Month: October 2017

9 Powerful Tips to Troubleshoot Your Technical SEO

Posted on by Mario

Tips to troubleshoot your technical SEO_YWF

Many magazines will offer you the  best SEO practice guides. However, we think practice guide only is not enough, web masters and SEO agencies need some help with their SEO issues. If you are the one who works in SEO agencies or SEO service, this article will surely be suitable for you. There will be a lot of solutions to overcome many problems in SEO. Check this out.

Info: Search Operator

In many cases, [info:https://www.domain.com/page] can aid you in diagnosing a variety of issues. Besides, you will also discover it if a page is indexed and how it is indexed. Sometimes, you will see that Google chooses to fold pages together in their index and treat two or more duplicates as the same page. Furthermore, this command shows you the canonicalized version. However, it is not necessarily the one specified by the canonical tag, rather, it is what Google views as the version they want to index.

Basically, Google didn’t want two of the same page in their index. That is why; if you search for your page with this operator, you’ll see the other URL ranking instead of what you wish to see in search results.  The pages may be folded into one version and show the wrong page for the locations affected, if you make exact duplicates across country-language pairs in hreflang tags.

&filter=0 added to Google Search URL

To remove filters and show you more websites in Google’s consideration set, you can add &filter=0 to the end of the URL in a Google search. When you add this, you might see two versions of a page which may indicate issues with duplicate pages that weren’t rolled together. They might both say they are the correct version, for instance, and have signals to support that.

Furthermore, this URL appendix also provides you with other eligible pages on websites that could rank for this query. If you have multiple eligible pages, you are likely to consolidate pages or add internal links from these other relevant pages to the page you wish to rank.

Site: search operator

A search can show how wealthy the knowledge of a website. In fact, we would love to search for pages that are indexed in ways we wouldn’t expect, such as with parameters, pages in site sections we may not know about, and any issues with pages being indexed that shouldn’t be.

Site:domain.com keyword

To check for relevant pages on your site for another look at consolidation or internal link opportunities, you can use [site:domain.com keyword].

Another benefit about this search is that it will notice you if your website is eligible for a featured snippet for that keyword. Check through many of the top websites about this search to see what is included in their featured snippets that are eligible to try and find out what your website is missing or why one may be showing over another.

Using a “phrase” instead of a keyword will be useful if the content is being picked up by Google, which is handy on websites that are JavaScript-driven.

Static vs. Dynamic

It’s important to know that JS can rewrite the HTML of a page, when you’re dealing with JavaScript (JS). When you are looking at view-source or even Google’s cache, then you are looking at the unprocessed code. In fact, there are only limited amount of views that are actually be included once the JS is processed.  To see what is loaded into the Dom (Document Object Model) and use “Fetch and Render” in Google Search Console is a good idea, especially on how Google actually sees the page, since it may be you who is wrong. If this is right, but when processed, something in the <head> section breaks and causes it to end early, throwing many tags like canonical or hreflang into the <body> section, where they aren’t supported.

However, since it would allow hijacking of pages from other websites, these tags aren’t supported in the body.

Check Redirects and Header Responses

Another tip is to understand how your redirects are being handled. If you are worried that a certain path is being consolidated, you can check the “Links to Your Site” report in Google Search Console and look for links that go to pages earlier in the chain to see if they are in the report for the page and shown as “via this intermediate link.” If they are, it’s a safe bet Google is counting the links and consolidating the signals to the latest version of the page.

Things will be more interesting for header responses. On the page, you will see canonical tags and hreflang tags here than can conflict with other tags. Moreover, redirects using the HTTP Header can also be problematic. Many cases have been found where people set the “Location:” without any information in the field and then redirect people on the page with a JS redirect. However, as a result, they’re redirected to nothing before they can see the other redirects.

Check for Multiple Sets of Tags

You may not notice that there will be many tags found in multiple locations, such as the HTTP Header, the <head> section and the sitemap. Investigate for any inconsistencies between the tags. There’s nothing stopping multiple sets of tags on a page, either. For instance, your template added a meta robots tag for index, then a plugin had one set for no-index. You cannot halt your search after the first search, as you can’t just assume there is one tag for each item.

Change UA to Googlebot

Sometimes, you have to see something like Google sees. So, whenever you find interesting issues, like cloaking, redirecting users and caching, you can change this with Chrome Developer Tools or with a plugin. However, it would be better to use incognito mode, once you are going to do this. You might want to check that Googlebot isn’t being redirected somewhere.

Robots.txt

You can use robots.txt for anything that might be blocked. For example, Google cannot crawl the page and can’t see those tags too. Therefore, you can use robots.txt for changes. Furthermore, you may also have a problem with a page not being indexed and not being able to figure out why. Although not officially supported, a noindex via robots.txt will keep a page out of the index, and this is just another possible location to check.

Summing Up

Since there will be many teams working on projects, in a complex environment, it is important to assume everything will change and everything will break at some point. In fact, the more points of failure can make the job of a technical SEO becomes more interesting and challenging.

