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The problem is that it uses tons of images, very little text, Java script, flash, frames.....oh yeah, this thing has it all.
So, I am so overwhelmed I don't even know where to start. Should I be thinking along the lines of cloaking, or do you think that I will be able to pull anything off without cloaking. I have no experience in cloaking and don't think that I should waste the time, effort, or money that would go into learning and implementing it on this particular site.
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
-A Gerhart
Bare with me here for a minute.....so I should go and buy some domain names that are keyword specific, or are you saying that I should simply rename the directories and filenames?
You should get domains that match the keywords (usally the most popular) e.g. your keyword is US Flag url= www.somethingtodowithflags.com. You can use your imagination on the urls, but you want them to be keyword specific.
Yes, then you have complete control and don't have to deal with designers and FTP permissions etc. Marketing my wish to keep the branding the same but you can deal with that in colors and logo etc.
What about the fact all of these pages use frames and Java Script? Should I use the <no frames> section?
imho, you take the new domains and build them out into deep content rich authorities on the subject. Then you point to the core site on every page via a text link or banner ad for that matter. Depending on the site, point them to the action you want - an ORDER page. Sell em on the new domain and have them order from the core site. Flash, frames, huge graphics are not your problem. It's the core sites problem.
BTW this would be MUCH faster and could be cheaper than a complete site redo. Site politics can get ugly.
Added
So you use their money. If less than $200 for 10 domains is an issue, leave.
PS: 10 domains can create link pop.
Edited by: Mike_Mackin
Edited by: Mike_Mackin
this sounds like a really obvious, good solution, that i never even thought of......it's going to take some convincing.
You think this is my best bet, huh?
DEFINITELY take the time to make some screenshots and document where you are now. Then, I'd ramp up the noframes ASAP (still works for me). Next, I'd trump up a few "printer friendly" pages, unframed w/ plenty of text. And, how about some pdf files for Google?
I am not sure I am aware of the results this will have. You think you could explain a little?
Thanks to everyone for all of the help! I don't know what I would do without this forum.
Has anyone here actually used the PDF files, submitted them, and gotten back successful results?
-Have a good weekend folks!
I feel your pain! The majority of work I do is this kind of stuff, and it can be quite overwhelming. The best advice I could give, is don't get ahead of yourself. There's alot of leg work to be done before you are anywhere close to having to decide whether or not you need to cloak.
Here's a breakdown of the steps I run trough before starting on this type of job.
1.Keyword Research
Before I spend any time looking at the site, I spend a great deal of time doing keyword research. The goal is to establish upfront A) What are the true phrases that make up the client's keyword set, and B) What kind of search activity exists for their particular set.
Doing this work upfront allows you to determine how worthwhile an SEO campaign really is. I can't tell you how often I've seen some corporate site spend a great deal of money overcoming design issues to get ranked for terms that only bring a trickle of traffic.
2. Competitve Research & Current Visibility
Once you've developed your keyword set and determined how potentially valuable and SEO campaign truly is,you then need to determine A)how well the client currently ranks for the terms, B)What sites, if any are dominant in your niche, and C)How many overall pages are competing for your terms.
Isolating and analyzing the sites that rank well for your set allows you to get a good handle on what's driving the rankings you want. Sometimes you'll find the top sites know nothing about SEO. They are number one primarilly because they are extremely popular. Other times, the top sites are strong organically, but none of them have any decent link popularity. Sometimes they are a combination of both. (The tough ones).
Once you understand all this info, It becomes alot easier to develop a specific strategy for your nightmare site. You might find that given the level of search activity and competition, Some well written title tags, and directory listings combined with a doorway/frameset or two, might be all you need to capture all the available traffic. Other times, it becomes quite obvious that you need a very large, comprehensive plan that requires a great deal of redesign and/or workarounds.
It is a great deal of work, and if you are going to do this kind of stuff on a regular basis, you'll probably need to charge an upfront fee for this initial phase. That is the approach I've taken, and it's worked out well.
