Levi Lo

Branding / SEO / Progress

Introduction

SEO triggered the cutting off of my 2 year relationship with Google Blogger. The full story is at “The SEO” section in the story of levi-lo.com (LLC).

The situation was bad. There were many inexact “Levi Lo” results which pushed the exact “Levi Lo” to the fifth page of the result when searching my name. (Based on the result by the 3rd version of LLC.)

The aim was simple.
“Levi Lo” should be “Levi Lo”.

After the 4th ver. of LLC published for a week, the ranking didn’t change. I didn’t check it everyday. 17 days later, my site popped up on the first page, just right after my “Levi Lo” Facebook account and another Facebook account called “Levi Lo”. Finally, real “Levi Lo” can be shown on “Levi Lo”’s.

Timeline

11th January, 2020
The 3rd version of levi-lo.com was created.
Time Stamped by the notification email from Google Blogger.

26th May, 2020 (16 Days Before Publishing V4)
Screen recording of search result of “Levi Lo”
Time Checked by Apple Inc. time.apple.com on MacOS
Chrome / Desktop / in Hong Kong / All browsing data was cleared before search.
Result: On page 5, #3

The Date of Publishing V4
11th June, 2020 (Day 1)
The 4th version of levi-lo.com was published.
Logged by the site hosting service.

28th June, 2020 (17 Days After Publishing V4)
Screen recording of search result of “Levi Lo”
Time Checked by Apple Inc. time.apple.com on MacOS
Chrome / Desktop / in Hong Kong / All browsing data was cleared before search.
Result: On page 1, #3

Story / Softgood / Jeans

Very Long and (Un)related Story Behind

• Why Levi is Levi
• Levi VS Levi's
• Levi’s view of Levi’s
• Levi’s Levi’s
• Levi’s Levi’s Journal

Why Levi is Levi

My dad was reading a book called Leviticus when I was born, this is the reason my name is Levi. When I was a kid, my friend told me this is a jeans brand name. I didn’t want my name to be a trousers brand name and asked my dad why. He just laughed and said, “Sorry son, I forgot that is the jeans brand name, haha.” Nothing I could do, but I got to know Levi’s jeans were good and expensive in my childhood. I didn’t fancy it. Until one day, my trousers got dirty, there was a jeans shop nearby. My dad bought me a Levi’s jeans and canvas belt (I am still keeping this belt), I was so happy, like having an early Christmas gift. I remember the jeans I chose were straight and dark stonewash, which is the style I like the least now. I was all the time wearing that for probably a year until I grew too tall for it. One thing I learnt was this actually is “Levi’s”, so my name is not the same.

Levi Lo VS Levi's Lo-Ball Stack Jeans

Many years later, when the third version of my website was ready to launch, (refer to the story of levi-lo.com) I googled my name trying to find my site. I knew Levi’s is a global brand, and I did not expect just searching “Levi” and my site would be listed on the first page. However, my site was on the 5th page of search results for “Levi Lo”, because there is a jeans called “Levi's Lo-Ball Stack Jeans”... This accident or coincidence totally upset me. Unlike my siblings, we got the same surname (of course), their results are not messed up by this funny “Lo-Ball”. Many many Lo-Balls pushed my site far away to the 5th page. I inferred that “Lo” meant “Low” as there is another style called “Hi-Ball”.

What I wanted was “Levi Lo”, which is not “Levi’s Lo”, and showed the more accurate result. However, Levi’s jeans are such a huge globe enterprise, its website structure must be very nice, which led Google rank them or higher. Therefore, I moved onto SEO and restructured my site coding to let the search engine know this is “Levi Lo” and “Levi's Lo-Ball” is not “Levi Lo”, which was the introduction to the 4th version of levi-lo.com.

After a long journey of the 4th ver., right before I put it online, I recorded the result, hoping my effort works. However, it stayed after a week. I was disappointed. One month later, when I was going to do research for the next stage, I found my site was moved to the first page! I was very excited. My plan worked! My site only ranked after two links of “Levi Lo” search on Facebook. At least, they are Levi Lo but not Levi’s Lo-Ball, and no surprise that Facebook SEO is top.*

*Searching condition: Chrome / Desktop / in Hong Kong / All browsing data was cleared before search.
All screen recordings of searching results are on YouTube.

Levi Lo’s Thought on Levi’s

As I said above, Levi’s jeans gave me a good impression and I liked it when I was kid. Then, the process I grew and lived with fabrics was fashion and styling, hanging around boutique, online & fast fashion and finally being sick of it, which made me settle and went back to the organic style. In the physical aspect, fashion is another skin of the human body only, and I am too complicated to have this. I just need the fabrics which are parallel to my identity and styles but not style me.

At this stage, I get one new pair of jeans about every 2 or 3 years. I like Levi’s jeans, not because my name is Levi. It’s because I can create my own story with it. I used to buy new and good condition jeans and “process” by myself. Ground, shredded, smashed, tinted, sprayed, cut, accidental, on purpose, anything but not pre-made.
The “story” of the jeans should be lived by the owner but not the factory.
That's my own belief.

Levi’s on My Clothes Pile

G’andma Jeans
#levi_levis_GJ

The first one is called G’andma Jeans, I “processed” it too much, which can 100% draw my grandma's attention to ask me to stop wearing it. My mother got used to it, but my mother’s mother didn’t. She passed away a few years before, and I missed her. This pair of jeans always reminds me of a naughty grandson with his kind grandma.

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Film Photography on IG #levi_levis_GJ_film

in memory of my grandma

AB
#levi_levis_AB

The second jeans is white, called AB (Art Board). I like developing anything graphically on an artboard in illustrator at the start. This jeans is like an artboard of my daily life as well. It got slightly pre-made shredding at the knee areas and overall crystal white. And now, it’s like a broken canvas apron.

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Film Photography on IG #levi_levis_AB_film

Cutx
#levi_levis_CX

The third one is called Cutx. I wanted to have a pair of blue jeans which can cover my legs more in case of windy days. I bought this in new and good condition back home for processing. I used to roll up only, but not cut any jeans. I was told it was too clumsy, it got cut then. This was the first time a pair of jeans got chopped off. However, the generated negative space delighted me. Cutx contained a spirit - losing is not losing, but in another form of existence, such as memory.

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Film Photography on IG #levi_levis_CX_film

Denim Short
#levi_levis_DS

The last one I have is a denim short. I got it a long long time ago and forgot when I bought it. I have never processed it on purpose, but it broke so many times. My mother just complained about what I did, then she would repair it with her sewing machine. I guess someday two horses pulling and tearing it apart, mommy will sew it back in one piece. Thanks mommy in advance. :)

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Film Photography on IG #levi_levis_DS_film

Corgi
#levi_levis_CG

This Levi’s Levi’s jacket is not officially listed in my directory, as I got it in a vintage shop in Tokyo. Yet, it has been accompanying me for many years. A small corgi soft enamel pin is half hidden by the right pocket, which makes me call it Corgi Jacket.