In SEO Trends 2024, we dive deep into the realm of AI, but ultimately, AI is not the star of the show – you are. The human touch is still crucial when adopting AI into your strategy, and this ebook highlights the importance of working alongside it rather than relying on it as a human replacement.

“Helpful” Is A Bigger Word Than You Think

In 2024, Google will change the game with a redefined meaning of “helpful.” Inside, we explore how the definition of “helpful” content and websites is expanding and the impact of updates.

Here are some key insights:

• Google assesses the value and helpfulness of your entire site, so make sure your website has a clear and unique value.
• Engage with generative AI and understand how it works before you try to fight it.
• “Expertise” will be a key differentiating factor – insights and original data attributed to authors with names.

Prepare For Search Generative Experience With “Search Experience Optimization”

The experimental phase of Google’s SGE is causing ripples of anticipation and anxiety in the industry. But the key is being discoverable by generative AI, and knowing when to be its ally and when to be its enemy. Here’s what you really need to know:

• AI in search will upset performance for entire groups of queries, data gathering, and potentially the balance between the platforms.
• Search success may come down to being discoverable by generative AI and finding as many opportunities as possible to surface your brand to users.

Prepare For Disruption: Keep Calm, Educate & Move Quickly

Disruption is on the horizon, but while models for driving business goals may change, the essence of how people search for information remains consistent. The following will be crucial elements in navigating this dynamic landscape moving forward:

• Understanding a user’s true intent must guide you – spam and thin results are dying.
  Don’t forget about technical SEO – keeping a tidy site can also help insulate you from ruthless core updates.
• Use AI strategically to give yourself more time for big-picture thinking.

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Keyword stuffing

The biggest, fattest DO-NOT-DO-THIS on the list: keyword stuffing.

Keyword is exactly what it sounds like: stuffing a bunch of random keywords into places they don’t belong, bogging down your content so it’s barely readable for any actual human.

This mistake sits at the top of the list, because algorithms are much smarter than they used to be — and much smarter than keyword stuffers give them credit for. Search engines know when you’re trying to play them.

Forgetting to change title tags and meta descriptions

Individual title tags and meta descriptions should be present on every single public page of your website. Title tags are a page’s message to the world, and meta descriptions are the explanation of exactly what a reader will find on that page.

If you use the auto-generated title tags and meta descriptions, you risk not accurately representing what is on your website, which will likely result in less views and clicks.

Not consistently updating your website

Miss Google values a fresh, clean, accurate website. Consistently updating your website is key to remaining relevant to search engines, and offers the added bonus of keeping all of your content current and correct.

Not using Google to your advantage

When people talk about SEO, they often mention how we need to do everything in our power to show up in a Google search… but people rarely mention all the ways Miss Google can actually help us do exactly that.

Aside from explicitly outlining everything we need to know about her algorithm, Google has a number of practices inside the Google Marketing Platform place to help us optimize our sites for SEO.

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What will be included in the update?

The new update will consider multiple user and page experience signals and Core
Web Vitals. Mobile and user experience are becoming more and more important
with each update, and this update is no different, but the most notable change is
the introduction of Core Web Vitals. Core Web Vitals include a set of three elements
that successfully measure user experience, interactivity, and general page speed.
These three elements are Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). For the first time in JB Systems history, we will be
including these core web vital metrics in our Monthly SEO Reports.

• ★ Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) is the time it takes a site to load it’s largest
  image or text block. It ensures that the viewer is seeing all content at a timely
  pace. Google recommends an LCP of less than 2.5 seconds.
• ★ First Input Delay (FID) measures the time from when a user first interacts with a
  page (i.e. when they click a link, tap on a button) to the time when the
  browser is able to begin processing the interaction. Since a delay in the
  processing of the website interaction is bad for user experience, Google
  recommends an LCP of less than 100 ms.
• ★ Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measures the unexpected movement of
  elements on a site. A layout shift occurs any time a visible element changes
  its position from one rendered frame to the next. When done wrong, these
  unexpected shifts are often annoying to the consumer and will lead to a high
  bounce rate. Google recommends having a CLS score (layout instability) of
  under .1

In anticipation of the update, JB Systems has been monitoring Core Web Vitals on
our Advanced and Standard SEO Clients and have been working on site-wide
improvements that will maintain our client’s competitiveness. To learn more about
what you can do to improve your site’s Core Web Vitals, send us an email at
digitalmarketing@jbsystemsllc.com. We are happy to answer any additional
questions!

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The Wisconsin Towns Association is excited to announce JB Systems as the “exclusively endorsed” provider for town websites!

Town officials are familiar with the WTA Recommended Service Provider Program. Through this program we thoroughly vet town service vendors and determine if they provide the product quality that prompts us to recommend them to gown governments. It’s like an “Angie’s List”, and much like Angie will put her stamp of approval on multiple plumbers, we will often recommend multiple providers of the same service.

