Facts You Should Know About Web Site Design and Search Engine Optimization
1. Web site File Structure / File Naming
- Most search engines do not recognize beyond two directory levels.
- Make sure to name your files and directories with keywords.
- Don't separate keywords using the underscore instead use hyphens.
- File names should be not too long.
2. Load Time
- If a page doesn't load in 8 seconds, Web site will lose 1/3 of the visitors.
- Images and Graphics -Image optimization will help to improve the load time. Images can be optimized using the "GIFBOT" image optimization tool (http://www.netmechanic.com/accelerate.htm)
3. Browser Compatibility / Screen Resolutions
- Make sure the all the web pages are compatible with the latest versions of Internet explore and Netscape. (Eg: IE 4.0 and above, Netscape 4.7 and above)
- Screen resolution is very important. Compatibility in 800 and 1024 resolution is a must.
4. Site Map
- A very important page on a web site.
- Search Engine spider's prefers Site maps.
- Name the Site Map page-using hyphen (site-map.html).
- Make sure the site map has links to every page of the web site.
- Use key words on the anchor.
- Try to describe the links with two or three lines.
- Give a link o the site map from all the pages of the site.
- Keep the site map simple with no or few images.
5. HTML Validation
- Make sure the coding is done according to the W3C standards. (http://validator.w3.org)
- Search engines are constantly rewarding web sites that utilize clean and validated HTML.
- Validate the HTML coding using the "CSE HTML Validator" before the site goes live. (http://www.htmlvalidator.com/)
6. Custom 404 Error Page
- Through the custom 404 error page, make it easy for the users to find where they want to go.
- Use HTML links and include a search box.
- For information on how to create custom 404 pages for every type of server, visit the 404 Research Lab (http://www.plinko.net/404/). The site also features many examples of custom 404 pages.
7. Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
- Cascading Style allows Webmasters to control Web page design parameters, such as margins, font/typeface appearance, link appearance, colors, and placement.
- CSS decreases download time. Style sheets alone don't matter to the search engines.
8. Using JavaScript / Frames / Flash
- JavaScript - JavaScript is not search engine friendly and not important to the engines, so move it to a separate .js file.
- Frames – Try to avoid using frames. In a situation of using frame make sure to use the Tag. Frames must be navigational within the frames. Include an option to use the site with or without frames. And, use JavaScript to keep frames intact.
- Flash – Search Engine spiders cant read the flash (Except Fast.com). Anyway Flash can be used for demos and presentations.
- Layers – It is recommended not use layers.
9. Font Styles and Colors
- Font Styles – It is important to use the font styles compatible with the browsers.
- Colors – Web Safe Colors A few years ago, when most computers supported only 256 different colors, a list of 216 Web Safe Colors was suggested as a Web standard. The reason for this was that Microsoft and Mac operating system used 40 different "reserved" fixed system colors (about 20 each).
For more information Please visit
http://www.w3schools.com/html/html_colors.asp
http://www.webdevelopersjournal.com/articles/websafe1/websafe_colors.html
10.Title / Meta Key Words / ALT tags
- Title / Meta Key Words – Title and Meta key words play an important role search engine optimization.
- ALT Tags – It is important to have an Alt tag to each and every image.
About The Author
Rajitha Dahanayake is the Senior eMarketing Analyst of Reservations Gateway Inc. He has over 3 years experience in search engine optimization and Web Marketing.
Related Articles:
Recommended Tools When You Put On The SEO Cap For Your Web Site
The name of the game is search engine optimization and there are 20 winners and a million losers. It is a massive game that is conducted each and every minute by the top search engines.
Search Engine Optimization And The Modern Business Protocol
When it comes to the matter what does work in the Search Engine, there should be lots of fuss about these. It has been the long time when the website was developed to promote the services and the products. To get the maximum traffic and option for ensuring rank on the Search Engine listings, some strategies are required of. Search Engine Optimization has the complete business solution that can run the online business smoothly and swiftly.
