Often overlooked... This is a tip for your website

[Elite Skills]

Over looked design elements

1. The First text the page has ::

Catch people's attention! Make it short. People don't like reading.

I just did it to you why would it not work on your clients.

Be sure to explain what your site does in the first couple of words. Don't be redundant.

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Did you find it troublesome reading the above? Many have their first text as a huge paragraph all in bold. No. This just won't work. In having a writers club I have the problem of people not wanting to comment on the longer works. They're just not willing to read and this IS a very very very overlooked problem as customers do just the same. You need to be sure to do this in the description portion of your site. Don't use stupid keywords like awesome, rocking, wonderful or the best or repeat your domain name in the description. A waste. By moving this paragraph down it increased your likelyhood of reading the top part. The title I put grabbed your attention no? It was followed by just what it offered and that's how you have to make your site.

2. Keywords ::

Too many people use terms like "web design" in their keywords. We can all pray for growth but most are not a top ranking page. It may be better to try and grab longer keywords. You'll be # 4,000,000 in the search engine for the word web design while you could be #1 for the keyword "affordable business web design" which would give your likelyhood of being found much stronger odds.

Okay, well that's my rant. If you have any additions I'd love to here.

--randomly --
Hey do I set an avatar 0.o

[sduquette]

Everyone has a different take on this. Keywords & keyphrases, what is the best way to enter them? With commas only, with spaces only, with commas and spaces? Is one way better than the other? Thanks

[Perry]

Well, I guess this are different strokes for different folks, because I always make sure to be wordy in my sites for two reasons: Search-engine fodder, and, for the ones who do want more info on the product(s). But, of course, I don't over do it.

The ones who don't read will click on the product(s) link(s) anyway, so....

[minstrel]

Too many people use terms like "web design" in their keywords... It may be better to try and grab longer keywords. You'll be # 4,000,000 in the search engine for the word web design while you could be #1 for the keyword "affordable business web design" which would give your likelyhood of being found much stronger odds.
Yes, if the longer phrase is one people will actually use. No, it won't help to be #1 for a phrase no-one is ever going to enter into that little search engine box...


Hey do I set an avatar
It actually has to be an actual photo of you - avatars aren't acceptable.

Go to the Member Photos Forum. Start a new thread with a title like "Elite Skills' pic". In the body, post the URL to a photo of you using the following syntax:



http://www.eliteskills.com/eliteskills.jpg


Or if you can't upload it to your site, send it as an attachment in an email to Brittany.

[minstrel]

Everyone has a different take on this. Keywords & keyphrases, what is the best way to enter them? With commas only, with spaces only, with commas and spaces? Is one way better than the other? Thanks
Use commas to separate words or phrases. The spaces are optional - I like them because they are easier to edit and they word-wrap better.

[minstrel]

Well, I guess this are different strokes for different folks, because I always make sure to be wordy in my sites for two reasons: Search-engine fodder, and, for the ones who do want more info on the product(s). But, of course, I don't over do it.
It's also a question of who are you building the site for? Visitors? or search engines? Even if you opt for the second, you really don't need to be all that wordy to optimize for search engines...

Wordy may be ok on certain pages on your site but I have to agree when I hit that opening page I want to know quickly - is it worth staying here? or do I hit the Back button and go to the next entry in that search list?

[Elite Skills]

For taking the time to respond. My point was being #4,000,000 on the list of a keyword everyone uses has worse odds than being #1 on keywords people "might" use. I don't really think how you separate keywords really matter. Else why would microsoft.com use semi-colons. Either way, it's not worth the rest of screwing around.

[minstrel]

My point was being #4,000,000 on the list of a keyword everyone uses has worse odds than being #1 on keywords people "might" use.
I suppose, but I guess it would depend on how often that phrase "might" be used - if only one in 4,000,000 would use it, you're no further ahead. However, I was speaking generally - in the example you cited above, "affordable business web design", that's not an unlikely phrase - you cpuld alsop use thinks like "small business web design", "web design New York", etc., and the general strategy og using 3 or 4-word search phrases in addition to the single word or 2 word ones is I think a good one.


I don't really think how you separate keywords really matter. Else why would microsoft.com use semi-colons.
I didn't realize Microsoft did use semi-colons - the W3C site gives examples using commas without spaces so I'd use that as the standard, but spaces don't hurt and they increase readability for page editors - the main point is to separate them words or phrases using something other than a space - otherwise, it will be read as one long phrase.

[Elite Skills]

Again, agreed. The point was a more generalized description. The odds of getting to page 4,000,000 is worse than that of someone searching that term.

I saw the microsoft thing awhile back just jokingly to see if it had front page style ;). I would have loved to see a "generator" meta tag somewhere in there.

[janeth]

I agree 100% about being short and two the point on the home page. We have worked with our design and text over and over trying to get it to grab you and it is hard to do.

We started off with 2,000 words of text and was ranked for over 200 words for the home page we droped down to about 100 words and still are ranked for those same key words. Build the site for the customers and get the SEO done so it does not effect what your customer sees.

On the key words a good key word is "web site design" we rank in the top 100 for this one while ranking in the top 20 for words like "custom web sites" "custom site design" and a lot others.

My point is we get more hits for "web site design" then we get for any of the other ones.

So I agree on the text but I think working a lot harder on going for the big key words will pay off in the long run.

[Perry]

I know of an affiliate who put up a simple one-page site just for dickies pants. Sure enough, it ranked at #4. Less than 14 days later it was not found within the first 5 pages (the average page search people will do, unless they are doing research). It was replaced with newer content. Of course some sites stay up longer.

That's the way search engines work, which is one of the reasons why you put in more keywords, and, put in fresh ones every now and then.

There are visitors who want more info. I give it to them, but down in the middle of the page, and, I don't make a book out of it. For the ones who don't like to read, well, they can click on the link that is right at the top that takes them to where they want to go, right then and there.

You make a site that satisfies everyone, and, the search engines.

Anyway, it's different strokes for different folks when it comes to this.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I hear a pizza calling my name.

[Elite Skills]

As a rule o' thumb I try to make it the description of a site (metatags) what I would tell my grandma my site is about(unless it's naughty, then I would tell grandpa). Just a quick phrase that even my little cousin's short attention span can grasp.


As far as google, its affiliations that make your site high up there. Having a high keyword density and in close proximity between the word can give some points but it's minimal compared to the points given for a link to that keyword. In the case of finding potential affiliates search "<<your category>> <<combinations>>" in any major search engines.

With the combinations being:

Guestbook
+'Add Site'
+'Submit Site'
Network
Shoutbox
+'Feedback Form'
+'Contact Page'
Related
+'related sites'
links
affiliates
+'affiliation form'

Feel free ta add to this list.


Just try and avoid link farms and such and php ODP includes people added to their sites. Don't be hesitant to ask someone... ever. What can you lose? Just give them some feedback about their site and politely ask them to swap links or if they could link you.