Google is usually very secretive about its search engine algorithms. You never know what to expect in SEO until Google’s already implemented a change.

Not this time. Google admits that using HTTPS increases the SEO rankings of a website:

“We’ve seen positive results, so we’re starting to use HTTPS as a ranking signal. For now it’s only a very lightweight signal — affecting fewer than 1% of global queries, and carrying less weight than other signals such as high-quality content — while we give webmasters time to switch to HTTPS. But over time, we may decide to strengthen it, because we’d like to encourage all website owners to switch from HTTP to HTTPS to keep everyone safe on the web.”

Why is HTTPS so important to Google’s search engine rankings?

1. Google Love Website Security

It’s no shock that Google hates spam and loves security. Using a SSL certification (HTTPS) encryption on your website makes it more secure.

Changing your website address from http:// to https:// makes it more difficult for hackers and technology thugs to steal information. It also gives website visitors a sense of security when they use your website to submit their credit card number or fill out forms online.

2. Google Prefers HTTPS Encryption for SEO Rankings

Websites with using a SSL certificate for HTTPS encryption will rank higher (as long as they are using other white hat SEO strategies).

3. Users Loves Security and Users Could Impact Rankings

The more Google serves up secure websites, the more search engine users will be clicking those links. The increase in user activity to a link could increase search engine rankings for that link.

4. Make the Switch to HTTPS by Mid-2015

Google doesn’t give a deadline as to when HTTPS will trigger more then 1% of an increase in search engine rankings. However, they do say:

“We [want to] give webmasters time to switch to HTTPS. But over time, we may decide to strengthen it, because we’d like to encourage all website owners to switch from HTTP to HTTPS to keep everyone safe on the web.”

Since the original HTTPS change was implemented in August 2014, a good guideline would be to make the change to your website before August 2015.

5. Keep Your URLs in Check

One does not simply add a “s” to their URL and expect to comply with Google’s algorithm change. You will definitely need the help of both a SEO strategist and website developer to ensure that your 301 redirects are implemented correctly. Also, the SEO consultant will need to verify that all search engines are aware of the URL changes for higher search engine indexing.

One More Thing…

If not done correctly, changing to HTTPS could have damaging effects and kill your search engine rankings. This is not a simple flip of a switch, but rather a strategic plan that must be created before attempting this major URL change.

Ultimately, Google considers website security and encryption to be important to deserve an algorithm search engine ranking change.

Now is the time to make the necessary security changes to increase the safety of your website visitors and increase those search engine rankings.

The post HTTPS: A Secure Website is a Higher Ranking Website appeared first on AI SEO Strategist & Technical SEO Leader | Shannon Steffen.

I’m often asked many questions on website domains and SEO URL structure for Google, Yahoo!, and Bing. Most of the time, people are concerned that they don’t have enough keywords in their URLs. However, quality SEO and higher search engine rankings go well above just having the right keywords in your website address.

It’s time we make it easier for Google and Bing use those URLs to increase your search engine rankings.

Here’s 15 Tips to Best Structure Your URLs for Higher Search Engine Rankings…

1. Always Use a Single Domain and Subdomain

If you’re using more than 1 domain or subdomain, the search engines think you have multiple websites. This splits your links and decreases the overall weight of your main domain.

Good: www.awesomedomain.com/blog

Bad: blog.awesomedomain.com

The former put both your blog and website pages on the same domain. The latter puts your blog on an entirely separate domain (as far as the search engines are concerned).

Another example is found more predominantly in the subdomain “www”. You have to choose either “www” or “non-www” for your website domain and redirects the one your are not using to the one you want.

For example, if you type in www.shannonksteffen.com, you will be redirected to shannonksteffen.com without the “www”. I chose to use no “www” but it is up to you which one.

2. Humans and Robots Like Readability

The easier a URL is to read for humans, the easier it is for the search engines.

Good: awesomedomain.com/dogs/puppy-toys

Bad: awesomedomain.com/category_184793/section_8493/session_b903eaa9e427/

The goal is that the URL is clean and easily understood. This increases SEO rankings as well as conversions.

3. Keywords are Good for URLs

If you have the opportunity to have your keywords in the URL, then go for it! The keywords in the URL not only tell the search engines what your page is about, but also tell your visitors that a link is worth clicking on.

Good: awesomedomain.com/top-10-large-breed-dog-toys

Bad: awesomedomain.com/pubs/15541/article

Which would you rather click?

4. Canonicalize Those URLs

I always get a confused look when I start talking to my clients about canonicals. Honestly, they’re easier to understand than they are to say out loud.

