Notes From The SEO Underground: June 2019

“SEO Underground” is your first and fastest stop to find out about breaking news and recent algorithm updates that affect your firm’s online visibility.

June heralds the first day of summer and it’s also a month of significant updates in the world of SEO. At the Underground, we’ll explore the Broad Core Update, the Site Diversity Update and much more.

#1) June Broad Core Update

The June Broad Core Update was an algorithmic update that started on June 3rd and officially ended on June 8th. Much like previous algorithm updates, Google is keeping specifics close to the chest, but read on to see why this update matters and what your firm can do if you’ve seen a drop in rankings.

Why Does This Update Matter?

Having a timestamp of reference for large scale updates is important for your law firm so that you can track any and all ranking fluctuations and traffic movements via Google Analytics. Knowledge is power. The more insights your law firm can cull from data, the greater your position of power will be when it comes to making strategic decisions about digital marketing for your law firm.

My Law Firm Site Was Affected. What Can I Do?

While Google is staying mum on any guidance specific to the June Broad Core update, their overall guidance remains the same. Focus on creating quality content, provide a great user experience, and ensure all your technical SEO elements are rock solid!

#2 Site Diversity Update

In addition to the Broad Core Updates that were rolled out, Google announced in a separate move another change. They were very insistent on referring to it as a “change”, not an “update.” This effort is aimed at reducing multiple site listings in search results. It alters how Google shows web pages in the search results, but it’s not a change in how Google ranks websites.

What Does That Mean?

That means, generally speaking, there will be no more than two pages from the same site in search result. However, if Google deems them relevant, some search results will still continue to show more than one result.

Here is some info from Danny Sullivan, the Google Search Liaison

This site diversity change means that you usually won’t see more than two listings from the same site in our top results. However, we may still show more than two in cases where our systems determine it’s especially relevant to do so for a particular search….

— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) June 6, 2019

#3) Reduce Reliance on JavaScript

In Google’s latest installment of their new series called SEO MythBusting 101, Google’s Martin Splitt, recommends reducing the amount of JavaScript on your website.

Here are the biggest takeaways from the video:

• Avoid Overusing JavaScript (5:30 mark)
  • Sites that rely heavily on JavaScript are not getting penalized, but they do lose ground when it comes to indexing.
  • Specifically, for pages that are tied down with heavy back-end elements, Google cannot render the content and refresh the content as quickly as it can for pages that have less code to process.
  • High load times = Poor user experience. And poor user experience can affect your rankings.
• Focus on HTML and CSS (7:20 mark)
  • From site crawling, to indexing, and user experience elements like speed (page loading), HTML and CSS render faster.

If your law firm site is need of a facelift, or an all-out, brand new web design, the team at Gladiator will craft a site that will adhere to Googles’ standards and help your firm attract new visitors.

Takeaways

It’s absolutely no secret that SEO is evolving! With continued updates from Google to improve user experience and provide the most relevant results in the SERP’s, it’s imperative that your law firm’s website and marketing approach stay in step.

If your law firm has been negatively affected by the recent Google updates, let us know and we’ll provide a comprehensive analysis on where your firm currently stands, actionable takeaways to improve your rankings, and long-term planning for increased lead intake.

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