Spartan Spark's latest software version 6.15 is out, and we've got some really interesting updates regarding our search engine algorithm.
This summer, Google began removing the “WWW” and “HTTPS” from its Chrome web browser address bar in version Chrome 76, calling the WWW and HTTPS trivial nonsense and just an irrelevant ‘distraction’.
The Chrome team values the simplicity, usability, and security of UI surfaces. To make URLs easier to read and understand, and to remove distractions from the registrable domain, we will hide URL components that are irrelevant to most Chrome users. We plan to hide “https” scheme and special-case subdomain “www” in Chrome omnibox on desktop and Android in M76.
Spartan Spark noticed this change was coming and also saw that Safari was doing something similar. We've also noticed a change in website ranking for shorter domains so we've been busily updating the software to reflect those changes and continue to focus on our software, providing an SEO competitive advantage.
Since we’re always at the forefront of new technologies, we made sure the whole Spartan Spark website platform (called Spartan One) runs on HTTP/2.
I tried to ask Bernie but didn't understand a word he said… he lost me at "hello," haha. I looked up some info on Google's Developer Web Fundamentals. But I'm still no smarter on the subject, so here's what it boils down to:
Before HTTP2 there were things like "cookies" that were slowing down the page load speed because the same information was sent over and over. Moving to HTTP2 means that what made websites fast for the previous 10 years (content split over multiple domains) has become a penalty. HTTP2 means that your website loads faster, ranks better, and is secure.
— Bernie Lees, CTO, Spartan Spark.
Now, because of our upgrade across the board to HTTP/2, we avoid all the search engine penalties, our clients' websites do better on the search engines, and we're aligned with what the browsers are doing.
Ok — geek on below to read the rest of the technicalities of the updates!
Key features are:
