Google Quality Guidelines 101 for WordPress Bloggers

Nile Flores@blondishnet

Objective❏ What are Google Quality Guidelines?❏ Why they are important to bloggers and content creators?❏ Break down some of the guidelines❏ Share some tips here and there

For those that sometimes feel frustrated or confused, I promise that Google doesn’t hate

you!

What are Google Quality Guidelines?

These aren’t magical laws, but it is a list that Google is suggesting to you to do for your website, in order for your visitors to safely and effectively surf your website, while they consuming unique and excellent content.

Based on these guidelines, Google is actually giving you some of the “secret” to having a successful website, as well as helping them fulfill their mission, which in turn, makes your search experience less frustrating..

P.S. - It’s not really a secret.

Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Learn about our company history, products, and more.

https://www.google.com/about/

Google Quality Guidelines/ Webmaster Guidelines

https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/35769?hl=en

Why are they important to bloggers & content creators?

Google strives to make their search engine as organic, or human.

These guidelines help remind and guide webmasters to create a site that people can use and understand.

Basic Principle of Google Quality Guidelines

❏ Don’t try to game the system.❏ Don’t be a jerk by deceiving your users.❏ Add value, be unique, and make entertaining content.❏ Write for humans!

Overview of Google Quality Guidelines

❏ Make your site easy to navigate❏ Submit your website to Google Search

Console❏ Generate a sitemap❏ Submit sitemap to Google Search Console❏ Have a robots.txt❏ Limit links on a page

Overview of Google Quality Guidelines (Part 2)

❏ Create useful and unique content❏ Make sure title is descriptive, accurate, and

up-to-date❏ Make sure Google can crawl your site❏ Don’t block sources like JS or CSS❏ Be clear about what links are sponsored or

are advertisements

Overview of Google Quality Guidelines (Part 3)❏ Don’t be deceptive about links❏ Optimize for quick load time❏ Check your links❏ Design your website to be seen on most

device widths❏ Design your website to be seen on most

browsers❏ Implement HTTPS/ SSL for your website

General areas of Google Quality Guidelines

❏ Quality Content❏ Linking❏ Website speed❏ Mobile-friendly❏ Web Accessibility❏ Security

Quality Content

This is not new news.

You should be building unique and quality content. Let your blog voice shine, and don’t create pages with little to no content.

Add value. Again, write for humans.

Google has made its algorithms to be more human-like, so do not make your keywords for robots and aliens…

Unless you don’t want to be found.

WordPress SEO: Getting Back to the Basics,

http://bit.ly/2phpMUg

Other Content tips - Part 1

SEO for images:

❏ Label your file images with a seo-friendly name❏ Make sure to fill out ALT text ❏ If possible, add relevant text

http://bit.ly/XkcdmC

https://blondish.net/basic-seo-for-images/

Other Content Tips - Part 2

Video SEO tips

❏ Create a video sitemap and submit it to Google Search Console❏ Include Schema markup for videos❏ Add Media RSS tags❏ Be sweetie and let Google know when you’re removing video❏ Create thumbnail images for your videos❏ (Bonus) Transcribe your video

http://bit.ly/1mTrwxr

https://yoast.com/video-seo-guide/

Other Content Tips - Part 3

Structured Data markup tips

Make sure your website has proper structures data markup to help Google display your content in search depending on what type of content or information your site has.

Example:

❏ Rich Cards (Sitelinks, breadcrumbs)❏ Knowledge Cards (organizations, events)

http://bit.ly/1UjXtMX

http://bit.ly/1O1rGdz

Linking

Tips

❏ Don’t sell links❏ Don’t be deceptive about links❏ If you’re going to submit directories, don’t apply challenge

accepted to #allthethings❏ Add rel=“nofollow” to sponsored links❏ If you’re going to crosspost, use rel=“canonical”❏ Links should clearly look like links❏ Hiding text or links are a big no-no

Mobile-Friendly

Your site should allow visitors to view your site in most device widths, and browsers.

Is your website mobile-friendly?

https://search.google.com/search-console/mobile-friendly

Need tips? -

Mobile Optimization (Moz) - http://bit.ly/1NO4W2B

Web AccessibilityJust because you can see your website and think it’s cool, without a thought about others, doesn’t mean others want to stay around and suffer while trying to decipher your website.

“Accessibility = usability.”

- Tracy Apps, @tapps, at WordCamp Chicago 2017

Web Accessibility Resources

❏ Accessibility Handbook - http://bit.ly/2pwVPQu ❏ Understanding and Supporting Web Accessibility by Rachel Carden -

http://bit.ly/2piORya❏ Web Accessibility, Where To Start? By Rian Rietveld -

http://bit.ly/2qhBU9b

Website Speed

Google realizes people have little to no patience to wait for a website page to load. You probably feel the same too.

Perhaps the Golden Rule should apply with website speed too???

Be a dear and optimize your site. It is quite possible to be under a 2 second page load time, and not sacrifice design.

Website Speed Resources

❏ Google PageSpeed Insights - http://bit.ly/18oQqhi❏ Introduction to Optimizing WordPress for Website Speed -

http://bit.ly/2pKOePt❏ Speed Up Your WordPress – How to Save Images Optimized for Web -

http://bit.ly/Mvikiz

Security

No one likes their search results to turn up being labeled with “This site may contain hacked content”, or the dreaded red malware screen, in Chrome.

You MUST do the work to ensure your website is secure.

Additionally, you should strongly consider going HTTPS (SSL.)

Having just SSL does NOT mean that your site is secure. You need to still secure your site.

Security Resources

❏ Google Requires SSL Certificate - Load site in HTTPS - http://bit.ly/2qkW3s9❏ Introduction to WordPress Security - http://bit.ly/2nCkTCx ❏ How to Secure Your WordPress Blog -

https://blondish.net/how-to-secure-your-wordpress-blog/❏ The Ultimate WordPress Security Guide – Step by Step (2017) -

http://www.wpbeginner.com/wordpress-security/

Thank you!Nile Flores - http://blondish.net

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