Google’s algorithm updates over the last 18 months have rebalanced the scale. On-page factors now pull more weight due to:

• The Helpful Content system favors pages that satisfy full user intent

• Structured data and schema play into visibility and trust

• UX signals (Core Web Vitals, interactivity, accessibility) impacting rankings

• Internal linking and topical authority influence site-wide credibility

What’s the new ratio?

The split now leans closer to 40 to 50 percent On-Page, depending on the industry. On-page can even outweigh off-page for service businesses, healthcare, and finance. The chart below has been updated to reflect this shift.

Backlinks still matter. But you can’t win on links alone anymore.

SEO Weight Diagram Explained:

Content Quality (25%)

High-quality, engaging content is the most significant slice of the SEO pie, making up approximately 25% of overall SEO effectiveness.

• Summary Points:
  • Original, informative content is key.
  • Relevance to the audience boosts engagement and retention.
• SEO Weights:
  • Originality: 25%

Backlinks (20%)

The quantity and quality of backlinks to your website account for about 20% of your SEO score, signaling trust and authority to search engines.

• Summary Points:
  • Prioritize high-quality, relevant backlinks.
  • Avoid low-quality or spammy links.
• SEO Weights:
  • Quality of backlinks: 20%

Keywords Optimization (15%)

Strategic use of keywords contributes approximately 15% to the SEO pie, highlighting the importance of understanding and matching user search intent.

• Summary Points:
  • Use keywords naturally and avoid stuffing.
  • Focus on long-tail keywords for better targeting.
• SEO Weights:
  • Keyword relevance and placement: 15%

Mobile Optimization (15%)

As mobile browsing prevails, mobile optimization's contribution to SEO effectiveness is about 15%.

• Summary Points:
  • Ensure your site is responsive on all devices.
  • Optimize for mobile speed and user experience.
• SEO Weights:
  • Mobile friendliness: 15%

Page Speed (10%)

Page speed affects user experience and rankings, making up 10% of the SEO pie.

• Summary Points:
  • Optimize images and files to reduce load times.
  • Leverage browser caching and optimize server response time.
• SEO Weights:
  • Load times: 10%

User Experience (UX) (10%)

UX contributes to 10% of the SEO weight, emphasizing the need for a site that is easy to navigate and engage with.

• Summary Points:
  • Focus on intuitive navigation and accessibility.
  • Improve site structure and page layout.
• SEO Weights:
  • Navigation and accessibility: 10%

Social Signals (5%)

Although a smaller slice, social signals account for around 5% of SEO effectiveness, reflecting the impact of social media interactions on SEO.

• Summary Points:
  • Engage with your audience on social platforms.
  • Share valuable content to generate likes, shares, and comments.
• SEO Weights:
  • Social media engagement: 5%

Why Other Models May Show Different Weights in the SEO Weight Diagram:

1. Evolving SEO Landscape: SEO is dynamic, with search engines continually updating their algorithms. This means the impact of various factors can change over time.
2. Diverse Methodologies: Different studies or analyses may use varied methodologies to determine the impact of SEO factors. Some may conduct empirical research, while others might rely on surveys of SEO professionals or case studies.
3. Industry-Specific Factors: The importance of specific SEO factors can vary greatly depending on the industry, the type of content, and the audience. What works well for one website or sector might not be as effective for another.
4. Off-Page SEO Significance: Recent trends and studies have suggested that off-page factors, especially backlinks, play a significant role in SEO, possibly accounting for as much as 50-60% of overall effectiveness. This reflects the importance of a website's authority, trust, and social validation in determining its search engine ranking.
5. Balancing Act: While on-page SEO factors are crucial for ensuring that content is relevant, accessible, and of high quality, off-page SEO factors like backlinks and social signals serve as endorsements of a website's credibility and value. The exact weightage can vary depending on the competitive landscape and specific goals of an SEO strategy.

Overall On-page and Off-page in the SEO Weight Diagram

On-Page SEO (Estimated 30-40%)

On-page SEO includes all the measures that can be taken directly within the website to improve its position in the search rankings. This includes content quality, keyword optimization, meta tags, headers, URL structure, and site speed.

Off-Page SEO (Estimated 60-70%)

Off-page SEO involves all activities outside the website to improve its search ranking. The most significant factors here are backlinks, social signals, and other external factors.

These estimates reflect a consensus that off-page SEO, particularly backlinks, plays a more substantial role in determining a website's rank than on-page factors. The rationale is that while on-page optimization is entirely under the site owner's control and can be seen as an essential requirement, off-page SEO represents external validation, which search engines value highly for determining a site's authority and relevance.

The balance can shift based on the specific competitive landscape of a given search query, the current state of a website's SEO, and ongoing updates to search engine algorithms. Therefore, these percentages should serve as a guideline rather than a fixed rule. On-page and off-page SEO are crucial for a successful SEO strategy, and neglecting either can hinder a website's potential to rank well.

For the most current insights and data-driven recommendations, it's essential to stay informed with the latest from reputable sources like Moz, Search Engine Land, and Ahrefs. These platforms frequently update their guidelines and findings based on evolving SEO trends and search engine algorithms.

Conclusion:

The initial percentages provided were meant to simplify the complex nature of SEO for explanatory purposes. In practice, the exact contribution of on-page versus off-page SEO factors is subject to ongoing debate. It can vary widely based on numerous variables, including changes in search engine algorithms, the competitive environment of specific niches, and the strategies of individual websites.

