Unwired Web Solutions

Success... Optimized.

What You Need to Know About Content Delivery Networks

by

With Google’s new Page Experiment set to roll out in June, our search engine optimization Waterloo specialists are spending more time and research into user experience improvements. One of the most important aspects that website owners should be aware of is the loading time and visual stability. 

Because of this new rollout by Google, many websites will drop in ranking due to poor site performance. However, for those who are ready for the changes, it could mean a rise in rankings. One of the best ways to ensure your site’s speed is up to Google’s standards is with a content delivery network (CDN).

What is a Content Delivery Network?

A content delivery network consists of various geographically distributed servers which can distribute website content. Websites that don’t use CDN’s rely on a single server to distribute content to all site visitors, no matter if they are located across the world or right down the street. On the other hand, a site that uses a CDN will get content delivered to them from the closest server. 

CDN servers are often placed at internet exchange points. Also known as IXPs, these physical locations are where internet service providers connect and exchange traffic. So, when a user requests a page, the content is delivered via the server that is closest geographically. This means that when the user requests a page, it can load faster. 

One of the main qualifiers for Google’s page experiment will be page loading times. This means it is time for SEO professionals and business owners to make loading speed a priority. By utilizing a CDN, not only will your pages will load faster, but you can increase bandwidth and lower overhead costs for servers. 

As SEO and user experience are intertwined, Google has long considered using each to determine search rankings. In the past, they have taken business owners by surprise by changing their algorithms which forced SEO professionals to conduct large-scale research to analyze the changes. This time around, Google is giving fair warning to what the changes will be, so you have plenty of time to get your site ready. 

Site Safety

Content Delivery Networks not only help to speed up the loading of website pages, but they can also include analytics and insight reports as part of the package. This important information may include audience analytics, security event analysis, and view diagnostics. 

Using a CDN can also help to protect sites against denial of service (DDoS) attacks. Since CDNs distribute content to numerous servers, it prevents DDoS attacks from affecting the original server. 

Another great security feature of a CDN is that if a server within the network is attacked suddenly or has more traffic than it can handle, the request will simply reroute to another server. By ensuring website security and improving user experience, SEO will be affected for the better. 

Plan Ahead

If you are unsure whether your website will hold up against Google’s new algorithm, our search engine optimization Waterloo specialists can help get it in order before you get penalized. It is important to audit your site and mark down any problems that may interfere with Google’s changes and get them cleared up before it is too late. 

After each new algorithm change, there are always sites that rise up the rankings and those that fall flat. Be sure your site is ready with the help of your experts. Contact us today before the new algorithm change undoes months of your SEO efforts overnight. 

Do You Need A Website If You Have Social Media

by

In this world of social media, one question that often comes up is, “Do I still need a website if I have social media?” The answer is simple. Yes. Our web design Kitchener experts explain why you still need a website, even if you have a business profile on all social media platforms. 

While social media is a great way to reach out to potential customers, a website is where you can educate people about your business. There is a long list of advantages to having your own website, even if you have a solid social media presence. 

Think of it this way; having your business on social media is like couch surfing. No matter how welcome you feel, you are always still in someone else’s home. With your website, you have your own home. 

Creative Freedom

When you have your own website, you get to choose the information that visitors see. You also get to decide how to present it in a way that reflects your brand. People will often remember your business based on the design of your website. With more creative freedom, you can present your information the way you desire. Twitter only has a 280 character limit, and Instagram stories max out at 15 seconds. On a website of your own, you can control how much you want to say or how long of a video you want your potential customers to see. 

Inspire More Trust

Having a website for your business and credibility among your customers go hand-in-hand. A 2017 Local Search Association survey found that search engines have a high level of trust with consumers. In fact, they recorded that when it comes time to make a purchase, the only source shoppers trust more than search engines is company websites. This compares to the steep decline found in the public’s trust of social media. Fake news scandals and data breaches are to thank for the lack of confidence in these platforms. 

When people search for a business, they commonly ask their phone or Alexa to look it up. They will very rarely look it up across social media. In fact, over 80 percent of the population relies on search to find what they are looking for. Without a website, your business or page is a lot less visible to people outside of social media networks. 

A website also gives you the freedom to influence how your business will appear in search results. By incorporating SEO practices, you can get your website to rank higher for the keywords that your audience uses. By using a Google Business Profile listing, you can also get better visibility to local customers. 

The Disappearance of Social Media Pages

If your only point of contact with your customers is through social media, the information is available at the discretion of the social network. If, for any reason, your account becomes suspended, your information disappears from public view until things get sorted out. If the network decides to ban your account altogether or close it down, your information is lost for good. 

