Tag Archives: SEO

Google’s Mobile Search Update

You may have noticed a new layout while searching Google recently on your mobile device. Around the end of May, Google released an updated visual layout for the mobile search results page. This refresh was released to introduce a more modern and user friendly layout. Google say “we’re unveiling a visual refresh of the mobile search results page to better guide you through the information available on the web.” This was referenced on the Google blog here. The familiar green font on the ads has now been changed to a black label with a simple ‘Ad’ reference. See below for reference: As you’ll see from the above image, what Google have implemented is an opportunity for companies online to introduce their branding to users on the web before even landing on your site. This is done by using the favicon image which is uploaded on most websites. You’ll generally see this small icon on your browser tab while searching from a desktop or laptop. What does this mean for me? In order to take advantage of this update, you’ll need to make sure your website has an active favicon set and specified. There are some rules behind this:
  • Your website and the favicon need to be crawlable to Google (meaning you need to ensure your site is fully accessible to Google’s Spider). This can be a complicated issue, but we can help you with this if required – Contact Us
  • The favicon should be similar to your overall branding on your website. This will allow users to identify and recognise your brand online with ease.
  • Google will resize your favicon to 16px x 16px. They recommend uploading your file in multiples of 48px square to ensure clarity. For example, 48×48 or 96×96 etc.
  • Any favicon that Google see to be inappropriate will be removed and replaced with a default icon image.
At 2Cubed Web Design & Development, we can assist you with any of the needs above, allowing you to take advantage of this latest Google update. We offer a number of services to help you grow your online presence. Check out our list of services – https://2cubed.ie/services/ Contact us today for more information on the services we provide – Contact Us Please feel free to follow and interact with us on the following profiles. facebook icon twitter icon linkedin icon Instagram icon Google+ icon

3 Ways Your Web Design May Be Damaging your SEO

Three Ways Your Web Design May Be Damaging your SEO
April 25, 2019
As we have touched on before having a great Web Design employed throughout your website is very important to ensure that your website delivers a great user experience. We all know that a great user experience is great for SEO however if not properly done correctly web design can inadvertently end up actually damaging your SEO. Three Ways Your Web Design May Be Damaging your SEO that you need to look for are: Bad or no optimisation of Header Tags Header tags (H1, H2, H3 etc..) are important for SEO as they help Google to determine what the content on your page is actually about. H1 should always be your page title and H2 tags need to accurately clarify what the page is about and what it contains. The other tags can be used when you go more in-depth. Image Optimisation A major factor in any web design is that it needs to visually be beautiful and pleasing to the eye of any user. To ensure that your images are successfully optimised you need to ensure the following three things have been done:
      • Ensure that relevant alt text has been applied to all your images.
      • Ensure that your image is compressed
      • Ensure that you have the correct image format
Non Mobile-Friendly Design Since Google introduced Mobile-First Indexing the question of whether your website and web design is mobile friendly or not has become an extremely important one. Mobile-First Indexing means that Google will look at how your website performs on mobile first rather than on Desktop and from this judgement they will determine where your website will rank. Therefore if your web design for mobile is poor your SEO will be severely damaged. If you can ensure that these three things are done then you will greatly reduce the chances of your web design damaging your SEO.

The Importance of Text & Heading Structure of Website Content for Optimal SEO Performance