The post SEO Weight Diagram: Understanding On-page and Off-page SEO first appeared on B2B Website Platform Developer - Bright Vessel.

Here are step-by-step instructions on how to set up your default blog page.

Step 1: Log In to Your WordPress Dashboard

Access your WordPress site's admin area by entering your login credentials.

Step 2: Configure Your Default Blog Page

Assuming you already have WordPress installed and have decided whether your blog will be the front page or a separate page, follow these steps:

If You Want Your Default Blog Page on a Separate Page:

1. Create a New Page for Your Default Blog Page:
   • Go to Pages > Add New.
   • Title it "Blog" or any name you prefer. Leave the content area blank; it's for your posts to populate automatically.
   • Click Publish.

1. Designate Your Default Blog Page Page:
   • Navigate to Settings > Reading.
   • Under "Your homepage displays," select A static page (select below).
   • For the "Homepage," select or create a page that will serve as your website’s front page.
   • For the "Posts page," select the page you've just created for your blog.
   • Click Save Changes.

If You Want Your Default Blog Page on the Front Page:

• Simply go to Settings > Reading.
• Select Your latest posts under "Your homepage displays."
• Click Save Changes.

Step 3: Adding Blog Posts

1. Create a New Post:
   • Go to Posts > Add New.
   • Enter your post's title and content. Utilize the editing tools to add text, images, and other media to your post.
2. Organize Your Posts (Optional):
   • Use categories and tags for organization, found on the right-hand side under "Document" settings.
3. Publish Your Post:
   • Once satisfied, click Publish to make your post live on your blog page.

Step 4: Customize Your Blog’s Appearance

• Customize Your Theme: Go to Appearance > Customize. Here, depending on your theme's options, you can adjust your site's title, tagline, colors, and more.
• Adjust Widgets: Add widgets like archives, search, or recent posts by navigating to Appearance > Widgets.
• Menu Settings: To add your blog page to your site's navigation menu, go to Appearance > Menus, select your menu, and add the page. You can also create a new menu here.

Step 5: Preview and Adjust

• Preview Changes: Use the "Preview" feature to see how your blog posts and page look before making them public.
• Adjust for Responsiveness: Ensure your blog looks good on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.

Conclusion

Setting up your default blog page in WordPress is straightforward. WordPress provides various tools and settings to customize your blog according to your needs. Consistently publishing quality content that engages your audience is key to building a successful blog.

The post How to Set Your Default Blog Page in WordPress first appeared on B2B Website Platform Developer - Bright Vessel.

Why You Might Use Custom WordPress Permalinks

Custom WordPress permalinks are crucial for several reasons:

1. SEO Benefits: Well-structured URLs can improve your site's SEO by making it easier for search engines to understand your page content.
2. User Experience: Clear and descriptive permalinks give visitors a hint of the page content before clicking, enhancing the user experience.
3. Ease of Sharing: Concise and relevant URLs are easier to manage and share on social media or other platforms.
4. Content Organization: Custom permalinks help organize your content, making it easier for users and search engines to navigate your site.

Common Errors and Reasons You May Need to Reset WordPress Permalinks

Sometimes, your WordPress site may encounter issues that can be resolved by resetting the permalinks. Here are common errors and reasons why a reset might be necessary:

1. 404 Errors: After moving your site, changing the structure of your permalinks, or updating content, you might find that some pages display a 404 error. This issue often occurs because WordPress has not properly acknowledged the new URL structure.
2. Post or Page Updates Not Reflecting: If changes to posts or pages aren't showing up, it could be due to a permalink issue, where the server is serving an old version of the page cached with the old permalink structure.
3. Access Issues with Custom Post Types: Sometimes, custom post types may not be accessible due to permalink issues, requiring a reset to integrate them properly with the current permalink structure.

How to Reset WordPress Permalinks

Resetting your WordPress permalinks can fix the issues mentioned above. Here's how to do it:

1. Access Permalink Settings: Go to Settings > Permalinks in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Choose a Permalink Structure: Select a different permalink structure than the current one, click Save Changes, switch back to your preferred structure, and save again. This process forces WordPress to flush its rewrite rules and update the permalink structure across the site.

Important Considerations

• Redirects: Changing permalinks on an established site requires setting up 301 redirects from old URLs to new ones to avoid 404 errors and preserve SEO rankings.
• Custom Post Types: Additional plugins or code might be needed to customize permalinks for custom post types.
• Per-Post Basis: Edit an individual post’s or page’s permalink directly in the editor for specific adjustments.

Conclusion

Understanding and effectively managing WordPress permalinks is vital for SEO, user experience, and site organization. Regularly resetting your permalinks can resolve common issues, ensuring your site remains accessible and performs well. Always remember to handle changes carefully to maintain your site's SEO integrity.

The post What are Permalinks in WordPress and How to Reset Them first appeared on B2B Website Platform Developer - Bright Vessel.

1. Developing or Testing Your Site

During the development or testing phase, your site might contain incomplete content, placeholder text, or even confidential information you're not ready to share with the world. Disabling search engine visibility keeps your work-in-progress private.

2. Private Blogs or Websites

Some websites are meant for a small, specific audience, such as family blogs, private event planning, or internal company resources. In such cases, the site owner might prefer to keep the content out of the public eye and search engines.

3. Maintenance or Overhaul

If your site is undergoing extensive maintenance or a complete redesign, it's wise to temporarily hide it from search engines. This prevents capturing and displaying outdated or broken pages in search results.

