Forum Moderators: open
Hope this helped
Leo
Google Optimization [webmasterworld.com]
It's not only on-page, but building it into the site navigation from the ground up.
Before content and before linking...there is architecture.
You need a good architecture.
Elements related to this I remember from the conference (off top of my head):
--You need a good SITE MAP page. Search engines love site maps. Break it up into categories if possible.
--sub-menu navigation links: good (not as a drop down)
--all else equal...static pages over dynamic.
--avoid session ids (tracking sessions produces long unreadable code).
--title and description meta tags should be different and relevant to each page. (don't use a single title tag for all your pages)
--don't forget to robot.txt file.
--make a customize error page.
--you next written basic desciption of your site/company on EVERY page (since most traffic many not actually be first landing on your index page. EVERY page should be a landing page).
hope that's useful.
hmmmm.....more later if I remember.
Why a site map page? Is it just in case a spider has trouble finding other links to all of your pages or is there another reason?
Is a non-blank robots.txt file necessary if you don't mind spiders following any links they please?
I'm not sure what you mean with your last item. A description of your company on every page? Do you mean something quick that shows up at the top of every one of your pages? Is it's purpose to show up below your page's title in the SE results? Wouldn't that keep you from getting SE "points" with keywords in the first chunk of text on your page?
Why a site map page? Is it just in case a spider has trouble finding other links to all of your pages or is there another reason?
A site maps helps both spiders and human users, so it is hard to beat :)
Nice clean markup, xhtml1 strict if your audience can handle it...
Nick
Too bad for me. I've got a header that always comes before my page content.
Nick
Do keyword research and competitive analysis first to get a feel for what the hierarchy of the traffic pulls and possibilities will be. That gives the broad view of content needs and organization, and helps to design the site architecture and navigation and implement effective Page Rank distribution to where it's needed most.
1) 26 steps to 15k a Day
[searchengineworld.com...]
2) Successful Site in 12 Months with Google Alone
[webmasterworld.com...]
/claus
I'll just have to add this: Thinking about valid HTML and CSS right from the start does help, i've found.
It's not the W3C validation per se that does the trick - you'll still be able to write validating pages that rank terribly. It's the thinking about layout vs. content and the whole process of getting better structure in your pages, and using the intended markup for the intended purposes and so on. They also get easier to digest for the spiders at the same time.
[edited by: claus at 6:00 pm (utc) on Sep. 6, 2003]
sub-menu navigation links: good (not as a drop down)
What is meant by this? precisely?
Too bad for me. I've got a header that always comes before my page content.
This is the ideal way to get your H1s working for you. I know you are not a big fan of CSS, but even a very simple and minimal use will go a long way to enhancing your site seo-wise.
The only thing I would add to the suggestions here is to do a very thorough and proper keyword research before design. This will help in the site architecture/navigation decisions.
sub-menu navigation links: good (not as a drop down)What is meant by this? precisely?
Avoid to use javascript for linking
webwoman - Do you mean an h1 next to a body tag is the ideal way to get your h1s working for you? Getting it near the body tag will mean having it before my logo and top category navigation. Can you point me toward any sites that have done a good job of integrating that so I can take a look?
less code, faster download, easier site management are the big benefits of css.
less code also leads to easier indexing by search engine which is why you hear it all the time here (it make your real content much more accessible).
