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<p><a href="https://brytdesigns.com/static-vs-dynamic-website">When browsing the internet</a>, users occasionally come across 400 status codes, which are errors that indicate something has gone wrong. For instance, the 400 status code indicates that a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) bad request has been made. This status code occurs because the server will not or cannot <a href="https://brytdesigns.com/next-js-and-react">process a user’s request</a> because of a perceived client error. This error could be the result of deceptive request routing or an invalid framing for a request message.</p><div class="lwptoc lwptoc-autoWidth lwptoc-light lwptoc-notInherit" data-smooth-scroll="1" data-smooth-scroll-offset="24"><div class="lwptoc_i">    <div class="lwptoc_header" style="font-size:175%;">
        <b class="lwptoc_title">Highlights</b>                    <span class="lwptoc_toggle">
                <a href="#" class="lwptoc_toggle_label" data-label="show">hide</a>
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<div class="lwptoc_items lwptoc_items-visible" style="font-size:125%;">
    <div class="lwptoc_itemWrap"><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#What_Is_the_410_Gone_Error">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">What Is the “410 Gone” Error?</span>
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    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#What_Causes_the_410_Gone_Error">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">2</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">What Causes the “410 Gone” Error?</span>
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                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">The Difference Between the “410 Gone” and the “404 Not Found” Error</span>
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    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Diagnosing_410_Gone_errors">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">4</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Diagnosing 410 Gone errors</span>
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    <div class="lwptoc_itemWrap"><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Client_Side">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">4.1</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Client Side</span>
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    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Server_Side">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">4.2</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Server Side</span>
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                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">5</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">How To Fix the “410 Gone” Error (2 Methods)</span>
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    <div class="lwptoc_itemWrap"><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Method_1_Investigating_a_Client-side_410_Gone_Error">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">5.1</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Method 1: Investigating a Client-side “410 Gone” Error</span>
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    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Method_2_Investigating_a_Server-side_410_Gone_Error">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">5.2</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Method 2: Investigating a Server-side “410 Gone” Error</span>
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<p>When you type in an URL incorrectly, you would likely see a 404 error, which states that the web page you want access to doesn’t exist. In the event that the page is deleted altogether, you could receive a less common “410 Gone” status code that makes it impossible to access the page in question.</p>



<p>There are several things you can do to correct the “410 Gone” error <a href="https://brytdesigns.com/headless-cms-future-proofing">with your website</a>. For instance, you could take a look through your site logs and make changes to your server that fix the problem. You could also troubleshoot the specific error through the client side by <strong>making sure that new plugins are uninstalled and recent updates are rolled back</strong>. In this guide, you’ll find out all you need to know about the 410 status code and how you can fix it.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="717" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/visuals-JpTY4gUviJM-unsplash-1024x717.jpg" alt="404 error" class="wp-image-4835" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/visuals-JpTY4gUviJM-unsplash-1024x717.jpg 1024w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/visuals-JpTY4gUviJM-unsplash-300x210.jpg 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/visuals-JpTY4gUviJM-unsplash-1536x1075.jpg 1536w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/visuals-JpTY4gUviJM-unsplash.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="What_Is_the_410_Gone_Error">What Is the “410 Gone” Error?</span></h2>



<p>When a user clicks on any web page, the browser they’re using will send a request over to the server the website is hosted on. Once this request is processed, the server sends back the necessary site files, which results in the requested information being displayed to the user.</p>



<p>Even though the user doesn’t see this process taking place, the server also sends over a status code in the form of an HTTP header. This code indicates if the request has failed or is successful. The various types of status codes that can occur include:</p>



<ul><li>100s – Informational requests</li><li>200s – Successful requests</li><li>300s – Redirects</li><li>400s – Client-side errors</li><li>500s – Server-side errors</li></ul>



<p>When you see the “410 Gone” error, it means that the resource that the user wants to gain access to has, for some reason, been permanently deleted. The 410 error can be displayed in numerous ways, which include:</p>



<ul><li>Gone</li><li>410 Gone</li><li>Error 410</li><li>HTTP Status 410</li></ul>



<p>When you own a website, it’s highly recommended that you <strong>monitor all status codes and make sure to fix errors as they develop</strong>. In the event that a new visitor tries to enter your website but is greeted by a “410 Gone” error, you should know why this error has occurred.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="768" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/max-chen-lud4OaUCP4Q-unsplash-1024x768.jpg" alt="error code" class="wp-image-4836" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/max-chen-lud4OaUCP4Q-unsplash-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/max-chen-lud4OaUCP4Q-unsplash-300x225.jpg 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/max-chen-lud4OaUCP4Q-unsplash-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/max-chen-lud4OaUCP4Q-unsplash.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="What_Causes_the_410_Gone_Error">What Causes the “410 Gone” Error?</span></h2>



<p>There are several reasons why the “410 Gone” error can be displayed. While this status code is considered one of the 400 HTTP status codes, it doesn’t only exist as a client-side error, which means that it can occur on the server side as well.</p>



<p>If a user makes a mistake when they type in an URL, they might encounter a “404 Not Found” error. However a 410 error can take place if the resource has existed in the past but the server has been configured to return this code.</p>



<p>In the event that you’ve made some recent changes to the Content Management System (CMS) you use, it’s possible to accidentally trigger this status code. There are also times when <strong>adding new plugins, extensions, or updates to your database could result in this error showing up</strong>.</p>



<p>Keep in mind that the 410 error can be caused by improper server configuration as well. By searching through your log files to detect 410 redirects, you should be able to locate the source of the problem. This status code could also be intentional. When you run a limited-time promotion on your site, the page for this promotion will eventually become unavailable to users. If an individual enters the promotional link after the sale is over, they can be redirected to the “410 Gone” error.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="The_Difference_Between_the_410_Gone_and_the_404_Not_Found_Error">The Difference Between the “410 Gone” and the “404 Not Found” Error</span></h2>



<p>While the “404 Not Found” and “410 Gone” errors tell the user that the resource is unable to be sent, there are a few differences between these status codes.</p>



<p>The “404 Not Found” error occurs on a regular basis but is a temporary issue. Even though the resource doesn’t exist at the moment, it could be the result of too much traffic on the website or a similar problem that can be quickly resolved. If you enter the URL a few hours later, the issue could be fixed.</p>



<p>In comparison, the “410 Gone” error indicates that the page that’s been requested has been deleted permanently. If a search crawler finds this status code, <strong>it will immediately de-index the given link</strong>. This error can also tell other site owners to get rid of this link from their own content. While these errors can be placed intentionally, you should fix them if they occur on their own to avoid website performance problems.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="768" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/erik-mclean-2s_8Y9sNEWA-unsplash-1024x768.jpg" alt="404 not found" class="wp-image-4838" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/erik-mclean-2s_8Y9sNEWA-unsplash-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/erik-mclean-2s_8Y9sNEWA-unsplash-300x225.jpg 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/erik-mclean-2s_8Y9sNEWA-unsplash-1536x1153.jpg 1536w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/erik-mclean-2s_8Y9sNEWA-unsplash.jpg 1919w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px"></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Diagnosing_410_Gone_errors">Diagnosing 410 Gone errors</span></h2>



<p>As mentioned previously, “410 Gone” errors can be client-side or server-side errors. The following details how to diagnose these issues.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Client_Side">Client Side</span></h3>



<p>A client-side issue is something that originates from the user as opposed to the server that your website is hosted on. There are two primary reasons that a client-side “410 Gone” error can occur, which include an incorrect URL and changes to the platform/application.</p>



<p>In most cases, the user entering an incorrect URL results in the 410 error. While inputting an incorrect URL typically leads to a “404 Not Found” error, the 410 error can pop up if the resource was present but the server was set to return the 410 code.</p>



<p>Platform or application changes occur when you’re using a CMS like Joomla or WordPress. Adding modules, upgrades, or plugins to the CMS can lead to unexpected issues that are difficult to plan for. If you’ve just recently made one of these changes and are now noticing a 410 error, think about reverting the changes you’ve made until you can identify why this problem has developed. <strong>Some modules and plugins require database verification when you uninstall them</strong>.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Server_Side">Server Side</span></h3>



<p>A server-side error can occur because of unwanted redirects. First, you should investigate your logs. The exact location of your log files depends on the server you’re using. Once you find these files, open them and search for 410 errors. You should then be given information about where the 410 error originated.</p>



<p>The next step is to <strong>check the configuration file for any unwanted redirects</strong>. In the event that you’re using Apache, you’ll be tasked with checking the server configuration file along with the .htaccess file. When using Nginx, make sure that you look through the nginx.conf file.</p>



<p>Once you enter these files, perform a search for “410”. If any results are displayed, try to find out what the redirect is doing. You might need to make modifications to the file or remove the redirect entirely.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="How_To_Fix_the_410_Gone_Error_2_Methods">How To Fix the “410 Gone” Error (2 Methods)</span></h2>



<p>There are two distinct methods that are used to fixed “410 Gone” errors. The one you use depends on whether the error is a server-side error or a client-side error. <strong>Back up your website before troubleshooting</strong>.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Method_1_Investigating_a_Client-side_410_Gone_Error">Method 1: Investigating a Client-side “410 Gone” Error</span></h3>



<p>The steps in this process involve:</p>



<ul><li>Checking the requested URL</li><li>Rolling back recent updates</li><li>Uninstalling extensions and plugins</li></ul>



<p>Client-side errors are relatively easy to fix since you won’t need to edit any files. First, check the requested URL. If you’ve accidentally input the wrong URL, you may be given this code. Try reentering the address. If you continue to see the 410 status code, search for the specific site page by entering a few words into the Google search engine. From here, check if the link is still active.</p>



<p>If you get the “410 Gone” error no matter how you enter your website, you should roll back any of the recent updates you’ve made to older versions. It’s possible that newer tools resulted in unexpected issues.</p>



<p>If you have a previous version of your website backed up, restoring the old version should be simple. The CMS you use determines what steps need to be taken to restore an older version of your website. Once you’ve restored your website, check to see if you still get the “410 Gone” error. If so, additional steps should be taken.</p>



<p>The third step involves uninstalling plugins and extensions. If any plugin you’ve installed changes your redirects or URL structure, the 410 error could be displayed. Uninstalling these plugins may be enough to resolve the issue. Start by deactivating all plugins at once, which <strong>can be done from the “Plugins” page that’s found on your WordPress dashboard</strong>.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading"><span id="Method_2_Investigating_a_Server-side_410_Gone_Error">Method 2: Investigating a Server-side “410 Gone” Error</span></h3>



<p>The steps involved with this method include:</p>



<ul><li>Review your website logs</li><li>Debug your site</li><li>Verify server configuration</li></ul>



<p>If you’ve implemented all of the client-side fixes but find that the “410 Gone” error is still being displayed, it may be time to investigate it as a server-side error. The first step involves reviewing your site logs. You should be able to get to your website logs from your CMS dashboard.</p>



<p>Once you’ve entered the log viewer, choose access.log from the menu. You’ll then be able to view all HTTP requests for your site. <strong>Scan these requests for 410 errors to identify the pages that are currently down</strong>.</p>



<p>The second step of this process is to debug your website. You can do so with the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/query-monitor/">Query Monitor plugin</a>. This tool can be used to <strong>view performance of database queries, HTTP API calls, enqueued scripts, and PHP errors</strong>. Once this plugin has been downloaded and installed, you can monitor server-side HTTP requests by selecting “HTTP API Calls” in the dashboard.</p>



<p>If you find any errors, the third step is to verify your server configuration. Your site comes with a .htaccess file that includes rules about server configuration. If changes have been made to this file recently, the “410 Gone” error could be created. You’ll likely need to connect to your server to open site files, which can be done with a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcontentmanagement/definition/Secure-File-Transfer-Protocol-SSH-File-Transfer-Protocol">Secure File Transfer Protocol</a> client. If you find any changes in the file as well as rules that consist of a “Redirect 410”, delete them.</p>



<p>Status codes can be displayed for any number of reasons. While “410 Gone” codes can be useful if you want users to know a site page is no longer active, they can be harmful if you didn’t intend to use them. The steps detailed above should help you fix any unexplained 410 status code you encounter.</p>


