Wordpress SEO Expert

Improve your Google ranking with Peter Mahoney, 20+ years SEO & Wordpress experience

My site has errors – timeouts – and my host isn’t helping me

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Hi Peter,

My site has been reporting errors (timeouts) which have become more regular the past week or so. I am having it looked at but nothing conclusive atm. The host guy mentioned Cron Jobs (TBH I’m not even sure what that is) as being a possible suspect, and have done as much through the host (I believe including increasing the timeout parameters), but the errors keep coming – once or twice a day I would say. Would you be able to look at WP to see if anything jumps out at you? I’m asking everyone about this Peter, and coming to you also as I do not want SEO to suffer due to frequent site down statuses.

Best regards.

Thanks.

Just over the past several days Google has started seeing your site offline a number of times–which is definitely not what we want.

I’ve had a good 20 minute look through your site and there’s nothing I see that would be a smoking gun here.

I do know all about cron jobs. Every now and then WordPress will run processes to see if it needs to do anything in the background. A simple example is, say, you’ve scheduled a post to go live at a certain time. The cronjob would publish that. That’s a really simple example–there are many of them.

All perfectly normal WordPress stuff, and not usually anything that causes an issue.

One thing going against you with a lesser-quality host like yours is they don’t run cronjobs the way they’re meant to be run. So on my servers they’re a proper server process. Every minute the server checks if there’s scheduled tasks, and triggers them from the server itself. Those cheaper hosts don’t do that – they instead wait until someone loads a page on a website, which then triggers the check. So it’s not strictly server-time based – it’s when someone loads a page. What that can lead to is that when someone wants to see content on the site, that’s when it starts working on everything else too, which can mean it’s doing too many things at once and the page won’t load.

However your site doesn’t actually do a lot of processes on cronjobs anyway–so I’d be very surprised if that was to blame. And it certainly doesn’t do more now than it did, say, a month ago.

I suspect the real fault is just the usual – your host have overloaded a server with sites and it’s causing problems because you all share the same resources. With these cheaper hosts I see that more often than not.

Just a thought – I know you don’t want to pay more for hosting – and mine is more expensive. But what if I made a ‘hidden from search engines and the general public’ copy of your site on one of my machine, just so you can see how much faster and fool-proof it is? It’ll take me a couple of hours but I’m happy to do that gratis, just to show you what hosting can be like.

It will be affecting your SEO at this stage–and I know from experience your web hosting support team aren’t that fantastic.

Peter Mahoney
WordPress SEO Expert

My site has errors - timeouts - and my host isn't helping me Wordpress SEO Expert

 

 

Investing in decent web hosting is a smart move for savvy businesses

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In the digital landscape, your website serves as your virtual storefront, greeting customers and presenting your brand around the clock.

Given its pivotal role, it’s surprising that the crucial decision of selecting a web hosting service often receives less attention than it should.

Let’s explore why investing in quality web hosting is not just a good idea but a fundamental aspect of your online success.

Consider this: you’ve dedicated time, creativity, and resources to develop a website that perfectly encapsulates your brand’s essence. To complement this investment, choosing a robust web hosting service is essential. It’s akin to selecting a prime location for a physical store; the right setting makes all the difference.

Drawing a parallel to traditional business expenses, think about the cost of maintaining a landline. Many businesses willingly incur monthly charges for their phone, recognizing its utility despite dwindling usage. Yet, when it comes to web hosting—a service that has a broader reach and a more significant impact on business growth—a lot of people don’t even want to pay 20% of the cost of the phone line. But a website, when optimally set up, SEO’d and hosted, acts as a tireless advocate for your business, accessible to a global audience 24/7.

The benefits of premium web hosting are huge. Speed, for instance, is a crucial factor. Websites that load quickly offer a better user experience, keeping visitors engaged and reducing bounce rates. In today’s fast-paced digital world, users expect instant access to information. A slow-loading site not only tests their patience but can also drive them directly to your competitors.

Security is another critical consideration. High-quality web hosting provides robust protection against cyber threats, safeguarding your site’s integrity and your customers’ sensitive data. This commitment to security builds trust with your audience, a vital component of customer loyalty and brand reputation.

