# https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/ llms-full.txt ## Digital Marketing Solutions # **Helping businesses grow their leads & sales** Increase your visibility on Google search using Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & Google Ads [View Services](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/#our-services) [Email Us](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/contact/) ## Burk Digital Factory Client Case Studies [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/lisa-jeffs.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/great-content-and-links-a-consistent-recipe-for-success/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/poynt360.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/combining-seo-and-google-ads-make-winning-online-easy/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/grants-mma.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/what-3-plus-years-of-seo-facebook-and-google-ads-can-do-for-your-business/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/evam-canada.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/diy-content-is-the-key-for-this-mississauga-hvac-customer/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/baby-and-toddler-show.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/remarket-to-customers-that-are-on-the-fence-with-a-unique-deal/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/swift-payments.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/help-google-fall-in-love-with-your-site-by-creating-amazing-content-organizing-it-properly/) ### How we help your business grow ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/seo-icon.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) #### Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Improve your website visibility in search engines like Google and build your digital brand for the long term. [Learn More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/seo/) ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/google-ads-icon.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) #### Google Ads / PPC Advertise where your customers are searching and get an immediate injection of traffic, leads and sales. [Learn More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/google-ads-ppc/) ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/facebook-icon.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) #### Facebook Ads Amplify your message and allow it to reach a targeted audience that is engaged and ready to transact today. [Learn More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/facebook-ads/) We understand you may have questions. We definitely have the answers. [Email Us](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/contact/) [Call Us](tel:4168412874) ## Testimonials “Darcy has been an absolute pleasure to work with. He has accomplished incredible results for my companies. I recommend his services to all my friends, family, and colleagues. Thanks Darcy for the incredible work you’re doing.” **Mike Halbouni**, _POYNT360_ “I’ve had the pleasure of working with Darcy and can attest to his industry knowledge, specialized skills and AWARD winning personality!” **Benny Migliaccio** “I’ve been working with Darcy for a few years now. He’s done wonders for my website and has me ranking page 1 for a number of keywords. I really can’t recommend him enough. He truly cares about the quality of service he provides and the success of the businesses he works with.” **Lisa Jeffs**, _Lisa Jeffs Toronto Life Coach_ “I hired Darcy to run a short campaign to drive awareness and attendance at one of our consumer shows. His attention to detail was amazing and he was completely invested in making sure the campaign was as successful as possible. He was constantly monitoring results and making changes as we went along. I will definitely use his services again and I highly recommend him!” **Jennifer Allaby**, _The Baby and Toddler Show_ ## Our approach combines main core services complemented by other skill sets. - Website Development - Website Design - Graphic Design - Branding - Content Writing - SEO Consulting - SEO Training - Speaking [Inquire](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/contact/) [iframe](https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LeuGfAUAAAAAJLkJRbd79gmodLUtb9TG4FR2bRg&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVya2RpZ2l0YWxmYWN0b3J5LmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=jt8Oh2-Ue1u7nEbJQUIdocyd&size=invisible&cb=qhbaymuvv6nt) ## Digital Marketing Success Stories [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/facebook-ad.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/help-google-fall-in-love-with-your-site-by-creating-amazing-content-organizing-it-properly/) The merchant services industry is extremely competitive. You have small business competing with large banks with massive amounts of budget. Luckily for us, small business can be more agile, adopt new digital marketing strategies and win out over the long run. [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/help-google-fall-in-love-with-your-site-by-creating-amazing-content-organizing-it-properly/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/facebook-lead-ads.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/what-3-plus-years-of-seo-facebook-and-google-ads-can-do-for-your-business/) By focusing on local SEO, content creation and crafting “thumb stopping” ads on both Facebook and Google, this customer has been able to see massive success. When business’ continue to invest in digital, the returns compound and get better year, over year, over year. [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/what-3-plus-years-of-seo-facebook-and-google-ads-can-do-for-your-business/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/city-rankings.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/combining-seo-and-google-ads-make-winning-online-easy/) This customer had a goal to move away from traditional advertising and focus on digital. By combining a solid SEO strategy with a continuously growing Google Ads campaign, we were able to dominate organic rankings and have a steady stream of low cost paid & organic leads. [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/combining-seo-and-google-ads-make-winning-online-easy/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/hvac-case-study.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/diy-content-is-the-key-for-this-mississauga-hvac-customer/) This customer’s goal is increasing their visibility in search and growing their furnace and air conditioning repair/install business. Through a variety of SEO tactics including creating a library of DIY, FAQ and Troubleshooting content we were able to achieve that goal. [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/diy-content-is-the-key-for-this-mississauga-hvac-customer/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/life-coach-case-study-3.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/great-content-and-links-a-consistent-recipe-for-success/) Working with this customer over the last year has been a joy. Constant engagement and feedback on my strategies and initiatives has been a driving success factor for my optimizations. This client was already doing some great work when it came to unique content generation through video blogs and Facebook live videos. That constant stream of content, coupled with the on page optimization, citation building and content optimization is what pushed this client towards success. [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/great-content-and-links-a-consistent-recipe-for-success/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/event-case-study-2.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/remarket-to-customers-that-are-on-the-fence-with-a-unique-deal/) This campaign was a 1 month, high budget, blitz type campaign to maximize exposure around their “baby show” event. I have run many Google Ads and Facebook campaign before but typically I run these campaigns for many months and use that time to tweak, optimize and improve. Time was not on my side for this customer. The expectation was to launch this campaign, flood the market with their message and sell as many event tickets as possible. Challenge accepted. [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/remarket-to-customers-that-are-on-the-fence-with-a-unique-deal/) [iframe](https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LeuGfAUAAAAAJLkJRbd79gmodLUtb9TG4FR2bRg&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVya2RpZ2l0YWxmYWN0b3J5LmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=jt8Oh2-Ue1u7nEbJQUIdocyd&size=invisible&cb=uxla1sejfypv) ## Unique Deal Campaign Success # Remarket To Customers That Are On The Fence With A Unique Deal CASE STUDY: TRADE SHOW This campaign was a 1 month, high budget, blitz type campaign to maximize exposure around their “baby show” event. I have run many Google Ads and Facebook campaign before but typically I run these campaigns for many months and use that time to tweak, optimize and improve. Time was not on my side for this customer. The expectation was to launch this campaign, flood the market with their message and sell as many event tickets as possible. Challenge accepted. #### 13.49x Return on Ad Spend #### 500 Tickets Sold #### $5000 Revenue Generated [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/babyshow1.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/babyshow1.jpg) [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/remarket-to-customers-that-are-on-the-fence-with-a-unique-deal/#cs-section2) ### Launching, Monitoring, Improving We launched the campaign at the beginning of April in 2019 with ads on Google targeting potential customers searching for baby shows. We simultaneously launched a Facebook ad campaign targeting newlyweds and parents with new born’s. I monitored this campaign like a hawk. Adding bid adjustments for location, demographic, you name it, almost every other day. I toggled between many different creative assets and used both images and video on Facebook. After 2 weeks, things were not looking good. We were spending like crazy and not seeing the return. Big changes needed to be made. ### Remarketing On the third week of the campaign we took 2 actions which dramatically effected the results of the campaign. We reduced the price of the tickets and advertised that reduction to a remarketing list we had been building since the start of the campaign. This optimization kicked the campaign into high gear. We sold 80% of the tickets in the last week of the campaign and generated a 8 to 1 return on ad spend on Google and 25 to 1 return on ad spend on Facebook for a total ROAS of 13.49. Needless to say both the client and myself were ecstatic. The campaign was a success [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/remarket-to-customers-that-are-on-the-fence-with-a-unique-deal/#cs-section3) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/event-case-study-1.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/event-case-study-1.jpg) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/babyshow2.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/babyshow2.jpg) [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/remarket-to-customers-that-are-on-the-fence-with-a-unique-deal/#cs-section4) ### Next Steps Although this campaign has ended and no future work is planned at the moment, I will take the learning and success from this campaign and apply it to my current and future clients. Do not under estimate the power of remarketing. When you properly, with the right message, it can make or break a campaign. [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/remarket-to-customers-that-are-on-the-fence-with-a-unique-deal/#cs-section1) [![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e94f0db6782c34b1b322ac5345464208?s=130&d=mm&r=g)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/ "Posts by Darcy Burk") ### Posted by Darcy Burk Darcy Burk launched Burk Digital Factory after 15+ years in the digital marketing space. His extensive knowledge of search engine optimization enables him to help local and online businesses achieve their goals. [All Posts](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/) [Website](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/) [iframe](https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LeuGfAUAAAAAJLkJRbd79gmodLUtb9TG4FR2bRg&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVya2RpZ2l0YWxmYWN0b3J5LmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=jt8Oh2-Ue1u7nEbJQUIdocyd&size=invisible&cb=kgtra9be9mh8) ## Content and Links Success # Great Content and Links. A Consistent Recipe For Success CASE STUDY: LIFE COACH Working with this customer over the last year has been a joy. Constant engagement and feedback on my strategies and initiatives has been a driving success factor for my optimizations. This client was already doing some great work when it came to unique content generation through video blogs and Facebook live videos. That constant stream of content, coupled with the on page optimization, citation building and content optimization is what pushed this client towards success. #### 86% YoY Organic Traffic #### 152% YoY Keyword Visibility #### 1 Featured Snippet ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/FS-life-coach-case-study-1-12.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/great-content-and-links-a-consistent-recipe-for-success/#cs-section2) ### Content Structuring & Interlinking One of the biggest drivers in organic traffic to this client’s site, is their primary service page for life coaching. I took this page from a single page, with thin content, to a deep linked hierarchy of multiple service pages each with their own thorough, keyword rich content. This strategy resulted in in organic traffic growth for all service pages, including a featured snippet, for an extremly valuable keyword, “hire a life coach” ### Link Reclamation Another key strategy which helped boost the authority of this client’s site was link outreach. This client was very good at PR and doing interviews and podcasts, however very few of these media outlets ever linked back to her site. She never knew to ask them! So I analyzed all the sites on the web where she participated in an interview or there was an article written about her and asked those authors if they could link back to the site. This strategy was very successful and helped build a strong base authority for the site early on in the campaign. [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/great-content-and-links-a-consistent-recipe-for-success/#cs-section3) ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/life-coach-case-study-3.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/how-to-start-business-schema.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/great-content-and-links-a-consistent-recipe-for-success/#cs-section4) ### Next Steps The current and future strategy with this customer is centered around content generation and schema markup. We have been writing a lot of “how-to” type content focused at entrepreneurs, and will Google’s recent announcement of “how to” schema, we have started to mark up the content with this data in order to produce rich results. More to come! [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/great-content-and-links-a-consistent-recipe-for-success/#cs-section1) [![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e94f0db6782c34b1b322ac5345464208?s=130&d=mm&r=g)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/ "Posts by Darcy Burk") ### Posted by Darcy Burk Darcy Burk launched Burk Digital Factory after 15+ years in the digital marketing space. His extensive knowledge of search engine optimization enables him to help local and online businesses achieve their goals. [All Posts](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/) [Website](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/) [iframe](https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LeuGfAUAAAAAJLkJRbd79gmodLUtb9TG4FR2bRg&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVya2RpZ2l0YWxmYWN0b3J5LmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=jt8Oh2-Ue1u7nEbJQUIdocyd&size=invisible&cb=7z3mtn7jv9lf) ## DIY HVAC Content Strategy # DIY Content Is The Key For This Mississauga HVAC Customer CASE STUDY: HVAC This customer’s goal is increasing their visibility in search and growing their furnace and air conditioning repair/install business. Through a variety of SEO tactics including creating a library of DIY, FAQ and Troubleshooting content we were able to achieve that goal. #### 118% YoY Organic Traffic #### 98% YoY Keyword Visibility #### 2 Featured Snippets ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/hvac-case-study.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/diy-content-is-the-key-for-this-mississauga-hvac-customer/#cs-section2) ### Service Content Expansion When i took over this client’s website, they had only a couple of pages to cover their wide array of services. I looked at the industry to see how some of their competitors were winning with SEO. It was clear that those that ranked well, had divided their content into Heating/Furnace and Cooling/Air Conditioner sections. I took that strategy one step further and created unique pages for each of their services, installation, repair and emergency repair. I also created pages and content for their other HVAC related services. This strategy kicked off their traffic growth as they were now able to rank for more keywords, related to move of their services. ### DIY Content Creation A strategy which I still execute on to this day for this client has been the creation of DIY content. Each month I post content that helps answer this client’s customers most common questions around HVAC. From something as simple as “how to install a furnace filter” all the way up to “our complete guide to furnace beeping noises”, this strategy has proven to not only drive organic traffic, but also convert this traffic into customers. [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/diy-content-is-the-key-for-this-mississauga-hvac-customer/#cs-section3) ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/hvac-case-study-diy.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/furnace-temp.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ac-beeping-noise.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/diy-content-is-the-key-for-this-mississauga-hvac-customer/#cs-section4) ### Featured Snippets Two big wins that came from this campaign were from two articles which produced features snippets in Google’s search results. The first was an article about air conditioner beeping noises. and the other was about the furnace shutting off before reaching temperature. These two pages account for 900 users per month to the site. [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/diy-content-is-the-key-for-this-mississauga-hvac-customer/#cs-section1) [![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e94f0db6782c34b1b322ac5345464208?s=130&d=mm&r=g)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/ "Posts by Darcy Burk") ### Posted by Darcy Burk Darcy Burk launched Burk Digital Factory after 15+ years in the digital marketing space. His extensive knowledge of search engine optimization enables him to help local and online businesses achieve their goals. [All Posts](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/) [Website](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/) [iframe](https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LeuGfAUAAAAAJLkJRbd79gmodLUtb9TG4FR2bRg&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVya2RpZ2l0YWxmYWN0b3J5LmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=jt8Oh2-Ue1u7nEbJQUIdocyd&size=invisible&cb=30mbes5mkkjr) ## Winning Online Strategy # Combining SEO and Google Ads Make Winning Online Easy CASE STUDY: Telecommunications This customer had a goal to move away from traditional advertising and focus on digital. By combining a solid SEO strategy with a continuously growing Google Ads campaign, we were able to dominate organic rankings and have a steady stream of low cost paid & organic leads. #### 1169% YoY Organic Traffic #### 3625 Google Ads Leads #### $6.97 Cost Per Lead ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/city-rankings.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/combining-seo-and-google-ads-make-winning-online-easy/#cs-section2) ### Adding Value Through Local SEO Competition is tough in the telecommunications world. The big players dominate organic rankings for the high volume keywords. After some digging, we uncovered that although they are strong for terms like “satellite tv” and “cable internet” they are weak for local keywords like “satellite tv london” or “cable internet windsor”. We took advantage of this and created locally relevant pages and content for customers in their target cities. The results? Massive increases in locally relevant traffic and leads to our new pages. In addition this client is now competitive for the high volume keywords as well. ### New Site Design With Clear Calls To Action SEO is all about driving quality traffic to a business’ website. That website needs to quickly provide the information the customer is looking for and clearly articulate the business’ message. By partnering with a top [creative agency](https://outfiteleven.com/), we were able to design and develop a beautiful new website and launch a new overall brand for the company. The site was dynamic and bold on desktop, fast and sleek on mobile. This allowed the influx in traffic we were driving from our SEO and Google Ads campaigns to quickly and easily convert from website traffic, to leads and to customers. [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/combining-seo-and-google-ads-make-winning-online-easy/#cs-section3) ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/site-design.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ad-tests.