SEO

Since Google announced they would be introducing a page ranking change based on Core Web Vitals, page performance is really having its heyday in the SEO world. Lighthouse reports are no longer just for the developers! (We already knew that, though).

But do you really understand what Lighthouse performance audits are asking you to do? In one case in particular, Google doesn’t even seem to know. Google’s own web.dev resource for “preconnect to required origins” mentions using “preconnect” or “dns-prefetch”, but recommends at the end of the page to use “preload” instead. So what are these and how can you know which you should be using and when?

[Read more…] about How Resource Hints Affect Page Performance

Living with a graphic designer has taught me a lot about color: Pantone, color theory, and how color can make or break a brand. But color is not just important for graphic or brand designers, it’s important to SEOs. While it may be easy to overlook, the colors clients choose for a site, especially for text content, and how those colors contrast with the background can be the difference between a mobile-friendly pass from Google or a list of errors during a mobile performance audit. Additionally, insufficient contrast makes it harder for visually impaired users to browse the site. So let’s dig a little deeper into why color is so important and how to get it right.

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Page titles are a fundamental aspect of search engine optimization. A page title not only helps to increase the prominence of your pages for target keywords in search results, but a well-written one can help earn the click over a competitor’s page.

The challenge in page title optimization is finding the right balance between the keywords you want to target, the message you want to convey, and the limitations on the overall page title length. Google will truncate your page title if it is too long – and that limitation is what marketers have tried to pinpoint for as long as that’s been the case.

[Read more…] about A Closer Look at Page Title Length

It’s easy to get caught up in aesthetics and functionality when planning a new website, leaving SEO considerations such as keyword research and implementation for after the site has been built. The fact is, in order to build the most SEO-friendly website possible, keyword research should be one of the first actions you take as part of that planning process.

[Read more…] about Why You Should Do Keyword Research Before Building Your Site

A website redesign is a significant inflection point in the lifecycle of a domain. As you begin planning for a redesign, it is going to be essential to have an SEO expert ‘in the room’ to ensure that SEO is at the forefront throughout the entire redesign process. The UpBuild team has been through countless site redesigns, being brought in at the start of the planning process for some and the final weeks before launch during others. We can say that hands down, the former option is far more ideal and efficient, eliminating the need for dreaded rework and inevitable launch delays.

Q: In an ideal world, when should you bring on an SEO partner for your new site redesign project?

[Read more…] about SEO for a Site Redesign