Furthermore, reliability is a hallmark of premium hosting services. Ensuring your website is always available and performing optimally means you’re always ready to welcome visitors, answer queries, and conduct business. This reliability strengthens your brand’s presence online and supports continuous growth.

To put it simply, decent web hosting is an investment in your website’s performance, security, and reliability. It’s about giving your digital presence the foundation it needs to thrive. Like any wise investment, it costs, but the returns—in terms of site performance, customer satisfaction, and business growth—are substantial.

The decision to invest in quality web hosting should be viewed as an integral part of your business strategy. It’s not merely a technical necessity; it’s a strategic investment in creating a seamless, secure, and swift online experience for your customers. Just as you wouldn’t compromise on the quality of your products or services, the same should hold true for your website’s hosting.

In the grand scheme of your digital marketing efforts, premium web hosting is not a cost but a critical driver of success.

Pages listed as Discovered – currently not indexed

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Looking at buying this offer. Quick question, just looking at Google search console and I have a bunch of pages listed as ‘Discovered – currently not indexed’. Not sure how to resolve this. Will the things you do in this package help or do I need something else?

Looking at that sort of issue is something that’s more suited to a bespoke job, or at the very least taking me up on the free month of my ongoing service I offer as part of this fixed price service – in that month I can have a good look through those things.

Notice I used the word issue in italics. Normally there’s very good reasons Google chooses not to index pages. Have a look at the list of pages it’s giving you in that report. Sometimes it’s ‘feed’ pages or or pages you won’t want scanned anyway. Ideally those would be marked as noindex (which prevents Google and other search engines from scanning them) just to clean up those reports. But actually what Search Console is telling you there is that Google has caught those pages you won’t want in search results pages anyway.

The most common reason Google doesn’t scan legitimate pages is simply how much text you have on there. If a page is fewer than 300 words of paragraph text* it’s very unlikely to get picked up by Google.

When they first brought that report in to Google Search Console I made a spreadsheet of all the posts I have that were listed there and they ALL had that in common. So as time permitted I went through each one and just fleshed it out to get to the 300 word mark – and then on resubmitting those specific URLs to Google they were all indexed without fail.

* – by paragraph text I mean the actual useful, article (body) content of the page. You shouldn’t count words in the menu, footer, that sort of thing.

I hope that helps! Cheers,

Peter Mahoney
WordPress SEO Expert

My enquiries are virtually nothing with no new clients

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Hi Peter, I’ve had a message from Google console saying you’ve taken ownership of my domain – please can you change it back to myself? I can then add you as admin.

With Google Console, Ive noticed that clicks and impressions are down compared to last period and same time last year.

My enquiries are virtually 0 with no new clients and keywords like:
medical website design have dropped massively to Avg. position is actually: 46.5 – Where I used to be third.

Is there anything you can do to help as my business is truly in financial trouble!

That whole ownership thing is a major misnomer on their part. I definitely haven’t taken over anything! I simply added myself as a full user to the Google Search property you set up. You are also a full user.

The way Google words those messages does freak people out–it looks like someone is essentially stealing their website, when really it’s just adding an extra admin user to look at the data.

So, here’s a few things.

1) Ignore average rank
That whole stat is a weird one, and sort of means the opposite of what you’d expect. The best way to explain it is this – because Google can index your site for any single word or phrase it has, as your site grows in popularity they will index you for more things – but a lot of those are not your core terms and in fact you’ll find your average rank appears to be getting worse.

But it’s really an indication that your site has more visibility and SEO authority.

I recommend people instead look at the top 20 search queries for their site (ordered by impressions) and find the average there. Then repeat when needed.

That gives a better impression of your average position for things that are important.

2) I’m surprised you have so few enquiries
Your site ranks really well, with 1,000s of impressions for competitive terms. So firstly, have you double checked your forms and enquiry lines work?

3) You need to consider how you target
I have the impression you sell yourself as a general web design firm that specialises (or used to) in the medial practice field. You mention that you’ve dropped for ‘medical website design’ but your content I believe also shifted. The word ‘medical’ doesn’t even appear on the homepage!

I also think, SEO aside, there is a confusing message for potential clients. People looking for, say, a GPs website are going to be put off because you don’t appear to be specialising in that anymore. But general website design clients are also likely to be confused because of how many of my clients clearly are in the medical field.