The 410 Status Code: What It Is and How to Fix It

Top Website Trends and Key Features in 2019

<p>Do you want to change the content in the footer of your website but just can’t figure it out? We’re here to help!</p><div class="lwptoc lwptoc-autoWidth lwptoc-light lwptoc-notInherit" data-smooth-scroll="1" data-smooth-scroll-offset="24"><div class="lwptoc_i">    <div class="lwptoc_header" style="font-size:175%;">
        <b class="lwptoc_title">Highlights</b>                    <span class="lwptoc_toggle">
                <a href="#" class="lwptoc_toggle_label" data-label="show">hide</a>
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<div class="lwptoc_items lwptoc_items-visible" style="font-size:125%;">
    <div class="lwptoc_itemWrap"><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#TLDR_Links">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">TL:DR Links</span>
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                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">2</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Edit the footer widget content and features</span>
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                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">3</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Edit footer code and content via footer.php</span>
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    <div class="lwptoc_itemWrap"><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Edit_footerphp_via_the_WordPress_dashboard">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">3.1</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Edit footer.php via the WordPress dashboard</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Edit_footerphp_via_FTP">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">3.2</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Edit footer.php via FTP</span>
    </a>
    </div></div></div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Edit_footer_content_via_theme_options">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">4</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Edit footer content via theme options</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Conclusion">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">5</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Conclusion</span>
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    </div></div></div>
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<p>We get this question a lot so we figured we’d write a guide on how to manage the content in the footer of your website including copy, dynamic widgets, theme features, colors, and more.</p>
<h4><span id="TLDR_Links">TL:DR Links</span></h4>
<p><a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/edit-wordpress-footer-content-widgets#widgets">Edit the footer widget content and features</a><br>
<a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/edit-wordpress-footer-content-widgets#footerCode">Edit footer content and code via footer.php</a><br>
<a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/edit-wordpress-footer-content-widgets#themeOptions">Edit footer content via Theme Options</a></p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-1163 size-full" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/wordpress-widgets.jpg" alt="WordPress Widgets list and sidebars" width="1189" height="589" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/wordpress-widgets.jpg 1189w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/wordpress-widgets-300x149.jpg 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/wordpress-widgets-1024x507.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 1189px) 100vw, 1189px"></p>
<h2 id="widgets"><span id="Edit_the_footer_widget_content_and_features">Edit the footer widget content and features</span></h2>
<p>Looking to add an <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/best-wordpress-event-registration-plugins-2019/">event registration plugin</a> form to your website? Perhaps you want to add a dynamic <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/best-wordpress-store-locator-plugins/">store locator plugin</a> feature to a column in your footer to show customers where they can find you? This can all be done and more from your WordPress admin dashboard!</p>
<p>First, log in to your WordPress admin at www.(your site).com/wp-admin/. Once you’re logged in, <strong>click “Appearance”, then “Widgets”.</strong></p>
<p>From here, you will see all the widgets used with your theme including widgets for sidebars, page elements, and the website footer. Edit the necessary widgets or add/remove widgets to various areas of your website.</p>
<p>Widgets you’ll typically find here include but are not limited to: recent blog posts, social media feeds, archive lists, search widgets, comments and more! Don’t see what you’re looking for? You can add more widgets to your website by <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/essential-wordpress-plugins/">adding WordPress plugins to your website</a> via the WordPress Plugins menu item.</p>
<p>The left hand side of this page will contain all available widgets, the right will display dynamic sidebars your theme is using. Add a widget by selecting a widget and then selecting the sidebar you’d like to display the widget in. Don’t forget to hit Update to save your changes!</p>
<h2 id="footerCode"><span id="Edit_footer_code_and_content_via_footerphp">Edit footer code and content via footer.php</span></h2>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1165" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/footer-php-wp-editor.jpg" alt="Footer.php in the WordPress editor" width="1727" height="569" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/footer-php-wp-editor.jpg 1727w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/footer-php-wp-editor-300x99.jpg 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/footer-php-wp-editor-1024x337.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 1727px) 100vw, 1727px"></p>
<h3><span id="Edit_footerphp_via_the_WordPress_dashboard">Edit footer.php via the WordPress dashboard</span></h3>
<p>Use this method if you’re not familiar with FTP, don’t have your hosting server’s login credentials, or if you don’t have a preferred development environment.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1164" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/wordpress-heads-up-editor.jpg" alt="Heads up WordPress editor notification" width="510" height="369" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/wordpress-heads-up-editor.jpg 510w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/wordpress-heads-up-editor-300x217.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 510px) 100vw, 510px"></p>
<p>First, log in to your WordPress admin at www.(your site).com/wp-admin/. Once you’re logged in, <strong>click “Appearance”, then “Editor”.</strong> This is your built in WordPress code editor. When you navigate to this page, WordPress will notify you that making changes to these files can harm the functionality of your site — if you’re comfortable with code and know what you’re doing — click “I understand”.</p>
<p>Next, look for the file labeled “footer.php” in the sidebar on the right to open the file. From here you can make any changes to the file you’d like and they will reflect on your website!</p>
<p>Don’t forget to always hit “Update” after making changes or your changes will not be saved! It’s also always good practice to save a backup of the file before making changes so you can revert to a previous version of the file if you do make mistakes.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-1169 size-full" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/footer-code-bg.jpg" alt="Footer.php WordPress code" width="1251" height="632" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/footer-code-bg.jpg 1251w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/footer-code-bg-300x152.jpg 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/footer-code-bg-1024x517.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 1251px) 100vw, 1251px"></p>
<h3><span id="Edit_footerphp_via_FTP">Edit footer.php via FTP</span></h3>
<p>Use this method if you’re familiar with FTP software and have a favorite code editor. The WordPress editor is not quite up to par with sublime text, atom, and the like — using the FTP method will allow you to edit the file in your own dev environment.</p>
<p>First, connect to your hosting server via FTP. Then, navigate to your root folder, then <strong>/wp-content/themes/(name of the theme you are using)/</strong>. In the theme folder you’ll find footer.php — download this file to your local machine.</p>
<p>Open the file, edit the desired code, save, upload the file via FTP and overwrite the footer.php file on the server and done!</p>
<p>Typically, and all themes can be different, you want to <strong>look for the &lt;footer&gt; element with the ID “colophon”.</strong> In this element you’ll find dynamic sidebars for footer widgets, copyright code (powered by wordpress, all rights reserved, etc.), and anything contained in your website footer.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1166" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/change-footer-content-via-wp-customizer-e1548793785301.jpg" alt="Edit footer content via WordPress Customizer" width="730" height="290"></p>
<h2 id="themeOptions"><span id="Edit_footer_content_via_theme_options">Edit footer content via theme options</span></h2>
<p>Note: all themes are different and there is no “one size fits all solution”</p>
<p>First, log in to your WordPress admin at www.(your site).com/wp-admin/. Once you’re logged in, click “Appearance”.</p>
<p>From here, you may see a <strong>menu item labeled “Theme Options”</strong> or the name of your current theme — if you do see this, click that — if not, move on to the next paragraph. From here, you should see a new page with a list of menu options, look for anything related to your “footer”, “branding” or “general”. Somewhere on one of these pages you will find an area to edit footer content, colors, copyright text, etc. Don’t forget to save your changes!</p>
<p><strong>If you don’t see a “Theme Options” or the name of your theme under “Appearance”, click “Customize”</strong>. Often themes will include their customization options directly in the WordPress Customizer. From here, you should see a new page with a list of menu options, look for anything related to your “footer”, “branding” or “general”. Somewhere on one of these pages you will find an area to edit footer content, colors, copyright text, etc. Don’t forget to save your changes!</p>
<h2><span id="Conclusion">Conclusion</span></h2>
<p>It can be extremely frustrating when you can’t figure out where to edit certain areas of your website. Hopefully we were able to ease some of that frustration for you, if you have any questions or would like us to write a guide for anything else web development, design, or search marketing related — <em>let us know in the comments below!</em></p>


How to Edit the WordPress Footer Content & Widgets

<p>Ever wonder why you can’t see the recent changes to your website but your developer can? Or does your website look different on one device versus another? This happens all the time and can be an incredibly frustrating issue when you’re making updates to your website.</p><div class="lwptoc lwptoc-autoWidth lwptoc-light lwptoc-notInherit" data-smooth-scroll="1" data-smooth-scroll-offset="24"><div class="lwptoc_i">    <div class="lwptoc_header" style="font-size:175%;">
        <b class="lwptoc_title">Highlights</b>                    <span class="lwptoc_toggle">
                <a href="#" class="lwptoc_toggle_label" data-label="show">hide</a>
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            </div>
<div class="lwptoc_items lwptoc_items-visible" style="font-size:125%;">
    <div class="lwptoc_itemWrap"><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Quick_Links">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Quick Links</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#What_is_browser_caching">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">2</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">What is browser caching?</span>
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                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">5</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">How to clear browser cache on Mozilla Firefox</span>
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                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">How to clear browser cache on Internet Explorer/Edge</span>
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                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">7</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Conclusion</span>
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<p>In this article, we’re going to show you how to get around this issue once and for all!</p>
<h3><span id="Quick_Links">Quick Links</span></h3>
<p><a href="#chrome">Clear browser cache on Google Chrome</a><br>
<a href="#safari">Clear browser cache on Apple Safari</a><br>
<a href="#firefox">Clear browser cache on Mozilla Firefox</a><br>
<a href="#ie">Clear browser cache on Internet Explorer/Edge</a></p>
<h2><span id="What_is_browser_caching">What is browser caching?</span></h2>
<p><strong>Browser caching is a method by which your browser stores information about visited page content and assets in order to reduce the load time of a page.</strong> Rather than re-downloading all of the code, content, and media each time you visit a page, your browser has a saved version of the page and serves up this information in order to improve your browsing experience.</p>
<p>Many websites which have not been optimized for performance will contain large files and media which will dramatically increase the time a user has to wait before they can view the page. This is a common oversight many businesses make and failure to address this issue can result in decreased conversion rates, higher bounce rates, and overall less customer satisfaction!</p>
<p>While many websites have their own server-side caching systems in place, you can control what your own browser stores in its cache. Below is a list of some of the current most popular web browsers and how you can easily clear your browser cache in order to see the latest version of a website.</p>
<h2 id="chrome"><span id="How_to_clear_browser_cache_on_Google_Chrome">How to clear browser cache on Google Chrome</span></h2>
<blockquote><p><strong>Windows</strong> keyboard shortcut: <strong>control + shift + R</strong><br>
<strong>Mac</strong> keyboard shortcut: <strong>command + shift + R</strong></p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Tip</strong>: you can use <strong>Google’s Incognito mode</strong> (<strong>control — or command on mac + shift + N</strong> with a Chrome window open) to view a webpage with no stored cookies or caching data to see the latest version of a website.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1108" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/chrome-incognito.png" alt="Chrome Incognito Mode" width="672" height="478" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/chrome-incognito.png 672w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/chrome-incognito-300x213.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 672px) 100vw, 672px"></p>
<h2><span id="How_to_clear_browser_cache_on_Apple_Safari">How to clear browser cache on Apple Safari</span></h2>
<blockquote><p><strong>Windows</strong> keyboard shortcut: <strong>control + alt + E</strong><br>
<strong>Mac</strong> keyboard shortcut: <strong>command + option + E</strong></p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Tip</strong>: you can use <strong>Apple’s Private Browsing mode</strong> to view a webpage with no stored cookies or caching data to see the latest version of a website. First, click the gear icon in the top right corner of your browser, then click “Private Browsing” — see below:</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1101" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/safari-private-browsing.png" alt="How to select private browsing in Apple Safari" width="437" height="492" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/safari-private-browsing.png 437w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/safari-private-browsing-266x300.png 266w" sizes="(max-width: 437px) 100vw, 437px"></p>
<h2 id="firefox"><span id="How_to_clear_browser_cache_on_Mozilla_Firefox">How to clear browser cache on Mozilla Firefox</span></h2>
<blockquote><p><strong>Windows</strong> keyboard shortcut: <strong>control + shift + R</strong><br>
<strong>Mac</strong> keyboard shortcut: <strong>command + shift + R</strong></p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Tip</strong>: you can use <strong>Firefox’s Private Browsing mode</strong> (<strong>control — or command on mac + shift + P</strong> with a Firefox window open) to view a webpage with no stored cookies or caching data to see the latest version of a website.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1109" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/firefox-private-browsing-1024x709.png" alt="Mozilla Firefox Private Browsing" width="640" height="443" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/firefox-private-browsing-1024x709.png 1024w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/firefox-private-browsing-300x208.png 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/firefox-private-browsing.png 1036w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></p>
<h2 id="ie"><span id="How_to_clear_browser_cache_on_Internet_ExplorerEdge">How to clear browser cache on Internet Explorer/Edge</span></h2>
<blockquote><p><strong>Windows</strong> keyboard shortcut: <strong>control + shift + Delete</strong><br>
<strong>Mac</strong> keyboard shortcut: <strong>command + shift + Delete</strong></p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Tip</strong>: you can use <strong>Microsoft’s InPrivate Browsing mode</strong> (<strong>control — or command on mac + shift + P</strong> with a Firefox window open) to view a webpage with no stored cookies or caching data to see the latest version of a website.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1110" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/edge-inprivate.png" alt="Microsoft Edge InPrivate Mode" width="439" height="80" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/edge-inprivate.png 439w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/edge-inprivate-300x55.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 439px) 100vw, 439px"></p>
<h2><span id="Conclusion">Conclusion</span></h2>
<p>That’s it! Hopefully this resolves some of your “I can’t see the changes on my website” issues and you’ll be able to stay up to date with your dev team while relieving some of your rightful frustration!</p>