4. Protecting Sensitive Information

Websites containing sensitive information, even if temporarily, should not be indexed by search engines to avoid unintentional data exposure.

5. SEO Strategies and Staging Sites

You might create a staging site for SEO purposes – a replica of your live site. Keeping the staging site hidden from search engines ensures that your content isn't marked as duplicate, which could harm your SEO rankings.

How to Disable Your WordPress Site from Search Engines

Disabling your WordPress site from search engines is straightforward. Follow these steps to ensure search engines won't index your site:

Step 1: Use the Built-in WordPress Setting

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Navigate to Settings > Reading.
3. Look for the Search Engine Visibility section.
4. Check the box next to Discourage search engines from indexing this site.
5. Save Changes at the bottom of the page.

This method sends instructions to search engines not to index your site, but it's important to note that it's more of a request than an absolute block. Most reputable search engines will honor this request, but it doesn't guarantee complete invisibility.

Step 2: Modify Your Robots.txt File

For a more technical approach, you can directly edit the robots.txt file of your WordPress site. This method provides more control over what gets indexed and what doesn't.

1. Access your site's root directory via FTP or your web host's file manager.
2. Look for the robots.txt file. If it doesn't exist, create one.
3. To disallow all web crawlers from indexing your site, add the following lines:
   User-agent: *
Disallow: /

4. Save your changes.

Step 3: Use a Plugin

Numerous WordPress plugins can manage your site's visibility to search engines. Plugins like Yoast SEO or All in One SEO Pack offer options to toggle visibility and even customize which parts of your site should be hidden.

Conclusion

Whether you're developing a new site, managing a private portal, or conducting maintenance, there are legitimate reasons to hide your WordPress site from search engines. The methods outlined above provide both simple and advanced options to control your site's visibility. Remember, when you're ready to go public with your content, ensure you revert these settings to allow search engines to index your site fully.

The post Why Disable Your WordPress Site from Search Engines? first appeared on B2B Website Platform Developer - Bright Vessel.

However, adding interactive features to WordPress sites can be challenging and frustrating. You may need some help, especially if you are a computer novice. This article will show you how to add interactive content to a WordPress site.

First, let's talk about what this type of content entails and its importance.

What Is Interactive Content and Why Should You Add It to Your Site?

This type of web content enables visitors to interact with your website in several ways like voting, rating, tagging, sharing, and commenting, just to name a few. They can be in the form of calculators, polls, assessments, and videos.

According to the 90-9-1 rule for participation inequality, 90 percent of all the users of most online communities are lurkers whose amount of contribution is zero. Only one percent contributes actively, while the other nine percent contribute a little. You will need a better proportion of active users if you want your site to grow beyond limits.

Interactive content will go a long way in drawing a larger audience for your website. A recent study showed that 81 percent of website owners who utilize this form of content agree that it's more effective in attracting and retaining the target audience than static content.

Generally, interactive content gives your site an edge in the modern web world. It is an excellent way to keep visitors engaged with your site, and there is a better chance of converting them into leads.

How Do You Add Interactive Content to WordPress?

The following are some forms of interactive content and the plugins you can use to add them to your WordPress site.

1. Interactive Videos

Videos are an increasingly popular form of content on the web. By adding interactive creatures to your videos, you can maximize their effectiveness because you will be providing a rich experience to your site visitors.

Interactive content on online videos could take the form of a question with multiple choices, ratings, commenting systems, social sharing, and more. You can also introduce quizzes to help users memorize what they have just learned for educational videos.

The H5P plugin lets you deploy interactive videos to your site. This plugin will allow you to share and reuse the content easily.

How To Install the H5P Plugin

• Log in to your WordPress admin interface.
• Click the Add New button found in the plugins section on the admin user interface.
• On the search bar on the top right corner, enter H5P and hit enter.
• The plugin should now be installed. It should appear on a floating window.
• Click the Activate button to turn on the plugin.
• You should now see H5P as an installed plugin on the left side of your admin interface.

Now, you can use the plugin to create different forms of content, including the following:

• Interactive video
• Presentation
• Quiz with multiple choice
• Cloze test

How To Create Interactive Content Using the H5P Plugin

• Click the Add New button, and the H5P Hub will automatically display various types of content.
• Click the Get button next to your preferred type of content.
• You can access a brief description of your chosen content type in the details section. Click Install.
• You can now start creating your interacting content.

How To Add H5P Content to a Page or Post

To add your H5P content to a page or post, follow the following steps:

• Head to the post section on the admin user interface.
• Once there, click the Add New button.
• Assign a tile to your post.
• Click the Add H5P button. You will have added H5P to a blog post.
• Select the H5P you would like to add to your post. The H5P content you have chosen will be represented by a tag such as h5p id= "1".
• You can now add text to your blog post, and it will be ready for your site.

2. Quizzes, Assessments, and Surveys

Assessments, quizzes, and surveys are a great way to engage visitors with your site. They give users the chance to take part in the process of answering multiple-choice questions.

By adding interactive quizzes to your site, you can also invite users to play along and share their scores with friends and family. When you add quizzes to your site, they will take the form of a pop-up that appears on the side or above your website content.

Quizzes are a great way to understand how your users feel about your website or product. They will provide you with valuable data on what they like and the things they would like to be changed. To create quizzes, assessments, and surveys, you must use the Modal Survey plugins, which you can also find on the WordPress software's admin interface.