The WTA also has the Exclusive Endorsed Provider Program. On rare occasion, through this program we choose to recommend a single provider of a particular service. JB Systems is only our second ever exclusively endorsed provider! By exclusively endorsing them, the Wisconsin Towns Association is communicating to town and village officials that we feel JB Systems is the best of the best. They are the Green Bay Packers of football; the 1980 Men’s Olympic Hockey Team, and the 1999 Women’s Soccer World Cup Team – all in one. If your town needs a website or would like to revamp an existing one, we feel that JB Systems is by far the choice you should make. There is no second place.

You are likely wondering who JB Systems is and what assets they possess that influenced the Wisconsin Towns Association to exclusively endorse them. We’ll get to those in a minute, but first let me ask a favor of you.

Over the next 6 months, JB Systems will be collaborating with the WTA to accomplish a number of tasks leading up to an early autumn launch of their services for towns. A few of those tasks include: developing the WTA website; holding focus groups with town clerks to determine what is needed to make great town websites; developing several website models; and collaborating with WTA to create the most appropriate pricing/quality structure. Both JB Systems and the WTA want to get this right, and that will take some preparation time. So, if you are thinking about developing or updating your website, I would ask that you wait for 6 months and take a look at JB Systems. I’m 100% confident you’ll like the engine under the hood.

Who Is JB Systems?

JB Systems is a home grown, Eau Claire, Wisconsin-based and nationally-recognized web, graphic design and database engineering company that specializes in developing eye appealing, high functioning, easy-to-use, cost competitive websites. They have been in the business nearly 20 years, almost since the inception of the internet. Their 17+ developers and designers work in downtown Eau Claire and have been awarded 40+ American Web and Graphic Design Awards since 2011. In 2008, they were recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the Top 10 Most Dependable Website Developers in the Central United States. Even better, in 2017, CIO Review Magazine tagged them as one of the top 20 most promising web development countries in the entire country.

Why JB Systems – Top 5?

Certainly the many aforementioned awards are impressive. It truly shows JB Systems practices DWYSYWD – do what you say you will do. They told customers they would provide an exceptional product, and they obviously did exactly that. You don’t get to be top 20 in the country if you don’t.

But, there were a plethora of factors besides awards that drove our decision to exclusively endorse JB Systems.

First, in government we have to be exceptionally careful about security. For those of you that attended District Meetings, you heard me talk about a Wisconsin village that was recently hacked, had their finance and election information stolen, and was forced to pay a ransom to retrieve that data. In considering security, we wanted to make sure JB Systems wouldn’t make a town work with foreign workers. They won’t!

Many web development firms enhance their profit margins by exporting American jobs to foreign workers. Those workers are often not vetted and seldom visited by the American based company to see if they have the character and integrity towns deserve.

We also wanted to ensure server security and back up. Well, they have all kinds of fancy stuff described with five dollar words that won’t burden you with. But, I will say they harden already high security servers with additional software and apply Triple Layer SpamAssassin. Yeah… I just wanted to write that. Seriously though, this is high security. They use the same off-site servers (you want multiple sites to cover you in case of disaster) as Bose Speakers, the Chicago Tribune, and Campbell’s Soup’s projects. In fact, JB Systems’ servers outperform servers leased by Amazon!

Second, they are not a one person shop. With the invention of a software called WordPress, almost anyone who is a little computer savvy can become a website developer. After WordPress hit the market, the number of one person web firms exploded. Here’s the problem with a one person web firm, – what happens if they go away tomorrow or, unfortunately, an accident occurs? What are you going to do now? JB Systems has several employees. If one person goes down, there are many more waiting in line.

Third, JB Systems uses a custom format. They do not use an open source format. OK Mike, but what does that mean? WordPress is an open source format, which means many of the bells and whistles on a WordPress site are exactly the same throughout the world.

What’s wrong with that?

Let’s say you have a calendar on your website. In an open source format, the calendar was likely developed using something called a plug-in. That same plug-in created a calendar on thousands of websites throughout the world. The coding behind that plug-in is the same in every instance. This creates an environment of never-ending plugin updates and a constant requirement of website owners to keep them up-to-date. We wanted to present a solution (and user experience) better than that.

Open source formats are fast, easy, and cheap, but we feel plug-ins are risky. JB Systems customizes that coding for your website.

Fourth, JB Systems provides out of this world customer care. Yes, they will provide great customer service, but our opinion is that they will care for you much like you care about local government and democracy. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t have a 95%+ retention rate among their clients. And to top it off, if you have a question, the person you talk to will have a familiar northern Wisconsin accent.