How to clear your Browser Cache [Chrome/Safari/Firefox/IE/Edge] on Mac & Windows

<p>The process of <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/what-is-seo-and-how-does-it-work/">optimizing a website to perform in search rankings</a> is a long and difficult journey, and there’s practically no achievable end to what you can do to enhance your website, meaning <strong>there’s <i>always </i>room for improvement</strong>.</p><div class="lwptoc lwptoc-autoWidth lwptoc-light lwptoc-notInherit" data-smooth-scroll="1" data-smooth-scroll-offset="24"><div class="lwptoc_i">    <div class="lwptoc_header" style="font-size:175%;">
        <b class="lwptoc_title">Highlights</b>                    <span class="lwptoc_toggle">
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                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">1: Polish your title tags</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#2_Optimize_your_anchors">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">2</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">2: Optimize your anchors</span>
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                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">3</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">3: Provide internal links</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#4_Use_questions_for_headings">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">4</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">4: Use questions for headings</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#5_Clean_up_your_URL_hierarchy">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">5</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">5: Clean up your URL hierarchy</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#6_Improve_content_with_images_media">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">6</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">6: Improve content with images &amp; media</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#7_Add_social_sharing_options">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">7</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">7: Add social sharing options</span>
    </a>
    </div></div></div>
</div></div>
<p>For anyone looking to inch ever closer to front-page positions for top keywords, this is a double-edged sword: on one hand, there’s always a way to do out-perform your competitors, but on the other hand, the work is never done.</p>
<p>Because of this, when you start getting deep into SEO strategy assessment, it can be really easy to feel overwhelmed — but the solution to this problem is to work smarter, not harder. You’ll likely not have the time to do everything — the key is to look out for the <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/7-seo-tips-tricks/">simple SEO changes that will bring the biggest results</a>, ensuring a positive return on your SEO efforts.</p>
<p>Here are 7 minor SEO changes you can make that will punch above their weight:</p>
<h2><span id="1_Polish_your_title_tags">1: Polish your title tags</span></h2>
<p>For any given webpage, <strong>the page title is like the sign on the door</strong>. Even if someone is really confident they’re in the right place when they arrive, a weak title can leave them a little confused about the situation. A strong title, however, can make it crystal-clear to people and search algorithms alike <a href="http://www.agconsult.com/en/usability-blog/8-tips-for-the-perfect-title-tag" target="_blank" rel="noopener">what the purpose of the page is</a>.</p>
<p>When you think about how long it takes to write a halfway-decent page title (a minute or two, perhaps), and how many pages the typical site has, you quickly realize that it doesn’t actually take up that much time to give page titles some much-needed polish — especially since a lot of titles automatically generated by old systems are often poorly written without proper keyword focus.</p>
<p>To find the title for a page, <strong>take the two or three most important keywords and put them together into a coherent string of enticing copy that encourages the user to click</strong>. For instance, this page might be “SEO Strategy: 7 Simple But Super-Effective Tips for Beginners” or similar.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1028" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/google-laptop-1024x681.jpeg" alt="Laptop on Google.com" width="640" height="426" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/google-laptop-1024x681.jpeg 1024w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/google-laptop-300x199.jpeg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></p>
<h2><span id="2_Optimize_your_anchors">2: Optimize your anchors</span></h2>
<p>The importance of a link doesn’t just lie in where it directs you. <strong>There’s also a good deal of significance to the text used to hold the link, otherwise known as <i>anchor text</i></strong>. Search engines will factor that text into their analysis of the link, trying to gauge the context of the link inclusion.</p>
<p>Whenever you want to share a resource through your content, try to ensure that <a href="https://ahrefs.com/blog/anchor-text/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the anchor text really reflects the destination of the link</a>. If you link someone to a report, for example, use something like “read the report” as your anchor text instead of something generic like “here” — that way, when search engines crawl the page, they’ll be able to match the text to the destination.</p>
<p>The primary matter here, though, is how other sites link to yours. When you get a link, do you ask about the anchor text? The more closely links to your site reflect the nature of your site, the more likely you’ll be to rank well for relevant terms. Start asking for specific anchor texts (while keeping them mixed up) and it will eventually pay off.</p>
<h2><span id="3_Provide_internal_links">3: Provide internal links</span></h2>
<p>A lot of website owners shy away from <a href="https://moz.com/learn/seo/internal-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener">using internal links</a> because they fear that every included link will somehow leech power from the page it’s on, but that simply isn’t true. And not only that, but <strong>internal links are both extremely useful for helping crawlers to interpret how your site fits together</strong> <i>and </i>handy for eliminating the need for duplicate content.</p>
<p>If you ever need to make reference to something elsewhere on your site, don’t copy it across — link to it. This will be very useful for visitors (thus keeping them on your site for longer durations), decrease bounce rate, and help your site get search engine recognition.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1030" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/avg-daily-viewers-683x1024.jpg" alt="SEO avg daily viewers" width="640" height="960"></p>
<h2><span id="4_Use_questions_for_headings">4: Use questions for headings</span></h2>
<p><a href="https://www.contentkingapp.com/academy/headings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Headings and subheadings are very important</a> for breaking up copy and making it clear how different sections relate to one another, and you can use any text featuring relevant keywords, but I strongly recommend going with questions for three major reasons:</p>
<ul>
<li><b>They make the value of the sections abundantly clear. </b>People want to have their questions answered, and this way you make it obvious that they can do that by reading the following content.</li>
<li><strong>They make content a lot faster and easier to write.</strong> I know that when I’m trying to write something very quickly, it helps a great deal to first lay out the most important questions. After that, all I need to do is answer them.</li>
<li><strong>They can feature in search results.</strong> Since search engines are all about answering questions, formatting your content using questions gives your content a chance to be chosen by search algorithms to be featured in results pages.</li>
</ul>
<h2><span id="5_Clean_up_your_URL_hierarchy">5: Clean up your URL hierarchy</span></h2>
<p>If you’ve never really paid any attention to your URL structure, you might find that it doesn’t make much sense (to users). Perhaps it was suitable to begin with but your content changed, or maybe it was always poorly optimized. Regardless, there’s a strong chance that whatever CMS you use for your site will allow you to change your URL hierarchy, and <strong>you should do just that</strong>.</p>
<p>Through looking at the steps in a page’s URL, a search crawler or a person should be able to figure out where it stands in relation to everything else on the site. “Store.com/BlueHat” isn’t very useful, for example, but “Store.com/Products/Clothing/Hats/BlueHat” is much more informative. You’ll need to <a href="https://yoast.com/ask-yoast-changing-url-structure-rankings/">redirect your old links to your new URLs</a>, making sure you cover any missed redirects with google search console, and you might see a short-term drop in rankings, but it’s worth the gain potential in the long term.</p>
<p><figure id="attachment_1029" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1029" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-1029" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/shopify-burst-1024x675.png" alt="Royalty free photos at https://burst.shopify.com/" width="640" height="422" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/shopify-burst-1024x675.png 1024w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/shopify-burst-300x198.png 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/shopify-burst.png 1601w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-1029" class="wp-caption-text">Royalty-free photos at https://burst.shopify.com/</figcaption></figure></p>
<h2><span id="6_Improve_content_with_images_media">6: Improve content with images &amp; media</span></h2>
<p>Images provide a lot of value to digital content, making text a lot easier to understand and digest through providing context and spacing things out. Many older websites will be extremely text-heavy with little regard for presentation, and UX standards have increased across the web such that visitors are unlikely to put up with bland content.</p>
<p>If you can create some great images to accompany your content, then do so, by all means. But since most people lack the time, skills and/or resources to handle that kind of in-house production, you’re best served relying on <a href="https://burst.shopify.com/free-images" target="_blank" rel="noopener">free-to-use photos</a> and making occasional tweaks to suit aspect ratio requirements.</p>
<p>Not only do images make your content more appealing but <strong>the inclusion of media such as videos or social embeds with increase the odds of your visitors engaging with your content</strong>. User engagement is not only a primary ranking signal but this media also increases a user’s time on page.</p>
<h2><span id="7_Add_social_sharing_options">7: Add social sharing options</span></h2>
<p>We live in a world dominated by social media, and that dominance isn’t to be overlooked when it comes to regular website traffic. We may not yet know if search engines take social signals into account when determining rankings, but we do know that more shares result in more visits, which can improve on-page metrics and thus boost rankings.</p>
<p>And since it’s unlikely to take long to implement social sharing buttons on a website (usually through adding HTML code, but also achievable through <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/top-6-wordpress-plugins-seo/">CMS plugins and extensions</a>), you can set them in place on every piece of content you provide in one fell swoop. You may not get all that many shares, but even if you get a handful, it will essentially be free traffic. Not bad!</p>
<p><b>Looking to give your <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/search-engine-optimization/">SEO a nudge in the right direction</a> without spending too much time or money on the project? Try these basic SEO tips to see if they bolster your results, and remember, there’s always room for improvement — so don’t give up — and <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/#contact">contact us</a> if you need any help!</b></p>