Modal survey plugins enable you to customize the design of your quizzes to make them fun and visually appealing to your site's visitors. They also provide the option of sharing the results via email or a branded report.

3. Polls

Polling is a great way to get feedback from your website audience. They are suitable for quizzes and surveys as they allow you to make multiple choices of answers.

Polls enable you to determine how much visitors like your content and what you need to improve. They can also help increase engagement on your site and allow you to understand users' behavior.

To create polls, you will need to use the Opinion Stage plugin. This plugin ensures that you quickly make and post your polls. It is available with many templates that work incredibly with videos and images. These templates also enhance lead generation and can redirect voters to whichever page you want them to visit.

As the admin, you will be able to access the results dashboard from the backend. These results include votes, views, and total leads generated by the polls. You can customize the polls to match your brand's colors through the plugin's CSS override feature if you are adventurous. With this feature, you can even add your logo to the poll.

4. Webinars

Webinars are ideal for giving your users a hands-on experience of what you are offering. They allow participants to participate in a discussion over the web. Webinars are also great for allowing users to watch online content at their convenience. This form of content is suitable for creating a sense of familiarity with your website visitors.

To create webinars, you will need to install the WebinarPress plugin. This plugin is a one-stop solution for creating and hosting webinars. It allows users to easily create a live, interactive webinar than can be viewed from all the devices and browsers.

With WebinarPress, you can host automated webinars from Vimeo, YouTube, or your server. You can also use shortcodes to place your forms anywhere.

5. Calculator

If you are running a business that sells products and services, your website could use an online calculator. Online calculators work great as they let users perform calculations and comparisons while still on your site.

By adding this functionality to your site, you can give customers the chance to compare your goods against other products in the market. This can help them make better choices about what products to buy.

Bloggers offering informational topics that involve numerals can also provide online calculators; this may include a calculator that helps estimate the level of earning of a YouTube channel based on the number of subscribers.

To successfully create online calculators for your site visitors, you need to install the Calculated Fields Form plugin, an excellent plugin with various pre-built fields.

As the admin, you control the calculator's features, such as the buttons, ready-made fields, and multiple parts or columns. You can also edit the design of your calculator using the template editor.

To add and install the mentioned plugins, follow the same steps as H5P. Once installed, you can have your users enjoy great content on your site.

Conclusion

Remember to contact our dedicated WordPress developers for all your WordPress needs. We are the leading development agency for WordPress sites, and we will work hard to make your website or blog look and feel better, and that includes interactive content. At Bright Vessel, we firmly believe that your site should be as unique as your brand, and for that reason, our team of highly trained and talented experts will create a customized site to enhance a long-lasting online presence for your brand.

The post Learn to Add Interactive Content to a WordPress Site first appeared on B2B Website Platform Developer - Bright Vessel.

WordPress powers over a third of websites used today, making it the most popular website builder platform on the planet.

However, WordPress does have its disadvantages. The learning curve for developing a blog on WordPress can be difficult. Just as well, a novice to the world of blogging might struggle to figure out what to do to make their posts as profitable as possible.

Luckily, it's far from impossible to figure this out. WordPress can be the best possible content management system for your needs when appropriately used. If you want to harness the power of WordPress and build the most marketable blog possible, we're here to help.

We put together a list of our top tips and tricks for building a successful WordPress blog. Keep reading to learn how you can master the WordPress platform and create the blog of your dreams!

How to Create a Successful WordPress Blog

WordPress's learning curve can be difficult, but this platform can offer marketing ability, search engine optimization, and aesthetic design.

It's is important to be passionate and knowledgeable on the topic you are writing about. By doing so, you will keep your readers engaged and eager to learn more.  This might seem like a given, but far too many blog owners have not nailed down their niche. When blog owners don't have a niche, this can result in a blog that is packed with unclear content.

Just as well, without a solid understanding of what you are knowledgeable about, your blog posts might not provide the kind of value your readers need.

Take time to consider the topic of your blog

If you are not an expert in a particular field, pick a field that you are passionate about. If you opt for something you are more likely to spend time researching and learning about, you'll eventually become knowledgeable in that subject.

The goal here is to provide the most valuable content to your readers. Your readers will look elsewhere if your content lacks evidence and does not present value.

If you look at our blog over at Bright Vessel, you'll see an excellent example of knowledgeable content. Our top posts involve subjects that explore WordPress tips, breakdowns of WordPress plugins, and a variety of guides to WooCommerce inventory management.

We know what our brand seeks to do: Provide excellent WordPress and WooCommerce building services to entrepreneurs and businesses. As a result, our blog content revolves heavily around these subjects that our team specializes in.

Always use an A+ headline.

Once you have interesting content ready to go, it's time to pen your headline. Your headline is extremely important, as it will be what pulls the reader in and capture attention. Ensure that your headlines are urgent, unique, useful, and ultra-specific.

As with your content, your headline should establish the value that your readers will get out of reading your content. We recommend testing out different headlines to see which blog post title will pull in more readers. Once you've found which one works the best, roll with it!

Bright Vessel's blog is a great example of using a top-notch headline. We ensure that our blog post titles make it abundantly clear what the post is about and why it is valuable.

For example, our guide to Adobe XD titled "How to Export Assets from Adobe XD to Build a WordPress Website" is very direct and makes it clear what the valuable article will be about and the problem that the blog post will solve for the viewer.

It's all about establishing excellent value through your headline.

Add the right buttons and extras.

