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What a great forum to stumble across ;-) I am going to try to avoid screaming newbie here *grin*
I have been reading up on usability and SEO extensively and am currently helping a friend optimize her website so that I can try my hand at submitting it to search engines. My fear with this is that I need her to host her website under her own domain - it is currently being redirected to a free host - I am pretty sure this would be cloaking and would be a bad idea ;-) I'd also like her to purchase a few keywords, but she may not be willing to as she does not get most of her work by way of her website.
So while I am helping her out (and waiting for her to make the proposed changes), I'd like to start exercising my skills and am not sure whether I should start with my own website and get it listed, reciprocal link exchanges, etc. or should I contact some colleagues who do web design and try to get their clients sites optimized? In other words, do I need a portfolio before I start contacting strangers?
I don't mind doing my first site for free - pay for costs incurred, not time - as this is a secondary service offering (I offer software training primarily). My concern here is that I will still need to write a contract with timelines on it if I want the client to have things done on time so that I can do my part.
Whew! Holy long post ;-) Any feedback? I'd be happy to share any websites that I have come across!
itrainu
To begin with, if you are serious about SEO, and learning the in's and out's, stick around WebmasterWorld. The knowledge base among the members and moderators, and the amount of learning materials here is unmatched.
Regarding your question:
I think that it depends on if you are going to charge your colleague's clients. Are you going to optimize their websites for free, and consider them practice? Or are you going to charge them?
If you have not had the experience of going through the entire process of strategy development, optimizing, submitting, documenting, and link-pop building, than I would say that optimizing your site is the best bet.
Take the time and optimize your site first. This can be a powerful promotional tool. If a potential client wants to know if you are any good, your own well optimized and well ranking site is a great thing to show them.
Good luck, and let us know how things progress.
[added]
I don't think the redirect will be classified as cloaking, but it will be detected and may get your site penalized.
What is the purpose of the redirect?
[/added]
Thanks for the welcome and believe me...you couldn't get me out of WebmasterWorld if you tried *grin*
I would not charge my first client - I need to prove to myself that I can do this - but I need a serious client - one who is willing to pay or work to get their site listed.
Problem with my site...I don't have one *grin* I took everything down last year when I took a job with Gateway as an employee...but well they pulled out of Canada so I am back to freelancing *grin* It would take me too long to build and then optimize - I am planning to build my new site during the holidays.
Redirect - she payed a one time fee to have her domain registered and then redirected to a free site (url snipped). It's unprofessional anyway...when we're ready to go I want to see it hosted under her own name ;-)
itrainu
(edited by: agerhart at 6:31 pm (gmt) on Nov. 28, 2001)