7 Minimal Changes To Your SEO Strategy With Maximum Results

<p>Every website needs two parts, a hosting service where your files can be stored and executed as well as a domain name, which tells the browser where these files can be accessed (ex. www.yourwebsite.com). When you start your search for the right web hosting service, you’ll quickly notice that there are dozens of reputable options at your disposal, which is why it’s important to <strong>assess your website goals and needs in order to determine the right web hosting solution for your business</strong>, as this is a key component to the success of any website. Web hosting can have an affect on your website performance and speed, uptime, and the amount of resources and server space your website has access to. If you have a large website that draws in a substantial amount of traffic, a basic web hosting service may not be enough to support your growing website needs. By identifying the goals that you have for your website, you can more effectively ascertain which web hosting service will be the right fit for you.</p><div class="lwptoc lwptoc-autoWidth lwptoc-light lwptoc-notInherit" data-smooth-scroll="1" data-smooth-scroll-offset="24"><div class="lwptoc_i">    <div class="lwptoc_header" style="font-size:175%;">
        <b class="lwptoc_title">Highlights</b>                    <span class="lwptoc_toggle">
                <a href="#" class="lwptoc_toggle_label" data-label="show">hide</a>
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<div class="lwptoc_items lwptoc_items-visible" style="font-size:125%;">
    <div class="lwptoc_itemWrap"><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#What_is_Web_Hosting">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">What is Web Hosting?</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#How_Much_Does_Web_Hosting_Cost">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">2</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">How Much Does Web Hosting Cost?</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Where_Can_I_Get_Web_Hosting">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">3</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Where Can I Get Web Hosting?</span>
    </a>
    <div class="lwptoc_itemWrap"><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#GoDaddy_Web_Hosting">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">3.1</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">GoDaddy Web Hosting</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#SiteGround_Web_Hosting">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">3.2</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">SiteGround Web Hosting</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#HostGator_Web_Hosting">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">3.3</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">HostGator Web Hosting</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#MediaTemple_Web_Hosting">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">3.4</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">MediaTemple Web Hosting</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Amazon_Web_Services_Web_Hosting">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">3.5</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Amazon Web Services Web Hosting</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#Microsoft_Azure_Web_Hosting">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">3.6</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Microsoft Azure Web Hosting</span>
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                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Need help picking the right web host for your business?</span>
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<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1261" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/server-room-1024x358.jpeg" alt="Web hosting server room" width="640" height="224" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/server-room-1024x358.jpeg 1024w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/server-room-300x105.jpeg 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/server-room.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></p>
<h2><span id="What_is_Web_Hosting">What is Web Hosting?</span></h2>
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_hosting_service" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Web hosting</a> is an essential service to any website, especially when taking the overall performance of the website into account. Whether you own a business and are attempting to create an effective web presence or you are an individual looking to create a personal website, <strong>web hosting is a service that allows you to store the website files and make your website accessible on the internet</strong>.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.hrank.com/providers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The providers of this service</a> are the companies that host your website online. Depending on the service you choose, the web hosting provider will often offer you a variety of web hosting solutions while also offering support to assist you in troubleshooting any website issues that you run into, such as downtime where your customers are unable to access your site (which can and will happen!)</p>
<p>All of the information involving your website, such as the code you use for the web pages and features of your site, will be hosted or stored directly on servers that are owned by the web host. When a prospective customer clicks on your website in a search engine or enters your website URL in their browser, the customer’s computer will connect to the server that hosts your website in order to obtain access to your web pages.</p>
<p>There will invariably be issues that occur with your website as you go about trying to bring in new customers, which can include everything from your website going down briefly due to too much traffic or the pages taking a long time to load properly. These problems can cause your customers to leave your site and will often be unlikely to return, which is why you want to make sure that the hosting service you select has the expertise and tools necessary to deal with these problems. Most web hosting companies offer a variety of different plans (with varying levels of server storage, resources, and support) to fit within the needs of your business.</p>
<h2><span id="How_Much_Does_Web_Hosting_Cost">How Much Does Web Hosting Cost?</span></h2>
<p>Web hosting costs vary widely depending on the resources and server space that your website needs. While these services can often be as little as $1 per month, it is also possible for them to reach as high as $100+ each month, which <strong>depends entirely on your expectations of growth and website performance</strong>. If you expect your website to be popular and bring in an average of 5,000 page views per day, you will need to have enough service space to account for this number of users, as limited server resources will lead to slow loading times and possible downtime in which your customer cannot access your website.</p>
<p>At the end of the day, your business needs to decide what its goals are and what resources are required to effectively support your website and online growth. If the metrics and data that you’ve studied cause you to believe that your website will quickly gain new customers, it’s important that you take this growth into account when selecting a web host.</p>
<h2><span id="Where_Can_I_Get_Web_Hosting">Where Can I Get Web Hosting?</span></h2>
<p>Depending on your website platform and your specific requirements, you may or may not need a web hosting provider. Typical “do-it-yourself” platforms such as Squarespace and Wix provide canned solutions that often include web hosting. With these services, you can host your own website with the tools that are available through the platform. However, you should be aware of the the fact that these services are typically limited in capabilities, as businesses quickly outgrow the basic features offered by these platforms. If you don’t expect your website and business needs to change much over time, these solutions may be the right fit for you.</p>
<p>For custom solutions and complete control over your own website, you will need a hosting solution to store the website files and provide the necessary resources for the website. There are a wide array of web hosting services available for you to select, ranging from inexpensive services with minimal features to more robust and advanced services that can accommodate the needs of a larger website. If your web hosting needs are minimal, there are numerous low-cost providers that you should consider, including GoDaddy, SiteGround, and HostGator.</p>
<h3><span id="GoDaddy_Web_Hosting">GoDaddy Web Hosting</span></h3>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-850" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/godaddy.png" alt="GoDaddy web hosting services" width="1213" height="579" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/godaddy.png 1213w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/godaddy-300x143.png 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/godaddy-1024x489.png 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 1213px) 100vw, 1213px"></p>
<p><a href="https://www.godaddy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoDaddy</a> is among the more popular hosting services around and has become a quality service that you can count on, particularly in regards to their stellar customer service. They offer three basic types of hosting that include shared web hosting, virtual private servers, and dedicated servers, which get progressively more expensive as you go along. Whether you pay monthly or via an annual commitment, the cheapest option available with GoDaddy is their Economy basic shared hosting package at less than &lt;$10 per month. With this plan, you’re provided with a free domain name if you don’t already have one, 100-gigabytes of storage, unlimited data transfers, and the ability to host a single website. If you have multiple websites, you might want to consider a more expensive package. They offer Windows and Linux-based servers and are known for having great uptime.</p>
<h3><span id="SiteGround_Web_Hosting">SiteGround Web Hosting</span></h3>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-853" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/siteground.png" alt="SiteGround web hosting services" width="1123" height="694" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/siteground.png 1123w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/siteground-300x185.png 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/siteground-1024x633.png 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 1123px) 100vw, 1123px"></p>
<p><a href="https://www.siteground.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SiteGround</a> is another low-cost hosting service that offers a large variety of hosting plans for you to consider. All of their plans make use of SSD drives when storing your information, which ensures that speeds are always high. Each account with their service is provided with a free SSL certificate that helps with security and SEO, while their three types of plans can be divided into cloud hosting plans, web hosting plans, and enterprise hosting, the latter of which is the most expensive and comes with the most features. Their web hosting plans start from just under $4 per month with their basic plan offering 10-gigabytes of space and a wide range of basic features like free site transfer and free website builder. Their basic service is designed to accommodate up to 10,000 page views in a month while their premium web hosting plan can support up to 100,000 visitors each month.</p>
<h3><span id="HostGator_Web_Hosting">HostGator Web Hosting</span></h3>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-851" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/hostgator.png" alt="HostGator web hosting services" width="1299" height="841" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/hostgator.png 1299w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/hostgator-300x194.png 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/hostgator-1024x663.png 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 1299px) 100vw, 1299px"></p>
<p>As for <a href="https://www.hostgator.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HostGator</a>, they are regarded as one of the better low-cost web hosting services available, due primarily to their inclusion of numerous types of hosting plans to account for a variety of different websites as well as some of the best uptime rates out there. Along with their standard WordPress hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated hosting packages, they also offer several cloud hosting packages that will keep all of your website content and information on cloud servers, which are known to be much faster and more scalable than physical servers. If you’re considering a cloud package with HostGator, their packages include hatchling cloud, baby cloud, and business cloud, the first of which offers a single domain, 2-gigabytes of memory, and a 2-core CPU. If your business is larger, the business cloud package offers an unlimited number of domains, 6-gigabytes of memory, a 6-core CPU, a free dedicated IP address, and free SSL encryption. They also offer 24/7 online web chat and telephone support, which is essential when you want to make sure that you have as little downtime as possible with your site.</p>
<p>If you’ve identified your website goals and objective and have found that more advanced servers are necessary to ensure that you get the resources you need and that the website performance remains optimal at all times, there are a range of providers that can serve these needs well, including Media Temple, Amazon AWS, and Microsoft Azure.</p>
<h3><span id="MediaTemple_Web_Hosting">MediaTemple Web Hosting</span></h3>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-852" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/mediatemple.png" alt="MediaTemple web hosting services" width="1245" height="731" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/mediatemple.png 1245w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/mediatemple-300x176.png 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/mediatemple-1024x601.png 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 1245px) 100vw, 1245px"></p>
<p>When it comes to <a href="https://mediatemple.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Media Temple</a>, they offer extensive web hosting services to accommodate any kind of website, application, or blog. They offer their own managed WordPress plans, shared hosting plans, and VPS hosting plans while using Amazon AWS servers for their cloud hosting plans. One of their premier services is the option of managed VPS hosting, which means that the hosting services and any website emergencies are handled directly by their in-house engineers to allow you to focus on other aspects of the website. Their basic plans start at $20 per month, which provides you with the usage of up to 1,000 e-mail addresses, 1-terabyte of monthly bandwidth, and the ability to host up to 100 websites.</p>
<h3><span id="Amazon_Web_Services_Web_Hosting">Amazon Web Services Web Hosting</span></h3>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-848" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/aws.png" alt="Amazon Web Services web hosting" width="1191" height="389" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/aws.png 1191w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/aws-300x98.png 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/aws-1024x334.png 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 1191px) 100vw, 1191px"></p>
<p>As for <a href="https://aws.amazon.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amazon AWS</a>, they are considered to be among the best in the business for offering robust hosting services. They have data-centers worldwide, which means that your website can be hosted in any area of the world that you want it to at a reasonable speed for the customer. Their services are fully compatible with any content management system, from Joomla to WordPress, while their web hosting solutions are designed to dynamically scale to your website needs, which means that the resources they provide can grow automatically when there’s a huge spike in traffic and will shrink back down once this spike has ended. A unique aspect of their service is that they only charge you for the resources you use, allowing you to avoid any up-front costs or contracts.</p>
<h3><span id="Microsoft_Azure_Web_Hosting">Microsoft Azure Web Hosting</span></h3>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-849" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/azure.png" alt="Microsoft Azure web hosting services" width="1503" height="677" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/azure.png 1503w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/azure-300x135.png 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/azure-1024x461.png 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 1503px) 100vw, 1503px"></p>
<p>With <a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/?v=18.10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Microsoft Azure</a>, you’ll be provided with web hosting services that are handled by one of the largest and most reputable companies in the world. Both Windows and Linux platforms are supported by their hosting services while auto-patching is provided to immediately handle any necessary fixes to your site. They have over one million servers situated in many areas around the world, allowing your customers to quickly and effortlessly access your website no matter where they live or work. They offer seven web hosting plans that include free hosting, shared web hosting, basic hosting, standard hosting, premium hosting, and isolated hosting plans. Save for the first two plans, the remainder of these plans allow you to host an unlimited number of websites or applications. They are also known to provide exemplary service at all times.</p>
<h2><span id="Need_help_picking_the_right_web_host_for_your_business">Need help picking the right web host for your business?</span></h2>
<p>Shoot us an email and we’d be happy to discuss your business needs and recommend the right web host for you and your business. We can be reached anytime via the <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/#contact">contact form</a>, directly via phone at <a href="tel:3233255180" target="_blank" rel="noopener">323-325-5180</a>, or by email at <a href="mailto:info@brytdesigns.com">info@brytdesigns.com</a>.</p>


What is web hosting and how does it work for my website?

<p>In today’s world, digital marketing is more important than ever, as it offers more cost efficient methods of new customer acquisition as well as a <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/7-reasons-digital-marketing-better-than-traditional/">higher ROI when compared to traditional marketing methods</a>. Among these digital marketing techniques are numerous methods that allow you to improve your keyword ranking with Google, from search engine optimization to search engine marketing.</p><div class="lwptoc lwptoc-autoWidth lwptoc-light lwptoc-notInherit" data-smooth-scroll="1" data-smooth-scroll-offset="24"><div class="lwptoc_i">    <div class="lwptoc_header" style="font-size:175%;">
        <b class="lwptoc_title">Highlights</b>                    <span class="lwptoc_toggle">
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                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Step 1. Check Individual Keywords</span>
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                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Step 2. Check Your Website’s Rankings With Google Search Console</span>
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                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Step 3. Check Third Party Organic Search Tools With SEM Rush</span>
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                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">Step 4. Do a Competitive Analysis to Determine Your Position and Traffic Potential</span>
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<p>Organic traffic with Google can be a massive boon to your business by driving growth with the potential to bring in new customers for years to come. If you want to see which keywords your website ranks for, don’t just “Google it” and expect to be provided with the results you’re looking for, as manually searching Google is not only time consuming but the results are often skewed by everything from your search history to browser preferences. Instead, <strong>utilize the many free online tools at your disposal to make informed and intelligent decisions about your own web strategy and determine how you can rank for keywords on Google</strong>.</p>
<p><em>Not sure where to get started with SEO? See our article at <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/what-is-seo-and-how-does-it-work/">What is SEO and How Does it Work?</a></em></p>
<h2><span id="Step_1_Check_Individual_Keywords">Step 1. Check Individual Keywords</span></h2>
<p><a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/serps.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-808 size-full" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/serps.png" alt="SERPs Keyword Rank Checker Tool" width="1183" height="744" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/serps.png 1183w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/serps-300x189.png 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/serps-1024x644.png 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 1183px) 100vw, 1183px"></a></p>
<p>When attempting to check your website’s current keyword ranking with Google, the first step you should take is to check individual keywords, although you should be aware of the fact that this method can be time-consuming even with the plethora of online tools. <strong>One of the primary tools that you can use to check your rankings is that of <a href="https://serps.com/tools/rank-checker/">SERPS.com</a> keyword search tool.</strong> This tool allows you to enter an exact keyword and see how your website ranks on search engines like Google and Yahoo. You can also filter this search by an exact location for more precise details.</p>
<p>While this tool is completely free to use and can be beneficial towards helping you make sure that your website ranks well on Google search results, it’s important to understand that the information provided by this tool doesn’t give you the whole picture.</p>
<p>For example, your website could be ranking on the first page of Google search results when a certain keyword is typed in, but you should be aware of the fact that <strong>not all keywords are created equally</strong>. Some keywords will be searched more frequently by prospective customers than others, providing greater exposure through higher search volume, which is why your website appearing high on Google search rankings for a single keyword doesn’t mean much on its own. To mitigate these issues, you want to do keyword research in order to determine where opportunity lies and which keywords you really want to rank for. Keywords that are successful for your competitor’s websites could also be successful for yours. If you start optimizing your website around keywords that are searched more frequently and provide value to your visitors, your ranking with Google will improve.</p>
<h2><span id="Step_2_Check_Your_Websites_Rankings_With_Google_Search_Console">Step 2. Check Your Website’s Rankings With Google Search Console</span></h2>
<p><a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/GoogleSearchConsole2.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-801 size-full" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/GoogleSearchConsole2.png" alt="Google Search Console Dashboard" width="1243" height="808" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/GoogleSearchConsole2.png 1243w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/GoogleSearchConsole2-300x195.png 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/GoogleSearchConsole2-1024x666.png 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 1243px) 100vw, 1243px"></a></p>
<p>The next step that you should take when attempting to <strong>check your website’s keyword ranking with Google is to make use of a wonderful tool that’s known as <a href="https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/home?hl=en">Google Search Console</a></strong>. This tool is designed to help users determine their website’s search traffic, website health, as well as the keywords that pull in traffic for their website. All of this is accomplished from a user-friendly dashboard that’s easy to use and takes very little time to understand. This service is free and can be used on a variety of devices, including smartphones and desktops. There are a variety of features that you obtain when using Google search console, all of which assist you in monitoring your website’s performance when it comes to Google search rankings.</p>
<p>If you want to take advantage of all of the features available through Google Search Console, the first thing that you’re going to want to do is to add and <strong><a href="https://support.wix.com/en/article/verifying-your-site-with-google-search-console-5104272">verify your website on the Google Search Console</a></strong>, as this will prove to Google that you’re the webmaster or owner of the site in question. There are a variety of ways in which you can verify your site, including by adding a <a href="https://www.godaddy.com/help/adding-meta-tags-to-your-website-6548">meta tag</a> to your website’s home page, by signing in to the provider of your domain name, through your Google Analytics account, or with your Google Tag Manager account. Once you’ve verified your website, you can start measuring the performance of your website in accordance with Google search rankings.</p>
<p>Although there are a wide array of features available with Google Search Console, the main one that should be of interest to you is the ability to <strong>see which keyword searches with Google have caused your website to appear within the search engine results</strong>. This feature also allows you to see the click-through rates of these listings, which means that you’ll be able to identify how often a user clicks on your website when typing in a specific keyword. This feature is called Search Analytics and comes with its own set of features that you should be aware of. Search Analytics delivers accurate reports about your website’s search engine rankings with up-to-date information while also allowing you to identify the types of devices that most commonly access your website from the Google search engine.</p>
<p><a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/GoogleSearchConsole3.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-802 size-full" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/GoogleSearchConsole3.png" alt="Google Search Console Keyword Statistics" width="1243" height="807" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/GoogleSearchConsole3.png 1243w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/GoogleSearchConsole3-300x195.png 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/GoogleSearchConsole3-1024x665.png 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 1243px) 100vw, 1243px"></a></p>
<p>Once you’ve identified how well or otherwise your website is ranking when it comes to certain keywords, you can then use some of the features included with this tool to improve the issues that may be causing your website to appear lower on search results than you would like. A feature available with this tool that can assist you with website optimization is one that allows you to get a list of the pages on your website which Google has had difficulties indexing, meaning that your pages are unable to be crawled by Google and will not appear in the search results. <strong>Correcting these errors will help to improve your website optimization strategy, which will in turn build trust with Google and cause your site to rank higher in search results!</strong></p>
<h2><span id="Step_3_Check_Third_Party_Organic_Search_Tools_With_SEM_Rush">Step 3. Check Third Party Organic Search Tools With SEM Rush</span></h2>
<p><a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/semrush-dashboard.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-805 size-full" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/semrush-dashboard.png" alt="SEM Rush Dashboard" width="1390" height="909" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/semrush-dashboard.png 1390w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/semrush-dashboard-300x196.png 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/semrush-dashboard-1024x670.png 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 1390px) 100vw, 1390px"></a></p>
<p>Our favorite tool is a third-party organic search tool known as <a href="https://www.semrush.com/">SEM Rush</a>. <strong>This tool provides you with the means of measuring estimated search traffic based on a variety of factors, including search volume and keyword competition.</strong> If your competitors are outranking you in the search results, this tool can help you turn things around.</p>
<p>You can not only do a free audit of your own domain but <strong>you can obtain a sample of keywords that you currently rank for and analyze your competitors</strong>. By analyzing the competition, you’ll have a better idea of how to create a more effective strategy. There are a variety of ways to analyze the competition with these tools, the most important of which allows you to ascertain which websites would classify as your direct competition when it comes to organic search rankings, which means that the tool lists which websites have common keywords with your own. You can even see which keywords and keyword phrases work the best for your competitors, allowing you to adjust your search engine optimization strategy as necessary.</p>
<p>When you enter your domain name into this tool, you’ll be provided with a comprehensive breakdown of the organic search data that’s tied to your website, including how much traffic your website receives, how many keywords your site has been optimized with, and the traffic cost associated with your website, which is an estimate on how much it cost in marketing to obtain the traffic numbers that you currently have. When you’re using this tool, you’ll quickly notice how easy it is to use.</p>
<p><a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/semrush-dashboard2.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-806 size-full" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/semrush-dashboard2.png" alt="SEM Rush Related Keywords" width="1392" height="911" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/semrush-dashboard2.png 1392w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/semrush-dashboard2-300x196.png 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/semrush-dashboard2-1024x670.png 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 1392px) 100vw, 1392px"></a></p>
<p>For instance, when you see the number of keywords associated with your website, you can select this number and will be provided with an organized list of each keyword that leads to a page of your website. You can then filter these keywords by a number of metrics, such as which keyword receives the highest amount of traffic for your website and if you were to begin a PPC (Pay-Per-Click) campaign, you could explore keywords which may be the most cost-effective options. With the SEM Rush tool, you’ll be able to know which keyword phrases are more likely to generate a high amount of traffic. When selecting a certain keyword, you will also be provided with different variations of that keyword that can also be used. As you’re using this tool, make sure that you track your past and current rankings to see what’s working and what isn’t and optimize your SEM strategy.</p>
<h2><span id="Step_4_Do_a_Competitive_Analysis_to_Determine_Your_Position_and_Traffic_Potential">Step 4. Do a Competitive Analysis to Determine Your Position and Traffic Potential</span></h2>
<p>As touched upon previously, <strong>conducting a competitive analysis is absolutely essential towards keeping your website at the top of search engine results</strong>. If you don’t analyze the keywords that are bringing success to your competition, you won’t be able to find opportunity, create an effective strategy, and optimize your website properly.</p>
<p><a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/semrush-dashboard3.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-807 size-full" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/semrush-dashboard3.png" alt="SEM Rush Organic Competitor Dashboard" width="1389" height="906" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/semrush-dashboard3.png 1389w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/semrush-dashboard3-300x196.png 300w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/semrush-dashboard3-1024x668.png 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 1389px) 100vw, 1389px"></a></p>
<p><strong>By analyzing your competition, you’ll be able to measure your own traffic against theirs and see where you fall short or succeed in outranking your competitors</strong>. For example, you may appear towards the top of search engine results when a specific keyword is entered but not receive much of a boost to your website traffic, which could indicate that the keyword itself isn’t that popular of a search. When this occurs, look at which keywords have worked for your competition (and which haven’t) and adapt from there, as your customer base is likely very similar to the one of your competition.</p>
<p>SEM Rush, in particular, is a very effective site when it comes to competitive analysis. Although with a free account you won’t be provided with every detail of how the competition ranks on Google, you can obtain the top 20 keywords used for each site, which can be very helpful. Stuffing your website with keywords isn’t going to help your boost your ranking on Google, but using the right keywords in the right content on your website can position you towards the top of search engine results and provide an increase in how much traffic your website receives. The goal for this analysis is to find an opportunity for growth. Even when your website ranks well on Google, there is always going to be room for improvement. By focusing on the keywords that do well on your website and with your competition, you will invariably increase the amount of traffic that comes into your site.</p>
<p>There are many tools out there that can help you determine the Google search rankings for your website, but <strong>the hard part is deciphering exactly where the opportunity lies</strong>. Finding this opportunity will assist you in growing your business through increased traffic, a boost in lead generations, more conversions, and greater revenue for your business.</p>
<p>Looking to improve your website’s SEO and ranking potential? See our article which lays out some of our <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/7-seo-tips-tricks/">SEO tips and tricks that anyone can do — for free</a>.</p>
<p><em><a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/#contact">Contact us today</a> as we’re more than happy to provide a free audit of your website and discuss your current web strategy — and how we can help!</em></p>


