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So I used the Google PageSpeed Insights to get a better idea: I'm somewhat technically saavy, but I can't seem to wrap my brain on HOW TO Enable Compression fix??? Do you happen to have a "simple example" of what needs to be done?  I understand the concept of having a compressed file will save on bandwidth etc...  But am I literally "gzipping" the files like "jquery.js"... but how does the HTML code work etc..   Any straight forward example you could possibly show me? Same with ENABLING CACHE...   My site is done w/ PHP, so i thought sending a simple HEADER command like so: header("Cache-Control: max-age=2592000"); would suffice... but the pagespeed insight still says,the following elements: which are jpgs, css files, js files that my "www.stephita.com" index file references...  Am I doing the Cache statement correct, by putting it on the INDEX.PHP page?  Or do I somehow have to literally have to reference each jpg/css/js file that the PageSpeed insight is saying needs something done?  Again, examples? I appreciate any help on this matter

It's better to 301 a page if it's relevant than it is to let it go 404. However if it's a service or product you no longer carry, might be better off keeping it a 404 so the page goes away unless you think you'll be using that url again. 404s won't hurt you unless you have a huge number of them, but if you have a page you no longer want and wish for it to be forgotten about, you can let it 404 and will eventually go bye bye.

If it is Panda then cleaning up the site to make it more useful is your best bet. Make sure the design is clean. Make sure the writing is answering the user's question, and that it's well written. Make sure that the function of the page matches the search query. Fixing these things should result in an eventual improvement in rankings. If you were cloaking, that could be a penalty all by itself. Make sure to fix anything shady, and consider whether non-standard implementations or architecture could have confused Googlebot or made it look like you were trying to manipulate rankings. Check Webmaster tools for any warnings or manual penalties for sure. You can also cross-reference drops in traffic to what others have seen on similar dates to make sure it was Panda.

Yes, I've removed all the "shortcuts" of bad thin content now. But I'm a little confused by your comment: But anyone who looks closely at these cookie cutter pages will see that  the wording is awkward, the photos don't match the names or the colors listed, and problems  like Oren & Bar Mitzvah sneak in. Do you see something in particular that is bringing this to your attention?

Hi Chris, I appreciate you giving me the feedback on my site issues.  I've rectified a few, and will thoroughly go through my site to ensure it complies with the suggestions. What is the likelihood that once Google sees that the page is cleaner, will my site jump back up to the top?  Does the PR3 still factor in SERP? Thanks!