Of course, losing your social media account is rare. However, it does happen. It is not just the fringe figures who get banned for extreme speech. There have been many cases of business profiles being shut down for mistaken identity or because spam got into their account. 

Beautiful, Strategic Websites

Bottom line, you need a website. There are so many options available to create beautiful, strategic websites it has never been easier to have an online presence. Here at Unwired Web Solutions, we provide web design Kitchener businesses can trust. We know the local market and have experience in building a reach in the local community.

If you are looking for a reliable SEO company that you can count on, reach out to us today! 

How Black Hat Techniques Could Be Destroying Your SEO

by

If you have never heard of black hat techniques, you are not alone. Most people do not know the name of these techniques, but they are still guilty of using them whether they realize it or not. While most SEO and website owners don’t intentionally deceive search engines, ignorance is no excuse. Using these unethical strategies to get ahead in search ranking will inevitably get you penalized. Turn to our team of content marketing services Canada specialists if you believe there are black hat techniques on your site that may be hindering your objectives. 

Appearing in search results is vital for business growth, but there is a right and a wrong way to climb the ranking ladder. The dark art of black hat SEO is a practice against search engine guidelines that are often used to get a site ranking higher in search results. Instead of earning the right to rank highly with search engines, black hat techniques use back door ways to trick the search engines into driving more traffic to your site. 

The purpose of search engines like Google is to provide the best results when someone searches. They want to provide results that meet their requests and ensure a great search experience. They want their products to include the most accurate information for the customer without having any spam. 

Search engine algorithms have gotten more sophisticated over time, which is why you should never use black hat SEO techniques at all costs. They will eventually recognize and penalize those engaging in black hat SEO which would be damaging to your site. 

Keyword Stuffing

One of the most common types of black hat SEO techniques is keyword stuffing. Those creating their own websites often don’t understand the correct placement of keywords or how to use them. Stuffing keywords into the text on the page or filling content with irrelevant keywords will not only create a bad experience for users, it may also cause your page to rank for unrelated queries.  

Conduct regular keyword searches to find out what people are searching for, but don’t overuse them in your content. Try to concentrate on creating valuable content that focuses on topics over keywords. 

Poor Quality Content

Content is one of the most important factors in SEO. Google recently changed its algorithms to help find sites that offer great content while keeping the customer engaged. It recognizes sites that also provide original content. At one time, it could not acknowledge content that had been copied from other websites. However, Google and other search engines can now easily find sites that merely copy content from others to try and gain ranking status. 

Try and offer quality content with helpful information that will keep your customer engaged. Many businesses provide writing services to help with the text on your site. 

Link Farms

This may not seem like a bad idea to people just starting with their business, but Google will find you and punish you if you use a link farm. Link farms are collections of websites that are developed solely for the purpose of link building. Search engines rank websites by looking at the number of links that point to the site. The more links pointing give it credibility. 

People can pay a fee to a link farm and have a bunch of links pointed to their website. These link farms generally offer low-quality content and lots of links which makes them easily found by Google. While it may be tempting to pay for links to point at your website when you are a new business, having no links is better than getting punished by Google for being associated with a link farm. Once you have fantastic content, data, graphics and other valuable content on your site, you will naturally acquire backlinks over time. 

These are just a few examples of black hat SEO techniques that could likely damage your presence in search engines rather than improve it. By working with reputable content marketing services Canada experts, you can be assured that your site only utilizes white hat SEO techniques. These types of SEO techniques will enhance your ranking with search engines rather than hinder it. 

For more information on how we can help with your SEO, contact our team today!

Why Headings Are Important for SEO

by

Consumers are constantly bombarded with content throughout the day. To keep up, people have developed short attention spans. Headers help readers to skim through information and determine what to read and why. It also breaks up chunks of information, so it appears less overwhelming. Did you know your SEO company also prioritizes headers because it helps with search engine optimization?

Why Google Cares About Headers

Google has built a solid reputation for being able to answer people’s most pressing questions. Its brand name has become synonymous with searching for information online. To accomplish this, Google uses algorithms to determine how well a page speaks to the specific query posed during a search.

Headers call out the importance of specific topics throughout a web page. If an article or page contains headers that include the keyword from the search query, the page might rank higher. While headers are not the only weighted factors Google considers, it is one of the most important.

How Headers Align With Featured Snippets

For years, companies competed for the position of the first result on a page. Now, companies work hard to earn search position zero or the featured snippet. Google sometimes uses a paragraph or a few sentences to answer a question. However, it often compiles a list of the headers in the article, particularly when those headers are numbered and form part of a process.

It’s important to note that headers do not necessarily carry weight by themselves. Instead, they provide context so that Google bots can better understand the bigger picture. This, in turn, increases the weight provided to the content, which also improves where it ranks.