Always enable social sharing on your blog posts. This will make it easier for your readers to share your content on social media. We recommend using Jetpack to enable social sharing buttons of your choice on each and every blog post you upload.

The easier you make it for readers to share your posts, the more likely they are to actually share them.

Ensure that your blog's overall design is readable and pleasant.

The theme you use for your blog can make a big difference in its readability and popularity among readers. There are so many different types of free and premium WordPress themes out there. Many of them are easy to customize as well.

We recommend opting for a blog theme that matches your overall website theme. This will make your blog appear more cohesive. Just as well, we recommend looking into themes that offer SEO capabilities and extras. Some WordPress blog owners use drag-and-drop website builders as well.

Your final design should be relatively lightweight (with no excessive loading times) and responsive. It should also look attractive on both desktops and mobile devices.

If you're struggling with the design, coding, and development of your website, it may be worth looking into the services of a WordPress and WooCommerce design company. Bright Vessel boasts an excellent team of professionals that can handle the WordPress website design elements you need assistance with, as well as a variety of additional services.

Use clean permalinks.

A permalink is a link that appears when you visit a webpage. When you are drafting your posts on WordPress, you have the option of choosing what your permalink is.

It might seem like this isn't very important, but the look of your permalink can affect how shareable it is. We recommend choosing a clear, simple permalink based on the blog post's headline in question.

For example: "website.com/3234848" isn't as attractive or easy to share as "webside.com/website-blog-post."

Always use an SSL certificate.

This goes without saying: Your viewers are only interested in viewing and accessing safe websites. An SSL certificate is an additional layer of code designed to encrypt the connection between your webpage and a viewer's browser. SSL certificates protect the user and won't be flagged by their browser as unsafe.

An SSL certificate is pretty easy to acquire. In most cases, your hosting provider offers an SSL certificate for an additional fee.

If you take a look at our blog over at Bright Vessel, you'll notice right away that we have a secure SSL certificate in place to put our readers and potential customers at ease.

Use WordPress plugins to ensure your work is easy to read.

It may not be easy to manually proofread and code different elements into your posts. Luckily, there is a massive wealth of plugins and other tools that can help. We recommend trying out the following:

• Hemingway Editor. This free tool analyzes your blog post for readability. Hemingway will break down your word count and what grade your content stands at (the goal is to score under Grade 9). This tool will also break down different problematic sentences that you should edit, such as sentences that are hard to read, have too many adverbs, use too much passive voice, etc.
• Jetpack. As we mentioned earlier, Jetpack makes it easy to enable social sharing on your posts. This plugin offers a ton of different SEO tools as well.
• YoastSEO. This plugin optimizes your WordPress blog to show up on more Google search results pages. YoastSEO is also great for editing Twitter cards and controlling the appearance of your links on social media platforms.

How was our guide to creating the best WordPress blog possible? Tell us which tip or trick helped you the most in the comments below.

At Bright Vessel, we understand how crucial it is to have a very successful, well-built WordPress blog to market your business. We're proud to offer a wide range of services that can boost the profitability of your blog: From blog design to maintenance plans to search engine optimization. Get in touch with the Bright Vessel team today to learn more about our service offerings and to kick your current blog up a notch!

The post How to Create a Successful WordPress Blog in 2022 first appeared on B2B Website Platform Developer - Bright Vessel.

However, while it's true that search engines have changed their algorithms to focus more on quality and user experience, which doesn't mean search engine optimization is obsolete. In fact, in an ever more competitive online landscape, every little bit counts!

The lines between SEO, content and general site quality have blurred a little, but there are definite, concrete, on and off-site steps you can take to rank higher.

Get Good Quality Links

SEO used to be about getting as many links as possible. The more links you had, the more important search engines thought your site was. Those days are long over, and spammy links are a quick way to get your site penalized by search engines.

But that doesn't mean links should be completely ignored. Make sure your site is listed in relevant local directories and on services like Google My Business. A few links in industry publications don't hurt, nor do links from industry associations and organizations you belong to.

What you do need to avoid are spammy links in article comments or on completely irrelevant sites.

Use Internal Links

While lots of junky links to and from unrelated sites won't help you to gain credibility online, internal links can help a lot. Links tell search engine "spiders" when there's related content on your site, which helps them to catalog and classify your site and your content.

While we're on the topic of search engines and crawling, make sure you submit your XML sitemap to search engines and keep them up to date. Your sitemap tells search engines which pages are on your site, which helps to ensure that your pages get indexed. That, in turn, helps you to rank higher for your keywords and phrases.

Dial-In Your Keywords

Keywords for SEO have changed a lot too. Stuffing your site with keywords used to be a strategy, but with the shift to focus on quality content, that's not likely to win you any SEO prizes.

You should still do keyword research but stick to keywords that are closely related to what you do, and don't focus on things like keyword density too much. It's better to use variations of your keywords that look natural in your content than to try to shoehorn as many exact match words as you can in wherever you can.

Remember – your content should be written for humans first and search engines second!

Use SEO Tools

SEO tools help to ensure that your WordPress site is optimized and they're easy to use. If your site is built on WordPress, Yoast is one of the best and most trusted SEO plugins, and there's a free version, so you don't have to spend anything to use it.

Tools like Yoast also help to ensure that you are using keywords correctly. If you can, try to use relevant keywords and phrases in headings, subheadings, and links, because these will also help search engines to correctly index and catalog your site. The ultimate goal is to make sure that when someone searches online, your site comes up in the organic search results.