If you have 2 URLs that are serving the same content, you need to either 301 redirect them or create a rel=canoncial (if you want to maintain the slightly different version).

Google and Bing look for unique content. Limit the duplicate content by using canonicalization.

5. Watch Dynamic Parameters When Possible

If you have an e-commerce shop, then you’ve probably had ugly URLs that contain multiple parameters.

Ugly URL: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001BXY3MG/ref=s9_simh_gw_p199_d0_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-1

Clean URL: www.amazon.com/dog-products/busy-bone/dental (doesn’t exist)

As you can see from this example, it’s not always possible to clean up those URLs. But, if you do have the option, it’s best to go with the clean URL.

6. Shorter is Better Than Longer

Humans and the search engines love shorter URLs over longer ones. This is mostly with usability and user experience, but my own experience has shown that keyword-dense URLs are also good rankers on the search engines.

Don’t go changing existing URLs though. If you do, you can break all that wonderful link juice.

Use this rule for creating future content and see the results for yourself.

7. Match URLs to Your Page Titles – Some of the Time

Some SEO strategists are set in their ways and believe that you should always match your page title to the URL. I say… yes and no.

If you have a contact page with the title “Contact Us”, you don’t need your URL to be the same.

URL: awesomedoman.com/contact-us/

Page Title: Contact Us For Your Dog Toy Needs

You can use this for keywords, brand names, and more.

8. Leave Behind Stop Words

Drop those words from the URL that don’t make sense. Such words include: “and”, “or”, “but”, “a”, “the”, “of”, and so on. The shorter the URL, the better. These words don’t add value and dilute the URL keywords.

9. Don’t Use Too Many Folders

Humans love to organize their data, but a website is one place you don’t need a folder for everything.

Bad: awesomedomain.com/animals/pets/dogs/puppies/toys/busy-bone-chew

Good: awesomedomain.com/dog-toys/busy-bone-chew

This doesn’t necessarily harm your website’ performance, but it creates a perception of depth that can be confusing – for both humans and the search engines.

10. Be Careful with Case Sensitivity

This one is a little technical so I won’t get all geek on you.

Different servers respond to case-sensitivity differently. If you’re using Microsoft servers, then you may be alright – regardless of upper or lowercase. However, Linux/UNIX can see the upper and lowercase URLs as different content.

When in doubt, always use ALL lowercase in your URLs. This will help prevent any problems occurring in the first place.

11. Use Hyphens and Underscores in Your URLs

My clients are always asking: “Which is better – using underscores or hyphens to separate words in a URL?”

Either works for SEO URL structure – however, my recommendation is to AVOID underscores as they render awkwardly. The underscores come through with all those %20 and that’s just distracting. Hyphens keep the URLs clean and don’t make humans (or search engines) question the validity of the URL.

One more thing…

Google, Bing, Yahoo!, and the other search engines look at 3 main places to understand what a webpage is all about. The first place is always the URL.

If your URL is not structured properly, you can turn off both your target market as well as the search engines.

With these simple 11 tips, you can easier help your search engine rankings.

But please note… if you already have an existing website, any URL structure for SEO changes you make from this point forward can decrease your search engine rankings for a time. When you change a URL, you are essentially breaking every link that exists to your website or webpage. Create a strategy first for creating 301 redirects before you implement any URL changes.

URL structure changes are a great long-term SEO strategy – if done correctly.

The post 11 SEO Best Practices for Structuring URLs appeared first on AI SEO Strategist & Technical SEO Leader | Shannon Steffen.

In the world of web development, the landscape of WordPress design is evolving rapidly.

As digital preferences shift towards more minimalist and efficient web experiences, WordPress has responded by introducing an innovative feature: block patterns. This transformative tool allows developers and designers to create pre-designed block arrangements, significantly streamlining the process of building visually appealing and functional websites.

The surge in block pattern utilization has led to a decrease in the average time spent designing web pages, with developers now able to deploy complex layouts in a fraction of the time previously required.

e5trf 2024

Particularly noteworthy is the rise of modular designs akin to the townhouse model in real estate, representing 1 in 5 WordPress projects. These designs optimize space and resources by emphasizing vertical layouts and minimizing the need for excessive elements, thereby reducing overall project costs and enhancing website performance.

This shift towards using WordPress block patterns marks a significant movement towards democratizing web design, providing a foundation for addressing the digital divide by making high-quality web design more accessible to first-time developers and small business owners.