 

Customizing the Error Page for Deactivated or Archived WordPress Sites

Posted on by Mario

When someone visits a site by default, that means they are deactivated, then they will see a pretty dull default screen, informing that the site has been suspended. However, the problem comes when you want to customize, or add some custom content. Therefore, as a solution, this article will show you the exact way to do that. Below are some of the ways:

Suspending Sites in Your Network – the Options

Many web developers may think that terminology around deleting and suspending sites in a network is very confusing, since it’s not clear what each one means and sometimes when you do one, the system will tell you that you’ve done another.

Below is a recap on the options for removing sites from your network.

Here’s a detail of the Multisite Sites screen, which you access by going to My Sites>Network Admin>Sites:

You can find four options for removing the site:

  • When your users signup for a site, you can deactivate reverse the activation step users. However, it can be reactivated any time, since it doesn’t permanently delete the site. Besides, both the front end and the site admin screens aren’t accessible.
  • It is important to mark a site as being archived to prevent other users from accessing it. The admin screens can be accessed but not the front end. Besides, you can archive a site easily at any time and it hasn’t been removed.
  • Once your site gets spam, your site will be marked as spam, not deleted. To make it available again, you can decide whether to unmark it as spam or delete it.
  • Delete the site, but be careful when deleting the site because you have to make sure that you are ready to delete it.

The Default Screen for Suspended Sites

When your site is removed, WordPress will show a default screen. Below are scenarios that you will see.

Deactivated Sites

Visitors can see a default screen if a site is deactivated and someone other than the (logged in) network admin visits it.

Archived Sites and Sites Marked as spam

You’ll get a different screen notification, when you mark a site as spam or archived.

I know that the screens may be too basic and simple. Therefore there is not much information or explanation about what’s meant by ‘no longer available’ or ‘archived or suspended’.

Creating a Page for Deactivated Sites

Creating a new page for displaying when someone visits a deactivated site is quite straightforward. You simply create a new file called blog-deleted.php and put it in your network’s wp-content folder. This file will then be used to display a custom page instead of the default page.

Note that this is in the network’s wp-content.php folder and so the same file will be used for any sites in your network that are deactivated. In other words, you have to create something generic, rather than something specific to one site in your network.

To avoid your site from using theme or calling any plugins or additional files, the page you create has to stand alone. As a solution, you need to include any styling in that file or call an external stylesheet, which you would put in a styles folder in your wp-content folder.

Remember to include the <head> section and the opening and closing <body> tags as these won’t be coming in via your themes’ header or footer files.

You can try this by using a very simple file with all the styling included in it or with a completely blank file if you’d like or you can copy some of the content from your theme files. For example, use the copied contents of  theme’s header.php file and edit those down significantly, then manually add the rest of the markup.

Here’s the content of  <head> section:

<?php
              // file for displaying an error message on deleted sites
?>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<head>
<meta charset=”<?php bloginfo( ‘charset’ ); ?>” />
<title><?php
              /*
               * Print the <title> tag based on what is being viewed.
               */
              global $page, $paged;
              wp_title( ‘|’, true, ‘right’ );
              // Add the blog name.
              bloginfo( ‘name’ );
?></title>
<style>
              .content {
                             width:500px;
                             height:500px;
                             margin:0 auto;
                             background:#999;
                             position:absolute;
                             left:50%;
                             top:50%;
                             margin-left:-250px;
                             margin-top:-250px;
                             padding: 10px;
              }
              .content p {
                             position: relative;
                             top: 50%;
                             transform: translateY(-50%);
                             text-align: center;
                             font-size: 18px;
                             font-family: ‘Helvetica Neue’, Verdana, sans-serif;
              }
              a:link,
              a:visited {
                             color: #fff;
                             text-decoration: underline;
              }
              a:hover,
              a:active {
                             color: #fff;
                             text-decoration: none;
              }
</style>
</head>

 

You can find some metadata and styling from the example above.

Now for the <body>:

<body <?php body_class(); ?>>
       <section class=”content”>
 
              <?php _e( ‘<p>This blog has been deleted, sorry! To create your own site, please visit <a href=”‘ . network_site_url() . ‘”>The Main Network Site</a>.’, ‘compass’ ); ?>
 
       </section>
</body>

 

The code above is just an element for the content, with a paragraph inside it and some text, which is translatable. If your network allows user sign-ups, you might need to include a link to the main site. If this site has been replaced, you might need to link to a different site or to a page on your main site explaining your policy for deleting sites, or wherever you want.

So, now the result will be like:

Isn’t it pretty? Now, you can add some different styling colors and maybe a headline. Furthermore, it is also possible to replace the default page for deleted sites and add anything you want to.