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/combining-seo-and-google-ads-make-winning-online-easy/#cs-section4) ### Testing Ad Copy With Responsive Search Ads One of the reasons we were able to drive significant Google Ads traffic with a modest budget was ad copy testing. Potential customers only have a few lines of text to go on when choosing between your business and your competition. This is why ad copy and messaging is so critical in ensuring that you get that click. By using Google’s “Responsive Ad” unit we were able to test hundreds of combinations of headlines and descriptions with low effort. This resulted in a 40% reduction in our cost per lead and 10/10 quality scores for over a third of our targeted keywords. [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/combining-seo-and-google-ads-make-winning-online-easy/#cs-section1) [![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e94f0db6782c34b1b322ac5345464208?s=130&d=mm&r=g)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/ "Posts by Darcy Burk") ### Posted by Darcy Burk Darcy Burk launched Burk Digital Factory after 15+ years in the digital marketing space. His extensive knowledge of search engine optimization enables him to help local and online businesses achieve their goals. [All Posts](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/) [Website](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/) [iframe](https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LeuGfAUAAAAAJLkJRbd79gmodLUtb9TG4FR2bRg&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVya2RpZ2l0YWxmYWN0b3J5LmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=jt8Oh2-Ue1u7nEbJQUIdocyd&size=invisible&cb=v5y0zury4o8g) ## SEO and Ads Success # What 3+ Years of SEO, Facebook and Google Ads Can Do For Your Business CASE STUDY: Fitness By focusing on local SEO, content creation and crafting “thumb stopping” ads on both Facebook and Google, this customer has been able to see massive success. When business’ continue to invest in digital, the returns compound and get better year, over year, over year. #### 167% YoY Organic Traffic #### 1604 Google & Facebook Ads Leads #### $9.35 YoY Cost Per Facebook Lead ![boxing page](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/boxing-page.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/what-3-plus-years-of-seo-facebook-and-google-ads-can-do-for-your-business/#cs-section2) ### Be Hands Down The Best Creating content and pages that are just like or only marginally better than what is already out there is not going to get you far. Google continues to tell us that the easiest way to rank is not from some technical black magic SEO. Rather it is from creating content and pages that are hands down, without a doubt, better than anything else that exists online. We set out to do that for this customer, by creating pages for their boxing and other classes that offered information to the customer that none of their competition was providing and making those pages look great. Through our research we learned that the two things the customers wanted to know before singing up to a class, were what is the gym atmosphere like and who are the trainers. By partnering with [OutfitEleven](https://outfiteleven.com/) we were able to come up with a design for the page that had a strong SEO and content foundation, while at the same time answering those two core questions for the customer. ### Facebook Leads Ads Drive Massive Volume When running a Facebook or Google ads campaign, you want to make it as easy for the potential customer to be able to convert into a lead as possible. Removing as many friction points along the path to convert is what makes our Facebook campaign so successful. What did we remove? The landing page and the need to have to actually fill out a form. After a customer engages with your ad in their Facebook news feed, instead of being taken to your website, they are presented with a form, on Facebook, pre-filled with your information. All the customer needs to do is submit. Friction-less. [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/what-3-plus-years-of-seo-facebook-and-google-ads-can-do-for-your-business/#cs-section3) ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/facebook-lead-ads.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/responsive-search-ads.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/what-3-plus-years-of-seo-facebook-and-google-ads-can-do-for-your-business/#cs-section4) ### Testing With Responsive Search Ads and Experiments Even though we have run the same campaign, targeting similar keywords for 3+ years, we continue to optimize it, improve the message and drive down the cost per lead. Utilizing responsive search ads has been a great way to test hundreds of variations of different headlines and descriptions in our text ads. Drafts & experiments have allowed us to test different bidding algorithms and new technologies that Google continues to release. You cannot get complacent with your advertising. You must always be testing and always be looking for new things that can take your campaigns to the next level. [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/what-3-plus-years-of-seo-facebook-and-google-ads-can-do-for-your-business/#cs-section1) [![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e94f0db6782c34b1b322ac5345464208?s=130&d=mm&r=g)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/ "Posts by Darcy Burk") ### Posted by Darcy Burk Darcy Burk launched Burk Digital Factory after 15+ years in the digital marketing space. His extensive knowledge of search engine optimization enables him to help local and online businesses achieve their goals. [All Posts](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/) [Website](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/) [iframe](https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LeuGfAUAAAAAJLkJRbd79gmodLUtb9TG4FR2bRg&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVya2RpZ2l0YWxmYWN0b3J5LmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=jt8Oh2-Ue1u7nEbJQUIdocyd&size=invisible&cb=93m71gdjhwc) ## Enhance Your Site's Appeal # Help Google Fall In Love With Your site By Creating Amazing Content & Organizing It Properly CASE STUDY: Merchant Services The merchant services industry is extremely competitive. You have small business competing with large banks with massive amounts of budget. Luckily for us, small business can be more agile, adopt new digital marketing strategies and win out over the long run. #### 154% YoY Organic Traffic #### 14 Net New #1 Competitive Keyword Rankings #### $36.86 YoY Cost Per Google & Facebook Lead ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/wireless-debit-card-machine.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/help-google-fall-in-love-with-your-site-by-creating-amazing-content-organizing-it-properly/#cs-section2) ### Have a Solid Site Architecture When we started working with this customer it was obvious that their site architecture was very flat. They offered many services and products, but they were only advertised across a handful of pages. Our first strategy was to create a better content hierarchy and create pages for each individual service and product. We would ensure those pages contained high quality content, were easy to convert and had strong interlinking between them as many were related. The result was massive upticks in organic traffic and keyword rankings including a #1 ranking for “wireless debit terminals”. An extremely competitive keyword where our customer currently outranks big brands like Moneris, Interac and TD. ### Create Content That Potential Customers Actually Want To Read There is a lot of content on the internet that is just, ok. There is nothing wrong with it, it’s just, ok. Creating something amazing, something that is hands down better than anything else out there, something that will answer the questions of your customer better than your competition is how you get traffic and leads from blogging. For this customer we set out to understand what the who, what, where, why questions were that their customers were asking and set out to answer those questions better than their competition. This resulted in massive amounts of traffic coming through the blog and boosting the authority of the site and the pages those articles would link to. [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/help-google-fall-in-love-with-your-site-by-creating-amazing-content-organizing-it-properly/#cs-section3) ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/who-what-where-why-content.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/facebook-ad.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/help-google-fall-in-love-with-your-site-by-creating-amazing-content-organizing-it-properly/#cs-section4) ### Invest The Time & Effort In Great Creative There is nothing worse than seeing a stock image in a Facebook Ad or something which was thrown together in Microsoft Paint. By investing the time and working with our partners at [OutfitEleven](https://outfiteleven.com/), we were able to create and test multiple pieces of creative. Ultimately we settled on one which captivated our audience and drove our value proposition home. Combining great creative with a strong value proposition is the key to successfully interrupt your potential customer and get them to focus on your brand. [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/help-google-fall-in-love-with-your-site-by-creating-amazing-content-organizing-it-properly/#cs-section1) [![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e94f0db6782c34b1b322ac5345464208?s=130&d=mm&r=g)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/ "Posts by Darcy Burk") ### Posted by Darcy Burk Darcy Burk launched Burk Digital Factory after 15+ years in the digital marketing space. His extensive knowledge of search engine optimization enables him to help local and online businesses achieve their goals. [All Posts](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/) [Website](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/) [iframe](https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LeuGfAUAAAAAJLkJRbd79gmodLUtb9TG4FR2bRg&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVya2RpZ2l0YWxmYWN0b3J5LmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=jt8Oh2-Ue1u7nEbJQUIdocyd&size=invisible&cb=4ih4kv7ugw3s) ## Digital Marketing Insights [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/dst-fee-banner.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/new-2-5-surcharge-for-canadian-ads-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-canada-dst-fee/) Google has just announced a new fee for Canadian advertisers, titled “Canada DST Fee,” which will be implemented starting October 1, 2024. This 2.5% surcharge will be applied to ads served in Canada and is intended to cover the costs associated with complying with digital services tax legislation in the country. [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/new-2-5-surcharge-for-canadian-ads-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-canada-dst-fee/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/feature.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/feature-durham-college-reflections-spring-2023-edition/) Burk Digital Factory was recently featured in Durham College’s Reflections, Spring 2023 Edition. Check out page 24 and 25 to read about us! [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/feature-durham-college-reflections-spring-2023-edition/) [![Passage Indexing What Is It Can Your Business Leverage it to Gain the Upper Hand](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Passage-Indexingb-What-Is-It-Can-Your-Business-Leverage-it-to-Gain-the-Upper-Hand.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/passage-indexing-what-is-it-can-your-business-leverage-it-to-gain-the-upper-hand/) UPDATE: On Friday December 4th, I joined a Google SEO Hangout with John Mueller from Google to ask him if he thought my strategy for leveraging Google’s passage indexing, by focusing information on one page, instead of many, in order to build links to one single page instead of multiple URLs, could make sense. He … [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/passage-indexing-what-is-it-can-your-business-leverage-it-to-gain-the-upper-hand/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/video-hero.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/takeaways-from-googles-trillions-of-questions-no-easy-answer-movie/) The mystery behind how Google Search works is something that those in the SEO community strive to learn more about every day. Sometimes we learn from our peers through case studies and practical implementation, such as the in-depth article I wrote about how to optimize for the Core Web Vitals, and sometimes we learn from … [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/takeaways-from-googles-trillions-of-questions-no-easy-answer-movie/) [![burk digital factory core web vitals tips](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/burk-digital-factory-core-web-vitals-tips.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-optimize-for-core-web-vitals/) This article will provide you with 9 optimizations and tips for improving your website’s Core Web Vitals scores. I will use real life examples of my implementation of these recommendations on 3 client websites and share the different success’ that came with each. [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-optimize-for-core-web-vitals/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/homepage_homepagesmoke2-03-02-22.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/covid-19-update/) If you are or you know of a local business that is struggling due to the situation surrounding COVID-19, I want to help them. I want to provide no charge consultations and recommendations to help amplify those that are trying to get their message heard online or those looking to make the transition from offline … [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/covid-19-update/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/bukr-og-image.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/darcyburk-com-is-now-burk-digital-factory/) I wanted to share something with you all that I have been keeping close to the chest for too long and am too excited to sit on any longer. I know we are currently all facing our own difficult and unique situations. I chose to compound my situation by leaving my job of 5 great … [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/darcyburk-com-is-now-burk-digital-factory/) [![what-is-seo-search-engine-optimization22](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/what-is-seo-search-engine-optimization22.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/seo-css-display-none-is-it-bad-to-hide-content/) The body content on any page is always important to help that page rank for the topic and keywords being discussed. Good SEO best practices are to always have your content in plain text (never in flash of images), have good quality content above the fold and ensure your pages have enough content on them. The last point, having enough content on a page, is usually a pain point with a lot of websites. Sites like to be flashy and image heavy to capture the users interest and this usually limits the amount of quality text on a page. [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/seo-css-display-none-is-it-bad-to-hide-content/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/google-hangout.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-add-canonical-and-hreflang-markup-to-your-site-using-javascript/) is implementing hreflang and then modifying a canonical tag using JavaScript. So you see that being an issue or something that Google would recognize? [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-add-canonical-and-hreflang-markup-to-your-site-using-javascript/) [iframe](https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LeuGfAUAAAAAJLkJRbd79gmodLUtb9TG4FR2bRg&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVya2RpZ2l0YWxmYWN0b3J5LmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=jt8Oh2-Ue1u7nEbJQUIdocyd&size=invisible&cb=tsl4fetc6hh6) ## Canonical and Hreflang Markup ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/google-hangout.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) Recently I joined a google webmaster central office hours hangout where I asked the question: > “…is implementing hreflang and then modifying a canonical tag using JavaScript. So you see that being an issue or something that Google would recognize?” John replied suggesting that it “could work” however instead of **swaping** canonical or hreflang tags between static HTML and rendered HTML, ensure the static HTML version would not have those signals from the start and **insert** them using JavaScript. > “What I might do in a case like that is just not provide a canonical in the static HTML version and then add one with JavaScript, so that signal is clear, like, this is the only signal that we have” My question recently got featured in an article on [SEO Round Table](https://www.seroundtable.com/google-process-canonicals-in-javascript-26293.html) so I’m happy to see this answer may help out other SEO’s as well! Below is the video English Google Webmaster Central office-hours hangout - YouTube Google Search Central 714K subscribers [English Google Webmaster Central office-hours hangout](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m-cd8XXovQ) Google Search Central Search Watch later Share Copy link Info Shopping Tap to unmute If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device. More videos ## More videos You're signed out Videos you watch may be added to the TV's watch history and influence TV recommendations. To avoid this, cancel and sign in to YouTube on your computer. CancelConfirm Share Include playlist An error occurred while retrieving sharing information. Please try again later. [Watch on](https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=725&v=7m-cd8XXovQ&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.burkdigitalfactory.com%2F) 12:05 12:05 / 1:20:02 •Live • [Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m-cd8XXovQ "Watch on YouTube") - Category: [Javascript](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/category/seo/javascript/), [SEO](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/category/seo/) [![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e94f0db6782c34b1b322ac5345464208?s=65&d=mm&r=g)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/ "Posts by Darcy Burk") ### Posted by Darcy Burk Darcy Burk launched Burk Digital Factory after 15+ years in the digital marketing space. His extensive knowledge of search engine optimization enables him to help local and online businesses achieve their goals. [All Posts](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/) [Website](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/) reCAPTCHA Recaptcha requires verification. [Privacy](https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/) \- [Terms](https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/terms/) protected by **reCAPTCHA** [Privacy](https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/) \- [Terms](https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/terms/) ## Burk Digital Factory Launch ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/bukr-og-image.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) I wanted to share something with you all that I have been keeping close to the chest for too long and am too excited to sit on any longer. I know we are currently all facing our own difficult and unique situations. I chose to compound my situation by leaving my job of 5 great years at [autotrader.ca](http://autotrader.ca/). I actually resigned from my position on February 21st and my last day was on March 6th, four days before COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. My timing sure is impeccable. My decision to leave was driven by my goal to own and manage my own business full time. I have been operating my own digital marketing agency since I was in high school. But it was always on the side. Some extra beer money. After over 15 years of working with customers across Canada and within hundreds of industries, that extra beer money grew into a business that I finally incorporated in 2019. Working both at TRADER and 5-7 days a week from 8pm to 1am on my “side” business was no longer sustainable. That is why I decided to leave my safe and secure  full time job, and focus solely on what myself, and now my wife Katherine, have been building. With that, I am excited to announce the launch of my brand and digital agency, Burk Digital Factory. We want to become a trusted partner for business’ across Ontario, the GTA and Durham Region to execute on unique digital marketing strategies that work. I realize that now is not the best time for self promotion but to quote my favorite Disney World commercial “I’m too excited to sleep”. For those of you that got this far, thank you for taking the time to listen to my chronicle. If you know of a local business that is struggling due to the situation surrounding COVID-19, I want to help them. I want to provide no charge consultations and recommendations to help amplify those that are trying to get their message heard online or those looking to make the transition from offline to online. Now is not the time for self promotion but it is the time to let those in need know that there is help available. The last 5 years have shaped me into who I am today, as have the 5 before that. I can’t wait for what the next 5 has to hold for Katherine and I as entrepreneurs. - Category: [Uncategorized](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/category/uncategorized/) [![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e94f0db6782c34b1b322ac5345464208?s=130&d=mm&r=g)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/ "Posts by Darcy Burk") ### Posted by Darcy Burk Darcy Burk launched Burk Digital Factory after 15+ years in the digital marketing space. His extensive knowledge of search engine optimization enables him to help local and online businesses achieve their goals. [All Posts](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/) [Website](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/) [iframe](https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LeuGfAUAAAAAJLkJRbd79gmodLUtb9TG4FR2bRg&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVya2RpZ2l0YWxmYWN0b3J5LmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=jt8Oh2-Ue1u7nEbJQUIdocyd&size=invisible&cb=phm8a7ku6qx5) ## Google Search Insights ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/video-hero-1200x647.