Finally, JB Systems is cost competitive. I’m sure you’re dying to know how they can be cost competitive when they are a top 20 company in the country. And, you are probably itching to know the prices. Let me say this, the power of bringing 1,000+ potential customers comes with some pricing advantages that WTA has leveraged. As for specifics, I hate to keep you on the edge of your seat, but that’s for another day. In the meantime, if you’re planning anything regarding your website, as my Mom used to say, I’d ask you to please hold your horses until the early Fall.

Mike Koles – Executive Director
Wisconsin Towns Association
April, 2018

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When it comes to web design in Wisconsin, our goal at #TeamJB is to continue to innovate, innovate, innovate. We’re excited about our partnership with Northern Safari Army Navy, as they like to push the envelope as much as we do.

Northern Safari Army Navy’s physical store location in Eau Claire had completed a massive renovation, primarily to support their ever-expanding embroidered product line. Where does a Wisconsin web design company fit in to that, you may ask? #TeamJB was challenged to build a series of custom generators for dog collars, name tapes, leashes and more allowing users to design these fun and unique embroidered products right on the website!

Custom embroidered dog collar from armynavywisconsin.com.

Here’s how it works: at armynavywisconsin.com, you’re able to select a product and choose from several options including size, fabric type and color. You can then add your own text and depending on the product, even more options may be available. Complete your purchase on the website following the user-friendly checkout process developed by #TeamJB or with your PayPal account. Your order is immediately sent to Northern Safari Army Navy’s embroidery team where they’ll get your product designed and shipped within 24-48 hours! All of this taking place right here in the good ‘ol U.S. of A.

Now for more good stuff; just announced, new patterned dog collars and leashes are ready for purchase! Check them out at armynavywisconsin.com. To celebrate their release, for the next two weeks you can get 10% off your total order by entering the promo code TEAMJB at checkout.

Be sure to check their site often, new embroidered products and generators are added frequently. And of course thanks to Issy and Northern Safari Army Navy for the collaboration and partnership from all of us at #TeamJB!

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Let’s be honest, although technology plays a crucial role in our lives, it can be intimidating. If you’re running a business, you often don’t have time to be on top of “the next big thing” each time it rolls around. You trust your vendors and partners to provide you with honest direction and to understand the role technology plays in your business. Perhaps you’ve been pitched marketing packages by fast talking, high pressures sales folks signaling doomsday if you don’t sign up for their digital services. We have seen (and been told about) several examples of these partnerships going awry. After the contract is signed, you’re unable to cancel, continue to be billed for months and can’t get a hold of anyone in customer service. Not cool.

At JB Systems, we prefer to do business a bit different; entirely different, in fact. Our commitment to our clients means we’re always available to offer advice on what web, marketing and other digital services might be the best fit for your business. Additionally, our proposals are always transparent, straightforward, and easy to understand so you know exactly what you’re paying for. Give us a call and setup an appointment for a complimentary website review and/or to discuss any of our services. We won’t lock you into a multi-year contract, highjack your domain or send you invoices for additional services you didn’t agree to. It’s all part of our promise at #TeamJB to make the web simple.

Did You Know? JB Systems Offers The Following Services:

• Monthly SEO Programs
• Pay-Per-Click & Ad Remarketing Services
• Content Strategy/Preparation with Emphasis On SEO Analysis/Mapping
• Photography
• Video
• Email Campaign & Drip Messaging
• Social Media Management
• Website Maintenance Programs
• Print Collateral & Marketing Materials
• …and course, website design, development, training and more!

We’re proud of our 15 years of business and the hard-working foundation to which our company is built on. We thank you for your business and hope to continue to partner with you as “we’re never done.” Please click here for any additional questions on how we may be of service to you.

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“We just happened to land on the same sailboat,” says Tom. “In the process of skimming over Lake Pepin, we struck up a conversation about the needs in the IT area, the potential in our youth to fill those needs, and how we could work together make it happen.”

Their answer came in the form of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Non-traditional Occupations Focus grant. Since applying for and receiving the grant, JB Systems and the Black River Falls High School TechWorks program have partnered and worked together to teach students marketable IT skills, such as:

• Basic and intermediate database design skills
• Entity Relationship Diagram skills
• Basic database queries (MySQL)
• Basic HTML skills
• Basic PHP programming skills
• Basic Javascript skills

Additionally, students will be creating a documentary detailing their experience with the program, as well as talking about the importance of having STEM resources available in middle and high school. Another facet of the program will require students to help lead a 2-day Code Camp this June. The camp was organized and facilitated by the STEM grant students.

Students taking in a lesson at JB Systems

So far, the program has been a hit with the kids. “At each new meeting we’ve had, we’ve added participants,” says Tom. “Moreover, the students have been very engaged. They’re interested in the information, challenges and opportunities that Jerry, Tyler and Traci have presented to them.”

