SEO and common sense
It is common knowledge that the intention of Google and other major search engines is to give the visitors what they are searching for without subjecting them to undue discomfort. Having undestood this, let us use our own commonsense to find out what best can be done towards Search Engine Optimization.
The fact is every search engine has a different formula to accord ranking for a Web page. Keyword-rich copy that the search engines favor may not ideally form the text -especially not on the front page! Using flash animation and of graphics may make the site appealing, but as the search engines can not index these well, one has to inevitably use gateway pages.
Some business owners may argue that their sites need to be one up on the others and would want liberal use of flash animation and lots of graphics, They may be somewhat disinclined to change this attitude just to satisfy the search engines.
There are many web developers who burn the midnight oil examining search engine results and trying to figure out each search engine's methodology or algorithm for high rankings. As a matter of fact, there have been scores of software programs written over the years to unravel the algorithms to generate high-ranking pages for each engine. The problem is like a musical chair – by the time you arrive at a formula for an algorithm, the algorithm will change and the new algorithm must be cracked again. It is best this type of time-consuming method is avoided.
Notwithstanding the fact that search engines have slightly different algorithms which they keep changing, all search engines accord priority to the same set of things that real visitors look for in a Web site.
You do not need any technical expertise to know what parameters are needed for SEO. Sheer commonsense should suffice. What all search engines will uniformly expect in web pages are – an easy neatly coded design, an imaginative straightforward navigation, crisp yet well drafted copy, titles / meta tags that facilitate easy identification of relevant keyword and phrases and links that exactly describe what can be found at the site.
Writing Keyword-rich content does not necessarily mean one has to compromise on providing correct and appropriate information to the visitor. Good content can be written in a way that will fully drive home the benefits to the user while suitably utilizing keyword phrases. It may be seemingly difficult but possible by a competent content writer. The advice is to engage a professional content writer and not somebody obsessed with SEO.
It is once again an act born of common sense. Web with skillfully written keyword rich content have the potential to achieve high rankings for many years regardless of search engines changing algorithms. Still more importantly, they will also be a runaway success with the site visitors.
Most web developers are excessively fond of flash animation and graphics and willing to even forego appropriate content. Clients who want high rankings and lots of traffic also refuse to forfeit the avoidable graphics and flash animation. Now, it is to an extent true that some search engines have started reading the content of flash files.
A flash presentation on a site may appear exciting the first couple of times one views it, but thereafter it will be irksome when the visitor is not able to get the precise information he or she wants. And Why not have your cake and eat it too? - By using permissible amounts of flash in select places along with justifiable content. At the end of the day, most people are looking for exact information on the types of products or services in concise language, preferably on the main page of the site. Let us not forget that is exactly what the search engines also want to provide higher rankings.
The heartening fact is, as the Web matures, more and more business site owners are realizing that their fanciful sites do not fetch much traffic as the competitor's site that provides strictly business information bereft of all ostentation. Thus there is the new trend of creating a couple of additional sites purely for SEO purposes.
It is said, and rightly too, that the single most important part of optimizing a site and getting it rank well in the search engines is content. Write a new page of content for your site at regular intervals and your website will climb the ranks. With irrelevant or inadequate content, the website will soon become a disaster whatever its other merits.
Of course, content need not be mistaken for pages of mere text. It may include a shopping cart filled with products and product descriptions as also downloadable gadgets and gimmicks. There are some imaginative developers who add jokes, anecdotes, and stories of success associated with their products. As long the written material is relevant to one’s business, website can legitimately aspire for better rankings.
Guided by commonsense, let us take following steps for higher rankings by search engines:
Provide simple straightforward and easily comprehensible information.
Avoid too many technical jargons as it is not the place to display one’s expertise but to remain user-friendly. Try not to employ some clever tricks. Search engines are any day smarter than you. The whole effort will prove counter-productive as the search engines may even penalize you for these antics.
Make the URL for the site clear and relevant and acceptable to crawlers
Put yourself into the shoes of a random visitor and ask the question - is this page well-structured and offers me right and adequate information about what I am seeking?
There is no denying that it takes time to achieve SEO. Much of SEO is based on other sites that link back to your page, but then you have no direct control over that aspect. All you can do is to focus on what you have control over, which is making your page as compelling as possible.
For more Search Engine Genie Articles
You may contact us for further details by clicking here or e-mail us at - support@searchenginegenie.com |