How to Check Your Website’s Keyword Ranking With Google

<p>Ever since the boom of internet technology, digital marketing has grown at a rapid pace, a trend that will undoubtedly continue in the future. Businesses must adapt to changing consumer behaviors and utilize the latest technologies in order to improve ROI from a marketing budget. If you’ve focused most of your marketing campaigns with traditional marketing methods in the past, you might be surprised by the many reasons why digital marketing can potentially be more successful and cost effective than traditional marketing.</p><div class="lwptoc lwptoc-autoWidth lwptoc-light lwptoc-notInherit" data-smooth-scroll="1" data-smooth-scroll-offset="24"><div class="lwptoc_i">    <div class="lwptoc_header" style="font-size:175%;">
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                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">1. Digital Marketing is More Cost Effective with a Higher ROI</span>
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                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">6. Content That Produces Results that Last</span>
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                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">7. Digital Marketing Promotes User Engagement &amp; Brand Loyalty</span>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AdA54xDa3pU" width="100%" height="450" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><br>
<em>Adobe’s take on Digital Marketing vs. Traditional Marketing</em></p>
<h2><span id="1_Digital_Marketing_is_More_Cost_Effective_with_a_Higher_ROI">1. Digital Marketing is More Cost Effective with a Higher ROI</span></h2>
<p>In many ways, digital marketing is more cost effective than traditional marketing and yields a higher ROI or return on investment, due largely to <strong>digital marketing strategies that allow the marketer to target a demographic or user that may already be interested in their product</strong>. With many different digital marketing strategies available to make use, you can tailor them to your target audience and others as a means of reaching a wider audience.</p>
<p>When taking a look at the costs associated with digital marketing in comparison to more traditional marketing like a TV ad, digital marketing techniques like search engine optimization, pay-per-click, content marketing, and social media can cost as little as a couple hundred/thousand a month in comparison to a single TV ad that can cost at least tens of thousands of dollars for a basic 30-second spot (in the middle of a work day). Prime time slots that will show your ad during a popular TV show or sporting events can cost you millions of dollars, which isn’t a feasible solution for most businesses.</p>
<p>Even in the event that you avoid TV ads and are considering utilizing other types of traditional marketing, the price of newspaper and magazine advertisements can also fill out your entire marketing budget and often don’t compare to the reach of most digital marketing techniques. For example, a full-page black-and-white advertisement in the Wall Street Journal or New York Times can cost over $100,000 — while placing ads in smaller newspapers and magazines will cost less, it also means that the circulation will be drastically reduced from that of a larger publications.</p>
<p>On the other hand, <strong>even the smallest and most affordable of digital marketing techniques can attract a larger audience if conducted with an intelligent data driven marketing campaign</strong>. Creating a page or account on a <a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/slideshow/299334" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">social media website</a> such as Facebook or Twitter requires very little initial investment and can help sell your brand to a larger audience than traditional marketing at a very low cost as long as you are sure to actively participate and engage with your audience on these platforms. If you’d prefer to leave this digital marketing to a professional digital marketing company (cough.. cough.. Bryt Designs), marketing plans can cost as little as a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars a month (and of course, can go much higher than that depending on your budget/goals) but have the potential of reaching a limitless amount of customers.</p>
<h2><span id="2_Accessible_Across_All_Media_Devices_Types">2. Accessible Across All Media Devices &amp; Types</span></h2>
<p><strong>In the world of ever evolving technology and mobile devices, digital marketing can be displayed across all devices and media types, allowing you to reach a much larger consumer base than you otherwise would with traditional marketing.</strong> If you decide to run a TV ad and have the money to do so during a regular season NFL game, the leads/sales you could generate is limited by the portion of your target audience might be watching at any given time during the game and because these ads are extremely expensive, as is making a commercial in the first place.</p>
<p>With the clear reduction in <a href="http://variety.com/2016/digital/news/netflix-tv-ratings-decline-2015-1201721672/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">TV viewership</a> and <a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/10/08/in-print-newspapers-cut-opinion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">newspaper readership</a> over the last decade, the costly traditional advertisements that you pay for may not even reach as wide of an audience as they once did. More and more people are accessing internet media via mobile devices and less so through traditional methods like newspapers and magazines. While a newspaper or magazine advertisement can only be read by someone who purchases that specific magazine or newspaper, all devices with access to the internet can also access your digital content.</p>
<h2><span id="3_A_Local_Presence_Global_Reach">3. A Local Presence &amp; Global Reach</span></h2>
<p>A distinct benefit of digital marketing in comparison to traditional marketing is that <strong>digital marketing content can be targeted on a local demographic while still having the ability to acquire exposure globally</strong>, as content can be accessible from all around the world via the internet.</p>
<p><em>Let’s say you have a digital marketing campaign that’s designed to highlight an event that your business is hosting in downtown Los Angeles a couple of months from now.</em></p>
<p>While your targeted marketing efforts would be seen by local residents of Los Angeles, the city plays host to millions of tourists each month, some of which might notice your advertisement online and decide to attend the event if they are traveling to the city at the same time.</p>
<p>Even though the core of your targeted audience may be local, your company benefits from the global reach of a digital marketing presence. Traditional advertising campaigns are limited to a local audience, which will invariably limit your growth potential.</p>
<h2><span id="4_Complex_Customer_Data_Analytics">4. Complex Customer Data Analytics</span></h2>
<p><strong>Digital marketers have tools that provide greater customer insight and behavior, allowing them to refine data and discover specific opportunities in the consumer segment.</strong> These tools provide you with exhaustive data that can assist you in tweaking your next digital marketing campaign in a manner that ensures that you bring in new customers and satisfy your current ones.</p>
<p>There are a whole host of complex metrics that can help you in identifying the best route for your next digital marketing campaign, metrics that aren’t available with traditional marketing methods. These metrics are available through <a href="https://analytics.google.com/analytics/web/provision/?authuser=0#provision/SignUp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Google Analytics</a> (terms which are more readily understandable with this <a href="http://martinairing.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Google-Analytics-Cheat-Sheet.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Google Analytics cheat sheet</a>). If you wish to know how effective each page of your website is, there are many metrics that allow you to measure the performance of your marketing strategy. For example, the <strong>page visit duration</strong> metric allows you to see exactly how long visitors remained on a page of your website, which gives you insight into what’s working with your marketing campaign and what doesn’t.</p>
<p>Traffic volume metrics can help you better understand whether or not your website is maintaining the interest of your customers, while also allowing you to identify the amount of traffic you obtain from search engines, referrals from other websites, and direct traffic that reaches your website. Likely the most important metrics provided through Google Analytics are the ones that indicate your <strong>sales funnel fall off</strong>, which is primarily centered around bounce rates that involve the percentage of customers who leave your website on any given page.</p>
<p>Although the creation of a sales funnel is largely left up to you, it’s basically a funnel that starts at the top with your landing page and ends with whichever page you want people to visit the most, such as a checkout page or sign-up page for a newsletter. By implementing the bounce rates into the funnel, you’ll be able to identify when the majority of site visitors leave your website. For instance, if 70 percent of site visitors leave your website when on the home page, this means that only 30 percent of visitors remain, many of which might leave in the pages before the one that sells your service or product. This metric will allow you to identify which pages of your website may need to be improved and optimized for a better user experience.</p>
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<p><img decoding="async" class="visually_embed_infographic aligncenter" src="https://visual.ly/node/image/195347?_w=540" alt="Content Marketing vs Traditional Marketing"></p>
<div class="visually_embed_cycle" style="text-align: center;">by <a href="http://byjess.net/?utm_source=visually_embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">jess</a>.</div>
<p style="text-align: center;"><script type='text/javascript' src='https://a.visual.ly/api/embed/195347?width=540' class='visually_embed_script' id='visually_embed_script_195347'></script></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">From <a href="https://visual.ly?utm_source=content-embed&amp;utm_medium=embed">Visually</a>.</p>
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<h2><span id="5_Higher_Conversion_Rates">5. Higher Conversion Rates</span></h2>
<p>Since digital marketers have tools that provide greater insight, <strong>we are able to make intelligent marketing decisions that cater to the needs of our customers</strong>, which is essential to increase conversion rates (when a “visitor” become a “customer”). By better understanding the most popular elements of your website or brand, you can focus your digital marketing on these elements, creating an increase in positive interest for your brand or business.</p>
<p>Advertising to a specific audience that actually wants your product/service promotes an increase in conversion rates and sales, which is something that traditional marketing is often unable to accomplish on its own. With more focused digital marketing, you can be confident that your marketing campaign will be effective among the customers that are most likely to purchase the product or service that you offer.</p>
<h2><span id="6_Content_That_Produces_Results_that_Last">6. Content That Produces Results that Last</span></h2>
<p>Digital content that’s released with promotion via digital channels has a substantial amount of potential to achieve initial success on release while also remaining on the website for future potential gains via search engine optimization and other digital marketing techniques. Any content you place online has the option of lasting for a lengthy period of time, especially if you put in the effort required to keep the piece of content visible and popular, which can be done through search engine optimization of the content and overall website.</p>
<p>Unlike a 30-second TV spot that costs tens of thousands of dollars at a minimum, <strong>digital content lives on your website and has enormous potential to produce results for years to come</strong>, while TV spots and newspaper ads fade into obscurity, likely never to be seen again by your customers. Lasting marketing content can be a huge boon to your business, as it means that your monthly marketing budget extends past the original month in which it’s spent.</p>
<h2><span id="7_Digital_Marketing_Promotes_User_Engagement_Brand_Loyalty">7. Digital Marketing Promotes User Engagement &amp; Brand Loyalty</span></h2>
<p>In most cases, <strong>digital content is active and promotes a call to action or the user’s intent to take action</strong>, which can include everything from commenting, sharing or subscribing. When the user takes action and gets involved with your brand, they are more likely to not only purchase your products, but also promote your brand and continue to stay engaged with your future digital content, allowing you to foster a certain amount of brand loyalty, a tool that can be extremely rewarding for your business in the long run.</p>
<p>When it comes to traditional marketing, loyalty programs can be extremely complex and costly to maintain and execute successfully (creation of physical marketing material, establishing distribution methods, CRM, etc.), making it more difficult for your business to sustain its marketing efforts. Digital brand loyalty programs can be put in place to keep your users engaged with the brand and promote sales opportunities (many of which are already built into the various digital marketing platforms). Digital brand loyalty programs provide users with the sense that they are being rewarded for their loyalty while also allowing you to promote current sales or benefits to the customers. It’s a win-win situation that won’t make much of a dent in your marketing budget but could generate substantial returns in years to come.</p>
<p><strong>Looking to begin your digital marketing journey? Have questions?</strong></p>
<p>Feel free to <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/">send us a message</a> or get in touch via social media if you’d like to learn more about our <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/">digital marketing</a> and <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/search-engine-optimization/">Search Engine Optimization services</a>. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you have and we look forward to hearing from you!</p>
<p><em>Have any questions or comments about digital marketing vs. traditional marketing methods? Feel free to leave your comments in the form below!</em></p>