Content Really Is King

A very long time ago, internet marketing gurus declared content is king. Nothing has changed. In fact, as search engines and algorithms have changed to focus more on quality and the experience visitors have on websites, content has become even more important.

Quality content is the cornerstone of your SEO efforts. It's where you will be sending all that traffic you get, and there are some golden rules:

● Dive deep. Search engines have got very smart. They can tell when content is "thin" or low on useful information. So, try to make your content as detailed and in-depth as possible.

● When in doubt, opt for longer-form pieces. Content that is less than about 500 words is unlikely to rank well. So, write and create content that is long and detailed and really answers your reader's questions.

● Remember that content is all about your visitors. This is not a sales pitch. The content you post on your WordPress site should be valuable for the reader. So, make it interesting. Teach them something. Share your knowledge. It might not close the deal right away, but it will establish you as the go-to expert in your field.

● Break it up! Large blocks of content do not read well on screen. So, use links, headings and subheads, lists, bullets, and shorter paragraphs to keep it interesting and help people to read easier.

● Make sure you include images when relevant too, they make it a lot easier to understand and digest your content online.

● Update your content regularly. Search engines rank websites that have "fresh" content higher. You don't have to add new blog posts or content every day, but once or twice a week is ideal.

Use Metadata

The importance of metadata has decreased over time, but it's still an important way to tell search engines what your pages are about. It's also used as the description of your page in search results, so it matters to your visitors and readers too. Well-written metadata can help you to rank better and show up in more search results and entice people to find out more.

Keep Your WordPress Site Up to Date and Speedy

Over time, websites get slower. When things are out of date, or you have lots of unused widgets and plugins cluttering things up, your website won't load as quickly or smoothly.

Likewise, if your WordPress version and in-use plugins are out of date, they might slow things down or even produce errors on your WordPress site.

Make a habit of doing a little spring clean on your website from time to time. Remove old or unused items, make sure you don't have large files or images that aren't in use stored on your server, and update all your in-use widgets and plugins.

While you're at it, don't forget to audit and update your content from time to time. Some content is "evergreen," but some will need to be updated to reflect new ideas or technology.

Share and Automate

Even if you have the best information and content in the world, if no one knows it exists, it can't do its job!

Sharing content on social media and similar sites is a great way to promote your website and your content, and there's always the chance that it will "go viral." When your content is shared by other sites and people, those links to your WordPress site DO count towards your SEO, and they will influence your ranking!

There are lots of automation tools that can be built into a WordPress site to automatically post new content to your social media channels too, so you can save time and effort and still get the marketing boost!

Optimize Your Images

Images are very important to your WordPress site's usability, but they can slow things down, and if they are not optimized, they can count against you in SEO. There are a few ways you can optimize your images, such as:

● Use the smallest images possible. Larger images in high resolution take a long time to load, which won't hurt your SEO directly but can limit the time people spend on your site!

● Make sure all of your images are properly sized. Browser resizing is not good for SEO.

● Use alt text for all your images. If an image doesn't load for whatever reason, users will know what should have been there, and alt text for images can be indexed too – so it will count towards your SEO.

Always Use SSL

SSL used to be optional, but these days, it's very definitely on the list of things search engines consider when ranking your WordPress site. If your site doesn't have an SSL certificate or has a self-signed certificate, it won't rank as high as it might otherwise.

Make It Mobile Friendly

Another big change in SEO and search engine rankings was what is known as "Mobilegeddon," which was a giant search engine algorithm update that happened a few years ago. Sites that weren't mobile-friendly were automatically downgraded, and any new sites that weren't mobile-friendly automatically ranked lower.

A mobile-friendly site is often as easy as using a responsive template, so if you aren't already, start now!

Create a Checklist

A big part of good SEO is consistency, and the best way to do that is to make a checklist. Make sure that your articles, images, and content are correctly formatted from the start. Add metadata when you upload new content. Schedule regular cleanups and stay on top of everything.

It is possible to fix bad SEO, but it's a lot easier to do it right from the start. So, whether you do it yourself or outsource your SEO, make sure your WordPres site checks all the right boxes all the time.

The post How To Improve Your WordPress Site's SEO first appeared on B2B Website Platform Developer - Bright Vessel.

Hackers are inventing methods to compromise your site's security and steal your information.

Some of their hacking strategies include injecting malicious codes or scripts into your WordPress code. Others can use brute force to hack your site.

Well, the earlier you protect your WordPress site from these hackers, the better.

We recommend you start scanning for malicious codes today.

And in this guide, we will walk you through different tools you can use for the process.

Benefits of Scanning Your Websites Against Malware

Everyone site owner thinks they're safe from cyber thieves until they get hacked and lose their data.

And that can happen to you, God forbid.

Even if you feel your site isn't susceptible to cyber-attacks, you should always watch for any malicious activity that can cause harm.

By scanning your site frequently, you'll detect malicious codes and root them out, thereby keeping your WordPress website safe.

So, let's review different ways to scan WordPress sites for suspicious codes.

WordPress Scanning Tools

We'll discuss different tools you can use to scan for malicious codes today.

Sucuri

There are many security plugins for scanning for malicious codes, but most of them aren't as good as Sucuri.

They have a good reputation in malware scans and offer lots of functionality, from checking malware to injection and defacement attacks.

Sucuri has a free and premium plan. The free option suits anyone who doesn't mind manually scan their site alone. With the premium option, you'll automatically check your website and get alerts via email in case of any suspicious codes.

