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NEWS

Website Themes Impact SEO via @sejournal, @martinibuster

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Google published a short video that answers if a website theme affects SEO. John Mueller, the video host, answered that yes, a website theme will affect SEO and noted how this can happen.

Mueller said:

“It’s easy to consider website themes as just a splash of color on top of a finished structure. But there’s so much more involved.”

A theme will impact how the website displays many content elements that are core to SEO:

  • Headings
  • Text
  • Images
  • How pages are interlinked
  • Page load times
  • Structured Data

According to Google, good themes will make it easier for search engines to understand the content and Mueller affirmed that changing a website’s theme generally will affect a website’s SEO.

Related: How to Choose the Best Shopify Theme for SEO

Test Drive New Website Themes

John Mueller said that it was a good idea to test out a website theme before choosing one.

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Recommendations

  • Try themes out on a test website
  • Add content from previous website
  • Block indexing of a test website so that Google doesn’t accidentally crawl it
  • Review HTML generated by the theme

Insights From Search Community

I asked a few SEO and web design experts if they thought that the choice of a website theme affected SEO.

Adam J. Humphreys

Search marketing expert Adam J. Humphreys (LinkedIn profile) of Making 8 Inc shared his insights about how themes impact SEO:

“Yes, absolutely the way websites render impacts the way they resolve for search engines.

I saw a 26% increase to a large boat group’s overall views and their best year on record as a result of changes made to their themes.

Themes really matter and frankly, if using WordPress for example, one should use Gutenberg-based editors (otherwise known as Gutenberg blocks builders) for WordPress because they are the purest form of editor utilizing the WordPress core and will result in a ridiculously fast page speed.

The reality is even if Google’s Core Web Vitals wasn’t a ranking factor I would still make it a priority as I have for years simply because of how well users respond to fast sites. We’re talking more clicks, more calls, and generally speaking more sales conversions. Whether it’s a multinational level site or a local business, the positive response seems to be the same.

This is why I recommended Gutenberg Blocks based editors because they use the WordPress engine resulting in a much faster load time.

Oxygen and Bricks Builder this year are my only two recommendations on themes for those willing to take the time to learn them.

Otherwise just straight up WordPress editor because everything else will not accomplish 100 on mobile scores in a mobile first world.

Alternative themes load up too many scripts which is guaranteed to result in lower scores.

Less moving parts means less friction, which is the same for choosing a theme for SEO.”

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Chris Labbate

Chris Labbate (LinkedIn profile), Director of Marketing at SEOBank.ca agreed that the choice of a theme was critical:

“Changing your WordPress theme can affect SEO rankings, to a significant degree if you make a poor choice.

One of the reasons is because your theme impacts your design (CSS and JavaScript) which in turn can affect site speed.”

Alex Alexakis

Alex Alexakis (LinkedIn profile), founder of PixelChefs Web Design & SEO offered his insightful opinion on the importance of themes to SEO:

“Yes, changing a site’s theme can affect a website’s speed as design, page structure, internal links and sometimes architecture changes.

For example, themes can negatively affect your sites speed by:

  • requiring multiple plugins to function “properly”
  • loading excess external resources (scripts, webfonts)
  • loading excess internal resources (scripts, webfonts)
  • poor coding
  • unoptimized css
  • unoptimized javascript / jquery

Site architecture is a big issue especially in site rebuilds as some themes are set up with custom built custom post types that force a URL structure that might not match the existing architecture.”

Choose Your Website Theme Carefully

Many themes advertise themselves as SEO friendly. But that’s not always the case. Many themes provide low performance scores in Google’s PageSpeed insights tool. Even the demonstration sites for some of the “SEO friendly” themes perform poorly.

Page Speed Score of an “SEO Friendly” Theme

Screenshot of poor performance scores of an "SEO friendly" themeThis is an actual PageSpeed Insights score of 35 out of 100 for a theme that advertises itself as SEO FriendlyScreenshot of poor performance scores of an "SEO friendly" theme

Adam J. Humphrey is right to mention Gutenberg Block Editor as a viable option for building a fast performing website. Building directly with the WordPress Gutenberg site builder is faster because the site is generated straight from the core and does not have to go through any additional layers. WordPress has steadily been improving the Gutenberg code so that it only loads the files necessary to generate a web page.