7 Reasons Why Digital Marketing is Better Than Traditional Marketing

<p><strong>SEO is an important term in the web and business world that stands for Search Engine Optimization</strong>, which refers to the act of optimizing your website so that it can rank highly (and effectively) on Google and other search engines.</p><div class="lwptoc lwptoc-autoWidth lwptoc-light lwptoc-notInherit" data-smooth-scroll="1" data-smooth-scroll-offset="24"><div class="lwptoc_i">    <div class="lwptoc_header" style="font-size:175%;">
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<p>In this day and age, SEO is an essential digital marketing strategy for any business that’s looking to generate leads and grow their business online. <strong>“Content is King”</strong>, a now famous phrase coined by Google and many other digital content marketers, means that your content must be optimized for users so that they can find exactly what they’re searching for, which will in turn boost your ranking positions on Google and other search engines. SEO affects your organic traffic, which is traffic that’s grown organically over time through Google and other search engine’s ranking algorithms.</p>
<p>If you want your business to reach the height of success and stay ahead of the competition, investing in SEO is a move you’ll need to make.</p>
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<h2><span id="The_First_Step_SEO_Keyword_Research">The First Step: SEO &amp; Keyword Research</span></h2>
<p>The first step of integrating SEO into your website involves keyword research, as <strong>this is the stage where you use the SEO tools available to you to research opportunistic keywords and create a content strategy based on keywords that would be most beneficial for your business</strong> as a means of generating leads and new customers. If you’re relatively new to the SEO scene, sometimes it’s best to rank for long-tail keywords, which are keywords with more keywords per phrase, as opposed to short-tail keywords, due to the fact that there is oftentimes less competition and more “buyer intent”, which means that a customer is more likely to purchase from you if they found you from a specific search term.</p>
<p>Let’s say that the business you run is a moving company that focuses on long-distance moves to California, Oregon, and Washington. In many instances, a business that’s unfamiliar with SEO will choose to use simple keywords like “moving company” and “movers”, a method that most likely won’t generate many new leads. However, by implementing long-tail keywords that are more specific, such as “long-distance California movers”, you’ll start to see more engagement with these keywords from consumers that are searching for exactly what you have to offer. Choosing the right keywords and implementing them throughout your SEO strategy can be the difference between ranking on the second page of search results or in the top three websites on the first page.</p>
<p><strong>It’s also highly recommended that you research your competitors and analyze their keyword positions in order to intelligently formulate a competitive strategy</strong> to search for opportunities or outrank potential competitor’s content. No matter which industry you work in, the competition you’ll face when attempting to rank highly on search engines is fierce, so you’ll want to use every SEO tool at your disposal to make sure that the keyword strategy you use is a sound one. Understanding the keyword positions of your competitors will allow you to know what works best for them and use this information to your advantage, providing you with the means of avoiding time-consuming SEO mistakes that you might otherwise had never known about.</p>
<h2><span id="What_is_On-page_SEO">What is “On-page SEO”?</span></h2>
<p><strong>On-page SEO is the optimization of the website itself, from a user experience and performance perspective, which focuses on organization, ease-of-use, and speed.</strong> If your website is well-organized and loads quickly, Google will rank your website higher than your competition, who may not be on top of their own on-page SEO efforts. While Google and other search engines directly take into account such variables as site structure, keywords, and links, the patterns these search engines obtain when examining this data also allows them to identify additional information about a website, such as usability and user experience, which are metrics that Google and other search engines weigh heavily when determining your ranking potential.</p>
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<p>The optimization of <a href="https://moz.com/learn/seo/meta-description" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">website meta information</a>, from the page title and page descriptions to search snippets, is another essential aspect of on-page website optimization for SEO. For instance, meta descriptions are very short summaries of what a web page is about, which will appear directly under the link when a user searches for your site on Google. A well-written meta description that incorporates opportunistic keywords will not only help your website rank towards the top of search results, but will also attract new visitors to your site who find the description to be intriguing. On the other hand, the page title is among the most important elements of on-page SEO, as the SEO tags included with your title have a massive impact on search rankings.</p>
<p>If you’re unaware of what this type of title is, it involves the words that you see at the very top of your browser when you’re browsing a website, they’re also used as the title for a Google search result.</p>
<p><figure id="attachment_701" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-701" style="width: 717px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-701" src="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/bryt-designs-google-search-result.jpg" alt="Page title, URL, and Meta Description" width="717" height="295" srcset="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/bryt-designs-google-search-result.jpg 717w, https://wp.brytdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/bryt-designs-google-search-result-300x123.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 717px) 100vw, 717px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-701" class="wp-caption-text"><em>Google Page Title, URL, and Meta Description</em></figcaption></figure></p>
<p><strong>Simple yet effective titles can work exceedingly well by drawing in new customers and keeping them engaged on your website</strong>, especially among desktop users who leave open numerous tabs at once. You also want your title tags to be descriptive, clearly telling the user what your article is about in just a few short words, which can help to entice the user enough for them to click onto your website and become aware of your brand.</p>
<p>On-page SEO also includes the optimization of page content, both in the page copy and page code, which is done by using appropriate header tags where necessary in order to increase exposure for specific opportunistic keywords. There’s an important balance that needs to be struck with on-page SEO as it relates to keywords. Although you might think that abundant usage of these keywords within your site content will help you appear high in search rankings, it’s absolutely essential that you use these keywords as organically as possible, due mostly to the fact that the tool Google uses to rank websites takes “keyword stuffing” into account (and is now recognized as a punishable Black Hat technique — see <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/search-engine-optimization/#hats">“What is White Hat SEO?”</a>).</p>
<p>If Google and other search websites find that you’re engaging in keyword stuffing, your website will slip heavily in rankings and you’ll no longer be bringing in new site visitors, an issue that can be avoided by using high quality keywords only when necessary and as natural as possible. In that regard, header tags are the perfect place to filter in your best keywords. These tags are the areas in your site content where paragraphs are broken up by headers, such as the one above asking “What is on-page SEO?”. Not only do these breaks in your content help with readability, which assists your search engine ranking, but they also give you the opportunity to bolster your SEO efforts with keywords, fulfilling two goals in one easy step.</p>
<h2><span id="Analyzing_SEO_Performance_Reports">Analyzing SEO Performance &amp; Reports</span></h2>
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<p>Even if you believe that the SEO you’ve incorporated is performing well, you can’t be certain until you analyze the SEO performance and reports. In order to be certain that your SEO is meeting your performance goals, <strong>you’ll want to continuously monitor your SEO strategies by analyzing your results on a continuing basis.</strong> It’s important to understand that SEO takes time, as experts claim that it can take upwards of 6-9 months for content you publish today to rank on Google, which means that you may not see results immediately. While you’re waiting for results, it’s highly recommended that you start readying more potential keywords and plan for content to use, which will save you time once the results start coming in.</p>
<p>A fantastic way to analyze your SEO performance is with tools like <a href="https://analytics.google.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Google Analytics</a>, which allows you to track user behavior, traffic, and a wide array of interesting metrics that will give you the information necessary to identify what works and what doesn’t with your SEO campaign. With this tool, you’ll have the ability to ascertain exactly how much traffic each keyword helps to bring in, numbers that will prove invaluable as you plan your next SEO campaign. Google Analytics has the added benefit of being completely free of charge, allowing you to gain the advantage of having access to this data even if your current marketing budget is tight (integration and setup is simple, anyone can do this, and we highly recommend any website owner uses this — even if you don’t currently have an active SEO campaign!).</p>
<p>If you run a website that sells a product or service, the most important pages on your site are likely the checkout pages, which indicate that customers are purchasing what you’re selling. With the Google Analytics tool, you’ll be provided with data that details which pages and links are being clicked on the most, which allows you to know whether or not the keywords you’re putting out are directing customers to the right content. Once you’ve analyzed all of this data, you can focus on fine tuning the SEO on your website by changing the content or keywords on pages that aren’t performing as well as you would like and possibly reassessing your content strategy.</p>
<p>You might also want to consider using SEO tools like <a href="https://www.semrush.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SEM Rush</a> or <a href="https://moz.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Moz</a> so as to measure predictive statistics about keyword performance and competitor data. Although this information doesn’t paint the whole picture and isn’t guaranteed to be successful (proper interpretation of data is essential), starting your SEO campaign with a selection of keywords and phrases that are likely to provide you with the results you’re searching for is much better than creating a content strategy on a “gut feeling”.</p>
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<p>With these tools, you’ll be given data that highlights some of the more popular keywords that have been used in the past while also providing you with information on the volume, number of results, and trends associated with any keyword they have in their database. When setting out to drive new customers to your website, it’s important to understand that there’s no such thing as too much research. Although you will need to act on this research eventually, these data analytics tools you use can save you from costly SEO mistakes, which makes the time spent doing research a small price to pay.</p>
<h2><span id="Need_Some_Help_Want_to_Learn_More">Need Some Help? Want to Learn More?</span></h2>
<p><strong>Looking to begin your SEO adventure?</strong> See our article “<a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/blog/7-must-know-seo-tips-tricks/">7 Must Know SEO Tips &amp; Tricks That Anyone Can Do</a>” for SEO tips and tricks that you can start using on your website today to start climbing the rankings and generating new business.</p>
<p>While we’ve laid out what SEO is and how it works, SEO can be an extremely complex and time-consuming process, depending largely on your SEO goals and experience. We’ve been in the SEO business for over 7 years and would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have about the process. Are you interested in hiring an effective SEO firm and generating real results and new business? If so, feel free to message me directly (social media links below) or <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/#contact">contact us</a> about <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/search-engine-optimization/">our SEO services</a> today!</p>


What is SEO and How Does it Work?