On top of that, Sucuri comes with a WordPress firewall protection that blocks malicious stuff from reaching your site.

The best part is, if any malware affects your site, Sucuri will do the cleaning at no extra cost to you.

Wordfence Security

Like Sucuri, Wordfence is a popular and effective scanning tool.

It manually and automatically scans WordPress websites for malicious codes, URLs, backdoors, and other infections. You can use it to scan through lots of files from the themes, WordPress files, and other plugins.

Also, you'll get comprehensive feedback once the scanning sessions are complete.

The best part?

Wordfence offers tips on how to keep your site more secure from threats.

Notably, this service has firewall protection services to prevent brute force attacks and other threats.

Cyber-Scanner

If you want a versatile scanning tool that you can rely on to monitor your WordPress site and other platforms like Joomla and Drupal, then consider Cyber-Scanner.

This scanning tool was developed by a team of security experts who regularly update it to detect the latest tech hacking methods.

Cyber-Scanner scans for malicious codes, databases, and scripts on your site. And the exciting part is, you can safeguard your site from vulnerabilities with a fingerprint.

Well, Cyber-Scanner also sends a weekly report with detailed information on your site issues.

Anti-Malware Security (good image unavailable)

Anti-Malware Security is a powerful tool we use for detecting malicious codes, backdoors, scripts, and lots of other threats.

Its developers continuously improve it to keep up with the latest security measures.

Though this tool is functional, it has several downsides, like consuming time to finish scanning files.

It also reveals many potential threats, most of which are false, so you'll have to do manual scans then compare and contrast the files with the source.

As expected, Anti-Malware has firewall protection though it isn't that effective.

The process of cleaning up malicious codes on your site

So, what should you do once you find malware on your WordPress site?

Well, there are vital things you shouldn't miss out on, and we'll discuss them here.

First, you should begin with switching passwords linked to your site with strong ones so that hackers don't gain access to your site in the future.

Next, back up your files. Many costly mistakes can happen when you're cleaning your site's data from accidentally deleting your files. But if you back them up, you'll quickly restore the lost ones with a few clicks.

The next important step is to do a thorough cleanup of your WordPress website. You can hire experts to clean up everything for you. Alternatively, it's okay to clean it on your own if you have the time.

Conclusion

As we mentioned earlier, we foresee cybercrimes increasing soon.

But the good thing is, we've reviewed different tools you should use to look for malicious codes in your site.

Pick the one that suits your needs today and start scanning for those malicious codes today.

Or hire us to help you sort out your WordPress website's security and protect your site against hackers seeking to prey on your precious data.

The post How to Scan for Malicious Code on Your WordPress Site first appeared on B2B Website Platform Developer - Bright Vessel.

Among other metrics, the Google Analytics Integration tool for WooCommerce allows businesses to track sales conversion rates, customer acquisition costs, and customer lifetime value. Find out how to get seamless integration between Google Analytics and WooCommerce below.

How to Install the Google Analytics Integration Tool

Before you begin tracking or setting up the metric you will track, you must download the Google Analytics Integration tool for WooCommerce. To do this:

• Download the extension from your WooCommerce account.

• Next, go to Plugins > Add New > Upload. Then choose the ZIP file you download.

• Click Install Now, and then click ‘Activate.’

• Finally, click the link: ‘Connect WooCommerce to Google Analytics.’

Setup and Configuration

Next, you must configure and set up the Google Analytics tool in the correct way. You must set up Google Analytics to make sure transactional data will be recorded.

The first step is to set up Google Analytics :

• Sign in to Google Analytics.
• Next, navigate to the bottom left of the page and click 'Admin.' Then access the view you are looking for.
• Use 'Create a Universal Analytics Property' if you wish to create a new property.
• Turn on 'Enable Ecommerce" by accessing 'Ecommerce Settings in the 'view' column.
• Click 'on,' do the same for 'Enhanced Ecommerce Reporting.'
• Finish by clicking 'Save.'

The next step is to configure the WooCommerce.

• To configure the Google Analytics plugin go to WooCommerce > Settings > Integrations.
• Click the 'Google Analytics Option' to access the settings.

Now it's time to Integrate your WooCommerce with Google Analytics.

To do this:

• Add your UA code. This is your Google Analytics tracking ID.
• Go to 'Set Domain Name' and add your company’s web address.

Metrics You Can Track in Google Analytics (& Why You Should Enable Them)

There are multiple metrics that you can track via Google Analytics. They include:

• Standard Tracking: Check the box to turn this on. Only use this if WooCommerce Google Analytics integration is the only Google Analytics plugin you are using. If you are using multiple Google Analytics plugins, do not check this box.
• Advertising Support: Tracks ads when running them on the Google Display Network. Leave the box unchecked if you do not want these tracked.
• Enhanced Link Attribution: Turn on this useful metric when you want to see which of several links to a single URL is used most often.
• Universal Analytics: This is the standard for Google Analytics. Check the box as new and experienced users alike should be using it.
• Anonymize IP addresses: Check this box for enhanced user privacy. N.B. Laws on privacy differ between countries.
• Track 404 Errors: 404 are not found errors, and by turning on this tracking, you can identify dead or broken links and quickly repair them.
• Purchase Transactions: Essential for any eCommerce store. Includes useful metrics such as shipping, revenue, and tax. To enable this feature, you must use a payment service that directs users to an order received page after the purchase has been made. (WooCommerce does this)
• Add to Cart Events: Check this box if you want to address customer drop off. That is when a customer adds your product to their cart but doesn't make a purchase.