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It is important to understand that Gutenberg isn’t fully finished. It is being built in four phases and WordPress is currently well into the second phase that addresses bringing full site editing to Gutenberg.

Four Phases of Gutenberg Development

  1. Easier Editing — Already available in WordPress, with ongoing improvements
  2. Customization — Full Site editing, Block Patterns, Block Directory, Block based themes
  3. Collaboration — A more intuitive way to co-author content
  4. Multi-lingual — Core implementation for Multi-lingual sites

As John Mueller suggested, always set up a test site for staging your new WordPress theme where you can configure the site to be exactly how you want it to.

Services like WP Stagecoach, which I have used, make the process easy.

Citation

Watch the Google Video

Does a Website Theme Matter for SEO?

[embedded content]

Searchenginejournal.com

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NEWS

OpenAI Introduces Fine-Tuning for GPT-4 and Enabling Customized AI Models

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OpenAI Introduces Fine-Tuning for GPT-4 and Enabling Customized AI Models

OpenAI has today announced the release of fine-tuning capabilities for its flagship GPT-4 large language model, marking a significant milestone in the AI landscape. This new functionality empowers developers to create tailored versions of GPT-4 to suit specialized use cases, enhancing the model’s utility across various industries.

Fine-tuning has long been a desired feature for developers who require more control over AI behavior, and with this update, OpenAI delivers on that demand. The ability to fine-tune GPT-4 allows businesses and developers to refine the model’s responses to better align with specific requirements, whether for customer service, content generation, technical support, or other unique applications.

Why Fine-Tuning Matters

GPT-4 is a very flexible model that can handle many different tasks. However, some businesses and developers need more specialized AI that matches their specific language, style, and needs. Fine-tuning helps with this by letting them adjust GPT-4 using custom data. For example, companies can train a fine-tuned model to keep a consistent brand tone or focus on industry-specific language.

Fine-tuning also offers improvements in areas like response accuracy and context comprehension. For use cases where nuanced understanding or specialized knowledge is crucial, this can be a game-changer. Models can be taught to better grasp intricate details, improving their effectiveness in sectors such as legal analysis, medical advice, or technical writing.

Key Features of GPT-4 Fine-Tuning

The fine-tuning process leverages OpenAI’s established tools, but now it is optimized for GPT-4’s advanced architecture. Notable features include:

  • Enhanced Customization: Developers can precisely influence the model’s behavior and knowledge base.
  • Consistency in Output: Fine-tuned models can be made to maintain consistent formatting, tone, or responses, essential for professional applications.
  • Higher Efficiency: Compared to training models from scratch, fine-tuning GPT-4 allows organizations to deploy sophisticated AI with reduced time and computational cost.

Additionally, OpenAI has emphasized ease of use with this feature. The fine-tuning workflow is designed to be accessible even to teams with limited AI experience, reducing barriers to customization. For more advanced users, OpenAI provides granular control options to achieve highly specialized outputs.

Implications for the Future

The launch of fine-tuning capabilities for GPT-4 signals a broader shift toward more user-centric AI development. As businesses increasingly adopt AI, the demand for models that can cater to specific business needs, without compromising on performance, will continue to grow. OpenAI’s move positions GPT-4 as a flexible and adaptable tool that can be refined to deliver optimal value in any given scenario.

By offering fine-tuning, OpenAI not only enhances GPT-4’s appeal but also reinforces the model’s role as a leading AI solution across diverse sectors. From startups seeking to automate niche tasks to large enterprises looking to scale intelligent systems, GPT-4’s fine-tuning capability provides a powerful resource for driving innovation.

OpenAI announced that fine-tuning GPT-4o will cost $25 for every million tokens used during training. After the model is set up, it will cost $3.75 per million input tokens and $15 per million output tokens. To help developers get started, OpenAI is offering 1 million free training tokens per day for GPT-4o and 2 million free tokens per day for GPT-4o mini until September 23. This makes it easier for developers to try out the fine-tuning service.

