Tag Archives: Business

Google’s Core Vitals Are Changing — Get Ahead of the Curve to Secure Your Rankings

Google’s Core Vitals Are Changing

Get Ahead of the Curve to Secure Your Rankings

In the ever-evolving online landscape, one factor has become increasingly critical in influencing search rankings: user experience. To evaluate user experience, Google relies on its Core Web Vitals, a set of metrics that gauge real-life user experience by evaluating page speed, interactivity, and the visual stability of web pages. However, Google’s Core Vital’s are changing.

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One such metric, First Input Delay (FID), has long been the standard for determining page load responsiveness. However, a seismic shift is on the horizon as Google announced it’s preparing to replace FID with Interaction to Next Paint (INP) in March 2024. 

Understanding the Shift from FID to INP

FID measures how fast a website responds when a user clicks a button or interacts with other elements on the page. This metric specifically focuses on the initial interaction and assesses the speed at which the site reacts to the user’s input.

INP is similar, but it doesn’t just measure response time after a button is clicked. Instead, it looks at the overall responsiveness and interactivity— how long it takes the website to react after a user clicks, fulfill the user’s request, and display the updated result. Unlike FID, which concentrates on the initial interaction, INP encompasses all interactions throughout a user’s journey on a webpage and identifies the interaction with the longest delay.

Moving from FID to INP will give Google a more comprehensive view of how interactive and responsive a website is. Essentially, the smoother and faster a website works, the better the user experience—and the more worthy it is of being ranked higher in search results. 

Implications for Search Rankings

This upcoming change underscores Google’s commitment to prioritizing a seamless user experience—and given the early announcement, it’s likely to have a significant impact on search rankings. It’s essential to take proactive steps before the update rolls out in March to stay ahead of the curve.

Websites that have already been optimized for INP are unlikely to encounter any changes to rankings. However, websites that have prioritized FID optimization will need to pivot towards INP, which demands a broader focus on responsiveness throughout the entire user session.   

Recommendations for Preparing for the INP Era

Here are some crucial steps to take to prepare your website for the shift from FID to INP:

  1. Upgrade Server Environments: Evaluate and upgrade your server environment if needed, especially if you’re using hosting services with minimal resources, like GoDaddy. A robust server infrastructure is essential to handle the increased demands of INP.
  1. Evaluate Interactivity: Assess and improve interactivity beyond the initial page load. This includes optimizing transitions between pages and addressing issues like slow-loading images.
  1. Real User Measurements (RUM): Enable Real User Measurements monitoring to collect field data on INP. This data is invaluable for understanding user interactions and identifying optimization opportunities.
  1. Analyze INP Data: Do a deep dive into INP data to pinpoint areas that require optimization. Focus on reducing input delay, streamlining processing time, and minimizing presentation delays. To provide a good user experience and meet Google’s Core Web Vitals criteria, your INP needs to be below 200 milliseconds.
  1. Optimization Recommendations: Implement strategies such as breaking up JavaScript tasks, minimizing DOM interactions, reducing timers, and limiting third-party code.

For some websites, this may require updating an older more code-heavy theme to improve load times.

Embracing the shift of Google’s Core Vitals

Transitioning from FID to INP is a strategic necessity for sustaining or boosting search rankings. As a precautionary measure, you should take a comprehensive approach to optimization by addressing not only technical aspects but also user-centric elements. Identifying what slows down your website’s responsiveness is key. Conduct tests, observe user interactions, and seek guidance from a web developer if needed.

So, by embracing the shift to INP and proactively optimizing your website, you can ensure a positive user experience that aligns with the latest major update in Google’s evolving search ranking criteria. 

If you need guidance on navigating the shift from FID to INP for your website, Zenergy Works offers free initial consultations. Reach out to us today—we’re here to support your online success. 

*Update: Google has implemented this update on March 11, 2024.

How Can Digital Marketing Help Grow My Business?

How Can Digital Marketing Help Grow My Business?

When it comes to growing your business, tapping into the power of digital marketing is a game-changer. However, for your efforts to be most effective, it’s essential to understand the wide range of digital marketing tactics available and what they have to offer

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When you employ multiple tactics simultaneously, your digital marketing strategy becomes a robust toolkit that propels your business’s growth forward and becomes a driving force behind its success. 

For example, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) helps improve organic search placement, while paid ads (primarily on Google and Bing) ensure immediate visibility by placing your business at the top of the search engine results pages. This combination gives you both long-term visibility through SEO and instantaneous visibility through paid advertisements—ultimately driving more traffic and potential customers to your website. 

Email marketing uses an organic collection of customer email addresses to stay in touch with existing and prospective customers; social media marketing utilizes social media platforms frequented by your customer profiles to promote your unique selling proposition, brand image, and products. 

Our digital marketing strategies focus on building sales while improving your company image and brand recognition; these proven tactics can be effectively applied to any business, whether B2C, B2B, retail, or a professional service. 

Leveraging Digital Marketing to Build Sales

SEO and Paid Search Ads on Google and Bing have immense potential in terms of driving sales. These techniques specifically target keyword searches used by potential customers who have moved past the casual browsing phase and are ready to make purchase decisions:

  • Keyword research: Understanding what your potential customers are searching for is key to visibility. Conduct comprehensive keyword research to identify the terms and phrases your audience uses when looking for products or services like yours.
  • Highlighting key products and services: Showcase your most popular and profitable offerings; this will direct attention to them and increase the likelihood of conversions. 
  • Create conversion-oriented landing pages: Develop dedicated landing pages focused on converting visitors to customers. These pages should contain clear, concise information about your products or services backed by testimonials from previous clients. Additionally, incorporating credibility statements focused on E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness) will bolster customer confidence in your brand. 