How to check your analytics are working correctly.

Before you use Google Analytics for WooCommerce in earnest, it's a good idea to make sure that everything is working correctly. After all, you don't want to risk losing any of that valuable data! Fortunately, it is possible to check that WooCommerce integrates properly with Google Analytics and communicates the right data. To do this, you must:

• Use the 'Google Tag Assistant' tool for Chrome.

• A warning will appear when the tracking codes on your WooCommerce page are incorrect.

WooCommerce Google Analytics integration issues to watch out for

• Log out before testing, as logged-in admin users' pageviews are not tracked.
• More than one tracking code per page can cause problems. Use a conflict test to find and resolve these.
• You may need to wait up to 24 hours until metrics begin to show.
• Check for JavaScript errors as these can stop tracking from happening.
• Ad blockers or browser extensions may block the tracking, so check for these.

Disabling pageview

The default setting of the Google Analytics plugin for WooCommerce means that pageview tracking is always activated. However, if you need to use other plugins alongside it, you may need to disable it. To do this:

• Use the wc_google_analytics_send_pageview filter.
• Then set it to ‘false.’

Google Analytics 4

October 14, 2020, saw the introduction of Google Analytics 4 as the default type of website. Unfortunately, Google Analytics 4 and the Google Analytics Integration for WooCommerce plugin do not play well together. This is because it was built to function on the Universal Analytics (UA) system.

Fortunately, Google still allows the use of the Universal Analytics (UA) system. To access this, you will need to:

• Click 'Show Advanced Options' when creating a new property.

• Then turn on the 'Create a Universal Analytics property.'

Final Thoughts

Now you know how to get the most out of Google Analytics when using WooCommerce. Indeed, the information it provides can help you build a better and more profitable business.

However, if you are struggling with Google Analytics for WooCommerce integration, Bright Vessel can help. In fact, our experts understand just how important Google Analytics for WooCommerce is and how it can help you to provide the best experience for your customers and maximize sales.

We also understand that getting your metrics and tracking right when integrating Google Analytics and WA can be tricky. Contact us today to ensure your Google Analytics and WA integration is handled smoothly and effectively. Leaving you to focus on doing what you do best - running your eCommerce business!

The post How To Set Up Google Analytics For WooCommerce first appeared on B2B Website Platform Developer - Bright Vessel.

What Is xmlrpc.php?

WordPress includes a feature called XML-RPC that enables data to be transmitted by HTTP and XML to encode the data. The issue with security is that it allows you to access a website from any custom admin software or mobile applications vs. using the browser.

How to disable XML-RPC with a Plugin

Fortunately for the non-techies, there is a free plugin that can do this for you.

Disable XML-RPC

Installation

1. Upload to the /wp-content/plugins/directory in the plugin panel.
2. Activate the plugin
3. Bam!, it is now disabled.

How to Disable XML-RPC Manually

Use the .htaccess file in the root folder. This process is not too complicated, but you need to keep in mind you can easily break the site. Most hosts can perform this change as part of their service. If they do not, get another host as they should take security seriously.

In the root folder where you find your wp-config file, you should see the .htaccess file. If you do not, you need to turn on your hidden files usually in the FTP program there is an option or the file manager in your hosting control panel.

# Block WordPress xmlrpc.php requests
order deny,allow
deny from all
allow from 123.56.789.111


You will want to place under the BEGIN WordPress rules.

# BEGIN WordPress
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
# END WordPress


# Block WordPress xmlrpc.php requests

order deny,allow

deny from all

allow from 123.56.789.111

If you do want to allow a specific IP, you can add the last line "allow from 123.56.789.111" and replace 123.56.789.111 with your IP.

That's it! If you need any help with managing your WordPress website, feel free to comment or contact us.

The post How to Disable XMLRPC.PHP in WordPress first appeared on B2B Website Platform Developer - Bright Vessel.

A complete breakdown of this function can be found on WordPress.org and by this link.

This feature is located under Appearance >> Theme Editor.

You can access critical files in your theme and plugins. So you can imagine how easy it is to break or get hacked. We highly recommend no using this feature at all to edit files. One wrong move like a simple typo could bring down the site, which if you break the site. In almost all cases, it will give you a white screen, and you will not be able to get back to the editor and instead will have to access the server and file edited through FTP or SSH to fix the error.

How to disable the Theme and Plugin Built-in Editor in WordPress

1. Manually Disable Editor in WP-Config File

If you do have access to your web files through FTP, Cpanel file editor, or SSH.

You can go to the root folder of your site

Add the code below just before "That’s all, stop editing! Happy publishing"

define( 'DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true );

2. Use a Plugin to Disable Editor

If you do not have access you can also use a plugin to disable the editor

https://wordpress.org/plugins/disable-file-editor/

An Alternative Way to Edit Theme Files

If you're trying to edit the design, we always recommend using the theme options. Each theme is different, so we suggest checking the theme docs on the Author's website. In most cases, you can find these options under appearance >> theme options, appearance >> customize, or in some cases at the top nav "Theme Options".

Inside the theme options, you will find many different settings that will allow you to configure the theme. Keep in mind, it really depends on the quality of the theme and how much was put into the settings by the author.

If you need any help with your site or just need some instructions, feel free to comment on this post below or reach out to us.

The post Why You Should Disable Theme and Plugin Built-in Editor in WordPress first appeared on B2B Website Platform Developer - Bright Vessel.