Home Page Optimum Words

How much is enough?

[web_india]

What's the optimal home page size for a good ranking site at google?
What if the home page contains mostly of text and only 2-3 small graphics?
What should be the limit beyond which it becomes difficult for optimization and the client should simply be suggested to redesign the home page for lesser text or go for a new domain?
Or by focussing exclusively on inbound links, is it still possible to get those top level rankings on google for the sites with more than 4-5 page of scrollable text on home page?
I have seen sites with long pages home page ranking well on google, though.

[Brett_Tabke]

That is the big question everyone has been living with. I've maintained for several years, that the smaller the page, the better. Under 20k (even though I know it is less than that, I say 20k to appease the crowd with pitch folks and torches).

>mostly of text and only 2-3 small graphics?

Gifs themselves are bad. We are only concerned with the code size of the HTML. Graphic sizes don't work into the equation except for the user.

>What should be the limit

When you get above 40k html, there's some evidence that some se's will down grade the page from what it could be.

After that, you have to make your own call based on the users you are targeting. If you are after the Lear and Porsche crowd, you can bet most have a high speed connection and can get away with that 4meg flash on the home page ;-)

>sites with more than 4-5 page of scrollable text on home page?

PR still trumps all and can even overcome size problems. Part of the problem is with those large of pages, it is hard to hit a quality density on the page and you work yourself out of the game from that standpoint too.

[topr8]

grafics don't count (all the same i like to keep them minimal on the home page - i just love very fast loading pages)

i have found that 10k is a good target, and i have had some success with around 5k,

re the main keyphrase in an area i watch very carefully there is a new entry website at position 5, which weighs in at 2k

[web_india]

>> PR still trumps all and can even overcome size problems.

So Brett, you would say that if a site has pages with big size, then just focussing religiously towards getting better PR, should do the job.

[web_india]

>> there is a new entry website at position 5, which weighs in at 2k

that's interesting, only 2k - so it seems only small size pages should be the target.

[willtell]

We have today many pages over 100K that rank well in GG. So I would assume then that size is not the only factor. I think you would be better to focus on targeted content that gives people a reason to want to pick your page out of the list.

Your site must have a reason to exist. If you can find the reason why your site should be there then you will serve both people and SE's. In other words, what value do you bring to the table.

[web_india]

basically, i was given the task of optimizing for a client who has a home page with lots and lots of text - normally we find for template driven marketing sites and stuff.

[Chris_R]

Where is my pitchfork....

I still contend there is little if any correlation between ranking and page size.

[web_india]

let's put it his way - for a client with such a page, shall I continue promoting the site as I would normally do or I should go for a new domain, develop content for it, and promote it - which approach is better ?
I would like to add that the current site doesn't have any optimization done - so I would have to work equally hard in my promotional efforts with both the approaches.