If ‘medical website design’ is a key term for you then the website needs to be focused on sites for people in healthcare. Not just that one page you have.

The extra thing to consider here is how well you are doing for general searches relating to your area and ‘web design’ )which is – very well!). It would be a shame to throw that away.

If I were you, I would split the site into two. One website for general site design, and a completely second one for the medicine focus.

That way you can make the most of everything you’ve got–including your potential, without confusing the message to potential clients.

Cheers,

Peter Mahoney
WordPress SEO Expert

Should I start SEO? The phone isn’t ringing and business is really slow.

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This is from a regular series I post here, which are replies I send to commonly asked SEO questions. I get a lot of them!

I’m thinking of starting Search Engine Optimisation but I’m just a bit stressed at the moment and the phone isn’t ringing and business is really slow.

It’s no secret that economic downturns can have a significant impact on businesses across all industries. When times are tough, many companies tend to cut back on spending, including investments in digital marketing and SEO. However, it’s worth noting that in times of crisis, SEO can actually be more critical than ever.

During the 2008 global financial crisis and the Covid pandemic, there were three types of clients: those who paused SEO, those who stayed throughout, and those who quit entirely. The clients who stayed throughout and continued to invest in their SEO efforts were the ones who ultimately reaped the greatest rewards.

By maintaining a strong SEO presence during challenging times, companies can position themselves for greater success in the long run. This is because SEO is a long-term strategy that requires ongoing effort and investment. By continuing to optimize their website and build high-quality backlinks, companies can improve their search ranking and visibility over time. When the economy picks up again and people start looking to spend, those companies will be in a much better position to capitalize on the increased demand.

It’s also worth mentioning that during tough times, some companies may not be able to afford to invest in SEO at the same level as they did before. This is where discounts and other cost-saving measures can be helpful. By offering discounts or flexible payment plans, SEO experts like you can help clients weather the storm and stay competitive, even when times are tough.

While economic downturns can be challenging, they can also be an opportunity for companies to invest in their long-term success through SEO. By staying the course and continuing to optimize their website, companies can set themselves up for greater success when the economy rebounds. And with options like discounts and other cost-saving measures, SEO experts can help their clients navigate the ups and downs of the business cycle with confidence.

Cheers,

Peter Mahoney
WordPress SEO Expert

New Page indexing issues detected in submitted URLs

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This is from a regular series I post here, which are replies I send to commonly asked SEO questions. I get a lot of them!

I have received an email from Google about my website after you did the Search Engine Optimisation work. It says New Page indexing issues detected in submitted URLs – what does this mean please Peter – you’re the WordPress SEO Expert!

Of course! Let me explain the concept of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and provide more information on the concept of “noindex” pages first. 🙂

SEO is the process of optimizing a website’s content and structure to increase its visibility and ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs). This can be achieved through various techniques, such as optimizing on-page elements, building high-quality backlinks, and improving the user experience of a website.

One aspect of SEO involves ensuring that search engine crawlers can easily access and understand a website’s content. This is where the concept of “indexing” comes in. Search engines like Google use automated programs, also known as crawlers or spiders, to scan and index the content of web pages. This allows them to quickly and accurately retrieve relevant search results for user queries.

However, not all pages on a website need to be indexed by search engines. As mentioned in the original document, pages like privacy policies or terms of use pages may contain duplicate content that doesn’t add value to the website’s search ranking. Additionally, some pages may not be relevant to the website’s overall content or business goals.

In these cases, website owners can use the “noindex” directive to tell search engines not to index specific pages. This is achieved through a meta tag placed in the HTML code of the page, which instructs search engines to exclude the page from their index.

By marking these pages as “noindex”, website owners can avoid potential issues with duplicate content, improve their website’s overall SEO, and ensure that search engines focus on the most relevant and valuable content on their site.

In conclusion, receiving a notification about “New Page indexing issues detected in submitted URLs” after SEO work has been carried out is a common occurrence, and usually, it’s not something to worry about. It simply means that some pages on the website have been marked as “noindex”, which is a recommended best practice for optimizing a website’s search ranking and visibility.

Cheers,

Peter Mahoney
WordPress SEO Expert

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