It is important to create static versions of each page your want to be
indexed.
c) Do not have an entirely FLASH homepage
Search engines cannot index pages made entirely with FLASH. When you
submit a page to a search engine a spider will follow the links on the
page and listing the rest of the site. The best way to remedy this is
to create a site map that uses normal html links to every page on your
site, also add a standard HTML link on each page of you site that links
to the site map.
d) Do not use image maps as the only method of navigation
Search engines cannot index the code that makes up image maps. You can
use image maps in your site but you should also include standard html
links. As with a Flash site, create a site map that uses normal html
links to every page on your site. Also add a standard HTML link on each
page of you site that links to the site map.
e) Do not use JavaScript as the only method of navigation
Search engines can't follow links that are within JavaScript, so your
site will not get spidered unless you also have some form standard HTML
hyperlinks that they can follow. You should add some form of standard
HTML hyperlinks to all of your pages on each of your pages so that your
site will be spidered properly. An easy way to do this is to create a
site map page uses standard HTML links to link to every page on your
site. Then add a standard HTML link on each page of your site that
links to the site map.
2. Carefully choose your keywords
Target the wrong keywords and all your efforts will be in vain.
Choose the right keywords and you'll see your traffic dramatically increase.
Therefore, think long and hard about what keywords people are most
likely to use when search for your site.
3. Optimise your Title Tag
The title tag of your page is an extremely important factor to
consider during the optimisation of a web page for search engines. This is
because many engines and directories place a high level of importance
on keywords that are found in your title tag. The title tag is also
what the search engines usually use for the title of your listing in
the search results. Generally, we recommend that your title tag,
including spaces, be between 50-80 characters long. The optimum level
differs from search engine to search engine.
Tips for optimising your Meta Tags
We recommend including 1-2 of your most important keyword phrases in
the title tag, be careful not to just list keywords. If you just list
keywords you risk being viewed as a spamming the engines which can
ultimately lead to you being blacklisted by the search engines. Your
title tag should include your keyword phrases while remaining as close
to a readable sentence as possible to avoid any problems.
Make your title enticing! Don't forget that even if you get a number 1
listing on the search engines your listing still needs to say something
that makes the surfer want to click-through and visit your site. Since
the length of your title tag could be a little long for some engines we
suggest placing the keywords at the beginning of the tag when possible
so that you do not risk having them cut off. Each page of your site
should have a unique title tag with its own keywords that related to
the page that it appears on.
4. Optimisation of your page content
Your page content is another very important factor in achieving
better search engine listings. Your page content is the information that a
visitor would read from the page. Search engines look through your
pages looking for keyword phrases just like a visitor to your site.
Page content tips:
We recommend that each page you submit has at contains least 200 words.
This text should include your most important keyword phrases, but
should remain logical & readable. Include the phrases that you have
used in your other tags (i.e. metas, alt, headings, title, etc.) during
the optimisation process. Add additional content rich pages to your
site. For example, how-to articles, hint and tips, or tutorials. These
types of content pages not only help you in the search engines, but
other sites may link to them also.
5. Optimisation of your META tags
The head element contains general information (meta-information)
about a document. HTML also includes a Meta element that goes inside the head
element. The purpose of the Meta element is to provide meta-information
about the document.
Most often the Meta element is used to provide information that is
relevant to browsers or search engines like describing the content of
your document. Some search engines will use the name and content
attributes of the Meta tag to index your pages.
This meta element defines a description of your page:
This meta element defines keywords for your page:
The intention of the name and content attributes is to describe the
content of a page. However, since too many webmasters have used Meta
tags for spamming, like repeating keywords to give pages a higher
ranking, many major search engines have stopped using them entirely.
Where they belong: The correct placement for both meta tags is
between the and tags within the HTML the
makes up your page. Their order does not really matter, but most people
usually place the description first then the keywords meta. Tag limits:
We recommend that your Keywords Meta not exceed 1024 characters
including spaces. We recommend that your Description Meta tag not
exceed 250 characters including spaces.
Meta description tips:
Make sure you accurately describe the content of your page while trying
to entice visitors to click on your listing. Include 3-4 of your most
important keyword phrases., particularly those used in your title tag
and page copy.
Try to have your most important keywords appear at the beginning of
your description. This often brings better results, and will help avoid
having any search engine cut off your keywords if they limit the length
of your description.
Meta keywords tips:
Aside from what we mention in the other tips below you should only use
those keyword phrases that you also used in the copy of your page,
title tag, meta description, and other tags. Any keywords phrases that
you use that do not appear in your other tags or page copy are likely
to not have enough prominence to help your listings for that phrase.
Watch out for repeats! You want to include your most important phrases,
but when doing so it can be difficult not to repeat one word many
times. There in no limit, but we recommend that no one word be repeated
in the keyword Meta more than 5 times.
If your site has content of interest to a specific geographic location
be sure to include the actual location in your keyword Meta.
6. Optimisation of your images using
"alt"
The alt attribute is used to define an "alternate text" for an image.
