TheToughTender | ABOUT…


Yeoman’s Log Entry:

29 April 2021 @ 13:15 — Final testing of site integrity revealed one error. Google gave warning that an “about us” page is now required before one could expect to gain search engine ranking. Thus, the Yeoman is constructing the required “About Us” page right at the “last minute”, so-to-speak, to appease the Google Gods.

When one considers the fact that this entire website is one, solid, “about us” commemorative celebration of the commendable, battle efficient, everlasting interdependent relationship between one 641′ 10″ long, 85′ drafted, 21,916 ton, 20 knot bearing U.S. Navy destroyer tender struck USS Shenandoah (AD 44), and well over 1,300 crew manning her for over a thirteen year time span, a single “about us” page simply won’t do. Google must crawl and scrub the entire site to truly come to know about us.

We, the officers and crew, of the USS Shenandoah (AD 44), do hereby submit this “about us” page with well wishes to you, the Google Gods, in hopes that your search engine will help our lost shipmates to find us, and with your good googly graces. (They don’t know that we have Jones on our side 😉




27 August 2021 @ 07:53 — The Yeoman is proud to announce that TheToughTender.com’s Search Engine ranking has risen to the #2 position at Google on this date. And in less than 4 months time.

In addition to building the new website, web marketing was necessary in order for people to go to the search engines, enter the variations of SHENANDOAH’s name, and find the website.  This is a great marketing challenge for all web designers, developers, and architects.  The web-ease term for this type of marketing is called “Search Engine Optimization & Search Engine Marketing” (AKA, “SEO/SEM”), and has become the sole profession of web marketers.

The challenge is a competition similar to a marathon race.  When the site was first launched, it was in last place; racing against 120,000 to 134,000 other runners based upon divisions.  Many competitors had the advantage of a 10 to 15 year head start as well.

Within 2 to 3 weeks post-launch, the SEO/SEM work on the site moved the site up quickly to the 21st position; the top of the third search results page.  Not bad, but impatient people rarely make it past the second search result page. Generations Y & Z give up if it’s not on the first page.

Roughly 3 to 4 weeks later the website moved up to the 7th position. The site made it to the first search result page, but were located at the bottom of the page. Better, but not good enough.

Google’s rankings were checked and verified this morning and showed that the site is now in 2nd place; in ALL four different divisions.  When people try to find SHENANDOAH at Google, they have four different ways of entering her name:

  • USS Shenandoah (AD 44)
  • USS Shenandoah (AD-44)
  • USS Shenandoah AD 44
  • USS Shenandoah AD-44

The website encyclopedia named “Wikipedia” is currently ahead of us in the #1 position in all four divisions. This Yeoman will endeavor to persist in SEO/SEM until TheToughTender.com is #1.