet have yet to attract the audience they deserve. By decoding the algorithms for these businesses, however, we have often helped to change business trajectories--from failure to success. Unfortunately, many business owners believe in the algorithm bias--and often to the extent that they believe SEO is pointless. What's the point when the algorithm is biased towards the websites with more money and fame? The best answer to this thinking, which itself is a bias, is to present the work of SEO as clearly and simply as possible.