<p><strong>WordPress is one of the most robust content management solutions on the web</strong>, providing you with a litany of easy-to-use tools that can be utilized to facilitate the web design &amp; development process. Well over 80 percent of websites on the internet today utilize PHP, which is the core language behind WordPress development. The WordPress CMS is also powered and supported by thousands of developers across the globe, with a rapidly growing following. As with all content management systems, there are pros and cons to using WordPress, all of which you should be aware of before starting your next web development project.</p><div class="lwptoc lwptoc-autoWidth lwptoc-light lwptoc-notInherit" data-smooth-scroll="1" data-smooth-scroll-offset="24"><div class="lwptoc_i">    <div class="lwptoc_header" style="font-size:175%;">
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<h2><span id="Pros_of_Using_WordPress">Pros of Using WordPress</span></h2>
<h3><span id="An_Open_Source_Platform">An Open Source Platform</span></h3>
<p>One of the most beneficial aspects of the WordPress CMS is that it’s an <a href="http://www.wpbeginner.com/glossary/open-source/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">open source</a> website development platform. <strong>This system design choice can save you  time and money, as the code used for developing a website is entirely free to distribute and modify</strong>, so you won’t need to worry about paying licensing fees just to use specific content in the creation of your website. You also won’t need to spend as much time developing your own code (depending on the customization and complexity of your project), as you may often find that your coding solution has already been created by the WordPress community is available for integration into an existing project.</p>
<p><strong>WordPress is the largest self-hosted blogging and website development platform in the world</strong>, there is a lot of open source content that you can use when developing your own website. You should also be aware of the fact that many different types of websites have been built with WordPress, from small personal blogs to robust eCommerce shops and Fortune 500 sites, this extremely powerful CMS allows for varying levels of customization for all experience levels.</p>
<h3><span id="Thousands_of_Robust_Plugins">Thousands of Robust Plugins</span></h3>
<p>When building your website, you may want to highlight your brand while also appealing to users expectations by extending the functionality of your site. One of the easiest ways to make your website stand out from the crowd while also providing site visitors with modern features (that advanced users these days have come to expect) is with the <strong>utilization of plugins</strong>, of which there are thousands to choose from. These plugins greatly extend the capabilities of your website, from <strong>increasing the page speed performance to boosting site security or even adding a social media feed to your website.</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/blog/9-essential-plugins-every-wordpress-site-needs/"><strong>See a list of our favorite WordPress plugins!</strong></a></p>
<p>There are also plenty of plugins that can assist you in the management of your website, such as Google Analytics+, which tracks exactly when and how users visit your website, an essential tool when you’re attempting to monitor user behavior and increase site traffic and usability. If you’re the owner of a business and are looking for ways to expand and sell your products online, you can utilize the many WordPress eCommerce plugins that allow you to add comprehensive inventory management, order tracking, and purchase notifications, effortlessly creating an online storefront without all of the hassle of having to hire a developer to create this for you. These are just a couple of examples as to what WordPress plugins do and how you can benefit from them.</p>
<h3><span id="Ease_of_Use_and_Website_Management">Ease of Use and Website Management</span></h3>
<p>Once the website is set up, you have the ability to manage and improve various aspects of the website with <strong>little to no coding experience required</strong> (this is highly dependent on the website theme and original implementation), you don’t have to be a developer to make use of the many features available on WordPress. You can edit your site content, add in new themes and plugins, and make changes to your website images with hardly any technical or computer expertise, allowing you to bolster you brand without the hassle of learning new skills or bringing in new talent to do so, which can help you save your business a lot of money.</p>
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<p>One of the primary reasons that WordPress is so easy to use is because it utilizes a database to store and serve up website information, allowing users to easily search your website for archived pages and posts while making it exceedingly easy for you as the owner to manage various types of content throughout the website. The admin interface is very user-friendly, so you won’t need to spend much time learning all the ins and outs of how to tinker with the site settings or add new content to your blog.</p>
<h3><span id="Fantastic_Platform_for_SEO">Fantastic Platform for SEO</span></h3>
<p>If you’ve been involved with the design or management of a website in the past, you likely understand just how important it is to <strong>integrate search engine optimization into your website and its content to generate traffic and ultimately, new business for your website</strong>. The WordPress CMS is a fantastic platform for SEO, as it utilizes premier semantic coding practices that allow the user to easily manage the SEO aspects of a website that affect its potential for ranking on Google and other search engines.</p>
<p><a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/search-engine-optimization/"><strong>Need help generating new business with a comprehensive SEO strategy?</strong></a></p>
<p>There are a wide array of SEO plugins to select from to further your ability to improve your website rankings on search results, including simple plugins that guide you through the best SEO practices each post and page. These plugins also provide you with the option of adding basic H1 tags around keywords as well as meta titles and meta descriptions. With a higher ranking on Google, site traffic will increase dramatically, boosting your chances of converting these leads into loyal customers.</p>
<h3><span id="Thousands_of_Premade_Themes_to_Choose_From">Thousands of Premade Themes to Choose From</span></h3>
<p>Although these “canned” solutions may be utilized by many other website owners across the internet, there are <strong>literally thousands of premade themes to choose from</strong>, allowing you to implement them in unique ways that will keep your website fresh and original. For those on a budget, these “out of the box” solutions will allow you to manipulate various aspects of your website, tailoring the design to fit your exact specifications without needing to build every facet of the design from scratch (<strong>highly dependent upon the theme — not all themes are created equal</strong>).</p>
<p>The <a href="https://wordpress.org/themes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">library of themes</a> available on WordPress includes themes for all industries and types of websites, from eCommerce sites and real estate templates to restaurants and medical industry templates, you’ll be able to find the themes that work best for you and your brand. When you’re searching for the right theme on WordPress, your options are presented to you by layout, features, and subject matter, facilitating the website theme search process.</p>
<h2><span id="Cons_of_using_WordPress">Cons of using WordPress</span></h2>
<h3><span id="Performance_Can_Be_an_Issue">Performance Can Be an Issue</span></h3>
<p>While there are plenty of benefits to using WordPress as your content management system of choice, there are also a few cons that you should be aware of before starting the design of your website. For one, performance can be an issue when using this platform, as <strong>the over-utilization of plugins and “bloatware” may lead you to find that your website is slowing down</strong>, which is largely due to potential plugin conflicts and poor theme design. While many plugins are designed to be compatible across many additional plugins, it’s impossible to account for the code issues that could present themselves when placing a dozen plugins on your website post-setup &amp; design.</p>
<p>Thankfully, the WordPress community is quick to offer solutions in the event that your plugins are causing conflicts or the themes you’ve chosen to integrate into your design aren’t compatible (or for a more personal and complete approach, your <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/">local web development team</a>). The basic themes and layouts offered through WordPress should work just fine, but the more comprehensive themes and plugins can cause problems. The possibility of running into issues is particularly prevalent when you create your own custom theme or plugin from scratch. Getting the code you work on to function properly with every other feature implemented on your site can be a hassle if you don’t know how to identify the issue at hand.</p>
<h3><span id="Built_With_PHP">Built With PHP</span></h3>
<p>While WordPress is used by millions of website owners and is the most common web development platform on the internet, it’s primarily built with an older coding language called PHP. Although this is <a href="https://w3techs.com/technologies/details/pl-php/all/all" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">one of the most prevalent programming languages on the internet</a>, it does not get the attention that newer programming languages such as Ruby, Node, and JavaScript do, which means that new developments in web technologies typically aren’t going to be utilizing PHP.</p>
<p>These issues also come into focus if you’re looking to modify the functionality of your site, as you may need to learn how to code and manipulate PHP, which isn’t exactly easy and doesn’t include the streamlined processes and semantic coding practices of newer programming languages. With web technologies advancing on a daily basis, the continual usage of PHP places website owners that use WordPress at a slight disadvantage in comparison to competitors that utilize more modern programming languages, although PHP does have its benefits and is far from the point where it’s no longer beneficial to use WordPress.</p>
<h3><span id="Possible_Security_Flaws">Possible Security Flaws</span></h3>
<p>One of the most notable cons of using WordPress is the fact that there are <strong><a href="https://www.cloudliving.com/wordpress-security/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>possible</em> security flaws</a> that you’ll have to contend with</strong>. With the immense popularity of the platform, and thousands of available plugins to choose from, not all are made equal. Some of these plugins are built directly with vulnerabilities to potential threats and hackers, as a programmer can intentionally input malicious code into their plugins. While the open source environment of this CMS is one of its greatest aspect, it’s also one of the issues that causes hackers to target potential security holes.</p>
<p>If you don’t have much experience in writing code, it’s also possible that you could unintentionally put out poorly written code that could attract hackers to your site. Let’s say you install a plugin onto your newly designed website that allows you to send newsletters to every member who has joined your site. If the plugin has been written with malicious intent, it’s possible for your e-mail list to be sent directly to the developer of this plugin, providing them with access to the e-mail addresses of your customers.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/blog/learn-code-free/">Interested in learning how to code? Click here!</a></strong></p>
<p>There are, thankfully, ways in which to combat these threats and hackers, although you will typically be required to install updates and various patches on a regular basis in order to keep your website as secure as possible. If you want to update and patch these themes in a quick and efficient manner, you’ll need to know how to do so, which can be tricky if you’ve never done it before (for most plugins, <a href="http://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/how-to-properly-update-wordpress-plugins-step-by-step/">WordPress provides an auto-update feature</a>, allowing you to update your qualifying plugins with the click of a button). Updating certain plugins can also damage compatibility with others. These issues aren’t exactly common, but they can pop up and are frustrating to deal with without the help of a developer. As touched upon previously, members of the WordPress community can provide useful assistance whenever you run into one of these issues.</p>
<h2><span id="The_Bottom_Line">The Bottom Line</span></h2>
<p>Overall, <strong>WordPress is an extremely robust and powerful CMS that can be an effective development solution for any website</strong>. Its benefits far exceed its flaws and, with <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/">the right development team</a>, can be a highly effective and high performance website for any business.</p>
<p><em><strong>Are you looking to start your next web development project?</strong> Need help bringing your business up to speed with the modern web? Contact us today for a free website audit and SEO consultation — you can reach me directly via my social media information below or through <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/#contact">our contact form</a>.</em></p>


What are the pros and cons of WordPress? [Updated July 2018]

<p><strong>WordPress is an extremely powerful CMS</strong> (content management system), <a href="https://w3techs.com/technologies/details/pl-php/all/all" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">nearly 80% of all websites on the internet are powered by PHP</a>, the core language that WordPress utilizes for its software. I didn’t start out working with WordPress, but over the years the demand has increased and more of my clients request that they have complete control over their website. WordPress, in my opinion, is a great way to go. If you’re not already using WordPress, here’s a list of reasons why I think you should:</p><div class="lwptoc lwptoc-autoWidth lwptoc-light lwptoc-notInherit" data-smooth-scroll="1" data-smooth-scroll-offset="24"><div class="lwptoc_i">    <div class="lwptoc_header" style="font-size:175%;">
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                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">1. It’s easy to use and easy to set up!</span>
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                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">5. Free support from a community of developers</span>
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                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">6. One of the best platforms for SEO</span>
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<h2><span id="1_Its_easy_to_use_and_easy_to_set_up">1. It’s easy to use and easy to set up!</span></h2>
<p>With most web hosts these days, GoDaddy, Bluehost, HostGator, Media Temple, etc., there’s a <strong>one click set up</strong> button to install WordPress on your hosting server. This will typically install the latest version of WordPress along with whatever add-ons your host provides. This allows people of all skill levels to get the website up and running in a matter of a few clicks.</p>
<h2><span id="2_Plenty_of_premade_designs_and_themes_to_choose_from">2. Plenty of premade designs and themes to choose from</span></h2>
<p>As with most free to use website platforms, you have <strong>an array of website designs and templates to choose from</strong>. Although these themes or templates are often limited in functionality/capabilities, with WordPress you are not restricted to the core offerings of the theme.  You can extend the features of the theme with plug-ins and custom functionality. You can also easily change your theme, keeping all of your website content and information intact.</p>
<h2><span id="3_Free_to_use_and_build_on">3. Free to use and build on!</span></h2>
<p>WordPress is, and has always been, an  open source platform — meaning that <strong>the platform is free to use and manipulate</strong> at your discretion. This not only gives you the control to customize the website to your liking but it also allows for literally thousands of developers and enthusiasts to contribute to the success of the platform.</p>
<h2><span id="4_Plug-ins_plug-ins_and_more_plug-ins">4. Plug-ins, plug-ins, and more plug-ins!</span></h2>
<p>Because the platform is open sourced, developers have been creating their own plug-ins for years. These <strong>plug-ins extend the core capabilities of the platform</strong> and give users the ability to customize the website to their needs/liking. Many of these plug-ins are written for non-developers to be able to manipulate various aspects of the website that they could not before. These plug-ins can also improve the performance and functionality of your website, improving the user experience and search engine ranking of your site.</p>
<p>In one of our previous articles we outline <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/blog/9-essential-plugins-every-wordpress-site-needs/">our favorite WordPress plugins</a> that add functionality, improve performance, and enhance the user experience of your website.</p>
<h2><span id="5_Free_support_from_a_community_of_developers">5. Free support from a community of developers</span></h2>
<p>Since the platform is so popular, there are <strong>literally thousands of developers to offer support and often answer any questions you may have</strong>. <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/">The official WordPress forum</a> is a valuable resource for any website owner where you can ask questions about simply making a change to your website, about a specific plug-in or theme, or even hire a developer to do some custom work on your website.</p>
<h2><span id="6_One_of_the_best_platforms_for_SEO">6. One of the best platforms for SEO</span></h2>
<p>WordPress has built-in features, and additional plug-ins that allow you to customize the various aspects of your website that contribute to a <strong>strong SEO presence</strong>. Utilizing these features will give you a leg up on the competition and help you climb the ladder of Google rankings. I highly recommend <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-seo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Yoast SEO plugin for WordPress</a>, this plugin provides valuable insight into the “SEO health” of your website and provides tips for users to improve their search engine visibility and customize meta tags of posts and pages.</p>
<h2><span id="7_User-friendly_dashboard">7. User-friendly dashboard</span></h2>
<p>One of the biggest hurdles to managing your own website is <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/blog/learn-code-free/">learning how to code</a>. WordPress provide users a <strong>custom dashboard that allows you to edit/add content</strong> to your website post, pages, and media content without any need to fuss with the code. I often tell my clients that if you can manage social media accounts, you can manage a WordPress dashboard. This dashboard was created for users of all skill levels and will give even the least tech savvy consumer the ability to make changes to the site.</p>
<h2><span id="8_Its_not_going_anywhere_anytime_soon">8. It’s not going anywhere anytime soon</span></h2>
<p>Every year, developers will speculate the longevity of PHP as a programming language. And each additional year that passes by, PHP has stood out as a strong contender as one of  the most popular programming languages on the Internet. With about 80% of the Internet websites powered by PHP, and a large majority of them running the latest version of the language, I think it’s safe to say that <strong>this popular website platform isn’t going anywhere anytime soon!</strong></p>
<h2><span id="9_Mostly_responsive_design">9. (Mostly) responsive design</span></h2>
<p>In this day and age, and with a continuing trend of increased use of mobile devices accessing the internet, most prebuilt themes are created with <strong>responsive design</strong>. A responsive design is a website design/layout that “responds” to the resolution/orientation of the screen, optimizing the layout for the best user experience. That being said, the majority of templates out there are responsive, but make sure you check for yourself (you can either access the theme demo on a mobile device or simply resize your internet browser to see the responsive features of a theme), before you make the purchase.</p>
<h2><span id="Conclusion">Conclusion</span></h2>
<p><strong><a href="https://wordpress.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WordPress</a> is an extremely powerful, extendable, efficient platform supported by thousands of developers across the globe.</strong> With the amount of customization, ease of use, and popularity of this platform, I think we can expect this content management system  to hold strong for years to come and should be a primary contender for your next web development project.</p>
<p><em>Have any questions about WordPress? Need help customizing various aspects of your website?</em></p>
<p><strong>Feel free to reach out to me directly via my contact information below or <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/#contact">our contact form</a> and I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have!</strong></p>


free wordpress wallpaper from https://www.just-wp-it.com/free-wordpress-inspired-backgrounds/