Website SEO Performance
October 18, 2018
Strong website content is the cornerstone of having a successful website. By writing unique rich content that gives value to the user your website content will be strong, couple this strong content with great marketing/SEO and your site should soar up the rankings of the SERP (Search Engine Results Page). Most people are familiar with the most common form of SEO for content which is optimising each key page with a unique Meta Title and Description. However there is further SEO that can and should be done to ensure your content ranks highly that many people aren’t aware of such as the importance of text structure and the importance of the successful implementation of a heading structure (H1, H2, H3 Etc..) on your page of content. Text Structure is important as the structure of the texts on your site is very important for SEO. If your content is clearly structured, your chance to rank well in Google will be much higher. Before people choose to read content they do what is called a quick scan of the content. This is where they will run their eyes quickly over to content to get a quick feel for it before they commit to starting to properly read it. You need to hook the user from this scan to convince them to read it otherwise you have lost them. This is where text structure becomes ever so important as the main parts that tend to catch people’s eyes when they scan over content is the beginning of sentences as people read left to right and secondly and probably most importantly what catches people’s eyes are headings and subheadings. Headings and subheadings will usually be in bold and also be centered so they really stand out easily, the headings and subheadings should be an accurate description of the content that lays beneath it. If these headings and subheadings are intriguing enough to convince the user to read the article after scanning then they have done their job! Now that the importance of text structure has been explained, how directly linked the importance of heading structure to compliment it will also become quite apparent. As explained above headings and subheadings should be attractive and should clearly state the content of the paragraph beneath it. Best practice is to put a header above every long paragraph or above a group of paragraphs which are talking about a similar theme or topic.   Header tags (H1, H2, H3 Etc..) are important for SEO because they communicate to search engines like google what your website and what that specific page is about.Search engines recognize the copy in your header tags as more important than the rest so it understands from this what your page is about. H1 is seen by google as the most important then H2, H3 etc.. It’s important to utilize your header tags however and not just throw them in anywhere and everywhere. To utilize header tags effectively for SEO they should contain your keywords which you hope to rank for. This is so effective as part of an SEO strategy because when search engines routinely crawl the website they will pick up on the header tags and will recognize the keywords you are using are important and are directly linked to what your website is about. To find out more about the best way to employ effective content writing and other strategies to improve your website Contact 2Cubed today! You can also contact us on 01 905 8114 or 051-440425, email hello@2cubed.ie Please feel free to follow and interact with us on the following profiles. facebook icon twitter icon linkedin icon Instagram icon Google+ icon

Move your MODX site to WordPress

MODX site to Wordpress
Category: Tips and Tricks
May 9, 2018
MODX (originally MODx) is a free, open source content management system and web application framework for publishing content on the world wide web and intranets. MODX is licensed under the GPL, is written in the PHP programming language, and supports MySQL and Microsoft SQL Server as the database. Many people choose to move their site from MODX to WordPress because they come to realize that with MODX CMS that it can be very difficult to make the simplest of changes. By converting their site over to wordpress users find it much easier for common functions such as updating and customizing. When a client wishes to keep the look and feel of their current site when moving across to wordpress we start by first doing the content migration and then follow it up with the theme migration. If there is a lot of functionality already built in the original site we can distribute it over to various types of wordpress plugins. The site will then be converted for cross device compatibility and when that’s completed be moved over to responsive framework. WordPress conversion from MODX is an approach that tends to make sense as best practice for most businesses. However there is one caveat to this point that should be considered, you shouldn’t rush into converting from MODX to WordPress without first properly evaluating everything first. It’s vitally important that you consider first your existing assets such as (such as SEO, Content, Functionality) are not compromised in the transfer. Finally the most important point when it comes to converting a MODX site to WordPress is to make sure you have an expert doing it! This isn’t something that is recommended to be a DIY job unless you are very confident of your abilities because there are a lot of things that can go wrong and issues that pop up during a migration, this is where it will pay to have someone who has a cool head and knows what they are doing to make sure your site converts to the otherside intact and unscathed. There are many so called ‘experts’ and ‘wordpress gurus’ out there who just copy/paste the existing MODX site into wordpress without first centralizing the control to the wordpress dashboard, this practices goes completely against the whole purpose of migrating over to wordpress! Many people also rely on automated software to cover everything related in the A-to-Z migration of a MODX site to wordpress. While automated software and scripts are very helpful in the migration process they aren’t always enough to complete the job by themselves. An experienced wordpress migration expert will know how to utilize the perfect combination of both automation and traditional hand coding to garner the best results. To get in touch with 2Cubed about migrating your site or just to inquire with queries you may have be sure to get in touch and contact us today!