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) The mystery behind how Google Search works is something that those in the SEO community strive to learn more about every day. Sometimes we learn from our peers through case studies and practical implementation, such as the in-depth article I wrote about [how to optimize for the Core Web Vitals](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-optimize-for-core-web-vitals/), and sometimes we learn from Google themselves. Over the last few years, I have noticed a shift in Google’s efforts to be more transparent and open up the lines of communication between those at Google and SEOs, webmasters, etc. Examples of these are Google Webmaster Hangouts, the advent of the “Google Search Liaison” twitter account and all kinds of various [Google published videos](https://www.youtube.com/c/GoogleWebmasters/featured) that answer common questions about search. Two weeks ago, Google dropped an hour long “home movie” titled “Trillions of Questions, No Easy Answer: a (home) movie about how Google search works”. This video has so far been my favorite piece of Google published content aside from the Google Webmaster Hangout videos where Google has directly answered some of my own burning questions, like [HERE](https://youtu.be/YCXt1Z5nfpE?t=58), [HERE](https://youtu.be/7m-cd8XXovQ?t=725) and [HERE](https://youtu.be/9BWJoXtnks4?t=1423). In this video they unpack so much about Google search that can help even those outside of search marketing understand complex search subjects. Things like the evolution of search, spam, why there is advertising, search infrastructure and data centers and even machine learning & BERT. My biggest takeaway from the video was around the topic of how Google’s algorithms can provide results that contain misinformation. YouTube ## Misinformation in Google Search I really like the way this topic was covered. Google has mentioned before that every day, 15% of the queries they see, are queries they have never seen before. That would obviously make returning correct, appropriate results each and every time very challenging. They first highlighted a few of the ways they have returned results that were, kind of hilarious. A couple of examples were, for the search query “what color is green”, they returned a knowledge panel result with the answer blue. For the search query, “meat nutrition facts”, their returned another knowledge panel result with a piece of content about roasted muskrat. This provided good comic relief before shedding light on some truly poor experiences. They next talked about an instance which was [widely covered back in 2016](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/dec/11/google-frames-shapes-and-distorts-how-we-see-world), about the holocaust being a hoax. When users searched for “did the holocaust happen” the vast majority of results which Google returned were low quality “holocaust denier” type sites. But how could this happen? ## Quality vs Relevancy Google looks at a lot of factors when determining which sites to return in search and rank for various queries. Two main categories of factors are Quality and Relevancy. Relevancy is more geared towards things like, does the website or page contain the search query, do they talk about this type of subject matter often, etc. Quality is more about a website or page showing that is has expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness, sometimes referred to as EAT, around a given subject matter. In the instance of the search query for “did the holocaust happen”, many high quality websites’ pages did not contain this search query or other related ones. This is because they did not bother to debate this topic. They (rightfully) assumed that this was just a commonly known fact. So, the lower quality sites that did explicitly mention “did the holocaust happen” and actively debated the topic, were deemed more relevant for this query and in turn, were able to rank for it because the relevancy ranking factor superseded the quality factor. ## Google’s Reaction and What Search Marketers Can Takeaway from This Change Google realized that this was just “the tip of the iceberg” said NAME, TITLE, they knew that they would have to make a change do the algorithm and not just for this specific group of queries. They understood that for queries related to topics around misinformation, Google would have to emphasize expertise over relevance. This is also the case for queries around topics like medicine or finance, often referred to as “Your Money Your Life (YMYL)” topics.  Here is a quote from NAME from the video. “The change we have made in the case of misinformation is to change the ranking function to emphasize authority a lot more”. This is confirmation about a subject that the SEO community has been debating for years. How important is EAT for YMYL type content. Given this answer from NAME, I would suggest that it is of the utmost importance and should be something that SEOs take very seriously. They need to learn how to optimize a site that is trying to rank for these types of queries and demonstrate to Google that they should be considered and expert, authoritative and source. ## How to Learn More about EAT and YMYL If you are an SEO with clients in the medical or financial space and you want to learn more about EAT, I highly recommend checking out [Lily Ray’s thorough resource for everything EAT](https://lilyray.nyc/e-a-t-expertise-authoritativeness-trustworthiness/). I’ve had the pleasure of attending one of her talks at SMX Advanced in Seattle and have followed her content over the last few years. She is definitely a thought leader in the space and someone to stay close to for more information about EAT and YMYL. - Category: [SEO](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/category/seo/) [![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e94f0db6782c34b1b322ac5345464208?s=65&d=mm&r=g)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/ "Posts by Darcy Burk") ### Posted by Darcy Burk Darcy Burk launched Burk Digital Factory after 15+ years in the digital marketing space. His extensive knowledge of search engine optimization enables him to help local and online businesses achieve their goals. [All Posts](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/) [Website](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/) reCAPTCHA Recaptcha requires verification. [Privacy](https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/) \- [Terms](https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/terms/) protected by **reCAPTCHA** [Privacy](https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/) \- [Terms](https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/terms/) ## Passage Indexing Insights ![Passage Indexing What Is It Can Your Business Leverage it to Gain the Upper Hand](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Passage-Indexingb-What-Is-It-Can-Your-Business-Leverage-it-to-Gain-the-Upper-Hand-1200x674.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) **UPDATE:** On Friday December 4th, I joined a Google SEO Hangout with John Mueller from Google to ask him if he thought my strategy for leveraging Google’s passage indexing, by focusing information on one page, instead of many, in order to build links to one single page instead of multiple URLs, could make sense. He seemed to think it was plausible and recommended that I should test it out. Pretty cool! Passage Indexing Follow Up With John Mueller From Google - YouTube Burk Digital Factory 10 subscribers [Passage Indexing Follow Up With John Mueller From Google](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcZplPu3_Ak) Burk Digital Factory Search Watch later Share Copy link Info Shopping Tap to unmute If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device. More videos ## More videos You're signed out Videos you watch may be added to the TV's watch history and influence TV recommendations. To avoid this, cancel and sign in to YouTube on your computer. CancelConfirm Share Include playlist An error occurred while retrieving sharing information. Please try again later. [Watch on](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcZplPu3_Ak&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.burkdigitalfactory.com%2F) 0:00 0:00 / 7:38 •Live • [Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcZplPu3_Ak "Watch on YouTube") **ORIGINAL:** Google has been publishing some really great content lately, showcasing more how it uses AI and Machine learning. [I recently covered a great video they did called “Trillions of Questions, No Easy Answer”](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/takeaways-from-googles-trillions-of-questions-no-easy-answer-movie/) where they go into depth about the evolution of search, spam and even machine learning & BERT. More recently on October 15th, [Google published some information about AI and search](https://blog.google/products/search/search-on/) where they touched on a topic they called “Passages” or “Passage Indexing”. This new ranking factor will roll out in December 2020 and will enable Google to rank specific passages from a given page, in search, rather than the whole page itself. They have mentioned that this update will effect about 7% of queries, which is a pretty big update. Because of this potential massive shift in ranking, I wanted to dig in a bit more on what exactly passage indexing does, how it works, when Google will use it and if it can be leveraged to rank better in search. ## How Does Passage Indexing Work? One thing that is really important to remember about passage indexing, is that it is actually less about indexing and more about ranking. Confusing given the name, but don’t think that google is capturing passages and paragraphs from pages and storing and indexing them separate from the page itself. That is not what is happening here. Instead what they are doing is giving content that exists on pages that are already in its index, a greater chance of ranking in search. And the content more likely to be eligible for passage indexing, is quality content that exists on page where it is not necessarily topically relevant to that page. For example, a great article may have been written about dogs and 95% of the content on the page is about dogs, but one small, useful paragraph exists about cats that may relate to the article being written, but is essential a topic all on its own. Google is very good at picking up signals on what the page is about and they rightfully assume that page is about dogs, not cats. Previously the cat content would have likely never ranked in search because its topic and value was diluted by the primary pages topic, and therefore Google’s understanding of the page. Now with Passage Indexing, Google is able to block out the noise of the page and focus in on that single passage itself and rank it in search if they deem its content to be relevant for a given search query. ## Why Does Google Want Rank Passages? Google very much wants to avoid “content voids” or “data voids” when it is returning results for a users search query. This is an area where they have gotten into trouble in the past. Once about [Vitamin K not being good for kids](https://www.seroundtable.com/google-keyword-data-voids-evil-unicorn-26009.html), another about the [Holocaust not ever really happening](https://searchengineland.com/googles-results-no-longer-in-denial-over-holocaust-265832), and a few other times as well. Google wants to ensure that it is always returning the best possible answers for a given search query and Passage Indexing enables them to broaden the amount and variety of content it is able to return, thus filling in some of those “content voids”. They liken it to being able to find a needle in a haystack. ## Can You Leverage Passage Indexing to Rank Your Content Better? Although Martin Splitt mentioned several times in his [AMA with Search Engine Journal](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-passage-ranking-martin-splitt/388206/) that Passage Indexing is more of a ranking “lifeline” for poorly formed content or content that is topically diluted in a page, I can’t help but wonder what more we could do to leverage this new ranking factor. The first thing that comes to mind is reversing a common strategy many SEOs do with businesses and their service pages. It is very common when taking on a new non-SEO’d website that there exists a single service page for all the businesses services. Most savvy SEOs will take this page and split it out into multiple, topically focused service pages that can rank and stand alone. With passage indexing however, perhaps maintaining one single, long form service page, may be better from an SEO stand point. The big advantage to managing one URL vs many, is the consolidation of authority and link equity. With only a single URL to use for link building campaigns, it allows that page to rank higher and faster. And with Passage Indexing, we won’t have to worry about if Google understands the topic of the page, given it contains many different topics, our individual passages for our different services now can rank in search instead of the page as a whole. Do you think consolidating content is the way to go? Or are you going to stick with creating single focused topical pages? I am curious to see what will happen when Google roles out Passage Indexing later this month. Passage Indexing: What Is It & Can Your Business Leverage it to Gain the Upper Hand? - YouTube Burk Digital Factory 10 subscribers [Passage Indexing: What Is It & Can Your Business Leverage it to Gain the Upper Hand?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG7hor9xYZQ) Burk Digital Factory Search Watch later Share Copy link Info Shopping Tap to unmute If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device. More videos ## More videos You're signed out Videos you watch may be added to the TV's watch history and influence TV recommendations. To avoid this, cancel and sign in to YouTube on your computer. CancelConfirm Share Include playlist An error occurred while retrieving sharing information. Please try again later. [Watch on](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG7hor9xYZQ&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.burkdigitalfactory.com%2F) 0:00 0:00 / 6:42 •Live • [Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG7hor9xYZQ "Watch on YouTube") - Category: [SEO](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/category/seo/) [![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e94f0db6782c34b1b322ac5345464208?s=65&d=mm&r=g)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/ "Posts by Darcy Burk") ### Posted by Darcy Burk Darcy Burk launched Burk Digital Factory after 15+ years in the digital marketing space. His extensive knowledge of search engine optimization enables him to help local and online businesses achieve their goals. [All Posts](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/) [Website](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/) reCAPTCHA Recaptcha requires verification. [Privacy](https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/) \- [Terms](https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/terms/) protected by **reCAPTCHA** [Privacy](https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/) \- [Terms](https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/terms/) ## SEO and CSS Display ![what-is-seo-search-engine-optimization22](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/what-is-seo-search-engine-optimization22.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) #### **UPDATE (07/28/2020**) Since writing this article several years ago, Google has stated multiple times that content hidden in accordions or tabbed boxes using CSS display:none; will no longer have a negative impact in a “mobile first world”. Twitter Embed [Visit this post on X](https://twitter.com/methode/status/794896464476418048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E794896464476418048%7Ctwgr%5E0492cbc68e29cb3c5021b0aa01b493d60962441f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.burkdigitalfactory.com%2Fblog%2Fseo-css-display-none-is-it-bad-to-hide-content%2F) [Visit this post on X](https://twitter.com/schachin/status/794894215381536770?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E794896464476418048%7Ctwgr%5E0492cbc68e29cb3c5021b0aa01b493d60962441f%7Ctwcon%5Es2_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.burkdigitalfactory.com%2Fblog%2Fseo-css-display-none-is-it-bad-to-hide-content%2F) [![](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1863253443709726720/POj2MSbB_normal.jpg)](https://twitter.com/schachin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E794896464476418048%7Ctwgr%5E0492cbc68e29cb3c5021b0aa01b493d60962441f%7Ctwcon%5Es2_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.burkdigitalfactory.com%2Fblog%2Fseo-css-display-none-is-it-bad-to-hide-content%2F) [Kristine (@schachin on Threads) ![🇺🇦](https://abs-0.twimg.com/emoji/v2/svg/1f1fa-1f1e6.svg)](https://twitter.com/schachin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E794896464476418048%7Ctwgr%5E0492cbc68e29cb3c5021b0aa01b493d60962441f%7Ctwcon%5Es2_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.burkdigitalfactory.com%2Fblog%2Fseo-css-display-none-is-it-bad-to-hide-content%2F) · [Nov 5, 2016](https://twitter.com/schachin/status/794894215381536770?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E794896464476418048%7Ctwgr%5E0492cbc68e29cb3c5021b0aa01b493d60962441f%7Ctwcon%5Es2_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.burkdigitalfactory.com%2Fblog%2Fseo-css-display-none-is-it-bad-to-hide-content%2F) [@schachin](https://twitter.com/schachin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E794896464476418048%7Ctwgr%5E0492cbc68e29cb3c5021b0aa01b493d60962441f%7Ctwcon%5Es2_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.burkdigitalfactory.com%2Fblog%2Fseo-css-display-none-is-it-bad-to-hide-content%2F) · [Follow](https://twitter.com/intent/follow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E794896464476418048%7Ctwgr%5E0492cbc68e29cb3c5021b0aa01b493d60962441f%7Ctwcon%5Es2_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.burkdigitalfactory.com%2Fblog%2Fseo-css-display-none-is-it-bad-to-hide-content%2F&screen_name=schachin) [View on X](https://twitter.com/schachin/status/794894215381536770?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E794896464476418048%7Ctwgr%5E0492cbc68e29cb3c5021b0aa01b493d60962441f%7Ctwcon%5Es2_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.burkdigitalfactory.com%2Fblog%2Fseo-css-display-none-is-it-bad-to-hide-content%2F) [Replying to @methode](https://twitter.com/methode/status/794746763378769920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E794896464476418048%7Ctwgr%5E0492cbc68e29cb3c5021b0aa01b493d60962441f%7Ctwcon%5Es2_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.burkdigitalfactory.com%2Fblog%2Fseo-css-display-none-is-it-bad-to-hide-content%2F) on desktop content in page elements like accordions is devalued or not indexed. Is this the same when crawling mobile content? [![](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1586468385713520640/pRAA-8ow_normal.jpg)](https://twitter.com/methode?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E794896464476418048%7Ctwgr%5E0492cbc68e29cb3c5021b0aa01b493d60962441f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.burkdigitalfactory.com%2Fblog%2Fseo-css-display-none-is-it-bad-to-hide-content%2F) [Gary 鯨理／경리 Illyes (so official, trust me)](https://twitter.com/methode?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E794896464476418048%7Ctwgr%5E0492cbc68e29cb3c5021b0aa01b493d60962441f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.burkdigitalfactory.com%2Fblog%2Fseo-css-display-none-is-it-bad-to-hide-content%2F) [@methode](https://twitter.com/methode?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E794896464476418048%7Ctwgr%5E0492cbc68e29cb3c5021b0aa01b493d60962441f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.burkdigitalfactory.com%2Fblog%2Fseo-css-display-none-is-it-bad-to-hide-content%2F) · [Follow](https://twitter.com/intent/follow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E794896464476418048%7Ctwgr%5E0492cbc68e29cb3c5021b0aa01b493d60962441f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.burkdigitalfactory.com%2Fblog%2Fseo-css-display-none-is-it-bad-to-hide-content%2F&screen_name=methode) no, in the mobile-first world content hidden for ux should have full weight [1:37 PM · Nov 5, 2016](https://twitter.com/methode/status/794896464476418048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E794896464476418048%7Ctwgr%5E0492cbc68e29cb3c5021b0aa01b493d60962441f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.burkdigitalfactory.com%2Fblog%2Fseo-css-display-none-is-it-bad-to-hide-content%2F) from [Kebayoran Lama, Indonesia](https://twitter.com/places/d74066a958870db1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E794896464476418048%7Ctwgr%5E0492cbc68e29cb3c5021b0aa01b493d60962441f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.burkdigitalfactory.com%2Fblog%2Fseo-css-display-none-is-it-bad-to-hide-content%2F) [X Ads info and privacy](https://help.twitter.com/en/twitter-for-websites-ads-info-and-privacy) [42](https://twitter.com/intent/like?