9 reasons why you should be using WordPress

<p><strong>Not every business has a budget to hire an SEO team, but that shouldn’t prevent you from working on your organic search traffic and improving your online presence.</strong> There are many things you can do as an individual or a small business that can further your organic exposure and Google search rankings.</p><div class="lwptoc lwptoc-autoWidth lwptoc-light lwptoc-notInherit" data-smooth-scroll="1" data-smooth-scroll-offset="24"><div class="lwptoc_i">    <div class="lwptoc_header" style="font-size:175%;">
        <b class="lwptoc_title">Highlights</b>                    <span class="lwptoc_toggle">
                <a href="#" class="lwptoc_toggle_label" data-label="show">hide</a>
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    <div class="lwptoc_itemWrap"><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#1_Create_content_with_value_to_the_end_user">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">1</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">1. Create content with value to the end user</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#2_Utilize_the_power_of_social_media">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">2</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">2. Utilize the power of social media</span>
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    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#3_Backlinking_and_Outreach">
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                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">3. Backlinking and Outreach</span>
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    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#4_Use_engaging_media_in_your_content">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">4</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">4. Use engaging media in your content</span>
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    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#5_Utilize_software_to_measure_your_traffic_and_analyze_your_Google_rankings">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">5</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">5. Utilize software to measure your traffic and analyze your Google rankings</span>
    </a>
    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#6_Look_for_opportunity">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">6</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">6. Look for opportunity</span>
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    </div><div class="lwptoc_item">    <a href="#7_Implement_user-friendly_plug-ins_to_increase_the_speed_performance_of_your_site">
                    <span class="lwptoc_item_number">7</span>
                <span class="lwptoc_item_label">7. Implement user-friendly plug-ins to increase the speed &amp; performance of your site</span>
    </a>
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</div></div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en" style="text-align: center;">If digital is still an afterthought, it’s time to rethink your strategy. <a href="https://t.co/6MLhHsB7ie">https://t.co/6MLhHsB7ie</a> <a href="https://t.co/Oqfvryj3TZ">pic.twitter.com/Oqfvryj3TZ</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">— Think with Google (@ThinkwithGoogle) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThinkwithGoogle/status/844282562176565248">March 21, 2017</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>At the end of the day, <strong>SEO is all about your ability to build trust with Google</strong>. If you think about it, Google has an obligation to its users to provide accurate, relevant information to the user’s search query — if Google does not produce relevant/expected results, Google loses the user’s trust and essentially its advertising base/source of revenue.</p>
<p><strong>Think of it like this: </strong></p>
<blockquote><p><em>Google is a bank, offering you a loan with terms dependent on your ability to produce trust between you and the bank through historical performance, financials, etc. The bank has a risk in offering you the loan, similar to how Google has a risk of offering you a higher placement on the search engine results pages. The more information you can provide, the better your loan terms will be — similarly, the more historical performance and information you can supply to Google, the more Google will be willing to trust your website and push your website links to the front page of the search results.</em></p></blockquote>
<p>I often have clients asking what they can do to improve their search rankings of their website so I decided to write a little reference list of my recommendations. <strong>Following is a list of some of the most effective do-it-yourself SEO tips for you and your small business:</strong></p>
<h2><span id="1_Create_content_with_value_to_the_end_user">1. Create content with value to the end user</span></h2>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Viewers care more about content than platform. To engage people, create videos they want to watch. <a href="https://t.co/FKqYcdLNLl">https://t.co/FKqYcdLNLl</a> <a href="https://t.co/sHouMKzZqC">pic.twitter.com/sHouMKzZqC</a></p>
<p>— Think with Google (@ThinkwithGoogle) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThinkwithGoogle/status/841335551227748352">March 13, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Number one on this list, and arguably the most important, is to <strong>create content that provides valuable information for your visitors.</strong> In this day and age we have web platforms that allow non-technical people to create and publish content on a website with ease. With a content management system solution (CMS) there’s no need to fuss  with code or any other development mumbo-jumbo.</p>
<p>These platforms allow you to create content without hiring the help of the developer every time you wish to make updates to your website. The more valuable, relevant content you produce, the more Google will trust your website and push your Google rankings up the ladder of the search engine results page (SERP).</p>
<h2><span id="2_Utilize_the_power_of_social_media">2. Utilize the power of social media</span></h2>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Audiences don’t care about where they watch, they care about what they watch. Are you embracing these blurred lines? <a href="https://t.co/CY9p0vmsLt">https://t.co/CY9p0vmsLt</a> <a href="https://t.co/jCQzz3dW7Z">pic.twitter.com/jCQzz3dW7Z</a></p>
<p>— Think with Google (@ThinkwithGoogle) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThinkwithGoogle/status/838811420967960576">March 6, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Although social media links to your website are considered “no follow” links, meaning that they do not pass along link “juice” to your website, the <strong>social media activity and engagement is a major indicator to Google that your website is relevant and worth trusting.</strong>  This is a rather simple and effective method to engage with your audience, create content with value, and promote your brand online — and generate new business.</p>
<p>These platforms are very easy to use and there are tools/plugins (such as <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/jetpack/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jetpack</a> – a WordPress plug-in) that allow you to manage all social media accounts at once without all the micromanaging.  I can’t stress the importance of social media enough, not only is this another avenue of exposure for your business online, but you have the potential to reach the eyes and ears of networks beyond your current audience which could net exponential growth for your business online.</p>
<h2><span id="3_Backlinking_and_Outreach">3. Backlinking and Outreach</span></h2>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Online videos help shoppers narrow their search, before they even set foot in a store. <a href="https://t.co/JOfY1OZkUX">https://t.co/JOfY1OZkUX</a> <a href="https://t.co/GUL2JTxNrZ">pic.twitter.com/GUL2JTxNrZ</a></p>
<p>— Think with Google (@ThinkwithGoogle) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThinkwithGoogle/status/835916090651856897">February 26, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>The strategy of backlinking essentially entails getting other trusted and relevant sources to link back to link back to your website from their own. This is most effectively done when the links pointing to your website are coming from a website (relevant to your industry, if you’re a web designer — a backlink from an auto body shop would be considered irrelevant and may not benefit you as much as if you were to receive a backlink from  web development forum) that already has Google’s trust and has a relatively high  Domain authority. Domain authority is essentially the ranking of trust that Google has for specific website and the relevance that website has to its current industry.</p>
<p>The idea here is that the more other relevant websites trust your website, the more Google will trust your website and rank you higher  in the search engine results pages. As an additional bonus, chances are that if someone finds your website through another relevant site, the user is more likely to be interested in your product/offerings!</p>
<h2><span id="4_Use_engaging_media_in_your_content">4. Use engaging media in your content</span></h2>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Is the growth of online video a threat to TV? Nope, online video is mostly additive. <a href="https://t.co/h0DlU5erQR">https://t.co/h0DlU5erQR</a> <a href="https://t.co/2uerCVYe2V">pic.twitter.com/2uerCVYe2V</a></p>
<p>— Think with Google (@ThinkwithGoogle) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThinkwithGoogle/status/845323076288024576">March 24, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Ever wonder why a website will embed a video at the beginning of a blog article before the content even begins? Have you ever seen a long scrolling page that populates article after article on that same page (Fortune, Buzzfeed, etc.)?</p>
<p>The idea here is that Google looks at how long a visitor stays on your page after clicking your link from Google. This is considered page visit duration, a primary signal  Google that your content is worth reading. The longer a user stays on your page, after being directed from a Google search result, the more relevant your content becomes in the eyes of Google, pushing your website up the rankings.  You can encourage visitor page visit duration by embedding engaging media within your pages or blog post. This can be anything from YouTube videos, infographics, social media, tweets, etc. – Don’t forget to pay credit where credit is due and cite your source!</p>
<h2><span id="5_Utilize_software_to_measure_your_traffic_and_analyze_your_Google_rankings">5. Utilize software to measure your traffic and analyze your Google rankings</span></h2>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">What can help you design, deliver, and measure high-impact campaigns? Data. <a href="https://t.co/aQZVpn1Pa9">https://t.co/aQZVpn1Pa9</a> <a href="https://t.co/GXWrkmXQAP">pic.twitter.com/GXWrkmXQAP</a></p>
<p>— Think with Google (@ThinkwithGoogle) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThinkwithGoogle/status/845002211537096705">March 23, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>There are many tools out there that will help you analyze and assess your current position and the organic search market. I highly recommend that every single website utilize the power of Google analytics. This is a free to use software platform that allows you to analyze all types of data about your visitors, from demographics, location, page visit duration, traffic sources, and more-this is an incredibly powerful tool  to include in your arsenal of SEO applications.</p>
<p>Another tool to monitor your SEO traffic and possible opportunities for organic growth, is called SEM Rush. While this tool requires a paid subscription to unleash the full power of the platform (and it can get pricey), you can start doing some of your own research with a free account.</p>
<h2><span id="6_Look_for_opportunity">6. Look for opportunity</span></h2>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">To drive impact when sharing results, simplicity is key. <a href="https://t.co/pYT1xBMdHA">https://t.co/pYT1xBMdHA</a> <a href="https://t.co/GBo7xH3l8C">pic.twitter.com/GBo7xH3l8C</a></p>
<p>— Think with Google (@ThinkwithGoogle) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThinkwithGoogle/status/847070844262240256">March 29, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Utilize tools like <a href="https://www.semrush.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SEM Rush</a> mentioned above to find “low hanging fruit” and opportunistic keywords. Ideally, you’d like to find keywords with high search volume and low keyword difficulty, meaning that it it is a less saturated topic and the possibility for ranking for that topic may be a bit more realistic (especially if you’re just starting out). Long gone are the days where you rank for specific keywords, but you can use this keyword research to give yourself an idea about which topics to focus on and what your audience is looking for.</p>
<p>Another tool that’s completely free to use is called <a href="https://trends.google.com/trends/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Google Trends</a>, this website allows you to see what’s trending in the organic search traffic world. You can start out with a simple topic and expand on that topic with trending searches based on location, time period and more!  This will give you an idea of what people are looking for, increasing the likelihood that users will engage with your content and net you increased visibility with search engines.</p>
<h2><span id="7_Implement_user-friendly_plug-ins_to_increase_the_speed_performance_of_your_site">7. Implement user-friendly plug-ins to increase the speed &amp; performance of your site</span></h2>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Slow sites are left in the dust. Speed up your load time or say goodbye to users. <a href="https://t.co/A1sVLsufYo">https://t.co/A1sVLsufYo</a> <a href="https://t.co/22hmWbx6Gc">pic.twitter.com/22hmWbx6Gc</a></p>
<p>— Think with Google (@ThinkwithGoogle) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThinkwithGoogle/status/847433233633390594">March 30, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Regardless of the web platform your website is built on, there are often many user-friendly plug-ins that expand the functionality of your site.  As mentioned in our earlier blog post about <a href="https://wp.brytdesigns.com/blog/9-essential-plugins-every-wordpress-site-needs/">WordPress plug-ins to improve SEO visibility and performance of your website</a>, there are many powerful user-friendly plug-ins to help you achieve your SEO goals.</p>
<p><a href="https://yoast.com/wordpress/plugins/seo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Yoast SEO</a> is a popular WordPress plug-in that allows you to customize the many different SEO aspects of your website, from  page titles to meta descriptions (the little blurb of text you see below a search engine result), this tool allows you to customize much more than you would be able to do the standard WordPress installation. W3 Total Cache is another powerful tool that will help optimize your WordPress website. This tool allows you to speed up the performance and load times of your website not only to improve the overall user experience but also to signal to Google that your website is a quality link worth sharing.</p>
<p><em>I hope you find these tips useful and your next (or current) SEO endeavor. If you need any clarification/assistance with the above or are looking for a free SEO consultation, feel free to <a href="mailto:bryan@brytdesigns.com">reach out to me directly</a> and I’d love to hear from you!</em></p>
<p><em>Do you have any DIY SEO tips of your own to share? Feel free to leave them in the comments below!</em></p>


Tag:"Tips"

Tag:
"Tips"