Anchor Text, Page Speed and The Impact of The New GDPR Law

Anchor Text
Category: News
April 6, 2018

Welcome to this week’s edition of the 2Cubed Newsletter. Here you’ll find the latest news about the Website Maintenance we have have been carrying out, insight into how to maximize your Website User Experience and some top SEO Tips to aid you in your efforts.

SEO – Don’t Let Your Site Sink With Poor Anchor Text

Anchor Text is a text link that visitors can click on to be taken directly to another web page, this link can bring a user to either another page on your site or to another website on the internet. Effective anchor text can and should be used to help guide users through navigating throughout your website.

The anchor text should ideally include keywords and phrases related to what your site does. For example if you owned a clothes store, the words “Check out our selection of clothes” on your homepage should link to your online store page where people can browse and ideally buy your products. Through effective use of anchor text you would have helped guide this person from your home page to your online store where you want them to be all in the click of one button. That is why anchor text and its effective use is so important. Anchor text is a great way to boost your SEO, but keep in mind that excessive linking or anchors that don’t really help your readers can raise red flags with Google so make sure the links you put in are natural like the example mentioned above. To Learn More About Effective SEO Methods For Your Website Click Here

Page Speed to Soon Become Factor in Ranking of Mobile Pages

On January 17th Google announced that page speed will become a mobile ranking factor. Google have nicknamed the update the “speed update”. Page speed has been a ranking factor on desktop since 2010. Now for the first time Page Speed will also become a ranking factor which will now be an official part of a mobile page’s placement on the Google SERP. This will come into effect July 2018 so there is time for everyone to make sure their page speed is as efficient and fast as possible before this comes into effect.

One of the main aims of this update will be to target excessively slow loading pages, if you have slow loading pages on your website and you don’t amend them now, this update will punish you. However according to google’s announcement, they don’t predict that an extensive amount of pages will be impacted once the ranking factor of Page Speed becomes incorporated into the Google Algorithm in July. Page speed should already be a priority for any website who wishes to be successful as it is such an important component, and if it wasn’t already it should definitely be now with this “speed update” looming.

To Learn More About Increasing Your Page Speed CLICK HERE

GDPR: Why it Matters and What You Need to Know About it

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), is the European Union’s new law on data privacy. It has come about as a result of the public concern over privacy. The GDPR replaces the EU’s Data Protection Directive, which went into effect in 1995. Unlike a directive, it does not require national governments to pass any enabling legislation and so it is directly binding and applicable. It will ensure that every individual on the internet has a right to know which company has what data about them, plus the right to have it destroyed if they wish. To now be active in the EU, websites, including social media, will have to comply with the new regulations that will take effect on May 25. This will affect all businesses, big and small.

GDPR will now place requirements on data controllers, forcing them to explain to people what personal data they intend to collect and why. It’s focused completely around consent. GDPR will also let users request a copy of their personal information free-of-charge and be entitled to get a response within a month. It will give people the right to not be subject to significant decisions by businesses that impact their privacy. Users will also have some rights to erase their personal data if they withdraw consent or it’s deemed no longer necessary for the reason it was collected. Violations of this can trigger hefty fines for businesses. For a long time the internet has been a bit of a wild west like environment when it comes to data privacy and businesses had free rein to do as they wished, this is no longer the case with the EU finally cracking down on this hot button issue, businesses must make sure they are able to show compliance by the time GDPR comes into effect on May 25, 2018.

To Learn More About GDPR and Other Important Google Updates You Need to Know About CLICK HERE

Website Maintenance Tips & Tricks

Website Maintenance Tips & Tricks
Category: Tips and Tricks
October 5, 2017

Your website is often the first point of contact between your business and your clients. It impacts all stages of the customer journey from initial enquiry through to completing a purchase and potentially forming a long standing customer relationship.

In order to effectively reflect the fluidity of your brand position and business offering, your website must be maintained regularly. If potential customers visit your website only to find outdated information on services and products you no longer offer, you might find it’s about as useful as a brolly in a hurricane!