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E794896464476418048%7Ctwgr%5E0492cbc68e29cb3c5021b0aa01b493d60962441f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.burkdigitalfactory.com%2Fblog%2Fseo-css-display-none-is-it-bad-to-hide-content%2F&tweet_id=794896464476418048) [Reply](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E794896464476418048%7Ctwgr%5E0492cbc68e29cb3c5021b0aa01b493d60962441f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.burkdigitalfactory.com%2Fblog%2Fseo-css-display-none-is-it-bad-to-hide-content%2F&in_reply_to=794896464476418048) Copy link [Read 10 replies](https://twitter.com/methode/status/794896464476418048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E794896464476418048%7Ctwgr%5E0492cbc68e29cb3c5021b0aa01b493d60962441f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.burkdigitalfactory.com%2Fblog%2Fseo-css-display-none-is-it-bad-to-hide-content%2F) What is interesting is that a recent [case study](https://www.searchpilot.com/resources/case-studies/seo-split-test-lessons-bringing-content-out-of-tabs/) done by search pilot found that their page received a 12% increase in organic traffic when they simply removed content from tabbed boxes. Keep in mind, this is just one test, but an interesting find none the less. In my opinion I would look to try and have content completely visible when possible, but I would also not stress if you need to tuck it away in an accordion or tab box. * * * The body content on any page is always important to help that page rank for the topic and keywords being discussed. Good SEO best practices are to always have your content in plain text (never in flash of images), have good quality content above the fold and ensure your pages have enough content on them. The last point, having enough content on a page, is usually a pain point with a lot of websites. Sites like to be flashy and image heavy to capture the users interest and this usually limits the amount of quality text on a page. SEO’s and wed/graphic designers always butt heads when it comes to adding more content to a web page, especially the home page. What seems to be a common compromise is to include content on the page but to hide or reveal it based on user interaction. Think of tabbed or accordion sections. Although this can be a good compromise in many cases, according to John Mueller in his latest [Google Webmaster Central Office Hours Hangout](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMkqsUQ3JMw&feature=share&t=29m50s), this may be limiting the value of that content. He goes on to explain that if a webmaster is setting content to display:none; (a functionality usually required by tabbed content/accordions), then that content is not immediately visible to users or search engines and is assumed to not be of high importance. I have seen many instances of quality content, highly relevant to a page, “hidden” in tabbed sections. Sites often list their indivualy services in tabbed sections, or ecommerce websites that have product specs and reviews in tabbed sections ## What Is A Better Compromise For SEO Don’t hide high quality content using display:none; or other techniques. Take that content out of the tabbed box or accordion. I know that is not much of a compromise for the designer so another option could be to ensure that each tabs content is individually crawlable by search engines. Perhaps by using URL parameters on each tab. Can you think of some other ways that designers and SEOs can compromise when it comes to putting plain text content on a page? Let me know in the comments! - Category: [SEO](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/category/seo/), [Technical](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/category/seo/technical/) [![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e94f0db6782c34b1b322ac5345464208?s=65&d=mm&r=g)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/ "Posts by Darcy Burk") ### Posted by Darcy Burk Darcy Burk launched Burk Digital Factory after 15+ years in the digital marketing space. His extensive knowledge of search engine optimization enables him to help local and online businesses achieve their goals. [All Posts](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/) [Website](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/) Twitter Widget Iframe reCAPTCHA Recaptcha requires verification. [Privacy](https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/) \- [Terms](https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/terms/) protected by **reCAPTCHA** [Privacy](https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/) \- [Terms](https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/terms/) ## COVID-19 Business Support ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/homepage_homepagesmoke2-03-02-22.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) If you are or you know of a local business that is struggling due to the situation surrounding COVID-19, I want to help them. I want to provide no charge consultations and recommendations to help amplify those that are trying to get their message heard online or those looking to make the transition from offline to online. I will also soon begin posting a regular series of content providing specific actions businesses can take to help increase their exposure and have their message heard. Please check back soon. - Category: [Uncategorized](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/category/uncategorized/) [![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e94f0db6782c34b1b322ac5345464208?s=130&d=mm&r=g)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/ "Posts by Darcy Burk") ### Posted by Darcy Burk Darcy Burk launched Burk Digital Factory after 15+ years in the digital marketing space. His extensive knowledge of search engine optimization enables him to help local and online businesses achieve their goals. [All Posts](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/) [Website](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/) ## Optimize Core Web Vitals ![burk digital factory core web vitals tips](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/burk-digital-factory-core-web-vitals-tips.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) On May 5, 2020, Google [introduced us to the Core Web Vitals](https://blog.chromium.org/2020/05/introducing-web-vitals-essential-metrics.html) (CWV). Later that month, they announced that the [Core Web Vitals would be utilized as a ranking signal](https://webmasters.googleblog.com/2020/05/evaluating-page-experience.html#:~:text=Earlier%20this%20month%2C%20the%20Chrome,user%20experience%20on%20the%20web.&text=We've%20also%20updated%20our,owners%20optimize%20their%20page%20experience.) and that they would be lumped in with other previously announced ranking signals used for evaluating “page experience”. I can’t remember a ranking signal announcement in recent history that I have been more excited about. This article will provide you with 9 optimizations and tips for improving your website’s Core Web Vitals scores. I will use real life examples of my implementation of these recommendations on 3 client websites and share the different success’ that came with each. ## What’s In This Article - **Introduction** - [What Are The Core Web Vitals?](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-optimize-for-core-web-vitals/#what-are-cwv) - [Why Are The Core Web Vitals Important?](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-optimize-for-core-web-vitals/#why-are-cwv-important) - [What Risks Am I Taking By Not Optimizing For Them?](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-optimize-for-core-web-vitals/#cwv-risks) - **Tools** - [Tools For Measuring Core Web Vitals Performance](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-optimize-for-core-web-vitals/#cwv-speed-tools) - [Tools For Measuring Traditional Download Speed & Optimization Scores](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-optimize-for-core-web-vitals/#traditional-speed-tools) - [Miscellaneous Tools For Analysis and Optimizations](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-optimize-for-core-web-vitals/#misc-speed-tools) - **Case Studies** - [Case Study #1](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-optimize-for-core-web-vitals/#case1) - [Case Study #2](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-optimize-for-core-web-vitals/#case2) - [Case Study #3](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-optimize-for-core-web-vitals/#case3) - **Results & Takeaways** - [Case Study Results](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-optimize-for-core-web-vitals/#results) - [9 Optimization Tips & Takeaways](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-optimize-for-core-web-vitals/#tips) ### TL;DR Optimization Tips & Takeaways 1. Validate your fixes in Google Search Console. I cannot stress this one enough. Don’t rely on Google to pick up your changes. Jump into GSC, head over to the CWV report, Open the mobile or desktop report, click the error at the bottom and validate the fix. 2. Chrome DevTools is your friend for identifying what specific elements are causing your CLS or long LCP. 3. Beware of “loading” screens as they can negatively affect LCP. 4. Preconnect your 3rd party HTTP requests. 5. Ensure your server is running either PHP 7.4 or 7.3 and MySQL 8.0 if possible. 6. Disable any unused plugins, update all plugins and update WordPress core. 7. Be critical about what scripts you load on your website. Remove any that do not add to the user experience. Minify, combine and defer scripts where possible. 8. Utilize browser and page caching. 9. Optimize your images. Serve them in the appropriate size. Compress them. Use lazy loading. 9 Optimizations & Tips To Beat The Core Web Vitals Benchmark - YouTube Burk Digital Factory 10 subscribers [9 Optimizations & Tips To Beat The Core Web Vitals Benchmark](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoOD2cWpGcI) Burk Digital Factory Search Info Shopping Tap to unmute If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device. You're signed out Videos you watch may be added to the TV's watch history and influence TV recommendations. To avoid this, cancel and sign in to YouTube on your computer. CancelConfirm Share Include playlist An error occurred while retrieving sharing information. Please try again later. Watch later Share Copy link Watch on 0:00 0:00 / 4:39 •Live • [Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoOD2cWpGcI "Watch on YouTube") ## The New Core Web Vitals Finally, Google has given us concrete metrics, with proper benchmarks, to use when evaluating page speed. No longer do we need to receive emails from clients with screenshots of low PageSpeed scores or site speed tests with poorly configured settings showing slow download times on mobile devices using 3G in a desert. We can now point to authoritative metrics to benchmark success and track progress. Now, don’t get me wrong, these metrics are in no way perfect. Even Google admits this and suggests that over time they will evolve as the web evolves. That is just the state of our industry and the web as a whole. This just gives us, as SEOs, marketers and developers, more value to provide to our customers. I’ve done a lot of reading and research about these metrics since May and although there is tons of info out there about what they are and why they are important, I see very little practical implementation and success stories. Successful implementation is what I aim to share with you today. The websites in the case study are all on WordPress, so my recommendations skew to that platform, however many of the recommendations apply to all websites and CMS’. Although I have a development background, I approached these optimizations from the standpoint that anyone can do them with little to no coding required. This is Part 1 of a multi-part case study of my journey optimizing 3 client websites with the goal of having 100% of their URLs on mobile and desktop flagged as “good” in the Core Web Vitals report in Google Search Console. For those of you just interested in the [results, takeaways and optimization tips](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-optimize-for-core-web-vitals/#results), you can just [skip to the end](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-optimize-for-core-web-vitals/#results). ## What Are The Core Web Vitals? Simply measuring the download speed of a page can be quite complex and misleading. There are many factors to consider and over the years, it has been debated which metrics are the most appropriate to track and optimize for. The Core Web Vitals are [metrics provided by Google, with support from the community, that are used to gauge the speed, interactivity and stability of a website](https://web.dev/vitals/). Those metrics are: - Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) - First Input Delay (FID) - Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) ![core web vitals benchmarks](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/core-web-vitals-benchmarks.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)Source: https://web.dev/vitals/ ### Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) LCP measures the time it takes to load the largest element within the viewport. That can be an image, some text or any HTML element that is considered to be the “largest”. You can use the Chrome DevTools’ performance tab to see which element Google considers to be the largest. ![what is googles LCP](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/what-is-googles-LCP.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)what is googles LCP ### First Input Delay (FID) FID attempts to measure how long it takes for a page to react once clicked. I’ll be honest, none of the sites I worked on in this case study, or after it have had FID problems so I don’t have a ton of experience optimizing it. If you want to learn more about FID, [Nitropack](https://nitropack.io/blog/post/everything-you-need-to-know-about-first-input-delay) has a pretty detailed breakdown of “everything you need to know about FID”. One last thing to note about measuring FID is that since FID requires field data, tools like Chrome DevTools and Lighthouse cannot report on it as they only use Lab Data. Instead, Google suggests to use Total Blocking Time (TBT) as a proxy. ### Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) CLS is all about visual stability. We all hate when we are on a site, we go to click something, and an ad loads in, pushing what we wanted to click down lower on the page. This is the type of layout shift that Google is attempting to measure and which we need to reduce. Which elements are causing the CLS can sometimes be tricky to understand. The good news is that Chrome DevTools has a neat feature to help you identify where and when CLS happens. You can find it under the “performance tab” in the “Experience” accordion section. Note that if you have no CLS issues, you will not see the “Experience” accordion section. ![CLS in chrome devtools](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/CLS-in-chrome-devtools.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)Source: [What’s New In DevTools (Chrome 84)](https://developers.google.com/web/updates/2020/05/devtools) CLS was a tricky one for me. I learned a lot from [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIJuY-JCjqw) from the 2020 PerfMatters Conference, including how Google calculates the CLS number and which elements do and do not trigger it. ## Why Are The Core Web Vitals Important? Think about the last time you used a mobile site and it was slow to load or slow to respond. Perhaps you went to click on an element and an ad popped in right where you were about to click. Those experiences might have caused you to leave the site and seek out your information from another source. This is why the Core Web Vitals are so important. The CWV not only represent the speed of your site, they also represent the user experience. Speed and UX are critical for both ranking and for conversions. ## What Risks Am I Taking By Not Optimizing For Them? The risks of not optimizing for the CWV are two-fold. One, you will lose out on a Google confirmed ranking boost. There are only a handful of these, so ignoring one could put your site at a disadvantage as compared to your competition. Two, you conversion rates will fall. As more sites adopt better practices for speed and UX, consumer behavior will also change. Those consumers will come to expect better performance from any given website. If your website does not meet those performance expectations, you’ve lost those potential customers before they’ve even learned about your business or your value proposition. ## Tools For Measuring Core Web Vitals Performance - [Google Search Console](https://search.google.com/search-console) – Core Web Vitals report - [Google PageSpeed Insights](https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/) Google has integrated the CWV metrics into various tools such as Google Search Console, PageSpeed Insights, a new [Chrome Extension](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/web-vitals/ahfhijdlegdabablpippeagghigmibma?hl=en) and more. ![core web vitals tools](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/core-web-vitals-tools.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)Source: https://web.dev/vitals/ Since the release of the CWV, there has been some confusion around which tool SEOs should focus on to monitor how Google is recognizing those page’s CWV performance with respect to their ranking algorithm. I asked this question to Google’s John Mueller on a [webmaster hangout](https://youtu.be/-QMSK3V9iLM?t=464) and his response was “With regards to what we would use for search, we would essentially align it with the data we find in Search Console, which is kind of based on the field data that people actually see”. English Google Webmaster Central office-hours from June 9, 2020 - YouTube Google Search Central 714K subscribers [English Google Webmaster Central office-hours from June 9, 2020](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QMSK3V9iLM) Google Search Central Search Info Shopping Tap to unmute If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device. You're signed out Videos you watch may be added to the TV's watch history and influence TV recommendations. To avoid this, cancel and sign in to YouTube on your computer. CancelConfirm Share Include playlist An error occurred while retrieving sharing information. Please try again later. Watch later Share Copy link Watch on 7:44 7:44 / 37:58 •Live • [Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QMSK3V9iLM "Watch on YouTube") So at the end of the day, I am looking at the trends and notifications in Google Search Console to understand if my sites and their pages are “Good” and exceed the CWV benchmark or if they are flagged as “Needs Improvement” or “Poor”. As per John’s response, this data may take up to a month to reflect in GSC. If you checked out my [whole question and John’s very detailed response](https://youtu.be/-QMSK3V9iLM?t=270) on how these different tools collect and measure this data, you will know that using the PageSpeed Insights tool’s Lab Data report is excellent for tracking progress on the fly. You can make an optimization on the site then re-run the PSI tool and you can see what impact that change had. One last thing to note about the field data in GSC and PSI is that your site must be within the Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX) dataset in order for these two tools to show any field data. I have run into instances where sites show no data because they are not included in this data set. ![GSC no data in CrUX](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/GSC-no-data-in-CrUX.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)GSC no data in CrUX ![PSI no data in CrUX](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/PSI-no-data-in-CrUX.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)PSI no data in CrUX I asked John on another webmaster hangout about [what sites are included in this data and how to submit one](https://youtu.be/YCXt1Z5nfpE?t=60). Unfortunately, his answer was that it is algorithmic. “It’s not something you have to sign up for or do manually, it’s something that Chrome figures out automatically.” He also added that I should make the site “more popular” in order to get it added into the dataset. He also mentioned that you could [use a JavaScript Library to import this data into Google Analytics](https://github.com/GoogleChrome/web-vitals#send-the-results-to-google-analytics). I’ve not tried this myself, but if any of you have, I’d love to hear about it. ## Tools For Measuring Traditional Download Speed & Optimization Scores - [WebPageTest](https://www.webpagetest.org/)– Dulles, VA – Moto G4 – Chrome – 3G Fast - [GTMetrix](https://gtmetrix.com/)– Default settings - [Pingdom](https://tools.pingdom.com/) – Default settings, North America – USA – San Francisco I also wanted to see what some of the more popular, traditional site speed tools reported before and after my optimizations. I chose WebPageTest as it is the most robust, and allowed me to configure my settings to align with Google’s Lab Data from the PSI. You can read more about why and their methodology for using a Moto G4 on a fast 3G network [here](https://developers.google.com/speed/docs/insights/v5/about#faq) and [here](https://github.com/GoogleChrome/lighthouse/blob/master/docs/throttling.md). I also included GTMetrix, because it is a fairly popular tool, and Pingdom because I find it very easy to use for dissecting issues with images and scripts. ## Miscellaneous Tools For Analysis and Optimizations - [PHP Compatibility Checker](https://wordpress.org/plugins/php-compatibility-checker/) - [Smush](https://en-ca.wordpress.org/plugins/wp-smushit/) - [Hummingbird](https://wordpress.org/plugins/hummingbird-performance/) - [Pre\* Party Resource Hints](https://wordpress.org/plugins/pre-party-browser-hints/) - [SG Optimizer](https://en-ca.wordpress.org/plugins/sg-cachepress/) ## Core Web Vitals Case Study Now that I had a pretty good understanding of what the Core Web Vitals are, how to measure them and what Google looks at for rankings, I decided it was time to get my hands dirty and start optimizing some sites. I picked 3 clients which I have been working with for a long time and have great relationships with them. I took similar approaches and utilized “best practice” optimization strategies for each site while also tailoring those optimizations to resolve each site’s specific CWV issues. The results were that I had massive success with one client, decent success with another, and some success with the last one. Let’s dig into the clients and what happened. ### Case Study \#1: Lisa Jeffs: Toronto Life Coach This client is a Life Coach and Business Coach based out of Toronto, serving clients around the world. This was the first-ever site I attempted optimizing for the CWV. I had made “site speed” optimizations in the past, but they were pretty blind, “best practice” following, optimizations. When I took a look at GSC, I noticed that the CWV report had been fluctuating a lot, moving from “poor” to “needs improvement” and back again. ![Lisa CWV Before](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-CWV-Before.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)Lisa CWV Before My assumption was that her site was right on the edge of consistently being flagged as “poor”,  so I really needed focus on not letting the site slip and optimizing it to get it in “good” standing. The focus would be on LCP longer than 4s on mobile and desktop, as well as CLS being more than 0.25 on mobile. All optimizations started and were completed on 06/25/2020. #### Optimizations Made My first plan of attack was to optimize the CMS and plugins. I **updated the WordPress Core to 5.4** and **updated all plugins** to their current versions. I then took a critical look at what plugins I was using on the site and **removed any plugins which were not vital to user experience** or did things that I could execute myself such as adding in Google Analytics in the . Next, I turned my attention to the server. I had read a blog post by Kinsta that talked about the [speed improvement upgrading your PHP version can have](https://kinsta.com/blog/php-benchmarks/) on the site. Basically it comes down to how many “requests” or “transactions” the server can handle at one time. ![kinsta php speed](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/kinsta-php-speed.