The value of the alt attribute is an author-defined text: src="optimised.gif" alt="Search Engine Optimisation">
The "alt" attribute tells the reader what he or she is missing on a
page if the browser can't load images. The browser will then display
the alternate text instead of the image. It is a good practice to
include the "alt" attribute for each image on a page, to improve the
display and usefulness of your document for people who have text-only
browsers.
Although not all search engines use the Alt tab it can help your
listings on some of them. We recommend on using 2-3 words for each
image and using it where ever possible.
7. Optimisation of Text Hyperlinks
Search engines use complex algorithms to see if what you are
linking to is something closely related to the content of your page. Some of the
engines look for keywords in hyperlinks and in the surrounding text of
the hyperlinks. We recommend including your most important keyword
phrases in the link itself and possibly the surrounding text.
8. Optimisation of Heading Tags
Headings are defined with the
to
tags.
defines the largest heading.
defines the smallest heading.
This is a heading
This is a heading
HTML automatically adds an extra blank line before and after a heading.
Although they are used less frequently due to new technologies, HTML
heading tags can help improve your listings in the search engines also.
You should include you most important keyword phrases in the heading
tags on your page. Some search engines use them in the analysis of your
page content.
9. Things to avoid attempting
Optimisation techniques for Search Engines
You should not try to trick a search engine in any way because you
risk being blacklisted by them.
Excluding the Meta keyword tag, do not list you keyword one after
another anywhere on the page
An old trick is to try and keyword stuffing the page by using the same
colour text as the page's background. Search engines can detect this
and view it as spam.
Submissions Limits: Some engines do not like more than a certain number
of submissions per day for the same domain. If you exceed this limit,
you may find your submissions for that day ignored. Do not submit the
same page to any search engine more than once in any twenty-four hours.
Do not submit identical pages. You should instead give them different
filename and change the title and, if possible, the content and
keywords for the page.
Do not use any keywords in your keywords Meta tag that do not directly
relate to the content of your page.
Don't use any keywords in your keywords Meta tag that do not directly
relate to the content of your page.
Good luck with your search
engine optimising!
Getting Back To Basics
Do a search on Google for 'search engine optimization company' and you'll get about 5 million results. Many of the lower results won't be there next month. The competitiveness of the SEO industry can eat up companies in a heartbeat if they don't stay on top of the most effective methods. The companies that don't survive have usually fallen into the trap of using unethical SEO techniques, such as keyword stuffing, spamming search engines with repeat submissions, doorway pages, and other suspect methods in a desperate attempt to get any edge they can over the competition.
In response to these practices, search engines are constantly updating their algorithms in order to offer the most relevant results possible without giving search engine optimizers ways of spamming their way to the top. Remember the days of stuffing the keyword meta tag with hundreds of high usage words in order to drive tons of traffic to a site? Looking back now, that seems like such a silly waste of time. But as we embarked down this unholy path of linking networks of unrelated web sites together by the hundreds, did we stop to think of how similar a course we were taking? Perhaps some of us did at first, but then justified it by the fact that if search engines hadn't caught on yet, well then it's full steam ahead for this brilliant idea.
However, with this last Google (Feb. 2005) dubbed "Allegra", some interesting trends are beginning to take shape regarding linking strategies. Google has been far stricter with links showing up in a web site's backlink check. Web sites participating in overused link networks are suddenly not experiencing the jumps in ranking they would have previously. PageRank values are dropping for sites with a lot of unrelated outgoing links. Sites that have paid for incoming links on unrelated sites are dropping in ranking. What does all this tell us? Well, that possibly one search engine has finally caught on to the keyword stuffing of the 21st century we like to call Link Popularity Development.
I chose to title this article SEO Basics because so many of us pass up the simple strategies for more time consuming and risky measures. Being engrossed in something day in and day out can cloud one's perspective and sometimes we all need a good refresher. So let's go way back and attempt to figure out what the purpose of the World Wide Web was. In general, it was created to offer people access to information. Search engine optimization companies have the power to change what information people all over the world see. Are we doing Web users justice by creating false "votes" for a web site's link popularity? Of course not. I can guarantee you that this method has seen its day and is on its way out.
With that being said about linking, what then of content? For some time now search engines and optimizers alike have been saying to write your content for the visitor, not the search engine robot. That is still the smartest method when it comes to doing business online. Although effective, a search engine optimization campaign is not the be-all and end-all of promoting your web site and you have to realize that regardless of how people find your web site, if they don't like reading what you have to say you won't do any business.
The more good quality content the better. The more links that can direct targeted visitors to your site the better. Finding exposure through quality directory listings is great. Now let's stop all these foolish games we all know the search engines will eventually pick up on.
Both Adrian & John Metzler are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Adrian has sinced written about articles on various topics from Internet Marketing, Get Ex Back and Site Promotion. About the authorAdrian McLean is the founder and Search Engine Marketing Consultant forSearch Engine Optimising(http://www.searchengineoptimising.co. Adrian's top article generates over 1000 views. Bookmark Adrian to your Favourites.
Christian Van De Velde Go tell 1 million dead Iraqi men, women and children that no British golfer has won a major championship in eight years because British people are too friendly.