So, how do you ensure your website is maintained to the highest standard without it taking up your entire week?  

The best bet is to create a maintenance checklist and schedule each task into your calendar for completion. This way, you can ensure that your website remains regularly updated while minimising your maintenance time pressure.

The following are five of tasks that should be included in any maintenance calendar.

Review Your Website Analytics 

Analytics tools, such as Google Analytics, are your friends. They allow you to track how visitors find your website, which pages are particularly successful and which are not. Having a grasp of these figures is essential to the success of your website and overall online marketing strategy. They should be reviewed on a weekly basis to keep you fully informed and allow you to augment your content strategy to maximise success.

Fix Broken Links

When it comes to navigating a website there are few things more annoying than coming across a 404 error page. It’s thoroughly off putting as a potential customer and gives the impression of a lack of professionalism. That said, broken links can appear quite easily. If you forget to update a link after making even small changes to your website’s files, you could be left with a horrible assortment of 404 pages.  

The good news is that there is no shortage of tools at your disposal to help fix these issues. Google Search Console is a free to use service, provided by Google, that allows you to check for and fix indexing errors that lead to 404 errors. Alternatively the wordpress plugin ‘Broken Link Checker’ will continually scan every page on your website for broken links and email you if/when a new one appears.

Optimise Website Navigation

It is imperative that visitors to your site end up where you want them as quickly and as easily as possible. Navigating to your key pages and contact forms should require as few clicks as possible. If navigating through your website proves an arduous task, you’ll likely see your bounce rate fly right through the roof.  

Deliver Effective Relevant Content

Content is king. Not only does compelling content add pages to your website, it attracts visitors and allows you to position yourself as an authority in your area as well.

Keep your content posts relevant to the services you provide as well as the needs of potential customers and you will be on track to turning your website visitors into valuable customers. Not only that but, consistently posting relevant content will keep you in Google’s good books, making sure that your website ranks higher in search results. Set a schedule, brainstorm content ideas in advance and stick to it.

Assess Your Website Goals 

What is your website for? What metrics are you using to measure website success? Are you hitting your targets? Business and Online Marketing Goals are fluid, they don’t exist in a vacuum. Equipped with your latest analytics feedback, you should reassess your website goals on a regular basis. These goals should be written down and set for each quarter allowing you to measure successes and failings on an ongoing basis and implement adjustments where necessary.

Developing and following an intuitive website maintenance plan is a key step on the path to ensuring that your website remains professional, user-friendly and accessible to your current and potential customers.

If you’d like to improve your website, social media, brand identity, or want a Digital DNA assessment and overhaul, contact 2Cubed today!

 

Happy New Year! A Little Reflection

Category: News
January 2, 2015
Website Trends 2015All of us here in 2Cubed just want to wish all of our customers a Very Happy New Year and a prosperous one at that.  We put a record level of websites live in 2014 and 2015 is lining up the same. Some websites and apps are exceeding expectations and have a lot of excited customers realising the potential of eCommerce for the first time. We’ve helped our customers gain more online sales and customers, even on websites that we didn’t actually build. Hopefully all our customers and potential customers have the same energy for 2015 and expand on the success. Websites and Apps do eat time and energy but saying that everything you put in will be rewarded.  It’s not just about getting the website live, it’s about feeding it with information on a regular basis. It’s more than a once of go live commitment! We are always here to support you 100% and hopefully our positive happy energy here in 2Cubed will be reflected and entice you do work even harder on your website this year. Where business owners don’t have the time to do it all themselves, we take up the slack and ensure it happens for you. (Here’s a sales bit, sorry) We do offer monthly maintenance and online marketing services to ensure that your website or app is receiving maximum exposure. Just want to say congratulations to all our customers that had websites or apps that went live in 2014. Hopefully all the hard work by everyone, will pay off in 2015. It’s exciting times for eCommerce and only see things going from strength to strength.   Looking forward to talking you all in 2015 Jennifer, Ronan, Joe, Sarah & Mark