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)Source: https://kinsta.com/blog/php-benchmarks/ So I jumped into cPanel, found the PHP Version section and… got scared that I was going to blow something up and decided to take a step back. ![cpanel php version switcher](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/cpanel-php-version-switcher.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)cpanel php version switcher I did some research on PHP compatibility and found a [great tool](https://wordpress.org/plugins/php-compatibility-checker/) that analyzes the site for PHP compatibility issues. Armed with a file and database backup as well as the knowledge that I would not break anything on the site, I **upgraded to PHP 7.3**. The next server-side optimization that I wanted to tackle was caching. I **implemented both page and browser caching** using a plugin called [Hummingbird](https://wordpress.org/plugins/hummingbird-performance/). I chose this plugin because it does more than just browser caching and I wanted to limit the number of plugins I was using for my optimizations. Now that my CMS, plugins and server were all tweaked, I moved on to a specific, targeted attack on LCP. I fired up Chrome DevTools to identify which element, specifically, Google was considering the be the largest element on the page and thus contributing to my “poor” LCP. Unsurprisingly it was the main banner image on the page on both mobile and desktop ![lisa jeffs LCP desktop](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/lisa-jeffs-LCP-desktop.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)lisa jeffs LCP desktop ![lisa jeffs LCP mobile](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/lisa-jeffs-LCP-mobile.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)lisa jeffs LCP mobile A couple of issues existed with this image, as well as other images on the site. First, It was not properly compressed, and second, it was being loaded in at a different height/width than it was being served at. I downloaded my images and **edited them to ensure that the height and width were the same size as they were being served** in on the website. Next, I used a WordPress plugin called [Smush](https://en-ca.wordpress.org/plugins/wp-smushit/) to **compress the images and reduce their file size**. Lastly, I **implemented Lazy Loading** using [Google’s own WordPress plugin](https://wordpress.org/plugins/native-lazyload/). A quick note about lazy loading. Ensure that your images have the height and width set in the HTML so that the image container will be preset to the correct site. Without this, your site may experience layout shift as the image is lazily loaded in. Ok. CMS, check. Server, check. Images, check. Next step, scripts. I took the same approach to scripts that were loaded on the site as I did with plugins. I **removed any scripts which I felt were not adding to the user experience**. Much like plugin optimization, this step can honestly make a huge difference. I know I use HotJar from time to time for heatmap analysis, but I haven’t used it in months. Does it really need to be on the site? Do I really need the embedded dynamic Google map, which ads multiple JavaScript HTTP requests, when a simple static image of that same map achieves the same aesthetic? These are the questions you need to ask yourself about each and every script on the page. Now that I only had the most essential scripts and plugins on the site, I wanted to ensure they were loaded as optimally as possible. I chose to **pre-connect all of my 3rd party HTTP requests**. For this, I turned to a plugin called [Pre\* Party Resource Hints](https://wordpress.org/plugins/pre-party-browser-hints/). This tool was not only simple to use, but it also helped educate me on the differences between pre-connect and pre-load. Sam Perrow, the developer of Pre\* Party Resource Hints writes: - Pre-connecting allows the browser to establish a connection to an external domain before the request has been made. - Pre-loading fetches one resource proactively. Basically pre-connecting initiates the DNS lookup, initial connection and SSL negotiation earlier in the download cycle and concurrently for all scripts. Pre-loading forces the load of an important file earlier in the download cycle. Or in my case, a critical JS file needed for rendering. #### Results After implementing all optimizations on June 25th, results were a bit mixed. I immediately saw improvement on desktop. No URLs were flagged as “poor”. They were now all flagged as “needs improvement”. I thought it was strange that although Desktop had seen changes, mobile was staying the same. This is when I found out about “Validating Your Fix”. Google Search Console has a way for you to signal to Google that you have attempted to fix your CWV Issue. We have seen this before on the “Mobile Usability” or “Structured Data” reports but I had no idea it was a feature of the Core Web Vitals reports as well. ![GSC CWV validation](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/GSC-CWV-validation.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)GSC CWV validation Awesome! I ran that validation for all my “poor” and “needs improvement” flags on both mobile and desktop. The final results are: ![Lisa CWV After](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-CWV-After.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)Lisa CWV After Mobile Desktop **Good** 0% 50% **Improve** 100% 50% **Poor** 0% 0% Not bad for my first crack at this. Definitely still plenty of room for opportunity but it’s nice to see 0% poor URLs and my first sign of some consistent green “Good” URLs. Below are some other before/after screenshots of other tools for those that are interested. **Before** - [![Lisa Jeffs - WPT - Mobile Before](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-Jeffs-WPT-Mobile-Before-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-Jeffs-WPT-Mobile-Before.jpg) Lisa Jeffs – WPT – Mobile Before - [![Lisa Jeffs - Pingdom - Desktop Before](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-Jeffs-Pingdom-Desktop-Before-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-Jeffs-Pingdom-Desktop-Before-scaled.jpg) Lisa Jeffs – Pingdom – Desktop Before - [![Lisa Jeffs - GTMetrix - Desktop Before](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-Jeffs-GTMetrix-Desktop-Before-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-Jeffs-GTMetrix-Desktop-Before.jpg) Lisa Jeffs – GTMetrix – Desktop Before - [![Lisa Jeffs - PSI - Mobile Before](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-Jeffs-PSI-Mobile-After-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-Jeffs-PSI-Mobile-After.jpg) Lisa Jeffs – PSI – Mobile Before - [![Lisa Jeffs - PSI - Desktop After](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-Jeffs-PSI-Desktop-After-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-Jeffs-PSI-Desktop-After.jpg) Lisa Jeffs – PSI – Desktop Before **After** - [![Lisa Jeffs - WPT - Mobile After](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-Jeffs-WPT-Mobile-After-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-Jeffs-WPT-Mobile-After.jpg) Lisa Jeffs – WPT – Mobile After - [![Lisa Jeffs - Pingdom - Desktop After](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-Jeffs-Pingdom-Desktop-After-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-Jeffs-Pingdom-Desktop-After-scaled.jpg) Lisa Jeffs – Pingdom – Desktop After - [![Lisa Jeffs - GTMetrix - Desktop After](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-Jeffs-GTMetrix-Desktop-After-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-Jeffs-GTMetrix-Desktop-After.jpg) Lisa Jeffs – GTMetrix – Desktop After - [![Lisa Jeffs - PSI - Mobile After](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-Jeffs-PSI-Mobile-Before-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-Jeffs-PSI-Mobile-Before.jpg) Lisa Jeffs – PSI – Mobile After - [![Lisa Jeffs - PSI - Desktop After](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-Jeffs-PSI-Desktop-Before-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Lisa-Jeffs-PSI-Desktop-Before.jpg) Lisa Jeffs – PSI – Desktop After #### What’s Next? Since my first round of optimizations, WordPress has released a new version that is said to really speed up the CMS and it has its own native Lazy Load. So I’ll start by updating the core CMS. Next, I’d like to focus on more combining, minifying and deferring the loading of scripts as well as cleaning out unused CSS/JS. This optimization is a little more dev happy but I’m interested in giving it a try. I’d also like to try setting up a CDN. ### Case Study \#2: POYNT360 This client is a telecommunications service provider based in London, Ontario serving customers across Ontario and Quebec. This site was hand-built and didn’t use a pre-purchased WordPress theme so it was already running pretty lean and the CWV report in GSC showed that. ![POYNT CWV Before](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/POYNT-CWV-Before.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)POYNT CWV Before This site was certainly the best starting point of all 3 sites. The issues it was facing was the LCP being longer than 2.5s on both mobile and desktop. All optimizations started and were completed on 06/25/2020. #### Optimizations Made I implemented many of the same optimizations I had on Lisa’s site: - Updated WordPress core - Updated all plugins - Removed unnecessary plugins - Compressed images - Served images in their correct sizes - Removed unnecessary scripts - Preconnected 3rd party HTTP requests This site was already running PHP 7.3, however the server was running an outdated version of MySQL. I was able to **update MySQL from version 5.5 to 5.7.** This update allows for more consistent throughputs at higher thread levels. Not a major improvement, but every little bit helps. When focusing on what element Google deemed to be the “largest”, again it was the main hero area. This image, like on Lisa’s, was oversized and uncompressed. I quickly dealt with that. ![POYNT360 LCP Desktop](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/POYNT360-LCP-Desktop.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)POYNT360 LCP Desktop ![POYNT360 LCP mobile](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/POYNT360-LCP-mobile.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)POYNT360 LCP mobile #### Results I couldn’t be happier with this one. Only a couple of days after my optimizations, 100% of desktop URLs were flagged as “Good”. I later jumped in and gave Google the “validate my fix” kick, much like I did for Lisa and by July 19, 100% of mobile URLs were also flagged as “Good”. ![POYNT CWV After](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/POYNT-CWV-After.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)POYNT CWV After Mobile Desktop **Good** 100% 100% **Improve** 0% 0% **Poor** 0% 0% I think what really helped this one along is the hand-built WordPress theme. Many themes today come built with so much bloat that it’s tough to optimize it all. This site was relatively straightforward and I had complete control of almost every aspect. Below are some other before/after screenshots of other tools for those that are interested. **Before** - [![POYNT - WPT - Mobile - Before](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/POYNT-WPT-Mobile-Before-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/POYNT-WPT-Mobile-Before.jpg) POYNT – WPT – Mobile – Before - [![POYNT - Pingdom - Desktop - Before](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/POYNT-Pingdom-Desktop-Before-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/POYNT-Pingdom-Desktop-Before-scaled.jpg) POYNT – Pingdom – Desktop – Before - [![POYNT - GTMetrix - Desktop - Before](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/POYNT-GTMetrix-Desktop-Before-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/POYNT-GTMetrix-Desktop-Before.jpg) POYNT – GTMetrix – Desktop – Before - [![POYNT - PSI - Mobile - Before](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/POYNT-PSI-Mobile-After-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/POYNT-PSI-Mobile-After.jpg) POYNT – PSI – Mobile – Before - [![POYNT - PSI - Desktop - Before](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/POYNT-PSI-Desktop-After-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/POYNT-PSI-Desktop-After.jpg) POYNT – PSI – Desktop – Before **After** - [![POYNT - WPT - Mobile - After](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/POYNT-WPT-Mobile-After-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/POYNT-WPT-Mobile-After.jpg) POYNT – WPT – Mobile – After - [![POYNT - Pingdom - Desktop - After](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/POYNT-Pingdom-Desktop-After-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/POYNT-Pingdom-Desktop-After.jpg) POYNT – Pingdom – Desktop – After - [![POYNT - GTMetrix - Desktop - After](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/POYNT-GTMetrix-Desktop-After-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/POYNT-GTMetrix-Desktop-After.jpg) POYNT – GTMetrix – Desktop – After - [![POYNT - PSI - Mobile - After](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/POYNT-PSI-Mobile-Before-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/POYNT-PSI-Mobile-Before.jpg) POYNT – PSI – Mobile – After - [![POYNT - PSI - Desktop - After](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/POYNT-PSI-Desktop-Before-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/POYNT-PSI-Desktop-Before.jpg) POYNT – PSI – Desktop – After #### What’s Next? Nothing. We did it. We achieved CWV nirvana! I mean sure, I could try and shoot for 100s on the PSI report, but I’ve got better things to do. I hit my goal with this site and I’m damn proud of it. ### Case Study \#3: Grant’s MMA & Boxing Gym This client is a local MMA and boxing gym near Toronto. When looking at their Core Web Vitals report in GSC, it was pretty clear that I had a lot of work to do with this client. ![Grants CWV Before](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Grants-CWV-Before.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)Grants CWV Before They didn’t have a single URL that Google considered to be “good” or even “needs improvement.” Their main issue was that their LCP was longer than 4s on both mobile and desktop. The desktop version also had an issue with CLS being more than 0.25. All optimizations started and were completed on 06/25/2020. #### Optimizations Made I implemented many of the same optimizations I had on Lisa’s & POYNT’s sites: - Updated WordPress core - Updated all plugins - Removed unnecessary plugins - Compressed images - Served images in their correct sizes - Removed unnecessary scripts - Preconnected 3rd party HTTP requests This site was the only one of the 3 sites to have two CWV issues, LCP and CLS. After a quick analysis of what Google deemed to be the largest element, I went ahead and optimized it. ![grants mma LCP desktop](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/grants-mma-LCP-desktop.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)grants mma LCP desktop ![grants mma LCP mobile](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/grants-mma-LCP-mobile.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)grants mma LCP mobile I also noticed something else funny about the way this site loads. Essentially the theme would trigger a “loading screen” until all the assets were fully loaded, then the site would be displayed. This is a big no-no in 2020 and for Core Web Vitals. No one wants to sit and stare at a loading screen until everything is complete, we want to start to see content and interact with it regardless of if everything else at the bottom is loaded or not. I quickly disabled that functionality. I then diverted my attention to the CLS issue. Upon analysis of the site, I found that some of the CSS used to style a section of the site was delayed in being loaded. This caused that section to load very squished together, flash, and then load properly. ![grants CLS desktop](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/gants-CLS-desktop.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)grants CLS desktop I attempted to resolve this by moving some of the CSS around on the site and using tools like Hummingbird to defer the loading of certain scripts. I feel like there may still be some work needed here (some foreshadowing for the results). An interesting thing to note about this site is that it is hosted on a platform called [SiteGround](https://www.siteground.com/). These guys are one of the best, affordable, WordPress hosting platforms. One of the reasons I like them is they provide you with a [WordPress plugin](https://en-ca.wordpress.org/plugins/sg-cachepress/) that gives you access to a bunch of on-site and server optimizations. I used their plugin to do things like: - Implement Caching - Minfy JS - Minify CSS - Optimize Loading of Google Fonts - Remove Query Strings From Static Resources - Disable Emojis Lastly, this site was the only site of the 3 that used the Yoast SEO plugin. After updating that plugin to version 14.x, there was a notification to “speed up your site now”. After doing some research it looks like [Yoast implemented optimizations around “indexables”](https://yoast.com/yoast-seo-14-0/) that, according to them, can speed up the entire site by 5%-10%. Count me in. I gave that button a click and within seconds it had done its thing. ![yoast indexables speed improvement](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/yoast-indexables-speed-improvement.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)yoast indexables speed improvement #### Results Well, this one’s a bummer. Although we definitely made some good improvements, I hate to still see URLs flagged as “bad” after the time investment I put into optimizing them. ![Grants CWV After](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Grants-CWV-After.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)Grants CWV After Mobile Desktop **Good** 15% 77% **Improve** 75% 50% **Poor** 0% 23% After taking a look at the “poor” URLs on desktop, Google still considers some of my pages to have a CLS more than 0.25. However, when I go check those pages using Chrome DevTools, no CLS is flagged. Validation is currently pending on this one so I’ll update this post if that’s all it took to give Google the kick it needed. ![grants CLS results after](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/grants-CLS-results-after.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)grants CLS results after All in all, I know I’m on the right track with this site and I’m definitely happy about the overall speed improvements these optimizations have made. Below are some other before/after screenshots of other tools for those that are interested. **Before** - [![Grants - WPT - Mobile Before](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Grants-WPT-Mobile-Before-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Grants-WPT-Mobile-Before-scaled.jpg) Grants – WPT – Mobile Before - [![Grants - Pingdom - Desktop Before](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Grants-Pingdom-Desktop-Before-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Grants-Pingdom-Desktop-Before.jpg) Grants – Pingdom – Desktop Before - [![Grants - GTMetrix - Desktop Before](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Grants-GTMetrix-Desktop-Before-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Grants-GTMetrix-Desktop-Before.jpg) Grants – GTMetrix – Desktop Before - [![Grants - PSI - Mobile Before](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Grants-PSI-Mobile-After-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Grants-PSI-Mobile-After.jpg) Grants – PSI – Mobile Before - [![Grants - PSI - Desktop Before](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Grants-PSI-Desktop-After-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Grants-PSI-Desktop-After.jpg) Grants – PSI – Desktop Before **After** - [![Grants - WPT - Mobile After](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Grants-WPT-Mobile-After-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Grants-WPT-Mobile-After.jpg) Grants – WPT – Mobile After - [![Grants - Pingdom - Desktop After](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Grants-Pingdom-Desktop-After-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Grants-Pingdom-Desktop-After.jpg) Grants – Pingdom – Desktop After - [![Grants - GTMetrix - Desktop After](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Grants-GTMetrix-Desktop-After-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Grants-GTMetrix-Desktop-After.jpg) Grants – GTMetrix – Desktop After - [![Grants - PSI - Mobile After](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Grants-PSI-Mobile-Before-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Grants-PSI-Mobile-Before.jpg) Grants – PSI – Mobile After - [![Grants - PSI - Desktop After](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Grants-PSI-Desktop-Before-150x150.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Grants-PSI-Desktop-Before.jpg) Grants – PSI – Desktop After #### What’s Next? Similar to Lisa’s site, I am going to try updating WordPress to 5.5 and implementing native Lazy Load. I’ll also try out deferring the loading of scripts as well as cleaning out unused CSS/JS. Lastly, a CDN would probably be a good idea. ## Final Summary I learned a lot from optimizing these 3 sites and seeing the different results each returned. I am over the moon that I was able to get perfect marks on at least one of these sites. That’s some good news because when Google decides to officially bake this into their algorithm, you can have the confidence that this is attainable and your sites can be some of the first to benefit from the ranking boost. Below is a summary of each of the case studies’ results and my final optimization tips and takeaways. ### Results Below are the results from Google Search Console for each site. The percentages represent the number of URLs which are flagged as “good” and have passed the Core Web Vitals test as well as those URLs flagged as “needs improvement” or “poor” and have not passed the test. ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/lisa-jeffs.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)[Case Study 1](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-optimize-for-core-web-vitals/#case1) Mobile Desktop **Good** 0% 50% **Improve** 100% 50% **Poor** 0% 0% ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/poynt360.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)[Case Study 2](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-optimize-for-core-web-vitals/#case2) Mobile Desktop **Good** 100% 100% **Improve** 0% 0% **Poor** 0% 0% ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/grants-mma.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)[Case Study 3](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-optimize-for-core-web-vitals/#case3) Mobile Desktop **Good** 15% 77% **Improve** 75% 0% **Poor** 0% 23% ### Optimization Tips & Takeaways 1. Validate your fixes in Google Search Console! I cannot stress this one enough. Don’t rely on Google to pick up your changes. Jump into GSC, head over to the CWV report, Open the mobile or desktop report, click the error at the bottom and validate the fix. 2. Chrome DevTools is your friend for identifying what specific elements are causing your CLS or long LCP. 3. Beware of “loading” screens as they can negatively affect LCP. 4. Preconnect your 3rd party HTTP requests. 5. Ensure your server is running either PHP 7.4 or 7.3 and MySQL 8.0 if possible. 6. Disable any unused plugins, update all plugins and update WordPress core. 7. Be critical about what scripts you load on your website. Remove any that do not add to the user experience. Minify, combine and defer scripts where possible. 8. Utilize browser and page caching. 9. Optimize your images. Serve them in the appropriate size. Compress them. Use lazy loading. Well, there you have it. I hope I provided you with some insight into what the CWV are, why they are important and practical optimizations that anyone can make to their site, in order to move the needle on these metrics. Please let me know what you think, if you have any suggestions for what optimizations I can add into Part 2, or know of any tools which are better than the ones I’ve been using, I’d love to hear from you. Thanks and stay tuned for Part 2. - Category: [Core Web Vitals](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/category/core-web-vitals/), [SEO](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/category/seo/) [![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e94f0db6782c34b1b322ac5345464208?s=65&d=mm&r=g)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/ "Posts by Darcy Burk") ### Posted by Darcy Burk Darcy Burk launched Burk Digital Factory after 15+ years in the digital marketing space. His extensive knowledge of search engine optimization enables him to help local and online businesses achieve their goals. [All Posts](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/) [Website](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/) reCAPTCHA Recaptcha requires verification. [Privacy](https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/) \- [Terms](https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/terms/) protected by **reCAPTCHA** [Privacy](https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/) \- [Terms](https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/terms/) ## Burk Digital Factory Featured ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/feature.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) Burk Digital Factory was recently featured in Durham College’s Reflections, Spring 2023 Edition. Check out page 24 and 25 to read about us! [https://durhamcollege.ca/wp-content/uploads/Reflections\_2023\_Spring\_accessible.pdf](https://durhamcollege.ca/wp-content/uploads/Reflections_2023_Spring_accessible.pdf) Screencaps below. ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/BDF-DC1.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/BDF-DC2.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) - Category: [News](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/category/news/) [![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e94f0db6782c34b1b322ac5345464208?s=130&d=mm&r=g)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/ "Posts by Darcy Burk") ### Posted by Darcy Burk Darcy Burk launched Burk Digital Factory after 15+ years in the digital marketing space. His extensive knowledge of search engine optimization enables him to help local and online businesses achieve their goals. [All Posts](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/) [Website](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/) [iframe](https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LeuGfAUAAAAAJLkJRbd79gmodLUtb9TG4FR2bRg&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVya2RpZ2l0YWxmYWN0b3J5LmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=jt8Oh2-Ue1u7nEbJQUIdocyd&size=invisible&cb=vu3yv72030zs) ## Canada DST Fee Update ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/dst-fee-banner.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) Google has just announced a new fee for Canadian advertisers, titled **“Canada DST Fee,”** which will be implemented starting **October 1, 2024.** This **2.5% surcharge** will be applied to ads served in Canada and is intended to cover the costs associated with complying with [digital services tax legislation](https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2021/12/digital-services-tax-act.html) announced in the 2020 Fall Economic Statement here in Canada. This surcharge will appear as a separate line item on invoices and in the “Transactions” section of advertisers’ Google Ads accounts. For those using monthly invoicing or automatic payments, this fee will be added on top of the existing budget. For advertisers on manual payment plans, this fee will be deducted from their next prepayment once their existing balance is fully utilized. This change affects both Google Ads and YouTube placements purchased on a reservation basis, with the surcharge being added directly to the budget for media plans. Below is the email I received. ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/dst-fee-full.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)An email sent to Canadian advertisers on behalf of the Google Payments Team detailing the new “Canada DST fee” Link to their support doc: [https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/9750227](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/9750227) This continues the trend of Google doing whatever it takes to increase profits and to protect their bottom line. They recently announced that they would be [switching some of their customers over to invoice payments to save on credit card fees](https://www.seroundtable.com/google-ads-remove-credit-card-payments-37574.html). Is Google really in that much trouble that scratching and clawing at every dime is what is required to keep profits up? **UPDATE: 2:25pm 08/01/2024** I have already seen chatter on X from Canadians blaming our government for this action by Google. Although I don’t necessarily support this legislation, I am growing tired of massive corporations passing the fee on to consumers while others take the blame. - Category: [News](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/category/news/) [![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e94f0db6782c34b1b322ac5345464208?s=130&d=mm&r=g)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/ "Posts by Darcy Burk") ### Posted by Darcy Burk Darcy Burk launched Burk Digital Factory after 15+ years in the digital marketing space. His extensive knowledge of search engine optimization enables him to help local and online businesses achieve their goals. [All Posts](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/author/darcyburk/) [Website](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/) [iframe](https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LeuGfAUAAAAAJLkJRbd79gmodLUtb9TG4FR2bRg&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVya2RpZ2l0YWxmYWN0b3J5LmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=jt8Oh2-Ue1u7nEbJQUIdocyd&size=invisible&cb=g3y8pos0k0th) ## Privacy Policy Overview DarcyBurk.com Inc. Privacy Policy This Privacy Policy describes how your personal information is collected, used, and shared when you visit or make a purchase from burkdigitalfactory.com (the “Site”). PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT When you visit the Site, we automatically collect certain information about your device, including information about your web browser, IP address, time zone, and some of the cookies that are installed on your device. Additionally, as you browse the Site, we collect information about the individual web pages or products that you view, what websites or search terms referred you to the Site, and information about how you interact with the Site. We refer to this automatically-collected information as “Device Information.” We collect Device Information using the following technologies: – “Cookies” are data files that are placed on your device or computer and often include an anonymous unique identifier. For more information about cookies, and how to disable cookies, visit http://www.allaboutcookies.org. – “Log files” track actions occurring on the Site, and collect data including your IP address, browser type, Internet service provider, referring/exit pages, and date/time stamps. – “Web beacons,” “tags,” and “pixels” are electronic files used to record information about how you browse the Site. Additionally when you make a purchase or attempt to make a purchase through the Site, we collect certain information from you, including your name, billing address, shipping address, payment information (including credit card numbers), email address, and phone number. We refer to this information as “Order Information.” When we talk about “Personal Information” in this Privacy Policy, we are talking both about Device Information and Order Information. HOW DO WE USE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION? We use the Order Information that we collect generally to fulfill any orders placed through the Site (including processing your payment information, arranging for shipping, and providing you with invoices and/or order confirmations). Additionally, we use this Order Information to: Communicate with you; Screen our orders for potential risk or fraud; and When in line with the preferences you have shared with us, provide you with information or advertising relating to our products or services. We use the Device Information that we collect to help us screen for potential risk and fraud (in particular, your IP address), and more generally to improve and optimize our Site (for example, by generating analytics about how our customers browse and interact with the Site, and to assess the success of our marketing and advertising campaigns). We use the Device Information that we collect for advertising and remarketing purposes. SHARING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION We share your Personal Information with third parties to help us use your Personal Information, as described above. For example, we use Shopify to power our online store–you can read more about how Shopify uses your Personal Information here: https://www.shopify.com/legal/privacy. We also use Google Analytics to help us understand how our customers use the Site–you can read more about how Google uses your Personal Information here: https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/. You can also opt-out of Google Analytics here: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout. Finally, we may also share your Personal Information to comply with applicable laws and regulations, to respond to a subpoena, search warrant or other lawful request for information we receive, or to otherwise protect our rights. BEHAVIOURAL ADVERTISING As described above, we use your Personal Information to provide you with targeted advertisements or marketing communications we believe may be of interest to you. For more information about how targeted advertising works, you can visit the Network Advertising Initiative’s (“NAI”) educational page at http://www.networkadvertising.org/understanding-online-advertising/how-does-it-work. You can opt out of targeted advertising by: FACEBOOK – https://www.facebook.com/settings/?tab=ads GOOGLE – https://www.google.com/settings/ads/anonymous Additionally, you can opt out of some of these services by visiting the Digital Advertising Alliance’s opt-out portal at: http://optout.aboutads.info/. DO NOT TRACK Please note that we do not alter our Site’s data collection and use practices when we see a Do Not Track signal from your browser. DATA RETENTION When you place an order through the Site, we will maintain your Order Information for our records unless and until you ask us to delete this information. CHANGES We may update this privacy policy from time to time in order to reflect, for example, changes to our practices or for other operational, legal or regulatory reasons. CONTACT US For more information about our privacy practices, if you have questions, or if you would like to make a complaint, please contact us by e-mail at darcycburk@gmail.com or by mail using the details provided below: 328 Bons Ave, L1C 0A2, Bowmanville, ON, L1C 0A2, Canada [iframe](https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LeuGfAUAAAAAJLkJRbd79gmodLUtb9TG4FR2bRg&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVya2RpZ2l0YWxmYWN0b3J5LmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=jt8Oh2-Ue1u7nEbJQUIdocyd&size=invisible&cb=er5rwskvnja8) ## Monthly SEO & SEM Newsletter # Sign Up For Our Newsletter To stay up to date with all the new and exciting developments in the SEO & SEM industry sign up for our **monthly** newsletter. We will share with you industry news, market trends and case studies to improve your SEO & SEM campaigns. #### Follow Learn More About SEO & SEM Latest News, Trends & Case Studies #### Call (416) 841-2874 #### Email [darcy@burkdigitalfactory.com](mailto:darcy@burkdigitalfactory.com) #### Chat Coming Soon ## Our approach combines main core services complemented by other skill sets. - Website Development - Website Design - Graphic Design - Branding - Content Writing - SEO Consulting - SEO Training - Speaking [Inquire](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/contact/) [iframe](https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LeuGfAUAAAAAJLkJRbd79gmodLUtb9TG4FR2bRg&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVya2RpZ2l0YWxmYWN0b3J5LmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=jt8Oh2-Ue1u7nEbJQUIdocyd&size=invisible&cb=hb78yhz7kwkl) ## Facebook Ads Strategy # Facebook Ads Instagram & Social Media Ads Facebook and Instagram Ads are all about choosing the right audience and creating “thumb stopping” creative. Potential customers engage with your ads and leads to conversions, leads and sales. ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/facebook-ads-instagram-ads.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) #### Create Compelling ad copy #### Choose A targeted audience #### Increase Leads, conversions and sales #### Maximize Profits ### How does it work? 1 Select your objective, budget & audience 2 Create ads on Facebook & Instagram 3 Measure, optimize, improve 4 You are charged for every impression of your ad ### How much does it cost? There are two separate costs to consider when executing on a Facebook & Instagram Ads strategy. Your **ad spend** and your **management fee.** Your ad spend is the amount that you will spend with Facebook & Instagram to pay for the impressions or clicks to your ads. As an example, if the average “cost per click” for your ad is $3, an ad spend of $1500 will generate 500 clicks to your website. That $1500 ad spend goes directly to Facebook & Instagram via credit card. Burk Digital Factory will charge a 30% management fee on top of your ad spend and will invoice separately for that amount. Using our $1500 budget example, you will receive an invoice for $450. ### Budget Estimator Ad Spend$1500$450Our fee for managing your ad spend ### Total monthly budget: $0 We understand you may have questions. We definitely have the answers. [Email Us](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/contact/) [Call Us](tel:4168412874) ## Our approach combines main core services complemented by other skill sets. - Website Development - Website Design - Graphic Design - Branding - Content Writing - SEO Consulting - SEO Training - Speaking [Inquire](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/contact/) ## Contact Burk Digital # Contact Burk Digital Factory Today If you are interested in learning how to increase your website exposure online and generate a positive, strong, ROI, please get in touch. We can help you achieve your business goals. #### We Respond To All Inquiries In Less Than 12 Hours #### Call (416) 841-2874 #### Email [darcy@burkdigitalfactory.com](mailto:darcy@burkdigitalfactory.com) #### Twitter [@darcyburk](https://twitter.com/darcyburk) ## Our approach combines main core services complemented by other skill sets. - Website Development - Website Design - Graphic Design - Branding - Content Writing - SEO Consulting - SEO Training - Speaking [Inquire](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/contact/) [iframe](https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LeuGfAUAAAAAJLkJRbd79gmodLUtb9TG4FR2bRg&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVya2RpZ2l0YWxmYWN0b3J5LmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=jt8Oh2-Ue1u7nEbJQUIdocyd&size=invisible&cb=9x21lh1dvx4q) ## Thank You for Reaching Out # Thank Your for Contacting Us Our team will be in touch with you shortly to discuss how we can help grow your business online. ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/what-is-seo-search-engine-optimization-2.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) ## What Our Customers Say About Us Burk Digital Factory has been an absolute pleasure to work with. They have accomplished incredible results for my companies. I recommend their services to all my friends, family, and colleagues. Thanks Burk Digital Factory for the incredible work you’re doing. **Mike Halbouni**, _POYNT360_ Fantastic company to work with! Very professional, responsive, informative and dynamic. A lot of value added since we’ve started working with Burk Digital Factory. **Cindy Allison**, _Pathway Therapy_ I’ve been working with Burk Digital Factory for a few years now. They have done wonders for my website and has me ranking page 1 for a number of keywords. I really can’t recommend them enough. They truly care about the quality of service they provide and the success of the businesses they work with. **Lisa Jeffs**, _Lisa Jeffs Toronto Life Coach_ It has now been over 4 years and Burk Digital Factory have been exceptional in their service and results. Not only did they help me achieve top rankings in my keyword category quickly, their direct work in growing my online presence resulted in countless opportunities in my line of work. Today, I am enjoying incredible success and 80% of my total business is generate through the website. **Alexandre Stepanov**, _Counter Culture_ ## Google Ads Agency Durham **Get a $600 Google Ads Credit. [Learn more](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/ppc-agency-in-durham/#get-credit)** **![burk-digital-factory-logo](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/burk-digital-factory-logo.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)** **(416) 841 2874** **Speak to a Google Ads Pro** **# Get More Traffic & Leads With Google Ads** **Show up when customers are searching for your products and services. Our Google Ads agency provides customized solutions for every client.** **- Rank for your target keywords** **- Get more traffic** **- Get more leads & sales** **- Grow your revenue** **Contact our Adwords agency today and get started with a [$600 Google Ads Credit](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/ppc-agency-in-durham/#get-credit).** **#### Speak to a Google Ads Pro to Get Your $600 Ad Credit** **Full Name\*** **Phone\*** **Email\*** **We will get back to you within 24h** **### How much does it cost?** **There are two separate costs to consider when executing on a Google Ads strategy. Your **ad spend** and your **management fee.** Your ad spend is the amount that you will spend with Google to pay for the clicks to your ads. As an example, if the average “cost per click” for your keywords is $3, an ad spend of $1500 will generate 500 clicks to your website. That $1500 ad spend goes directly to Google via credit card. Burk Digital Factory will charge a 30% management fee on top of your ad spend and will invoice separately for that amount. Using our $1500 budget example, you will receive an invoice for $450. Note that the management fee is capped and will not exceed $5000/month.** **### Budget Estimator** **Ad Spend$1500$450Our fee for managing** **your ad spend** **### Total monthly budget: $1950** **Outrank your competitors and start generating leads and sales today.** **[Email Us](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/seo-agency-in-durham/#wpcf7-f16570-p16566-o1)** **[Call Us](tel:4168412874)** **## Google Ads Services We Provide** **These are the search engine optimization services that are proven to help grow your visibility in search.** **Account Audits** **Keyword Research** **Account Optimization** **Website Optimization** **Ad Copy Writing** **Display Advertising** **Lead Optimization** **Analytics** **Contact us today to speak to a Google Ads Professional and get your $600 Google Ads credit.** **[Email us](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/seo-agency-in-durham/#wpcf7-f16570-p16566-o1)** **[Call us](tel:4168412874)** **## What Our Customers Say About Us** **Burk Digital Factory has been an absolute pleasure to work with. They have accomplished incredible results for my companies. I recommend their services to all my friends, family, and colleagues. Thanks Burk Digital Factory for the incredible work you’re doing.** ****Mike Halbouni**, _POYNT360_** **Fantastic company to work with! Very professional, responsive, informative and dynamic. A lot of value added since we’ve started working with Burk Digital Factory.