SEO - Query Terms And Keywords
A query is simply a name for the word or two that people will type into a search engine box when they are looking for something specific on a popular search engine like Google or MSN. The fundamental components of these queries are called ?keywords? as they are the simple every day terms that people use to look for products and services. The major search engines note these words in database records that on the major engines such as Google and Overture can be accessed for free. This allows you to determine the popularity of a keyword simply by looking up its ranking or the number of "hits? it has had on a keyword inventory tool. Both Google and Overture have excellent keyword inventory tools that tell you what people are looking for when the...
Berry and Associates Legal Team and Atlanta SEO Agency TwentySix2 Releases Social Security Disability Guide for SSD, SSDI and SSI Disability Cases
Social Security Disability website nationaldisabilitylawyer.com has collaborated with TwentySix2 Marketing, utilizing search engine marketing and search engine optimization services to release a Social Security Disability guide. The site, Nationaldisabilitylawyer.com is a leader in SSD, SSDI and SSI disability benefit cases and further expands services to educate the disabled public about disability benefits.
Infuse Creative & Gregory Markel Speak Mobile Search Engine Optimization at Search Engine Strategies Conference Chicago
Gregory Markel, Founder/President of Infuse Creative, LLC, a full service search engine marketing company, advises Search Engine Strategies Conference attendees on how to optimize mobile web sites for mobile search engines.
SEO White Hat Success or Black Hat Exclusion
In the process of trying to gain popularity and bring in more business, there are some companies that look at adopting some of the common modes of leveraging through Search engine optimization. This might help them or back fire and lead to their site getting black listed from the index. So, at the end of the day, it really does not matter how good or bad their site is, but what means they adopt to increase traffic.
Monitor Your Visibility in Google, MSN, and Yahoo with these DIY SEO Tools
This is the second part of an article series in which you'll find many tools that you can use to monitor your site's search engine position and see how your do-it-yourself search engine optimization efforts are coming along.
The following tools are for monitoring your search results in the three major search engines.
The Myth of Rankings - Beyond Search Engine Optimization
What follows is a condensed version of a conversation that happens all too frequently when I am approached by a prospect interested in search engine optimization (SEO):Prospect: We need our website optimized, because we aren't showing up for any searches.
Me: What searches have you tried?
Prospect: We don't show up for ANYTHING.
Why is SEO so important?
An article looking at what SEO is and why it is so important to drive traffic to a website, and what can happen if there is no SEO targeted text within a website.
Keyword Research Is A Great Seo Strategy
As you will see all over the internet and on many forums, keyword research is very important if you want your site to rank well and be successful. Keyword research is the key to identifying the needs of your prospects. Keyword research is the first task in optimizing your web site and pay-per-click campaign. One of the best places to perform keyword research is the search engines themselves.
The Importance Of Proper Keyword Research To SEO
Seeing your site at the top of the search results for your target phrase as a beautiful thing; however, if it doesn't drive quality, converting traffic to your site, it's not doing you any good The goal of any true optimization campaign is not only to get a site and it's pages to the top of the results, but to get them to the top of the results for the phrases that matter
Webmarketing123 Offers New Search-Engine Leveraged Public Relations Services; Leader in Search Engine Optimization Now Offers Keyword-Rich Publicity S
Webmarketing123, leader in the fast-growing Search Engine Optimization (SEO) market, has rolled out new keyword-optimized press-release creation and distribution services to increase clients' visibility, web traffic and sales.
5 Reasons Why Accessibility Is Good For SEO
1) Validation of HTML
SEO - Basic
If you are in a position where you?re looking to get in google rankings, then I have some advice for you and it is only based on my experience so use it with caution! First step is link link link! Yes sadly you have a lot of work ahead of you but if SEO it important to you then it is time worth spent.
Landing Page Optimization Category Added to SEO Blog, Search Engine Optimization Journal
Brick Marketing, an esteemed website marketing solutions company with over 10 years of experience in the field of Search Engine Optimization, is happy to announce a new, exciting category that is being added to their informative Search Engine Optimization Journal and the Brick Marketing blog network.