Here are three takeaways:

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• Efficiency Gains: WordPress`s block patterns significantly reduce the time and effort needed to design web pages.
• Modular Design Popularity: The adoption of modular designs, resembling the townhouse model in real estate, is becoming increasingly popular, making up 20% of WordPress projects. This approach maximizes the use of space and resources, leading to cost savings and improved website performance by emphasizing vertical layouts and reducing unnecessary elements.
• Democratization of Web Design: The introduction of block patterns is a step towards democratizing web design, making it more accessible to beginners and small business owners.

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Building at scale

This is a pivotal step in leveling the playing field in the digital realm, mirroring the residential push towards more affordable housing solutions.

The WordPress community and theme developers are actively contributing to a growing library of block patterns, making it easier for users to find a pattern that suits their needs. Whether you`re building a landing page, a photo gallery, or a complex layout, there`s likely a block pattern ready to use. This democratizes design for non-technical users while offering developers a way to extend WordPress functionality and provide more options to their clients.

John Doe contributed to this article.

The post Boost Your Online Presence: Shannon K Steffen’s Digital Marketing Services appeared first on AI SEO Strategist & Technical SEO Leader | Shannon Steffen.

WordPress block patterns offer a powerful way to create predefined block layouts, enabling users to quickly design pages and posts with a consistent look and feel. These patterns are essentially collections of blocks that are pre-arranged and configured, which you can insert into your posts and pages.

Moreover, the WordPress community and theme developers are actively contributing to a growing library of block patterns, making it easier for users to find a pattern that suits their needs. Whether you’re building a landing page, a photo gallery, or a complex layout, there’s likely a block pattern ready to use. This democratizes design for non-technical users while offering developers a way to extend WordPress functionality and provide more options to their clients.

WordPress block patterns offer a powerful way to create predefined block layouts, enabling users to quickly design pages and posts with a consistent look and feel. These patterns are essentially collections of blocks that are pre-arranged and configured, which you can insert into your posts and pages.

Don`t miss the shift — using WordPress block patterns marks a significant movement towards democratizing web design, providing a foundation for addressing the digital divide by making high-quality web design more accessible.

WordPress`s block patterns significantly reduce the time and effort needed to design web pages.

Modular Design Popularity: The adoption of modular designs, resembling the townhouse model in real estate, is becoming increasingly popular, making up 20% of WordPress projects. This approach maximizes the use of space and resources, leading to cost savings and improved website performance by emphasizing vertical layouts and reducing unnecessary elements.

Democratization of Web Design: The introduction of block patterns is a step towards democratizing web design, making it more accessible to beginners and small business owners.

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RELATED: The introduction of block patterns is a step towards modernizing web design, making it more accessible to beginners and small business owners?

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The post Stay Ahead of the Game: Shannon K Steffen’s SEO Tips and Industry Trends appeared first on AI SEO Strategist & Technical SEO Leader | Shannon Steffen.

WordPress block patterns offer a powerful way to create predefined block layouts, enabling users to quickly design pages and posts with a consistent look and feel. These patterns are essentially collections of blocks that are pre-arranged and configured, which you can insert into your posts and pages.

Moreover, the WordPress community and theme developers are actively contributing to a growing library of block patterns, making it easier for users to find a pattern that suits their needs. Whether you’re building a landing page, a photo gallery, or a complex layout, there’s likely a block pattern ready to use. This democratizes design for non-technical users while offering developers a way to extend WordPress functionality and provide more options to their clients.

WordPress block patterns offer a powerful way to create predefined block layouts, enabling users to quickly design pages and posts with a consistent look and feel. These patterns are essentially collections of blocks that are pre-arranged and configured, which you can insert into your posts and pages.

The post Contact Shannon K Steffen: Unlock Your Online Potential appeared first on AI SEO Strategist & Technical SEO Leader | Shannon Steffen.

WordPress block patterns offer a powerful way to create predefined block layouts, enabling users to quickly design pages and posts with a consistent look and feel. These patterns are essentially collections of blocks that are pre-arranged and configured, which you can insert into your posts and pages.

Moreover, the WordPress community and theme developers are actively contributing to a growing library of block patterns, making it easier for users to find a pattern that suits their needs. Whether you`re building a landing page, a photo gallery, or a complex layout, there`s likely a block pattern ready to use. This democratizes design for non-technical users while offering developers a way to extend WordPress functionality and provide more options to their clients.

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WordPress block patterns offer a powerful way to create predefined block layouts, enabling users to quickly design pages and posts with a consistent look and feel. These patterns are essentially collections of blocks that are pre-arranged and configured, which you can insert into your posts and pages.

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