Creating a Page for Archived Sites

You can also create a custom page for sites which have been archived or marked as spam and you need to create another file also in your wp-content folder. This is called blog-suspended.php. file, but with a slightly different text. Here’s the code:

<?php
              // file for displaying an error message on deleted sites
?>
<!DOCTYPE html>
<head>
<meta charset=”<?php bloginfo( ‘charset’ ); ?>” />
<title><?php
              /*
               * Print the <title> tag based on what is being viewed.
               */
              global $page, $paged;
              wp_title( ‘|’, true, ‘right’ );
              // Add the blog name.
              bloginfo( ‘name’ );
?></title>
<style>
              .content {
                             width:500px;
                             height:500px;
                             margin:0 auto;
                             background:#999;
                             position:absolute;
                             left:50%;
                             top:50%;
                             margin-left:-250px;
                             margin-top:-250px;
                             padding: 10px;
              }
              .content p {
                             position: relative;
                             top: 50%;
                             transform: translateY(-50%);
                             text-align: center;
                             font-size: 18px;
                             font-family: ‘Helvetica Neue’, Verdana, sans-serif;
              }
              a:link,
              a:visited {
                             color: #fff;
                             text-decoration: underline;
              }
              a:hover,
              a:active {
                             color: #fff;
                             text-decoration: none;
              }
</style>
</head>
<body <?php body_class(); ?>>
       <section class=”content”>
 
              <?php _e( ‘<p>This blog has been suspended, sorry! To create your own site, please visit <a href=”‘ . network_site_url() . ‘”>The Main Network Site</a>.’, ‘compass’ ); ?>
 
       </section>
</body>

 

The page below is what you will get when you visit an archived site:

 

By this, our visitor will get more information and a link to the main site which you can replace it with whatever you want.

Hopefully, by following the steps above, you can quickly and easily replace the default pages for archived, suspended or deleted sites. As a result, visitors will get more information from the default screens which will give them a link to your main site. This will prevent users from just leaving your network entirely.

How to Create an Empathetic Design: A Method to Design for Users

Posted on by Mario

Are You Actually Designing for the User A Case for Empathetic Design_YWF

Some web designers might see projects as a form of self-expression, another notch in a portfolio that reflects our personal philosophy and goals. However, this approach is wrong, as designers should understand that they not only have to display their creativity to the world but also solve a customer problem. Unfortunately, many designers often ignore this concept. However, if you want to be a better web designer, you have to meet the business goals of a client by applying empathetic design. Before we discuss about how to produce empathetic design, first you have to know the meaning of user research, since both of them are related closely.

What is User Research?

User research is used to collect information about a potential target audience. There is a lot of information that can be used, but the goal is the same, to collect and analyze information about real users.  Then businessman can use this information as solutions that make the end product attractive and intuitive to the target user.

In order to create quality user research, you have to understand user needs, wants, and even psychological makeup. In fact, the information will help designers extrapolate the best colors, stylings, and interactions based on the emotions and experience of the target group.

Therefore, it is important to put empathy when designing websites, only by this can you understand what a user wants and needs from their experience.

Why is Empathetic Design so Difficult?

During project, designers and users have to work together, but in most cases, it happens that the teamwork damages user experience. Each party is so focused on getting their own opinion across; they don’t take time to absorb what the other person is saying. If this situation is so you, as a solution, you can design the most attractive and intuitive end-product in the world, but it won’t matter unless your target audience receives the intended experience.

That is why design takes practice and hard work, since you have to combat the bias and take the time to incorporate user research thoughtfully, but you will see that it’s well worth the effort.

How to Become a More Empathetic Designer?

As explained above, empathy is the ability to understand and connect with someone else’s emotions, goals, and motivations. It doesn’t mean that you have to feel what other people feel. In fact, it’s the process by which you apply user research to your own thinking and execution in your web design projects. The ultimate goal of these exercises should be to increase open-mindedness, reduce self-as-user bias, and collaborate. Dorothy Leonard and Jeffrey Rayport outline an “empathetic design process” that proceeds as follows:

  • Step 1: Determine your target users, this means you have to know who must be observed and which behaviors we must observe to create a better product.
  • Step 2: Collect user research which is often qualitative in nature and establish the actions, behaviors, methods, as well as approach the target population uses to identify and solve problems.
  • Step 3: Analyze the data. Team members discuss what they learned from the user research and attempt to understand and identify with their target customer’s needs and wants.
  • Step 4: Brainstorm solutions. Using the data, designers can create innovative solutions that address problems for the user.
  • Step 5: Prototype. As the last step, you will put your solutions into implementations where you apply your empathetic design to the test.

If you’re struggling to apply empathetic design to your products, try the following simple suggestions:

  • Listen Consciously

You can hear what your users say, but that doesn’t mean that you are listening to them. You may appear smiling and nodding to every words they said, however listening what the other person is saying is something that you must hone. This is because listening is the essential legwork to practicing empathy in everyday life.

  • Get Rid of Distractions

It is easy to get distracted nowadays. Maybe, you find yourself understanding nothing to what they are saying, because you are busy surfing the web or checking your social media while talking with your users on the phone. If this thing always happens, you have to learn how to be fully present when collecting and analyzing user information. Staying focused will result in a better end product.

  • Don’t Make Assumptions

Whether we realize it or not, we all make assumptions about many things. In product design, we might make assumptions about a user based on age or income level. However, your preconceived notions will take you away from a target user and will cloud your interpretation of data. Therefore, as a solution, you have to approach your user research with an open mind and leave your own ego out of it.

Hopefully, by following some simple tasks above, you can learn how to design for users by arousing your empathy towards them. This will surely make your design process better as well as your end product.