As AI continues to evolve, OpenAI’s focus on customization and adaptability with GPT-4 represents a critical step in making advanced AI accessible, scalable, and more aligned with real-world applications. This new capability is expected to accelerate the adoption of AI across industries, creating a new wave of AI-driven solutions tailored to specific challenges and opportunities.

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GOOGLE

This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update

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This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update

Here’s what happened in the world of Google and search engines this week:

1. Google’s June 2024 Spam Update

Google finished rolling out its June 2024 spam update over a period of seven days. This update aims to reduce spammy content in search results.

2. Changes to Google Search Interface

Google has removed the continuous scroll feature for search results. Instead, it’s back to the old system of pages.

3. New Features and Tests

  • Link Cards: Google is testing link cards at the top of AI-generated overviews.
  • Health Overviews: There are more AI-generated health overviews showing up in search results.
  • Local Panels: Google is testing AI overviews in local information panels.

4. Search Rankings and Quality

  • Improving Rankings: Google said it can improve its search ranking system but will only do so on a large scale.
  • Measuring Quality: Google’s Elizabeth Tucker shared how they measure search quality.

5. Advice for Content Creators

  • Brand Names in Reviews: Google advises not to avoid mentioning brand names in review content.
  • Fixing 404 Pages: Google explained when it’s important to fix 404 error pages.

6. New Search Features in Google Chrome

Google Chrome for mobile devices has added several new search features to enhance user experience.

7. New Tests and Features in Google Search

  • Credit Card Widget: Google is testing a new widget for credit card information in search results.
  • Sliding Search Results: When making a new search query, the results might slide to the right.

8. Bing’s New Feature

Bing is now using AI to write “People Also Ask” questions in search results.

9. Local Search Ranking Factors

Menu items and popular times might be factors that influence local search rankings on Google.

10. Google Ads Updates

  • Query Matching and Brand Controls: Google Ads updated its query matching and brand controls, and advertisers are happy with these changes.
  • Lead Credits: Google will automate lead credits for Local Service Ads. Google says this is a good change, but some advertisers are worried.
  • tROAS Insights Box: Google Ads is testing a new insights box for tROAS (Target Return on Ad Spend) in Performance Max and Standard Shopping campaigns.
  • WordPress Tag Code: There is a new conversion code for Google Ads on WordPress sites.

These updates highlight how Google and other search engines are continuously evolving to improve user experience and provide better advertising tools.

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FACEBOOK

Facebook Faces Yet Another Outage: Platform Encounters Technical Issues Again

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Facebook Problem Again

Uppdated: It seems that today’s issues with Facebook haven’t affected as many users as the last time. A smaller group of people appears to be impacted this time around, which is a relief compared to the larger incident before. Nevertheless, it’s still frustrating for those affected, and hopefully, the issues will be resolved soon by the Facebook team.

Facebook had another problem today (March 20, 2024). According to Downdetector, a website that shows when other websites are not working, many people had trouble using Facebook.

This isn’t the first time Facebook has had issues. Just a little while ago, there was another problem that stopped people from using the site. Today, when people tried to use Facebook, it didn’t work like it should. People couldn’t see their friends’ posts, and sometimes the website wouldn’t even load.

Downdetector, which watches out for problems on websites, showed that lots of people were having trouble with Facebook. People from all over the world said they couldn’t use the site, and they were not happy about it.

When websites like Facebook have problems, it affects a lot of people. It’s not just about not being able to see posts or chat with friends. It can also impact businesses that use Facebook to reach customers.

Since Facebook owns Messenger and Instagram, the problems with Facebook also meant that people had trouble using these apps. It made the situation even more frustrating for many users, who rely on these apps to stay connected with others.

During this recent problem, one thing is obvious: the internet is always changing, and even big websites like Facebook can have problems. While people wait for Facebook to fix the issue, it shows us how easily things online can go wrong. It’s a good reminder that we should have backup plans for staying connected online, just in case something like this happens again.

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