Given our history of diving into community projects, #TeamJB was eager educate the youth at Black River Falls High School, and to spread the word about the amazing opportunities that exist in IT and web development. We were also excited to show students that they don’t have to leave for Silicon Valley or large cities to find a tech job, but that these opportunities exist right here in the Chippewa Valley.

Two of JB Systems’ web developers, Traci and Tyler, spoke highly of the partnership. “I’m thrilled that we have the opportunity to work with these students,” says Tyler. “It’s great for them to gain real project management experience as well as get an idea of how the programming side would look.”

Traci shares a similar sentiment. “It’s wonderful to see kids getting relevant experience in an industry where text books will always be behind the curve of current technology trends,” she says.

Students working with Tyler at the chalkboard wall at JB Systems

The program especially encourages young women to explore coding as a career. According to GirlsWhoCode.com, 74 percent of girls are intrigued in STEM related fields, yet less than .5% of them pursue STEM related majors in college. This is a statistic JB Systems and Black River Falls High School are hoping to change.

With the JB Systems – Black River Falls partnership off to such a great start, Jerry and Tom are already making future plans. “I see this project as just a start to expanding our IT training for students and as an augmentation of our STEM projects to encourage more students, especially females, to explore and experience the many opportunities in STEM careers,” says Tom. “We plan to apply for the next round of funding to continue the project that we’ve started to simplify our parent reporting system for student information and hopefully expand the project to more avenues of coding and design.”

What started as a sailboat ride with Jerry and Tom, has continued with a successful STEM program, a handful of educators and professionals eager to teach, and a group of students excited to learn. We’re setting sail toward the horizon, toward a bright future of talented young programmers contributing to the Chippewa Valley’s blossoming technology community.

To learn more about this story, contact #TeamJB.

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When asked if they have advice to young women who want to get into programming, both Jessica and Traci were eager to share.

“Women can excel in any subject they work hard at,” says Traci. “The world of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math is moving forward at an exciting pace. It is wide open and waiting for people to embrace it. All you have to do is be brave enough to try.”

Jessica shares a similar sentiment on being brave enough to take a chance. “For those girls and women out there who think that coding is something that is outside of their capabilities, I ask you, ‘Have you tried?’” asks Jessica. “You are capable, and I believe in you, just as you need to believe in yourself. Sometimes, it seems, we just need someone to believe in us.”

#TeamJB wishes a Happy International Women’s Day from our team to yours!  

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At the end of January, Jerry Bauer, owner and founder of JB Systems, LLC, was selected as the Eau Claire Area Economic Development Corporation’s (EDC) newest board member. Jerry will work with the board to offer free resources to entrepreneurs and businesses in the Chippewa Valley. With these resources, the Eau Claire Area EDC hopes to “innovate, develop, expand, or locate the communities of Altoona, Augusta, Eau Claire, Fairchild, and Fall Creek,” by providing new career opportunities.

For Jerry, being selected as an Eau Claire Area EDC board member is an honor. “There are a lot of community-oriented professionals and business owners that make up this board and it’s pretty humbling to be invited,” he says. “The EDC has been a client of JB Systems for many years and I’m excited to be more involved in helping them carry out their mission.”

That mission is to continue growing the economy of the Chippewa Valley by creating business and job growth. Bauer and the EDC are positioned to do just that by contributing their own experiences as business owners and community leaders to help others form new businesses and careers across the valley.

Luke Hanson, Executive Director of the EDC, thinks Bauer will be an asset to the Eau Claire EDC. “Jerry’s enthusiasm and avocation of the Eau Claire area community made him an obvious choice for the EDC Board. His experience as a local entrepreneur is valued by both our organization as we continue to strengthen our local entrepreneurs and startups, as well as the individuals he has worked with through EDC initiatives like the Idea Challenge and Startup Weekend,” says Hanson. “His consistent support of our local entrepreneurship and business in the Eau Claire area helps our community advance our economy by providing resources and experience to further their businesses.”

Jerry attended his first board meeting at the end of January. He is excited to get to work, and he has already identified goals he’d like to help the Eau Claire Area EDC reach. “I hope to work with the board and a couple of prominent members to tackle major issues, such as healthcare costs in the Chippewa Valley and the skills gap with employee talent,” Jerry says. “Both are issues that seem to affect all industries, and it seems like a good area to focus some of our efforts.”

We believe in maintaining a strong, supportive internal culture, and we believe in sharing that same culture with the greater Eau Claire community. We can’t wait to see what this partnership between JB Systems and the Eau Claire Area EDC brings!

For more information about Jerry’s board appointment, please contact Erin Stevens at 920.931.5976 or erins@jbsystemsllc.com.

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