** ****Cindy Allison**, _Pathway Therapy_** **I’ve been working with Burk Digital Factory for a few years now. They have done wonders for my website and has me ranking page 1 for a number of keywords. I really can’t recommend them enough. They truly care about the quality of service they provide and the success of the businesses they work with.** ****Lisa Jeffs**, _Lisa Jeffs Toronto Life Coach_** **It has now been over 4 years and Burk Digital Factory have been exceptional in their service and results. Not only did they help me achieve top rankings in my keyword category quickly, their direct work in growing my online presence resulted in countless opportunities in my line of work. Today, I am enjoying incredible success and 80% of my total business is generate through the website.** ****Alexandre Stepanov**, _Counter Culture_** **# Get Your $600 Google Ads Credit Today** **Burk Digital Factory is a [Google Partner Agency](https://www.google.com/partners/agency?id=7727760660). Through this partnership, Google will give you $600 in free ad credit when you spend $600, to help you get started with Google Ads.** **Full Name\*** **Phone\*** **Email\*** **We will get back to you within 24h** [iframe](https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LeuGfAUAAAAAJLkJRbd79gmodLUtb9TG4FR2bRg&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVya2RpZ2l0YWxmYWN0b3J5LmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=jt8Oh2-Ue1u7nEbJQUIdocyd&size=invisible&cb=9546x5ok6htx) ## Google Ads Agency Durham ![burk-digital-factory-logo](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/burk-digital-factory-logo.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) (416) 841 2874 Speak to a Google Ads Pro # Get More Traffic & Leads With Google Ads **Make your investment count. Avoid the 68% of Google Ads spend that’s typically wasted on poorly optimized accounts.** Our Google Ads agency provides customized solutions for every client focused on maximizing spend and ROI. We can help your business… - Get more leads & sales - Reduce costs - Grow your revenue Contact our Adwords agency today and get started with a [$600 Google Ads Credit](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/ppc-agency-in-durham/#get-credit). #### Speak to a Google Ads Pro to Get Your $600 Ad Credit Full Name\* Phone\* Email\* We will get back to you within 24h [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/google-ads-partner-agency.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.google.com/partners/agency?id=7727760660) ## We are a Google Ads Partner Agency Through this partnership, Google will give you $600 in free ad credit when you spend $600, to help you get started with Google Ads. Outrank your competitors and start generating leads and sales today. [Email Us](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/seo-agency-in-durham/#wpcf7-f16570-p16566-o1) [Call Us](tel:4168412874) ## How We Can Help Your Business Our services are customized for your unique business goals focused on maximizing ROI. Cost Per Click Reduction Conversions Optimization New Campaign Opportunities Crystal Clear Communication Customized Reporting Higher ROI Flexible Pricing Detailed Analytics ### How much does it cost? There are two separate costs to consider when executing on a Google Ads strategy. Your **ad spend** and your **management fee.** Your ad spend is the amount that you will spend with Google to pay for the clicks to your ads. Burk Digital Factory will charge a 30% management fee on top of your ad spend and will invoice separately for that amount. ### Budget Estimator Ad Spend$1500$450Our fee for managing your ad spend ### Total monthly investment: $1950 Contact us today to speak to a Google Ads Professional and get your $600 Google Ads credit. [Email us](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/seo-agency-in-durham/#wpcf7-f16570-p16566-o1) [Call us](tel:4168412874) ## What Our Customers Say About Us Burk Digital Factory has been an absolute pleasure to work with. They have accomplished incredible results for my companies. I recommend their services to all my friends, family, and colleagues. Thanks Burk Digital Factory for the incredible work you’re doing. **Mike Halbouni**, _CEO_ ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/poyntlogo-schema.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) Fantastic company to work with! Very professional, responsive, informative and dynamic. A lot of value added since we’ve started working with Burk Digital Factory. **Cindy Allison**, _Partner & Clinical Director_ ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/pathway.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) I’ve been working with Burk Digital Factory for a few years now. They have done wonders for my website and has me ranking page 1 for a number of keywords. I really can’t recommend them enough. They truly care about the quality of service they provide and the success of the businesses they work with. **Lisa Jeffs**, Owner ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/lisa-jeffs.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) It has now been over 4 years and Burk Digital Factory have been exceptional in their service and results. Not only did they help me achieve top rankings in my keyword category quickly, their direct work in growing my online presence resulted in countless opportunities in my line of work. Today, I am enjoying incredible success and 80% of my total business is generate through the website. **Alexandre Stepanov**, _Owner_ ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/counter.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) # Get Your $600 Google Ads Credit Today Burk Digital Factory is a [Google Partner Agency](https://www.google.com/partners/agency?id=7727760660). Through this partnership, Google will give you $600 in free ad credit when you spend $600, to help you get started with Google Ads. Full Name\* Phone\* Email\* We will get back to you within 24h [iframe](https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LeuGfAUAAAAAJLkJRbd79gmodLUtb9TG4FR2bRg&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVya2RpZ2l0YWxmYWN0b3J5LmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=jt8Oh2-Ue1u7nEbJQUIdocyd&size=invisible&cb=dwfgr9iwuxxz) ## Durham SEO Agency ![burk-digital-factory-logo](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/burk-digital-factory-logo.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) (416) 841 2874 Speak to an SEO Professional # Get More Traffic & Leads from Google with SEO Show up when customers are searching for your products and services. Our SEO agency provides bespoke, customized solutions for every client. - Rank higher in Google - Get more traffic - Get more leads & sales - Grow your revenue Contact our agency today and get a free SEO audit. #### Speak to an SEO Professional & Get a Free SEO Audit Full Name\* Phone\* Email\* We will get back to you within 24h ## **How we do SEO** Different Traffic & rankings are great, but if they do not lead to sales and ROI then what’s the point. Our SEO campaigns are **bespoke**, and **tailored** to your specific **business and revenue goals**. SEO is not magic. Success in SEO comes from **strategic planning** paired with flawless technical execution and customer-first content. We have **over a decade of experience** helping business grow their revenue through SEO. Let us help your business today. [Get Your Free SEO Audit](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/seo-agency-in-durham/#wpcf7-f16570-p16566-o1) #### Actual Client Data ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/data-ga-leads.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/data-gsc.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/data-ga.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) Outrank your competitors and start generating leads and sales today. [Email Us](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/seo-agency-in-durham/#wpcf7-f16570-p16566-o1) [Call Us](tel:4168412874) ## SEO Services We Provide These are the search engine optimization services that are proven to help grow your visibility in search. SEO Audits Keyword Research Technical SEO Content Strategy Google My Business Local SEO Ecommerce SEO Link Building Outrank your competitors and start generating leads and sales today. [Email Us](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/seo-agency-in-durham/#wpcf7-f16570-p16566-o1) [Call Us](tel:4168412874) ## How much does it cost? ![](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/icons_SearchLocal_icon-svg-1.svg) Local SEO $1500/mo For businesses with a brick & mortar location or serve customers at their location Monthly subscription which includes technical SEO, Google My Business management, content development, citation building, reporting & analytics and more. [Book a call](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/seo-agency-in-durham/#wpcf7-f16570-p16566-o1) ![](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/icons_search_icon-svg-1.svg) SEO Pro $1900/mo For businesses that operate online only and do not have a physical location Monthly subscription which includes technical SEO, enhanced content development, Google merchant center management link building, reporting & analytics and more. [Book a call](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/seo-agency-in-durham/#wpcf7-f16570-p16566-o1) ![](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/icons_search_plus_icon_2-svg.svg) SEO Plus $3000/mo For businesses that operate online have a physical location and want faster results Monthly subscription which includes technical SEO, premium content development, premium link building, premium citation building, reporting & analytics and more [Book a call](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/seo-agency-in-durham/#wpcf7-f16570-p16566-o1) We understand you may have questions. We definitely have the answers. [Email us](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/seo-agency-in-durham/#wpcf7-f16570-p16566-o1) [Call us](tel:4168412874) ## What Our Customers Say About Us Burk Digital Factory has been an absolute pleasure to work with. They have accomplished incredible results for my companies. I recommend their services to all my friends, family, and colleagues. Thanks Burk Digital Factory for the incredible work you’re doing. **Mike Halbouni**, _CEO_ ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/poyntlogo-schema.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) Fantastic company to work with! Very professional, responsive, informative and dynamic. A lot of value added since we’ve started working with Burk Digital Factory. **Cindy Allison**, _Partner & Clinical Director_ ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/pathway.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) I’ve been working with Burk Digital Factory for a few years now. They have done wonders for my website and has me ranking page 1 for a number of keywords. I really can’t recommend them enough. They truly care about the quality of service they provide and the success of the businesses they work with. **Lisa Jeffs**, Owner ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/lisa-jeffs.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) It has now been over 4 years and Burk Digital Factory have been exceptional in their service and results. Not only did they help me achieve top rankings in my keyword category quickly, their direct work in growing my online presence resulted in countless opportunities in my line of work. Today, I am enjoying incredible success and 80% of my total business is generate through the website. **Alexandre Stepanov**, _Owner_ ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/counter.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) [iframe](https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LeuGfAUAAAAAJLkJRbd79gmodLUtb9TG4FR2bRg&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVya2RpZ2l0YWxmYWN0b3J5LmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=jt8Oh2-Ue1u7nEbJQUIdocyd&size=invisible&cb=4tj261luweh) ## Google Ads PPC Advertising # Google Ads Adwords & PPC Advertising Google Ads is all about crafting compelling ad copy and bidding on the right keywords to generate quality clicks. Those clicks will then lead to conversions, leads and sales. ![google ads adwords PPC advertising](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/google-ads-ppc-adwords.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) #### Create Compelling ad copy #### Bid For the right keywords #### Increase Leads, conversions and sales #### Maximize Profits ### How does it work? 1 Select your keywords and bids 2 Create ads that show on Google Search 3 Measure, optimize, improve 4 You are charged for every click of your ad ### How much does it cost? There are two separate costs to consider when executing on a Google Ads strategy. Your **ad spend** and your **management fee.** Your ad spend is the amount that you will spend with Google to pay for the clicks to your ads. As an example, if the average “cost per click” for your keywords is $3, an ad spend of $2500 will generate over 800 clicks to your website. That $2500 ad spend goes directly to Google via credit card. Burk Digital Factory will charge a 30% management fee on top of your ad spend and will invoice separately for that amount. Using our $2500 budget example, you will receive an invoice for $750. Note that the management fee is capped and will not exceed $5000/month. ### Budget Estimator Ad Spend$2500$750Our fee for managing your ad spend ### Total monthly budget: $3250 We understand you may have questions. We definitely have the answers. [Email Us](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/contact/) [Call Us](tel:4168412874) ## Our approach combines main core services complemented by other skill sets. - Website Development - Website Design - Graphic Design - Branding - Content Writing - SEO Consulting - SEO Training - Speaking [Inquire](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/contact/) [iframe](https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LeuGfAUAAAAAJLkJRbd79gmodLUtb9TG4FR2bRg&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVya2RpZ2l0YWxmYWN0b3J5LmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=jt8Oh2-Ue1u7nEbJQUIdocyd&size=invisible&cb=waeplqrfrgku) ## Darcy Burk - SEO Expert # Darcy Burk Founder & CEO Darcy Burk launched Burk Digital Factory after 15+ years in the digital marketing space. His extensive knowledge of search engine optimization enables him to help local and online businesses achieve their goals. ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/darcy-burk-seo-and-google-ads-expert-toronto.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) #### SEO 10+ Years Experience #### Advertising 10+ Years Experience #### Programming 15+ Years Experience #### Parenting 4+ Years Experience ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Why-page-icons-02.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/darcy-burk-seo-expert/#cs-section2) ### Started building websites at age 13 At a young age, Darcy was always passionate for the internet and how it worked. He enjoyed building (and breaking) websites. He started working part time with a company called SCOM and was building websites for churches and day cares in the evenings after school and on the weekends. ### Landed first “real” SEO position at Search Engine People His time at SEP gave him a lot of experience working with all sorts of local businesses and industries. It was there he developed a passion for local SEO. He learned to love the process of auditing a website, finding new opportunities and watching as his recommendations helped the businesses he worked with grow and meet their goals. [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/darcy-burk-seo-expert/#cs-section3) ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Why-page-icons-04.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Why-page-icons-01-01.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/darcy-burk-seo-expert/#cs-section4) ### Expanded his career at autotrader.ca For 5 years, Darcy grew his expertise not only in SEO and digital marketing but as well in technical sales and communication. Working with Canada’s largest automotive dealer groups, he was challenged with the task to communicate complex SEO strategies to both ‘C suite’ executives and developers. ### Become a Business Owner & Entrepreneur In 2020, together with his wife Katherine Burk, Darcy launched Burk Digital Factory. A digital marketing agency whose goal is to be a trusted partner for businesses across Ontario, the GTA and Durham Region to execute unique digital marketing strategies that work. [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/darcy-burk-seo-expert/#cs-section5) ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Why-page-icons-03.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) [V](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/darcy-burk-seo-expert/#cs-section1) We understand you may have questions. We definitely have the answers. [Email Us](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/contact/) [Call Us](tel:4168412874) [iframe](https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LeuGfAUAAAAAJLkJRbd79gmodLUtb9TG4FR2bRg&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVya2RpZ2l0YWxmYWN0b3J5LmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=jt8Oh2-Ue1u7nEbJQUIdocyd&size=invisible&cb=mo79dx5ae9lf) ## Burk Digital Factory # Why Burk Digital Factory? We care about your business We are a trusted partner for businesses across Ontario, the GTA and Durham Region to execute unique digital marketing strategies that work. ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/DBF_why_choose-us-1-2.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) ## Client Case Studies [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/lisa-jeffs.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/great-content-and-links-a-consistent-recipe-for-success/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/poynt360.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/combining-seo-and-google-ads-make-winning-online-easy/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/grants-mma.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/what-3-plus-years-of-seo-facebook-and-google-ads-can-do-for-your-business/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/evam-canada.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/diy-content-is-the-key-for-this-mississauga-hvac-customer/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/baby-and-toddler-show.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/remarket-to-customers-that-are-on-the-fence-with-a-unique-deal/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/swift-payments.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-study/help-google-fall-in-love-with-your-site-by-creating-amazing-content-organizing-it-properly/) ## We care about our customers’ success. We get excited when they perform well. We like hearing that they have so much business they need to [hire more staff](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-studies/) or [expand their facility](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-studies/), both of which are things that have happened to current and past customers. We want to be successful in our strategies so that you the customer will be successful too. ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Why-page-icons-02.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Why-page-icons-01-01.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) ## We stand behind our proven strategies We want our customers to know that we stand behind our [proven strategies](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/case-studies/). We want them to be able to pick up the phone and ask us questions that are on their minds, knowing that we will be happy give them an answer. If something is not quite right with a campaign, we want to be reachable and help turn the situation into a more positive one. ## We love SEO. We love digital marketing. We love keeping on the leading edge of the industry in order to deliver to you the best possible strategies at that given time. You will hear it in our voice during our strategy calls and success reviews. We are extremely excited when your business gets results and we won’t hold back telling you about it. ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Why-page-icons-04.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) ## We want to make your business successful. We **need** to make your business successful. Without your success, we have no success. ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Why-page-icons-03.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) We understand you may have questions. We definitely have the answers. [Email Us](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/contact/) [Call Us](tel:4168412874) ## Meet the team ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/darcy-burk-seo-and-google-ads-expert-toronto.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) #### [Darcy Burk Founder & CEO](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/darcy-burk-seo-expert/) ## Testimonials “Darcy has been an absolute pleasure to work with. He has accomplished incredible results for my companies. I recommend his services to all my friends, family, and colleagues. Thanks Darcy for the incredible work your doing.” **Mike Halbouni**, _POYNT360_ “I’ve had the pleasure of working with Darcy and can attest to his industry knowledge, specialized skills and AWARD winning personality!” **Benny Migliaccio** “I’ve been working with Darcy for a few years now. He’s done wonders for my website and has me ranking page 1 for a number of keywords. I really can’t recommend him enough. He truly cares about the quality of service he provides and the success of the businesses he works with.” **Lisa Jeffs**, _Lisa Jeffs Toronto Life Coach_ “I hired Darcy to run a short campaign to drive awareness and attendance at one of our consumer shows. His attention to detail was amazing and he was completely invested in making sure the campaign was as successful as possible. He was constantly monitoring results and making changes as we went along. I will definitely use his services again and I highly recommend him!” **Jennifer Allaby**, _The Baby and Toddler Show_ ## Free SEO & PPC Tools # Free SEO & PPC Tools ### Built By Darcy Burk & Burk Digital Factory Our library of free community tools that make our day to day working lives easier and should make yours easier to. ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/DBF_why_choose-us-1-2.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) ## [Competitor Name Negative Keyword Generator](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/tools/competitor-name-negative-keyword-generator/) Sick of competitor names showing up as matches to your phrase match keywords in Google Ads? Get a detailed list of competitors in your niche and local area, pre-configured to easily be uploaded as negative keywords in your Google Ads account. [Use Tool >](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/tools/competitor-name-negative-keyword-generator/) ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Why-page-icons-02.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) [iframe](https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LeuGfAUAAAAAJLkJRbd79gmodLUtb9TG4FR2bRg&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVya2RpZ2l0YWxmYWN0b3J5LmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=jt8Oh2-Ue1u7nEbJQUIdocyd&size=invisible&cb=fu7s5zskls77) ## Competitor Name Keyword Tool # Competitor Name Negative Keyword Generator Sick of competitor names showing up as matches to your phrase match keywords in Google Ads? Negative them out in bulk before they even appear. ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/DBF_why_choose-us-1-2.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) ## Stop Showing for Your Competitors Names Google Ads’ phrase match makes no sense. Why should our keywords for our services match to our competitors names that may (or may not) offer that service? This tool is perfect for you if you are tired of playing wack-a-mole and adding negatives for your competitors brand names every month. Simply enter your information and our tool will provide a CSV of all your competitors names in one sheet, and each word in their names in broad and phrase match types in a separate sheet. Simply copy and paste those values into your Google Ads negative keyword list and be rid of competitor name matches forever. [iframe](cid:frame-57ED73B1E85C238ADAE9E3326E0187FA@mhtml.blink) - **Google Places API Key:** You must provide your own Google Places API Key. [Get one here](https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/get-api-key). - **Street Address:** Where you want to start the search from. Likely your place of business. - **Business Category:** The category you want our tool to scrape to find competitor names. - **Words to Exclude (comma separated):** VERY IMPORTANT. If we are a dentist, our competitors may have “dental” or “dentist” in their names. We would not want those words to appear in our phase/broad exclusion lists. Ensure to add those as well as cities or any other words you think may be in your competitors names that you would not want in your phrase/broad negative lists. - **Defaults** - **Search Radius (meters):** How far you want the tool to crawl. Currently set to 5km (3.1mi). - **Max Number of Results:** How many competitors you want to crawl. Currently set to 60. Please send me your feedback to improve [@darcyburk](https://twitter.com/darcyburk) on Twitter (x). [iframe](cid:frame-84E4C8A6EFAFB6D29FDAB57E8045C23A@mhtml.blink) ## SEO Services Overview # SEO Search Engine Optimization SEO is all about increasing your website’s opportunity to show up in search results for a user’s search query. That way, your brand can be considered the best solution for that query. Here is how we do it. ![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/what-is-seo-search-engine-optimization-2.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1) ## How much does it cost? ![](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/icons_SearchLocal_icon-svg-1.svg) Local SEO $1500/mo For businesses with a brick and mortar location or serve customers at their location only. Monthly subscription which includes technical on-site SEO (meta tags/schema). Google My Business management. Content development and promotion. Off-site SEO strategies including citation building. [Book a call](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/contact/) [View full details](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/seo/#price-table) ![](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/icons_search_icon-svg-1.svg) SEO Pro $1900/mo For businesses that operate online, have a physical location or serve customers at their location. Monthly subscription which includes technical on-site SEO (meta tags/schema). Enhanced content development and promotion. Enhanced off-site SEO strategies including link building and citation building. [Book a call](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/contact/) [View full details](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/seo/#price-table) ![](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/icons_search_plus_icon_2-svg.svg) SEO Plus $3000/mo For businesses that operate online or in person that want the fastest results possible. Monthly subscription which includes technical on-site SEO (meta tags/schema). Premium content development and promotion. Premium off-site SEO strategies including link building and citation building. [Book a call](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/contact/) [View full details](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/seo/#price-table) We understand you may have questions. We definitely have the answers. [Email us](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/contact/) [Call us](tel:4168412874) ## Looking to improve your website? Are you looking for some quick wins you can implement in order to improve your website’s SEO? Drop you website into our free audit tool and we will send you a concise, easy to read audit, outlining the top three (3) missed opportunities currently facing your website. Our free SEO audit tool will all provide insight into the volume of missed opportunities for your website and group the recommendations into Errors, Warnings and Notices. This will help you understand the severity behind the different recommendations and enable you to prioritize your optimizations. To get your free SEO audit emailed to you in minutes, all you need to provide is your website and your email address. Audit your website today. ## What is included in your SEO package | Service | Local SEO | SEO | SEO Plus | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | **Auditing & Strategy** | | | | | In-Depth SEO Audit | x | x | x | | Keyword Research | x | x | x | | Work-back Schedule | x | x | x | | **Local SEO** | | | | | Google My Business (GMB) Set Up | x | | (x) | | Ongoing GMB Optimizations | x | | (x) | | Citation Building | x | | (x) | | Review Generation | x | | (x) | | **Technical On Site Optimizations** | | | | | Title Tags | x | x | x | | Meta Descriptions | x | x | x | | Schema | x | x | x | | New Page Creation | x | x | x | | Site Speed | x | x | x | | URLs | x | x | x | | Broken Links | x | x | x | | 404s | x | x | x | | Site Structure | x | x | x | | Images | x | x | x | | Crawl Optimization | x | x | x | | Mobile Friendly | x | x | x | | **Content Development** | | | | | Blogging | x | x + | x ++ | | Social Media Amplification | x | x + | x ++ | | Primary Pages | x | x | x | | **Off Site Optimizations** | | | | | Link Building | x | x + | x ++ | | Guest Posting | x | x + | x ++ | | Link Reclamation | x | x + | x ++ | | Competitive Link Building | x | x + | x ++ | | Broken Link Building | x | x + | x ++ | | Directory Submission | x | x + | x ++ | | Social Profile Optimization | x | x + | x ++ | | **Monthly Reporting** | | | | | Summary of Work Completed | x | x | x | | Organic Traffic | x | x | x | | Lead/Conversions | x | x | x | | Keyword Rankings (Up to 100 KWs) | x | x | x | | Next Steps | x | x | x | | | | | | [iframe](https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LeuGfAUAAAAAJLkJRbd79gmodLUtb9TG4FR2bRg&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVya2RpZ2l0YWxmYWN0b3J5LmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=jt8Oh2-Ue1u7nEbJQUIdocyd&size=invisible&cb=ejgyxwmk57xu) ## Digital Marketing Insights [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/dst-fee-banner.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/new-2-5-surcharge-for-canadian-ads-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-canada-dst-fee/) Google has just announced a new fee for Canadian advertisers, titled “Canada DST Fee,” which will be implemented starting October 1, 2024. This 2.5% surcharge will be applied to ads served in Canada and is intended to cover the costs associated with complying with digital services tax legislation in the country. [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/new-2-5-surcharge-for-canadian-ads-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-canada-dst-fee/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/feature.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/feature-durham-college-reflections-spring-2023-edition/) Burk Digital Factory was recently featured in Durham College’s Reflections, Spring 2023 Edition. Check out page 24 and 25 to read about us! [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/feature-durham-college-reflections-spring-2023-edition/) [![Passage Indexing What Is It Can Your Business Leverage it to Gain the Upper Hand](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Passage-Indexingb-What-Is-It-Can-Your-Business-Leverage-it-to-Gain-the-Upper-Hand.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/passage-indexing-what-is-it-can-your-business-leverage-it-to-gain-the-upper-hand/) UPDATE: On Friday December 4th, I joined a Google SEO Hangout with John Mueller from Google to ask him if he thought my strategy for leveraging Google’s passage indexing, by focusing information on one page, instead of many, in order to build links to one single page instead of multiple URLs, could make sense. He … [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/passage-indexing-what-is-it-can-your-business-leverage-it-to-gain-the-upper-hand/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/video-hero.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/takeaways-from-googles-trillions-of-questions-no-easy-answer-movie/) The mystery behind how Google Search works is something that those in the SEO community strive to learn more about every day. Sometimes we learn from our peers through case studies and practical implementation, such as the in-depth article I wrote about how to optimize for the Core Web Vitals, and sometimes we learn from … [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/takeaways-from-googles-trillions-of-questions-no-easy-answer-movie/) [![burk digital factory core web vitals tips](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/burk-digital-factory-core-web-vitals-tips.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-optimize-for-core-web-vitals/) This article will provide you with 9 optimizations and tips for improving your website’s Core Web Vitals scores. I will use real life examples of my implementation of these recommendations on 3 client websites and share the different success’ that came with each. [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-optimize-for-core-web-vitals/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/homepage_homepagesmoke2-03-02-22.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/covid-19-update/) If you are or you know of a local business that is struggling due to the situation surrounding COVID-19, I want to help them. I want to provide no charge consultations and recommendations to help amplify those that are trying to get their message heard online or those looking to make the transition from offline … [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/covid-19-update/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/bukr-og-image.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/darcyburk-com-is-now-burk-digital-factory/) I wanted to share something with you all that I have been keeping close to the chest for too long and am too excited to sit on any longer. I know we are currently all facing our own difficult and unique situations. I chose to compound my situation by leaving my job of 5 great … [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/darcyburk-com-is-now-burk-digital-factory/) [![what-is-seo-search-engine-optimization22](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/what-is-seo-search-engine-optimization22.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/seo-css-display-none-is-it-bad-to-hide-content/) The body content on any page is always important to help that page rank for the topic and keywords being discussed. Good SEO best practices are to always have your content in plain text (never in flash of images), have good quality content above the fold and ensure your pages have enough content on them. The last point, having enough content on a page, is usually a pain point with a lot of websites. Sites like to be flashy and image heavy to capture the users interest and this usually limits the amount of quality text on a page. [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/seo-css-display-none-is-it-bad-to-hide-content/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/google-hangout.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-add-canonical-and-hreflang-markup-to-your-site-using-javascript/) is implementing hreflang and then modifying a canonical tag using JavaScript. So you see that being an issue or something that Google would recognize? [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-add-canonical-and-hreflang-markup-to-your-site-using-javascript/) ## Core Web Vitals Tips [![burk digital factory core web vitals tips](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/burk-digital-factory-core-web-vitals-tips.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-optimize-for-core-web-vitals/) This article will provide you with 9 optimizations and tips for improving your website’s Core Web Vitals scores. I will use real life examples of my implementation of these recommendations on 3 client websites and share the different success’ that came with each. [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-optimize-for-core-web-vitals/) [iframe](https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LeuGfAUAAAAAJLkJRbd79gmodLUtb9TG4FR2bRg&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVya2RpZ2l0YWxmYWN0b3J5LmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=jt8Oh2-Ue1u7nEbJQUIdocyd&size=invisible&cb=qv1djflgy9h1) ## JavaScript SEO Techniques [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/google-hangout.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-add-canonical-and-hreflang-markup-to-your-site-using-javascript/) is implementing hreflang and then modifying a canonical tag using JavaScript. So you see that being an issue or something that Google would recognize? [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-add-canonical-and-hreflang-markup-to-your-site-using-javascript/) [iframe](https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LeuGfAUAAAAAJLkJRbd79gmodLUtb9TG4FR2bRg&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVya2RpZ2l0YWxmYWN0b3J5LmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=jt8Oh2-Ue1u7nEbJQUIdocyd&size=invisible&cb=mrbeq4e9ga0x) ## Digital Advertising News [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/dst-fee-banner.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/new-2-5-surcharge-for-canadian-ads-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-canada-dst-fee/) Google has just announced a new fee for Canadian advertisers, titled “Canada DST Fee,” which will be implemented starting October 1, 2024. This 2.5% surcharge will be applied to ads served in Canada and is intended to cover the costs associated with complying with digital services tax legislation in the country. [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/new-2-5-surcharge-for-canadian-ads-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-canada-dst-fee/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/feature.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/feature-durham-college-reflections-spring-2023-edition/) Burk Digital Factory was recently featured in Durham College’s Reflections, Spring 2023 Edition. Check out page 24 and 25 to read about us! [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/feature-durham-college-reflections-spring-2023-edition/) ## SEO Strategies and Insights [![Passage Indexing What Is It Can Your Business Leverage it to Gain the Upper Hand](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Passage-Indexingb-What-Is-It-Can-Your-Business-Leverage-it-to-Gain-the-Upper-Hand.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/passage-indexing-what-is-it-can-your-business-leverage-it-to-gain-the-upper-hand/) UPDATE: On Friday December 4th, I joined a Google SEO Hangout with John Mueller from Google to ask him if he thought my strategy for leveraging Google’s passage indexing, by focusing information on one page, instead of many, in order to build links to one single page instead of multiple URLs, could make sense. He … [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/passage-indexing-what-is-it-can-your-business-leverage-it-to-gain-the-upper-hand/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/video-hero.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/takeaways-from-googles-trillions-of-questions-no-easy-answer-movie/) The mystery behind how Google Search works is something that those in the SEO community strive to learn more about every day. Sometimes we learn from our peers through case studies and practical implementation, such as the in-depth article I wrote about how to optimize for the Core Web Vitals, and sometimes we learn from … [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/takeaways-from-googles-trillions-of-questions-no-easy-answer-movie/) [![burk digital factory core web vitals tips](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/burk-digital-factory-core-web-vitals-tips.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-optimize-for-core-web-vitals/) This article will provide you with 9 optimizations and tips for improving your website’s Core Web Vitals scores. I will use real life examples of my implementation of these recommendations on 3 client websites and share the different success’ that came with each. [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-optimize-for-core-web-vitals/) [![what-is-seo-search-engine-optimization22](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/what-is-seo-search-engine-optimization22.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/seo-css-display-none-is-it-bad-to-hide-content/) The body content on any page is always important to help that page rank for the topic and keywords being discussed. Good SEO best practices are to always have your content in plain text (never in flash of images), have good quality content above the fold and ensure your pages have enough content on them. The last point, having enough content on a page, is usually a pain point with a lot of websites. Sites like to be flashy and image heavy to capture the users interest and this usually limits the amount of quality text on a page. [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/seo-css-display-none-is-it-bad-to-hide-content/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/google-hangout.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-add-canonical-and-hreflang-markup-to-your-site-using-javascript/) is implementing hreflang and then modifying a canonical tag using JavaScript. So you see that being an issue or something that Google would recognize? [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/how-to-add-canonical-and-hreflang-markup-to-your-site-using-javascript/) [iframe](https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LeuGfAUAAAAAJLkJRbd79gmodLUtb9TG4FR2bRg&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVya2RpZ2l0YWxmYWN0b3J5LmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=jt8Oh2-Ue1u7nEbJQUIdocyd&size=invisible&cb=cza7pm82yv1q) ## Technical SEO Insights [![what-is-seo-search-engine-optimization22](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/what-is-seo-search-engine-optimization22.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/seo-css-display-none-is-it-bad-to-hide-content/) The body content on any page is always important to help that page rank for the topic and keywords being discussed. Good SEO best practices are to always have your content in plain text (never in flash of images), have good quality content above the fold and ensure your pages have enough content on them. The last point, having enough content on a page, is usually a pain point with a lot of websites. Sites like to be flashy and image heavy to capture the users interest and this usually limits the amount of quality text on a page. [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/seo-css-display-none-is-it-bad-to-hide-content/) [iframe](https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api2/anchor?ar=1&k=6LeuGfAUAAAAAJLkJRbd79gmodLUtb9TG4FR2bRg&co=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYnVya2RpZ2l0YWxmYWN0b3J5LmNvbTo0NDM.&hl=en&v=jt8Oh2-Ue1u7nEbJQUIdocyd&size=invisible&cb=ut33ndboa2og) ## COVID-19 Business Support [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/homepage_homepagesmoke2-03-02-22.png?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/covid-19-update/) If you are or you know of a local business that is struggling due to the situation surrounding COVID-19, I want to help them. I want to provide no charge consultations and recommendations to help amplify those that are trying to get their message heard online or those looking to make the transition from offline … [Read More](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/covid-19-update/) [![](https://b2151034.smushcdn.com/2151034/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/bukr-og-image.jpg?lossy=1&strip=1&webp=1)](https://www.burkdigitalfactory.com/blog/darcyburk-com-is-now-burk-digital-factory/) I wanted to share something with you all that I have been keeping close to the chest for too long and am too excited to sit on any longer. I know we are currently all facing our own difficult and unique situations. 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