Why the Specific Headers Do Not Matter

In the past, bloggers and marketers used Title formats for the title of the page or article. Then, they used H1 headers throughout the article. Over the years, this practice changed to make H2 the first subheader throughout the article. Reports from top Google workers imply that this might result more in cosmetic than SEO benefits.

Google does not, at present, seem to weigh different headers more than others. It might, however, help Google to organize information better. For example, H3 headers might create a list under a specific H2 header. Without that change, Google bots might not immediately understand how to organize the information in a featured snippet.

How Headers Align With Images

Google increasingly turns to images for context clues about the body of an article and vice versa. In fact, images can rank separately in searches, even when people do not explicitly look for images. Headings above photos are one of the contextual clues that Google uses to determine what images mean.

It’s worth noting that headings are not the only tools Google uses to understand images. It also relies on alt text and other markup data. Sometimes, even the name of the file can be helpful.

How the Right SEO Company Can Help

Google makes minor updates to its algorithm daily and makes more significant updates a few times each year. Whenever this happens, big websites wait with bated breath to see how the new algorithm might rank their websites. This is nerve-racking and can feel more like a gamble than a strategy. When you work with a trusted SEO company, we do the reverse engineering for you and adjust your content accordingly. This allows you to enjoy greater consistency in how well you rank.

An important consideration is that Google aims to create bots and search engines that follow the same line of thought as the people it serves. With this goal in mind, it continually encourages marketers to create high-quality content instead of focusing on SEO. 

Would you like to work with SEO professionals who write compelling content to nurture existing customers and attract new ones? Contact Unwired Web Solutions and ask for your free quote.

The Importance of a Mobile-Friendly Website

by

You understand the importance of a strong online presence to the success of your business. That’s why you have invested time and money in a strong content marketing strategy that incorporates search engine optimization. If you’ve noticed that, despite efforts such as these, your pages are not generating the rankings and traffic that they should, it may be that your website is not mobile-friendly. Fortunately, a website design company Waterloo specialist may be able to help redesign your site for better compatibility.

What Is a Mobile-Friendly Website?

A mobile-friendly website has been modified for better display and functionality on a device with a smaller screen. Compare your desktop monitor to your smartphone screen, and you’ll notice some significant differences between the two. Not only is your monitor screen larger, but it is also wider. While you can turn your smartphone to display in landscape view, many people using their smartphones to use the internet do not. Therefore, a website that is not optimized for mobile devices does not fit well on a smartphone screen. The text may be too tiny to read, or the consumer may have to do a lot of swiping, pinching, and zooming to see all the content.

Why Is a Mobile-Friendly Website Important?

It hasn’t even been 15 years since Apple introduced the first smartphone, but since that time, the devices have become an indispensable part of many people’s lives. A majority of Canadians — 85% — own a smartphone, and since 2014, more people worldwide use mobile devices to access the internet than a desktop computer. The average user spends nearly 2 1/2 hours out of every day interacting with his or her smartphone. Tracked individually, the total number of smartphone engagements averages about 200 per day.

All of this means that your customer base is far more likely to engage with your website on a mobile device than on a desktop computer. Having a mobile-friendly website allows you to meet consumers where they are.

Mobile-Friendly Website

How Is It Detrimental if Your Website Is Not Mobile-Friendly?

Since most of your customers are probably going to access your website with a smartphone or tablet, their user experience is likely to be frustrating if your website is not mobile-friendly. If customers cannot read your website or find what they are looking for easily, they are unlikely to linger on it for very long. As a result, you may see high bounce rates for a website that is not mobile-friendly. In other words, people may visit but do not linger on your site for very long. A mobile-friendly site that is easy to search, navigate, and read encourages smartphone and tablet users to stay longer and look around at all you have to offer.

It may be that having a website that is not mobile-friendly prevents customers from finding your site in the first place. Since at least 2016, Google has used mobile-friendliness as a factor for ranking sites in web searches, and in 2018, it became a minimum requirement due to mobile-first indexing. Because of these changes, you may not be making it onto the first page of search results if your website isn’t mobile-friendly. Since a majority of people performing web searches do not look past the first page of results, your website may as well be invisible if it isn’t ranking.

How Can a Website Design Company Waterloo Help You?

It is important to note that a website that has been resized to fit on a smartphone screen isn’t necessarily mobile-friendly. A truly mobile-friendly website provides the user with an optimum experience through elements designed with their habits in mind. A cookie-cutter solution won’t do. That’s why Unwired Web Solutions works with you to create a custom experience geared toward your targeted demographic. Find out more about our design process for mobile development.