| h engine optimization for today's search engine | | | | Solutions And Helpful Techniques |
| robots requires that sites be well-designed and | | | | If there are so many problems with indexing, how will |
| easy-to-navigate. To a great degree, organic search | | | | you ever make it work? |
| engine optimization is simply an extension of best | | | | The use of static pages is the easiest way to ensure |
| practices in web page design. SEO's relationship with | | | | you will be indexed by the search engine robots. If |
| web design is a natural one. By making sites simple | | | | you must use dynamically-generated pages, there are |
| and easily accessible, you are providing the easiest | | | | techniques you can use to improve the chances of |
| path for the search engine robots to index your site, | | | | their being indexed. Use your web server's rewrite |
| at the same time that you are creating the optimum | | | | capabilities to create simple URLs from complex ones. |
| experience for your human visitors. | | | | Use fixed landing pages including real content, which in |
| This approach ties well into the notion of long-term | | | | turn will list the links to your dynamic pages. If you |
| search engine marketing success. Rather than trying | | | | must use querystrings in your page addresses, make |
| to "psych out" the ever-changing search engine | | | | them as short as possible, and avoid the use of |
| algorithms, build pages that have good text and good | | | | "session id" values. |
| links. No matter what the search engines are looking | | | | When using Flash to dress up your pages, use a |
| for this month or next, they will always reward good | | | | portion of Flash for an important message, but avoid |
| content and simple navigation. | | | | building entire pages using that technology. Make sure |
| Search Engine Robots | | | | that the search engine robots can look at all of the |
| Search engine robots are automated programs that | | | | important text content on your pages. You want |
| go out on the World Wide Web and visit web pages. | | | | your message to get across to your human visitor as |
| They read the text on a page and click through links | | | | well. Give them enough information about your |
| in order to travel from page to page. What this really | | | | product to interest them in going the next step and |
| means is that they "read" or collect information from | | | | purchasing your product. |
| the source code of each page. Depending on the | | | | If you must use frames, be sure to optimize the "no |
| search engine, the robots typically pick up the title | | | | frames" section of your pages. Robots can't index |
| and meta description. The robots then go on to the | | | | framed pages, so they rely on the no frames text to |
| body text of the page in the source code. They also | | | | understand what your site is about. Include JavaScript |
| pay attention to certain tags such as headings and alt | | | | code to reload the pages as needed in the search |
| text. Search engine robots have capabilities like | | | | engine results page. Got imagemaps and mouseover |
| first-generation browsers at best: no scripting, no | | | | links? Make sure your pages include text links that |
| frames, no Flash. When designing, think simple. | | | | duplicate those images, and always include a link back |
| Search Engine Friendly Design | | | | to your homepage. |
| Creating search engine friendly design is relatively | | | | Use a sitemap to present all your web pages to the |
| easy. Cut out all the bells and whistles and stick to | | | | search engine robots, especially your deeper pages. |
| simple architecture. Search engine robots | | | | Make sure you have hyperlink text links on your |
| "understand" text on the page and hyperlinks, | | | | page, and a sentence or two describing each page |
| especially text links. The relationship of SEO and web | | | | listed, using a few of your keyword phrases in the |
| design makes sense when you start with good | | | | text. |
| design techniques for your visitor. The easier the | | | | Remember that the search engine robots "read" the |
| navigation and the more text on the page, the | | | | text on your web page. The more that your content |
| better it is not only for the visitor but also for the | | | | is on-topic and includes a reasonable amount of |
| search engine robots. | | | | keyword-rich text, the more the search engine robot |
| Obstacles For Indexing Web Pages | | | | will "understand" what the page is about. This |
| Search engine robots cannot "choose" from drop | | | | information is then taken back to the search engine |
| down lists, click a submit button, or follow JavaScript | | | | database to eventually become part of the data you |
| links like a human visitor. In addition, the extra code | | | | see in the search engine results. |
| necessary to script your pages or create those lists | | | | Last of all, it is very important to test your pages for |
| can trip-up the search engine robots while they index | | | | validation. Errors from programming code and |
| your web page. The long JavaScript in your source | | | | malformed html can keep the search engine robots |
| code means the search engine robots must go | | | | from indexing your web pages. Keep your coding |
| through all this code to finally reach the text that will | | | | clean. |
| appear on your page. Offload your JavaScript and | | | | Check List For Success |
| CSS code for quicker access to your source code by | | | | · Include plenty of good content in text on |
| the search engine robots, and faster loading time for | | | | your web pages |
| your online visitors. Some search engine robots have | | | | · Incorporate easy to follow text navigation |
| difficulty with dynamically-generated pages, especially | | | | · Serve up dynamically generated pages as |
| those with URLs that contain long querystrings. Some | | | | simply as possible |
| search engines, such as Google, index a portion of | | | | · Offload JavaScript and other non-text code |
| dynamically generated pages, but not all search | | | | (style sheets, etc.) to external files |
| engines do. Frames cause problems with indexing and | | | | · Add a sitemap for optimum indexing of |
| are generally best left out of design for optimum | | | | pages |
| indexing. Web pages built entirely in Flash can present | | | | · Validate your pages using the World Wide |
| another set of problems for indexing. | | | | Web Consortium's validation tool, or other html |
| Depth Of Directories | | | | validator |
| Search engine robots may have difficulty reaching | | | | On Your Way To Indexed Pages |
| deeper pages in a website. Aim to keep your most | | | | The best way to assure that your pages will be |
| important pages no more than one or two "clicks" | | | | indexed is to keep them simple. This type of |
| away from your home page. Keep your pages closer | | | | architecture not only helps the search engine robots, |
| to the root instead of in deeply-nested subdirectories. | | | | but makes it easier for your website visitors to |
| In this way you will be assured the optimum indexing | | | | move throughout your site. Don't forget to provide |
| of your web pages. Just as your website visitor may | | | | plenty of good content on your pages. The search |
| become lost and frustrated in too many clicks away | | | | engine robots and your visitors will reward you with |
| from your homepage, the robots may also give up | | | | return visits. |
| after multiple clicks away from the root of your site. | | | | |