What you may not know about SEO  RSS feed
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Search Engine
Optimization (SEO) has
been one of my main
interests for nearly a
decade. Simply stated,
SEO is an intuitive
science devoted to
making web pages more
attractive to search
engine bots.
Bots, also known as
page-crawlers, are sent
by their masters to
visit, scan and index
every nook and cranny of
cyberspace.
We take it for granted
that when a user types a
word or phrase into a
search bar he/she will
quickly be directed
to any
given number of pages containing
links to other pages that contain
the type of information requested. |
However, what
you may not realize is that those
links are prioritized according to
the bots' treatment during their
visits to websites -- whether enough
content was provided to enable a
definitive indexing decision,
whether the special webmaster coding
known as META-tagging was in place
and whether the content met the
search engine's security criteria.
These are just a few of the many
ways a webmaster can be hospitable
to the bots, which almost always
leads to optimized search engine
placement.
Additionally, each
search engine programs its
bot according to an ever-changing
secret algorithm. That accounts for
the variation in results that one
receives from, say, Yahoo versus
Google. Each of us, over time,
acquires a favorite search engine
because our go-to guy always seems
to show exactly what we request
within the first few links -- the
top half of the page with no
down-scrolling necessary. What we
really have acquired is a
subconscious preference for the
algorithm developed by that
particular search engine.
Incidentally, most
search engine algorithms (no,
they aren't named for the
globally-warmed ex-Veep who claims
to have invented the Internet) give
zero extra credit for high-tech
design, flash and sophisticated
graphics. In fact, bots may
actually ignore a page when there is
nothing more than flash or other
high-tech design present.
Text content and inbound links from
other websites are preferable since
the bots are programmed to scan only
text, hyperlinks and META tags.
Primitive designs like mine often do
better in searches than the ones
with significantly more eye appeal.
This guarantees that even the
smallest company or organization
with the lowest budget can be
successful at attracting Internet
users to its pages. Small
businesses' websites, therefore, are
just as international as are those
of the global corporations and,
while they may not receive quite as
many hits, their content is likely
to show up in searches just below or
even above one of the biggies.
Blogs
and other editorial content can also
play a major part in SEO,
particularly because there is
usually plenty of bot-scan-able text
on the pages and because articles
often get linked to and from other
websites, forums and social media,
which also enhances search engine
ranking.
"Keeping It Simple"
Philosophy
|
 Having too many options sometimes
creates confusion according to
Swathmore College social science
professor Barry Schwartz, who coined
the phrase "the paradox of choice."
Ironically, given more choices,
people generally become less likely
to make decisions.
A
well thought-out website, therefore,
focuses attention on things that are
of real benefit to potential
customers. First and foremost, your
website should focus visitors'
attention on your core marketing
message or brand rather than
offering a long list of things your
company can do or every product and
service that it offers.
Simplicity supports more effective
selling by helping to eliminate
potential customers' confusion. An
extremely cost-effective byproduct
of keeping it simple
--
one that will continue to produce
for your company --
is
that Search Engine Optimization is
greatly enhanced when marketing
messages get distilled right down to
their essence. |
Good
website design must contain more
than high-tech aesthetics. You must
carefully decide which information
is important and which is merely
confusing clutter. Too much
information, like too much choice,
confuses rather than clarifies.
Wary
visitors are constantly on the
look-out for gimmicks, distractions
and annoyances that send the
message: "leave this website as soon
as possible!"
Distractions such as unnecessary
music, sounds, click-through ads,
overuse of drop-down menus, site
search forms, long-loading graphics
and the like not only chase people
away from your web pages but they go
almost entirely unnoticed by the
most important visitors to your
website --
totally blind/deaf page-crawling
search engine spider robots.
Visitor friendly websites are
designed and optimized to build
trust and foster relationships.
They do not scare people away before
they can find simple facts and
marketing points that could assist
them in choosing to do business with
your company.
Spiderbots are programmed to find
key words, phrases, titles,
descriptions and text that will lead
to the most efficient indexing of
information available to Internet
users. No more. No less.
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