Email marketing is a powerful, cost-effective way to announce promotions or incentives for new and improved products or services, as well as an opportunity to improve products or services through upsells. It serves as a direct line to your audience and encourages them to make purchases or take advantage of special offers. 

Social media is a less formal platform for driving sales and promotions. However, for your campaign to succeed, it’s crucial to provide useful and relevant information. Share content that helps your customers use your products or services more efficiently or offers valuable industry-specific tips. Once you’ve established credibility through your content, call-to-actions to purchase your products or engage your services will be more effective. 

Building Your Image and Brand Recognition

Not all SEO content needs to be sales-oriented. In fact, Google (and other search engines) view content that provides value to users as the best content—and therefore worthy of being ranked higher in the search results. 

In addition, valuable content that educates and informs your audience positions your firm as an esteemed authority in your field. Blog posts and FAQs are instrumental in sharing your knowledge and establishing credibility. 

Likewise, Paid Display and Performance Max campaigns aren’t solely about immediate conversions; they’re designed to reach a curated customer profile and expand brand recognition. While this isn’t meant to imply that you won’t receive conversions from this platform—you certainly will—you’ll also have the benefit of amplifying your visibility in a way that drives both immediate action and long-term familiarity with your brand. 

Email marketing is an excellent platform for distributing content to existing and potential customers already familiar with your business, whether it’s a new blog or essential updates. This regular engagement deepens your relationship with your customer base, fosters brand loyalty, and encourages repeat business—all of which are key to helping your company grow. 

Social media platforms offer a window into your company’s culture and values for those in your target markets, which allows you to forge online relationships and cultivate brand recognition among your target audiences. 

Crafting a Successful Digital Marketing Strategy

While this guide doesn’t cover every digital marketing platform and its nuances, it does offer a general roadmap for crafting a successful digital marketing strategy. 

Keep in mind that the cornerstone of any successful digital marketing strategy lies in having a website that delivers a robust and seamless user experience; your website is the foundation that drives the success of all of these strategies and ties them all together. Learn more about creating a strong online presence here

Niche Business Cafe in Fremont

Google Business View – Virtual Tour


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Niche Business Cafe in Fremont

5178 Mowry Avenue
Fremont, CA 94538
(510) 791-3030

Google Business View for a Print Shop. Look Inside!

Google Business View for a Print Shop.  Look Inside!

Google Business View for a Print Shop. Look Inside!

Critical Review Sites for Small Businesses

In a study in 2012, BrightLocal found  that 72% of survey respondents state they trust online reviews as much as they trust personal recommendations, and 52% said that positive reviews make it more likely that they will shop in or use a business. Here are the top review sites and a list of “secondary” review sites that webmasters should be looking at periodically for their business. The top review sites require attention at least weekly, and the remaining sites should be reviewed monthly.

review sites

Google+ is the rating arm of the largest search engine and is particularly important because of its ties to Google + Places in the search results. Reviews are important, and can be difficult to obtain because a customer must have a Google Account to post a review. Positive reviews and strong placement in the places search can be the most powerful online asset of a small business.

Yelp received more than 1 million new reviews in January 2013. That is a busy review site. Yelp allows a business owner to interact with reviewers. It is important to respond to poor reviews and ask for a chance to resolve the issue with the customer.  Also, encourage positive reviews to drown out the negative opinions.

Facebook Business Pages have a recommendation section where customers can leave reviews that business owners can monitor. Reviews, along with likes, comments and other interactions, are expected to increase a business page’s ranking when the new Graph Search feature is launched to the public. This platform will become more important as the Graph Search usage increases, which is likely to happen, especially with mobile users.

Foursquare is a location-based social network based on reviews.Businesses can monitor these user reviews by claiming their establishment on Foursquare, and can post updates, offer specials and track response with analytics. Foursquare is popular amongst the 18-34 demographic and is designed to be mobile-friendly.

Secondary review sources include the Better Business Bureau (watch for negative reviews and how to respond to them), Yahoo Local (Marissa Mayer will no doubt bring positive change here), Merchant Circle, Local.com, InsiderPages, and Angie’s List (be sure to fill out the free business information page) are also important.

Bottom Line: Online reviews continue to grow in importance, and a long history of a number of positive reviews will help a local business more and more as the generation that has never known anything but immediate mobile access to information continues to grow in economic prominence

Eric Van Cleave is a Partner in Zenergy Works, A Santa Rosa, California based Website Design, Local SEO Services and Online Marketing Firm.

Update on Google Local Listings – Policy for Departments

With the return to its former policy, the guidelines for Google local listings are allowing businesses to include individual departments of larger businesses. Each department must have a unique phone number and “forward-facing presence,” which in Google language means that the location is not just a mail drop or an address of a business associate, but a real business office location.

Google Local ListingGoogle Local Listings

This update also creates a policy that has existed in the Google Local Listings, but not Google MapMaker, which allows professionals and firms with several offices or business locations to have a unique Google listing for each location. The guidelines specify that they only list the hours that the practitioner professional is actually present and “directly contactable” at a specific location. Individual practitioners must also be public-facing about their relationships to their parent organizations. Violation of these rules could result in Google Local Listings being rejected for non-compliance.

Eric Van Cleave is a Partner in Zenergy Works, A Santa Rosa, California Local SEO Services, Website Development and Online Marketing Firm.

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